The Attica Prison uprising took place during September 9-13, 1971. New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller refused to meet with Attica prison inmates to discuss their demands to improve inhumane prison conditions. Instead of seeking a peaceful resolution he sent in the National Guard to violently squash the uprising. As a result 33 prisoners and 10 correction officers tragically lost their […]
Learn more →Music has always been a medium for crying out against social injustices. This fact is celebrated by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier in the titled track of his recently released EP. The tune name drops a number of socially conscious singers including Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and Mavis Staples. The […]
Learn more →The events of late 2016 and the aftermath of the US elections help create a fertile breeding ground for protest music. Veteran musician Marc Ribot is one of many examples of artists who were motivated to create music based on the current political climate. His new album, Songs of Resistance 1942–2018 is due out September 14, 2018. “I am alarmed by Trump […]
Learn more →Grace Petrie is an UK folk singer-songwriter and activist who spent the past decade building a reputation for her socially conscious brand of DIY music. Her latest album, Queer as Folk is due out September 14, 2018. She recently released the album’s first single and video, “Black Tie.” The tune is an anti-conformity anthem which Petrie describes as being about “shrugging […]
Learn more →“Thirty years ago, the world did not need too much from me in terms of activism. Now we need all the activists in the world to do something, and still it may not be enough.” The above was posted on Yoko Ono’s twitter account. The statement is an apt description of why, at 85 years of age, Ono continues her […]
Learn more →Sihasin is a brother and sister drum and bass duo made up of Jeneda and Clayson Benally. Hailing from the Diné (Navajo) Nation in northern Arizona, they blend indigenous music with a hard rock sound. The band’s name is the Navajo word for hope, and their music definitely reflects a hope for positive change. Their recently released sophomore album, Fight Like a Woman […]
Learn more →She Makes War is the moniker of UK indie artists Laura Kidd. Her fourth full length album Brace For Impact will be released on September 28, 2018. Kidd made the following statement about her musical motivation on the upcoming album, “People still live in fear of persecution and violence every day for the “crime” of being themselves. With everything that’s going on in […]
Learn more →Heart Hunters is a husband and wife folk duo consisting of Drew de Man and Brianna Blackbird. They released their first full length album in 2015 under the moniker Pretend Sweethearts. They recently released their follow-up American Eclipse. The album explores issues both personal and political. The opening track “Normal America” is described on the band’s website as “a protest song shining a harsh […]
Learn more →Canadian experimental indie pop artist Petra Glynt isn’t one to shy away from political commentary in her music. Her 2017 album This Trip contained music that in Glynt’s words “is in support of social movements and in support of people power.” Her follow-up album, My Flag Is A Burning Rag Of Love is due out September 7, 2018. Based on the three […]
Learn more →Jeff Rosenstock is a veteran DIY artist who is known for being in multiple bands such as The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Bomb the Music Industry! In early 2018 he released his fourth album Post-. Rosenstock started writing for the album during the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election and many of the tunes on the album are reflections of current […]
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