10 Hard Left Working Class Bands (Past and Present) to Check Out

Huge thanks to DY Conspiracy for giving me the opportunity to go on a great length about some great bands…

“DIY Conspiracy is a web journal for underground music and culture.

The site launched in 2005, and since then, we have tirelessly strived to embody the creative and community-driven spirit of punk rock, with a strong emphasis on political and ethical values. It is run entirely by a community of international punks for the sake of our enthusiasm. We don’t serve annoying ads and overpromotional nonsense, and we’re not owned by any corporate scumbags.”

Randy Smith of Rebel Time Records presents a list of hard left working class bands raising fists and voices for a combative International Workers’ Day.

“Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.”

Pete Seeger

This is a list of bands, some old, some new, that I feel play the right songs: songs of protest and resistance. It’s a diverse mix of hard-left and left-radical punk rock, hardcore, Oi!, hip-hop, and revolutionary folk. It’s definitely not an exhaustive list—there are plenty of other bands that could have been included.

What ties these artists together is that they all walk the talk. They’re all hands-on, socially conscious, and politically engaged. And since they’ve all got something to say, I’ve let them, for the most part, speak for themselves. To quote Pete Seeger again, “The people are on the march and must have songs to sing.”

Towards a combative Mayday!

Afterboltxebike

Afterboltxebike

“Which side are you on? / That of the boss or that of the proletariat?”

—”¿De Qué Lado Estás?”, Afterboltxebike

Afterboltxebike (named after a song by Basque left-radical ska/punk band Kortatu) are a self-described anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, anti-racist, agit-prop punk band from Nuevo León, Mexico. They’ve got a couple of releases under their belts: the eight-song No Pasarán cassette and, most recently, the three-song Agitación Marxista seven-inch.

Of the band, singer/lyricist Diego Armando has noted that “we seek to give a clear political message to all the people who want to listen to us. (…) More than hoping for something is to do something, to have a presence in the places we can to spread left-wing anti-capitalist ideas.”

Musically, Afterboltxebike play a rough and ready mixture of punk, hardcore, and Oi!—”classic burly Mexican hardcore punk” with songs that “pop like a Molotov cocktail.”

As far as subject matter goes, it’s been noted that “the lyrics are all in Spanish and are what you would expect from an anti-authoritarian band, with subjects such as killing fascists, living in an exhausting working class society, and the importance of reading (read to study, read to learn, read to liberate!).”

One of the first songs I heard by the band was “¿De Qué Lado Estás?” or, “Which Side Are You On?” For Afterboltxebike, the answer (and the way/the path) is clear: you’re either with the bosses or with the oppressed, and this band is on the side of the workers/the proletariat/the exploited. Afterboltxebike knows that class struggle is the motor of history.

Of the song, Diego says: “‘¿De Qué Lado Estás?’ was the first song I wrote. What I was looking for was a kind of declaration of our principles so that those who listened to us would know our political ideas and there would be no doubt about what kind of band we are. It’s also an invitation to question our own participation within society. We believe that the worker continues to be the revolutionary subject capable of transforming capitalism into a superior society in which we can overcome the relationship between the exploited worker and the exploiting employer.”

Important to me is the fact that the band walks the talk, with Diego being involved in a variety of political initiatives and punk rock projects over the years, including Incendiario, his record label and fanzine. Currently, he is writing Days of Fury: A Historical Overview of the Nuevo León Punk Scene, 1988–2009, and he’s working to create the Colectivo de Trabajadores Comunistas (the Communist Workers Collective), “with the idea of creating a nucleus of militants to do the work of spreading communist ideas with the aim of creating a Communist Party.”

Brigada Flores Magon

Brigada Flores Magon

“Class war, class war / We will never give up / Dead or alive it doesn’t matter / Our fight is eternal”

—”Class War”, Brigada Flores Magon

Brigada Flores Magon is a self-described “French anti-fascist and anti-capitalist streetpunk/Oi! band from Paris formed in 1996.”

Musically, Brigada deals in “gritty, anthemic punk rock with a message.” Between 1997 and 2022, the band released five albums’ worth of, as I put it, “militant/combative, catchy-as-heck, sing-along, up-in-arms, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist streetpunk.”

Founding member Victor says of the band’s early days: “We were young politicized punks, close to the anarcho-punk movement. We spent our days listening to music. Punk, of course: Conflict, Subhumans, Crass, Spanish punk too—especially from the Basque Country—Latin American punk, and of course French (anarcho) punk like Bérurier Noir, Kochise or Les Cadavres. But we also listened to French and American hip-hop and politicized Latin American music like Quilapayún, José de Molina or Víctor Jara. It was the DIY ideal that pushed us to create the group: it was about not being a simple consumer but an actor in the local music scene. The idea was to have a group to spread anarchist ideals but also to talk about our daily lives, to make visible the struggles that seemed important to us.”

Without a doubt, a pioneering band that, importantly, pretty much jump-started the whole Redskin/RASH (Red and Anarchist Skinheads) movement in Europe. Says Victor: “In 1999, we created the RASH Paris section and its fanzine, Barricata. Thanks to the presence of Julien (RIP 1968–2024), the drummer, who was a member of the Red Warriors gang (Nazi Hunters), we were an openly redskin group at a time when very few Oi! groups declared themselves left-wing. That said, the objective remained the same: to disseminate our ideals, to create safe spaces for all (by keeping fascists away from our concerts), to create links with other scenes in Europe and everywhere else in the world.”

And, according to Victor: “Politics was an integral part of our lives. It was part of the project. The group was only one facet of our dissemination work, of our political work. We were all activists in the CNT (National Confederation of Labor, an anarchist union), and we participated actively in the university section as well as in the anti-fascist commission. We organized support concerts, debates, screenings of activist films and documentaries. We succeeded in creating a good network of musical groups and political groups in France and in certain European countries (Germany, Spain, Italy in particular). In a way, Brigada was the driving force behind all these activities—a tool at the service of our cause. And I think we succeeded in our challenge.”

