I was merrily surfing away on Amazon, and I discovered an album dedicated to Leon Trotsky. And not some passing reference, but an entire concept album, with songs based on episodes from Trotsky's life. And not from some whimsical folk singer, but from a ska-punk band from New Jersey.

Catch 22 released Permanent Revolution this summer. The songs are assigned dates and events and range from The Spark (1902) to Opportunity (1940) and touch on the Bolshevik revolution, Trotsky's exile from Russia and the purges in between. The lyrics reveal a genuine commitment to understanding his history and sympathy with his cause - from A Minor Point (1922):

Some may want to say that were killers
But we do what we must
And we feel we are just
Cutting off the head of the imperial serpent
Taking back the land for the hands
That have worked it.

I don't know if Catch 22 are political devotees, but as bassist Pat Kays explains: "Trotsky is an intriguing character who we felt we could relate to in a lot of ways. And he has a very powerful story that is important and very relevant to our current world situation." Funny how when I say that in grad school I get told "class isn't important". Luckily no one's told these musicians.

The music is catchy and inoffensive. Ska/punk isn't really my thing, but the kids are paying attention: this week the disc's No.828 on the amazon charts, months after its release - for a chart that includes over a million items, that's respectable. And I'd wager they've done a better job in popularizing Trotsky than years of socialist magazines put together. Art that's accessible, fun and political - now there's a concept.