“Lockdown” was released on Juneteenth, which commemorates the liberation of slaves on June 19, 1865. Anderson composed the tune based on his own experience of attending Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hand of police officers. The tune serves as a sad reminder that despite any […]
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Jyoti is the one-woman jazz ensemble moniker of experimental soul artist, Georgia Anne Muldrow and it is the nickname given to her by a family friend, the legendary Alice Coltrane. Her forthcoming studio album, Mama, You Can Bet! is out August 28. She has released two socially conscious singles from the album “This Walk” (which includes the B-side “The Cowrie […]
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The New Orleans punk band recently released their sophomore album The Passion Of (which is one of the best protest albums of 2020 so far). On the album’s Bandcamp page it is aptly described as “a precise and deranged vision of punk, an apocalyptic celebration, a step forward into a perverse and uncertain landscape.” As a lyricist and lead vocalist, […]
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The most powerful protest music can perfectly encapsulate the moments and moods being experienced by society. At times it can even come across as eerily prophetic. That is certainly the case with the new album by the rap duo Run The Jewels. Killer Mike and El-P have never been afraid to get political, but on their fourth album RTJ4 their […]
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On May 25 George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer who placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, while Floyd uttered the words “I can’t breathe.” Three other police officers served as accomplices to the murder. In the aftermath, there were countless protests though out America and other countries. The ongoing protests and the differing responses to them further […]
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As we currently face a global pandemic it is easy to lose sight that these issues are compounded by an endless cycle of war. America’s never-ending war in Afghanistan, the continuing fallout of the Iraq War and their continued involvement with regimes changes contributed to the refugee crisis and has affected countless innocent lives. These issues are examined by political […]
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Influential Nigerian drummer Tony Allen sadly passed away on April 30, 2020, at the age of 79. He was considered a pioneer of the Afrobeat genre for his work with Fela Kuti as the drummer and music director of Fela’s backing band Africa ’70. After parting ways with Fela in 1979 he continued to be active in a variety of […]
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Irreversible Entanglements are a politically minded avant-garde jazz ensemble formed in early 2015 by saxophonist Keir Neuringer, poet Camae Ayewa (a.k.a. Moor Mother) and bassist Luke Stewart, who joined forces to perform at a Musicians Against Police Brutality event organized after the murder of Akai Gurley by the NYPD. Shortly after that performance, they recruited two new members trumpeter Aquiles Navarro […]
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Beans on Toast is the moniker of UK singer-songwriter Jay McAllister. Over the years he has built a cult following for himself for his mixture of quirky tunes and social commentary. Every year since 2009 he has released a new album on his birthday (December 1). His last album, The Inevitable Train Wreck was one of the best protest albums […]
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David Rovics is a prolific singer-songwriter and activist who has been active for over two decades. He recently released the excellent album Strangers & Friends, which is well worth the listen. Along with the album tracks, Rovics often composes topical songs which he posts online. A recent example is the timely “Corona Virus Climate Catastrophe Fascist Empire 2020 Blues Massacree.” […]
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