Their most recent album, 2022’s Immortels, was a truly internationalist effort, with labels/political projects from Mexico, Brazil, USA, and Canada involved in its release. As one reviewer noted: “Immortels is a fantastic release that should be a part of every revolutionary’s playlist.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Carmen Colère

Carmen Colère

“Total war on the bourgeoisie / by all means, war, social war / social war against capital / general strike and social war”

—”Guerre Sociale”, Carmen Colère

Carmen Colère first came to my attention a couple of years ago via Facebook when singer Je sent along a video of the band. The video was for the song “Ulrike Meinhof.” Ulrike was one of the founders of the Red Army Faction, and the lyrics are from a letter she wrote while in prison. The song was amazing, and as someone who has long studied and written about the RAF, I was intrigued!

Based in Nancy, France, Carmen Colère are purveyors of what they call Boom Boom Punk, which I’d describe as a catchy and cacophonous mix of punk, electro, and jazz. Says Je, one of three vocalists: “Once, after a show in Nancy, a girl came and told us, ‘for real, what you’re playing is Boom Boom Punk more than electro punk!’ She was absolutely right, and now we say we make Political Boom Boom Punk.” In addition to the three singers, there’s also saxophone, guitar, bass, and drum machine!

The band has released a few EPs since 2017, and those have been gathered together on the 19-song Ferme ta Gueule album, released in 2022. Well recommended!

The band’s name comes from a collage seen on a wall in Marseille, France, that pictures a Spanish woman called Carmen C. during the Indignados / 15-M Movement of 2011–2012 (a series of protests, occupations, and demonstrations against Spanish austerity politics). Says Al: “Carmen Rage (Carmen Colère) sounded to us like a happy poem of destruction and resistance, exactly like our songs.”

I asked Carmen Colère what the main message of the band is, and this was their eloquent and inspirational response: “Carmen Colère, it’s more like an anti-message: anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, anti-racism, anti-sexism. These are our lyrics’ foundations. But Carmen Colère is also a monument to love, to self-management, of inclusion, of joy in the struggle. The destruction of capitalist society means also the hope of something else, of an anarchist society, which is conquering in brotherhood and sisterhood. We hope we give people a sort of class war joy, because joy is not only a part of post-capitalism—joy is here, now, in the class struggle.” Nicely put!!

And, in the here and now, band members are part of radical pan-leftist collectives and syndicates, especially anti-fascist groups.

Union Made

Union Made

“Our sweat—is their fuel / our hands—their tools / our fate—to take / our chains—to break”

—”The Great Divide”, Union Made

“Straight out of Montreal, this is revolutionary hardcore”—that’s how the intro to Union Made’s 2005 release Hard Grace begins, and that really sums it up succinctly. Or, as others put it: “old school Oi!-inspired tough hardcore with angry, lyrical righteousness with a left-wing, pro-working class tilt,” and, “thunderous hardcore with hard-hitting, intelligent, class-conscious lyrics that amazingly match the band’s sonic fury.”

Formed out of the ashes of two equally amazing (and well-worth checking out) bands—Street Troopers and Fate 2 Hate—the band released Hard Grace and then followed that up with Alchemists (both on Insurgence Records) a couple of years later.

Vocalist/lyricist Nic has said that “the band is strongly anti-capitalist and promotes collectivist values in every aspect of society. We promote a working class consciousness.” Asked what songs he’d recommend, he suggested “The Great Divide”: “It’s a solid class anthem I wrote after seeing a Jail For Sale in upstate New York with the promo ‘Amazing Business Opportunity’,” and “Some Watch the Trains,” off of Alchemists, which is an ode to his hero, Holocaust survivor Eva Olsson.

The band, and Nic in particular, were active in the left political scene in Montreal. Says Nic: “I was originally part of SHARP (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) in the ’90s. Our work with other organizations such as ARA (Anti-Racist Action) really made a dent in the fascist presence in the streets of Montreal and beyond. With idle hands, some of us created RASH Montreal to direct our energy. I was heavily involved in RASH during most of Union Made’s existence.”

And while the aforementioned bands are no longer around, members of Street Troopers and Union Made (including Nic) recently formed Over The Hill, a band which, according to a press release, “tackles the paradox of being old in a youth subculture, the trials and tribulations of adulthood and some classic punk topics, all in French and English with a few hardcore and street punk touches.” They’ve released an album, Older Not Wiser, on Une Vie Pour Rien Vinyles. Check out the song “Conformist Pawn”!

Urban Vietcong

Urban Vietcong

“We’ll charge together / we’ll attack the sky / we won’t miss the shot / we’ll sweep you away / with blood in our eyes”

—”Attacco”, Urban Vietcong

Urban Vietcong was born in October 2015 in Livorno, Italy, out of the ashes of another band called Trade Unions. They’ve released two records: 2016’s A Colpi di Machete and 2018’s Storie Tra Bottiglie e Ciminiere (the title song also has a great video).

I first came across the band when singer Bebe sent me a video of the song “Attacco,” off their first record. As I said at the time, it’s “a song which name-checks and acknowledges the struggles of the Black Panthers, the Viet Cong and the Palestinian resistance, a song that calls for unity, organization, prioritization and attack.” It’s a song that finds the band “always sitting on the wrong side, together with the exploited, behind a barricade.” Bebe said of the song: “In ‘Attacco’ we express our desire for a greater organization of the left movement, in order to, as Majakovskij said, ‘to attack the sky.’”

Left-radical punk/oi/core is kind of how I’d describe the band’s sound. Others have noted that the band’s songs are “full of rage against capitalist exploitation and fascism and about the struggle in the streets of a traditional working class town”—songs that are “full of energy, passion and rage as the self-described communists take on capitalism and fascism.”

