[Originally published on: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/news/2026/grunge-included/]

The UK’s first academic conference dedicated to grunge is to take place in York next month. Grunge Included 2026 is hosted at York St John University on Monday 7 September in the Creative Centre at the Lord Mayor’s Walk campus in York.

Created by York St John University PhD researchers Kristīne and Sintija Brence, Grunge Included is a multidisciplinary international conference looking at how grunge developed, why it became such a powerful cultural movement and why its influence continues to shape music and popular culture today. The event will bring together academics and researchers from Poland, Latvia, the United States and across the UK.

Audiences at this free event will hear an exploration of grunge as much more than a musical genre. They can expect a dissection of its influence on politics, culture, society, identity, design, fashion, art and alternative music more widely. Topics range from grunge political graphic design, troubling feminism, grunge protest in Africa, grunge and neurodivergence, philosophy of sound and beyond.

A key highlight of the day is a Q&A with Gordon Raphael, the legendary record producer and musician best known for his work with The Strokes. Raphael has also worked with influential artists including Green River, connecting his career directly to the wider history of Seattle’s alternative music scene.

The ‘lineup’ also includes:

• Silencing The Alternative America: Parents Music Resource Centre and Grunge Politics (Sintija Brence)

• Neither Baby nor a Doll, Neither Riot nor a Girl: Courtney Love’s Troubling Feminism (Klaudia Rachubińska)

• “Load Up On Guns”: violence, authenticity, and protest in the making of Nirvana’s Nevermind (James How)

• Voices of Resistance: From Grunge to Afrobeat and the Politics of Protest Music in Africa (Michael Ayokunle Osagie)

• ‘Seattle was my beacon and muse, but it was never really mine’: Reimagining the Pacific Northwest music scene in Carrie Brownstein’s Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl and Kathleen Hanna’s Rebel Girl (Amy McCarthy)

• Humour and Satire in Nirvana and Mudhoney (John Moores)

• Visual Protest and Ideology: Art Chantry, Grunge Design, and American Political Culture (Kistīne Brence)

• The Tumblr Generation: How 2010 Emo Culture Reimagined Grunge (Grace Elizabeth Emerson)

• Live Through This: Comparing Coco Chanel to Cobain’s Cardigan: Why Grunge Fashion will always be in Style (Joi Katskee)

• Before I Had the Language: Grunge, Neurodivergent Difference and Alternative Music as Teenage Refuge (Zana Bayley)

Conference organisers and twin sisters, Kristīne and Sintija Brence are both Humanities PhD students at York St John University and are both self-published authors on the social and political impact of alternative rock culture.

They shared a bit more about the reason for and relevance of Grunge Included 2026.

Kristīne Brence said:

“We are both passionate about music, especially punk and grunge music of the 1990s and want to showcase how grunge has many social and political functions within society. This conference will be a testament to this, as well as to the fact that grunge’s legacy and activism are still present today.

“Many times, young researchers and thinkers are left out of established academic networks and lose the opportunity to bringnew ideasand develop the industry.This is the place where new ideas and a new generation are able to continue the conversation in a new light.Isn’t it interesting to see how a new generation views music and the grunge movement? We think it is!

“Sintija and I created this event to bring like-minded people together and build on the platform she has developed through her blog, Grunge Included. I really hope that, as we launch this international conference, researchers from around the world can build new networks and collaborations, and we can work towards more Grunge Included events.”

Sintija Brence said: 

“What I love about grunge is that it was never just a music genre. It was a social movement built to subvert the established 1980s political and social system in the United States. I think it’s still so relevant because the issues many grunge artists wrote about, from inequality and political disillusionment to social injustice, remain just as important today.

“A lot of teenagers are tired of the pressure that comes with social media. Apps like Instagram can make it feel like your worth is based on how good your life looks online, how much you own, or how many likes you get. It can be exhausting always comparing yourself to everyone else. That’s one reason why so many people look back at the 1990s. It was the last era where life wasn’t built around smartphones and social media, making it feel more real, simple, and authentic.  

“In a world where everything is polished, overproduced and which aims for minimalism, even most modern rock music sounds like that. Grunge is an escape from that. Its raw, imperfect sound captures a more authentic, realistic experience of being human, which is why so many people still relate to it today.”

View the full programme Grunge Included 2026 Programme

The conference is almost fully booked but remaining tickets are available via Eventbrite

Grunge Included 2026 Tickets, Monday 7 September  •  10 AM - 5 PM | Eventbrite

In this interview, Gregor shares the remarkable Nirvana booking story before they became global icons, along with personal memories of Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, and Alice in Chains during the formative years of the Seattle explosion. He also reflects on the emergence of grunge, the pivotal role of Sub Pop, and what it was really like to witness one of the most influential musical movements in history from the inside.

Jan Gregor also discusses the latest chapter in his musical journey with the new Variant Cause album a continuation rather than a reunion. Originally formed in Seattle in 1985, Variant Cause built a reputation for its distinctive sound, sharing stages with artists including The Blasters, Hunter/Ronson, X, Nico, The Godfathers and Iggy Pop before the changing music landscape brought the band to an end. He set himself the challenge of writing songs that could have been hits in another generation - songs, as he puts it: “for other bands to cover, songs for the world.”

Variant Cause began in Seattle in 1985. How did the city’s music scene shape the band’s early sound and identity?

I had already been playing in original bands for seven years, so for us it was an evolving sound from my earlier bands Sweet Madness and Next Exit. Seattle was the Northwest hub city so many of the bands like us had moved from smaller Northwest towns. There were always good bands in the Northwest, but there was no chance in hell that a band was going to get “signed” out of the Northwest. Nobody from New York or L.A. was going to fly out to Seattle to hear a band. It was more isolated then. When we moved to Seattle in 1982 I was surprised at how few rooms there were to play, but rent was cheap and bands could take some time for creativity and try out different directions to find a sound. It was mostly DIY. The music scene was not creatively constrained by any hope of success.

Looking back, what do you remember most about sharing stages with artists like Iggy Pop, Nico, and X, Alice in Chains?

Next Exit Opening for the X in Bellingham was a huge gig for us, and all of us were excited. We didn’t get much stage space or a sound check, but we did get a great response. The crowd was packed in and it was just a swirling bouncing rolling roiling mass while we played. Next Exit opening for Nico was wild. Her English band arrived at 2 PM in a station wagon pulling a trailer. At 5 p.m. the promoter got a call from Nico who was at the San Francisco airport with no money. She had stayed over in San Francisco to score heroin. The promoter bought her an expensive last minute airline ticket on the first flight available. She wouldn’t arrive till after the show was supposed to start, but we were told to keep playing till he gets back with her. We had two sets of original material, but as far as a set that would work for Nico we really only had a strong half hour. So we started scrambling for more songs that would work. And we played. And we played some more. Whenever you are an opening act, people are not there to see you, you are filler. Thankfully, we went over fine. Finally, finally, she arrived and disappeared into the dressing room. We finished our song. “Nico will be up shortly.” Well, not exactly. Getting ready for Nico meant a lot of makeup time and whatever drugs were available. Finally she was on. Guitar, bass, drums and her acoustic organ. From a sound standpoint, the acoustic harmonium was a big problem. We had it miked and could crank it up through the mains, but she was deaf in one ear and wanted it loud in the monitor, and the monitor was right in front of her, so it was a feedback look that just could not be turned up. She started cursing at our soundman. After a while, I took over running sound and took her abuse for myself. At the break I went backstage to talk to her. She was smoking a joint and a cigarette, the tiny dressing room filled with smoke. “Nico,” I said. “I’m sorry we can’t make your harmonium louder onstage. But it sounds good out front. The mic is too close to the monitor.” I knew I was not translating.

“It is fine, sweetie,” she said in her thick accent. I thought that meant she had mellowed, but she continued cursing during the next set. Alice in Chains had recently changed their name from Sleeze—they were kind of a big hair glam band from the suburbs when Variant Cause played with them. A year later, I was at their showcase at the Central that got them signed to a major. I was impressed at how good they’d become, it was a massive improvement. Iggy Pop had not played Seattle for years due to an infamous lawsuit incident relating to a speaker stack falling over and a minor riot at his last time through. He chose not to enter Washington State rather than risk being arrested. With the release of Blah Blah Blah, he was going to come as close as Portland, and Variant Cause got on as opener, We had played Portland and Salem enough times to know we had some fans but still, opening for a guy as great as Iggy, I wondered how we’d do: after all we were just the time-filler till the legend appeared. By the end of three songs the applause indicated that we were fine. The only guy booing us loudly was sitting up in the mezzanine: a singer from an up-and-coming Seattle band who thought that his band should have the slot instead of us.

What was life actually like behind the scenes in the Seattle music community during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s?

Cheap living, cheap food, cheap practice spaces, lots of record stores, a music monthly and zines. Both KCMU and KJET radio played local music, we got a lot of airplay. We found a sound, maybe too many sounds, but it wasn’t the sound that eventually broke out. The scene picked up through the 1980s and more bands started being formed. In the early 1990s grunge success, the Microsoft dotcom boom and Starbucks all seemed to happen about the same time and changed everything. The dotcom boom in particular got tons of people moving to Seattle increasing prices.

You were also in Sweet Madness and Next Exit. What was the dynamic of these bands and how do they different from Variant Cause?

Sweet Madness was an art-punk new wave band in Spokane, as featured in the documentary SpokAnarchy. Bomp was going to put us out but it got delayed so long that the recorded lineup had broken up and I cancelled. Sweet Madness had an era sound and there are two compilation LPs out. When you have a first young band, it’s a young dream with some time.Then in your 20s, life starts getting real and players fall away, the bands evolve to having more of the lifer types. We formed Next Exit to move to Seattle in 1983, it was harder-edged sound and we tried a different band-writing style on some songs. In Seattle in 1985 we renamed it Variant Cause and got needed new energy with bassist Ryco. All my bands are still gigging 24/7 on YouTube.

You made the documentary ‘’Circus of the Scars’’(2022) about a circus sideshow act playing Seattle dive bars which suddenly becomes mainstream. What drew you to tell that particular story, and did you see any parallels between the band’s journey and your own experiences in the Seattle music scene?

When I quit playing in 1991, I was burnt out and jaded and had totally lost my love for enjoying music. The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow was a modern circus sideshow that was exploding on the scene. I knew a hot act when I saw one and became their road and tour manager for three tours of the US and Canada, three tours of the UK and Europe, and even one in Australia. It really did my jaded heart good to be involved with a show that made big burly guys in leather jackets faint and squirm. That’s what the documentary is about. You can stream it online and faint in the privacy of your own home.

Looking back on your career and life in music, is there anything you regret or anything you would do differently if you had the chance?

I would do things differently, we all would. I did a lot but I could have done more. I wish someone had locked me in a room till I came out with more songs. So that’s what this project is: finishing the unfinished songs even if just for myself.

What do you think about the Seattle Grunge scene? As a musician, was there any pressure to align with the grunge style?

You have to hand it to Jonathan and Bruce and their hype. The whole Sub-Pop schtick made it sound like logger guys put down their axes and came out of the woods and picked up guitars and that was hilarious. They sold the Northwest working man shtick when their bands were mostly college grads. Sub Pop were able to take a slice of the scene and hype it, to make it sound like it was a unified and a happening scene, and it started a snowball rolling, it became a self-fullfilling hype. And once England bought into the hype and covered it as the latest thing, it hyped it back to the States. Show business is two words, “show” and “business”, and you can’t sustain the show without the business. Sub Pop was loading a moving truck but they didn’t have enough money for the world launch so they couldn’t hold onto their bands.

But the major label success of Alice in Chains and then Nirvana brought the Gold Rush full on; and everybody started trying to stake their claim and grab their score. And a conformity came into the music scene, the scene had been varied but it conformed. Bands started moving to Seattle from far away, that’s what happens with a Gold Rush. There is never any shortage of drugs around a music scene of course, but as far as harder drugs, the 1980s scene always had more coke than anything else. I was surprised when heroin crept into the Seattle scene.

My attitude was that it was really stupid. Playing in a band is about trying to stay free and living a creative life. The jury has been in on heroin for years. Why get hooked on heroin and enslave yourself? The death of Andy Wood was a shock as were Layne and Kurt’s addictions. I had a jaded attitude: Bands have been trying to break out of Seattle for years, you got a chance. If you want to do heroin, the Rolling Stones laid out a template to follow: put out ten great records before you get junked out, then you can afford it. You don’t get junked out before you’ve even made a second record. It was sad that it imploded so fast with the same old boring heroin. The same drug that fucked up the jazz scene in the 1950s. Everybody always thinks they’ll be stronger than the drugs, but the hard drugs always win. And they did.

But for me, by that time I was seriously jaded and burned out. If you call a rock generation five years, Variant Cause was two generations past the young grunge bands and not drawing like we used to. We tried to keep songwriting going but it got harder to fund recording which we’d always done playing live. I had to accept our time was up.

What’s the Nirvana booking story?

I booked off-nights at the Central Tavern and would put three original bands a night on. Jonathan from Sub Pop called me up, “Hey, I have this band from Olympia I want my partner to hear. Can you put them on?”

“Sure, how about Sunday night 2nd time slot at 10:30
“Sounds good.”

Jonathan called me back a few days later. “Hey, we don’t want to stay out that late on a Sunday night. Can you put them on first?”

“Sure, no problem.”

I put Nirvana in the first slot.

You’ve also mentioned having a great story involving Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder from the ‘92 Lollapalooza tour? Can you share more?

I was on Lollapalooza 1992 with the sideshow. We performed on the 2nd stage. Eddie loved the show and would often be right down front for it. The show created faints and ours was a very extreme show that everyone wanted to see. Matt the Tube did a sensational “Tube” act whereby a quart of beer, some chocolate and some Maalox all got pumped into his stomach and then pumped back out. It got served up in glasses and became the rock star dare of the tour with Jim Rose goading them on. Chris Cornell was the first one to jump up on stage in Detroit, then Eddie [Vedder] in Chicago. Over the course of the tour dates, those two partook four times each, but also Matt Cameron, Al Jourgenson, Flea and Micki from Lush all had some bile beer. Hey, it was the 1990s and this was the grunge sideshow. You can see it all in the documentary Circus of the Scars which features a lot of 1990s Seattle.

I remember one interaction I had with Chris. He was behind our stage noonish and I said “How’re you doing?” He said “Not good, I don’t think I’ll be able to sing the high notes.” I used to have the same problem if we gigged too many nights in a row, so I gave him a vocalist throat cure I know. And I told him he needed to write some songs that are sung in a lower pitch. I have no idea if my suggestions registered.

You’ve said these are “songs for other bands to cover, songs for the world.” Why was it important to approach the new project from a songwriter’s perspective rather than as a performer?

I really love early rock. I’m writing and arranging songs in that spirit. When I looked at the 120 or so songs I recorded with my bands, I was disappointed to see that I didn’t have many that were at the core of my influences: roots rock and garage rock and British invasion. Rock that still has the roll. I still have my old notebooks and scraps of paper and titles and melodies so I decided to have fun with it again.

You imagined yourself in the Brill Building, trying to write a hit before lunch. Which song on the album best captures that spirit?

Already Fled was named one of Little Steven’s Coolest Songs on Underground Garage.

Are there specific records or artists that inspired the sound or structure of these songs?

These songs are an homage to early garage rock 1956 to 1967ish and the early producers like Sam Phillips, Mickie Most, Bert Berns, Andrew Oldham, Shel Talmy and Shadow Morton. It was a time before they started calling rock “art”. Before any progleanings. With a band you are putting the musician components together to get a sound and my bands sometimes got complicated. These songs are my return to the basic songwriting of my teens and keeping simple simple.

Has there ever been a song you wrote that taught you something about yourself?

After I quit I didn’t even pick up a guitar for 20 years, so I have been surprised at my ability to return and turn on the songwriting switch again. When you have the muse for something, you have to do it and I have the muse right now. For me.

When you look back on your career, what achievement are you most proud of that people might not know about?

Maintaining the DIY ethos, learning along the way and being able to make a living outside of the corporate mundane. Still having fun.

What brings you joy that has nothing to do with music?

I like gritty non-fiction books and documentaries, my pets, core historic districts of old towns and driving on lost highways.

What is a song you would never ever want to hear again?

I know what you mean, like Hotel California. But there’s a few of my early songs that I’m embarrassed about now and don’t want to hear. But I won’t name them.

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BEHOLD also brings together an impressive group of guest performers, including Jeff Schroeder of The Smashing Pumpkins, Gym Nicholson (Undercover), Eric Campuzano (Lassie Foundation, Prayer Chain), executive producer Ken Johnston, and a choir of middle-school and high-school students on “May It Be So.” Mixed and mastered by Christopher Colbert (Leon Bridges, Sufjan Stevens, Mazzy Star) at National Freedom Studio, with Grammy-winning engineer Julian Kindred mixing the track “Disappear” at Nonsuch Studio in London, the album represents both a reflection on Taylor’s remarkable musical journey and an exciting new chapter. In our conversation, Taylor discusses the making of BEHOLD, religion, the collaborators who helped shape it, and the inspiration behind his first solo album in years.

1. You explained about your new album that the musical seeds of the songs stem from your time playing guitar for the Sufi communities in Charlottesville, VA. What aspects of Sufism found their way into your approach to rhythm, melody, lyrics or emotional tone on the album?

When I was invited to play guitar for the Dances of Universal Peace in Charlottesville I was teaching music at James Madison University and really knew nothing about Sufism or their music. But the way they integrate music and movement with a contemplative, mystical practice is so rich and beautiful without any dogmatic or theological trappings, which I found compelling. Their music draws from a number of Middle Eastern and South Asian traditions. It is modal and the musicians generally use an alternate open tuning. I soon developed my own open tuning that extended the range of the guitar and allowed for drones and non-harmonic tones that reinforced the modal and melodic nature of their music. I placed more emphasis on melody and lines rather than chord progressions, which is the way so many Western songwriters approach structure.

I had studied Medieval and Renaissance music in grad school, which is also “linear” so on BEHOLD there’s an integration of Western tradition, counterpoint, and what I learned playing with the Sufis. The more familiar I became with that tuning and way of thinking musically, the more I found myself developing bits and pieces of my own which then became the basis for many of these songs. You can hear this in the way a number of the songs begin, with acoustic guitar laying out the lines on which the rest of the song is built and layered, rhythm and meter also fluid in service of melody.

I can’t say there’s a direct connection lyrically to my time with the Sufis, although Rumi is a looming presence of course, along with the poetry of Hafiz, Omar Khayyám, but also of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Robert Smith and others. They all trickle down into my psyche, give me courage and point the way for me in one way or another. But in the end the lyrics came from a deep, prolonged dredging of my own inner landscape. I even credited my therapist for his help, and some of the lyrics are direct lifts from those sessions and journaling.

2. Did your earlier work with Undercover influence the sound and structure of BEHOLD, if at all?

The only influence I can think of is the fact that I was in the band, wrote a lot of the songs and probably have some musical signatures or personality that might carry over somehow. It’s not really my work with Undercover that influenced BEHOLD, it’s the fact that both document my path, journey and growth, then and now. I see ways I am similar to my much younger self, for example, but at the same time feel like that was a completely different person in a different lifetime and universe. Some folks might hear a connection but everything about this record, every aspect of how it was written and built is so different. My philosophical worldview, musical and lyrical skillset and palette are all so wildly different now.

3. BEHOLD blends alternative, gothic, world, and symphonic elements together, which is different than Undercover. What influenced you to explore the gothic genre?

It’s not a label I would have necessarily adopted for myself, but I understand it. I have Lol Tolhurst’s book, “Goth” and do resonate with much of the mindset and attitude, but I was never inspired much by most of the bands he talks about. I think a more literal meaning of “Gothic” as a historical time period and the darker, more mysterious sensibility that informs it might be more applicable. I am deeply influenced by early music, which in the Western tradition was pretty much the music of the Catholic Church, all modal - Gregorian chant, early polyphony, the musical structure of the Mass, the sung prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. Having been brought up in an Italian Catholic household when the Mass was still in Latin, and the sensual nature of the art and architecture - incense, candles, ritual, and I guess that my songs are darker in nature, probably lends itself to “Gothic.” It’s not so much that I wanted to explore the genre, but that all of that is built into my fiber and it just shows up.

