Music for the Moment
The world is going to shit, it seems. In the immortal words of Limp Bizkit, “Everything is fucked, everybody sucks!” As a result, at least if you’re like me, you’ve been left wondering, “where is all the protest music?” I’m thinking of some 1950s and 60s-style songs Bernie Sanders would be rocking out to while getting arrested. Dangerous stuff.
With all the social strife and bad we see each day, it feels like we should have seen the rise of some new artists like Phil Ochs (“Draft Dodger Rag”), Sam Cooke (“A Change is Gonna Come”), Woody Guthrie (“Tear the Fascists Down” and “This Land is Your Land”), John Prine (“Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore”), or at least a CSNY “Ohio” style recording. So I set out to see what the contrarians are recording nowadays, and came up with some highlights from a couple of genres. If you want a cathartic listen—or even some inspiration—read on. Some titles will be familiar, and some will be new, but all will be good.
Rules:
● must be released within the last ten years
● must critique the current social order/government
● most importantly, it must be good
The List
“Old Man Trump” (Ryan Harvey (friend of Prof. Thomas Frampton), words Woody Guthrie)
“Who Would Jesus Bomb?” (Jordan Smart)
“Dixie Be Damned” (Nick Shoulders)
“War Isn’t Murder” (Jesse Welles)
“A Report to the Shareholders” (Run the Jewels)
“Cigarette Trees” (The Local Honeys)
“Ugly Nasty Commie Bitch” (Carrie Blanton)
“Long Violent History” (Tyler Childers)
“We the People” (A Tribe Called Quest)
“Thoughts and Prayers” (Drive by Truckers)
“The Recap” (Kneecap)
“United Health” (Jesse Welles)
“Plastic Boogie” (King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard)
“This is America” (Childish Gambino)
“Hind’s Hall” (Macklemore)
“Make America Great Again” (Pussy Riot)
“Fuck I.C.E.” (Croy and the Boys)
“Call to Arms” (Sturgill Simpson)
“Bound and Determined “(Nick Shoulders)
“Talkin’ WWIII Blues” (Sam Hodgson)
“Outlaw Country” (Dylan Earl)
I know this list is eclectic and skewed toward my Appalachian, unreconstructed-Pete-Seeger-style-liberal, so if you’d like a genre-consistent playlist sent to you on Spotify, email me. wzw8mp@virginia.edu. Lib out with me this winter break.
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Staff Editor — Kirk Wolff ’26