Beans On Toast, from the artist’s Bandcamp.
December tends to be a slow month in terms of new music, but some notable socially conscious music has been released during the month. Here is a sampling.
Songs/Videos:
Working Class Hero – Cat Power & Iggy Pop
This cover of the John Lennon protest classic appears on the compilation album The Faithful: A Tribute to Marianne Faithfull. Faithfull notably covered the tune on her 1979 album Broken English. The proceeds go to Faithfull to assist her as she recovers from Long COVID.
Indiscriminate – David Rovics
The prolific singer-songwriter and activist regularly posts new protest tunes through his podcast This Week With David Rovics. During December he released several poignant tunes dealing with the situation in Gaza. This is one of the songs addressing the ongoing genocide.
Albums:
Common Nation Of Sorrow – Rachel Baiman (Deluxe Edition)
The deluxe edition of Rachel Baiman’s Common Nation of Sorrow, (one of the best protest albums of 2023) features seven additional live tracks and demos.
The Toothpaste and Tube – Beans On Toast
Since 2009, the veteran UK singer-songwriter has released an album on his Birthday December 1st. Like his previous albums, it includes a few socially conscious tunes, such as the anti-war tune “Against the War” and the environmental theme “The Greenwash”.
Summer of Hamn: The Official Booktrack – Chuck D & The SpiltSlam Record Label Group
This album is a soundtrack to iconic rapper Chuck D’s graphic non-fiction book Summer of Hamn, which chronicles instances of gun violence that took place in the summer of 2022.
DETOX – (Hed) P.E.
The latest album by the veteran g-punk group is connected to their graphic novel Detox: Planet Earth. They are also currently working on a feature film based on the project. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the concept is used to explore a variety of societal ills.
Kinnihun – Fehintola Fento
I can’t find too much info about Fehintola Fento, but appears to be African and this appears to be the debut EP. It is a mix of Afrobeat and hip-hop, and it includes socially conscious tunes such as “Addicted to Money (ATM)”.
Also, check out the playlist of the 2023 protest tunes featuring music featured on this website.