4. After more than 20 years between albums, what experiences most shaped your musical evolution leading up to this release?

I can point to two. First was the formal study of music. I felt like I was bumping up against a musical ceiling in Undercover. I wanted to expand my toolbox. The planets lined up for me in ways that allowed me mid-career to take a couple classes in music history and theory and I loved it so much I made it a priority around which I structured the rest of my life. I was not after a degree, but wanted to learn as much as I could. My composition teacher, friend and mentor was Lloyd Rodgers. Our “lessons” often were held outside at tables so he could smoke, and involved long discussion on the metaphysics of music as much as how music works. All the stuff of writing for different instruments and ensembles, orchestration, history, all of it, I picked up after having already had a career in Undercover and having run a production company so I was well-versed in “pushing notes around” as Lloyd called it. I was already older than most students, and this was a five or six year journey that led to a graduate degree in theory and composition. My thesis project was a four-movement piece for string orchestra, all based on the 12th-century “Golden Sequence,” Veni Sancte Spiritus. Then came the task of how to integrate and express all I learned in modern musical language. I think BEHOLD is that.

The second was my evolution out of Christianity, which came a year or two after my music studies. There’s an awful lot to say about that and I’ve written quite a bit about it on my blog and other places. The journey out was painful but I couldn’t stop it either. It was death by a thousand paper cuts over years and years of one thing after another not making any sense at all, many of the objective claims demonstrably false, and much of it ethically bankrupt or at least deficient. I finally realized there was nothing left I could call “Christian.” This is just my experience and I don’t mean to be dogmatic about any of this. Others’ mileage may vary.

It was very difficult having a Judeo-Christian worldview and ethic disintegrate and having to build a new one from the rubble. Painful and difficult as that was, it has made all the difference in my life, growth and my music. It was like the moment in Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opens the door of her house after crashing down in Munchkin Land and all of a sudden everything is in vivid color. I’m not interested in de-converting or changing anyone, but I am interested in telling my story and the many ways it has broadened and changed my thinking, opening the door to awe and so many wonders I never knew were possible, especially if it is of help to others.

5. How did the collaborations with musicians like Greg Lawless of Adam Again, drummer Aaron Smith (known for work with The Temptations, Romeo Void, and The 77s), Jeff Schroeder from Smashing Pumpkins, and Eric Campuzano of The Prayer Chain and The Lassie Foundation influence the sonic identity of BEHOLD, and what did each of them bring that you might not have arrived at on your own?

I can’t say enough about these fantastic artists and how they all poured themselves into the record. It was important to me not to micromanage anyone including the visual artists, but to have a level of trust that let them bring themselves completely to the project, unfiltered, to interpret the songs as they saw fit, to truly collaborate and make this record their own too. I chose the players that allowed me to do that with complete confidence.

I’ve been friends with each one of them for years, with the exception of Jeff Schroeder although we knew of each other and traveled in the same musical circles. A mutual friend told me that as a kid Jeff used to come to our concerts. I thought, what the hell, I’ll ask if he wants to play and I was thrilled that he agreed. We’ve developed a good camaraderie and I’ve had him as a guest speaker in my classes since too. The students love it and he has a lot of fans.

Greg and I have been friends and collaborators for decades. I sought his advice and guidance very early, on the songs, my guitar parts and vocals and whether we had a record here with this material. He is foundational. He warned me early on that his style had changed a lot over the years, more along the lines of soundscape and effects than guitar god stuff. I gave him the tracks and set him free and I just love what he came up with so much. There are classic “Lawless” moments, but his layers are indeed foundational

Aaron and I have shared the stage many times, but in different bands. He is every bit the A-Train his nickname suggests. But on a personal level, we had phone calls and conversations about the songs, and the commitment he gave each one was simply inspiring. He was meticulous about his parts which support and emphasize the lyrics, expressing rhythmically the intention of each song as he worked out his parts. He was also invaluable in creative decisions on lyrics, vocals and the order of songs.

Eric’s bass on the opening track did actually transform the song. I thought it was a mistake at first because it’s the same eight-beat phrase through the whole tune. He had to talk me through it, the way he heard “happy accidents” in how the bass layers into the shifting phrase-lengths of the other parts. In hindsight, of course he was right and I can’t hear it any other way now.

The other artists I have to mention are first, art director Darin Beaman who I’ve been working with since 1990. He’s had an incredible, stellar career and I wasn’t sure he’d be interested. As we talked through the concept, music and lyrics, he did what he does best, and I actually asked him to brand the project, including all the visuals and even the record title. Benjamin Taylor put all the visuals together and it feels like a whole - music, lyric, visuals. Christopher Colbert, the mixing and mastering engineer also has a huge thumbprint on the sonics and it was so much fun to work with him again. It has been a real honor to work with each one of these artists, and also Nick and Julia who worked so hard on the backing vocals. Not an easy job!

6. Undercover was a Christian Rock band and you open the song ‘’From Dust And Clay’’ with ‘’Mother of God, Ancestors, Mother Earth, I could use some help to get me through the day’’. Is music a form of religion? Is there a connection between both you were trying to explore?

I see the human condition as inherently and fundamentally spiritual, for lack of a better word. I think religion co-opts this experience and tries its best to make sense out of that innate spiritual condition and the mystery of the universe. It often pollutes it with theologies and dogma, which is divisive on the face. I cede none of all it means to be a spiritual being or any of my human experience to the exclusive domain of religion including the language. Prayer to me is a human thing first. This lyric is a desperate cry for help in a dark moment. It’s not a theological or supernatural statement. I remember the very moment I wrote it and how I felt. Music is one very powerful expression of our spiritual-ness. I do not think in terms of religion.

7. As a professor of music at James Madison University, what is a musical period and genre that should be learnt more about in education?

This might be “geeking out” a little, as Lloyd used to call it, but he also used to say that an understanding of the problems of tuning and temperament would completely change the way we think of music theory. He was right. I used to think Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” referred to a balanced state of mind, but it was instead referring to tuning problems and how musicians had to “temper” certain intervals within the octave and the tradeoffs they had to make. Students know very little about this, and it does get pretty technical.

But Bach is music’s Shakespeare - a miracle. It’s unlikely there will ever be another like him. Lloyd used to say that studying his Passions is like looking into the face of God. To me it has to start there. A broad understanding of music history is important, including some of music’s dead ends. But I would also like to see the scope of traditional music theory broadened to include technology, music production, songwriting and all its elements, including beat-making. Some institutions do a good job of that but the more conservative, conservatory-types are still stuck and have some catching up to do. How do students want to make music today, and what can we teach them that would best equip them?

8. Are you someone who tends to make decisions intuitively, or do you spend a lot of time analysing and reshaping ideas before they become music?

It’s a good mix of both. The raw material has to move me and sometimes that’s just a line or some musical idea. But then the work starts - structure, orchestration, voice-leading and part-writing, lyrics. I find the process tedious and meticulous, but deeply moving and rewarding all at the same time. I don’t want my work to be complicated or complex, but I do like it to have a certain sophistication and structural integrity. That may or may not be audible to the average listener, so in the end everything has to be in service of the song and its poetic and emotional center. I don’t want anyone to have to understand anything about music to be moved by my work. But it’s also nice talking to other musicians about what’s going on under the hood.

9. What’s a personal trait you think listeners would only notice if they spent real time with your music beyond a first listen?

This is certainly not a one-time-through album. I’ve always appreciated works that keep revealing their secrets over time, even years later discovering something we never noticed in a song we might have already heard 1,000 times. I’ve also learned over the years that when I’m working on a record, that’s when it is doing its work in me. And it does do internal work! Sometimes just some beautiful thing, the way a guitar line layers into a phrase, or one line of a lyric, will reduce me to a useless puddle of goo for days at a time. But when the record is done and goes out the studio door it belongs to the world, to whoever might listen. One of the miracles of songwriting for me has been hearing how people bring themselves to the songs, often in ways I would never have imagined or intended. I consider it a sin against the song to interpret it, tell people what it means or how they should hear it. So what would I like listeners to notice? A piece of themselves and their own mystery in there somewhere.

10. If BEHOLD were adapted into a film, stage production, or any kind of visual or theatrical work, what kind of story would you imagine it telling? And which actor or performer would you cast in the lead role ?

What an interesting question! In the late innings of my life I didn’t want to hold anything back, and I have nobody and no institution I am worried about offending or alienating. It is a personal statement. On the one hand, the idea of disappearing shows up, of aging, of losing friends and loved ones to the ages, of fading into the background of my kids’ lives as they raise their own families, the end of love relationships, and ultimately of my own final disappearance.

But there is also hope and light. As the songs took form, a contrasting idea began to emerge, of stepping in to my own life and the many ripples in its wake. This was most clearly expressed in the song Behold Nothing. Darin Beaman, who directed the visual conceptualization recognized this theme, the contrast of exposition, of “Behold,” and its negation, of “nothing.” So maybe there’s a theatrical story in there somewhere. I like the idea of David Lynch or Tim Burton directing and I would like to see Jeremy Irons in the lead role.

11. There`s a life principle that “You need to try everything because you only live once”. Are there things that you will never do or try? Is there anything you would lack courage to do?

I don’t think it follows that I have to try everything in order to have a full and complete life. I am not out looking for new adventures and there is already more richness in my life than I could handle in one lifetime. I tell my students first, that it’s been a hell of a ride so far, but that there are two things that could keep me awake on my death bed. One would be if I felt I didn’t write enough music, or step up to what I felt called to write. Music is in my inner operating system and I simply must be faithful to it. The second would be the question of whether or not I loved boldly, especially those who are most important to me, my five children at the top of the list, and I suppose love has to start with self-love.

Do I have a drive to jump out of a plane or travel to Kathmandu? No, but it’s not a matter of courage. I guess the one thing I lack the courage to do is to bring distractions into my world that would cause me to stray from my inner prime directive - to love, bring as much good into the world as I can given the causes and conditions the world throws my way, and to express that musically.

12. What’s one thing you would change about the world right now?

The song “May It Be So” actually deals with this question in the context of the world we are leaving for our children, “the rivers of our sins” - wars, climate change, hunger and disease, income inequality, access to healthcare and education, abuse and discrimination of the weak and marginal, I could point to so many things I would like to change. At issue here, the one thing I would really change if I could that might help all of this, is the human heart. It is so huge an ask and perhaps impossible and can be demoralizing and hopeless. And yet… the Buddhist practice of Metta, or lovingkindness might be a seed, where we send out compassion and lovingkindness first to ourselves, then to someone we love, to a neutral person, to a difficult person and finally to all beings. Will this change the world? I don’t know, but it changes me, and as Margaret Mead famously said, a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens is the only thing that can change the world. May it be so.

13. What is a song you would never ever want to hear again?

This would be a long list. There are some Undercover songs that we all agree cannot be performed anymore because they no longer represent who we are musically or philosophically in any recognizable way, and I would prefer not to hear them either. If I never heard another piece of 20th century serialism, I wouldn’t suffer much. Same with a lot of hymns - Amazing Grace just has the god-awful worst lyrics. Most contemporary church music in general I could do without, Black Gospel perhaps being the exception. I spent so long in a propaganda-based music industry that I am hyper-sensitive to that kind of thing, whether it’s religious, political or patriotic, any kind of propaganda.

I hate to end on a musical sour note, and thankfully there is so much fantastic, almost-inconceivably great music, miraculous works that almost defy human invention, songs that transport us, change us. A lifetime would not be enough to exhaust them all, and I would never have to give the rest any thought or consideration at all.

Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

London rock band The Heat Inc. return with their new single “True Romance,” taken from the upcoming album Mind Control, out September 18, 2026. Blending heavy riffs with melodic hooks, the track captures the band’s loud, raw and energetic sound that has quickly made them one of the most exciting emerging acts on the UK rock scene. In this interview guitarist Marco Simoncelli and vocalist Jon Dodd, give insights into the themes of the upcoming album, what’s on their music rotation at the moment, as well as both explain how Quentin Tarantino inspired the new album. Read more to find out what Marco would say to Mick Ronson and David Bowie and what is a song they would never ever want to hear again!

The Heat Inc. clearly pull from classic rock’n’roll energy, but your sound still feels modern and forward-looking. What do you think rock music is missing right now that you’re trying to bring back?

Marco: Hi Sintija, thanks for featuring us on Grunge Included. I think that in general there are not many good Rock and Roll bands out there, probably cause it’s missing a scene and investment. The last great wave happened in the early 2000’s and since then I have seen mainly indie bands. Agree with you that our music has a modern production and we play with energy in a way that probably punk bands used to do in the 70s.

Jon: It’s funny because we often get billed with any number of Classic Rock and Metal bands when we play festivals and it often feels like a lot of those bands are all playing the same song, with a varying degree of competency that sometimes improves as the day goes on? I’m always looking for each song to have it’s own character, to be it’s own archetype. As much as I believe Rock ’n’ Roll to be the fun machine, I don’t think that music/songs having meaning or telling or story, or connecting meaningfully with people through a song have to be mutually exclusive to making the amps shake and letting loose. Writing a song, you have the opportunity to express so much about the human experience and sometimes that can be as simple as wanting to kick out the jams but there’s still so much to say and explore beyond what’s being predominantly written about and played in those scenes at the moment and there’s more than one damn way to say or play it.

The album title Mind Control suggests themes of manipulation, obsession, or influence. What ideas or experiences sit at the core of the record?

Jon: If the first album, ‘Asleep In The Ejector Seat’ ended up exploring the idea or danger of being a passenger in your own life, ‘Mind Control’ might be about waking the fuck up as the plane’s going down and about dealing with the fallout from that and untangling or learning to live with whatever kind of mess you might have made or find yourself in. It’s looking back but not being beholden to the past and figuring out how to move on.

Is it true that Tarantino’s True Romance was a big inspiration for the album?

Marco: Quentin Tarantino has an approach to cinema as I like to have for our music. You can see his influences, his references in his movies but what he does is strongly personal and generates a new entity, style and he has his own signature. That’s the same vision I have and how we write and arrange our songs.

Jon: For that track, ‘True Romance’ absolutely. I was jamming around with the bass line from ‘Little Knuckle Charlie’ from the first album and wanted a chorus to open up the song melodically. A friend of mine had recently turned me onto that movie and I was just hyper-fixating on it, to the point that I had a canvas made of the movie poster and had it hung in the studio and I was just staring at the poster as I tried mouthing vowel sounds over these chords for the chorus and it just ended up where it ended up.

How collaborative is the songwriting process within the band once an initial idea appears?

Marco: Jon and I write most of the songs and then in the studio we arrange them with Nico and Maurizio, and Fabio now. That’s how our writing process exists between us.

For the band this next chapter is “louder, sharper and more ambitious than ever.” In what ways did you challenge yourselves while making this album?

Marco: Between our first ep and our debut album we definitely came up with some tunes but probably the new album, Mind Control, has great tunes, Rock and Roll numbers that are on fire but with a kind of great balance like the great Rock and Roll albums have. There’s Bowie and there’s the Stooges worlds that collide together, of course, all done with our style and signature. I think Mind Control can sit with the greatest Rock and Roll albums.

Jon: I don’t feel like we deliberately set out to challenge ourselves this time around but our producer, Michael Smith was very much of the mind-set that with each of these formative albums, it’s key to go bigger or to switch things up and try something new, to come at things from a different direction. This felt very much like a continuation on from the first album, in terms of how the writing went but I think we were conscious, to some extent of not trying to repeat ourselves in terms of the process? Recording residentially at Woodworm was great and I personally felt more “inside” the record this time around, while we were putting the songs down. You’re trying to do the same thing again without doing the same thing again which is always the paradox of a second album, which is doubly impossible if people seemed to like your first record. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not you can write another ten of these things and have them not be total garbage and it be worth your own time and anyone else’s. Personally, I like to leave a little of the lyric unfinished before getting into the studio, so that there’s still some of that seat-of-the-pant energy to keep you on your toes and I’m getting more comfortable doing that to myself as time goes on and not trying too hard to over-prepare.

If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive who would it be and why? What would be the first question you ask them?

Marco: More than a question I’d like to tell Mick Ronson that he should have been collaborating with David Bowie. They made between the best songs and albums ever and it’d have been the best, to me, if they kept doing what they were creating together.

Is there anything other than music you feel passionate about?

Marco: I love cinema, Leone, Scorsese, Tarantino, Mann, Lynch, Fellini, Bertolucci above all and I love football. Roma is in the Champions League next year, yeah!

Jon: Photography. 16-bit video games too. Literature, I guess? Mostly Science Fiction and Fantasy but a whole bunch of verse…particularly Yeats and Simon Armitage at the moment. Oh! Hotel coffee: The Good, The Bad, and The Undrinkable.

What’s on your music rotation at the moment?

Marco: These days I’m obsessed with Lust for Life by Bowie/Iggy, Doolittle by Pixies, the best of Joy Division and ‘Mind Control’ by the Heat Inc., of course.

Jon: Miles Davis, The Distillers, and Grand Funk Railroad.

As a band, what is something you would never do?

Marco: Release terrible songs!

Which song on the upcoming album are you most proud of?

Marco: ‘My only Morricone’, ‘Heaven Knows’, ‘Paint’ are absolutely tunes which I’m very happy to have!

If “True Romance” is opening the door to the world of Mind Control, what should listeners expect from the rest of the album that they haven’t heard from The Heat Inc. before?

Marco: Mind Control as an album has a balance and has soulful moments, two tunes with piano and Rock and Roll fire. It has the Rock and it has the Roll.

Jon: A jet engine.

What is a song you would never ever want to hear again?

Marco: AI generated songs, trap music, music that use autotune and most of the songs that are in top Spotify charts in the latest years.

Jon: ‘Wild Horses’.

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Initially called ‘‘Mice on Mars’’ , DEADLETTER originates from North East Yorkshire (now based in London). The 6-piece band mixes rock, jazz and punk with conscious and meaningful lyrics. You can hear influences from Tom Tom Club, David Bowie, Bob Dylan to the The Pogues.

As frontman Zac explains DEADLETTER means either an undelivered letter or a law which is still within of book of law but isn’t in effect. The second explanation is more intriguing considering the fact that this band writes political songs. I saw them perform at The Wardrobe, In Leeds, UK on the day of district council elections. Midway during their set, the band expressed to the crowd: ‘‘Fuck Reform and anyone who voted for them’’ before launching into their song ‘‘Fit For Work’’, which sounds like something out of the repertoire of the likes of Joe Hill [lyrically as there are no music or performances captured on tape], Pete Seeger and even Bob Dylan. However, DEADLETTER’s performance and atmosphere in the room felt like a punk gig. The song opens with :

‘‘Johnny’s missing two arms, but his legs look dandy
Fit for work
Jenny’s post-traumatic, but we cannot see this, can we?
Fit for work
Brian lost his legs, but he wheels himself well
Fit for work
Becky’s body’s breaking, but we never could tell

Fit for work, fit for work
Fit, fit, fit for work!’’

This is my favourite song from them, especially when it comes to the musical arrangement of it. The political-spoken word verses are paired with this drum beat which builds suspense and has this African music influence, followed by an eruption of other instruments and this dominating jazz saxophone which is one of the things that I love about this band. The song is so much vibrant and intense when they perform it live, and it is honestly so exciting to see people especially young people getting excited over a saxophone. For XSNOIZE, Zac explained :

“Fit For Work was a concept a long time before it was a song. As a band, and as a writer, we [I] have always regarded the call and response strategy as biblical. The idea of having a conversation during the delivery of art leads to this absurd metaphysical tangent of acknowledging your art is art whilst performing it; similar to when artists use the line “I wrote this song for you because…” what they are doing, when you think about it, is taking away the idea that what they’re creating exists in itself, and is, in fact, an entity that exists in a wholly real world.’’

