Jun 01, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we look at a study assessing what drives hostility to social welfare programs, plus Trump has trade wars and real wars to consider, Justin Vernon teases intriguingly titled music and NOFX disgrace themselves. More

May 25, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we look at the ridiculous excuses reeled out to avoid suggesting guns play any part in gun violence, plus Trump blows up his North Korea nuclear summit, several male cast members of Arrested Developmentdisgrace themselves, and Lykke Li watches a volatile relationship combust. More

May 18, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

Don’t worry, Trump gets a look in, but this week we’re giving our time over to musician (and just about every other job you can think of) Rev. Sekou to discuss his protest songs, musical heritage, and political activism. More

May 11, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

Back to Iran as the plug is finally pulled this week, plus the fallout is happening already, North Korea is on, the NRA is as polite as ever, and the ‘90s make a brief return. More

May 04, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

Doctors change their story, presidents change their story, the Nobel Peace Prize has a way to make itself even less credible, Death Cab for Cutie return, and Haley Heynderickx channels Miyazaki this week. More

Apr 27, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

Our Gallic friends came to visit this week, plus cabinet positions remain unfulfilled, lawyers refuse to speak, Kanye West continues to court controversy, and Janelle Monáe remains impeccably cool. More

Apr 13, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we look at the ongoing disaster in Syria, plus Paul Ryan and Hungary depart the stage, Moby and Kamasi Washington make a point, and L7 remain relevant. More

Apr 06, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we look at Martin Luther King Jr. and the impact he had half a century on from his death, plus there’re sanctions, walls, pay gaps, reworked wedding songs, and Superorganism. More

Mar 30, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we talk the anti-gun violence movement which seems to be picking up steam, plus scandals, redistricting, Julian Assange, racism, Wes Anderson, and CHVRCHES. More

Mar 23, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we head over to Russia for a bit before returning for negotiations of various kinds, tariffs, election protesting, and classic rock. More

Mar 17, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we look back on foreign invasions of years gone by, plus Trump turmoil, Russian spies, Neil Young laughing at the NRA, and Conor Oberst in his President Bush bashing days. More

Mar 09, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we have Kayus Bankole of Young Fathers talking protest songs and political music, and after detouring through nuclear negotiations, trade tariffs and Italy, we finish with International Women’s Day More

Mar 02, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we’re keeping it in the family before moving on to security risks, resignations, bunga bunga, op-eds, and Frankie Cosmos. More

Feb 23, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week the dear beloved leader fails to score well in a presidential poll, America continues to deal with atrocity in Florida, the Russia investigation refuses to stop, and Wye Oak sing. More

Feb 09, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

Things have gone south and then been rescued in Washington (again) as yet another attempt not to shut down the government fell short. It’s also not been a good week for economic benchmarks, or Chiefs of Staff. For that reason, we close by getting away from the swamp to hit up “Middle America.” More

Feb 02, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

It’s State of the Union time, an event that saw a slightly different Trump from the usual edition. Don’t worry, you can’t keep him subdued for long. Amongst other things, we also have a rouge memo, resigning lords, unimpressive awards, and Austra looking to a brighter future. More

Jan 26, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

We started the week by ending a government shutdown, and end it with the possibility of major changes to immigration law, both good and bad. Plus, Russia continues to plague the White House, men continue to dominate music, and for the second consecutive week we have the sad loss of another favorite. More

Jan 19, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we’re joined by Nate Lacy from Mimicking Birds who talks the wonders and dangers of nature, plus we have medicals, shutdowns, presidential racism, and a sad loss. More

Jan 12, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

This week we look at the talk of Washington town, chaotic battles with legislation, half-time shows, and some more magic from the ever reliable and magically baffling Dan Bejar. More

Jan 05, 2018 By Stephen Mayne

It would be inaccurate to say a lot of us started 2017 with optimism overflowing, but there was a certain relief at having put 2016 to bed. While the misery of a Trump White House still lay ahead, some comfort came from sweeping away the detritus of that car crash of an election. More

Dec 08, 2017 By Margaret Butler

GGOOLLDD are an idiosyncratic bunch, unconstrained by the usual music industry formula. This flashy electro-rock outfit has so far shown no inclination to lock into big record deals, churning out template album after template album. Led by Margaret Butler, they’ve instead chosen to put out a collection of EPs, the latest, Teeth, at the start of this month, and basically do their own thing. More

Dec 01, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

To North Korea we go this week. Following yet another successful launch, we walk back a few decades to summarize the current situation threatening us all. Beneath the prospect of nuclear annihilation, there’s also change afoot in the White House, an insulting president, tax reform, and the Grammys. More

Nov 17, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week we speak to British musician Nadine Shah who covers everything from Syrian refugees to musicians entering the political fray, the rise of right-wing nationalism, and the extent to which she has to address her multi-cultural heritage through her music career. Alongside that, we have tax bills, dictators overthrown, Al Franken, Curtis Mayfield, and some good news from Australia. More

Nov 10, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

We’ve had a year of a world in which America elected Donald Trump to run the country, so we’re talking about the anniversary this week, while also catching up on local elections, gun control, and repression outside Trump’s America. More

Nov 03, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

Well something had to happen on this whole Russia scandal business, and so it came to pass. Which means this week we have indictments and what that might mean, alongside terrorism, tax reform, Tim Heidecker, and a hopeful Benjamin Booker note to end on. More

