For my podcast this semester I would like to choose Sardines by Kid Kapichi or Memory Boy by Tigercub.
Tigercub has quickly become one of my favorite bands but Memory Boy is a song I’ve only just now listened to. This song is on their debut album, “Abstract Figures in the Dark”, which was released in 2016, which was the height of the UK refugee crisis. The entire album is written about the crisis. I like this song specifically because of the ambiance of the song and how it truly feels like a modern punk protest song.
Sardines by Kid Kapichi is a punk song written about the monotonous feeling of working a 9-5. Kid Kapichi is a UK punk band who mainly focuses on telling their audience it’s okay to be mad and want to be rebellious especially when it comes to the government or capitalistic views. Sardines, has a harsh background sound and hard visuals to go with it and makes you tap into your inner anger.
I think either of these songs could lead me a bit back into the past of England and the legislations that may have been made during the release of these songs that sparked their creation. This could also lead me down a path of public opinions about the issues and how they effected the social sphere at the time.
Both of the bands I have chosen are based out of England. I chose them partly for this reason. I am a UK citizen and I feel like I missed big issues like this that lead to big movements such as Brexit and how it affected people living in the country outside of my own family.
The thing I worry most about in completing this project is because in comparison to some other artists who make protest music, these bands have a fairly small listening base. As of right now, I’m not sure if this would affect my ability to reach the time limit of the podcast.
September 19, 2023 at 9:16 am
Maddie,
I was hoping you would choose songs no one else has ever considered and I’m pleased that you did. They are both fascinating examples, and offer two windows into UK culture and politics — the first, race and immigration; the second, labor and politics. Both will require, as you suggest, significant discussion of the historical context, but I think “Memory Boy” will be the one that keeps your interest. It will bring you back to the events surrounding the Rock and Racism concerts in 1978 (spurred by racist statements by David Bowie and Eric Clapton and the rise of white nationalism in England). The Clash and other punk bands played it. I’ve been wanting to cover it in class for years but haven’t been able to. You can see a trailer for a documentary at: https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/white-riot-rock-against-racism
The only issue with “Memory Boy” is that the lyrics are sparse and repetitive, so you will need to find lots of context to fill in for the lack of discussion of the lyrics.
Looking forward to it!
Bill