Alongside using the biblical call and response element, their album “Hysterical Strength” (2024) is saturated with religious ideas. Check out the interview from 5:58 onwards, where Zac explains more about this:

The Clash : The Magnificent Seven (1981)

The song titled as John Sturges' 1960 Western film of the same name [the film was actually a re-interpretation of Seven Samurai (1955) by Akira Kurosawa] was recorded in New York and was influenced from the emerging hip-hop movement. Mick Jones discovered a record store in Brooklyn which led him to discover Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and the Sugarhill Gang. Bassist Paul Simenon explains that the band was open for information when they met Futura, Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow and later claimed that the song was a tribute to the Sugar Hill Gang. Joe Strummer noted that these acts were transforming music in a major way and their sound had greatly influenced the band.

Stephanie Polsky in Whiteness and the Visual Appropriation of Race in 1980s Britain (2025) explains that the film The Magnificent Seven focuses on the cowboy himself, who above all is white. This whiteness is something that Joe Strummer and his bandmates were actually aware of, that - ‘‘that was us, weirdo white guys’’, who ‘‘having rattled through punk, reggae, ska, dub and rockabilly inside five years’’, went on to ‘‘assimilate the emerging hip-hop sounds they heard while in New York’’. Leading Strummer into turning into a ‘‘white rap pioneer’’ (Polsky, 2025). The remix version on the b-side, Magnificent Dance would become a big hit on black US radio stations in New York.

Famously, the song follows the he day of an average day supermarket employee and the tittle plays both on the film and the seven hours of work in the typical minimum wage 8-hour work day (minus one hour for lunch). The album Sandinista! titled after the left-wing Nicaraguan Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) focuses on anti-American imperialism and capitalism, instead of local issues. This is understandable as the world was in the midst of the Cold War.

The song sarcastically comments on capitalism with ‘‘Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Came to the checkout at the 7-11, Marx was skint, but he had sense, Engels lent him the necessary pence’’. Further, commenting on disillusionment and ignorance of people, with Strummer explaining that people are less concerned about the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, but what’s more interesting? ‘‘News Flash Vacuum Cleaner Sucks Up Budgie’’.

‘‘Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
Went to the park to check on the game
But they was murdered by the other team
Who went on to win 15-nil
You can’t be true, you can’t be false
You’ll be given the same reward
Socrates and Milhous Nixon
Both went the same way, through the kitchen
Plato the Greek or Rin Tin Tin
Who’s more famous to the billion millions?
News Flash
Vacuum Cleaner Sucks Up Budgie
Ooh hoo!
Bye bye’’

Iggy Pop : ‘‘Five Foot One’’ (1979)

‘‘I’m only five foot one
I got a pain in my heart
All the night I’m working
In the amusement park

With a bottle of aspirin
A sack full of jokes
I wish I could go home
With all the big folks

And I wish life could be
Swedish magazines
I wish life could be
Swedish magazines
I wish life could be
Anything’’

Being five foot one and physically small is a metaphor for the common folk. Iggy Pop creates a character representing the ordinary working class, employed in an amusement park, who hides his pain behind a bottle of aspirin and a sack full of jokes. He wishes he could be one of the “big folks” and that life could be like a Swedish magazine: a glamorous, idealised image of life sold by capitalist media and consumer culture. However, the concluding line of the song conveys something even deeper: a longing to be anything, anything other than an amusement park worker. There is a desire to escape into the fantasy created by capitalism and its glamorised media image, contrasted with the disappointment, loneliness, and sadness of reality, reflected in the “pain in his heart”. There is a desire to live and not purely to exist.

Avengers : ‘‘The American in Me’’

Fronted by Penelope Houston, Avengers are a punk band from San Francisco born in 1977. Famously, the band opened for Sex Pistols at their final show in Winterland, and the guitarist Steve Jones produced a recording session for the band. These songs would be released on their self-titled EP Avengers. The song I choose is ‘‘American in Me’’ which was released in 1983, is a sarcastic political song which discusses American mass disillusionment, as ‘‘It’s the American in me that makes me says it an honor to die in a war that’s just a politicians lie, It's the American in me that makes me watch tv see on the news’’.

The song questions patriotism, by suggesting that the idea of it is based on politicians lies and its justified for war, and patriotism is suicide. It further questions FBI, American culture and authority. All of which is still present today and artists like The Strokes as discussed in my previous post have spoken out against the FBI and mass control.

‘‘It's the American in me that makes me watch the blood running out of the bullethole in his head.
It's the American in me that never wonders why Kennedy was murdered by the FBI (said) "ask not what You can do for your country what's your country been doing to you?
Ask not what you can do for your country what's your country been doing to you?’’

This songs showcases distrust in authority and official narratives. It also discusses American acceptance of violence and its desensitisation, and normalisation. It plays on Keneddy’s famous inaugural line :

• ‘‘Ask not what your country can do for you , ask what you can do for your country.”

Instead, the band proposes:

• Ask not what you can do for your country, what’s your country been doing to you?’’

Pearl Jam performed ‘‘American in Me’’ On July 16, 2006, Penelope Houston and Greg Ingraham (guitar) from Avengers joined to perform at the Bill Graham Civic Center. Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament talked about the song in 2004, when the band was including it for the Vote For Change tour.

Beastie Boys : ‘‘It Takes Time To Build’’ (2004)

This song from To the 5 Boroughs (2004), opens with the advice : ‘‘If you don't like the news then press eject’’.

It is a protest song against the Bush Administration and the controversial presidential election of 2000. The results were so close tied, the results came down to the state of Florida, were both Al Gore (Democrat) and George W. Bush (Republican) were separated by few hundred votes. Florida Supreme Court had ordered a state-wide recount of all votes and over 61,000 ballots that the vote tabulation machines had missed. Bush immediately asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the recount, which happened. The state-wide recount Florida Ballot Project showcased that Gore received the most votes in Florida. Thus, the Bestie Boy’s song goes:

‘‘We've got a president we didn't elect
The Kyoto treaty he decided to neglect
And still the US just wants to flex ‘‘

Furthermore, the song disagrees with Bush pulling out of The Kyoto treaty in 2001 which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emission to prevent global warming effects. All in the name to preserve U.S economy.

‘‘Maybe it's time that we impeach Tex
And the military muscle that he wants to flex
By the time Bush is done what will be left
Selling votes like E-pills at the discotheque
Environmental destruction and the national dept
But plenty of dollars left in the fat war chest
What the real deal why you can't connect’’

Soundgarden : ‘‘Beyond The Wheel’’ (1988)

In this video Chris Cornell says it all. ‘‘Beyond The Wheel’’ is one of Soundgarden’s most impressive songs, especially when it comes to Cornell's vocals. Cornell explains that : ‘‘It is a young man’s take on all governments sending their young men off to war, where at the time we didn’t want to have our life’s interrupted so that we can go and die to make more people money that we didn’t know’’. He explained that ‘‘honestly in the last 30 years, I’m not friends with anybody that’s a billionaire or that owns a business that is worth more than all of us put together and doesn’t give a shit to what happens to us. That’s what this song is about, small groups of people with lots of money who don’t give a shit about me and they don’t give a shit about you.’’

‘‘Far beyond the road
Between your house and home
There is a churning storm
Of hailing burning bones

Tiny baby cries
Little, tiny pawn
In the profit gain
Tiny baby grows

Mother, who’s your man
Is he doing what he can
To make a proper home, home
By overturning other stones, stones
Father, mighty man
Loves his little boys, boys
Shows them how to kill
To save his precious stones, stones’’

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Bibliography: Polsky, S. (2025). Whiteness and the Visual Appropriation of Race in 1980s Britain. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

‘‘I really believed that the internet’s capacity to let people access the best of the best of music — from underground stuff to music from all over the world — would’ve been a positive influence, that music would’ve evolved like never before. Instead music has been co-opted by some kind of capitalist profit game. I thought the internet would help balance the relationship between quality and the mainstream, but it’s gone the opposite way. Quality is being sucked out of music. One Direction will have 4 billion views and the best artists of today will only see a fraction of that attention. I’ve talked about this before, but there’s an exact parallel between music and politics.’’ - Julian Casablancas (Marchese, 2018)

COACHELLA 2026 AND ‘‘OBLIVIUS’’

Julian Casablancas is the musician which current and future musicologist, music historians and protest music fans will write about. After a few decades have passed or 100 years, his musical influence and political ideas will be evaluated in the same seriousness as those of Joe Hill, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan or Kurt Cobain.

I’m revisiting this article because The Strokes have reunited for their new album Reality Awaits (26 June, 2026), marking their first performance together in 15 years. And how do they celebrate this ? By headlining Coachella and closing their set on weekend two with powerful political messages.

The band performed ‘‘Oblivius’’ for the first time in 10 years and throughout the visuals showcased photos of influential political figures: Mohammad Mosaddeg (former Prime Minister of Iran), Patrice Lumumba (Former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Juan José Torres (Former President of Bolivia) and Martin Luther King Jr. (American civil rights activist). After each photo with text stating that the CIA and U.S government was involved in their death or the overthrow of their governments. All whilst singing and asking the crowd ‘‘What side you standing on?’’

The band then showcased illustrations of American slavery and showcased a photo of Frederic Douglass who was and is an important figure for American history, and for African-American civil rights in the 19th century. The visuals showed a photo of a protester which appears to say ‘‘We’re racist [and] proud’’ followed by protesters holding ‘‘Black Lives Matter’’ poster. All of this was shown whilst Casablanca’s sang :

And we take
What we hide from them
And then say
"What do you want from me?"

Then when the verse goes back to chanting ‘‘What side you standing on?’’, the visuals showcased more political figures and the involvement of CIA in their deaths : Omar Torrijos (Politician and revolutionary who was the military leader of Panama), Jacobo Árbenz (25th President of Guatemala), Salvador Allende (Former President of Chile) and Jaime Roldós Aguilera (Former President of Ecuador).

The band closed their performance by discussing Iran and Gaza and the visuals highlighted ‘‘over 30 universities destroyed in Iran’’, ‘‘last university standing in Gaza’’ and then the clip showcased a sudden explosion, suggesting the destruction of it. The end showcased a plane going towards the audience suggesting that America is next. During week 1’s performance, Casablanca’s asked the audience:

‘‘‘You guys excited about the draft? Oh, wait, not the NFL draft. In six months, I think everyone who’s eligible for the military has to register. You guys excited?’’

This is a very effective, emotional, powerful, and influential performance that will definitely influence other artists to speak out on political matters. The fact that the band reunited and chose to perform their first show at the most famous and popular music festival, and ended their performance with strong political messages, showcases that The Strokes create protest music. The fact that they use their large platform and reach to highlight injustice and the dangers ahead, showcases that this music has meaning beyond entertainment.

Casablancas brough the political intensity of The Voidz into The Strokes Coachella performance, which was inevitable. Especially when you consider how political is their latest album ‘‘Like All Before You’’ even if you look at the artwork, which features a font which mimics Arabic writing.

I’m sure that The Strokes new album will be full of political messages, just as the name ‘‘Reality Awaits’’ suggests. Despite the track “Going Shopping” receiving backlash for its use of autotune and fans wanting the return of the old classic sound of The Strokes, it is a clever song that comments on society, the future of music, and capitalism. Casabalancas used autotune for all songs during week two showing everyone- you don't tell him what to do! The robotic sound of the autotune removes any sense of humanity and humanistic values, instead celebrating consumerism. That’s how they want you to be. Just a breathing carcass- which takes on their information, does what they say and doesn’t think at all… Whilst the sound of the band evolves, the clever use of semantics showcases the consistency of the band’s values. Thus, this is The Strokes. They never changed. The values and the attitude is always there, if that’s what you care for. If you only listen to music for the sound of it- then of course you might not be a fan of the new songs….

The Strokes fans might not associate the band with protest music, if one considers the biggest hits ‘‘Last Night’’, ‘‘Reptilia’’ or ‘‘You Only Live Once’’. However, the lead singer has always expressed his political views outside of his music.

Vulture’s ‘‘In Conversation: Julian Casablancas’’(2018) became one of the most controversial and criticised interviews of The Strokes frontman. However, in my opinion this is one of the best interviews as it demonstrates not only that there is a political consciousness in the artists work, but that modern musicians are aware of the political power that music has. Music is being used strategically as a weapon of truth and to bring awareness to the masses. Casablancas discusses that:

1. Capitalism has decreased the quality of music and so has technology and algorithms which have erased truth. ‘‘We don’t live in a world where Transformers is nominated for Best Picture, so why do we live in a dimension where the music equivalent of that is nominated for Grammys?’’ he asks.

2. We are brainwashed into thinking Ed Sheeran is better than Ariel Pink. When the interviewer didn’t know who would be more popular in 30 years time, Casablancas didn’t believe him and asked ‘‘Don’t you, though? Let go of your conditioning’’

3. When the interviewer didn't see the connection between music and politics, Sheeran and Pink, he called him out, ‘‘everything you’re saying sounds 100 percent like cultural brainwashing’’

4. We don’t live in a democracy, ‘‘we’re essentially at war, a modern war against a calculator’’

5. Casablancas explains that ''whether it’s music or politics, right now we’re mired in whoever’s propaganda is loudest'' (Marchese, 2018).

Casablancas has taken political responsibility and his influence seriously over the years. He has done video interviews on Rolling Stone with intellectuals Noam Chomsky, Henry Giroux, Richard D. Wolff, Chris Hedges, Andrew Yang and Amy Goodman. All these interviews discuss democracy reforms, history curriculum and universities, capitalism, economy, the importance of independent media (which is something Casablancas is especially passionate about) and media.

Henry Giroux was impressed by Casablancas’ political consciousness and other people in the cultural realm, who make a change. For example, those who reject homophobia, racism and talk about the need for a new kind of music. Those who define artists as public intellectuals and try to figure out how to use their talents to make the world a better place. Giroux also explained that there is a moment in history which is enormously oppressive and doesn’t serve the artists interests. Casablancas explained that ‘‘people don’t understand the burden…that’s the struggle - whether or not you understand that there is a struggle going on’’. He has said in other interviews like the Virtue one that people are really unaware of everything.

Taking a protest against the 2 party political system he refused to vote in the Presidential election (2024), explaining in a now deleted Instagram posts that the 2 parties are a joke and Americans are actually are voting for military and oil companies and banks. Both candidates are puppets and independent candidates and media must rise. As everyone showed off their ‘‘I Voted’’ badges on Instagram, the singer opted for a ‘‘I Protested’’ one with a Minor Threat song in the background. He is one of the most responsible and determined alternative voices agitating for independent thinking, politics and candidates in the music world. His music is a political force against the corrupt, homogeneous political system which is concerned with maintaining a cultural hegemony and kills off creativity. Such system does not desire one to think independently.

Whilst, the interviewer in the Virtue article did not agree with Casablancas that art is objective and made it sound as if he is being super subjective, all art is not subjective. Musicologist and philosopher Theodor W. Adorno states that: ‘‘all music, even the stylistically most individualistic, takes on a collective content: every single sound speaks in the plural’’. Freedom of choice is an illusion, as we are conditioned from the first days of our life by external environments, thus music cannot be subjective as external influences have shaped it.

Life Is Simple In The Moonlight (2011)

‘‘Life Is Simple In The Moonlight’’ - the 10th and last track off of The Strokes Angles (2011) is one of the most remarkable from the band. Not only does it sound beautiful, tranquil, soothing and collected with the clean guitar tones, but there is a perfect juxtaposition with the vocals. Casablancas’ voice provides stylish nonchalant aggression to the whole song, guiding all attention to the lyrics. He closes the song with some thoughts about American today changing the first impression of the song completely, innocence is a crime and they are making fools out of the best of us.

‘‘He is coming from a part of hell
Where lightning blue eyes don't go down well
He can tell that we're oblivious
It's addiction of routine as well
Making fools out of the best of us
Making robots of the rest of us
Innocence itself in America today
Is a crime just like Cornel West might say’’

The song mentions Philosopher Cornel West who also encourages independent thinking. Similarly, as Casablancas believes about the last presidential election, West argues that :‘‘Donald Trump and the Republicans are a much more blatant example of the push towards fascism while Kamala Harris provides the American people a friendly face who in reality will defend the interests of the country’s most powerful elites.’’(Hedges, 2024)

The Chris Hedges Report

Dismantling the American Empire (w/ Cornel West) | The Chris Hedges Report

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2 years ago · 304 likes · 23 comments · Chris Hedges

Blue Demon (2025)

Okay, The Voidz are not The Strokes. However, it is fronted by Julian Casablancas, so 1/5 of The Strokes. The Voids most recent song ‘‘Blue Demon’’(2025) (released yesterday) follows their album Like All Before You (2024). The Voids again encourage their listeners to think independently. The song is a riddle, packed with lyrical messages about society and politics, and even the current wars.

‘‘Just a flesh wound, I’m ok
Uncle Walter died today
Stopping by just saying “hey
You’re happy then I’m happy”
People that we’rе told to love
Time to launch a new campaign
Lеad our forces on the ground
Grab yourself a nice champagne

And in the name of our lord and saviour
We fight each other like two brothers
Father forgive me, intifada
Too many babies dead like their mothers’’

Uncle Walter ? Are they talking about American journalist Walter Cronkite (CBS Evening News)? The man who reported World War II, the Nuremberg trials, Vietnam War and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lennon? The man who was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" ?

Or are they referencing "Uncle Walter", a song from Ben Folds Five? The song which talks about the drunk uncle who tells fake stories and complains about the youth. The uncle, ‘‘last night he flew to Baghdad in his magical armchair, cigarettes and a six pack, he just got back, now the spit's flying everywhere’’.

Nevertheless, both references are linked with war mentions. Casablancas mentions the murder of children in war just as in ‘‘Think Before You Drink’’ with the lyrical line: ‘‘Too many babies dead like their mothers’’. Despite both songs being released 7 years a part, themes and events reoccur. What does it say about history and society? Perhaps music is the glue to society which through coded language not only brings pleasure but reveals the truth, at least from the author. It grants the author of such music freedom of speech although only through coded language in the contemporary order.

Think Before You Drink (2018)

This song is not written by Casablancas but by Michael Cassidy (1978). Unlike the original song which is upbeat with saxophones, The Voidz version is the opposite. This cover of the song is the best because it really highlights the urgency of the messages.

Under the melancholic, classical guitar arrangement of ‘‘Think Before You Drink’’ (2018), the song encourages the listener to ‘‘please stop and think’’. The song talks about capitalist brainwashing which occurs at schools. Casablancas sings that ‘‘the teachers gave me poison and I drank it like a fool’’, whilst they patriotically justified the murders of children in wars. Casablancas sings as if he is on his last straw, full of pain and fatigue, yet composed, whilst demonstrating a vocal performance which is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra.

He concludes the song explaining that whilst teachers can guide and give you information, they cannot make you accept it. Please stop and think as ‘‘you can lead a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink’’. Think independently.

‘‘We took pride in our past
What our leaders said they'd fight for
To justify the murders
Of the children in the war

Is said that our mother nature
Couldn't give us what we need
And that explained the factories
And the pollution in the street

They gave us all the facts
Explaining economic war
And like a fool I listened
But I won't listen anymore’’

Here are some other worthy examples where Casablancas makes a political statement:

Out Of The Blue (2009)

‘‘Take all your fears, pretend they're all true
Take all your plans, pretend they fell through
But that's what it's like

That's what it's like for most people in this world
The rich or the poor oh
Muslims or Jews oh
When roles are reversed oh
Opinions are too
No, oh oh

That's all I'm gonna say now
Before they come knocking on my door now’’

ALieNNatioN (2018)

‘‘How could they say
Murder in the name of national security
Yo no sé
They say murder in the name of national security

And the silence in the way
And the silence in the way

Evidence, it's no use
This is just the life that's been chosen for me

I've been sipping on the blood of sweet success
Before history punishes us for it
You wanna see what, people are really like?
Watch them light a torch
Understanding ends this game

If I was batting I'd be right behind ya
It's not the first time, that I've been lied to
All words are made up before I was born
My friend the walls say only they'll keep me warm

You know it, lies are comforting
Bye bye bye bye

You know it, obliviousness
I'll leave it in my dreams, my dreams’’

Ize of the Word (2006)

‘‘I think I know what you mean, but watch what you say
'Cause they'll be trying to knock you down in some way
Sometimes it feels like the world is falling asleep
How do you wake someone up from inside a dream?

