Editors Picks | February 2025

As the Trump administration 2.0 takes aim at marginalized groups and runs roughshod over the rule of law, it’s easy to become discouraged and pessimistic. Music often does a lot to lift spirits, and this is a rundown of the best songs to listen to that can bring hope in the current political moment:

-”It’s Okay to Punch Nazis” by Cheap Perfume –

Easily one of the best bands currently smashing things up in the Denver punk scene, Cheap Perfume remind us not to normalize the far right in this track from their 2019 album Burn It Down. It’s a reminder that, just because a Nazi got a PR firm doesn’t mean they’re not a Nazi.

-”Old Man Trump” by Ryan Harvey feat. Ani DiFranco and Tom Morello –

“Old Man Trump” is actually a song that legendary political folk singer Woodie Guthrie wrote back in 1954, not about Donald Trump, but about Donald Trump’s father Fred Trump, who owned an apartment complex Guthrie lived in called Beach Haven where Guthrie felt that Trump profited by stirring up racial hatred in the area. Guthrie never recorded the song, but a few other artists have, and the 2016 version with Ryan Harvey, legendary feminist folk artist Ani DiFranco, and world-famous activist and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is easily the best recording of it.

-”Make America Great Again” by Pussy Riot –

You probably remember Russian punk collective Pussy Riot from the 2012 incident when they were jailed for staging a protest/performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour that was critical of the church’s support of Vladimir Putin, leading to human rights groups around the world calling for their release. Their 2016 track “Make America Great Again” is more of a light-electronic pop song reminding us of what could actually make America a great country: letting in immigrants, listening to women, and not killing Black people.

-”Ascension” by Gorillaz feat. Vince Staples –

On virtual hip-hop group Gorillaz’s 2017 album Humanz, which features a laundry list of collaborators throughout the entire album, Gorillaz’s mastermind Damon Albarn told all the collaborators to imagine a terrible dark future in which Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election. Recording well before the election, everyone imagined this to be a remote possibility, but they still reflected the horror of the situation. Vince Staples’ contribution, “Ascension,” offers up a critique of American culture and a reminder to enjoy life before the world ends.

-”Pursuit of Liberty” by Bad Cop/Bad Cop –

Bassist and vocalist Linh Le of California’s all-girl outfit Bad Cop/Bad Cop is the daughter of immigrants who fled Vietnam for the United States during the Fall of Saigon, as she reminds us that America was once a place that welcomed immigrants. As she shouts “Borders are baseless, there’s one human race!” it’s hard not to agree with her and remember the importance of looking out for all humans, regardless of where they hail from.