Speaking to what the band is all about, Bebe says: “Music, as well as being fun, and a way to come together, is a means of communication and a way to convey our ideas. In Italy and also in other countries, capital with its means and methods (fascists, police and politicians) is increasingly depleting the less well-off classes. We are only a drop in the sea, but in our social centre and in our own little way we try to do something to combat this, such as defending historical memory (partisans), anti-fascism, the right to housing, and more.”

Urban Vietcong continues to “assault the sky,” most recently coming together this past month with other like-minded bands at the United We Stand anti-fascist fest in Paris, France.

Years of Lead

Years of Lead

“To end exploitation / Revolution / Against all oppression / Revolution / This is fucking class war”

—”Revolution”, Years of Lead

Years of Lead (the newest band on this list) quite appropriately had their first show this past October at Revolution Fest IX in their hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A yearly event, Revolution Fest bills itself as “three days of feminist, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist music.”

Named after the period in Italian history (late 1960s–late 1980s) marked by left-wing armed struggle (Red Brigades, Armed Proletarian Cells, Prima Linea, etc.) and extra-parliamentary opposition (Lotta Continua, Potere Operaio, Autonomia Operaia, etc.), the band released a DIY four-song demo in September 2024. It’s short, sharp, rising-up-angry hard-left hardcore.

They’ve also contributed a track to a benefit compilation for Riseup.net. Riseup.net “works to create revolution and a free society in the here and now by building alternative communication infrastructure designed to oppose and replace the dominant system.”

Former bass player Stakh says that the band “has influences from 1990s NYHC sounds and talks about the state of the world we live in and the tensions we have between a hope-filled revolutionary perspective and a nihilistic point of view.” Stakh is also a member of Union Thugs (see below), and the other members of Years of Lead (Julien, Karl, and Shep) have been in bands such as Action Sédition, Lingua Franca, and Mayday.

Outside of the band, members are involved in various initiatives such as the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), affinity groups, unions, and other political projects around Montreal.

Union Thugs

Union Thugs

“We’ve got to realize; it’s the system; capitalism / That creates monsters, resentment / The poor, the rich; bosses, employees / As long as they exist / The class struggle isn’t over”

—”Ça ira pas en s’améliorant”, Union Thugs

Union Thugs (who say that they “are not musicians, but workers that play music”) are yet another band on this list from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band started in 2017 with one purpose: “To rock folk songs and folk rock songs in order to present a revival of classic popular and working class music with an original flavor.” That said, most of the band’s six members have done time in political punk bands such as Action Sédition and Mayday.

Simply put, Union Thugs play amped-up, accordion-fueled revolutionary folk-Oi!. Originally playing only covers of old-time protest songs and working class anthems from the likes of Woody Guthrie, Anne Feeney, and Pete Seeger, their most recent release, the three-song EP Coup de Grisou, is all original songs. It’s music that is, according to one review, “simply drenched in working-class power and anti-capitalist spirit.”

Says the band: “We wanted to bring back the old tradition of a syndicalist music act that would speak to laborers everywhere. We kinda grew tired of singing revolutionary punk songs to an already convinced revolutionary punk crowd. We wanted to bring what we had to say about the system and how it can be changed a step further. It’s Joe Hill who said: ‘A pamphlet, no matter how good, is never read more than once, but a song is learned by heart and repeated over and over.’ And we think that does make a lot of sense!”

They’re a band that is always on the front lines—a band that has played countless benefit shows for anti-fascist, anti-colonial, union, student movement, community organizing, and other righteous causes. They’re involved with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), COBP (Committee to End Police Brutality), and RASH (Red and Anarchist Skinheads). They’re known for showing up at picket lines, saying: “We’ve taken up a habit of stopping by to visit striking workers, chatting with them, playing a few songs. It’s always a very rich moment of exchange, and we learn a lot.”

Spring Magazine summed up the band’s raison d’être quite nicely—and much better than I ever could: “It’s clear that Union Thugs see the need for cultural expression that represents the ideas of the proletarian, and not the ruling class. By creating art that is not just for, but by and relating to workers, we are able to actually share and communicate radical ideas while also creating platforms for organization.”

Autodifesa Proletaria

Autodifesa Proletaria

“Light the fuse of your passion / Your thought is an armed fist / Proletarian consciousness / Worker’s autonomy”

—”I Compagni Che Sparano Non Sono Criminali”, Autodifesa Proletaria

I first came across Autodifesa Proletaria, whose members hail from both Rome and Bologna, on December 15, 2023, when they released a demo entitled Assalto al Cielo (Assault the Sky). Says guitarist Gio: “The band was born from the urge to express our political point of view in the punk and Oi! scene, and to say that politics must be central in the punk scene and movement.”

The demo was dedicated to Walter Alasia, who was, as the band noted, a “communist militant, a fighter, a young son of the working class, a partisan.” A member of the Red Brigades, Walter was executed by police on December 15, 1976. One reviewer said of the demo: “This three-track EP deals a lot with the Red Brigades, both in the samples or the lyrics. Three tracks full of class hatred and a desire to strike back.” Others noted: “Assalto al Cielo expertly mixes hardcore punk and Oi! with some guitar solos with metal references. The powerful and hoarse singing conveys the anger with which the lyrics are imbued.”

The band’s latest release, 2024’s Autunno Caldo (Hot Autumn), confirms that this is a band steeped in and taking lessons from the comrades and revolutionary struggles of Italy’s autonomist and extra-parliamentary Left of the late 1970s/1980s—the “Anni di piombo” (Years of Lead), as they’ve become known. “To say it smells like gunpowder would be an understatement,” said one review. Says the band: “We are young and pissed off just like they were; we want to encourage people to become politically aware and overturn this rotten system.” And: “We put emphasis on that movement because it is a taboo in Italy to talk about that period, but we think it has been one of the best and most advanced examples of struggle in our country, and we think the analysis that those movements did about the developments of capitalism are still valid today.”

