Pitchfork

Body of War is a documentary focusing on the daily struggles of Tomas Young, a 26-year-old veteran of the Iraq War who was paralyzed from a gunshot suffered within his first week of service in Iraq. Produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, the film has been racking up awards (including the National Board of Review's "Best Documentary of 2007" prize) on the festival circuit, and will be released theatrically all over in the coming weeks.

Body of War's resolute anti-war message is backed up by a politically-charged double-disc soundtrack entitled Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran, due March 18 on Sire. Pretty much anyone with an eye on the electorate and a pen of poison shows up here, including Tom Waits, Public Enemy, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Bright Eyes, Lupe Fiasco, Against Me!, Kimya Dawson, Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion, Talib Kweli, and John Lennon. All proceeds from the sale of the soundtrack go to Iraq Veterans Against the War, a charity chosen specifically by Tomas Young.

What's more, Body of War will be screened this Thursday, March 13 at Austin, Texas' Paramount Theater as part of the SXSW festivities, with Young and the filmmakers answering questions as a postscript. After that's wrapped, Stubb's will host performances from another who's who of politically-minded folks, including Billy Bragg, Kimya Dawson, Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, and Ben Harper.

Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran:

Disc one:

01 Brendan James: "Hero's Song"
02 Lupe Fiasco: "American Terrorist"
03 Michael Franti & Spearhead: "Light Up Ya Lighter"
04 Rage Against the Machine: "Guerilla Radio"
05 Public Enemy: "Son of a Bush"
06 Serj Tankian: "Empty Walls"
07 Bad Religion: "Let Them Eat War"
08 Against Me!: "White People for Peace"
09 Bouncing Souls: "Letter From Iraq"
10 Dilated Peoples: "War"
11 RX Bandits: "Overcome (The Recapitulation)"
12 No Use for a Name: "Fields of Agony"
13 Talib Kweli & Cornel West: "Bushonomics"
14 Immortal Technique: "The 4th Branch"
15 System of a Down: "B.Y.O.B."
16 Eddie Vedder & Ben Harper: "No More" (live)

Disc two:

01 Bruce Springsteen: "Devils & Dust"
02 Pearl Jam: "Masters of War" (live)
03 Bright Eyes: "When the President Talks to God"
04 John Lennon: "Gimme Some Truth"
05 Neil Young: "The Restless Consumer"
06 The Nightwatchman: "Battle Hymns"
07 Kimya Dawson: "Anthrax"
08 Blow Up Hollywood: "WMD"
09 David Ford: "State of the Union"
10 Tori Amos: "Yo George"
11 Laura Cantrell: "Love Vigilantes"
12 Ben Harper: "Black Rain"
13 Roger Waters: "To Kill the Child"
14 Tom Waits: "Day After Tomorrow"