A desk to organize
A product to advertise
A market to monopolize
Movie stars to idolize
Leaders to scandalize
Enemies to neutralize
No time to apologize
Fury to tranquilize!
Weapons to synchronize
Cities to vapori–’’

The End Has No End (2003)

‘‘One by one, ticking time bombs won
It's not the secrets of the government
That's keeping you dumb
Oh, it's the other way around’’

New York City Cops (2001)

‘‘I would say it was two things. One, “New York City Cops” was an overtly political song that came out of the news of Amadou Diallo and police brutality. But when it was taken off the album after 9/11, the political element got removed from the band’s narrative.’’ explains Casablancas (Marchese, 2018).

‘‘Well, kill me now 'cause I let you down
I swear one day I'm gonna leave this town
Stop
Yes, I'm leaving, 'cause it just won't work
And they act like Romans, but they dress like Turks
Some time in your prime
See me, I like the summertime but, hey’’

Talking about grunge, Their music producer Gordon Raphael remarked that here is a grunge influence on The Strokes and they love Pearl Jam. Casablancas said that Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter... hit me in a bizarre and deep way, and I understood the dark mystery and power of music in that weird instant”(Spin, 2021). Not only has Eddie Vedder influenced him but both singers alongside Josh Homme recorded a cover of Marvin Gaye’s ‘‘Mercy Mercy Me’’.

Bibliography:

Marchese, D. 2018. ‘‘In Conversation: Julian Casablancas’’ (online) Virtue. Available at:<https://www.vulture.com/2018/03/julian-casablancas-in-conversation.html>[Accessed 4 March 2025]

Public Enemy – “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” (It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back/1988)

“I got a letter from the government the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were suckers. They wanted me for their army or whatever, picture me giving a damn, I said never.” When I first heard the opening verse to Public Enemy’s “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”, in 1988, I was immediately in! A song seemingly about a prison break winds up depicting so much more.

I was 15 years old, a fan of intense punk, metal, and now this new genre of music called rap. Chuck D’s voice and lyrics hit like nothing I’d heard before. The track, a 6:23 barrage of truth and anger layered over a hypnotic sample of Isaac Hayes’s song, “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic” (do not try to spell-check that!), is a well-crafted tale of what Chuck sees as systemic problems facing minorities in the United States.

The lyrics are broken down into four main points of contention:

1. That black people, as well as other minorities, are viewed as “less-American” than whites.

2. The United States military has displayed a long history of racism.

3. The criminal justice system is unbalanced at best, and flat-out racist at worst. (Racial disparities in incarceration increased in the 1980s and 1990s as the number of blacks sent to prison grew at a faster rate than the number of whites. Between 1979 and 1990, the number of blacks as a percentage of all persons admitted to state and federal prisons increased from 39 to 53 percent. Blacks comprise 13 percent of the national population, but 30 percent of people arrested, 41 percent of people in jail, and 49 percent of those in prison. - Human Rights Watch.org)

4. Guns and violence are too often the mechanism for black people to achieve equality or justice.

Key Lyric:

“Nevertheless, they could not understand that I’m a black man and I could never be a veteran.”

Soundgarden – “New Damage” (Badmotorfinger/1991)

“A new damage comes. It’s a faceless poison. A new world order. It’s new damage done.” begins the last song on Soundgarden’s 1991 album, Badmotorfinger.

1991 was a confusing and difficult time in the US for teenagers and young adults, as they grappled with the realities of war for the first time in their lives. The Gulf War (August 1990 – February 1991) separated most of Gen X (who were largely against the war) from their Baby Boomer parents (who rarely questioned the government) in ways that have yet to be fully resolved. This was further amplified by then-President George H.W. Bush’s “New World Order”, a term he revealed in a speech addressed to Congress on September 11^th, 1991. Youth culture in America was largely skeptical of government and authority at this time, and Bush’s speech did nothing to quell their fears.

As most art tends to do, “New Damage” took these fears and created something for those who felt the most disenfranchised. Opening with a blistering guitar riff, more like a solo actually, followed by a classic Chris Cornell guttural scream, Soundgarden lets its listeners know that something isn’t right in their homeland, no matter what the powers that be have to say.

In an October 5^th, 1991, article in Melody Maker, Cornell says this of Badmotorfinger’s closing track, “Only the lyrics of New Damage, which are about how the American people have become unbelievably complacent about the way the US government is eroding more and more basic human rights, could be described as particularly direct.” Although this song was released 35 years ago at the time of this writing, it seems to me that “New Damage” is as relevant now, if not more so, in today’s political landscape as it was then.

Key Lyric:

“A new damage comes; it’s a new word for plague. A new world order, a new world for hate.”

Pearl Jam – “W.M.A.” (Vs./1993)

“He won the lottery when he was born”, sings Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder as the opening line to “W.M.A.”, an autobiographical protest song off the band’s 1993 album, Vs. WMA is an acronym for White Male American.

The song was written immediately after an encounter Vedder witnessed involving a black man and police officers. As described by Vedder in Pearl Jam – The Illustrated Story, “It had been a couple of days since I had a shower, I’ve got old shoes on, and I don’t look too great. I’m sitting there with this guy who’s of a darker color than me, and along came these cops…they’re heading straight for us, and they just ignore me and start hassling him. Compared to me, this guy looks as respectable as fuck, but they start hassling him, and that just blew me away.”

The song’s tribal drumming and infectious bassline provide the sonic foundation for Vedder’s fury over injustice and inequality. “Trained like dogs, color, and smell, walks by me to get to him. Police man. Police man.”

After another verse describing white privilege and unionized racism, Vedder unleashes an impassioned-screamed chorus stating, “Police stopped my brother again, police stopped my brother again, police stopped my brother again, police man, police man.”

The culture in the United States back in 1993, when this song came out, was still reeling from the Rodney King police brutality case and subsequent riots, and most of the youth in America were looking out for and speaking up against injustice of all kinds. “W.M.A.” by Pearl Jam, one of the biggest bands in the world at that moment, was a rallying cry for millions of fans.

Key Lyric:

“Jesus greets me. He looks just like me. Do no wrong, so clean cut. Dirty his hands, it comes right off. Police man, police man, police man.”

Bad Religion – “American Jesus” (Recipe for Hate/1993)

“I don’t need to be a global citizen, cause I’m blessed by nationality. I’m a member of a growing populace; we enforce our popularity”, is how Bad Religion kicks off one of its most famous songs, “American Jesus.”

The band’s name, combined with the title of this particular song, should give you little pause in terms of the intentionality of its lyrics and overall messaging. The punk veterans have never pulled a single punch, and this song, from the 1993 album Recipe for Hate, is no exception.

Written from the perspective of an American who’s been bought and sold by the brainwashing tactics of the government, washed in the pretense of the superiority of the “Red, White, and Blue”, the song is a scathing critique of the hubris shown by those who bleed nationalism out of every pore. With lines such as, “I feel sorry for the Earth’s population, ‘cause so few live in the USA. At least the foreigners can copy our morality; they can visit, but they cannot stay”, there’s little room to interpret this track any other way. Co-writer and frontman Greg Graffin has said many times in various interviews that the initial inspiration came from hearing the US President at the time, George H.W. Bush, say that the US would triumph in the first Gulf War because God favored America and was on their side.

Songwriters Graffin and Brett Gurewitz (also co-founders of the band) have been at the political and societal protest song game for 13 years by the time Recipe for Hate, the band’s seventh studio album, was released, as the duo started Bad Religion in 1980. They’ve had many songs of defiance, revolution, and protest under their collective belts by 1993, but “American Jesus” just might be the band’s most hated by those who do not share the Bad Religion mindset, making the track a rousing success for them and their fans.

Key Lyric:

“We’ve got the American Jesus, bolstering national faith. We’ve got the American Jesus, overwhelming millions every day. One nation under God, one nation under God…”

System of a Down – “B.Y.O.B.” (Mezmerize/2005)

“You. Why do they always send the poor?” When a song opens with a line like that, can it be anything other than a protest song? It’s hard to imagine it can, as far as I’m concerned. In this case, not only do the words give you some idea of what’s to come, but the absolutely frenetic guitar lick followed by the gut-wrenching screech with which the lyrics are delivered literally stops you in your tracks.

“B.Y.O.B.”, the first single from Mezmerize, the fourth studio album by the Armenian American metal band, System of a Down, is a play on words, if you will, with the famous acronym of the same letters, Bring Your Own Beer. Rallying against beer wouldn’t make for a great protest song, and luckily, the guys in System of a Down agree; their use of BYOB stands for “Bring Your Own Bombs.”

The track was written as a protest against the US-led Iraq war, also referred to as the Second Gulf War. The song comes from the point of view that not only is war inhumane, but the way in which the US wages war, sending the poor and common citizens, but never the children of the wealthy, elite, and powerful (including offspring of Presidents, Senators, Congress members, Mayors, and the like), makes it all the more despicable. This idea is evident in the lines, “Where the fuck are you? Why don’t presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?”

There’s further contempt for the powers that be in what can be described as the band protesting the actual war on the ground, as well as the class war with the United States. The chorus delivers this message expertly with “Everybody’s going to the party, have a real good time. Dancin’ in the desert, blowing up the sunshine”, which is then followed by the bridge, “Blast off, it’s party time, and we don’t live in a fascist nation. Blast off, it’s party time, and where the fuck are you?” The use of “blast off” to signify the start of a party thrown and attended by the elites, while bombs are literally blasting off in the war, and they couldn’t care less, is beyond telling.

Most protest songs tend to focus on the lyrics, but with a band like System of a Down, they do an amazing job of making the music sound just as threatening and aggressive. Time signatures and pacing change throughout the track, tons of double bass drums, blast beats, and vocal changes, and yet it’s still catchy as hell. It’s amazing.

Key Lyric:

“Breaking into Fort Knox, stealing our intentions. Hangers sitting dripped in oil, crying ‘Freedom’, handed to obsoletion, still, you feed us lies from the tablecloth.”

Tool – “Right in Two” (10,000 Days/2006)

“Angeles on the sideline, puzzled and amused. Why did Father give these humans free will? Now they’re all confused.” After hearing Tool’s opening line to “Right in Two” off the band’s 2006 release, 10,000 Days, one would assume the song was a criticism of religion, which Tool has been known to do. This assumption, however, would only be half right.

This track serves as a dual protest against a belief in religion or a God, as well as the idea of war and how the two should not work in unison. The question of how the two can coexist, with a searing take on the stupidity and violence of mankind, is what makes this a tactical attack on two of the most prevalent ideals our species has: God and war.

“Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground, silly monkeys, give them thumbs, they forge a blade, and where there’s one, they’re bound to divide it, right in two. Right in two.”

Musically, the song has that slow but intense signature formula that Tool has perfected over the years. It’s just enough to lull you in, hypnotize you, and make you stick around for the payoff.

The main character of the song appears to be the “Angels on the sideline”, agonizing over humanity’s penchant for conflict, greed, and unnecessary division. Somewhat hidden in the angel’s disappointment is also amusement in the way that this behavior is sadly predictable.

Despite the religious overtones, “Right in Two” can also stand alone as an anti-war song with its strong criticisms of arbitrary borders and polarizing language that typically leads to violence or war.

Key Lyric:

“Fight over the clouds, over wind, over sky, and fight over life, over blood, over air, and light. Over love, over sun, over another. Fight for the time, for the one, for the rise, and angels on the sideline again, benched along with patience and reason. Angels on the sideline again, wondering where this tug of war will end.”

Against Me! – “White People for Peace” (New Wave/2007)

“East and West could not agree, so their generals gave a call and gathered troops at the border”, bellows Against Me!’s Tom Gable (now Laura Jane Grace), sounding like a warning and a plea all at the same time. The disdain and disgust for how countries frivolously and callously start wars is evident in the volume, tone, and aggression emanating from both the music and lyrics of “White People for Peace”, off the band’s 2007 breakout album, New Wave.

This is not your typical protest song, however, as it almost pokes fun at the very idea of protest songs. How could music thwart raging military forces from killing one another? “Protest songs in response to military aggression. Protest songs to try and stop the soldiers’ guns, but the battle raged on.”

In an interview with Indy Week in 2009, Gable said this of his take on protest songs:

“I think the purpose protest songs have served is not as the impetus. It wasn’t the protest song that started the protest. It was already happening, and then the song came along to it. If you look at any social movement throughout the ages, the songs that came from that movement were just kind of like anthems.”

Music has always been a gathering point for people, a place to come together and hopefully discuss how music makes us feel, think, and act. Protest songs tend to take this theory to another level, but in the case of “White People for Peace”, we’re forced to see that even with the best intentions, we will feel defeated or deflated under the bigger picture.

“Sirens filled the air, and the ground shook with war
Civilian casualties had been a cost that was predetermined
When interviewed for report, victims pleaded in frustration
Their claim: that this was a war without reason
And bureaucrats engaged in debate to try and reach a resolution
The people sang protest songs to try and stop the soldiers’ guns.”

The dichotomy between the need for, but ultimate uselessness, of protest songs is something that makes this protest song so utterly unique.

Key Lyric:

“With guns at ready, drawn and aimed. Each side was praying to a God to bless them with strength and courage. It was in His name artillery lit the sky on fire. The people sang protest songs to try and stop the soldiers’ gun.”

In case you haven’t seen- check out this interview where Rob discusses conspiracy theories, the 27 Club, grunge’s lasting influence, new bands Rob recommends, motivation and even his upcoming projects:

This week I had the chance to finally find out more about an album which has been on my mind for a long time now: VENOM by Awesome Snakes. I can’t remember how I came across it, but I think I was searching for new punk music (like 3 years ago maybe) and found it on a playlist. This is one of those hidden gems that needs to be talked about more and its honestly one of the best punk albums out there. It’s edgy, free, easy to listen to and timeless. And there is something mysterious about it…maybe its just me trying to find meaning in everything and reading too much into it. However, you be the judge of it, whilst you listen to these songs.

This album also got me into The Soviettes [who were signed by Fat Wreck Chords -started by NOFX’s Fat Mike and also Billie Joe Armstrong’s - Adeline Records)!!! This is because Awesome Snakes is a punk rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, started by Annie Holoien and Danny Henry, who are also members of The Soviettes. In 2004, the cassette-only label Home Taping Is Killing the Record Industry released the band’s first recording. Then in July 2006, Crustacean Records released their first full length CD, Venom. The album has 15 tracks and was recorded with better sound quality than their earlier cassette. It was recorded by their friend Ross, mastered by Dave Gardener, and includes a guest appearance by P.O.S. Outsides of the band, Annie is also in PANEL and Bermuda Squares:

Danny (who will be answering all of my questions) has a weekly radio show and podcast ‘‘RECORD ROULETTE’’ which discusses all things music! You can check it out on Instagram : @recordrouletteclub. And he also makes art which you can check out on Pinterest !

I know for a fact you will love these songs!!!!

What is the story behind Awesome Snakes? How did it come about? How is it different than your previous band The Soviettes?

DH: THE SOVIETTES were playing a LOT of shows, doing a LOT of touring, making an LP every year, which was a ton of fun. It was a great time and we were very prolific during those 4-5 years. But, Annie and I had the most similar music tastes and influences, so, we wanted to do something very raw and different. AWESOME SNAKES was super fun and really, a dumb joke.

So when it’s all a joke, the inhibitions go away. We made a cassette at home and our practice space and that ended up being what is the demo for our one and only album, Venom. The tape was released by our friend Croix at Home Taping is Killing the Record Industry. For the record, we can up with the name AWESOME SNAKES when THE SOVIETTES were on tour and playing a show in Denver, if that matters or not. It was the dumbest name we could think of.

Is your 2021 album Venom a re-release of the original album you released in 2004?

DH: Yes, but it is an expanded version with that includes the Snake Cake EP, all on vinyl!! That is thanks to our friend Dan at Stand Up! Records! He was a big fan of Venom and thought that it deserved a vinyl release. So, AWESOME SNAKES were neveer on any vinyl till 2021 thanks to Dan. Venom was originally released on Crustacean Records on CD only in 2004.We all like records, so, ya know….

For me, Venom is one of the best punk albums I’ve heard and I am obsessed with it. I’ve always wondered: what’s with the obsession with snakes? Is there a hidden meaning behind it, a metaphor for something, or was it just meant to be fun?

DH: Snakes are great! Don’t front. Who doesn’t like snakes? I’ll tell you who: JERKS.

Throughout the album you include transition tracks such as ‘’Whiskey vs. Police’’, ‘’1950’s UFO vs. Snakes’’, ‘’Snakes vs. Jerks’’ and ‘’vs. Awesome Snakes’’, and it concludes with ‘’Fist Fight’’. Who or what is the fight on this album directed at?

DH: I love interludes and sketches. I’m also heavy into samples and making short dumb songs. The Snakes WIN. ALWAYS.

Is ‘’The Future of the Snake Industry’’ a biographical song about the band and its label?

DH: No.

Sometimes in your songs you seem to leave space for things like a laugh, a cough, or other small moments that make the recording feel loose and fun rather than strict or overly serious. Is this one of the key elements of your sound and what makes you differ from other bands?

DH: Well, we had a ton of friends and beer when we recorded it, so it was like a big party. Plus who doesn’t like fun? JERKS don’t. It’s another good example of how we keep shit loose and good. When you take yourself too seriously, you’re doomed.

How do you usually write music for Awesome Snakes? Do you work on songs together in the same room or do you write separately?

DH: We both write songs, separately and together. Annie is better at it than me, but it comes together in the best possible way. Plus snakes.

Awesome Snakes is a female fronted band (just like The Soviettes), which is still relatively uncommon in some parts of punk. Do you feel that influences the perspective or themes in your music?

DH: No. I think people might pay more attention to it, because most dudes are dumb.

How important is politics in your music and what role do you think music can play in shaping social or political spaces?

DH: No.

What is your biggest influence? Are there any bands or albums that have been crucial for your development?

DH: I still listen to a lot of ’60s garage punk and rhythm and blues records. So, I think that music is really good, when there is little inhibition and the band really “means” it and plays like it.

Having been involved in music for such a long time, have you noticed any shifts in punk over the years? Has it become less political or less urgent, or has it intensified in any way?

DH: I think its really good right now. I’ve noticed that its maybe a little more efficient?? The best part about a song, is knowing when to end it. If you don’t know, then just do it sooner than you think. And there’s always good stuff if you dig far enough.

Looking back not only at Awesome Snakes or The Soviettes, but at your career as a musician overall: how important is it for you to leave a legacy or lasting imprint through your music?

DH: I like to make records because I like to own records. I think its important to leave some kind of a mark on the world.

You and Annie are also in a band called Green / Blue and have released 3 albums, your latest being 2022. Are you working on new music at the moment?

DH: GREEN / BLUE is done. Our friend Jim Blaha was the song writer and lead on that band. He basically had the band and songs layed out and we just joined. Annie did some help with singing and songwriting, but it was mostly Jim’s thing. Jim and Annie are two of the best song writers I know. So I was lucky to be asked to play drums on that. It was super fun! I love GREEN / BLUE.

What is a song you would never ever want to hear again?

DH: 4 NON-BLONDES - “What’s Up” or any ELTON JOHN song. <—— F*ck these things. All cringe (to me).

