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 and for not passing the punk purity test. The final verse is also a witty interweaving of the names of different influential punk acts.
Super Lover (featuring Annie Lennox) – Allison Russell
Originally released by Russell’s currently on-hiatus band, Birds of Chicago, in 2018, this powerful plea for universal love also features gorgeous vocal contributions from Annie Lennox. Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Immigrant Songs – Deerhoof
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. It was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Glib Tongued (featuring El-P) – Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
Including a hard-hitting feature from one half of the political rap duo Run The Jewels, El-P, the tune is a critique of the folly of looking back nostalgically, especially in a political sense. This is the latest single by the UK metal band from their upcoming album, Death Hilarious, out April 4th. Also previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
At Peace – Propagandhi
The title track from the upcoming album by the Canadian political punk band, out May 2nd, is about fighting to maintain inner peace amid political tumult. Previously featured as Daily Dose of Protest.
Mythical Cowboys – Dead Pioneers
Off their upcoming album PO$T AMERICAN, out April 11th, the latest single by the spoken word punk group singles out actors John Wayne and Kevin Costner for performing heroic cowboy roles that whitewash how American colonization led to Indigenous genocide. The tune was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Gendercide – Blak Rapp Madusa
This powerful spoken word piece by the rapper and activist is a powerful protest against violence towards Black women. It is from her upcoming EP Steel Roots, a collaborative effort with BL Shirelle, out May 30. The tune was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Small Dick Energy – Mat Ward
The latest tune by Australian EDM artist and journalist is a scathing indictment of the self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, based on a dig that climate activist Greta Thunberg took at Tate. Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Albums:
Dead Channel Sky – clipping.
The experimental hip-hop trio is an expert in creating well-crafted concept albums. After two excellent horrorcore albums, this time around, they explore cyberpunk themes. They used dystopian futuristic elements to explore socio-political issues.
Tonky – Lonnie Holley
The latest album by the 75-year-old experimental musician taps into his early life of experiencing abuse and hardship. The album also has an optimistic message of resilience and love conquering all. Also, two of the tunes, “What’s Going On” and “A Change Is Gonna Come,” are named after two of the greatest protest songs of all time. Even though they are different songs, they explore similar themes.
Hard Times Furious Dancing – Snapped Ankles
The latest album by the UK post-punk act is named after the following 2010 quote by author Alice Walker, “We can still hold the line of beauty, form, and beat. No small accomplishment in a world as challenging as this one… hard times require furious dancing. Each of us is proof”. The album provides dance tunes that speak against capitalism and politically chaotic times.
Te Rā – Alien Weaponry
The latest album by the Māori thrash metal band explores the past, present, and future and shows how they all interconnect. It discusses everything from the heads of Māori ancestors being traded as trophies in the 1800s, the present social costs of maintaining cultural customs, and the very real possibility of a future third world war.
Circle Breaker – The Taxpayers
On the album Bandcamp page, the band’s lyricist Rob Taxpayer, mentions what he would tell his son concerning these challenging times:
“It is always right to be kind.
It is always right to seek to be better.
It is always right to confront cruelty and to oppose violence.
We are here to help each other.
We are here to understand each other.
We are here to learn how to love each other.
And that, I will tell him, is what being punk as fuck is all about.”
That could also be described as the album’s mission statement.
Take the Fight to the Bastards – Last Quokka
As mentioned on the album’s Bandcamp page, the Australian garage punks “combine acerbic, socially conscious lyrics, heavy rhythms and catchy guitar riffs to create poignant, dance-inducing punk music.”
Nu Delhi – Bloodywood
The latest album by the Indian Nu Metal band explores positive and negative aspects of their cultural heritage. “New Delhi, known as the melting pot of India, is arguably one of the most diverse cities on the planet,” the band shared in the album’s press release. “With a history of that has seen as much bloodshed as it has peace and celebration, it made for the perfect womb to birth this band. The contrasting visuals, cultures, and backgrounds thriving within the city is accurately reflected in our music — where genres that cannot work together on paper… somehow do. We wanted to talk about the deadly, yet nurturing nature of the city and how it can give you a life beyond your wildest dreams if you play your cards right, or end it if you try to outsmart it.”
Fire & Dust: A Woody Guthrie Story – Reg Meuross
Funded and produced by the legendary The Who’s guitarist, the latest album by the UK singer-songwriter is a riveting concept album that tells the story of Woody Guthrie. Featuring mostly originals, it also features a few covers of classic Guthrie protest tunes.
One Foot in Front of the Other – Muddy Summers and the Dirty Field Whores
The latest album by the UK folk punk is filled with anarchist energy, taking aim at capitalist, environmental destroyers, toxic masculinity, and human trafficking (those last two are addressed in “Tateworm” a scathing tune indicting Andrew Tate).
7AM Songs of Resistance For the Internet – Ron Gallo
The singer-songwriter has been waking up at 7 am and taking 5 minutes to compose a socially conscious tune and then posting them online. Some of them have gone viral, so he decided to make the unmixed raw audio available for purchase for those who desire.
Under The Powerlines (April 24 – September 24) – Jesse Welles
Speaking of an artist who has gone viral, this is a 63-song compilation of all of the tunes that the topical singer-songwriter released between April 24-September 24, 2024. Many of the songs were also released on previous albums, while others were just posted on social media.
Fort Sensible – Tape/Off
The third album by the Australian rockers is a mix between the personal and political. Socio-political targets include climate change, and politicians who don’t care about their constituents.
North Star – Telamor
This 7-track EP by the veteran Canadian indie rocker features songs about raising the minimum wage, political resistance, and American authoritarianism.
Voices From Babylon – Project Laboratory
This is a 3-song EP consisting of socially conscious roots reggae.
Check out the ongoing playlist of 2025 protest songs.