Browsing Tag

Protest Song

A New Jerusalem: Judas Goat & The Bellwether’s Arcane Anthem Against the Climate Crisis

There Is Always a Dawn by Judas Goat & the Bellwether

There Is Always a Dawn” by Judas Goat & The Bellwether pours the ardour of the Neoclassical Romantic Era into a vessel of arcane folk-rock. In a similar vein as William Blake’s evocative poem, Jerusalem, which became an influential precipice for the duo to lyrically jump off, the duo’s aura reverberates around morality while keeping a finely tuned balance of rationality and emotion in the evocatively conjured performance which is a call to arms against the impending threat of ecological collapse, with religious iconography replacing the more direct climate-conscious conversations.

The power of the metaphor came into full force in this fiery protest of how we’ve put the noose around the neck of the environment all in the name of progress that will ultimately become our downfall. The duo, Sara Vian and Pete Vincent, crafted the ultimate clarion call to arms, wrapped in the trappings of folk reverence and light-handed production which corrodes none of the arcane performance. You can’t help but lose yourself in the existential introspection, which exemplifies why the duo have won accolades in The Climates Songwriting Competition.

There Is Always a Dawn hit Bandcamp on April 22 ahead of its release across all major platforms on May 8th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Love, Builder of Worlds has unleashed their synth-punk manifesto, Scared for the Climate

Love, Builder of Worlds

With the release of “Scared for the Climate“, the independent artist, Love, Builder of Worlds, delivered an electrifying DIY alt-rock anthem that captures the essence of punk rebellion with the precision of a seasoned artist.

The single encapsulates a raw, urgent message wrapped in the infectious energy of funk-drenched synth punk—a stylistic nod to the dance-punk vibes reminiscent of Kathleen Hanna’s work in Le Tigre. The track’s short, snappy runtime is no barrier to its impact; instead, it enhances its punchy, protest-driven ethos. The lyrics hit hard and fast, their pseudo-hip-hop delivery layering a sense of immediacy over the compelling synth rhythms. The result is a powerful musical manifesto that does more than just sound an alarm—it’s a public safety announcement for the planet.

Love’s unique artistic background, as part of the Olólúfè Collective, infuses their work with a profound understanding of intersectional struggles. They navigate through genres—from punk rock to afrobeat—with the ease of a genre-defying originator, underscoring their commitment to challenging colonial binary frameworks through music.

Scared for the Climate is a fiery call to awareness, urging listeners to confront one of the most pressing existential threats of our time. Through this track, Love, Builder of Worlds, doesn’t merely aim to entertain but to galvanise action, making it a quintessential listen for those attuned to the pressing issues of our era and the potent power of music as a form of resistance.

Scared for the Climate is due for release on May 5th; stream the single on Bandcamp, SoundCloud and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HEwas give us a new, bang up-to-date take on a classic with ‘2 + 2 = ?’

Ok, so first things first; yes, this is a cover of Bob Seger’s classic anti-war song, from Seger’s ‘Ramblin, Gamblin Man’ album in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam war and as anti-war sentiment in the US was growing. It’s interesting to see how much, and yet how little, has changed in the intervening 53 years – anti-war feelings still run high, race-related civil rights issues still grace the news seemingly every day, and LGBT rights are still abused and debated daily.

Into that mix comes HEwas, singer, songwriter, activist and LGBT campaigner. Already a ‘million stream’ artist with his first two releases, ‘Lemon’ and ‘WHOLEthing’, which featured Grammy nominee Afroman. Now, with ‘2 + 2 = ?’, HEwas has taken that old Seger classic, with updated instrumentation but no change to the feel and groove of the original, making a perfect homage meets timely update to a pertinent and completely relevant song, to produce an utterly modern take on a song that’s as relevant today as it was fifty years ago.

You can hear ‘2 + 2 = ?’, and the rest of HEwas’ releases, on Spotify, and follow on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Get Adrenalized with S.C.R.D.’s Rap-Driven Alt-Rock Track ‘Mosh Pit’

I never anticipated my favourite mosh pit of 2020 would come in the form of a Rap-driven Alt Rock track, but there’s no paralleling S.C.R.D.’s relentlessly high-octane protest single Mosh Pit. It’s wittily scathing, and it packs an adrenalizing punch.

So, if you were in danger of slipping into apathy or ennui, hit play on Mosh Pit; with sirens blazing under the harshly steady Rock beats, it is electrifying from start to finish. Any fans of Wu Tang Clan and Public Enemy will definitely want to jump on this caustically compelling track which pays ode to 90s Old School while serving up the antidote to our 2020 misery.

I may not be covered in the sweat of strangers and left bruised, but I’m galvanized all the same. More than anything, I’m eager to see what S.C.R.D. brings to the airwaves next.

Mosh Pit is available to stream and download on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christian Schormann – The Ballad of Captain T: A Warmly Resolving Attack of Satire

Lockdown has inspired artists in many ways. Christian Schormann created the perfect Pop track after witnessing the lack of leadership in the US during the pandemic. Sounds dreary right? Wrong.

In The Ballad of Captain T, disdainfully playful rage pours over the warmly resolving instrumentals which ooze soul-soothing choral appeal. Tracks such as The Ballad of Captain T can all too easily fall into the novelty category, yet, there’s enough nuance and prowess for it to easily diverge away from that pigeonhole. There’s a sincerity within the single, a sensitive understanding that the problems which the lack of leadership has caused have had a detrimental impact on peoples lives, and deaths.

In short, you couldn’t ask for a more perfect Pop single. The unexpected guitar solo was the aural cherry on the cake.

You can hear it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Inspired by George Floyd’s death Mike Cambridge shows his frustration with ”how many?”

Black Lives Matter. There has been so much frustration over the systemic racism for centuries of African-Americans. The death of George Floyd sparked a fire that hasn’t stopped since. Millions want change and for it to happen now. We live in a world with a few too many divisive leaders and this is causing to fire to build and build stronger.

Rapper Mike Cambridge is here with his new single called ”how many?”. He is a very frustrated man and depicts exactly how so many feel right now. What happened to George Floyd could of happened to him. The time for change has arrived and voices are growing stronger and stronger each day.

Produced perfectly by Manny Manhattan this song will stand the test of time. The calls for police reform have grown so loud that something has to change. Let us all stand together, work in unison and change will happen. This is real Hop Hop that has been built out of the current time and has created a new movement of music.

Mike Cambridge has made his point and now it is time for the world to be a better place. No one should feel unsafe in this world because of their skin. Let’s make a better world together.

Stream this new track on Soundcloud.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Bluebyrd – Song for the Duped: The Dark Folk Protest Song Everyone Needs to Hear

https://soundcloud.com/user-470297604/song-for-the-duped

There was certainly no forgetting Folk artist Bluebyrd after the release of their debut album “Uneven Ground” which was released in 2018. The melodious charm which the soundscapes exuded offered an aural serenity not easily matched.

Their latest single “Song for the Duped” may not offer the same blissful tones, but it’s the dark, angsty protest song which everyone needs to hear right now. As we contend with gaslit Daily Mail readers frustration is an inevitability. Thankfully, Song for the Duped offers plenty of cathartic salvation and dares you to not resign to the apathy. Instead, the single compels you to carry the same smiting attitude as offered in this masterful Americana-inspired Dark Folk Track.

You can check out Song for the Duped for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast