SOUNDTRACK TO DEMOCRACY WCRD 2024 MUSIC PICKS

Welcome to WMSC Music Picks, a collaborative collection of WMSC’s music recommendations and reviews. In this installment, WMSC members celebrate World College Radio Day 2024 and create their own “Soundtrack to Democracy!”

“Land of Confusion” – Genesis

Review by Mollie O’Donnell

One of my favorite songs about this particular topic is Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” from one of my personal favorite albums, Invisible Touch. “Land of Confusion” is about what happens when you let the wrong people in charge make problems for everyone instead of love and affection. Although the sound of the song is very 80’s pop, Genesis goes back to their prog-rock roots with the political message of this song reminding us that together, we can stop the problems and make the world a better place. 

 

“Instamerica” – Weird Wolves

Review by Aidan Ivers

A jam-packed build-up to a presidential election. A multitude of important issues are on the ballot. Social media is being used as a vessel for voting and influencers’ lifestyles. What’s missing? A song encompassing it all, of course! “Instamerica” by Weird Wolves successfully captures the stronghold social media has on American society in an electro-rock delight. Off their 2024 record My Dreams Are Calling You, the song uses clever keyboard and synthesizers with roots of a retro-style beat. In writing the song, the goal was to take listeners through a “…perfectly timed satire of American society and Instagram…” with no time wasted portraying the platform with its rightful power. It underscores how people change their lives for participatory media and its increasing capabilities, especially during an election year. Now if our national lawmakers were as straightforward…

 

“He’s Back!” – Joywave

Review by Deepak Sathish

Joywave has never been afraid to delve into political themes in their songs. And it is made abundantly clear this is still the case on their recent fifth full-length record, Permanent Pleasure. One early standout is the fourth song on the album, a disco-speckled cut titled “He’s Back!” The song satirizes the conservative viewpoint of the figure of Jesus Christ, as lead singer Daniel Armbruster sarcastically sings about Jesus complaining about the sick and poor weighing down the economy. With its inherently danceable instrumental, and lyrics pointing out hypocrisy in a modern view of faith, it is an essential song for our current political landscape. 

 

 

“CONCRETE JUNGLE” – Bad Omens*

Review by Deepak Sathish

Serving as the opener for the Virginia metalcore band’s breakout album THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND, “CONCRETE JUNGLE” sets the stage for the record. Musically and lyrically, it sets the stage of a dystopian cyberpunk world. But, digging deeper into the words, the lines have a lot to say about the state of the modern world. Lead singer Noah Sebastian says in a Kerrang interview that the song “discusses the harsh realities and examples the real world sets for us every day. That we allow money, social class, media, and fame to divide us in near-inhuman ways. How we work our fingers to the bone for little to nothing in exchange and they tell us to thank them for it.” Serving both as a critique of the capitalist system of the world, and as a call to empowerment, “CONCRETE JUNGLE” is a standout track off of one of 2022’s most explosive records. 

 

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears

Review by Sola Fide Johnson

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears is a beautiful nostalgic song that I love to play while I’m driving home at night. Song gives me a strong sense of peace after a long day. But while the melody may be peaceful, the lyrics speak volumes. Tears for Fears first released this song on March 22, 1985. The song was released during the era of the Cold War and makes strong allusions to nuclear war. The song speaks about how everyone has a natural instinct to strive for power. But the hunger will never subside, as the more powerful one becomes, the hunger for power will only increase. The song emphasizes how warfare and strife cause great misery and despair.

 

“Seasons of Love” – Rent the Musical

Review by Sola Fide Johnson

“Seasons of Love” from Rent the Musical is a beautiful rock ballad. Both the song and production were written and composed by Jonathan Larson. The show’s context takes place in the Lower East Side of New York City in the late 1990s. The story focuses on the lives of eight people as they struggle to survive through poverty and sickness. The show is very significant as it shined light on national fears such as the HIV/AIDs epidemic and the drug epidemic. It also emphasizes self-expression and exploration. The ballad “Seasons of Love” expresses that even through hardship when people stand by each other and love one another they all become stronger in the end. 