Musically, Autodifesa Proletaria are, as noted, a mix of hardcore, punk, and Oi!. The band is also quick to acknowledge its musical and political debt to the amazing Italian political punk outfit Erode. In fact, they cover an Erode song, “Orgoglio Proletario,” on Autunno Caldo. According to the band, Erode’s 2004 release Tempo Che Non Ritorna “is like the Bible and Capital in one work. Only, that album is better than both the Bible and Capital.”

The Fallout

The Fallout

“The time has come to claim our space / To make our mark and there won’t be no disgrace / Workers of the world there’ll be no mistake / When brothers and sisters are united today”

—”Another Way”, The Fallout

The Fallout (out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada) have been fighting the good fight since 2004, have seven releases to their name, and dole out, as they put it: “partisan and unapologetically political agitp(r)op punk rock, songs of unity, inclusion, solidarity and struggle.”

In essence, it’s catchy-as-heck, sing-along, three-chord, three-minute-long political punk rock. “The Fallout are a throwback to a time when protest punk was just as much about the tunes as it was about the message. These guys write catchy songs that are tailor made for you to shout along with.”

“Fist-pumping punk rock anthems railing against injustice, inequality, and the systemic oppression of the people. It’s music in the grand tradition of late ’70s/early ’80s political punk rock and the protest folk that inspired it.”

Singer/guitarist Byron says: “We typically play songs that have something to say, very quickly.” As they say about themselves in the song “In This Land,” they’re “just another punk rock band” that’s written “some songs, about protecting rights and correcting all the wrongs.”

One thing I love about the band is that a lot of their songs focus on or deal with issues from a Canadian perspective—like gun violence in Toronto, migrant workers in the Niagara region, and raising Canada’s minimum wage.

Says Byron: “I guess we think that local action everywhere amounts to global action. More than anything we sing about concerns we have and can hopefully do something about as Canadians. I see a tendency to focus on US crimes while thinking Canada doesn’t have its own shame to bear. It’s easier to point fingers than to look in the mirror. It seems more productive to rage about something we can affect with our votes and our numbers.”

As reviewers noted: “These guys are true believers in the idea that songs can change the world—or at least that songs have the power to inspire the people who will change the world.” Echoing this, Byron modestly points out: “Chant-along working-class hymns don’t create change. At most we’re bringing awareness to social issues. Real changes are being made by real people every day at union halls, the United Way, Canadian Blood Services, the Daily Bread Food Bank.”

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite reviews of the band: “The Fallout make you wanna get up, dance and then go and do nasty but well-deserved things to animal abusers/fascists/cops while happily humming one of their delightful ditties.”

Lee Reed

Lee Reed

“This is defiance / The slingshot rock that fought the Goliath / That full-blown riotous violence, / Smash the system and its tyrants / This is a fist up!”

—”Killshot”, Lee Reed

Lee Reed, from my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is, in his own words, “Kanadian Hip-Hop’s oldest and grumpiest revolutionary rap loudmouth.” Lee’s been at it for over 25 years, first with his seven-piece band Warsawpack, which was signed to Propagandhi’s G7 Welcoming Committee record label, and now as a solo artist making far-left radical hip-hop—or, as he puts it, “old-timey boom bap hip-hop, with a batshit radical leftist lean.”

While a hip-hop artist, Lee is no stranger to punk rock. In fact, he’s played a few of the local punk shows I’ve put on over the years: “From my early days with Warsawpack, getting signed to G7 Welcoming Committee, and growing up in the Hamilton music community, I’ve always had a great musical and personal relationship with punks and the punk community. The ethos and DIY spirit of punk has had as much of an influence on my writing and performance as hip-hop has.” He’ll actually be playing with another band on this list, Union Thugs, here in Hamilton later this month!

Lee is also no stranger to activism and organizing, especially locally. “I’ve played and organized tons of fundraising events over the years, with particular attention paid to indigenous solidarity work, and housing and anti-gentrification work. Raising fists and funds for local causes/orgs/campaigns is a big part of what me and the squad do. We’re always happy to take the stage for comrades!”

Apart from his solo work, Lee is also part of the hip-hop collective Rymethink Collective, whose mission is: “To create and disseminate expressly revolutionary Hip-Hop: to soundtrack & support the frontline efforts of freedom fighters and social movements; to popularize anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian politics in Hip-Hop; to wield words as weapons in the fight for social and environmental justice; and to fly a phat musical middle finger at all would-be masters, and the thugs & sycophants that serve them.”

Asked whether he considers himself a musician or an activist, or both, I think Lee captures perfectly what it’s all about, not just for him, but for the bands on this list and other like-minded artists:

The song itself can act in the way a pamphlet or zine might, spreading radical info and awareness about something. There is that.

But, I think, for me, the true crossover of music into real activism/organizing comes when artists give and use their music for the material benefit of a struggle. Use their performances and recordings to bolster the work of frontline resistance and sites of struggle.

Like, running fundraisers for organizations. Selling recordings where the proceeds go to radical organizations and campaigns. Donating music or songwriting for a campaign site or video. Using music as a spectacle for blockades and occupations. Using music and concerts to help refuel and invigorate organizers in the trenches. That sort of thing.

I think when you can use your music to support struggle, in meaningful and material ways—you are properly using your art as activism. And I’ve always worked hard to do that.