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Kristīne specializes as a researcher of Baltic Rock sociomusicology, researching Baltic rock music through the context of politics and national identity. Last year she published her book The Cult of Grunge: Politics. Design. Religion.: Capitalizing on the Anti-Corporate 1990s Grunge Scene through which she writes about grunge graphic design and album covers as a political protest. Exploring exactly where grunge design evolved from and what purpose it served. This all inspired her (alongside me) to start the Grunge Included Conference which will take place this year on 7 September.

Kristīne also interviews Baltic musicians on her blog Baltic PagRock and is a professional video editor.

BALTIC PAGROCK

Baltic Rock - Politics, Identity and Musicology in Finland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania in 1990s-2010s

By Kristīne Brence

Kristīne:

I believe that everything we do is, in some way, political. This is especially evident in art. It all includes what you choose to wear, how you wear it, what you love or dislike, and even your everyday life purchases, actions can reflect certain values and political beliefs. The whole world we live in is tainted with politics, almost everything is owned by political corporations. It is unavoidable, in my opinion. Even if you chose to declare yourself as apolitical or neutral – that is a political stance and it has a political motive.

Even decisions that appear purely personal or aesthetic are often embedded within larger ideological frameworks. This is evident by album, cover designs, posters, graphic design or music videos in which every single aspect and design choice was a intended decision. Everything is storyboarded. Politics in music have a deep history since the beginning of music. It can challenge dominant narratives, offer solidarity to marginalized and local communities, and imagine alternative futures. In a time when so many feels divided and unstable, music has the power not only to reflect society but to question it. I have chosen some songs across decades…some which might you not heard about…but it all showcases the music has always been political no matter its political or geographical environment or origins. I hope these songs reflect that political music is not only present on global Western dominated staged, but it exists in small territories.

Sudden Lights- ‘’Eastern European Dream’’ (2024)

You make me see somehow
I want to be here and now
You make me see somehow
The Swan Lake’s over now

This is how it goes
Hypnotized by the anger
With a gun to my head
Baby, I’m the best dancer
Somebody’s on the phone
I’m not gonna answer
I am free now

These lyrics can be interpreted politically because they engage with layered questions of power, performance, and post-Soviet identity within an Eastern European context. The reference to Swan Lake is historically charged: during moments of political crisis in the late communist era, the ballet was broadcast on state television as a cultural placeholder. The song reflects the end of an era and the struggle to break free from past pressures. It captures feelings of coercion, adaptation, and disillusionment, while exploring the complex nature of freedom and the gap between expectations and reality. It is inspiring to see rock and alternative musicians fight their way in the limiting Latvian music scene, that has its challenges…I recently interviewed Latvian Rock Music Association founder Jānis Bukums who explain the lack of support rock musicians have in the state…and that alternative rock music is not even recognized as music at a legislative level. Musicians from small countries face great challenges of recognition domestically as it is, and globalization that overshadows them in local markets makes it even more difficult to ‘’make it’’.

BALTIC PAGROCK

Jānis Bukums: Latvia's Alternative Music Industry Since the 1990s to 2020s.

Since the 1990s, following the restoration of independence in the Baltic states, newly gained freedom has coincided with the rapid expansion of globalization, bringing both challenges and opportunities for small state countries. In the cultural sphere, these processes have significantly influenced national music scenes, reshaping modes of production, di…

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7 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Kristīne Brence

Sudden Lights fill me with positive energy and give me hope that music can still be intelligent, sincere, innocent, and pure at its core. This band is incredible live and truly authentic. They are exactly the same on stage as they are in their music videos, in interviews, and when talking to their fans. And upon request, they will even give you their guitar picks! Now that’s rock and roll!! 🎸

Linkin Park – ‘’Hands Held High’’ (2007)

Linkin Park defines this believe the 2000s era and reflects on the grunge’s commentary on alienation, angst and political activism… “Hands Held High” … the politically charged song by Linkin Park featuring Mike Shinoda’s rap that stands out as one of the band’s most powerful social critiques. This song feels very much like a prayer. Its lyrics expose the society as victims of political forces, while the chorus takes the form of a prayer, echoing with repeated “Amen” lines. There is a rebellious spirit throughout the track, and its message strongly reflects the current geopolitical situation across the world. I still remember watching for hours the performance form Sonisphere Festival 2009 and learning the words…writing them down on my notebook…It was released on May 14, 2007 as the seventh track on their third studio album Minutes to Midnight, a record where the band deliberately broadened their sound and themes beyond their earlier nu-metal style and began engaging more directly with real-world issues.

Lyrically, the song immediately signals its political intent with Mike Shinoda’s urgent opening lines “Turn my mic up louder, I’ve got to say something,” driving home that this is a message song rather than a casual rap. It uses stark imagery to confront the human cost of war and the imbalance of power, especially in lines like “When the rich wage war, it’s the poor who die,” a direct reference to a thought from Jean-Paul Sartre’s The Devil and The Good Lord that Shinoda weaves into his verse to underscore how the burden of conflict always falls hardest on ordinary people. The blend of rap, marching snare, and the choir-like rising chorus of “Amen” gives the song a ritual-like atmosphere, reinforcing its role as both protest and lament.

The song is widely interpreted as a critique of the U.S. led Iraq War and the political leadership of the time, especially under President George W. Bush, with the verses pointing to media spectacle, confusion, and the disconnect between leaders and the public. While Shinoda has said the band did not see themselves simply as a political group, framing the lyrics as social commentary about people’s experiences, the content clearly challenged dominant narratives about war, leadership, and sacrifice. While the context of the song may have changed over time, the song itself still reflects the politics and society of today.

“Hands Held High” also encountered backlash and limitations because of its message. During a 2009 Asian tour, parts of the song were reportedly dropped from performances in China due to political sensitivity, which shows how its content was still seen as controversial outside the U.S. context. Critically, the album Minutes to Midnight itself received mixed reviews, with some commentators dismissing the political aspirations, but for many fans and later listeners the track has endured as a thoughtful anti-war anthem whose relevance persists in discussions of inequality and conflict.

The lyrics speak for themselves:

Turn my mic up louder, I got to say somethin’
Lightweights step it aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumpin’
People on the street, they panic and start running
Words on loose-leaf sheet complete comin’
I jump in my mind and summon the rhyme I’m dumpin’
Healing the blind, I promise to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we march to the drummin’

Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumpin’
Fuck that, I wanna see some fists pumpin’
Risk something, take back what’s yours
Say somethin’ that you know they might attack you for

‘Cause I’m sick of being treated like I have before
Like it’s stupid standin’ for what I’m standin’ for
Like this war’s really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn’t cater to rich and abandon poor
Like they understand you in the back of the jet
When you can’t put gas in your tank
These fuckers are laughin’ their way to the bank and cashin’ the check
Askin’ you to have compassion and have some respect

For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stutterin’ and mumblin’ for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watchin’ at the end of the day
In the livin’ room laughin’, like, “What did he say?”

Chris Cornell (Audioslave) – ‘’Wide Awake’’ (2006)

Chris Cornell is the greatest singer and songwriter to ever exist, upon listening to every album from his solo and various band career…every song to me is political…or religious. He was conscious of life being a magical superstition that he drowned in and re-lived in every song. It is hard to chose one single song… I believe that Chris Cornell’s music is deeply political, even when it is subtle or metaphorical, because it consistently engages with issues of power, responsibility, and social awareness. Songs like “Wide Awake” confront real-world events such as the Hurricane Katrina disaster, highlighting governmental failure, societal indifference, and the suffering of vulnerable communities, using the idea of being “wide awake” as a call to accountability and moral consciousness. Similarly, “Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog critiques economic inequality and social injustice, illustrating the moral responsibility of the privileged toward those who are exploited or marginalized. Tracks like “Cleaning My Gun” and “I Am the Highway” explore individual agency under systems of constraint, reflecting personal freedom and resistance within broader societal pressures, while “Fell on Black Days” examines existential despair that can be read as a response to systemic forces that disempower or alienate people. Even “The Keeper”, written for a historical film, engages politically by exploring themes of memory, responsibility, and the human cost of historical events, showing how personal stories intersect with larger social and political narratives. For me, Cornell’s work as a whole demonstrates that politics in music does not always appear as direct protest; it can emerge through reflection on history, social injustice, systemic failure, and the moral and psychological conditions that shape human experience, making his songs both deeply emotional and politically resonant. There is a reason why his music…music from the grunge scene still lives. This chosen video features the first live performance of the song with guitarist Pete Thorn.

Skyforger – ‘’Migla Migla Rasa, Rasa’’ (2003) [Eng.Oh Fog, Oh Dew)

The folk and pagan metal communities around the world might recognise this one…I believe that Skyforger’s “Migla, Migla, Rasa, Rasa” (2003) exposes powerful roots of identity through heavy metal and folk metal. Even though it draws on folklore and myth rather than overtly addressing contemporary policy, the song acts as a vessel for Latvian cultural. By referencing Baltic traditions, the music connects listeners to the nation’s past, framing history as part of modern life. I see the fact that it was released in the modern day across global platforms as significant: it positions Baltic culture across the world. Skyforger every year travel across the world on various metal and pagan folk festivals. For me, this makes the song political because it is about preserving history and shaping how people understand freedom, community, and belonging in a society where local traditions could easily be overshadowed. In this sense, music can educate, empower, and assert identity even without explicitly referencing contemporary politics.

Menuets (Pauls Butkēvičš) – ‘’Četri Balti Krekli’’, Elpojiet dziļi, (Breathe deeply; 1967)

I believe that “Četri Balti Krekli” by Menuets is one of the most politically charged and culturally significant Latvian songs of the Soviet era, layered with critique, symbolism, and moral commentary. The melody is beautiful…inspired by the rock music from the West. Written for the film “Elpojiet dziļi” (Breathe deeply; 1967), Four White Shirts (Četri balti krekli) song uses the image of four white shirts as a metaphor for the malleable, morally empty nature of corrupt politics.

Var baltos kreklus mainīt kā maina uzskatus
You can change white shirts like you change beliefs

Balts krekls rīta pusē, bet melns jau pusdienā / un tad nu trešais krekls top uzvilkts vakarā
A white shirt in the morning, but already black by noon / and then a third shirt is put on in the evening

Ka dziesma nav par krekliem, bet ir par sirdsapziņām
The song is not about shirts, but about conscience

The political weight of the song is heightened by its cultural and historical context. Composer Imants Kalniņš and bands like Pērkons and Menuets were frequently censored under communistic rule for their politically sensitive work, making both the film and its music acts of subversive artistic resistance. The film itself included daring imagery, such as a recreation of the communist president’s office, emphasizing the absurdity and omnipresence of bureaucratic authority. Despite these restrictions, “Elpojiet dziļi” (Breathe deeply; 1967), gained international recognition, including a screening at Cannes, which validated its cultural importance and allowed the critique of authoritarianism to reach a global audience.

For me, the song exemplifies how art can be political not only through direct protest but through symbolism, narrative, and moral commentary. All hidden in design, script and film language… “Četri Balti Krekli” is not just a song about shirts. It is a bold statement about integrity, freedom, and the resilience of conscience under oppressive regimes.

I wonder if anyone can name particular songs, from various countries that carry politics in a similar way?

Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

During the 1980s and 1990s, many teenagers across the United States faced economic and family challenges, but this seemed particularly pronounced in Seattle, where many musicians have spoken about difficulties in their upbringing. Do you think these experiences were the main catalyst for the grunge movement?

DK: I think the music coming out of Seattle in the late 80s and early 90s connected to so many in large part to the factors you mentioned. It was un pretentious and visceral, straightforward and honest.

Looking back, what had the biggest influence on your sound? Is it your environment, the industry, the culture around you, or what was happening inside you personally?

DK: My biggest influences when we were recording ten was the band I was in. It’s that simple, we just carved such deep grooves, and especially Eddies voice and intensity gave me something to support I hadn’t yet experienced.

Looking back at the popularity of 90s rock music and your own music, is there something that you would do differently now?

DK: What I’d do differently would be to shut off the noise and distraction in my life and focus on the band and music.

What was the biggest misconception about Pearl Jam in the 90s?

DK: Misconception of PJ back then probably that the band wasn’t having fun. The intensity was a lot to take in.

How did the creative energy differ between Pearl Jam and Candlebox?

DK: A big difference between PJ and cbox for me was the unity. PJ left egos at the door where cbox at that time had infighting that was too tough for me to reconcile.

Did the industry treat the “second wave” of Seattle bands differently?

DK: After 1991 the record companies lost their way and tried to manufacture grunge. They didn’t get it.

If you look back at all the music that you have worked on, what’s the most significant song for you from Pearl Jam and Candlebox?

DK: If I had to pick the most significant song from Pearl Jam and cbox, its tough but probably “Alive” from PJ and “Happy Pills” from cbx

At any point during Candlebox’s career, did you ever collectively consider making political music or expressing political ideas?

DK: I never wrote lyrics in Candlebox I couldn’t answer that

Does music shape political consciousness or does it primarily reflect the political climate of its time?

DK: I’m not political. I don’t believe in politics. We are all of the human race. I focus on personal improvement.

Do you think artists have a responsibility to speak to social issues or is their only job to make music?

DK: The artists responsibility , in my humble opinion is to do whatever they want. Art is beholden to only its creator.

Do you feel prouder of the records you made or the way your music influenced the generations that came after you?

DK: I feel most proud of the music we made and the integrity it holds. Any positive reactions are just a wonderful side effect.

What’s something about you that people would be surprised to learn?

DK: It might surprise some that when I put a record on, it usually bebop jazz.

There`s a life principle that “You need to try everything because you only live once”. Are there things that you will never do or try? Is there anything you would lack courage to do?

DK: My daring days are over, at least compared to my bravery of the past. I’d never voluntarily try skydiving.

What would be your message to the younger generations?

DK: No matter what happens , stay in gratitude.

What is a song you would never ever want to hear again?

DK: Song I wouldn’t want to hear again ? … I guess I haven’t heard it yet

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Caspian also plays in the Seattle-based Wipers tribute band Is This Real? formed in 2023, alongside Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Together, they’ve also released tributes of KISS : “Songs For Ace” and “Shock Me.”

With his new album ''Starlight'' coming out this year and another already finished, he shares more about his new songs, musical process and influences!

Reckless Chants

news and updates, writings from the vaults, newer writings with nowhere else to go, etc.

By Jessie Lynn McMains

Jessie :

Isn’t every song political? I asked myself that when I first began making this list. All art is political, and the refusal to engage with politics at all is also a political stance. To quote Skunk Anansie: yes, it’s fucking political; everything’s political. Of course, if I stretched the definition of ‘political song’ that wide, every song I’d ever heard could be on the list. So, I stuck with songs that are overt about politics and social issues.

My favorite political songs are all over the place, sound and mood-wise. Some are angry, some are sad, some are hopeful or joyous, some are even humorous—and I narrowed down my list by selecting some songs that hit each of those moods. But you should know that my full list has dozens (if not hundreds!) more songs on it, and that on a different day, I would have chosen a different top seven.

Black Boys on Mopeds

Sinéad O’Connor (Shuhada’ Sadaqat) never shied away from politics, and was always outspoken about her opinions, even when it came as a potential detriment to her career. In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE Magazine, she stated that she never regretted ripping up a picture of the Pope during her 1992 SNL appearance. In her 2021 memoir, she wrote: “Everyone wants a pop star. See? But I am a protest singer.” This commitment to activism and refusal to shut up about politics and sing surface-level pop songs like many wanted her to, is one of the things I loved most about her. (That, and her raw talent and incomparable voice.)

She wrote many songs that I could have put on this list, but I chose “Black Boys on Mopeds.” It’s one of the most haunting, gorgeous songs ever, and I find it relatable. Though I have never lived in England, there came a time in my life when I began to question the mythology and rhetoric of the country in which I live; to separate the idealized version of it from the reality. And that is a difficult, heart-breaking thing to do.

Just listen to the song, and try not to get chills as she sings:

England’s not the mythical land of Madame George and roses
It’s the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds
And I love my boy and that’s why I’m leaving
I don’t want him to be aware that there’s
Any such thing as grieving.

On a sadder note, the song remains culturally and politically relevant to this day. Here in the United States, the police still kill Black boys and men (and girls and women) and try to cover up or justify these murders—much as the London police did after the murder of Colin Roach in 1983, the incident which inspired Sinéad to write this song. I’m not the only one to make note of this tragic parallel. Many contemporary American artists, including Sharon Van Etten and Phoebe Bridgers, have been including “Black Boys on Mopeds” in their sets for a number of years, now.

Mississippi Goddam

Nina Simone was another artist with incomparable talent and a voice like no other. She was classically trained as a child, and later fused her classical techniques with musical styles such as folk, blues, and jazz. But she didn’t like being called a jazz artist, because jazz was often deemed ‘lesser’ by white people; or used as a term for the music any Black artist made, even if they didn’t actually fit within that style. In a 1997 interview in Details magazine, she said: “To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt and that’s not what I play. I play black classical music.”

Whatever you call her style of music, there is no doubt she was masterful and powerful, and “Mississippi Goddam” is one of her most powerful songs. She referred to it as her ‘first Civil Rights song,’ and it sprung from her response to the murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers in Mississippi, and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birminghan, Alabama, which killed four Black children. (She also often changed the lyrics when she performed it, to mention recent events—for instance, there are versions which mention Martin Luther King, Jr., after he was assassinated in Memphis.)

The entire history of the United States is built on white supremacy and on the exploitation of and violence against Black and brown people, and I think we’d do well to remember that these atrocities are ongoing. In September 2025, Trey Reed, a 21-year-old Black college student in Mississippi was found hanging from a tree. The death was ruled a suicide, but many have speculated that it was in fact a lynching. And racist violence is not only a problem in the southern U.S.; it’s in the north, too. As I mentioned before, police murder Black Americans at a much higher rate than they do any other demographic. And then there is I.C.E. Yes, they do resemble the Gestapo, but as many have pointed out, they are also the descendant of slave patrols, and of the lynch mobs which Nina cried out against.

La Femme Fetal

The religious right (evangelical Christians) in the United States didn’t care much about abortion early on, even after Roe v. Wade. They saw it as a Catholic issue, and many evangelical Christians in the 1970s actually supported access to legal abortion. They were more focused on maintaining racial segregation in evangelical institutions. (Hmmm, sound familiar? Everything’s connected.) But sometime in the late 70s, leaders in the religious right movement realized that racism and the defense of racial segregation weren’t going to energize enough grassroots evangelical voters. So they switched to targeting abortion rights as their primary mobilizing tactic.

I have been very aware that abortion and reproductive rights as a whole were under attack in my country since I was very, very young, and it has always been an important issue to me. I started attending pro-choice rallies and writing letters to newspapers and politicians sometime in 1993, right around when Digable Planets’ “La Femme Fetal” was released.

With a musical backdrop of Digable Planets’ signature jazzy samples and smooth, danceable bass, and mellow, spoken word-style hip-hop vocals, “La Femme Fetal” tells a story. On the beautiful 9th day of July, Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler speaks with a friend who tells him she and her boyfriend have been faced with an unexpected pregnancy, and that due to their youth and economic status, they wish to terminate the pregnancy. However, whenever she goes to the clinic, she has to deal with anti-abortion protesters threatening her and calling her a murderer. Ishmael lets her know that the choice is hers alone (along with her boyfriend, if she wants him to be involved in the decision), and goes on to tell her that the so-called pro-lifers don’t really care about children, or about life:

‘‘Hey, beautiful bird,’’ I said, digging her somber mood
The fascists are some heavy dudes
They don’t really give a damn about life
They just don’t want a woman to control
Her body or have the right to choose
But baby, that ain’t nothing
They just want a male finger on the button
Because if you say war, they will send them to die by the score

I have found this song moving and impactful since I first heard it, but it has been even more meaningful to me since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the subsequent demolishing of abortion rights nationwide. As of the time of writing, only 8 states retain full, pre-2022 abortion rights, and 17 have banned abortion entirely. Yet, it doesn’t stop people from needing abortions. As Digable Planets said in “La Femme Fetal:”

If Roe v. Wade was overturned, would not the desire remain intact?
Leaving young girls to risk their healths
Doctors to botch and watch as they kill themselves

Your Racist Friend

This is one of the political songs that I find humor in. Not because of the subject matter, but because of the sound. The accordion, the funky bass guitar, and the nasally vocal styles of The Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh). Plus, They Might Be Giants have always had a knack for writing songs that sound upbeat but when you listen to the lyrics you’re like oh, ouch. And, okay, the subject matter is a little funny, too, in that “if I didn’t laugh I’d be crying or screaming” sort of way.

