The Last Internationale
Vocalist Delila and guitarist Edgey have been teasing their fans with a stream of singles in 2018, looking forward to their album “Soul on Fire.” Delila’s vocal soul and power will pummel your face on “Hard Times” and “Mind Ain’t Free.” I get the impression they are more Marxist than Misesian, but hey, I won’t be surprised if some of their anti-state songs play on stereos at the Mises Institute.
Thrice
Thrice released their 89th studio album in 2018 called “Palms.” It is another great song collection from the quartet and celebrates the common things all humans share. Songs like “The Dark”, “Blood on Blood”, and “Only Us” talk about institutional lies and the need to end cultural strife and battles. Though it’s not as overtly subversive as some of their other material, songwriter Dustin Kensrue seems to be a liberty-phile.
Smashing Pumpkins
Did you know alt-rock legend Billy Corgan (or William, or whatever he’s called) is a libertarian? His songs are not necessarily about ending the Fed, so you might not know it. However, that’s sort of a good thing anyway. Political artists can sometimes make politics an end when it should be a means – a means to let people be free to, for instance, make awesome music and art. The Pumpkins overjoyed 90s fans (like myself) when they went on a “reunion” tour with 3 out of 4 original members this year. To top it off, they released volume 1 of what will presumably be a multi-volume album called “Shiny and Oh So Bright.” It is sure to anger fans that don’t want the Pumpkins to change how they sounded 20-30 years ago. However, it’s pretty good. Corgan’s lyrics are usually opaque and cryptic, but there may be a hint of libertarian dissent in “Marchin’ On” and “Solara”.
LEAH
Leah’s recent album “the Quest” sounds like Iron Maiden performing the Lord of the Rings soundtrack on 8 string guitars with Arwen on lead vocals. Crushing solos and angelic vocals. Leah personally has libertarian leanings, and you can get hints of them in some of her songs.
Brass Against
The world didn’t know it needed a horn ensemble covering Rage Against the Machine songs – until Brass Against existed. And now it’s hard to imagine the world without them. A group comprising a ton of horn players and a female vocalist, they do justice to more than classic RATM songs like “Guerilla Radio” and “Killing In The Name.” They also do wonderful covers of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs, and Living Colour’s Cult of Personality – all songs libertarians can appreciate.
Muse
Space/Art/Synth/Prog rockers Muse were back in 2018 with the album “Simulation Theory,” where they turned the “80s synth” dial to 11. Complete with a nostalgic Tron-style cover, you can resist the system while listening to tracks like “Propaganda”, “Algorithm”, and “Dig Down”.
The Interrupters
Peppy, upbeat ska-punkers put out a great set of songs called “Fight the Good Fight”. The songs are so catchy that it’s tough to not just let the disc keep playing when it’s finished – if you still use discs. They are Ron Paul fans, and you can tell by songs like “Not Personal” and “Age of Outrage”. Besides that, it’s just a great album celebrating comradery, perseverance, and the lessons we learn in relationships.
Zama Rripa
A delightful libertarian artist I just came across is Zama Rripa who recently released his album “American Soul.” He has a vintage sound with flavors of the 60’s and 70’s. One of the highlights is “Blowback.”
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway
Daron Malakian, former System of a Down guitarist and vocalist, put out the album “Dictator” with his band Scars on Broadway. Libertarian ears are sure to perk up just at the album title, and those ears will not be disappointed with the actual songs on the album. There are themes of the Armenian genocide (Lives), some Dictator, well, dictating what you should and should not do (Dictator), and sickening wars (Sickening Wars). Malakian is not one to mince words. And all these gems are supported by the pounding and grinding guitar riffs we’ve come to love from System of a Down.
Want to hear my own libertarian-friendly music? You can start with The Christmas Truce!