Many of my fondest memories in life are connected to attending concerts. A couple of the shows that have had the biggest impact are the ones that I just accidentally stumbled upon. One such defining moment was when I saw Johnny Cash perform live on August 30th, 1994 at the CNE Bandstand. I was at the Canadian National Exhibition with a couple […]
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Sunny War, from the artist’s Bandcamp Back when I started the website in 2017 I included a list of the 50 Best Protest Songs (back when I was still presenting lists in numerical order. Since that time I opted not to make a list since I was creating a Spotify protest song playlist featuring music that appeared on the site. […]
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Publicity photo, photographer Jim Britt, Public Domain Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” is one of the most important songs of all time, so it should be no surprise that there have been many cover versions. Here is a sampling of six of them. The Undisputed Truth (1972) This close-to-9-and-a-half-minute version was off the Motown act’s sophomore album Face to Face […]
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The iconic Canadian singer-songwriter is still going strong six decades into his career. He has also lived in the States for several years, officially becoming a US citizen in 2020. Neil Young has long been vocal about American policies and politicians. He has also been an outspoken environmentalist and has often explored those themes in his music. Here is a […]
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Joni Mitchell was born on November 7, 1943. Her 80th birthday is an appropriate time to reflect on the considerable legacy of the Canadian singer-songwriter. She had a gift for writing introspective songs that tap into the human experience. Her music also reflected a social consciousness, especially during the later part of her career. Right now we will look at […]
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Source: Mrmw | Wikimedia Commons Music plays an integral role in filmmaking. When employed successfully it can create ambiance, even to the point of becoming an additional character in the movie. It can make an excellent film even more iconic. At other times an outstanding soundtrack to a forgettable motion picture can transcend the movie and even have a significant cultural […]
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Source: Markus Spiske | Pexels One of the objectives of this website is to document music’s link to different protest movements. Music often mirrors what is happening in the world, so it is no surprise that many protest tunes address environmental concerns. Here is a small sampling of songs that deal with climate change. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Marvin […]
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Billy Bragg, one of the artists who recorded a response song to Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Man North of Richmond”. Via artist’s Bandcamp The history of protest music has a long-standing tradition of songs written in response to other songs. For example, Woody Guthrie’s protest standard “This Land Is Your Land” was composed to critique Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”. This […]
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RIP Sixto Rodriguez (July 10, 1942-August 8, 2023), photo courtesy of guah, via Flickr On August 8, 2023, Detroit-born singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez sadly passed away at 81. Under the name Rodriguez, he released two studio albums between 1970-71, Cold Fact and Coming from Reality. The albums achieved little success in America, but he did find success in a few countries, […]
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RIP Sinéad O’Connor (December 8, 1966-July 26, 2023) Photo courtesy of Man Alive, via Flickr Sadly, influential Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor died on July 26, 2023, at the age of 56. During her career, she established herself as a controversial and uncompromising figure. An example of this is when she performed a cappella reworking of Bob Marley’s “War” during an […]
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