Needle Drops During Times of Power Trips by Alex Dyment

Back in 2000, my brother was in college and I was in eighth grade. He was politically active and campaigned for Ralph Nader during the election. I distinctly remember his dorm room trash can with “Put Bush and Gore in Their Place” written across it in Sharpie.

And though we all know the outcome of that election, it was during this time that he taught me something important. Other people matter. We cannot afford the luxury of being apolitical.

Music is a place where people work things out. Protest songs in particular have a way of saying what most of us are already feeling but cannot quite put into words. These songs are not meant to be perfect statements or political manifestos. They are just honest reactions to their time. Their resonance has recently been amplified. I have linked all of them to particularly amazing live performances.

Grievance by Pearl Jam

The first show I ever went to was Pearl Jam on their Binaural tour. Bush was president, Eddie was angry, and Matt Cameron was on his first tour as their new drummer. You can hear the political anxiety in Matt’s drumming, and his performance on this track still sticks with me today.

Between 24 hour news, social media AI bot slop, and corporate influence, it can feel exhausting just trying to stay informed. This song captures that overload and anger without pretending there is a simple solution.

Live on Letterman

Pull the innocent from a crowd
Raise those sticks them bring them down
If they fail to obey
Ah, if they fail to obey, yeah, yeah

Call to Arms by Sturgill Simpson

Sturgill has never been afraid to show his anger. Call to Arms lays out the damage and lets it sit there.

Sturgill and his band blow the top off of Saturday Night Live in this performance. The horn section totally rips.

Live on SNL

Well son I hope you don't grow up
Believing that you've got to be a puppet to be a man

100 Horses by Geese

Listening to Getting Killed by Geese is like listening to the year 2025 in the span of 45 minutes. Half of the record is about love in your twenties, and the other half is the band reacting to our political climate.

100 Horses feels less like a call to action and more like a snapshot of how strange and disconnected everything feels. Geese are already masters of making music for the skeptical, burned out, and tired of being talked down to.

Live From the Basement

You and Whose Army? by Radiohead

Tense and uncomfortable in the best way. Thom Yorke has always had a knack for whispering instead of shouting. His directive here is to remain calm while we ride ghost horses into the night.

You and Whose Army? sounds like someone finally questioning authority instead of automatically accepting it. It feels less like a protest chant and more of a moment of realization.

Live @ the Gorge

As long as we feel ignored, we'll keep writing songs about it.