Here is your monthly round-up of notable protest music.
Songs/Videos
Put The Gun Down – Voice of Baceprot
This is the latest single by the Indonesian heavy metal trio of three Muslim women. The tune conveys a strong anti-gun violence message. Concerning the lack of effort to curb the situation, they stated in a press statement: “Today our sanity is tested. The policies that were born no longer reflect wisdom, but only suffer the people. ”
Previously featured as Daily Dose of Protest.
White Guilt Atrocity Quilt – Leftöver Crack
The latest single by the veteran punks deals with the atrocities committed by white American colonialism.
Previously featured as Daily Dose of Protest.
Last Call In America (featuring George Clinton) – Fishbone
Featuring contributions from funk legend George Clinton, this is the 2nd single from the ska-punk-funk pioneers’ upcoming album Stockholm Syndrome. The lyrics address longtime societal ills that plague America, such as economic inequality, contaminated drinking water, police murdering black people, and other forms of institutional corruption.
Previously featured as Daily Dose of Protest.
i feel like throwing up – Ryan Cassata
This is the latest single from the singer-songwriter and LGBTQ+ activist’s upcoming album Greetings from Echo Park. The video opens with transphobic remarks from Donald Trump, which lay the groundwork for lyrics that effectively articulate the anxiety that is currently being felt by trans folks. The chorus is also catchy as hell.
Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Tariffic – Jesse Welles
Another satirical gem from the prolific topical singer-songwriter. This one critiques Trump’s tariffs. It also makes it clear that Trump and his ilk don’t give a shit about the economic suffering of the common folk.
Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
There’s No Future In Optimism – Garbage
The lead single from the veteran alt-rock band’s upcoming album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, out May 30, 2025, Shirley Manson wrote the lyrics in response to witnessing the footage of George Floyd being murdered.
Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Evangelist (featuring Jello Biafra) – Ani Kyd Wolf
This is the latest video and single from the recently released album The Last Steps of Man-Unkind, by the veteran Canadian Metis punk vocalist. As stated on the YouTube video page, “God is love. Religion is not. I support spirituality. I do not support or believe in rich religious figures bleeding money from the poor in the name of God.”
Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Mō Āke Tonu (featuring Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke) – Stan Walker
On April 11th, 2025, footage went viral of Māori Party MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke singing a song of protest and leading a haka in parliament in opposition to the controversial Treaty Principles bill in Aotearoa/New Zealand on April 10. She sings the same tune on the latest single and video by Māori musician Stan Walker.
Albums:
The Film – Sumac and Moor Mother
This collaborative album between experimental metal trio Sumac and spoken-word jazz poet Moor Mother is jarring in the best possible way. Sumac’s abrasive soundscapes provide the perfect framework for Moor Mother’s provocative critiques on displacement, war, climate change, and more. It perfectly reflects our times.
Journey Through Life – Femi Kuti
This is the latest album by the son of the Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti. Femi, in his own right, has had a successful career. Just like his father, Femi also has a long legacy of speaking up against injustice. “I’ve been singing political songs for 38 years,” said Femi. Not only has nothing changed, but in “Nigeria, it’s gotten worse”, he said. “Everybody thinks the only way to be successful is through corruption.”
Insatiable – Divide and Dissolve
This is the 5th album by the doom metal project of Takiaya Reed. Like previous albums, the songs rage against colonialist genocide and systemic injustices against Indigenous and Black people. Previously featured the album track “Withholding” as a Daily Dose of Protest.
PO$T AMERICAN – Dead Pioneers
This is the latest album from the spoken word punk group featuring Algiers guitarist Lee Tesche and Indigenous artist Gregg Deal (their self-titled debut was one of the best protest albums of 2023). The exposes efforts to whitewash indigenous history. Previously featured the album track “Mythical Cowboys” as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Demilitarize – Nazar
The sophomore release from the Angolan producer is a compelling listening experience that highlights the horror of war. The electronic artist effectively makes use of sound collage to tell the harrowing story of the Angolan civil war.
Kiniata – Kin’Gongolo Kiniata
This is the debut album by the resourceful Congolese group that plays instruments made from scrap metal. On the album’s Bandcamp page, it aptly states that the album “is a call for peace, social justice , and dignity for the Congolese people.”
Resistance Co – The Resistance Company
The latest EP by the radical New York punkers features six hard-hitting protest tunes including a reworking of their previous anthem “Fuck Trump ’25”, which fittingly includes “Fuck Elon Musk too!”
The Foel Tower – Quade
The title of the latest UK album by the UK post-rock band is named after the Foel Tower, constructed in the 19th century as part of a reservoir system that farmers and families relied on. Eventually, during the Industrial Revolution, the Crown seized the land from the farmers. This provides the thematic canvas to explore environmental themes.
Blurring Time – Bells Larsen
The latest album by the Canadian trans musician is a poignant concept album documenting Larsen’s transition journey. Larsen also unfortunately had to cancel his US tour to promote the album, due to border crackdowns and anti-trans laws.
Dark Ages – Eliza Gilkyson
The latest album by the veteran singer-songwriter eloquently articulates the times of tumult that we are currently living in. This is best exemplified on the title track, which explores the regressive politics of MAGA.
Heritage (Part One) – Shub
With his previous work with indigenous EDM group A Tribe Called Red (now known as The Halluci Nation), he helped pioneer the powwow-step genre. On this solo album, he addresses indigenous issues and embraces indigenous culture.
Te Whare Tīwekaweka – Marlon Williams
This is the first album that the Māori pop artist released, sung entirely in his native tongue, Te Reo Māori. In his case, the very act of making music is an act of protest. “To be Māori is to be political,” said Williams in discussing his latest release. “The sense of shame around not having instant access to an ancestral tongue is a bit of a hard one to get over.”
INSPIRE // RADICALISE – Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange
This album by the German jazz fusion band is an eclectic listening experience. The band’s mission statement is summed up well on the album’s bio: “to accept what we cannot change and to radicalise what we have the power to change.”
Kinda Rips – Debt Neglector
The latest album by the politically charged punkers is jam-packed with anti-establishment anthems. They rally against racists, fascists, corrupt cops, and anyone else who sows injustice.
A Day in the Life of the Knepp Estate – Sounds of Rewillding
This album features field recordings from the Kneep Estate (also referred to as the Knepp Wildlands), an important part of the UK’s “rewilding” movement, an initiative to ecologically restore endangered species to their previous habitats. The sounds capture a 24-hour period of nature sounds, which serve as a reminder of what we lose when we neglect our role as caretakers of planet Earth.
Biographyte – Cytotoxin
The German-based tech death band is aptly described as the “kings of nuclear meltdown metal”. Their latest apocalyptic album features multiple tracks that feature the clicking of a Geiger counter and the heavy breathing of individuals impacted by the nuclear catastrophe. It is a sobering reminder of what eventually could happen if humans don’t course correct.
Lovesteady – Los Fastidios
This catchy album by the Italian ska punks mocks Trump and other racist, sexist, and fascist politicians and their supporters.
Check out the ongoing playlist of 2025 protest songs.
