Anti-Flag: Making Kindness Look Cool

“People around punk rock are often people who care about more than just themselves, even if that means that they just try to be more kind or open to other people….”

-Justin Sane on Montreal Rocks

Punk is not like any other music genre. Punk is a lifestyle choice–a creed and a community, at least to the musicians behind the American punk-rock band from Pittsburgh, Anti-Flag. This group of anti-nationalist, anti-racist, anti-sexist musicians has operated in the zeitgeist for over thirty years.

To get a glimpse of what Anti-Flag is all about, consider their song titled “Hate Conquers All,” featured on their album 20/20 Vision, which starts off with a sample of former president Donald Trump giving a speech about quelling public protest. It’s a pro-protest bop commenting on the rhetoric that Trump used to rile his base.

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grandson Band: Rocking ‘N Rolling with the Truth

“We can do two things when confronted with uncomfortable truth,” Canadian American musician Jordan Edward Benjamin told Billboard Magazine. “We can ignore the evidence, gaslight the victims, obfuscate facts and distract the public, or we can try and tackle these issues head-on and demand that systematic failure be met with systematic change. I believe art, and rock ‘n roll, must always side with the latter.” A quick snippet from any of Benjamin’s songs will let you know his mind is made up. ‘grandson,’ as he is affectionately known, decided early on that he would use his artistry to talk about hard truths. His debut EP, A Modern Tragedy vol. 1, conveys these truths with thought-provoking lyrics, genre-blending sounds, electric guitars, heavy metal clangs, unexpected bass drops and one-of-a-kind vocals.

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Martellus and Michael Bennett: All African-American

All eyes and ears have been paying attention to what's going on in the NFL. Viewership has been down from a season ago, due to multiple protests and boycotts of the NFL for opposite reasons. The NFL and fans alike are fundamentally a part of a civil war of sorts, where one side is protesting and choosing to kneel during the national anthem, locking arms, or placing their hands on the shoulders of their teammates who choose to take a knee. This comes at a time where racial injustice in America has caused a massive divide among citizens, and has spilled over into the world of sports.

The stars of today have been more vocal in their support for the fight against racial inequality and police brutality that Colin Kaepernick originally decided to take a knee for. Majority of the guys who have been participating are doing so to bring awareness to the hypocrisy of the country when it comes to social injustice and police brutality, piggybacking on the Colin Kaepernick protest. While the other side is going as far as burning season tickets, jerseys, and other team paraphernalia based on their favorite team's participation in the protest. Their feeling is that it's disrespectful to the flag, the military, and the country altogether.

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