JPEGMAFIA, from artist’s Bandcamp.
Here is your monthly recap of notable socially conscious music.
Songs/Videos:
Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Stevie Wonder
The legendary singer-songwriter is no stranger to socially conscious music. In his latest tune, Wonder examines the divisive political climate in America.
DJCX: How We Got FREER – Official Documentary
This featurette documentary chronicles the ten-year journey of FREER Records (formerly Die Jim Crow; the first nonprofit label for prison-impacted musicians in the United States). It is a fascinating watch that spotlights issues surrounding mass incarceration and for-profit prisons.
Albums:
I Lay Down My Life For You – JPEGMAFIA
The latest album by the underground rapper could be viewed as his rock album. The metallic elements (one of the tracks is named “JPEGULTRA!” and another “vulgar display of power”) paint the perfect backdrop for his trademark caustic wit. It also contains elements of social commentary in songs such as “New Black History,” “Exmilitary,” and “Jihad Joe.”
Flight b741 – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
The latest album by the eclectic and prolific Aussies has been described as “a cheerfully rocking album about global collapse.” It addresses issues such as climate change, highlighted in the tune “Antarctica” which features the lyric “Take me away, where the temperature stays below 25/78. I felt so at home down here, had to step out of the heat. Antarctica, that’s the place, synthetic breeze on my face. I’m a polar bear in denial, I can’t help but hate the heat.”
Owl Theory – DJ DanceAlone
Released by the Black Techno Matters label, this is the latest album from producer Darnell Stewart (aka DJ DanceAlone). Beyond the gripping musical arrangements, Stewart skillfully incorporates spoken-word samples exploring systemic issues such as gentrification and racism, resulting in an album that confronts the challenges faced by Black people in America.
Wake Up, Shut Up, Work – Millie Manders and The Shutup
The latest album by the UK punk band is a ferocious takedown of misogyny and rape culture.
The Deluge – Fanning Dempsey National Park
The following album is a collaboration between two notable Australian musicians, Powderfinger lead singer Bernard Fanning and Something For Kate vocalist Paul Dempsey. Concerning the album’s concept, Dempsey stated: ” ‘The Deluge’ is the name of the first song. But it works as the umbrella title of the whole record because it brings up not only themes of information overload but also climate change.”
Different Drum – Luke O’Shea
The latest album by the Australian country singer is an extension of his activism which included being arrested for protesting Whitehaven Coal. His anti-capitalistic stance is summed up with the lyric “Don’t you put your trust in corporate greed,” off the track “Hey Jumbulla (The Ghost Of Mickey Brennan).”
The Cime Interdisciplinary Music Ensemble – Cime
The latest adventurous album by the trans jazz-punk artist opens up with a statement of intent with “A Tranny’s Appeal to Heaven.”
Kantos – Kishi Bashi
The latest album by Bashi isn’t as socially conscious as his 2019 album Omoiyari (and the subsequent 2023 soundtrack of the film of the same name), which dealt with the mass incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II. But this album is still socially aware. As explained on the album’s Bandcamp page, it is “a party album about the possible end of humanity as we know it, at turns deeply unsettling and sublimely joyful.”
Kill The Dead – 3%
This is the debut album of the Aboriginal rap trio, whose group’s name is a reference to the fact that Indigenous people make up 3% of Australia’s population but 35% of the prison population. This theme is threaded throughout the album such as on the closing track “Our People,” which features the lyric, “I see my people always locked up, locked up, locked up, locked up. I’m here with all of my people, locked up with all of my people. So let me hear you scream if you’re with me. Free all my people.”
Confrere – Poison Ruïn
The most recent EP by the crust punk band seamlessly integrates medieval imagery to address contemporary social issues, much like their previous releases. The EP’s Bandcamp page describes it and its title track (which was featured as a Daily Dose of Protest) as “an ode to the sacred bonds of friendship.” Moreover, it expresses the belief that “in a dark age where the very foundations of humanity threaten to crumble, POISON RUIN suggests that perhaps the only thing left to cling to is the hand of a friend.”
Monarchy in the USA -Mike and the Molotovs
The latest EP by the quirky country puck band is a satirical indictment of American capitalism.
LOUD WOMEN Volume 6 – Various
This is the 6th compilation featuring artists who have performed at the LOUD WOMEN’s festivals and events. LOUD WOMEN is a UK DIY collective that spotlights women in music, and all proceeds go to the artists or charities that help women.
Son of the Sun – Willie Dunn
In honor of what would have been Willie Dunn’s 83rd birthday, Light in the Attic digitally reissued a 2004 compilation of the Indigenous Canadian singer-songwriter. Also a filmmaker and activist, Dunn’s music was an extension of his activism through art. He was one of the pioneers in using folk music to document and amplify the struggles of Indigenous people. For another excellent collection of his music, check out the 2021 released Light In the Attic compilation Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology. Also in 2021, Light In The Attic released his long out-of-print studio albums.
Black Black Minds – The Travellers
Another notable reissue, thankfully, this obscure gem has been unearthed. The 1977 debut (and only) album by the reggae group features impeccable four-part vocal harmony. The album also successfully follows reggae’s rich history of socially conscious music. The poignant lyrics address still relevant issues such as income inequality and inadequate workers’ rights.
Check out the ongoing playlist of 2024 protest music.