In a moment where music and activism collide with urgency, The Taxpayers and Ryan Cassata have joined forces for a benefit split 7”, releasing two charged new singles: “Power Trippin Dipshits” and “We Don’t F*ck With Cops.”

Out now on all digital platforms via Ernest Jenning Record Co., the limited-edition vinyl and streaming release directs all proceeds toward mutual aid efforts in Minneapolis, specifically supporting The Open Market MN and rent relief for immigrant students.

Music as Direct Action

The release is more than a collaboration—it’s a mobilization tool.

“Power Trippin Dipshits,” from The Taxpayers (featuring Cassata), and “We Don’t F*ck With Cops,” from Cassata (featuring The Taxpayers), channel raw frustration into sharp, unfiltered punk statements. The tracks operate as both protest songs and documentation—capturing a moment defined by tension, resistance, and community response.

On the Ground in Minneapolis

In a powerful and deeply personal statement, frontman Rob Taxpayer describes the current conditions in Minneapolis as volatile and ongoing—highlighting aggressive federal presence, community disruption, and escalating violence.

Yet, the narrative isn’t one of defeat.

Instead, it centers on collective resistance—a decentralized network of everyday people organizing, protecting one another, and pushing back through nonviolent action.

“They are not losing to a funded military organization,” he writes.
“They are losing to The People.”

Mutual Aid at the Core

At the heart of this release are the organizations doing the work on the ground.

The Open Market MN, a volunteer-run free grocery store in Saint Paul, is helping feed families unable to safely access basic necessities. Alongside this, funds will support rent relief initiatives for immigrant students impacted by the current climate.

The upcoming benefit show will further extend that support to the Twin Cities Trans Mutual Aid network, continuing the focus on direct, community-led care.

Benefit Show Announced — April 3

To accompany the release, The Taxpayers and Ryan Cassata will perform a mutual aid benefit show on April 3 at The Underground Music Cafe, joined by Baby Mahi.

All proceeds from the event will go toward ongoing mutual aid efforts—turning the live space into an extension of the same mission behind the record.

Punk, Purpose, and Urgency

This release underscores a long-standing truth within punk: that the genre is at its most powerful when it functions not just as expression, but as action.

By tying music directly to tangible support systems—food access, housing relief, and community safety—The Taxpayers and Ryan Cassata are reframing what a release cycle can look like in 2026.

Not just promotion. Not just performance.
But participation.

More Than a Statement

With the benefit 7”, these artists aren’t asking listeners to simply engage emotionally—they’re asking them to show up materially.

In a landscape often dominated by passive consumption, this is a reminder that music can still serve as a vehicle for solidarity, infrastructure, and change.

“Power Trippin Dipshits” and “We Don’t F*ck With Cops” are out now.
Benefit show: April 3 — Minneapolis.