Because we’ve all been there—and by ‘we,’ I mean white people. You get invited to a party by a pal—probably not a close pal, maybe more on the acquaintance side of friendship. They’re the type of person who call themselves ‘apolitical,’ or maybe you’ve never even discussed politics or social issues with them at all. So you go to this party, and they introduce you to a friend of theirs, and after a few drinks, this other friend is like “Hey, you’re also white, so clearly you’ll agree with me.” And they start spewing some dreadful, racist shit, and you’re looking at the person who threw the party going: “Are you hearing this?!” And the host just sorta nods and smiles, doesn’t shut their friend down, and you finally have to say: “Fuck off, I don’t agree with this,” to the racist, and quickly dip.

Later, you understand that when your acquaintance calls themselves ‘apolitical’ what they really mean is: “I won’t say this kind of stuff out loud but I probably privately agree with it. Or, even if I don’t fully agree with it, I still won’t shut it down when someone else says it.” And then they’re not your friend anymore, either. (This scenario can easily happen with any other form of bigotry, too. If you change the title and lyrics to “sexist,” “homophobic,” “transphobic,” “antisemitic,” etc. friend, it still holds.)

Hate the Police

“Hate the Police” is a tune by punk band the Dicks. It was inspired by an incident where the band was roughed up and thrown in jail by Texas cops. (This was at a time when being punk was a genuine threat to the status quo, and looking punk could get you beat up or arrested, especially in places like Texas. Not to mention, Gary Floyd, the frontman, was an openly gay man, and often wore Divine-esque drag on stage; this was also extremely dangerous and daring in late ‘70s/early ‘80s Texas.) It was one of three songs on their 1980 debut release, the 7” single The Dicks Hate the Police. And it’s the best kind of punk. The lyrics are sung from the point of view of an angry, violent, racist police officer. (Content warning: as such, it contains the n-slur.) It clocks in at just under two minutes, and features Gary Floyd’s sneering vocals, and Glen Taylor’s blistering guitar. I dare you to listen and not wind up hating the police just as much as the Dicks did.

Mudhoney also performed a cover of this song, which they released on Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles.

I wanted to include their cover because it’s excellent, but also as a reminder that grunge was a genuine counterculture, with roots in punk (and other genres), and that at its outset it was not apolitical. It only began to be seen as apolitical (even though everything’s political) when we reached the watered down ‘alternative rock’ era of the mid-late ‘90s, and there were a million cookie cutter bands who thought that all you needed to be grunge was a flannel, a fuzzed-out guitar, and a shitty imitation of Eddie Vedder’s vocal style. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Know Your Rights

This is a Public Service Announcement…with GUITAR! Joe Strummer shouts in the opening seconds of “Know Your Rights.” And then the machinic rhythm of the drums pounds in, and you know you’re in for something excellent. The song is from their 1982 album, Combat Rock, which was their final album before Mick Jones and Topper Headon left the band. (And, as far as I’m concerned, is the final real Clash album. We don’t talk about Cut the Crap in this house.) Now, I know a lot of punk purists say that The Clash stopped being Tru Punx (TM) right around London Calling, and other music nerds say that London Calling was the last good Clash album, but…Though London Calling is an arguably better album, Combat Rock was the first one I heard all the way through, so it will always have a place in my heart and on my stereo. And, I’m not a punk purist, so I don’t care if the album or this song are straight ahead ‘punk rock’ or not. Because “Know Your Rights” is undeniably punk in attitude. “Punk is an attitude, and the essence of that attitude is ‘give us some truth,’” Joe Strummer once said, and “Know Your Rights” is full of truth, and of righteous fury.

I love this song so much, that 24 years ago, I got a tattoo inspired by it. On my left bicep, I have the words Know Your Rights, bookended by two red stars (a la the star on the cover for the single release of “Know Your Rights”). Once, about a year after 9/11, I was in a burrito joint in Chicago. As I was bussing my table and getting ready to leave, this guy came up to me, vaguely pointed at my arm/torso area, and said: “You know, in some countries, they’d cut your arm off for having that tattoo.” I was confused for a second as to what tattoo he was even talking about—I’d thought he was pointing at my right bicep, on which I have a band of leopard spots, and I was like, “huh?”—until he said: “They’d say: ‘Rights?! What rights do you have?!’” Then I got it, and I was like, oh, he’s trying to make some “‘Murica! Freedom!” statement. I just said “Whatever, dude,” and walked away. Well. To that dude, wherever he is, I’d like to say: just look around the U.S. right now and tell me that we’re not living through the lyrics to this song.

You have the right not to be killed
Murder is a crime
Unless it was done
By a policeman
Or an aristocrat
Oh, know your rights

Speaking of the grunge/punk connection, and Eddie Vedder—Pearl Jam have performed “Know Your Rights” many times during live performances. Here’s one of my favorite renditions:

Bella Ciao

“Bella Ciao” is an anti-fascist Italian folk song, dedicated to the partisans of the Italian resistance, who fought against the occupying troops of Nazi Germany and the collaborationist fascist forces during the liberation of Italy (1943-45).

It has been performed and recorded in many styles and languages, and still resonates worldwide with anyone fighting fascism, oppression, and injustice. There are a million versions I love, which are worth checking out (Chumbawamba, Marc Ribot & Tom Waits, just to name a couple), but the version I’m featuring here comes from the band who introduced me to the song. Humanwine—a folk/dark cabaret act with punk spirit—often included “Bella Ciao” in their sets, and it was at one of their shows c. 2005 or 2006 that I first heard it.

Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

The Radio Room

An inspirational hub of art and music Curated by Artist and Radio Show host relating life to song lyrics

By Joi

Joi has worked in various mediums and her artwork has been displayed in various locations such as the Joslyn Museum, The Kaneko, Chicago’s Union Station, Millwork Commons and the Cadillac Theatre. Check out the video collage that’s on public display on her YouTube channel.

All of Joi’s art is inspired by song lyrics, so it’s no surprise to many that she has a radio show. Her DIY radio show, Electric Radio Club began in 2021 where Joi combines her love of music curation and deep thinking to create motivational mixtapes. You can listen to her indie/alternative-based radio show, Electric Radio Club on Mixcloud.

Electric Radio Club also airs on the free-form station ElectroMagnetic Radio on Friday mornings at 10 am CST.

Joi:

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK

I guess I have to start where my journey with political music began in High school AP Euro History class circa 2000.The only reason I liked school was to be with my friends. I didn’t care to sit in a class all day. As I doodled on my desk in history class, my teacher told us about our next presentation project and that we could pick whichever subject we wanted from a list. He passed around a list of subjects that were in alphabetical order for the class to choose from. By the time the sheet got handed to me, I carelessly picked the first subject on the list.......Anarchy. But little did I know at the time that it would lead me down a path to punk rock music that would shift my teenage world.

My teacher even let me play the Sex Pistols during my presentation on anarchy.

Thank you, Mr. Clark. You’ll go down in history for being one cool teacher.

The Fugees - (tracks four and five) Zealots and The Beast

“Another MC loses life tonight, Lord, I beg that you not pray to Jesus Christ, Oh Lord, father don’t let him bury me”

Like many others in the 90s, I fell for The Fugees cover of Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly. A time of Parental Advisory stickers on CDs and to my surprise, my parents allowed me to purchase the album, The Score. I am not a rap music connoisseur but I think the album The Score is ahead of its time. It’s like a more prestige art school version of Public Enemy’s Fight The Power or N.W.A’s Fuck the Police.

I was a pre-teen living in the suburbs and The Fugees brought me into their world and it woke me up. The songs Zealots and The Beast effortlessly blend together like one song.

The opening lyrics of the song Zealots sum up what both songs are about, “Another MC loses life tonight, Lord, I beg that you not pray to Jesus Christ, Oh Lord, father don’t let him bury me”.

As an old soul, I was instantly attracted to the song Zealots that samples the iconic romance song by The Flamingos’ I Only Have Eyes for You. At the end of the Zealots track, there’s a lot of yelling and arguing with suspenseful music. I remember feeling very concerned when listening for the first time and had never heard something like that on a record before

Then it transitions into the track, The Beast, which has a playfulness to the melody but the lyrics are based around police violence. This entire album is so political and smart with strategically sampled songs and in my opinion, ahead of the time.

Ani DiFranco - Adam & Eve

“I just happen to like apples and I’m not afraid of snakes.”

As a teenager, I was more drawn to heavier styles of music. Sure I love slow songs but at the time I wasn’t interested in anything acoustic sounding….until I heard Ani DiFranco. Discovered through a friend, Ani’s lyrics are like miniature poetry slams paired with insanely intricate acoustic guitar playing. Why she is not on a list for one of the best guitar players of our time is beyond me!

She’s folk but in a punk way. The ultimate DIY artist. As a woman, I’m an advocate for women’s equality. This track Adam & Eve feels like a never-ending blame towards women. Not all of her songs are political, but she weaves political advocacy when she tours.

I saw her on tour back in the early 2000s where she performed at specific towns to help encourage voting for the upcoming presidential election.

She’s a force with that acoustic guitar.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Let The Day Begin (original by The Call)

“Here’s to the teachers in the crowded rooms
Here’s to the workers in the fields
Here’s to the preachers of the sacred word
Here’s to the drivers at the wheel”

Sometimes you just need an upbeat song to get you through certain political times and to me, Let the Day Begin is a song of hope.

When I was little, I remember the original music video by the band, The Call, in the late eighties. The reason I remember it was because there were video clips of everyday people.

The band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, (which I’m a huge fan of) covered this song and their version reminded me about how great the lyrics are.

It’s a timeless song that still resonates today.

Die Spitz in concert : (current song I love - Throw Yourself on the Sword)

From Loretta Lynn to Janet Jackson to Sinead O’Connor to Fiona Apple to the Riot Grrrl bands, I have a lengthy list of female musicians across all genres who have written some iconic political songs. I was in search for a new badass group or musician with a give-no-fucks attitude and then I found Die Spitz.

In 2023, I went to see the band Amyl & The Sniffers at one of the smaller music venues in town with the band, Die Spitz as the opening act. There were signs placed everywhere throughout the venue that read:

We do not tolerate Sexual Harassment.

I immediately thought, Oh hell yeah! But also sad that we need signs for this shit?! Die Spitz, a quartet of young twenty somethings from Austin, TX took the stage. The bass player reminded me of Natalie Portman in the movie, The Professional. But the sound that came out of the speakers was nothing short of heavy metal goodness.

Lead singer, Eleanor Livingston, jumped off the stage and made her way through the crowd and climbed on the ledge of the sound board and stood high over the audience like Iggy Pop in that iconic photo carried by the crowd.

She made her way back to the stage through the crowd but something happened.

She climbed back on stage yelling through the mic - “Don’t touch me you motherfucker!” calling and pointing out the offensive audience member who grabbed her. “You!”

And the guy ran out of the club! This band takes no shit and I’m all in for the ride.

Sintija :

Bad Nerves - Palace & Loner

‘‘A '70's punk with 21st century blues
It's another night in London
A lonely, rich white man, he owns the news
It's another night in London

Why does the Queen get a fucking palace but not me?!’’

Power pop/punk melodies infused with political messages: this song doesn’t need any explanation. If I had to rank a Bad Nerves song in a top three, “Palace” would take the No. 2 spot, while “Dreaming” would be No. 1. What I love about this band is that their music sounds effortless, free, and laidback like The Ramones. I hate using this comparison because everyone says that about Bad Nerves, but it’s true. The lyrics are clever and in some songs more poetic [which is rare for modern punk], and there’s a great balance between a polished and roughened-up sound. I think Bad Nerves is the best modern punk band currently. No other band competes.

This band means a lot to me, and I truly think that this song and actually all of their songs could be included in this playlist. Their newest release “Loner,” warns: “Watch out. They’ll turn your brain to worm food. The daily dose of deadly violence. Ultra mind control.”

All of their songs are political, and that’s why they are special. Bad Nerves create music that goes beyond mere entertainment.

Check out this interview with frontman Bobby Nerves :

Julian Casablancas - Out of the Blue & 11th Dimension

‘‘The rich or the poor oh
Muslims or Jews oh
When roles are reversed oh
Opinions are too’’

The Strokes have many political songs like ‘‘Oblivious’’, ‘‘Threat of Joy’’ [music video gives it away pretty much], ‘‘New York City Cops’’, ‘‘The End Has No End’’ and many more which I have discussed in the previous post:

However, I really think that Casablancas’ solo music is underrated. This is the music where he truly delivers strong political messages and uses music as more than just entertainment or art. He truly is a protest musicians especially now with his work in The Voids. However, going back to this week’s selections ‘‘Out of the Blue’’ and ‘‘11th Dimension’’ these songs truly showcase Casablancas’ artistry and attitude, which were much more restrained in The Strokes [at least I think so]. I love the performance below: hidden gem.

‘‘Where cities come together to hate each other in the name of sport;
America, nothing is ever just anything’’

(found this via : darelcare.tumblr.com/post/98652205287/julian-casablancas-performing-11th-dimension-on)

Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

As Lennon shared in the previous interview above, “Our music targets homophobia, misogyny and we are always trying to make a statement whether our music says it outright, or we actually raise issues when we perform.” That same spirit carries into this week’s selections!

This week our ‘‘Songs YOU Can’t Ignore’’ playlist has been curated by Lennon of Sleuth Gang, the Leeds, UK based band. The selections featured below showcase his favourite political songs and the influences that continue to shape his music.

Lennon:

Double Dare Ya - Bikini Kill

I love ‘Double Dare Ya’ because it’s such an iconic, bold, feminist song that empowers women to speak up and take control; while at the same time calling out men and society for trying to hold them back. Kathleen Hanna absolutely roars on this track, it never gets old and Bikini Kill will forever be one of my favourite punk bands.

Capital G - Nine inch nails

I picked ‘Capital G’ by Nine Inch Nails because it’s such a sarcastic and angry song about greed and corruption; criticising people in power who use money, religion and authority to control others. The opening lyrics are:

“I pushed the button and elected him to office

And he pushed the button and he dropped the bomb

You pushed the button and could watch it on the television

Those motherfuckers didn’t last too long”

I think this opening, holds more relevance now than it ever has and I think it’s a genius song from a genius album.

(HM) Material Control - Glassjaw

I’m giving the whole album ‘Material Control’ by Glassjaw an honourable mention. This is a great example of how the band can break away from what they usually write about. They have given us an album about how society and modern systems try to control people’s lives, shaping what we want and who we are, often without us even noticing. Listening to all it the way through, allows you to immerse yourself in the message that they’re trying to put across.

We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now - Dead Kennedys

I picked We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now by the Dead Kennedys because, like all Dead Kennedys songs, it’s heavily political. It’s a song that criticises government leaders showing how power can become corrupt and oppressive, warning that society’s problems are getting worse. Again, it’s a song that resonates more now than ever, and I love how the song starts off as a jazz version of ‘California Uber Alles’ before erupting into pure chaos.

Police Story - Black Flag

I absolutely love Black Flag and ‘Police Story’ is one of my favourite punk songs. Straight off the bat the artwork alone makes a very bold statement and it lets you know what you’re about to get into , as for the song it’s raw, it’s fast, and brutally honest. It wastes no time getting the message across. Fuelled by pure aggression and frustration, packed into an unbelievable track. The confrontational lyrics tackle issues like police brutality and the distrust for police and it still hits hard decades later.

Right Brigade - Bad Brains

I adore ‘Right Brigade’ by Bad Brains. I think the message of unity and standing together feels especially powerful in the context of the world right now. The song channels intensity, pushing the idea that real strength comes from discipline, solidarity, and shared purpose. In a time when everything feels oppressive and overwhelming, its call to stay focused and move forward together, feels like we can move in a more positive direction.

Sintija :

Polly - Nirvana

This week I want to include some Nirvana songs. “Polly” is one of Nirvana’s most political songs because it deals with real sexual violence. It’s based on the 1987 kidnapping of a 14 year old girl in Tacoma, Washington, who was taken after attending a concert and abused by Gerald Friend. She escaped, and Friend was later arrested and sent to prison. The song details the story, abuse and misogyny, making listeners face these issues.

Nirvana were strong supporters of women’s rights and survivors of abuse. They performed at fundraisers like Rock Against Rape (1993), Rock for Choice (1991), and the Bosnian Women’s Benefit (1993), showing that their activism went beyond their music. The list could go on for ages when it comes to Nirvana’s support for women’s rights. Another song I want to mention is ‘‘Rape Me’’.

This song has been misunderstood often especially in the 1990s. But if you are already familiar with the band and know that grunge music was always fighting for equality and feminism this song won’t be shocking to you.

“Rape Me” is a protest song that exposes the brutality of abuse and criticizes those who commit it, making a bold statement against exploitation and misogyny. In 1992, MTV wanted Nirvana to perform clean versions of “Lithium” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, specifically banning “Rape Me.” However, Kurt Cobain, in the first seconds of the performance, started playing it anyway before switching back to “Lithium.” He made a statement against MTV and those in power in television. The subject matter was unacceptable for MTV, yet Cobain was not afraid to protest, challenge, and fight for women’s rights. This is a great example of the power of music and how it can serve as a political weapon.

Knowing that Kurt Cobain was concerned about sexism he got aske - how does he make people aware of that issue and he explained :

‘‘By writing songs as blunt as ‘‘Rape Me’’. Having to resort to doing something like that is almost embarrassing because people didn’t understand when we wrote a song like ‘‘About a Girl’’ or ‘‘Polly’’. And having to explain that and having misunderstandings about it. I decided to write ‘‘Rape Me’’ in a way that was just so blunt and obvious that its like no one could deny it, no one could read into it any other way.’’

He explained that some people have misunderstood the song speculating that its a statement about Cobain being disgusted by the media and their treatment of Nirvana, however its not true. This song is a sarcastic way of saying ‘‘how obvious do we need to be’’?!

Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

And 3 choices from me as well at the end :)

Jeremy:

I found this request interesting, as Sintija asked for “political” songs rather than “protest” songs. While there is overlap, I often find protest songs become subservient to their subject matter. A song like John Lennon’s John Sinclair is a good example. While well-meaning, as a song it feels forced and is so single-minded that it remains stuck to the time it was written and the cause that inspired it. However, protest songs are crucial for rallying people around a specific cause and also serving as part of our collective memory. How many people looked up the Attica uprising after hearing Lennon’s Attica State a half-dozen times on last year’s massive Power To The People boxed set?

Political songs, on the other hand, are more likely to employ storytelling, metaphor, and ambiguity, allowing listeners to come to their own conclusions. So, here are six timeless political songs, listed in the order in which they came to my consciousness.

AnEarful

Giving you an earful about an omnivorous array of music, from cutting-edge sounds by living composers to new (and old) classics in rock, folk, hip hop, pop, R&B, reggae, jazz, global, and more. Established 2009.

By Jeremy Shatan

1970: Pete Seeger - Garbage (Bill Steele, 1969) Theme: Ecology

Key Line: “What will we do when there’s nothing left to breathe, but garbage?”

As a very young child, I used to go to sing-alongs held by Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, and this song was a big hit with the kids. I mean, what five- or six-year-old wouldn’t want to sing along with “Garbage, garbage, garbage, garbage, garbage”? But the ecological message got through, and I’ve been an anti-litterer and committed recycler ever since.

Note: Pete Seeger recorded Garbage several times, as have many others. But it never sounds as right to me as my memory of us kids shouting along with Pete.

