I think the album name "Wide Awake!" (in addition to the eponymous song on the record) is a play on the term "woke." As in they're conscious/aware of sociopolitical issues, particularly in the US.
'Violence' is a critique of violence in the United States, and speaks to how increasingly numb we are becoming to it: 'Savage is my name because Savage is how I feel When the radio wakes me up with the words "suspected gunman" ' is an especially poignant lyric today, 5 years later. Every time I see a new report of a school shooting I think of this song.
'Before the Water Gets Too High' is pretty self-explanatory based on the title as well, the song describes how we prioritize profit over environmental protection in a capitalist society, but the money we make won't matter once the earth is fucked and Wall Street is underwater. The song also touches on wealth disparity, but that too will be irrelevant eventually "when the rich become refugees". And maybe that is what it will take for change to happen, but it may be too late at that point.
'Normalization' speaks about the normalization of the toxic culture of our political discourse. Which again, is very relevant still and seems to have only gotten worse since 2018.
The final song 'Tenderness' is forward-looking and ends the record on a lighter note, and to me is about how the new generation can enact change, and about the hope that the world can be more "tender' and kind.
Not all the tracks could be considered 'protest' songs, Freebird II and Death Will Bring Change (which is actually about how one of the band members lost his sister in a car accident, and how that affected him) are a lot more introspective rather than a commentary on society.
But overall, and also the fact that they chose to name it Wide Awake, the tone of the record is very much a protest of sorts to various issues we face in the US and across the world.
I am not sure if this counts as a protest album, but Wide Awake! by Parquet Courts touches on gun violence, oppression, environmentalism, and the merits of socialism. They have a post-punk vibe. Really great album outside of the message as well, it was my favorite from 2018 and one of my favorite albums in general.
The opening track entitled 'Total Football' is a manifesto of sorts, drawing a metaphor between total football, an originally Dutch tactical system in soccer in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team, and the call for collectivism between all sectors of society to fight against oppression. And as I said, outside of the message, it also just rocks.
Fontaines are dope. I saw them open for Idles at a basement venue in Washington DC years ago, I assumed they were a local band because they had DC in the name, but once I heard their accents I figured that wasn't the case lol.
Honestly, I think most musicians don't care about the categorization or genre labels. Country and Americana could be interchangeable for the most part, but Americana seems a little broader to me. Per your example, Childers has more of a bluegrass influence, while Wall has more of a cowboy/western country influence. Both of those genres are certainly under the country and americana umbrellas.
Cannot wait for the new QOTSA record. King Gizzard is also a great suggestion - those guys are so prolific. Saw them live for their Infest the Rats' Nest tour and they kicked ass.
I actively seek new music (and discover older music that I previously didn't listen to, just like you described) but also have bands that I've been a fan of since I was a kid that I still listen to. I exclusively listened to 60s and 70s rock when I was growing up, Zeppelin and The Beatles are still two of my favorite bands, but I have definitely expanded my palette since then. I agree that the "music these days" take is a tired one; if your only source of new music is the hits radio, of course, it will all sound the same.
I have this beef with people who say new country music sucks (or any genre for that matter) - sure there are bro-country singers that only sing about trucks and beer, but there are also insanely talented country musicians and songwriters out there right now.
Brutal Hearts by Diplo, Dove Cameron, and Johnny Blue Skies (aka Sturgill Simpson) isn't getting as much traction as I thought when it came out, but Sturgill Simpson can do no wrong imo.
Jason Isbell is one of the best song writers of our time
The vocalist is actually also the drummer! They're a bit out there but their last album Bright Green Field is a fave of mine. They remind me a bit of the Talking Heads.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Not bad so far. I just finished The Dark Tower series (loved it) so it is definitely an adjustment.
I'd hate to be a running back in the league right now. It's crazy how replaceable they are.