Do you think there鈥檚 no good protest music these days? So did I, until I started looking for it. Every month, I listen to it all, then select the best that relates to that month鈥檚 political news. Here鈥檚 the round-up for January 2025.
1. DAVID ROVICS听鈥 FROM THE ASHES听
Climate change-induced wildfires sent Los Angeles up in flames on January 7. At least 29 people were killed and 16,000 structures destroyed or damaged, including the . Days later, US protest singer David Rovics released his new LP, From The Ashes. On its song 鈥淎shes Of LA鈥, he sings: 鈥淲ill we look back at the time when politicians all agreed, it turns out really to be true, we鈥檙e in the same society? From the broken-down bus to the crowded tenements, from the Malibu mansions to the nearest tent, will there come a moment when this society can say, we learnt this lesson while we stood amid the ashes of LA?鈥 Yet politicians had learnt little. to protect an endangered fish. His 鈥渇irst buddy鈥, Elon Musk, blamed the fires on , rather than straight white men, as firefighters. 听 听
2. RETRIBUTION听鈥 WAITING ON THE WORLD TO BURN听
On the same day the fires broke out, US hardcore band Retribution released their aptly titled new album, Waiting On The World To Burn. Asked about its title track, they said: 鈥淭o recognise the bad in this world is something we should all do. But it seems like more and more the powers that be will stop at nothing to destroy it. At some point we have to step back and watch the fireworks go off as they continue to obliterate each other .鈥 But the LP also tackles immigration, capitalism and genocide. Its song 鈥淵our God鈥 鈥渇ocuses on the fact westernised Christianity fully believes what is happening to the Palestinian people is justified鈥. The track 鈥淐hains鈥 is 鈥渁ll about being a working-class citizen in America鈥. And of the LP鈥檚 song 鈥淔lesh, Blood, and Bone鈥, they said: 鈥淭he practices we鈥檝e seen by our government to 鈥榢eep the border safe鈥 have been very cruel.鈥澨
3. CRAIG G听鈥 THE WORLD IS COOKED听
Rapper to stop sharing footage of the fires soundtracked with a 1990 song by his group, Public Enemy, on January 10. 鈥溾楤urn Hollywood Burn鈥 is a protest song,鈥 he wrote on Instagram. 鈥淲e made mind revolution songs aimed at a one-sided exploitation by an industry. Has nothing to do with families losing everything they have in a natural disaster. Learn the history. Godspeed to those in loss.鈥 That came after his friend Craig G released his presciently named album, The World Is Cooked. Chuck D appears on the LP, saying: 鈥淗ere鈥檚 a word from a hip-hop god, surprise, he ain鈥檛 one of them other guys ... Ain鈥檛 gun culture, war culture, thug culture, drug culture, enough to climb to this climate, in a cooked world, where intelligence is silenced. Thus, salute this hip-hop god, Craig G, for the audacity and nerve to get action out of the word. Look, this world is cooked.鈥澨
4. LAMBRINI GIRLS听鈥 WHO LET THE DOGS OUT听
Firefighter Cam Walker wrote an article warning about the misinformation surrounding the Los Angeles fires on January 11. When the on Facebook, its parent company, Meta, removed it. The move came after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to impress Trump by announcing . Zuckerberg then told right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan on January 10 that Meta was dumping its policies on diversity, equity and inclusion because . The same day, English released their , which features the song 鈥淏ig Dick Energy鈥. 鈥淏ig dick energy,鈥 they seethe. 鈥淗ow big is that dick in reality? It鈥檚 not that big.鈥 But they don鈥檛 stop at toxic masculinity听鈥 the LP also takes on sexist bosses, police brutality, homophobia and financial inequality.
5. BAD BUNNY听鈥 DeB脥 TiRAR M谩S FOToS听
When Trump was inaugurated as US president on January 20, heading to the event, captioned: 鈥淥ptimistic and celebrating.鈥 Among those grimacing would have been the 听by a comedian at a Trump rally before the election. They include the world鈥檚 most-streamed pop star, Bad Bunny, who released 鈥溙齩n January 5. On the song 鈥淟o Que Pas贸 a Hawaii鈥, he sings: 鈥淣o quiero que pase contigo lo que pas贸 a Hawaii [].鈥 In 1898, Puerto Rico and Hawaii were seized and declared US territories. Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959 and is now significantly Americanised. But Puerto Rico remains an unincorporated territory and retains its own language and culture. , which promotes statehood.
