This is the first of 2 parts exploring the issues and results of when the "big names" in the music business do social justice music. Music includes: Bruce Springsteen, Edwin Starr, Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, the Beatles, Tracy Chapman, Sinead O'Connor, Ani DiFranco, The Chicks, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, Elvis Costello, Sly & the Family Stone, Patti Smith, and others. Edited by Oberlin intern Griffin Frerichs.

Music included (all excerpts except #31):

1. Bruce Springsteen: War (by Edwin Starr)

2. Bruce Springsteen: I AIn't Got No Home (by Woody Guthrie)

3. Bruce Springsteen: Vigilante Man (by Woody Guthrie)

4. Paul Robeson: Ol' Man River (by Hammerstein/Kern)

5. Sophie Tucker: Some of These Days

6. Al Jolson: Swanee

7. Bob Dylan: Masters of War

8. Bob Dylan: Hurricane

9. Bob Dylan: Chimes of Freedom

10. Bob Dylan: Subterranean Homesick Blues

11. John Lennon: Imagine

12. John Lennon: John Sinclair

13. John Lennon: Mother

14. The Beatles: Revolution

15. John Lennon: Working Class Hero

16. John Lennon: Power to the People

17. Paul Robeson: Joe Hill (by Robinson/Hayes)

18. Paul Robeson: Peat-Bog Soldiers

19. Paul Robeson: Song of the Plains

20. Tracy Chapman: Talkin' Bout a Revolution

21. Sinead O'Connor: I Am Stretched On Your Grave

22. Ani DiFranco: The Waiting Song

23. Bruce Springsteen: Land of Hope & Dreams

24. The Chicks: Not Ready to Make Nice

25. Circle Jerks: What's Your Problem

26. Dead Kennedys: Nazi Punks Fuck Off

27. Elvis Costello: Oliver's Army

28. Sly & the Family Stone: Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey

29. Patti Smith: Rock and Roll Nigger

30. John Lennon: Woman is the Nigger of the World

31. Patti Smith: People Have the Power

This episode features music that was created for various political rallies over the last year or so, including Hands Off, No Kings, etc., and also including a discussion of AI-generated protest songs. Edited by intern Pelham Curtis.

Music included:

1. Ma Rainey: Prove it on Me Blues (excerpt)

2. from "Suffs": Keep Marching

3. Utah Phillips: Ship Gonna Sail (excerpt)

4. Crys Matthews: Sleeves Up

5. Woody Guthrie: Blowin' Down This Road (I Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way) (excerpt)

6. John Lennon/Yoko Ono: Happy Christmas (War is Over) (excerpt)

7. (Various:): We Shall Overcome (excerpt)

8. John Flynn: Five Things (For Me And Mr. Musk)

9. Queen: We Will Rock You (excerpt)

10. Queen: Flash/Flash's Theme (excerpt)

11. C.P.E. Bach: Sonata in A minor, W. 55, No. 4 (excerpt)

12. (AI?): HANDS OFF (excerpt)

13. Pink Floyd: Jugband Blues (excerpt)

14. Ramones: Rock 'n' Roll High School (excerpt)

15. Gangstagrass, Allison Russell: No Kings in the USA

16. Lisa Bastoni: No Kings in America

17. Stuart Stotts: Song for No Kings rally

18. Jesse Welles: No Kings

19. Earth to Eve: NO KINGS

20. Jesse Welles: Venezuela

21. Ben Grosscup: The Money They Stole (From Venezuela)

In the newest episode of Music for the New Revolution, Oberlin College guest host and intern Ben Rosielle discusses new independent music and its relationship to the social media and music technology environment of the 21st century. The music selection covers a variety of genres, looking at the diverse impact of social media and streaming on all kinds of music being created and highlighted through algorithmic platforms. Ideas such as AI slop, Spotify indie, Reels music, indie sleaze, vaporwave and many more will be explored. Interviews include jc of Canadian electronic group friends& and music technology educator and composer Max Alper (a.k.a. Peretsky, f.k.a. la_meme_young). Musical artists include Flying Lotus, friends&, Phoebe Bridgers, MJ Lenderman, Percatric, fyp, leroy, John Oswald, fakemink, Frost Children, Chuck Person, Fleetwood Mac and Peretsky.

Music includes:

1. Flying Lotus: Do the Astral Plane

2. friends&: riff recontextualization exercise followed by master fragmentation and syncopation exercise #1

3. Phoebe Bridgers: Motion Sickness (excerpt)

4. MJ Lenderman: Wristwatch (excerpt)

5. Percatric: Dog Whistle

6. fyp: are you ready 2 go

7. leroy: ...During Pride Month? (excerpt)

8. John Oswald: Open

9. fakemink: Easter Pink

10. Frost Children: Bob Dylan

11. Chuck Person: A2

12. Fleetwood Mac: Only Over You (excerpt)

13. Peretsky: I

Exclusive interview with singer-songwriter Zoe Mulford, including live performances of a number of songs, featuring some new ones. The interview was originally recorded in 2024. Edited by Oberlin intern Ben Rosielle in January 2026.

Songs include:

1. Won't You Come On In?

2. The Blackbird and the Crow

3. The President Sang Amazing Grace

4. The Trash-Pickers' Song

5. The Ark (co-written with John McCutcheon)

6. Our Lady of the Highways

"Bending the Bars" is an inspiring and transformational recording project featuring incarcerated and formerly incarcerated hip-hop artists. David, along with Oberlin interns Natalie Gamino and Eloise Rich, interviewed Executive Producer Noam Brown and artists Chance (formerly incarcerated) and Gary Field (currently incarcerated and also an Executive Producer of this project). This episode was edited by Eloise, Natalie, and Jamie Polson.