1975: The Beatles - Revolution (Lennon-McCartney, 1968)

Theme: Social Change

Key Lines: “But when you talk about destruction/Don’t you know that you can count me out? (In)”

I grew up in a Beatles-pilled household, with their music nearly as ubiquitous as the air we breathed. When I began understanding the lyrics, they were often mysterious to me. But I gradually got the memo that songs could be about much more than boys and girls and holding hands.

This song was a mind-blower in more ways than one, not least because of the radically different versions: the super-charged single release, which has possibly the greatest rhythm guitar sound of all time, and the draggy, horn-drenched Revolution 1 from the White Album. Revolution 9, a bizarre and sometimes frightening sound collage, was connected, but it would be years before I learned why. Then there were the lyrics, which featured Lennon’s usual wit and vulnerability. He got some stick for not committing to the radical left’s agenda at the time, but it was a true reflection of how many people felt and still do. How much destruction are we willing to risk to achieve utopian ideals?

1977: The Wailers - Get Up Stand Up (Bob Marley-Peter Tosh, 1973)

Issue: Freedom Of/From Religion; Self-Determination

Key Lines: “Most people think great God will come from the sky/Take away everything, and make everybody feel high/But if you know what life is worth/You would look for yours on earth.”

I bought Burnin’ as a Chrismukkah gift for my brother in 1976 or 1977, but it was my musical life that was changed. While I was drawn to the reggae-adjacent sounds on the radio, before I heard Burnin’, my knowledge of Bob Marley was almost entirely due to Eric Clapton’s cover of I Shot the Sheriff. Hearing unfiltered reggae by some of the greatest ever to do it made me a lifelong fan of Jamaican music. I was also an atheist and skeptical of organized religion from an early age, so hearing the lyrics attacking the “ism schism game” head-on was a revelation. The part about “almighty god” being a “living man” was intriguing, and led me to study Rastafarianism in high school during an internship at the Caribbean Cultural Center on the Upper East Side. Attacks on religion aside, the chorus of “Get up, stand up/Stand up for your rights” is appropriate for all occasions when the boot of oppression is felt on your neck.

1989: Public Enemy - Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos (Carl Ridenhour, Hank Shocklee, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, and William Drayton, 1989)

Issue: Mass Incarceration

Key Lines: “Four of us packed in a cell like slaves, oh well/The same motherfucker got us living in his hell/You have to realize—what is a form of slavery/Organized under a swarm of devils.”

I bought the first Public Enemy album after reading about it in The New York Times and was blown away. The tough beats and even tougher rhymes brought a new sound to hip-hop. But it wasn’t until their second album, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, that their political stance became more explicit. This song was an instant favorite, first for the brick-hard beat built on Isaac Hayes’ Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, then for the prison-break thriller of the lyrics, which also managed to make it clear that justice is often delivered unjustly in our country. I wasn’t completely unaware of this, having read The Autobiography of Malcolm X years before. But mass incarceration had only gotten much, much worse since the 1960s as the backlash to the Civil Rights Act gained strength. The way Chuck D. mixes heavy messages with sheer entertainment continues to astonish over 30 years later.

2002: Bob Dylan - The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll (Bob Dylan, 1964)

Issue: Systemic Racism

Key Lines: “And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished/And handed out strongly for penalty and repentance/William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence.”

In 1979, my parents finally replaced our aging (read: crumbling) Chevy Kingswood Estate with a new Impala wagon. It was our first car with a tape deck, so my mom sent my brother down to J&R Music World to buy some cassettes for our next trip. He returned with 52nd Street by Billy Joel, Kogun by the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band, and The Times They Are A-Changin’ by Bob Dylan. Even though it was a certified classic, it didn’t hit as hard as the 70s albums I was really into, namely Desire and Hard Rain. Lo and behold, when 2002 rolled around, and the Dylan camp released The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 - Live 1975: The Rolling Thunder Revue, I was thunderstruck by The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll. It was as if I was hearing it for the first time, even after all those hours in the Impala. While I’ve called it the “paradigmatic protest song,” Hattie Carroll blurs the lines by blending topicality with Dylan’s storytelling mastery and his ability to turn real people into archetypes.

In a way, Hattie Carroll looks at the problem presented by Black Steel from the other side, an issue that only became more obvious with the murders of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Rekia Boyd, George Floyd, and others. The rage Dylan brought to the song on the Live 1975 release was redoubled in a performance captured in Montreal that year and released in 2019 on The Rolling Thunder Revue boxed set. While Dylan hasn’t played the song in concert since 2012, you can renew your relationship with it through the many live recordings out there.

2020: Holly Miranda and The New Asylum Choir - Midnight Oil (Chris Williamson, 1978)

Issue: Solidarity

Key Lines: “Oh, I know I ain’t here for war, but the war is here/And so are you and I, and it makes me want to fly away/But something makes me stay and try it anyway.”

Holly Miranda, one of the great singers of our time, has often put her passion towards songs with a purpose. She released this cover in the early days of the pandemic, illustrating its message of togetherness under pressure with a 30+ person choir, including Ani DeFranco and Kyp Malone. While the song starts as sparsely as a track from John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, it soon gains an epic sweep as strings swell and the choir picks up the chorus. Entering year two of an authoritarian regime, we have to be willing to be in it for the long haul, which is only possible if we stick together. As Williamson wrote and the choir so beautifully sings, “Don’t let the Midnight Oil burn low/No don’t let it burn out, let’s see how things turn out, in the end.”

Sintija :

The Vandals - ‘‘Anarchy Burger (Hold The Government)’’ (1982)

Key Lines : ‘‘America stands for freedom but if you think you're free
try walking into a deli and urinating on the cheese’’

This is a super silly and even bizarre sounding song by The Vandals, which is why I love it. I love the line : ‘‘if you want to be free order yourself an anarchy burger (hold the government, please)’’ - as if you are making a fast food order.

I personally would say that this is one of the most unique political songs out there, which combines humour with serious messages. I also think that this song does not sound outdated when it comes to the music itself and has not encapsulated itself within the 1980s. It sounds modern and easily something that could've been released by a modern punk band.

This song raises the façade of freedom and encourages the listener to ‘‘let them know your sick of it, write your congressman, tell him he sucks, your only in it for the bucks’’.

The Doors : ‘‘Peace Frog’’ (1970)

Key lines :
’’Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding
Ghosts crowd the young child's fragile eggshell mind
Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven
Blood stains the roofs and the palm trees of Venice
Blood in my love in the terrible summer
Bloody red sun of Phantastic L.A.
Blood screams the pain as they chop off her fingers
Blood will be born in the birth of a nation
Blood is the rose of mysterious union
There's blood in the streets, it's up to my ankles
Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago’’

In this song, Jim Morrison references his 1967 arrest in New Haven and the 1968 Chicago riots. He also alludes to a story from his childhood, when he and his family drove past the scene of an accident in which Native American workers had died. Morrison returned to this incident repeatedly in his songwriting, and it clearly affected him deeply.

Whilst this is not a political song that calls for direct action or rebellion against authority (like the previous song), it reflects the turbulent climate of the 1960s and the disturbing scale of death during that period. The Roman emperor-esque idea that “blood will be born in the birth of a nation” can also be read as a commentary on the United States.

Jack White : ‘‘Corporation’’ (2018)

I wanted to highlight this song because Jack White on his live shows in 2025 has used it as a protest song about President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The song itself does not protest a certain political party or figure, and doesn’t make political statements. What’s really cool about this one is that it showcases how songs can become political and how transformative music is. Songs can change with time and its all up to the performer.

Jack White has changed the lyrics to make anti-capitalist statements, sarcastically asking the crowds: “I was thinking about becoming an oligarch, who’s with me?”

He took digs at Musk : “I was thinking about... taking government subsidies and starting my own electric car company. Who’s with me?”

Furthermore, stating : ‘‘I’m thinking about not being properly vetted by the Supreme Court or Congress, just doing whatever the hell I want because some fucking bloated asshole orange fucking gorilla who’s failed at every business he’s ever ran wants me to be his golf cart partner!’’

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Musicians make statements through their songs, but listeners use that music to speak for themselves. In that way, music becomes a symbol of identity.

This project starts of with protest music recommendations by Raymond Leone, MMT, MT-BC who is a board-certified music therapist in Northern Virginia. Check out his blog down bellow:

Music Therapy/Music Musings

Explore the healing powers of music and music therapy!

By Raymond Leone

Raymond:

When I think of ‘political’ songs I really think of ‘protest’ songs. Mainly because music (and all art) gives a voice when we need something more than mere words; a means to reflect, shout, and push back against oppression and injustice. Protest songs empower ‘the people’ to participate in the political dialogue… the civic theatre. And protest songs demand change; change from authoritarianism, fascism, and their ugly ilk. [There’s a great lyric in the song A New Argentina, from the musical Evita, where the workers, led by the character Che Guevara, are collectively singing ‘in protest’ of the authoritarian Peron regime (similar to what is now happening in the U.S.?) - “A new Argentina! The chains of the masses untied! A new Argentina! The voice of the people cannot be, and will not be, and must not be denied!”]

Protest songs can be many things. And, like all music, gives you what you need when you need it. Sometimes we need to scream and shout, and sometimes we need to reflect on what we feel and pine for. For me, the quintessential ‘protest’ song is none other than Feeling Good by the incomparable Nina Simone. First off, it really doesn’t matter what she’s ‘saying’ because the commitment, passion, and feeling in her presentation is what sets the tone.

But the chorus - “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life for me. And I’m feeling good…”

What is this really about? It’s about taking control. And… it’s about hope. And is there anything better in a song, political, protest, or otherwise, then the feeling of hope? And my goodness, Nina takes control! And that is powerful. Because when you take control, you can’t be ‘controlled’.

I also love the version of this song by John Legend, performed at the Biden/Harris inauguration in 2021. It’s all of it, the song, the performance, the background scenery, and the messaging. Again hope… and taking back control.

But sometimes you really do need to scream and shout. Having sold my soul to rock & roll when I was a teen, this is where political/protest songs really kick in for me. I mean, isn’t that the definition of rock & roll? Rebellion? Protest? Pushing back against authority? Slash (Guns & Roses) once described rock & roll as “being about attitude and rebellion.” And I once heard The Clash referred to as a ‘Political Punk Band’. Afterall, they did headline the first Rock Against Racism concert in London in 1978.

I have to start with Rage Against the Machine. I mean… it’s all in the name, right? And basically, their entire discography is a tome of protest: Killing in the Name, Bulls on Parade, Wake Up, I could go on for pages. Again, it’s more than the lyrics. It’s an attitude. It’s a mission. It’s collectively standing up and dismissing persecution. When I watch the news these days and feel anger and angst and sadness building up in me, I crank up Rage and let it all out. This is music that matches what I’m feeling inside. It meets me where I am. It’s validation. It's empathy. It’s release.

And speaking of watching the news these days, especially here in the U.S., I keep hearing Green Day in my head. Over and over and over again. I hear the opening chordal strands of American Idiot. I sympathize with the frustrated angst of the soliloquist. I feel the driving force of the collective trio’s musical anarchy. I probably don’t have to say anything more as to why:

“Welcome to a new kind of tension. All across the alienation. Where everything isn’t meant to be okay.”

Even though released in 2004, on the album of the same name, this song has already become ‘timely’ (as all great political/protests songs have.) In 2016, Armstrong began changing the lyric “the subliminal mindfuck America” to “the subliminal mind-Trump America“ during live performances, and in 2019 shifted “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda“ to “I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda“

Again, it’s all in the presentation. The attitude. I’ve seen Green Day perform this song… in Washington D.C. And the entire arena jumped to their feet when Billie Joe Armstrong made a, let’s just say, ‘comment’ about his disdain for the current U.S. administration. Unity… Power… Control… Attitude… Rock & Roll.

And finally, there’s Strange Fruit written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. This is ‘protest as reflection’ at its finest. The imagery in the lyrics is haunting - comparing bodies from lynchings to strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees:

“Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees…”

This song hit at the waxing of the civil rights era when those who were oppressed only had a voice through music and art. The recording is pensive and somber; impactful in its simplicity as it merely comments on the horrific scene. There’s a sense of melancholic resolve, which I find gut-wrenching.

It’s been reported that when Holiday performed the song, just after its release, she generally closed her shows with it, with the lights down except for a tight spotlight on her face. When the song ended, the light went dark, and she simply left the stage, blending into the fabric of the times, hiding, longing for justice, feeling unseen… yet having taken a stand. This is quintessential ‘art reflecting life’.

Honestly, I feel as though any song can be a political or protest song. It’s all about context, and it’s all about attitude and presentation. And when those who feel marginalized, such as Billie Holiday or Nina Simone during their times, or those who have a pulpit, like Rage Against the Machine and Green Day, these songs give a voice - a voice for the self, and a voice for the people. These songs give a feeling of taking back some control. These songs are about connection and validation and empowerment. And ultimately, these songs give a sense of something to hold onto during such trying and uncertain times - hope. Because, if we have no hope. We have nothing.

Sintija :

That’s so true-almost any song can be a protest song- it’s all in details and subtext. One of the things I love about the aforementioned Green Day is the fact that they have always been consistently political, from their first album to their most recent one.

They have received backlash not only from the general public but also from the punk community for “selling out” and so on (this was largely related to them signing to a major label in 1994 after the success of Dookie). However, backlash has continued to follow them even with their most recent albums, despite the fact that their musical material hasn’t changed at all. This is something that perplexes me. I personally don’t find Dookie or Kerplunk to be Green Day’s best work. If I had to make a list of 5 best Green Day albums I’m not sure either would make the cut.

The amount of intensity, rebellion and political messages have dramatically increased with the release of ‘‘American Idiot’’ (2004). ‘‘Revolution Radio’’(2016) and ‘‘21st Century Breakdown’’ (2009) are great examples of this and would definitely be in the top 3 for me.

Thus, they have only increased their punk ‘‘authenticity’’ (whatever that may mean) and their punk attitude. Just have a listen to ‘‘Christian’s Inferno’’ and ‘‘Bang Bang’’- if anything they have poeticised their political messages.

For me, the key to a truly brilliant songwriter lies in their ability to combine intensive, painful and sometimes even uncomfortable messages in a poetic, calm and collected manner, without in any way diminishing the urgency of the message. The best songs use melody and performance to guide the listener toward a particular emotion. However, the lyrics give you choice: you can take that emotion as it is, adjust it to fit your own experience, or interpret it in an entirely different way. The songwriter and melody suggest a feeling, but the listener remains in control of how that feeling is understood and experienced. Yet at the same time, you can step into the songwriter’s shoes and feel whatever they want you to feel, and are expressing through the song. Voluntary mind control.

Green Day have never abandoned their support of Democratic politics and, if anything-have only increased their political involvement as their fame has grown, producing even more protest songs.

On their latest album ‘‘Saviours’’ (2025) every song is political. Just listen to the opening track ‘‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’’ : ‘‘Don’t want no huddled masses, TikTok and taxes… Cracked up into the wild, We’re podophiles for The American dream is killing me…Who needs suicide when the American dream is killing me’’. The music video also mimics an episode of the Walking Dead:

Each song on the album mentions public shootings, unemployment, fentanyl crisis, racism and corruption- all prominent issues in the United States. ‘‘Coma City’’ says it all : ‘‘Bankrupt the planet for assholes in space’’.

Green Day also questions the teachings of Christianity on ‘‘Strange Days Are Here To Stay’’ : ‘‘Jesus gonna quit his job, he promised us forever but we got less’’. At the end the song comes to the conclusion that ‘‘Ever since Bowie died, it hasn’t been the same…strange days are here to stay’’…indeed.

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

This song is the definition of high concepts compressed into pop perfection. “The End Has No End” is the existential crisis anthem of the modern age — cool, catchy, and quietly terrifying if you actually listen to what it’s saying. Some people read the lyrics as a meditation on life’s repeating patterns, with nods to historical ruptures like JFK and MLK’s assassinations, and even references to 2001: A Space Odyssey (the monolith). Either way, the track feels eerily prophetic — like getting “red-pilled” before AI slop and full surveillance culture was a thing.

What makes it so heavy is the nonchalance. It doesn’t panic in the face of uncertainty — it shrugs. It keeps moving. That’s what gives the song its weight: it holds dread in a digestible, effortless form. It will never get old, because the feeling it captures never ends… it simply goes on… and on and on.

Sintija : ‘‘Hawaii’’

‘‘Hawaii’’ is a B-Side of Juicebox. I love this song so much! We are not ranking songs in any particular way, however if I had to choose top 2 The Strokes songs, this would be my second choice. I will talk about my number one pick later, however this song is super special and underrated. It is a song that uses childishness in a strategic, clever, charming and unique way to make a statement.

At first glance, it seems that Julian is singing about sunshine and green grass, however, he breaks this impression with the line: “A nuclear disaster might be on our way, but I don’t care, I’m in the U.S.A.” This introduces politics into the song, showcasing a sense of privilege and ignorance on the part of the narrator because of his nationality. Is Julian making a cultural statement about Americans? Will the nuclear disaster not come to the U.S.A.? Why? Is it because they are the ones responsible for it?

‘‘Cut off from Malaysia
Back in who knows when
Oh we got kinda lost
But my god What a place!
I profess
Airforce jets
Cannot take
Away my soul’’

Even authority, conflict, or force cannot strip The Strokes of their identity or spirit.

Esther : “You Talk Way Too Much”

“You Talk Way Too Much” is great because it almost doesn’t matter what the song is technically about — a breakup, a breakdown, a self-sabotage spiral — it still lands like someone reading your diary out loud with perfect timing and zero mercy. The chorus, “Give me some time, I just need a little time,” isn’t just a plea to another person. It’s the battle cry of anyone whose greatest threat is change: endings, consequences, emotional growth, and a world that insists on progress at all costs.

It hits especially hard if you’ve ever been an introvert, or the kind of person who gets overstimulated and then accidentally overshares like it’s an Olympic sport. The Strokes turn that awkward, spiralling inner monologue into an anthem — catchy enough to sing along to, but sharp enough to leave a bruise.

Sintija : ‘‘God bless you, thank you, this is Reptilia’’

Reptilia is The Strokes most famous song and most people already know it. It is a classic, you already know it, so I just wanted to highlight these two performances.

I really love this performance on T in The Park 2006. The energy of the band combined with the calm demeanour of Julian at the start of the song is intriguing. Throughout the performance, especially at the start and whenever he steps away from the microphone, Julian always appears nonchalant. However, he rotates this nonchalant manner with intense and desperate vocals, which keeps every second of the performance captivating. The best part of the performance is at 2:20. After this moment, Julian’s voice is roughened by deliberate distortion instead of a full scream, his desperation carefully contained. This is what makes him one of the coolest rock stars ever:

• Melancholic Desperation in his voice and songs - check!

• Nonchalant manner, which also makes the songs effortlessly free, fun and easy to listen to - check!

• Daring political songs - check!

• He just has everything ‘‘Under Control’’ - check!

This Conan (2003) performance is insane, especially the bass in this one is perfect.

Esther : “Hard to Explain”

If The Strokes have a secret weapon, it’s that they can smuggle complexity into songs that feel effortless. “Hard to Explain” is a perfect example — the melody is catchy enough to feel immediate, but the groove has this subtle new-wave shimmer, almost like an Atari 8-bit ghost living inside the rhythm. It’s the kind of track that sounds clean and simple until you realize how weirdly futuristic it is.

The song captures a very specific emotional state: being young, moving fast, and realizing you can’t clearly articulate what’s happening inside you — only that something is shifting. Confusion becomes momentum. Distance becomes style. It’s bright, restless, and quietly haunted… like dancing while your brain is spiralling.

Sintija : ‘‘Life Is Simple In The Moonlight’’

One of the things I love about The Strokes is that they can change your first impression of their song with one line instantly.