The Fallout – Videos

… a few hastily assembled videos for various songs from The Fallout …

THE FALLOUT – WAR WITHOUT END

footage: “Pig Power (Newsreel #23)” / students take to the streets in New York and Berkeley to protest the Vietnam War

from: “What Is Past Is (Still) Prologue” / 202 / Rebel Time Records / Red Menace Records

Headline in the paper today
About fighting for democracy
Bombs tear human flesh apart
Watch the world turn away
What can I do? What can I say?
I don’t know
What you gonna do? What you gonna say?
You don’t know
Another imperialist action
War without end
Nationalist destruction
War without end
No international reaction
War without end
When it’s all for one
And none for all
Headache in the paper today
About fighting for liberty
Guns shoot civilians to death
Watch the world turn away
Protest seem to fall on dear ears
No one cares?
Apathy fulfilling my fears
No one cares?
Are they going to have the final word?
Am I ever going to be heard?

THE FALLOUT – ACTION TODAY

footage: “We Shall March Again” / A dynamic film of the October 1965 Berkeley Peace march, which builds to a showdown as the marchers meet a solid wall of Oakland police / 1965

from: “(Still) Turning Revolution Into Money” / 2020 / Rebel Time Records / Red Menace Records

When tomorrow comes
I’ll see the sun
Rise up for me
A brand new day

I’ll be ten feet tall
Nothing at all
Gets the best of me
Or my insecurities

Today
Action today
Like the sun, freedom comes, everyday

I’ll never lose
Temptations are refused
Won’t get pushed around
I’ll stand my ground

Today starts rapidly
Feel and force my way
Blind insanity
Tries and retards me

Chorus

Nothing holds a grip
Rigging starts to slip
Scores my brain
Stressed and strained

Never give up the chase
I’m not failing safe
The fight inside of me
Focuses my energy

THE FALLOUT – ANOTHER WAY

footage: “Oil Strike” / Newsreel / 1969: “In January, 1969 oil workers in Northern California struck. The local police and the Standard Oil goon squads attacked the strikers and their families, killing one and injuring others. The striking students from San Francisco State were asked to join the struggle. For the first time workers and students fight together against their common enemy.

from: “(Still) Turning Revolution Into Money” / 2020 / Rebel Time Records / Red Menace Records

Day by day
They try to break your body and take your mind
There’s another way
Stand in union, we’ll be just fine

They’ll try to take your life, try to take your cash
But history teaches every systems must crash
You work so hard to try and make a cent
But everything you try just doesn’t make a dent

You get just enough to keep your mind closed
To prevent the truth from being exposed
No one should vanish without a trace
So get off your ass and get out of this place

The time has come to claim our space
To make our mark and there won’t be no disgrace
Workers of the world there’ll be no mistake
When brothers and sisters are united today

The Fallout – “Casualty” EP

Hot on the heels of their “The Times Have Never Changed” album, The Fallout are back with “Casualty,” a four-song, digital-only release.

As always, a free / pwyc release on Bandcamp. Of course, you can stream it on Spotify, Youtube, etc., etc., as well.

Released by Discos Machete (Mexico) and Rebel Time Records (Canada).

Dig it!

Here’s a review of the EP from A.J. and The Punk Site:

“It’s only been six months since Canada’s The Fallout released the impressive “The Times Have Never Changed” album but now they’re back with the “Casualty” EP, that, as with their previous releases, is available as a ‘name your price’ download via Canada’s Rebel Time Records and Mexico’s Discos Machete imprint. If you’re not familiar with The Fallout then try and imagine something that’s manning the barricades on the edge of the same territory occupied by Anti-Flag and D.O.A., this is political punk rock with it’s roots deep in the scene, but this is not a band looking back, this is the sound of a band facing the future and tackling it head on.

What you get on the “Casualty” EP is four tracks that are delivered in around eight minutes, the EP’s title track launches you straight into a manic and timely blast of energy, the second wave of “Miracles For Sale” takes on religion and challenges blind faith with a blast of straight up old school punk rock. The throttle is twisted and we get back up to speed with a hit of melodic punk rock that raises a middle finger at religion and politics, that is appropriately titled ‘Same Old Shit‘. The “Casualty” EP bows out with ‘Warpath‘ another barbed slice of stripped down straight up political punk rock.

The Fallout are a band that keep the flag burning in the tradition of the best political punk bands, the energy on display backs up the political conviction, and make no mistake, both are equally important elements of The Fallout. “Casualty” combines a die hard D.I.Y. attitude & a genuine conviction, this is all delivered with a generous punk heart, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by checking this out. If you love your punk with a direct, coherent and energetic message then this is for you. The Fallout are a band who do what they do purely because it’s what they love and to say what needs to be said.”

You can stream and download the “Casualty” EP via Rebel Time Records and Discos Machete”

Here’s videos for a couple of the songs:

footage: G20 demo /police kettling protesters at Queen St. & Spadina Ave. / Toronto / June 26, 2010

They burst in
Stop and stare
Feel the burn
The flame flares
Kicked in the head
Bloody gash
Floor turns red
You’re fading fast
Casualty
Freedom’s a casualty
Tried to recall
A better time
The downfall
The highest climb
The sun dawns
Day breaks
Your freedom
What they take

footage: women’s marches against gender violence and femicide and for legal abortion / Mexico City / 2020

From a thousand towns
Their heading down
On the warpath
As if you needed proof
Manifested youth
Are on the warpath
A system self reverent
Unable to remain silent
Will get torn apart

As we march along the warpath

Students make plans
Workers take stands
On the warpath
Fathers and sons
Have just begun
Down the warpath

Daughters and their mothers too
Will decide and they shall choose
Lead from the heart
As we march down the warpath

The Fallout – Same Old Shit And Some New Shit

The Fallout will be releasing a digital EP very shortly!

Here’s something to hold you over until the EP drops.  The song “Same Old Shit”was written by bass player Patty O’Lantern many years ago whilst he was a member of The Embarrassments. It was inspired, says Patty, “by Basquiat artwork. I wrote it just after Bush won his 2nd term.”

