Arrested Development, from the artist’s Bandcamp
It is the first month of the new year and it featured several socially conscious releases. Now is a small sampling.
Songs/Videos:
Guilty (featuring Mary Lattimore, Lonnie Holley, Raia Was) – Moor Mother
This tune is off the prolific Jazz poet’s upcoming album “The Great Bailout”, due out on March 8, 2024. Both the tune and album explore the ramifications of British colonialism.
Start Again – Grace Petrie
The latest tune by the UK socially conscious singer-songwriter contains an unifying message of solidarity. The song is off her upcoming 11th album Build Something Better, out March 8th and produced by Frank Turner.
Colossus of Roads – Hurray For The Rift Raft
The latest tune by the project of Alynda Segarra is off their upcoming album The Past Is Still Alive, out February 23. Segarra stated “Writing ‘Colossus Of Roads’ felt like creating a space where all us outsiders can be safe together. That doesn’t exist, but it exists in our minds, and it exists in this song.”
Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive) – Hurray For The Rift Raft
Another tune off The Past Is Still Alive, Segarra said of the song “I’ve also always wanted to make my version of Bob Dylan’s ‘I Was Young When I Left Home,’ and ‘Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)’ is it.”
Albums:
American Dream – 21 Savage
The latest album by the rapper is more personal than political, but it does possess a social awareness. For example, the closing track “Dark Days” urges the next generation to end the cycle of violence and “put the guns down”.
Wall of Eyes – The Smile
The sophomore album by the trio featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and Son of Kemet’s drummer Tom Skinner isn’t explicitly political but does allude to climate change and governmental corruption.
It’s Sorted – Cheekface
The 4th album by the indie rock band is not only incredibly catchy but is also chock full of satirical witty critiques of capitalism and other societal ills.
Bullets In The Chamber – Arrested Development
After more than 3 decades the socially conscious hip-hop group continues to be a vital force. Feel-good vibes blend with thoughtful lyrics.
Greatest Hits – Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego
This cheekily titled collaborative album features Mali Obomsawin, a bassist/singer-songwriter from Odanak First Nation, and Magdalena Abrego, a Chicago-born guitarist whose parents migrated from Mexico and Puerto Rico. It is aptly described on Bandcamp as “a collection of songs about intimacy under colonialism.”
Notes From A Holocaust – David Rovics
The latest album by the veteran singer-songwriter and activist is a cycle of songs written between October 13th and December 31st, 2023 in response to the Palestinian genocide.
LIVE From The Blacksite – Jesse Jett
The latest album by the explicitly political and prolific singer-songwriter, poet, and rapper is dedicated to the people of Palestine. Like previous albums, Jett unapologetically attacks both sides of the political aisle.
The Legends of ABM – Angry Blackmen
The hard-hitting album by the experimental hip-hop duo explores what it is like being a Black man in a society built upon systemic racism and capitalism.
Unbroken – New Model Army
Four decades and 16 albums, the UK folk-punkers are still going strong. The album features scathing critiques of the British government.
Sadness Set Me Free – Gruff Rhys
The latest album by the lead singer of Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals aims at the British government. Discussing the album, he stated: “Political activists are my heroes. We live in very, very sobering times.”
The Joy of Sects – Chemtrails
The 3rd album by the UK band blends catchy melodies with an incisive lyrical wit. It is a collection of dance tunes for the pending apocalypse.
Vida – Ana Tijoux
Her first album in over a decade, the latest by the socially conscious Chilean rapper is as politically charged as ever. It also features contributions from American socially conscious rappers Talib Kweli and De La Soul’s Posdnous.
Little Rope – Sleater-Kinney
Like previous albums by the veteran feminist rock band, it is a mix of the personal and political. The opening track “Hell” addresses gun violence with the potent lyric “Hell is desperation, and a young man with a gun.”
Uppercat – Radical Kitten
The latest album by the French feminist punks Radical Kitten righteously rages against the patriarchy.
Everything – Seth Glier
The latest album by the singer-songwriter is a collection of 8 tunes that explore potential climate solutions.
Small Island Big Song – Small Island Big Song (Live)
Small Island Big Song is a collaborative project of Islander artists protesting climate change. Featuring performances both in different indigenous languages and English, the powerful album highlights the need to take decisive action before it is too late.
Saviors – Green Day
The latest album by the veteran pop-punk band does include socially conscious tunes such as the opening track “The American Dream Is Killing Me” and the anti-gun violence tune “Living in the 20’s”.
Songs To Fight Oppression – Scott Free
The former Chicago house producer and alternative hip-hop artist took a different route with a more traditional album of straightforward singer-songwriter protest tunes. The album covers a wide range of societal issues including LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, and the fight for a living wage.
Also, check out the ongoing playlist of the 2024 protest tunes featuring music featured on this website.