Here is your monthly round-up of notable protest music.
Songs/Video:
Pretrial (Let Her Go Home) – Fiona Apple
This is the first new release in 5 years for the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter. Both the tune and video spotlight women who are jailed without conviction because they cannot post bail, and the adverse effects that result from an unjust system. The song was also based on Apple’s personal experience as a court watcher. Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Rule 4080 – Rome Streetz & Conductor Williams
This collaboration between emcee Rome Streetz and beat maker Conductor Williams is from their upcoming album Trainspotting and derives inspiration from A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 classic tune “Check the Rhime” (“Industry rule number four thousand and eighty. Record company people are shady”). Also featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Decade of Crisis – Darkaside
This video and tune by the Papua New Guinean metal band was based on the Bougainville Crisis, a deadly 1988 conflict that cost the lives of over 20,000 in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, over the Panguna open-cut copper mine. Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
QUEER american DREAM – Ryan Cassata
This is the latest single from the singer-songwriter and LGBTQ+ activist’s upcoming album Greetings from Echo Park, out June 6. It deals with the reality that “when you’re queer there’s no American dream.” Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Woman of Your Age – Gender Chores
This is the latest single by the queer punk band from Belfast. The song resonates with anyone who has ever had their health concerns ignored or minimized. Previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Don’t Mind Me (featuring Shad) – Propaganda
This tune by American rapper Propaganda and featuring the Canadian rapper Shad, features poignant verses such as “I’m on the side of migrants. Fighting against tyrants. And kinda not surprised our country funds genocide.”
Albums:
Land Of Hope & Dreams – Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen has recently been in the news when he posted a video clip of himself criticizing Donald Trump during a May 14, 2025, live performance in Manchester, which is included on this live EP. Also featured his cover of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” as a Daily Dose of Protest.
GOLLIWOG – billy woods
On the latest album by the acclaimed underground rapper, he effectively employs different horrorcore elements to discuss different aspects of the black experience. The album track “Born Alone” was previously featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Flying with Angels – Suzanne Vega
The latest album by the veteran singer-songwriter is the perfect intersection of the personal and political. For example, the opening three songs were inspired by her husband, who suffered multiple strokes after contracting the COVID-19 virus. “My husband was a First Amendment lawyer and a spoken word poet,” Vega said. “The idea that he would suddenly have this affliction, at this moment when we need First Amendment protection, I couldn’t get over the irony of that. I pushed myself to include these topics because he wasn’t able to do it. He’s not able to do what he normally does, which is protect protesters. Instead, he’s learning to speak again from the beginning.”
Let All That We Imagine Be The Light – Garbage
The latest album by the veteran alt-rock band is impacted by the socio-political climate, but the band tries to take an optimistic approach when confronting challenging times. Lead singer Shirley Manson stated: “We all thought that if we immersed ourselves in indignation, we would probably die of a broken heart. So we tried to look for something a little more positive, and the album is very much about finding love in the world as a tool to combat all the hate we feel.”
Previously featured the album’s lead single “There’s No Future In Optimism” as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Teleology – Peggy Seeger
According to the 89-year-old renowned protest singer-songwriter and activist, this will be her final album. The sister of the legendary Pete Seeger, she also established herself as an important contributor to the canon of protest music. This album is no exception with its commentary on labour rights and other socio-economic issues.
The Last War – MDC
The latest release by the influential political punk band is a cover album which includes many reworkings of notable protest tunes, including Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” Woody Guthrie’s “All You Fascists Bound To Lose,” The The Staple Singers’ “Freedom Highway”, along with covers of hardcore contemporaries like Fang and Thatcher On Acid.
At Peace – Propagandhi
The latest album by the Canadian politically charged punk band continues the anti-capitalist stance they are known for. Along with striving for societal peace, the lyrics it is also about fighting to maintain inner peace amid politically tumultuous times. Also, previously featured the title track and “Cat Guy.”
This Much Remains – Conflict
This is the first album by anarcho-punkers in two decades. Like previous releases, animal rights is a prominent issue, along with climate change and the oligarchy. Previously featured album track “Cut The Crap” with Benjamin Zephaniah, as a Daily Dose of Protest.
hunting season – Home Is Where
The third album by the eclectic emo band is a compelling concept album featuring 13 tracks, each one sung from the perspective of a travelling Elvis impersonator who dies in a car crash. The album was also shaped by the personal experience of front woman Bea MacDonald, who fled her home state of Florida due to the increasing hostility towards trans folks. As mentioned on the album’s Bandcamp page, “Home Is Where are no strangers to the worst of the havoc that this country continues to unleash onto its inhabitants. This album is their most stunning, warts-and-all encapsulation of their love-hate relationship with the American mess, often at its most concentrated south of the Mason-Dixon line.”
Goodbye Small Head – Ezra Furman
The title of the latest album by the folk punker is named after a lyric from the 1999 Sleater-Kinney song “Get Up,” which deals with death and ego dissolution. Societal evils and the challenges of Trans hostilities also shape it.
Combat Blues – Paul Cargnello
This is the latest album by the longtime Canadian protest singer, which deals with the current political climate and the rise of fascism as highlighted on the aptly named “Fascists In Our Midst” (“I feel like I am no longer able, we got fascists feasting at our table. They knocked at our door, then we let ’em in. Scuffing our floors, drinking our gin. Now we’re hanging out, like a punching bag, while the dignitaries of greed rally around a flag. Now it all comes down to this, we got fascists in our midst.”)
Radiolarian Ballet – Time
The latest album by the alt-rapper and journalist is described on the album’s Bandcamp page as “a deep dive into the waves of the no-thing, the quantum ballet of thought, art and action and the reverberations we all make.” The album is also considered an ode to Martinican author Aimé Césaire, who was heavily involved in anticolonial movements.
Pitchforks & Torches – Lee Reed
Canadian rapper Lee Reed released his new LP, attacking “cops, bosses, landlords, bankers, billionaires and the electoral sham that keeps this whole death dance in step”.
Therapy – Chasing Ghosts
The latest album by the Australian Naarm Aboriginal-led indiepunks speaks out against Australia’s murderous history of colonial oppression.
TRANSISI – Voice of Baceprot
This EP by the Indonesian heavy metal trio of three Muslim women features hard-hitting tunes of resistance. Also, featured album track “Put The Gun Down” as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Signs Of Life – My Politic
This album by the Americana duo is a mix of personal and political challenges. Issues include online toxicity and climate change, and these challenges balance a sense of bleakness with hope. The album track “The Lonely 21st Century” was a Daily Dose of Protest.
Where the Wild Birds Call – Dusty The Kid
This tune by the American folk musician addresses labour rights and is filled with pro-union lyrics.
8+6+4+7=25 – SS Please Bring Me Pizza
This was emailed to me, and I know very little. The three songs take shots at both Trump and Biden. The title track is topical because of the recent uproar with the former FBI director James Comey posting a photo of an 8647 pebble formation. The title track was also featured as a Daily Dose of Protest.
Check out the ongoing playlist of 2025 protest songs.