THE FALLOUT – SAME OLD SHIT
… footage: anti-bush demo / halifax, nova scotia, canada / 2004 …

Politics and a crucifix the same fight we always had
Blood runs as thick as oil but these days it’s twice as fast
Hatred spills in off the streets and it’s filtered in through glass
And all that remains is this price tag on our backs

It’s the same old shit

Everybody’s got a price and it’s quickly going down
We’re all just dollar signs so we’d better cash out now
In this razor wire playpen we can have fun within bounds
Don’t pick us up we’re in love with falling down

It’s the same old shit

Politics and a crucifix the same fight we always had
Blood runs as thick as oil but these days it’s twice as fast
In this razor wire playpen we can have fun within bounds
Don’t pick us up we’re in love with falling down

It’s the same old shit

“The Times Have Never Changed” – Review

Thanks to Lord Routledge at the Faster and Louder blog for the very kind, very nuanced review of “The Times Have Never Changed” … here it is, in both english and spanish:

“The Fallout’s new album could not be any more of a soundtrack to this moment. It’s packed full of fist-pumping punk rock anthems railing against injustice, inequality, and the systemic oppression of the people. It’s music in the grand tradition of late ’70s/early ’80s political punk rock and the protest folk that inspired it. This Toronto-based band has been active since 2004 and strives to write “songs of unity, inclusion, solidarity and struggle”. It’s inspiring now to see so many people finally waking up to injustice in the world and getting angry about it. The Fallout have been angry from the start, and they’re ready as always to take up the fight.

Out on Rebel Time Records and Discos Machete, The Times Have Never Changed opens with the premise that the protest music of the past promised change that has yet to be delivered. That’s not a cynical statement so much as it is a message that the struggle has yet to be won. Over the course of 15 tracks, it’s clear that The Fallout reserves all of its cynicism for institutions of power, which must be resisted and confronted if real change is to ever occur. So don’t let the album title fool you. These guys are true believers in the idea that songs can change the world – or at least that songs have the power to inspire the people who will change the world. If you can watch authority clash with dissent at this moment and honestly side with authority, this is clearly not the band or album for you. The Times Have Never Changed rages against everything from endless wars to partisan politics to institutionalized homophobia to organized religion to police brutality to the marginalization of sex workers. It’s full of urgency, passion, and absolute conviction. Sometimes the whole idea of “political punk” can turn people off because the music tends to be generic at best or an afterthought at worst. But The Fallout is a throwback to a time when protest punk was just as much about the tunes as it was about the message. These guys write catchy songs that are tailor made for you to shout along with. The music is powerful and aggressive but also fun to listen to. And that’s the way it ought to be. If a song is going to inspire people, it has to be inspiring. Songs like “Red Light Union” and “Raise Your Flag” will have you fired up to run through a brick wall for the cause! This is “street” punk in the truest sense of the term – music for the people that is relevant to what’s actually happening on our streets.

Certainly when this album was being prepared for release, the band and labels had no idea it would arrive on the eve of a mass protest movement of historic proportions. But the injustices and inequality that ignited this movement have persisted for generations. I used to assume that most people had the sense to know that racism is wrong and fascism is bad. But in this modern-day Bizarro World where anti-fascists are suddenly “terrorists”  and not wanting cops to murder people of color is a “divisive” position, it’s clear that nothing is obvious. We can’t take for granted that sanity will prevail or that progress is inevitable. We must resist and keep resisting. And we will listen to awesome music while we do it.”

El nuevo álbum de Fallout es la banda sonora de los momentos que estamos viviendo. Está repleto de himnos punk rock que critican la injusticia, la desigualdad y la opresión sistémica en contra de la gente. Es música que se sitúa en la gran tradición del punk rock político de finales de los 70 / principios de los 80 y en la canción de protesta que lo inspiró. Esta banda originaria de Toronto ha estado activa desde 2004 y se esfuerza por escribir “canciones de unidad, inclusión, solidaridad y lucha”. Es inspirador ver a tanta gente que por fin está despertando frente a la injusticia en el mundo y que está enojada por eso. The Fallout han estado enojados desde el principio, y están listos como siempre para comenzar la pelea.

Producido por Rebel Time Records y Discos Machete, The Times Have Never Changed parte de la premisa que la música de protesta del pasado prometió un cambio que aún no se ha entregado. Esa no es una declaración cínica, sino un mensaje de que la lucha debe continuar. Al escuchar las 15 rolas, está claro que The Fallout reserva todo su cinismo para las instituciones de poder, a las que hay que resistir y confrontar para conocer un cambio real. Así que no dejes que el título del álbum te engañe. Estos tipos son verdaderos creyentes en la idea de que las canciones pueden cambiar el mundo, o al menos que esas canciones tienen el poder de inspirar a las personas que cambiarán el mundo. Si en estos momentos de tensión entre la autoridad y la disidencia estás del lado de la autoridad, esta banda no es para ti.

The Times Have Never Changed explota contra todo, desde guerras interminables hasta políticas partidistas, desde la homofobia institucionalizada hasta la religión organizada, desde la brutalidad policial hasta la marginación de las trabajadoras sexuales. Es un disco lleno de urgencia, de pasión y de absoluta convicción. A veces, la idea de un “punk político” puede enfriar a la gente. Pero The Fallout es un regreso a una época en la que el punk de protesta tenía que ver tanto con las melodías como con el mensaje. Estos chicos escriben canciones pegadizas hechas a medida para que grites junto con ellas. La música es poderosa y agresiva, pero también divertida de escuchar. Y así es como debe ser. Si una canción va a inspirar a la gente, tiene que ser inspiradora. ¡Canciones como “Red Light Union” y “Raise Your Flag” te harán enloquecer para atravesar una pared de ladrillos por la causa! Este es el punk “callejero” en el verdadero sentido del término: música para las personas que es relevante para lo que realmente está sucediendo en nuestras calles.

