There is nothing a leftist loves more than bludgeoning individual expression through censorship. Five Times August, the solo act of singer/songwriter Brad Skistimas, knows this all too well.
Boomers and Gen X grew up in eras where music was a symbol of non-conformity and, often, a battlecry of generational rebellion. It was a public, shared expression of giving the finger to “the man.”
Today, most musicians are too afraid of upsetting their progressive overlords to risk rebellion.
The New York Times opined that classic rock songs and artists, like Don McLean, Eric Clapton, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, to name a few, should be reconsidered and maybe even “toppled” like historic Confederate statues, to help create a world that is “inclusive and more just.”
When superstar Eric Clapton dared to speak out against vaccine mandates, leftists were blind with rage.
But what is a modern artist to do when pop culture is so entrenched with, and loyal to, “the man” that they are now virtually indistinguishable?
Enter Brad Skistimas with an album of refreshing rebellion, Silent War.
In early 2021, Five Times August began releasing a series of protest songs in the age of Covid restrictions and attacks on personal liberty. His hit song “Sad Little Man,” about tiny tyrant Anthony Fauci, reached #1 on several Amazon and Apple Music charts. Despite the success of the song, Wikipedia deleted the Five Times August page after the song’s release.
His willingness to push the cultural boundaries and rules imposted by leftist controlled Hollywood, Big Tech, the media and the music industry, has come at a cost to his music’s distribution and his exposure. His music videos have been suppressed and censored on social media platforms, and mainstream media is not eager to provide coverage let alone the fawning coverage afforded to the vulgarity laden overly-sexualized music released by the left’s “approved” artists.
Of his rise in the charts, and organic success, he said, “I am completely independent operation which means there’s no record label or team of suits pushing this music to the public. Five Times August relies entirely on fan support to keep the songs out there and on the move. Your kind contributions help fund new recordings, physical album and merchandise production costs, travel expenses, promotional fees, and so much more.”
With that in mind, his rise in the music scene is even more impressive and exemplifies the power of “the people’s voice.”
His music is available through the following sites:
Silent War Album Apple Music Amazon YouTube Spotify
Five Times August was interviewed earlier in November to discuss the new album.
