The genesis of the Intellectual Dark Wave began in 2019 as a Twitter joke. It started with a string of Depeche Mode-influenced tunes mocking prominent conservative figures of the so-called “Intellectual Dark Web” such as Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro. The 1980s-inspired tunes included an eclectic mix of country, punk, metal, and disco, and tackled societal ills such as police […]
Learn more →
Over the past number of months, posting has been less frequent due to health issues and other personal circumstances. There has been improvement, so I hope to start posting more often. In connection with this, I plan on returning to posting a monthly recap. Below is a list of notable socially conscious songs, videos, and albums released during July. Songs […]
Learn more →
The prolific rapper, singer-songwriter, and poet recently released a video for “Powerless” a track off his latest album The Grift. He also released The Grift Home Companion, a spoken word album that further addresses the issues brought up on The Grift. The lyrics address the variety of ways that the political establishment strives to make its citizens feel powerless. The […]
Learn more →
“Sally’s Pigeons” originally appeared on Lauper’s 1993 album Hat Full of Stars. The biographical tune related the story of a friend of Lauper who got pregnant as a teenager and died from a back-alley abortion. This moving song of mourning isn’t a direct protest, but it draws awareness to the fact that making abortions illegal doesn’t stop them, it just makes […]
Learn more →
This was previously exclusive to my now defunct Patreon and was private. I’ve decided to make this public. This is the video footage of my Episode 23 podcast interview with art rocker Kapil Seshasayee. We discuss his 2018 debut A Sacred Bore, a concept protest album dealing with the caste system, which is part of a three-album trilogy. We also […]
Learn more →
This was previously exclusive to my now defunct Patreon and was private. I’ve decided to make this public. This is the video footage of my Episode 24 podcast interview with Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce and Darren “Young D” Metz of the Canadian indigenous hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids. They talk about their single “Where They At”, which features fellow […]
Learn more →
This was previously exclusive to my now defunct Patreon and was private. I’ve decided to make this public. This podcast episode features Christine Moad, the bassist and vocalist of the Iowa-based band Miss Christine. We discuss their latest protest tune “Truth In Song”, the band’s debut album Conversion, previous protest songs they composed, and why they feel it is important […]
Learn more →
This was previously exclusive to my now defunct Patreon and was private. I’ve decided to make this public. This is the video footage of my Episode 28 podcast interview with singer-songwriter Steven Keene. We discuss his album Them and Us and his motivation behind the title track. We also discuss other protest songs that he composed, his influences, and why as […]
Learn more →
The veteran New York-based singer-songwriter and folk artist Steven Keene has established a reputation for composing timely social critiques. For example, his 2020 album Them and Us features the galvanizing title track and the stirring “Save Yourself”. He recently released his latest single “Soon”, his first release since Them and Us. Keene masterfully exposes a numb world sleepwalking towards the […]
Learn more →
Back in August 2018, this site published a list of 10 topical tunes dealing with women’s reproductive rights. That was around the time that Argentina voted against legalizing abortion. There were also concerns that potential shifts in the US Supreme Court could lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned. With those concerns recently manifesting themselves, this seems an apt time […]
Learn more →