Seguramente, cuando se estaba preparando este álbum, la banda y los sellos no tenían idea de que estallaría un movimiento de protesta masiva de proporciones históricas. Pero las injusticias y la desigualdad que encendieron este movimiento han persistido por generaciones. Solía suponer que la mayoría de la gente sabía que el racismo y el fascismo está mal. Pero en este bizarro mundo moderno donde los antifascistas de repente son “terroristas” y donde puedes no odiar policías por asesinar a personas de color está claro que nada es obvio. No podemos dar por sentado que la cordura prevalecerá o que el progreso es inevitable. Debemos resistir y seguir resistiendo. Y escucharemos música increíble mientras lo hacemos.

The Fallout – The Times Have Never Changed

… “the people are on the march and must have songs to sing” (Pete Seeger) …

… “just like us you want to figure out / the pain and injustice all about / we picked up our guitars / and we wrote some songs / about protecting rights / and correcting all the wrongs” (The Fallout) …

Don’t care about the Bob Dylan you quote / Books you’ve read or poems you wrote / I see suffering I see no hope / The times have never changed / That’s what drove Phil Ochs insane / The times have never changed / Protest songs of ’67 / Against a war you never ended / All that posing and pretending / The times have never changed / That’s what drove Phil Ochs insane / The times have never changed / The more things change / The more they stay the same / Happens time and time and time again / All I know for sure is we have endless, endless war / The times have never changed

… here it is … proudly presented to you by Discos Machete and Rebel Time Records … “The Times Have Never Changed” … 15 tracks of partisan and unapologetically political agitp(r)op punk rock … songs of unity, inclusion, solidarity and struggle … it’s movement music, it’s people’s songs … and it’s currently a free / pay what you can download on bandcamp … on all other digital platforms shortly, followed by CDs … dig it …

… 15 balazos de punk melódico y político … canciones de amor, rabia y resistencia, de unión, de inclusión, de solidaridad y de lucha …

… ¡Estos son los sonidos de la revolución! …

It’s happening again / Our bleeding hearts are overflowing / Spilling out into the streets / You tell me one more time / No one can change the world / That’s exactly what they say / Every time we come close to overthrowing / All our despair they hope to shatter our dream of global unity / No one is free until everyone is free / To liberate a world oppressed all we really need is / One more movement by the people / One last struggle for the world / Let this be a movement without borders – without nationality / A revolution without gender / – without sexuality / A struggle for all people all races all ethnicities / No segregation – liberation without triumph in defeat

The Fallout – The Times Have Never Changed

Coming soon, and hot on the heels of the recently released and well -received 4-song EP “Raise Your Flag,” is The Fallout’s 14-song full-length “The Times Have Never Changed.”

It’ll be out on Rebel Time Records and Discos Machete.

Discos Machete is a new record label based in Mexico City.

The label’s raison d’etre? “Machete Records is an independent label based in Mexico City. From our barricade we seek to support, promote and disseminate anti-authoritarian, anti-fascist and politically committed musical projects. Long live the sounds of the revolution!”

This will be The Fallout’s first long-player since their 2007 release”Dismantlement” which came out on Insurgence Records.

As always, you can expect 14 tracks of hard-hitting, catchy-as-hell, sing-along, three-chord punk rock coupled with well-crafted, well-articulated, socially-conscious lyrics. Songs of union, inclusion, solidarity and struggle.

From their bio: Taking their cue from Pete Seeger’s quote “the people are on the march and must have songs to sing,” The Fallout mete out partisan and unapologetically political agitp(r)op punk rock.

And, as one astute reviewer noted about the band: “The Fallout make you wanna get up, dance and then go and do nasty but well-deserved things to animal abusers / fascists / cops while happily humming one of their delightful ditties.”

Here’s one of the new tracks:

Dead eyes with a cold blank stare Black heart doesn’t feel or care Driven only by market share and a need to survive Figure heads full of shit and lies When are we gonna realize We don’t have any rights if we don’t organize Set us up, set us up just to knock us down Gotta run, gotta run run you out of town Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you There’s only one thing left to do Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you Profits first and people last Take advantage of the working class Hysteria created en masse to conquer and divide Lapdog with authority A governing minority Save money through austerity so viscous and bile Some day we’ll finally see Damage and depravity We’ll drag you through the streets as you beg for mercy In the rubble and the decay As your system fades away We’ll rebuild the ash and clay in solidarity

And, what the heck, here’s another new track that will be on the platter:

It’s happening again Our bleeding hearts are overflowing Spilling out into the streets You tell me one more time No one can change the world That’s exactly what they say Every time we come close to overthrowing All our despair they hope to shatter our dream of global unity No one is free until everyone is free To liberate a world oppressed all we really need is One more movement by the people One last struggle for the world Let this be a movement without borders – without nationality A revolution without gender – without sexuality A struggle for all people all races all ethnicities No segregation – liberation without triumph in defeat

And, hey, while you’re waiting for the new album, please feel free to listen to / download (for free) the band’s previous albums which have just been completely re-mixed, re-mastered and re-released:

Dismantlement (2007 / 2019)

What Is Past Is Prologue (2004 / 2018)

Turning Revolution Into Money (2004 / 2018)

The Fallout – Set Us Up

The Fallout have been hard at it recording new tracks for release in 2019.  Expect an album and an ep!

Here’s a track from the upcoming album. The track is “Set Us Up” and the album will be titled “The Times Have Never Changed.”

Dead eyes with a cold blank stare
Black heart doesn’t feel or care
Driven only by market share and a need to survive
Figure heads full of shit and lies
When are we gonna realize
We don’t have any rights if we don’t organize

Set us up, set us up just to knock us down
Gotta run, gotta run run you out of town

Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you
There’s only one thing left to do
Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you

Profits first and people last
Take advantage of the working class
Hysteria created en masse to conquer and divide
Lapdog with authority
A governing minority
Save money through austerity so viscous and bile

Some day we’ll finally see
Damage and depravity
We’ll drag you through the streets as you beg for mercy
In the rubble and the decay
As your system fades away
We’ll rebuild the ash and clay in solidarity

And, here’s a bit of a video!