Oct 27, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

President Donald Trump can pull out of the Paris Agreement, but that doesn’t mean everyone else gives up so easily. This week we speak to musicians Rebecca Foon and Jesse Paris Smith who started Pathway to Paris as a way to bring music and climate experts together for a series of concerts. More

Oct 20, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

As the Harvey Weinstein fallout continues to unfold, it’s a reminder that the crimes he stands accused of are not exactly rare, nor are they confined to the world of tarnished Hollywood glitz. Like every other part of society, the music industry is also riddled with similar stories. We look at that this week, alongside President Trump insulting various people and imperiling the safety of the world. Not that he doesn’t do the same thing most weeks. More

Oct 13, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

After a week off, we return to look at Trump’s regular outbursts, his threats to end aid to U.S. citizens, and efforts to weaken healthcare for the most vulnerable in the country. On top of that, rappers have been calling out both the President and the Vice President while standing up to racists in public. And there’s some Beyoncé too. More

Sep 29, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

Debating healthcare is back, because efforts to destroy it won’t seem to go away. On top of the latest attempts to replace Obamacare, we have updates on tax, German elections, unity concerts, Stevie Wonder on one knee, and the passing of Charles Bradley. More

Sep 22, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

The backgrounds that form the soaring orchestral pop echoing out on Gracie Coates and Rachel Ruggles’ self-titled debut as Gracie and Rachel can be reduced to a west coast/east coast duality. Hailing from California, and now based in New York, there’s the majestic lightness of the golden state, and the urban isolation of NYC. More

Sep 15, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week Benjamin Clementine discusses the inspirations for his new record and the problems he sees around him, plus we round-up Trump’s deal-cutting, hurricanes, mass persecution in Myanmar, The Beatles on the EU, and Mavis Staples on the state of America. More

Sep 08, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

We have deals struck, and dubious friends treated dubiously this week. Oh what it is to see a little Republican discord. There’s also Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, the mistreatment of dreamers, the good side of Charlottesville, and a taste of Vitamin C on offer. More

Sep 01, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

Texas dominates this week as Hurricane Harvey continues to cause mass suffering. Humanity shows its ugly side in such moments, but also its best face. We also include North Korea, tax plans, Russia, and Yeasayer. More

Aug 25, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week we’re going to spend a little time looking at presidential pardons as Trump hints at throwing one to a most undeserving man. There’s also inappropriate political rallying, Barcelona attacks, and a solar eclipse scored by TV on the Radio in the mix. More

Aug 18, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

With the President outdoing himself in a bid to appear like a terrible human being, there’s only really one thing to talk about this week. Still, read on and you might find a few positive developments outside his Charlottesville debacle. More

Aug 11, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week we have renowned Cuban musicians discussing everything from their recent collaborative album covering American songs, to the political relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, plus elsewhere we update on the specter of nuclear war, Russia raids, climate change activism, and the death of a legend. More

Aug 04, 2017 By Laura Burhenn

Singer/songwriter Laura Burhenn, who has recorded under the name The Mynabirds since 2010, has never shied from the world around her. Over the course of three albums, she’s demonstrated a high degree of political engagement blended with subtly catchy indie pop. More

Jul 28, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week Jake Snider from Minus the Bear discusses the future of the right, the state of the country, and his move from one side of the political spectrum to the other. We also round-up a busy and unpleasant week for Trump, particularly when it comes to healthcare and transgender rights, plus there’s a little Iron & Wine to close. More

Jul 21, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

It’s the half-year Trump anniversary so we’re leading with that this week. Mix in a little summary of his various misdeeds, and a collection of protest tracks the man has inspired and we’ve got ourselves a column. More

Jul 14, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week we focus on a different Trump causing problems after Donald Jr’s. desire to thrust himself into the center of the Russia allegations emerged. We also throw in a little bit of healthcare, race relations, Radiohead, and a worrying new political candidate. More

Jul 07, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

It’s not been long since the President in all his wisdom announced his decision to withdraw America from the Paris Agreement on climate change. That will likely come up again during the G20 meeting (more below) but first we have duo Marian Hill demonstrating not everyone has to give up on the environment. More

Jun 30, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

As crazy as political life may be in the US, Britain has its own problems after voting a year ago to completely reshape the country by leaving the European Union. Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family and The Moonlandingz joins us this week to discuss Brexit before we throw in healthcare reform, travel bans, cancelled festivals, and Glastonbury. More

May 12, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

In 2012 the Nobel Peace Prize went to the European Union, a reward for bringing calm to a continent with a troublesome habit of engulfing the world in large-scale destruction, not always for reasons anyone fully understands. More

May 05, 2017 By Charles Steinberg

Politicking is thrust aside this week as Mental Health Awareness Month kicks off. More

Apr 21, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

This week we’re going to build bridges, albeit of a temporary and highly specific kind. Because if there’s one thing that unites people, it’s the confusion, frustration, and panic brought on by the tax filing deadline. More

Apr 14, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

If there’s one thing we can say for President Trump, it’s that he’s been a boon for creativity. The mere thought of his residence in the White House sent a number of artists into spasms of rage, prompting a flurry of protest songs. More

Apr 07, 2017 By Stephen Mayne

Welcome one and all to Soundtracking the Resistance, our brand new shiny politics column. It’s a bumpier world out there these days, and each week we’ll be here to keep you clued in, and to demonstrate how music can guide you through.