Where has 'political music' gone?

[Sallytobleroney]

Thinking about the Specials today obviously, and UB40, Billy Bragg, people who gave a voice to people at that time. Is there anything like that now? I miss that, especially now, with things as they are.

Also a rapper called Bob Vylan, he's brilliant it's quite rocky

He's brilliant. DH (old punk) and me (old Goth) both LOVE him.

Sleaford Mods
I'd rather gouge my own eyes out than listen to them though. (Same for Billy Bragg these days, he's off my Christmas card list.)
Stormzy gone a bit drippy.
Kae Tempest.
I miss The Clash.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I like rap and am going to check them all out. I don't think there are enough young and regional bands and artists coming through these days, any band recommendations?

Not a band but Sam Fender

Oh yes, Sam Fender is.

@Sallytobleroney I read a really interesting piece recently about the decline of bands and how it has been brought about by technology and the internet. Young people who used to form bands now tend to make music in their bedrooms and connect with others with similar interests online instead. If they do work with others it tends to be as collaborations or collectives instead of a fixed band. The world has changed!

Muse.

Check out their song 'Compliance'.

Idles
Cabbage
Vant

with Kid Kapachi is brilliant!

I saw Bob Vylan supporting Biffy Clyro in Liverpool last year. Really good music, but not everybody will like the messages in some of the lyrics!

It's missed 'This collaboration' from the start of my message.

And Kid Kapichi. D'oh.

There's a political song zooming up the charts right now aiming for Christmas number 1... the clean version is called 'Stuff the Tories' 😂

Was going to say Sam Fender.

Quite a few singles which hit the charts;
Hypersonic missiles
Woke kids

Thanks!

In Wales a folk singer called Dafydd Iwan has been popular with Welsh speakers for decades, but recently broke out into the whole Welsh population when his song Yma o Hyd became the 'theme song' for Wales in the men's football world cup. He's like a Welsh Pete Seeger and is 70 so not really up and coming.

Muse
Midnight Oil
C.O.F.F.I.N
Stormy
Rage against the machine

No time to RTFT but Grace Petrie! She's amazing and has a great Christmas song (if you hate the tories)

Manic Street Preachers
Tom Robinson

The Levellers
Chris T-T
Carter USM
Chumbawamba (technically broken up now though)
James
M.I.A

There's all kinds

It's gone rap/grime innit.

I tend to look to singer/song writers and the folk tradition for more political stuff. Martin Joseph is Welsh and some of his stuff is very political, Steve Pledger is another - both small audience singers but we’ll established and know their stuff. Steve Knightley of Show of Hands is a cracking lyricist and while they do a good bit of traditional folk some of their more political stuff is very good.

Sam Fender

Thanks everyone for all of the great suggestions on here - that's my Christmas listening sorted!

Idles … brutalisim and joy are superb. Their newer stuff doesn’t do it for me.

Beans on Toast and Frank Turner are political / social but not punk still worth listening too especially beans

sleaford mods