Connections in Collaborative Alchemy
January 2025 Connections Mix Tape
The Together We Shall Overcome: January 2025 Connections Mix Tape can be found on Spotify. Listen in-blog below for a more rich experience, or on Spotify for uninterrupted music. Please note below each song is a link to song lyrics for accessibility. Check out more details on how to best enjoy mix tapes.
Good day and welcome to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy; welcome to Together We Shall Overcome: Connections in Collaborative Alchemy, the January 2025 Connections Mix Tape. Have I got a show for you! Today we explore artists who have worked together to continue a thread of musical resistance from 1978 to the present day. We will work our way chronologically, linking artists from Dead Kennedys (formed 1978) to Prophets of Rage (formed 2016).
As noted in last week’s mix tape, Savage Starfish, revolution doesn’t need to be violent – these artists all chose to resist using the power of music. Some of these bands were formed solely for the purpose of fighting back. How can you be a rebel by building community?
Dead Kennedys are a hardcore punk band from San Francisco, formed in 1978, known for frontman Jello Biafra and playing songs with strong political messages.
Kicking us off is 1980’s “Kill the Poor”.
Active since 1982, American rap group Public Enemy is known for their militant, politically charged messages.
2007’s “Harder Than You Think”, next.
Soundgarden was a Seattle, Washington rock band formed in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto, that helped define the early grunge genre. Remember those names, as they will come up again later. 😉
While most of their music was not overtly political, they did have a few tracks, like our next one, 1989’s “Hands All Over” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, and this month’s theme is Songs of Resistance and Hope. Check out Side A of my theme mix tape, Savage Starfish for fighting songs to add to your resistance soundtrack, and make sure to join me next week for Side B, exploring songs of hope and promise.
Cypress Hill is a group of hip hop artists from Los Angeles, California, active since 1988 and known for their political activism, particularly in support of the legalisation of cannabis.
Reminding us that ACAB because they are operating within a racist system that prevents individuals from being “good cops”, Cypress Hill and 1991’s “Pigs” on KMTJ-DB, Denver, Colorado.
1991 was a great year for music; Cypress Hill released “Pigs”, and our next two bands were formed.
American hip hop band The Coup hails from Oakland, California, combining funk, punk, hip hop, and soul with frontman Boots Riley’s charged lyrics to produce radical political hip hop that tackles capitalism, police brutality, the White patriarchy, and more.
Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, consisting of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. They combined heavy metal, rap, punk rock, and funk with revolutionary anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist lyrics.
Here is The Coup with 2012’s “The Guillotine” on KMTJ-DB, Denver, Colorado.
Rage Against the Machine with 1999’s “Sleep Now In the Fire”, one of my very favourite tracks by them. “The Guillotine” by The Coup before that.
So far, all our bands have just been discrete beacons of light in the darkness. “Where’s the connection?” I hear you scream. Patience, dear listener, for the connections are about to be revealed.
Beginning to bring it together, the No W.T.O. Combo was a one-shot punk rock supergroup active in 1999 only, created to protest the World Trade Organization meeting of 1999 in Seattle, Washington.
Founded by Krist Novoselic (the bassist from Nirvana), Jello Biafra (who you may remember from our first track is the former frontman of Dead Kennedys), guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden (from our third track), and drummer Gina Mainwal of short-lived rock band Sweet 75; covering a Dead Kennedys tune, here is The No W.T.O. Combo with “Lets Lynch the Landlord” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver.
Let’s Lynch the Landlord Lyrics
The primary driving force behind metal band Rage Against the Machine, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Tom Morello, in 2003 produced a solo project with a more “traditional” acoustic protest-song vibe called The Nightwatchman.
From 2007’s One Man Revolution, this is “Union Song”.
“Union Song” by The Nightwatchman.
I’m DJ Ponyboy. If my soundtrack fuels your resistance, consider supporting me and the mission of Mix Tape Journey. We offer exciting products like my guide Chasing Sunshine: A Guide to Educating Yourself on Popular Music, custom-curated playlists, and Patreon subscriptions, with five different tiers of support with five levels of rewards!
From her 2008 album Kala, British rapper M.I.A.’s tongue-in-cheek immigrant anthem “Paper Planes” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
That song samples the 1982 song “Straight to Hell” by English group the Clash, a very political punk rock band formed in 1976. Our next artist covered “Paper Planes”, but M.I.A.’s OG version is too good to skip.
Speaking of our next group, Street Sweeper Social Club is an American rap rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles, California in 2006 by guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and vocalist and emcee Boots Riley of the Coup – both bands we heard earlier.
I’m DJ Ponyboy.
This is “Promenade” by Street Sweeper Social Club on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver. Colorado.
Active from 2016-2019, American rap rock supergroup Prophets of Rage consisted of three members of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave (bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk), two members of Public Enemy (DJ Lord and rapper Chuck D), and rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill.
Prophets of Rage with 2017’s “Unfuck the World” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
Thank you so much for joining me today and every Sunday for another brand-new collection of music curated especially for you.
Don’t take any shit. Build community. Fight back. Take care of yourselves and each other.
You have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy.
Until next time, stay gold.
One response to “Together We Shall Overcome”
I love the connections chart!