Music included:

1. CHANCE, True Akira: Locked Down

2. Kashdat: 8th Floor

3. Corvette Cal, Alphabet Rockers: dangeRush

4. Gary Field, Paul Reid: Tearing Down Walls and Building Bridges

5. FLAMAN, GABRL: Better Days

6. ThaFlame: No Good Deeds

Bending the Bars is powered by Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP), a grassroots organization supporting incarcerated individuals by documenting their experiences and advocating for change.

This episode explores the various types of music used in political rallies, marches, protests, vigils, etc., with an emphasis on very recent songs used in No Kings, Hands Off, anti-ICE and other political events. David & Rodney were joined by Oberlin intern Natalie Gamino for part of the episode, and Oberlin interns Eloise Rich and Natalie Gamino edited it.

Music included (all excerpts):

1. Simple Minds: Don't You Forget About Me

2. Joan Baez: We Shall Overcome

3. Mavis Staples: We Shall Not Be Moved

4. Holly Near: Singing For Our Lives

5. Kevin Slick: Worth Fighting For

6. Palatine & Rodney Whittenberg: Love

7. Melanie DeMore: One Foot/Lead with Love

8. Peace Poets: We Are the Movement; I Have Not Come Here Alone; Rise Up, My People/Oye Mi Gente

9. Paul McKenna: Get Up Stand Up (parody of Bob Marley's song); Hands Off (parody of Buddy Holly's Rave On)

10. Mark Levy: We Shall Not Be Ruled (based on We Shall Not Be Moved)

11. Tobie Hoffman: Con Man (parody of Village People's YMCA)

12. Vybe Band: When I See U

13. Tom Smith: There Ain't No Kings (tune: Down By the Riverside)

14. Fred Small: No Kings for Me

15. Emma's Revolution: We Are the Power

16. Voices Rising Philly: Power to the People (Debra D'Alessandro's reworking of John Lennon)

17. Fleetwood Mac: Don't Stop

18. Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA

19. Neil Young: Rockin' in the Free World (excerpt)

20. Tupac: To Live & Die in L.A.

21. Los Tigres del Norte: Somos Mas Americanos

22. Adriel Favela, Octavio Cuadras, Giovanny Ayala: Sin Mexicanos

23. Peace Poets: A Force More Powerful

Part 2 of exclusive interview with Magpie - Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner, including a live song near the end. Rodney & David, along with intern Valerie Kelner, interviewed Terry & Greg in November 2020, and the interview was edited by interns Jamie Polson and Rory Gielty.

Includes the following songs:

1. Magpie: Roll on Cuyahoga

2. Magpie: Guardians of a Higher Ground

3. Magpie & kids: We'll Make a Way Out of No Way

4. Magpie: Heal This Broken Land (Live)

In this episode of Music for the New Revolution, Oberlin intern Natalie Gamino '26 explores some of their favorite self-care songs. What exactly is "self-care music"? Tune in to find out. From soulful jazz to alternative hip-hop, these tracks feature lyrics that’ll help you see yourself in a whole new way.

Featured Songs:

- open this wall by berlioz

- Lucid Girl by Thee Sacred Souls

- Blind by SZA

- Freefall (feat. Durand Bernarr) by KAYTRANADA

- boy by The Killers

- Doing the Unstuck by The Cure

- Real by Kendrick Lamar

- Free by Little Simz

- Endlessly - Live at NPR's Tiny Desk by Omar Apollo

"Music For The New Revolution" is back with a new episode that dives into the extensive and intricate subject of cultural appropriation. In part one of this thought-provoking conversation, David and Rodney discuss a curated selection of music from the Renaissance to the present, exploring why cultural appropriation has been and continues to be relevant. Edited by Oberlin interns Natalie Gamino and Eloise Rich, this episode takes a departure from our general format, featuring 24 selections across genres and eras, offering a look into how music transforms and raises questions about influence and identity.

Music included (all excerpts):

1. The Beatles: She's a Woman

2. John Dunstable: Quam Pulchra Es

3. J. S. Bach: Concerto In A Minor

4. Mozart: "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" Serenade in G major

5. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor

6. Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor "Resurrection", V. Finale

7. Leadbelly: Where Did You Sleep Last Night (aka In the Pines)

8. Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra: Inventor

9. Ravon Steely Rhoden: I Just Called To Say I Love You

10. Blind Lemon Jefferson: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

11. Taj Mahal: Queen Bee

12. Arkadaş: Compilation of The Best Traditional Music Of Turkey

13. Peggy Lee: The Siamese Cat Song

14. Rodney Whittenberg: Broken Pots Broken Dreams

15. Jake Krack: Hell Among The Yearlings

16. Vincent Gardner, Marcus Printup, Victor Goines, Eli Yamin, Noriko Ueda, Alvin Atkinson: The Saints Go Marching In

17. Big Mama Thornton: Hound Dog

18. Vanilla Ice: Ice Ice Baby

19. Eminem: The Real Slim Shady

20. Siete Nueve: Fuego

21. Diana Ross and The Supremes: Someday We'll Be Together

22. Marvin Gaye: I Heard It Through The GrapeVine

23. Martha Reeves and The Vandellas: Dancing In The Street

24. The Jackson 5: I Want You Back

In this exclusive interview, Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson of pioneering DC punk band Tsunami talk about their experiences as women in punk rock, feminism, their adventures in the music industry, and more. Featured songs include “Skinny,” “Lucky,” “Slugger,” and “Cowed by the Bla Bla.” Recorded in January 2025 and edited by Oberlin intern Sloane DiBari.

Cover photo courtesy of Pat Graham.