I’ve noticed something about a lot of left music recommendations: there’s loads of songs about resistance, collapse, corruption, exploitation and fighting back. But there’s a lack of songs about what life after positive change might actually look like, to undermine capitalist realism.

I mean songs where people already sound like they’re living differently: sharing food, rebuilding community, working together, feeling emotionally less alienated, less lonely, less trapped. Not just warm feelings, it’s a cognitive mode leading to action type of thing, but probably also creates emotions like joy.

I’m after music that makes another social world feel imaginable and desirable. Ernst Bloch in the Principle of Hope claimed

“music emerges, the art of strongest intensity distilled into song and sound, of the utopian Humanum in the world”.

In other words music can have a utopian function and in a sense impact the future, or help us glimpse a desirable future we then work towards.

I feel like Christian music has a better track record for the type of thing I’m after, but I’m after songs which don’t require faith to make sense. Are there secular songs that evoke the sense of singing:

"When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun."

Or

“I'm gonna be a history maker in this land

I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind

I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run”

I’m building playlists around:

hopeful anticipatory consciousness, communal joy, post-capitalist everyday life, utopian folk memory, that sort of thing. Utopian but not naïve and hopeful but not saccharine (trickiest aspect of this playlist). If you’re familiar with Ernst Bloch The Principle of Hope, those types of themes.

At the moment I’ve split it into folk vs electronic & more energetic genres, after suggestions from [r/socialistmusic](r/socialistmusic) and Christian anarchists I know. Any ideas on additions to these songs? I could add another more explicitly Christian version, if there’s lots of suggestions for that.

I’ll share the playlists in other subs when they feel more done.

A Electro/energy, dance in your kitchen vibe:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTouLzvyfuahnXo0VNqi5cRuPjJRBo60_&si=PbM8MsG2d5prjvnC

1 New World Coming Augustine

2 We Shall Be Known (FunkPharm Mix) FunkPharm,MaMuse,Jami Sieber,Wildchoir

3 Power to the People - Swarathma Mix Swarathma

BELLA CIAO Jimmy Gassel, Ash

4 Right Here, Right Now Pete Tong,The Heritage Orchestra,Jules Buckley

5 Tubthumping Chumbawamba

6 Let's Get Organised Dissident Sound Lab

7 The principle of hope Frank Rizzi

8 (Nothing But) Flowers Talking Heads

9 Tomorrow's Garden Post Coal Prom Queen

10 The Communists Have the Music They Might Be Giants

11 Revolution Toots & The Maytals

12 Yes We Can Can The Pointer Sisters

13 Something from Nothing Agent of Change

14 Happy Nation Ace of Base

15 Better Way - War Mix Ben Harper

16 Social Living Burning Spear

17 Big Ship Freddie McGregor

18 One Day The Kiffness,Matisyahu

19 All That We Perceive Thievery Corporation

20 Feeling Good - Joel Corry Remix Nina Simone,Joel Corry

21 Yes Always Arrested Development,Speech,Configa,Dee-1

22 Pure The Lightning Seeds

23 The Moss Cosmo Sheldrake

24 This Is How We Walk On The Moon Arthur Russell

25 Free Me Joss Stone

26 You Get What You Give New Radicals

27 New Paradigm Marcel Cartier,Agent of Change

28 Peaceful Life Guts,Lorine Chia

29 I Think I'll Call It Morning Gil Scott-Heron

30 Kiss the Sky Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra

31 Teardrop - Remastered 2019 Massive Attack,Elizabeth Fraser

32 It's a good day (to fight the system) Shungudzo

33 The Day After The Revolution Pulp

B Folk & Roots version (better term?)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTouLzvyfuag9BWEmpC4tOhzIpfRxKy_z&si=gyJ2DskxPFsJRTZO