 

“Man in the Mirror” – Michael Jackson

Review by Sola Fide Johnson

“Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson is an iconic 80s song that lives in people’s hearts. It was co-written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garret. The song was made to spread more joy into the world. So many people complain about the state of the world, yet they themselves only spread anger into the world. The moral of the song is that before you try to better the world, better yourself. Make a positive change within yourself to be a positive light to others. 

 

“Thoughts and Prayers” – grandson

Review by Emily “Emol” McCormack

When prompted to write anything relating to political music, my go-to is always a song by grandson. While I typically review his song “Blood // Water,” the song that started my love for him and his music, he has plenty of other politically motivated songs in his discography. Released the same year as the Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting, his 2018 single “Thoughts and Prayers” is just as applicable to our present political climate as it was six years ago.

This phrase is commonly shared after a tragic event, but sentiment is often ironic. The track criticized how gun violence has become commonplace in America, causing for a dangerous and harmful mentality that such a gruesome event is normal. This song explores the idea of sending others their thoughts and prayers after a mass shooting, a common phenomenon in the United States. He explores this through these lyrics: 

“Smile for the camera / Another politician bought / I swear I heard another shot / Cash another payment/ Bled all on the canvas / There’s murder on the campus / Another press conference / Nothing gets accomplished…” grandson refers to how American politicians try to make a good image for themselves while on camera, but, behind the scenes, they are doing little to solve America’s biggest problems, including how frequent school shootings are. 

The phrase “thoughts and prayers” is used ironically in this song, especially as there is so much more people can do to bring about change before a tragedy occurs. 

“No thoughts, no prayers / Can bring back what’s no longer there / The silent are damned / The body count is on your hands…” In his chorus, grandson talks about how hollow the concept of “sending thoughts and prayers” is to those who have lost friends or family because of gun violence. He emphasizes that words mean nothing when little action is taken, and if you are someone who stands back and watches the violence continue, you are part of the problem.

This issue is the same as it was in 2001, as it was in 2018, as it is in 2024 – And the only thing that is going to create change is if the people want it, if the people vote for it if the people fight for it.

 

“(Text Voter XX to 40649)” – grandson 

Review by Emily “Emol” McCormack

How could I write about just one grandson song with the theme of “Soundtrack to Democracy?” In 2020, grandson released a series of four songs all with the note of (Text Voter XX to 40649) after the original song title. Hoping to encourage young, eligible voters, and anticipating the 2020 presidential election, grandson used (and continues to use) his platform to get many of his fans to register to vote. Each song on this project includes a featured artist, including  the likes of DREAMERS, phem, Zero 9:36, and K.Flay. These songs were released in tandem with grandson’s “xxwhy” podcast, featuring episodes with other artists and activists (Weathan, Dereyk Whibley of Sum 41, Kevin Lyman, to name a few) to inspire listeners to get involved in their communities and aware of the political climate.

This sort of activism shows that grandson isn’t just someone who complains about the problems around him, but a man who truly cares about other people and stands by his convictions.

 

“We Need More Bricks” — Neck Deep*

Review by Amber Bintliff

Neck Deep are no strangers to writing political pop-punk anthems. Lead Singer Ben Barlow has always been extremely vocal in his political stance throughout the band’s entire career. “We Need More Bricks” embodies the hope and struggle seen in modern day politics from the eyes of the average citizen. The lyrics encourage the listener to stand up for what they believe in and fight back against the government. The first few lines in the chorus, “there’s a spark, there’s a light, there’s a will, there’s a way out,” encapsulate the exact message that “We Need More Bricks” is trying to get across.

 

“Made in America” — Waterparks*

Review by Amber Bintliff 

From their 2016 album Double Dare, “Made in America” is pretty much the only explicitly political song that Waterparks has released. This pop-punk track deals with distorted online views and the negative impact of it. With lyrics like “We’re Justice warriors when we’re bored you see?” And “We’re online just in time to see: the highlights from these lowlives” frontman Awsten Knight picks apart the way the chronically online navigate political issues throughout this song. 

You can check out Summer 2024 WMSC Music Picks here!

Images from Amazon; “Thoughts and Prayers” from Discogs.

*Songs contain explicit lyrics.