Here is your monthly round up of notable protest music. Songs/Videos: Killing Punk – The Bloody Beetroots x Bob Vylan This tune is a collaboration between Italian EDM artists The Bloody Beetroots and the UK grime punk duo Bob Vylan. The lyrics tackle the racist mindset of punk rock gatekeepers that try to keep Bob Vylan out for being black […]
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“My skin is blackMy arms are longMy hair is woollyMy back is strongStrong enough to take the paininflicted again and again” “Four Women” was written by Simone and appears on her classic 1966 album, Wild Is The Wind. It is one of several tunes that helped establish Simone as an important figure in the civil rights movement. The catalyst of the […]
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“Picket linesSchool boycottsThey try to say it’s a communist plotAll I want is equalityFor my sister, my brother, my people, and me” “Mississippi Goddam” was Nina Simone’s response to the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers in Mississippi and a bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963 (which also helped inspire Simone’s “Four […]
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This is the 3rd song released by the veteran socially conscious indie band from their upcoming album Noble and Godlike in Ruin, out April 25. The lyrics explore the immigrant experience, partly rooted in the personal background of band member Satomi Matsuzaki. The tune also exclusively premiered on Craigslist to protest against the hegemony of big-tech streaming platforms that, according […]
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I previously posted a list of 100 heavy metal songs and followed it up with a video discussing 10 of those tunes. To further highlight metal’s contribution to the canon of protest music, here is a list of 50 albums. The list is presented in chronological order, and for the sake of variety, the list is limited to one album […]
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When people think of metal, they may tend to associate it with Satan, death, and the occult. Or they might think of the debauchery promoted by the hair and glam metal bands of the 1980s. Often overlooked are heavy metal’s considerable contributions to the canon of protest tunes. But it shouldn’t be a surprise that several bands have delved into […]
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A significant part of Joni Mitchell’s considerable legacy is her ability to craft introspective songs that resonate with the human experience. Her music also reflected a social consciousness, especially during the later part of her career. Right now, we will look at a sampling of ten songs by the Canadian singer-songwriter that address various social ills. The Fiddle and the […]
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This is the title track from the upcoming album by the Canadian politically charged punk band, out May 2nd. The lyrics are about fighting to maintain inner peace in the midst of politically tumultuous times (“I am at peace, though presently convulsed with grief, I am at peace”). The lyrics also effectively quote Bruce Cockburn’s “Lovers In a Dangerous Time” […]
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“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heardBut I think“Oh bondage, up yours”One, two, three, four” That is the intro to the 1977 incendiary single by X-Ray Spex. It is a statement of intent and a battle cry against female objectification. Due to what some have interpreted as literal BDSM terminology, the tune was banned by the […]
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There is no denying that Heart’s 1975 hit is an absolute classic. What sometimes get overlooked is its lyrics’ socio-political commentary. The song was written partly about Ann Wilson’s relationship with guitarist Michael Fisher (brother of former guitarist and founding member Roger Fisher) a US draft dodger living in Vancouver, Canada. It was also partly about the then political climate. […]
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