80 Years of Protest Songs Part 2: 1959-1978 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 3: 1979-1998 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 4: 1999-2018 Music is the ultimate time capsule. You can learn a lot about a time period based on the music that it produced. Art is often a reflection of political realities. In connection with this I decided […]
Learn more →The history of protest music has no shortage of topical songs written in response to current events. The advent of the internet makes it easier than ever to immediately release a protest song. “Come On Now” by The Family Feud is an example of this. The Family Feud includes husband and wife Steve and Colleen Murphy, who are also part […]
Learn more →Noname is the moniker of Fatimah Warner, a 26-year-old indie rapper from Chicago. She just released her first official album Room 25, a much-anticipated follow-up to her acclaimed 2016 free mixtape, Telefone. The album is already receiving wide praise. Her music couples inventive musical arrangements with an insightful lyrical flow. The tunes on Room 25 eloquently addresses issues ranging from […]
Learn more →Jean Grae & Quelle Chris just released a new video for “My Contribution To This Scam,” one of several standout tracks on their 2018 album Everything’s Fine. The animated video was directed by Crankbunny. The tune masterfully employs cynical humor to examine the tendencies to be seduced by branding. It is also a scathing indictment of people who are quick […]
Learn more →An artist’s art is often influenced by the political climate that surrounds them. That is definitely the case with indie rock trio Canches. The members are from the UK, Spain and Canada. They formed while working in Guatemala. Two of the members, Daniel Butler and Erika Martinez worked for the International Commission of Jurists and Peace Brigades International. That experience fighting […]
Learn more →“You Hate The Title” is off of Speedy Ortiz’s 2018 album Twerp Verse. The album’s Bandcamp page describes the tune as “a slinky traipse through the banality of this current moment in patriarchy – in which survivors are given the mic, but nitpicked over the timbre of their testimonies.” This is highlighted with the lyric “You hate the title, but […]
Learn more →“Don’t Leave It In Our Hands” is from The Essex Green recently released album Hardly Electronic. It is the veteran’s indie band’s first album since 2006’s Cannibal Sea. Both the tune and accompanying video explores the dangers of technology and the potential adverse effects that unchecked technological advances will have on future generations. The lyrics includes the striking line “There’s only one […]
Learn more →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 […]
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