The song starts with Julian singing about animals on TV and pain, then about his inability to pretend he was better, and finally about not wanting to confess that he was jealous and alone. A bit confusing….but then at the end he reveals everything and showcases that this is another political/social commentary song from the band:

‘‘Making fools out of the best of us
Making robots of the rest of us
Innocence itself in America today
Is a crime just like Cornel West might say’’

The musical arrangement is insane, and I just love this performance on SNL. The typical Julian Casablancas - laid back, nonchalant rock star making strong political statements through clever lyrics and metaphors.

Esther : “Under Control”

“Under Control” is the Strokes showing their range in the most surprising way: a sweet, soulful ballad that feels touched by old-school R&B — Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, that warm human elegance. It’s refreshing because it isn’t ironic. It isn’t trying to be cool. It’s just sincere.

And that sincerity is what makes it powerful. The band pulls back, lets the song breathe, and suddenly the Strokes don’t sound like downtown messiness or post-punk tension — they sound like a slow dance you’d play at a wedding, prom, or family gathering. Proof that beneath all the sharp edges, they were always capable of tenderness.

Sintija : ‘‘Heart in a Cage’’

I love the guitar riffs in this song. I love the lyrics, which explore the feeling of otherness and the music video visualizes this incredibly well. One of the reasons this song and music video is so powerful is that Julian lying on the ground of a New York street while people walk past him powerfully showcases a sense of otherness and disconnection from society. These lyrics say it all:

‘‘Well, I don't feel better when I'm fucking around
And I don't write better when I'm stuck in the ground
So, don't teach me a lesson 'cause I've already learned
Yeah, the sun will be shining, and my children will burn

I don't want what you want
I don't feel what you feel
See, I'm stuck in a city
But I belong in a field’’

Esther : “I’ll Try Anything Once” (demo)

Lyrically, this song is genius. Stripping away the guitars and full-band sheen makes the message hit even harder — it’s Julian without the armor, just pure songwriting and emotional truth. It feels like late-night honesty, like someone replaying a relationship in their head trying to make peace with what happened. The melody is devastating in its simplicity, and the demo format makes it even more human — like you’re hearing the thought before it becomes performance.

It’s kind of insane how Julian can sum up an entire life experience in three minutes.

Sintija : ‘‘Ode To The Mets’’

If I had to pick the best The Strokes song of all time, Ode to the Mets would be it. It is so poetic, nostalgic, melancholic, soothing, calm, and even nonchalant. I hope I’m not the only one, but I hear similarities to and influences from Frank Sinatra in Julian’s voice. The way he sings has that Sinatra-esque quality, especially in how he finishes words and drags them out. Every second of 5:51 minutes is amazing. However, the best part starts at 4:18 !

‘‘Gone now are the old times
Forgotten, time to hold on the railing
The Rubix cube isn't solving for us
Old friends, long forgotten
They all wait at the bottom
Of the ocean now has swallowed
The only thing that's left
Is us, so pardon the silence
That you're hearing is turning
Into a deafening, painful, shameful roar’’

Incredibly and painfully beautiful. Just think about these lyrics…..This is the best poem Julian has ever written.

Check out this live performance of the song in Argentina - at the end, I love how Julian sings “Argentina” off-key, then laughs and thanks the audience. This moment proves how imperfections are essential to beauty and real music. And by real music, I mean music produced by humans, not artificial intelligence. It can never compete.

Reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Check out her journal article : ‘‘Barbie Land as cyberfeminist utopia’’ (2024)

In one of your works, you discuss cyberfeminism and you say that the cyberspace is feminine. What is it? And what do you mean by that?

Cyberfeminism is really without clear definition but it refers to a feminist movement and approach that focuses on the internet and digital technologies. Cyberfeminist thinking emerged in the 1990s and looked at the feminist potentials in the politics of the internet. It’s a meshing of feminist activism and academic inquiry, characterised by manifestos, art, science fiction, and a real enthusiasm for the political possibilities and pleasures that the internet could provide for women. A general idea is that cyberspace can be liberating for women because it is a disembodied space, and being free from the body offers a freedom from markers of sexual difference. It’s about existing and constructing networks beyond a gender binary, so cyberspace provides an imagined space for the blurring of boundaries. Donna Haraway’s concept of the cyborg is central to this, she writes that the cyborg is a powerful political fiction which embodies the crossing of boundaries. Selves can move between physical spaces and cyberspace, and the cyborg is emblematic of the dissolution of binary logic. Through and with technology, we transgress dualisms between mind/body, human/machine. It’s about being hybrid and transgressing, which demonstrates how the binaries which structure our everyday lives are fluid and unstable – technologies can disrupt binary logic and give space to construct new ways of being and knowing which are sympathetic to feminist thinking. It’s really about subversion and the pleasures of transgression through technologies. The cyborg is a figure of liberation for a postgendered world.

Cyberspace being feminine comes from Sadie Plant’s work in the 90s. She talks about how digital technologies have a deep affinity with femininity because they share similar characteristics. She talks about how the internet has female ways of thinking and being, referring to ideas around cyberspace and women being networked, non-linear, and concerned with making connections. She argues that women are naturally suited to internet technologies because they both emerge from within a male culture, women and technologies are producers and reproducers of cultures. Her argument also rests on the idea of the feminisation of technology. Feminists have long critiqued technology as constituting masculine patriarchal culture, and an arena in which women are systematically excluded. Digital technologies then offer a radical departure from masculinised ways of knowing. Further, the Australian artist group VNS Matrix created their ‘Cyberfeminist Manifesto for the 21^st Century’ in 1991 and wrote their famous line “The clitoris is a direct line to the matrix” – they make direct links between the female body and the internet (the matrix), and place female anatomy as the entry point to cyberspace.

It also points to sexuality and pleasure in the politics of boundary crossing. So, cyberspace being feminine is really a nod to a broader feminist politics that rest on transgression. It’s about appropriating a culture of technology for women’s liberation and recontextualising technologies. These approaches have been criticised for their essentialism and biological determinism, and I think these critiques are very important. Cyberfeminists are also critiqued for their utopian vision, but I think an engagement with the notion of utopia and a recontextualization of cyberfeminism can be useful for feminist thinking, and that’s what I do in the Barbie article.

How effective is feminism in the modern day and how does it look like?

We really need feminism now. There’s an argument that we are in the ‘fourth wave’ of feminism which is closely linked to the digital sphere, social media, and focused on intersectionality. Digital activism is prominent, we’ve seen movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp which have been hugely effective in exposing harassment, violence, and misogyny on a global scale. There’s also lots of feminist rhetoric across social media in response to the rise of the manosphere and wider alt-right discourse. For example, there are lots of podcasts focusing on men’s rights which heavily critique feminism, and there are feminist content creators who challenge these ideas. Social media spaces, according to a fourth wave feminism logic, are spaces where activism can be practiced on an international scale and organised globally through networks. I think the landscape is more complex than this. Feminist activism is absolutely happening online, but we also see the rise of tradwives and the commercialisation of feminism with the #girlboss in these same spaces. We can think about this through the concept of postfeminism, where ideas of women’s empowerment, confidence, and liberation suggest that feminism has been done and is no longer needed. It’s wrapped up with capitalism and commercialisation and does the ironic work of reproducing normative ideals through a lens of choice. Feminism is complex and complicated and is further complicated with how our lives are mediated through technology now. Laura Bates’s new book The new age of sexism: how the AI revolution is reinventing misogyny is terrifying and is an excellent demonstration of why feminism is so necessary in a digital age. This being said, feminism remains effective. Feminism gives us a language to critique and make sense of the contemporary world, and it offers us a framework for navigating the landscape.

In the last recent years, has the label “feminist” dropped in popularity?

Anecdotally, yes, I think that there’s a reluctance to self-label as feminist. I am surrounded by feminism everyday so my world is feminist but I am very aware that outside of that, feminism isn’t always valued. There are still stereotypes around what it means to be a feminist, or what a feminist looks like, and there’s a wider backlash against feminism like we see with things like the manosphere. I can see why it’s not appealing to label yourself a feminist, but it’s important to keep persisting with feminism. I try to be visible with my feminism and I try to live by feminist principles. I talk about feminism a lot with students and always have such interesting conversations with them about why feminism might not be popular. Hopefully by engaging with feminism more and seeing how feminism can critique harmful social structures and give meaning to identities and experiences, labelling yourself a feminist can be less daunting.

How important are identity labels for society? Does the society have a natural need for categorisation or do labels help to keep an order in society?

Identity labels can give meaning, community, and a sense of belonging; I recognise that these are important. Identity labels also shape our experiences, and we navigate the world through our multiple identities. They signify our understandings of who we are in relation to others and provide the grounding for our standpoint on how we view and conceptualise society. However, these labels are not natural or neutral. Identities are key organisers of institutions and practices within society and culture and power is central. From a social constructionist perspective our identities are not predetermined or fixed within the body, but they are constituted socially. Gender identity, for example, is a social construction with a basis in an unequal relation of power where one group has power and privilege over another within society. It structures society through patriarchy and that shapes our experiences as well as the structure of society. The naturalisation of gender as an essential identity based within the biology of the body works to justify this hierarchy and maintain social order and patriarchy. It that sense it’s bout maintaining order in society because there’s an inherent power relation central to the construction.

More postmodern approaches like Butler’s notion of performativity suggest that gender is something that is continuously produced through our interactions and social practices. Again the label of gender is fluid, it is something that we do rather than something that we are. These repeated performances of gender are based in social norms, so performativity is shaped by power, we don’t choose to ‘perform’ these identities freely. This approach helps us to understand how a social order is maintained because a social order depends on the perceived notion of stability, and repeated acts which are embodied and appear natural uphold this perception of stability. This helps to uphold the binary logic which supports broader hierarchies such as patriarchy.

This is not to say that labels or identities more broadly are not meaningful. Rather, it is about recognising how power shapes these identities to maintain a social order. When we can think about things like transgression or blurring boundaries, or revealing the fallacy of the constructions, then power can be reconfigured.

Are any forms of art labelled “feminist” likely to attract more audiences or deter them?

It’s a really interesting question. In recent years there has been a resurgence in attention given to feminist art with a variety of exhibitions being curated across the US and Europe engaging with the legacy of the feminist art movement. I enjoyed visiting the Baltic centre for contemporary art to see the first major UK survey of Judy Chicago’s work in 2020 and the exhibition If Not Now, When? Generations of Women in Sculpture in Britain 1960-2022 at The Hepworth Wakefield in 2023, for example. So, there is some institutional interest in feminist art in this sense.

However, in my PhD research in which I interviewed digital feminist artists about their practices and experiences of being a feminist artist they talked about the challenges of labelling their work as feminist. They discussed how, particularly within the digital contexts in which they produced and exhibited their work, the tag of feminism both allowed them to cultivate an audience but also attracted negative attention. Some of the women outlined how aligning their work with feminism meant that they were taken less seriously, and some received abusive or threatening comments from their online audiences. Some discussed how their work was censored on platforms like Instagram because they were explicitly feminist and explored themes around bodies and menstruation. My research demonstrated that there is a tension with how feminist artists practice feminism and this had a lot to do with the relationship between digital platforms, online audiences, and the concepts that they worked with.

Beyond that I think it’s interesting to see the growth of popularity and visibility of women artists, but I am cautious of labelling this as feminist simply because artists are women. For example, Hip hop and rap music were generally male dominated genres but the 2010s saw an emergence of prominent women rappers who have shifted the genre. Men have historically been the primary consumers of the genre but there are more women listeners now. I have read about how the gender gap in rap and hip-hop consumption is closing and this is interesting in terms of the visibility of prominent women figures in that space.

To what extent does globalization influence music, and does it lead more to cultural exchange or to cultural homogenization?

Globalisation has absolutely influenced and shaped music, its production, dissemination, and reception. Technologies are central to this. There’s definitely opportunity for cultural exchange in terms of the emerging visibility and blending of different genres which is important, but there’s a need to think about the broader contexts of globalisation. Local music cultures become increasingly compressed and standardised through globalisation, and dominant ideologies shape what is deemed to be valuable in a global market. Success for artists within the industry is determined by Western standards and algorithms can reinforce dominant narratives and ideologies. So this limits some of the potentials of authentic cultural exchange and leans towards greater cultural homogenisation. However, it’s also important to think about how consumers are interpreting and understanding music to make meaning.

As an academic and especially a lecturer, how important is music and all other forms of art in your everyday life?

Art is so important to me in my everyday life. I like to go and see art as much as possible, I love seeing plays, and I read a lot; I love having stacks of magazines and books everywhere and I’m always trying to learn about things like design or architecture. I get lots of inspiration for my teaching this way and I like to incorporate art into teaching as much as possible. It helps to make sense of some of the theories and concepts that we discuss in the modules. For example, I have organised two trips to visit different art galleries for my Gender, Sexuality, and Media module. Going to those spaces and seeing different types of art helps to develop an understanding of things like representation and the male gaze. Music is also a really useful pedagogical tool to use in the classroom as a way of engaging with reflection and encouraging active participation. Analysing song lyrics can help to illustrate and understand sociological concepts.

The disappearance of which art form would be more likely to cause chaos in society: Literature, Art, Music, or Film?

All of them, which I appreciate is not a very good answer. We rely on language for everything as it means we have shared codes of understanding and meaning making. If literature disappeared we would lose the language to understand the world, all notions of history, law, politics, education, all are structured through language so shared meanings and ways of knowing would collapse and that would cause chaos in many forms. Storytelling is also so important to how we conceptualise society and our identities, cultural imaginations, interpretations. Visual arts disappearing would mean a loss of symbols and representations of meanings. It would signal a significant fracture for culture. There’s the structural chaos that would be caused in terms of the institutional function of arts and culture, the disappearance of art would collapse the art market for example and that would cause economic chaos. And there’s also constructs that govern, uphold, or challenge social norms and values. Things like tradition, ritual, morality are all mediated through arts. Subjective and emotional experiences are also made sense of through arts. A world without arts would cause chaos in many aspects of the word.

How politicised is popular culture currently?

Popular culture is highly politicised, popular culture shapes and reflects wider norms and ideologies so its central to the reproduction but also a challenge to wider political ideas. Popular culture is also a site of political critique.

Some of my recent research explores this in the context of gender ideology and reality television. I analysed The Real Housewives of New York City to explore gender and the construction of the housewife. I analysed through the lens of Jack Halberstam’s The Queer Art of Failure to look at how the figure of the housewife is constructed and subverted on the show through multiple overt failings of femininity. Halberstam’s perspective on failure is that failure is political as it offers a way out of binary trappings of normativity. Failure is not just the opposite of success in this way of thinking, rather it critiques the foundations of success itself. Failure is about harnessing the subversive potential for resisting hegemonic structures. When looking at The Real Housewives, the show creates a spectacle of femininity. It simultaneously upholds normative feminine values whilst using humour to highlight the failings of femininity from the women on the show. For example, housewives across the franchise place emphasis on their role as mothers, but the show makes visible their questionable parenting choices and often shows the women outsourcing motherhood to a host of nannies. Whilst The Real Housewives is seen broadly as low popular culture, it does the work of grappling with broader political tensions. Trump had announced his running for the 2024 presidential election when season 14 of The Real Housewives of New York City aired in 2023 and family values, which hinge on the naturalisation of gender roles, are central to his conservative campaign. The housewife is a pivotal figure here as she embodies these politics and reproduces ideas of naturalised gender hierarchy in the private sphere. When we see normativity reproduced on social media with the emergence of the trad wife, the failures of The Real Housewives signify a challenge to this naturalised gender order. Their failings of femininity (framed through irony) show us that femininity is not natural, that subservience and a desire for motherhood are not innate biological realities, but they are constructions that uphold patriarchy. In this context popular culture is a highly politicised arena as it is where political tensions around gender are negotiated.

Besides political and artistic preferences, what is something that always changes in society over years?

I think lots of things are circular, I think to fashion and how different styles come back around. All of our practices around the body are changing constantly, the way we dress, use makeup, body modifications, ideas around beauty standards. Again, all of these practices that are now framed as trends have a relationship to wider politics, they are negotiations of norms and values. Our use of technologies is also probably something that is always changing as well, and this will shape our tastes and preferences with regards to things like politics and art. Social media comes with that and the cycle of different platforms. I’m thinking back to Laura Bate’s new book about the wave of popular AI tools that have worrying consequences, that’s going to be something that is always changing in terms of how it is adopted and used within different aspects of our everyday lives and therefore impacting society.

As a lecturer, what is the most challenging thing about your job?

From my experience the main challenge is juggling all the different parts of the role. In a given week there’s teaching, research, administrative tasks, meetings, events, office hours etc. It can be really easy to pour all of your time and effort into one thing, so it’s important to plan out time and space to make sure you can stay on top of everything. Each of the different aspects of the role offer their own little challenges but they are all enjoyable in many ways.

If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

Louise Bourgeois and Judy Chicago, I love all of their work, or any of the Real Housewives!!

There’s s a life principle that “You need to try everything because you only live once”. Are there things that you will never do or try? Is there anything you would lack courage to do?

I’d like to think I would be brave enough to try anything, but I am very happy in my comfort zone!

What is a song you would never ever want to hear again?

Pompeii by Bastille was the soundtrack to some of my least fine moments which I would be grateful not to be reminded of. Also Cheerleader by OMI.

Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

Find out more here :

https://www.robjanicke.com/

Call for Papers: Grunge Included 2026

York St John University, York, UK | September 7, 2026
Deadline for Abstract Submissions: July 1,2026

“Come as You Are” and bring your ideas.

The Grunge Included Conference 2026 invites music writers, scholars, students, researchers, musicians, critics and cultural commentators to submit abstracts for presentations exploring the multifaceted legacy of grunge music and culture. This multidisciplinary conference aims to examine the evolution, context and continuing impact of the grunge movement from its origins in the Pacific Northwest to its lingering influence in global music and culture today.

We welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) musicology, music, ethnomusicology, sociology, fashion studies, history, political science, media studies, graphic design and cultural studies. Whether you’re dissecting the distortion pedals of Mudhoney or tracing the lineage from Cobain to contemporary alt-pop, we want to hear Your voice.

Suggested (but not limited to) Topics:

• The Pacific Northwest Sound: Seattle’s cultural and geographic role in shaping grunge

• Grunge & Politics: Anti-establishment ideologies, Gen X cynicism, and counterculture

• Grunge Aesthetics: Fashion, visual art, album design, and the rejection of glamour

• Musicological Analyses: Song structure, guitar tones, vocal styles, lyrical themes

• Ethnomusicology of Grunge Scenes: Local scenes, DIY venues, and community practices

• Grunge vs. the Mainstream: Industry commodification and authenticity debates

• Post-2000s Echoes: Grunge’s influence on indie, emo revival, alternative rock, etc.

• Subgenres & Hybrids: Post-grunge, sludge, noise rock, and genre-blending acts

• Cultural Impact of Key Artists: Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Hole, and others

• Grunge Across Borders: International responses and adaptations of the grunge ethos

• Grunge and Identity: Gender, race, and representation in the scene and beyond

• Present-Day Relevance: How grunge continues to shape contemporary sound and attitude

  ---

Submission Guidelines:

Select a ‘Paper Submission’ ticket on Eventbrite, then follow the steps below to submit your paper. This ticket includes attendance to Grunge Included 2026.

• Abstracts: 250–300 words (Your presentation should be no longer than 15 min.)

• Include: Title, author name(s), institutional affiliation and a brief bio (100 words max)

• Formats Accepted: Individual papers or multimedia presentations

• Submit to: 46ee0589.yorksj.ac.uk@uk.teams.ms with ‘’Grunge Included 2026 Submission’’ in the subject line

• OR BOOK YOUR TICKET VIA EVENTBRITE!

Deadline: July 1, 2026

If you have any questions about your submission, or the event, please contact grungeincluded@gmail.com

Spectator only tickets

Tickets to attend the conference as a spectator only will be released on 1 July.

Stay Connected:

Website: www.grungeincluded.com

Hashtag: #GrungeIncluded2026

Grunge never died. It evolved. Let’s talk about it.