As we start to approach the end of the year, the number of new releases start to decrease. Despite this, there were still several socially conscious songs and albums released during the month. Here is a sampling.
Songs/Videos:
Yankee and the Brave (Run The Jewels) – No Save Point
This hard-hitting tune credited to the Run The Jewels alter egos of the Yankee and the Brave appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming role-playing video game Cyberpunk 2077, due out December 10. Even though it might be composed for a futuristic video game world, it does touch upon issues that are currently topical.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Screaming Indians (with Skinny Local)
The latest song by the Canadian indigenous hip-hop duo finds them collaborating with Indian producer Skinny Local. They made the following statement concerning the collaboration: “It seems like an obvious choice that Indigenous people and Indian people would collaborate as their histories are intertwined in one colonial historical moment where, thinking he’d reached India, Columbus dubbed the people he sought to conquer and eradicate, ‘Indians.’”
Also, had the opportunity to interview the duo for episode 24 of the podcast.
Haviah Mighty – Atlantic
This powerful tune by the Canadian rapper was also featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Th1rt3en – Fight (featuring Cypress Hill)
Th1rt3en is a supergroup made up of influential socially conscious rapper Pharoahe Monch, Jack White’s drummer Daru Jones and respected guitarist Marcus Machado. This collaboration with fellow rap luminaries Cypress Hill addresses systemic racism and police brutality.
Anti-Flag – A Dying Plea Vol. 1 and 2 (Featuring DE’WAYNE, Marica Richards, Jálise Della Gary, Tom Morello)
Both volumes of “A Dying Plea” addresses issues of racism and police brutality. The video for volume 1, contains visuals which are considered adult in nature, so I was unable to embed it, but you can watch it directly from YouTube.
System Of A Down – Protect The Land
The Armenian-American metal band released their first music in fifteen years with the double Side “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”. The band made the following statement concerning the timing of the release: “We as System Of A Down have just released new music for the first time in 15 years. The time to do this is now, as together, the four of us have something extremely important to say as a unified voice. These two songs, “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” both speak of dire and serious acts of aggression perpetrated upon our cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia.”
System Of A Down – Genocidal Humanoidz
Proceeds of both songs support the Armenia Fund, a US-based charity organization that assists those in need in Artsakh and Armenia with supplies needed for basic survival.
slowthai – nhs
The following tune is off the British rapper’s upcoming sophomore album TYRON, out February 5, 2021. The song pays tribute to British Nation Health Services, which played an enhanced role during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also made the following statement: “When people were clapping for the NHS,” he says, “my thing was, why did it take us this long to applaud something that’s been helping people, saving lives for generations, generations, generations? Helping people longer than we’ve been alive? It took a disaster to make people appreciate the NHS. Clapping, how is that helping anyone? If we really want to help, why don’t we do stuff to raise their wage or make it more comfortable for the people that are going to work them 12-hour, 14-hour shifts?”
IXXF – Nightshift (featuring Pussy Riot)
The Berlin-based hyper punk musician IXXF teams up with the Russian punk activist collective Pussy Riot. The tune addresses labor exploitation.
Albums:
The Sexy Wild East – Ranting and Raving
The Sexy Wild East is an electro-punk duo from Budapest, Hungary. The seven tracks on this EP are highly political and include scathing indictments of Donald Trump. The EP was released on Bandcamp back in August but has recently received a wide release on other streaming platforms.
DJ Free Leonard – Who Is Leonard Peltier
DJ Free Leonard is an indigenous hip-hop artist and activist. He is the first cousin of Leonard Peltier, an indigenous activist, and a political prisoner. The album helps educate about Peltier and speak out on behalf of all political prisoners and other indigenous issues.
Disorder – White Silence
The five-song EP was written in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. It grapples with the role of white people as allies and the how and when of using their platform to speak out. They posted an essay about the album on the band’s Facebook page.
Refused – The Malignant Fire
The latest 5 song EP from the Swedish hardcore band addresses the anti-capitalists’ themes that the band is known for.
David Strickland – Spirit Of Hip Hop (Remixes)
This album features ten remixes from his excellent album Spirit of Hip-Hop, one of the best albums of 2020. Along with Maestro Fresh Wes, Strickland was my first podcast guest.
Barfbag – Let’s Stop a War
Intentionally released on US election day, the debut album blisters through ten songs in seventeen minutes. It not only attacks Trump, but it addresses issues that will continue to exist with the election of Biden.
Ilsa – Preyer
The latest album by the Washington D.C. death metal band was influenced by the real-life account of Sean Sellers, the Satanic murderer who was the only person under seventeen sentenced to death since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. As explained on the album’s Bandcamp page, “Sean’s story is an exploitative intersection of religious, media and state authority, culminating in his 1999 execution for murders committed in a state of self-described “Demonic Possession.”.”
Steven Keene – Them and Us
The latest album by the singer-songwriter opens with two excellent socially conscious tunes, “Save Yourself” and the title track. Also had the opportunity to interview Keene about these songs for episode 28 of the podcast, which will be posted on Monday, November 30.
Below is the ongoing playlist of 2020 protest music which was featured on this site.