6. LOUISE WISECHILD听鈥 THE SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE
As soon as Trump听鈥斕 was inaugurated, he began deporting non-US citizens from the country, including those whose children were born in the US. His move followed the release of the highly political new folk album by US expat Louise Wisechild, who now lives in Guatemala, south of the US border. On 鈥淚鈥檓 Not The Enemy鈥, she sings: 鈥淚 bring my body and my brain to work with you. My strength, my dreams, these are my gifts to you. Together we could be much more, if you鈥檇 open up the door. Now you say you don鈥檛 want me. But perhaps I鈥檓 what you need. You鈥檙e all so frightened of me, shouting, go home refugee. Someone filled your ears with lies, and now your eyes can鈥檛 see. I鈥檓 not the enemy.鈥 US economists certainly don鈥檛 see non-US citizens as the enemy. Many have warned that by eliminating a cheap source of labour. 听
7. JOHN MCCUTCHEON听鈥 FIELD OF STARS听
Also slamming such xenophobia is the new album from veteran folk musician John McCutcheon, released on January 10. Its track 鈥淢s St Louis鈥 tells the true story of an ocean liner full of Jewish refugees seeking asylum from Hitler during World War II. They sought shelter in North America, only to be turned away at every port. Discussing the song, McCutcheon said: 鈥淚鈥檝e often used history to shine a light on contemporary life. Plenty of refugees are being turned away right now, and it has to do with .鈥 After Trump鈥檚 inauguration, Musk sparked outrage worldwide by during a speech on stage. Pro-Israel group the , despite previously condemning pro-Palestine activists as antisemitic. Days later, German political party the AfD.
8. RSD听鈥 MIXTAPES FOR GAZA听
Israel and Palestine declared a long-awaited ceasefire on January 15. One week later, Israel blocked Palestinians going home to northern Gaza and . Trump then vowed to 鈥 from Gaza, adding what media called 鈥渁nother risk to an already fragile ceasefire鈥. Amid the conflict, English dub reggae record label RSD released a fundraising album on January 20, featuring 鈥渇ive hours of music for a very modest price鈥. It said all proceeds from the album would go to UNICEF and the Red Cross. The release came after pro-Palestine protesters condemned Israel for its attack on the Kamal Adwan hospital and the arbitrary arrest and detention of its director. Health care worker Yassmin Khadra told a rally in Brisbane on January 5 that 鈥渢his is not just an attack on one hospital, but an attack on the very principles of humanity, justice and the sanctity of health care鈥.
9. XAVIER RUDD听鈥 LIVE IN BELGIUM听
Thousands of in rallies across Australia on January 26. In doing so, the activists drew parallels between the colonisation of both peoples. The date is officially celebrated as 鈥淎ustralia Day鈥 because that鈥檚 when white people invaded Australia in 1788, but many councils nationwide have dumped such festivities. As the date loomed this year, the conflict continued. Geelong council controversially moved to rename the day Australia Day, opposition leader if he was elected, a in Sydney and Northern Territory bail reforms were slammed as a 鈥direct attack on Black children鈥. Addressing such issues was a new live album from Indigenous musician Xavier Rudd, released days earlier. On 鈥淏all And Chain鈥 he sings: 鈥淏all and chain got me feeling like I鈥檓 a slave.鈥澨
10. STICK TO YOUR GUNS听鈥 KEEP PLANTING FLOWERS听
Native American dancers at Sydney鈥檚 Yabun Aboriginal music festival on January 26 stressed similarities between Indigenous people in Australia and the US. Two days earlier, US investigative reporter Greg Palast听鈥 who has repeatedly proven in court that Republicans remove non-white voters from electoral rolls听鈥 revealed his findings on November鈥檚 poll that elected Trump. 鈥溙淭hat is, if all legal voters were allowed to vote... Kamala Harris would have won the presidency with 286 electoral votes. And, if not for the mass purge of voters of colour ... Harris would have gained at least another 3,565,000 votes, topping Trump鈥檚 official popular vote tally by 1.2 million.鈥 Yet he insisted his court victories showed there was hope. Summing up that defiant optimism was the new album from political US hardcore punks听Stick To Your Guns, which urges listeners to 鈥渒eep planting flowers鈥. 听
[Mat Ward has been writing for听麻豆传媒听since 2009. He also wrote听the听book听听and听makes听political music. This month,听.]
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