The Fallout – “Dismantlement (Still)” – Out Now

In 2007, The Fallout released “Dismantlement” on Insurgence Records. In 2019 the band has re-mixed, re-mastered and re-released the album as “Dismantlement (Still)”. It’s coming to you via The Fallout, Red Menace Records and Rebel Time Records.

The album is available at the band’s Bandcamp page as a free/pay-what-you-want download. Bonus track this time around is a cover of Operation Ivy’s “The Crowd.”

And, don’t forget to check out The Fallout’s new 4-song 7-inch “Raise Your Flag And Other Anthems” out now on Rebel Time Records!

Dig in!

A few reviews of the original release:

The Fallout – Dismantlement
Another gem of a release from Insurgence, this time from Canada’s The Fallout who provide you with upbeat, punk-as-fuck, politically charged music. The Fallout’s sound reminds me a lot of early bands such as The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, but without copying ‘em, as they do have their own distinctive sound…and it’s catchy rebel-rousing stuff! They’re socially aware and the lyrics go straight to the point of the matter. This is a great listen and I would advise one and all to check it out…pronto! (Oi! Warning, Number 6)

The Fallout – Dismantlement
These politically-aware Canadians have a mind for intelligent insight and an ear for a wickedly catchy tune. There’s much about this band that reminds me of the early efforts of Stiff Little Fingers, but brought right up-to-date. It’s familiar, like my favourite underwear, but it’s fresh (insert punchline here). The Fallout make you wanna get up, dance and then go and do nasty but well-deserved things to animal abusers / fascists / cops while happily humming one of their delightful ditties. (Old Punks Never Die)

The Fallout – Dismantlement
This is the first time I’ve sat down and really listened to this band and what I hear I really like. ‘Dismantlement’ contains 13 politically charged songs that will have you pogoing around your room as soon as your hear the first number ‘Compassion Over Killing’. From then on this album just comes at you like a smack in the face with a baseall bat. Yep this band takes no prisoners and with terrific songs like ‘Riot Boys’, ‘Meat Market’, ‘Change The World Today’ and ‘The End Of The War Years’ I promise you’ll be won over. If only more politically aware bands were this good then maybe this world wouldn’t be in such a mess. This is Punk Rock at it’s best and not only do you get a superb album you get a a top production too. The Fallout Rock – It’s as simple as that! 9.5/10 (Street Voice)

Catching Up With The Fallout

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… a bit of a catch-up with The Fallout … you can catch the band as part of Spring Offensive 2019, happening Friday, March 22nd in Toronto at See-Scape,  Saturday, March 23rd in Kitchener at The Boathouse and Sunday March 24th in Hamilton at This Ain’t Hollywood …  they’ll be playing along-side such fellow travellers as Lee Reed, Union Thugs, Bring The War Home, Reckless Upstarts, Rough Cuts and more … see entries below for for info … and keep an eye on the band’s website …

For those who might not be familiar with the band, what is The Fallout all about?

The fallout is a 3 piece punk rock band. We are influenced by old school bands like The Clash, The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers. We typically play songs that have something to say, very quickly. We are probably a cross between Anti-Flag and The Queers.falloutgroup2

What’s the band been up to … I know there are new members, new release(s) … give us an update.

After some time off, we have returned with a new bass player. We are lord Byron – guitar, Patty O’Lantern – bass, Dr Bob – drums. Patty also plays in Brutal Youth and Dragged In. We just released a 4-song 7-inch and look forward to releasing a full length some time this year.

You’ve been slowly remixing some of the previous releases, how and why did that all come about.

We are getting our older CD’s ready for the streaming platforms. Dusting them off and FALLOUT POSTER 2 - WEB-01 (1)giving them a fresh polish. Hopefully there are fans who will enjoy them.

[ … as of October 2018, 2004’s ‘Turning Revolution Into Money’ has been remixed / remastered / released as “Still Turning Revolution Into Money.” And 2005’s ‘What Is Past Is Prologue’ has just been remixed / remastered / released as “What Is Past Is (Still) Prologue.” Both are now up on The Fallout’s bandcamp page  and are free  / pay-what-you-can downloads … give ’em a spin … ! ]

The band focuses somewhat on Canadian issues … songs like ‘Leaving Ontario’ which is about migrant workers, for example, and, you’ve said: “ as much as we can, we deal with issues that we can actually act on in our communities. International issues are important, but it’s just too easy to point out someone else’s mistakes while ignoring our own.” Any particular Canadian issues getting your dander up these days?

Our new songs will cover familiar topics. We have songs about respect for women – ‘Holding up Half  The Sky,’ and rants about the government such as ‘Failure of Character.’ Don’t worry, we’re still behind the times, ‘Failure Of Character’ was written about Stephen Harper.

 You’ve got a new 4-song 7-inch out now “Raise Your Flag And Other Anthems” … how about a bit of a run-through of what the tunes are about?


‘Red Light Union’ and ‘Wage Slave’ were written by Patty. A song about the rights of sex trade workers and a rant about working and living in Toronto.

‘Walk in the Sun’ is an old song written by Paul.

‘Raise Your Flag is a song I wrote about gay rights as a conversation with my daughter.

From previous conversations, I know you read a lot and work what you’ve read into your lyrics. Any good books on the go? Any recommended reads?

I recently finished ‘The Case Against The Case For Christ’ by Bob price. A rebuttal of Lee Strobel’s book ‘The Case For Christ’. I think the time has come for honest conversations regarding books of faith. I don’t have much patience for evangelical apologists.