I haven’t been as active on this site as I would like. Because of this, there has been an abundance of recently released protest music I haven’t had a chance to feature. In order to rectify that, once a week I’ll be recapping notable socially conscious songs, videos, and albums that were released.
Songs and Videos:
Filler – Ben Gibbard
Best known as the lead vocalist of Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service, Gibbard posted a piano cover of Minor Threat’s “Filler” to his Soundcloud account. The song originally appeared on Minor Threat’s 1981 self-titled debut EP.
Gibbard’s slowed down arrangement changes the mood, but the difference in tempo adds extra bite to the lyric, “You call it religion / You’re full of shit”.
Mercedes Marxist – IDLES
“Mercedes Marxist” is the UK’s punk band first new music since their acclaimed 2018 album Joy as an Act of Resistance (one of the best protest albums of 2018). The tune was recorded during the sessions for the aforementioned LP.
Notable Lyrics:
“Forgive my crippled head
Our revolution’s dead
They’ve gambled all our pride
They want money instead”
Maximum Wage – La Neve
La Neve is the solo electro-pop project of Joey La Neve DeFrancesco, guitarist and songwriter of the political punk band The Downtown Boys. “Maximum Wage” is La Neve’s first new music since the 2017 debut EP American Sounds. The lyrics are a scathing indictment of corporate greed and promotes a maximum wage as a means of combating income inequality.
Ya Sudan – Sinkane
“Ya Sudan” is the latest single from the Sudanese-American artist’s upcoming album ‘Dépaysé’, due out May 31, 2019. Both the tune and lyric video is a celebratory love letter about how Sinkane’s Sudanese heritage played an important role in who he is. It is a reminder that the world is richer when they embrace the humanity that is evident in different cultures.
Free The Captives – The Refusers
The Seattle based indie rock band are known for their anti-establishment tunes of defiance. They recently released a music video for “Free The Captives”, a powerful track of their 2018 album Disobey.
The band issued the following statement: “Our song and video ‘Free The Captives’ is dedicated to those who are trapped on the street. Our winner-take-all economy has left many behind. Here in Seattle, there are tents everywhere, the homeless are ubiquitous. Many of them have alcohol, drug and behavioural problems. They’re stuck and can’t escape.”
Albums:
Dark Morph – Dark Morph
Dark Morph is a one-off project consisting of Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi and Swedish composer and visual artist Carl Michael von Hausswolff. The 8-track album features field recordings of different animals in the water around Fiji and Tonga. It was recorded in connection with TBA21-Academy,
an organization “dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of the ocean through the lens of art and to engendering creative solutions to its most pressing issues.”
No Walls Mixtape – Ani DiFranco
The latest album from the veteran singer-songwriter is a collection of stripped-down reworkings of previously released tunes. It is a companion to DiFranco’s recently released memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream. Several songs include revised lyrics. One of the highlights is her new rendition of her scathing anti-gun anthem “To The Teeth“, which features new lyrics and additional vocals from Billy Bragg.
LEGACY! LEGACY! – Jamila Woods
Jamila Woods is a Chicago based singer, spoken word artist and activist. Her latest album is a powerful celebration of influential figures in black history.
The album’s Bandcamp page made the following statement: “More than just giving the song titles the names of historical black and brown icons of literature, art, and music, Jamila Woods builds a sonic and lyrical monument to the various modes of how these icons tried to push beyond the margins a country had assigned to them.”
Transcending Toxic Times – The Last Poets
For five decades The Last Poets have provided poignant observations on Black America. The collective of spoken word artists helped laid the groundwork of socially conscious rap. On their latest album, Transcending Toxic Times, their music and poetry are as relevant as ever. They effectively linked the struggles of the past with the present state of race relations.
Reckoning – Mourning [A] BLKstar
According to the band’s website, Mourning [A] BLKstar is “a multi-generational, gender and genre non-conforming amalgam of Black Culture dedicated to servicing the stories and songs of the apocalyptic diaspora.”
Reckoning is the band’s third album. Musically they effectively blend avant-garde soul with thought-provoking lyrics. The songs tackle various systemic issues faced by black Americans.
Trapline – Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Trapline is the third album by Canadian Indigenous rap group Snotty Nose Rez Kids. The album blends banging trap beats with hard-hitting lyrics. It addresses Canada’s poor track record dealing with Natives, which sadly continues to this day.
Previously featured “Creator Made An Animal” as a Daily Dose of Protest.