Home Is Where, from the artist’s Bandcamp
Another month and another recap. Check out a sampling of the socially conscious music released during June.
Songs/Videos:
John Wayne Was a Nazi – Fucked Up & The Halluci Nation
This collaboration between Canadian hardcore band Fucked Up and Indigenous EDM act Halluci Nation is a reworking of a tune by hardcore pioneers MDC. It was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Meet Me At The Bottom – Chris Pierce
This soulful and uplifting tune by singer-songwriter Chris Pierce is off his upcoming album Let All Who Will, due out September 1st. Previously had the privilege of interviewing Pierce for the Ongoing History of Protest Music Podcast.
Albums:
Michael – Killer Mike
As of late the vetran rapper has become a polarizing figure with some of his political views. But musically the Run The Jewels rapper’s first solo album since 2012’s R.A.P. Music is poignant. This album is probably his most personal release but in typical Killer Mike fashion it features plenty of commentary on social issues.
The Age of Pleasure – Janelle Monáe
Monáe’s latest album deviates from the sci-fi conceptual elements of previous releases, but it heavily features Afrocentric elements and like previous releases embraces themes of sexual and Black empowerment.
Weathervanes – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The latest album by Isbell is a fine display of why he is considered such a well-respected singer-songwriter. Like previous releases, Isbell strikes the right balance of the political and personal, exploring issues such as the Southern duality (“Cast Iron Skillet”) and gun violence (“Save the World”).
Tomorrow Never Comes – Rancid
The latest album by the veteran punk band is chock full of empowering fist-pumping anthems. If you’re a fan of Rancid and traditional punk, you should be well pleased.
Átta – Sigur Rós
The latest release by the Icelandic post-rock band is a haunting affair influenced by current environmental concerns. Lead vocalist Jónsi states “We’re always thinking about climate change, doom-scrolling and going to hell. The world felt a bit bleak making this album, but maybe there is hope. When there is darkness, there is light.”
When the Poems Do What They Do – Aja Monet
The history of socially conscious music includes several notable contributions from African American jazz poets and the debut album by poet and activist Aja Monet is a potent contribution to that canon.
King of a Land – Yusuf/Cat Stevens
The veteran singer-songwriter features religious and children’s music. The album explores themes of unity and universal peace.
Orpheus Descending – John Mellencamp
Mellencamp’s 25th album includes deft social commentary on tunes such as “The Eyes Of Portland” which examines the city’s housing crisis.
PetroDragonic Apocalypse – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
The full title of the latest album by the prolific and eccentric Austrailian band is PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation. Lead vocalist Stu Mackenzie stated that the album’s concept is “about humankind and it’s about planet Earth but it’s also about witches and dragons and shit”. The album finds the band adopting a metal sound similar to their excellent 2019 album Infest The Rats’ Nest, which also explores environmental issues.
Such Ferocious Beauty – Cowboy Junkies
The latest album by the Canadian alt-country pioneers finds Margo Timmins’ ethereal vocal in fine form. She is also well supported by an atmospheric musical arrangement. The lyrics are more personal than political, but many of the tunes possess a keen social awareness.
Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? – McKinley Dixon
The latest album by the socially conscious rapper is named after three of Toni Morrison’s novels. Dixon effectively taps into Morrison’s writing to weave a narrative of discovering one’s identity in the midst of violence and oppression. Dixon describes the album as “a coming of age movie for young Black kids”.
Systemic – Divide and Dissolve
The latest album by the Australian-based instrumental doom metal duo proves you don’t need lyrics to deliver a weighty message. As saxophonist and guitarist Takiaya Reed states “I believe in the power of non-verbal communication. A huge percent of communication is non-verbal. We learn so much without using words.” The album track “Indignation” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Anthems – Andrey Guryanov
Berlin-based sound artist Andrey Guryanov was born in the Soviet Union, and that ancestry is pivotal in the creation of Anthems. The album features reworkings of his birth nation’s national anthems over the years. The album reaches its harrowing climax on the album’s closer which is made entirely of sampling of explosion sounds in the Ukraine. As Gurynaov states, “war, violence, and cruelty have become the new anthem.”
the whaler – Home Is Where
On the album’s Bandcamp page, the band is described as making “anxiety-riddled but cathartic rock songs about the apocalypse.” That is an apt description of the band’s sophomore album, an ambitious concept album about getting used to societal decay. The album balances bleakness with glimmers of hope. Musically and lyrically it strikes the perfect balance of catchy and angsty.
What Is Your Breaking Point? – BANTU
The latest album by the 13-piece Afrobeat collective marries pulsating rhythms with a lyrical thesis that exposes the plight of the African people. But the themes such as systemic poverty and governmental corruption transcend borders.
Social Lubrication – Dream Wife
The third album by the London-based indie punk trio rages with righteous indignation, taking aim at toxic patriarchal structures. In an interview band member Rakel Mjöll states, “If you are not political in your music, and you do not have a message, what’s the point?”
INNOCENT BORN GUILTY – EL BENTLY 448
EL BENTLY 448 is the rapper alter ego of Luke Benson, who spent 25 years of wrongful imprisonment. The seven-song EP taps into his personal experiences, exposes an unjust penal system, and gives a voice to countless others who have also been wrongly imprisoned. The EP was released through Die Jim Crow, the first US record label for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.
Bittersweet – Miss Christine
The project of Christine Moad, their latest written album was recorded in complete isolation during the pandemic. The highly personal album reflects the anxiety that many have felt during this period. Tracks such as 2020 also provide insightful commentary on the political upheaval of that period (which unfortunately hasn’t changed that much). Also previously had the pleasure of interviewing Moad for the Ongoing History of Protest Music podcast.
Feel free to check out the ongoing playlist of notable 2023 protest music featured on the site.