Ani DiFranco written and recorded “To the Teeth”, the title track of her 1999 album, as a mournful and angry indictment of American gun culture in the wake of the Columbine High School shooting massacre with took place on April 20th of that year. “Open fire on the NRA And all the lies they told us along the way Open […]
Learn more →“Can’t Deny Me” is Pearl Jam’s first original tune since their 2013 album Lighting Bolt. They released the protest song as a fan club single. The scathing lyrics takes clear aim at the Trump administration with lines such as: “Where’s your vocabulary? Your ignorance is sinful You plant your lying seeds Watch as the roots take hold The country you […]
Learn more →On April, 14, 2018 Sister Rosetta Tharpe received a long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence. Tharpe’s groundbreaking mixture of traditional gospel with distorted electric guitar and powerhouse rhythm and blue vocal delivery was an important part of the DNA of rock music. She started to perform rock & roll before anyone […]
Learn more →Rapper Bobby Sessions recently signed with Def Jam Recording and just released his first major label single and video, “Like Me”. The poignant lyrics examines America’s long history with systemic racism (“500 years later no crime when they shot us / Baby mama knocked up / Baby daddy locked up / Running on the block cause / I’m getting sick […]
Learn more →When Johnny Cash sadly passed away on September 12, 2003, he left a vault load of unpublished poems, lyrics, letters and other writings. Many of these were published in book form in 2016 as Forever Words: The Unknown Poems. Now sixteen of these writings have been put into music for the first time as the recently released album, Johnny Cash: […]
Learn more →For close to two decades, Josh Ritter has established himself as a well-respected singer-songwriter. Recently he had the distinction of writing two tunes (“Be of Good Heart” and “Silver Blade) specifically for Joan Baez latest album Whistle Down The Wind. Ritter isn’t necessarily known as a protest singer, but he has written and recorded a handful of topical songs. For […]
Learn more →On March 2, 2018, folk music icon and activist Joan Baez released her first album in ten years, Whistle Down The Wind. She also announced that it will be her last album and the tour in connection with the album would be her farewell tour. Baez skillfully interprets tunes penned by such artists as Tom Waits, Josh Ritter, Anohni, Mary […]
Learn more →“Cycles of My Being” is a new song cycle performed by world renown tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Lyrics were written by acclaimed poet Terrance Hayes and the music was composed by Tyshawn Sorey. Both Hayes and Sorley are MacArthur “genius” grant winners. The song cycle which examines the experience of being a black man in America is touring across the US, including a performance at […]
Learn more →“Circle The Block” is a new single and video from McKinley Dixon’s upcoming mixtape, The Importance of Self Belief. The indie rapper addresses issues of police brutality over a funky jazz beat. Lyrics such as “every cop light is for me until it pass” and “I’m trying to make sure this black life lasts” articulates the realistic fears that many black […]
Learn more →“Bad Bad News” is from Leon Bridges upcoming sophomore album Good Thing, which is scheduled to be released on May 4, 2018. Bridges 2015 debut album Coming Home had a Sam Cooke inspired old school soul sound. “Bad Bad News” still has a retro feel, but it’s funky and jazzy vibe does represent a musical departure. The lyrics are an empowering […]
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