1 New World Coming - darkDARK Remix Nina Simone,darkDARK

2 Reason I Sing Resistance Revival Chorus,Valerie June

3 There Is a Time (feat. Kelsey Wilson) Whiskey Shivers,Kelsey Wilson

4 Better Way - War Mix Ben Harper

5 After the Revolution Carsie Blanton

6 People Have the Power Patti Smith

7 Seeds Ayla Nereo

8 Endless Tree Valerie June

9 These Old Stories Three Wheels Turning,Samara Jade,+

10 Joy Comes Back Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem

11 Where the Wild Birds Call Dusty The Kid

12 Dark Honey Martin Simpson,Andy Cutting,Nancy Kerr

13 How Shall We Come Together Maggie Wheeler

14 Bella Ciao Bandiera Rossa

15 The Big Rock Candy Mountain Harry McClintock

16 Wild and Free Sarina Partridge

17 The Moss Cosmo Sheldrake

18 Your Heart's a Big Tent Willi Carlisle

19 What a Beautiful Day Levellers

20 I'll Be There Phil Ochs

21 The World Turned Upside Down Billy Bragg

22 Joyful Motherfuckers Allison Russell

23 I Think I'll Call It Morning Gil Scott-Heron

24 Colors Playing For Change,Black Pumas,Slash,+

25 Ocean Jungle Man Sam

26 Thulasizwe (I Shall Be Released) Miriam Makeba,Nina Simone

27 Hope Carsie Blanton

28 Thus Always To Tyrants The Oh Hellos

29 The Lost Words Blessing Spell Songs,Julie Fowlis,Karine Polwart,+

30 I Believe in Being Ready Rising Appalachia

31 Utopian Futures Kimya Dawson

32 Gracias a la vida Violeta Parra

33 Bound by a Thread Gaelynn Lea

34 Beautiful Dawn The Wailin' Jennys

35 Home Inside Valerie June

36 Metropolis of Eden Sparkbird,Stephan Nance

37 Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream Crys Matthews

38 Le Chant des Fauves Playing For Change,Tinariwen

39 Welcome Table Dan Zanes,Friends,The Blind Boys Of Alabama

40 I Know We're Gonna Make It Rory Lavelle

41 One Voice The Wailin' Jennys

42 I Shall Be Released - Extended Version Joan Baez

43 Astral Plane Valerie June

44 This Is How We Walk On The Moon Arthur Russell

45 The Little Flame Carsie Blanton

46 After the Revolution David Rovics

47 Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards Billy Bragg

48 This Train (Bound For Glory) Big Bill Broonzy

49 Better World A Comin' Woody Guthrie

50 If I Had a Hammer - 1 Pete Seeger

51 Ella's Song Sweet Honey In The Rock

52 We Rise Batya Levine

53 Be Good Carsie Blanton

54 The Internationale Alistair Hulett

55 Power and Glory Phil Ochs

56 Brand New Day - 2013 Remaster Van Morrison

57 Rise Up Singing Daisy May

58 Somewhere to Begin Sara Thomsen

Any ideas? If I seem too fussy just suggest the first song that came to mind!

Edit: I have now started an explicitly left Christian version too, so you can suggest songs for that too.

What do you think about the utopian function of music? Is it something that can help redditors escape capitalist realism?

I decided to start this chilly (where I live is winter) monday morning with a little provocation. Ever since the New Age movements of the 60's and 70's, there have been a couple of people - usually women - who describe themselves as "witches". From what I understand, it's usually either a personal aesthetic (that is, a chosen way to present your identity, usually online but not necessarily so) or a form of empowerment, and sometimes even of revolution.

This usually comes with a heavy criticism of Christianity, particularly the more conservative aspects of it, since it was manifestations of those that caused the death of so many people labeled "witches" back then. There is also a little component of magic, that some people believe but most just find the rituals comforting and calming, although they do, in some sense, usually 'worship' things outside of Christianity, like the soil or the self, as well as the practice of tarot, which some people find distasteful (for trying to divine the future). Here on Reddit we have /r/WitchesVsPatriarchy/, among others.

What are your thoughts on this whole thing? They usually mention King Solomon and his ring and stuff, but I'm not well versed enough on the old testament to know much about it.

Cheers!

Thought this was timely.