Photo by Johnathan Rojas
A message in a bottle
Shows that we speak their language
Would they get the message
From some property damage?
What if we threw a white hot molotov into the window?
New York City electronic act MIDNIGHTCHOIR is on the prowl in the streets of Gotham at night, and woo boy…someone has had it with contemporary political discourse and lip-service liberalism. On the fiery new single “Molotov,” frontman Patrick Bobilin’s brusque baritone cuts directly to the point by asking, exhaustedly, “What if we threw a white-hot molotov into the precinct?”
Bobilin’s fury at the system is not merely the lamentation of an artist scorned. The new album Loverboy Molotov was made with much of Bobilin’s urgency and energy of his political campaigns in 2017, 2020, and 2022. Besides his runs for public office, Bobilin led community action organizations during the 2020 social justice uprisings…got arrested repeatedly while organizing Black Lives Matter protests, and founded a Manhattan mutual aid organization. That social justice work, which had Bobilin arguing with former-mayor de Blasio about policing on live radio, has found its way into the lyrics of the punk-infused Molotov, which amplifies many of the frustrations that inspired his far-left politics.
“After seeing how the sausage is made running for office in New York City and being arrested during the 2020 racial justice protests, there’s no hope in my mind that we can change the system from within,” Bobilin says. “‘Molotov’ was written with the spirit of protest and frustration with the decades of empty promises made by leaders. I learned first-hand that the only thing that motivates elected officials, from judges to city council members to federal elected officials, is fear. Whether it’s fear of their stock prices going down, their campaign accounts drying up, or losing the next election, it’s the one thing that unites them all. With an eye on the lost art of ‘dangerous music,’ I decided to write ‘Molotov’ from the perspective of the 99%. Maybe they need to fear us a little more than they do.”
The self-directed video shows Bobilin wandering through his beloved city, which needs so much change for progress to happen, crooning Molotov with a stunning gravitas. Through this raucous anthem, we can grasp at a glimmer of hope that change is a possibility.
Watch the video below:
The album Loverboy Molotov, out July 14, was made with much of Bobilin’s urgency and energy of his political campaigns in 2017, 2020, and 2022. Having firmly decided to leave politics behind, Bobilin was compelled to write about many of the frustrations that inspired his far-left politics. Songs like “Rising Tide” are inspired by the increase in oppressive policies and anti-LGBTQ legislation – not unlike previous waves of fascism. It also dabbles in gothic and religious symbolism covering Bauhaus’ classic “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” and making several references to sinners and saints. While Bobilin may lean on 80’s new wave and goth influences, the autobiographical elements of the album reflect his experiences in politics and protest. The politics of the album are far left, with emotional, social, religious, and political concerns peppered throughout.
Loverboy Molotov will be available on all streaming services this July.
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