January tends to be a relatively slow month in terms of new releases, but it still managed to produce plenty of socially conscious music. Here is a sampling.
Songs/Videos:
I Can’t Stand It! (featuring Samuel T. Herring & Jae Matthews) – Algiers
This poignant tune about loss leans more towards the personal than the political, but the band often addresses social issues and that appears to be the case with their upcoming album Shook out on February 24th. It is jammed packed with guest artists including Rage Against The Machine’s Zack de la Rocha, Billy Woods, and Backxwash. This tune features Samuel T. Herring from Future Islands and Jae Matthews from Boy Harsher.
Nobody – Black Belt Eagle Scout
Latest single and video off the upcoming album The Land, the Water, the Sky from the project of indigenous multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Katherine Paul. Previously featured this track, along with two other tunes as a Daily Dose of Protest.
UK GRIM – Sleaford Mods
This is the lead single and title track off the British post-punk duo’s upcoming album which will drop on March 10. Both the album and single lament the sad state of affairs of their native land.
Shapka – RUSSKAJA
This is the latest single and video off the self-described “Russian Turbo Polka Metal” band’s upcoming album Turbo Polka Party, out February 3.
Keep On Pushing Back – Mat Ward
This is the first single off the upcoming album Climate Wars from the Australian-based EDM artist. Just like the album, this anthemic tune is about fighting to save the planet.
Albums:
CACTI – Billy Nomates
The follow-up to the exceptional self-titled debut (one of the best protest albums of 2020) of the project of the UK singer-songwriter Tor Maries is a blend of the personal and political. Of the album, Maries said “I hope everyone finds their own narrative in CACTI. I think it’s about surviving it all.”
Lies They Tell Our Children – Anti-Flag
The veteran political punk band’s 13th album is their 1st concept album. It explores the current state of affairs that the band views as a dystopian corporate wasteland and analyses the historical roots that lead to it. It also features the band’s trademark fist-pumping anthemic-ness.
One Day – Fucked Up
The latest album by the Canadian hardcore band found each band committing to a self-imposed time frame of 24 hours to write and record their contributions. More straightforward and compact by the band’s previous ambitious standards, but it still packs a considerable wallop. It also delves into social issues such as toxic masculinity and indigenous genocide.
Strays – Margo Price
The fourth album by the country music artist is her most musically eclectic. It also isn’t as politically explicit as previous releases, but it is still socially aware and one of the album’s highlights “Lydia” resonates with the ongoing debates concerning women’s reproductive rights.
MERCY – John Cale
The latest album by the 80-year-old influential art-rocker addresses the state of the world and issues such as climate change. It perfectly blends a feeling of nihilistic dread with caustic optimism.
Sugar Coated Lies – Ziggy Ramo
The latest album by the Australian Aboriginal rapper Ziggy Ramo was appropriately released on January 26, the day that some Australians celebrate the 1788 arrival of European colonizers, while others protest against it. “This album isn’t for your protest, it’s for mine,” said Ramo. “Every day is invasion day on stolen land. I’m Blak all the time, not just on the 26th of January. I’ve never called myself political, I’ve never called myself an activist. I am a human being. I make music about my lived experience, which is inherently deemed political because I’m Blak.”
Eureka Eureka – Winky D
The latest album by the Zimbabwean musician caused a political uproar in his native country due to the scathing critique of a corrupt authoritarian government. This is not the first time that Winky D and other like-minded Zimbabwean protest artists have faced efforts to suppress and de-platform. Even though there may have been a specific country’s government in mind, the theme of decolonization is a universal concern.
Of Everything And Nothing – Scott Crow
This is the first solo album of Crow, a noted anarchist author, and musician with multiple projects including industrial pioneers Lesson Seven. Crow also launched the collaborative record label eMERGENCY heARTS which features socially conscious artists outside the mainstream.
Memories of the Future: Remixes//BLACK – Lesson Seven
Speaking of Scott Crow and Lesson Seven, they also released this remix album which follows Continuum of Time, a collection of best-ofs, demos, and covers from 1988-2022 which was released towards the end of 2022. Originally active from 1985-92 before reforming in 2019, they have toured with most of the major industrial acts such as Skinny Puppy, Front 242, Ministry, and Nine Inch Nails.
Featured below is an ongoing playlist of notable 2023 protest music.