In getting ready for song selection, I compiled a list of all of the Native American artists I had reviewed; I had been meaning to see who had new releases anyway.
It just wasn't feeling right. I didn't figure out what felt right until I was already four days in.
The first two come from books that I will be reading soon, on Redbone and Robbie Robertson of The Band. Then of course Buffy Sainte-Marie has been familiar to me since I was a small child, and I actually have reviewed her. I always meant to get to Rita Coolidge for reviews.
I was starting off with the bigger names, and then there was an issue, which I will get into.
I ended up using Google searches to find completely different artists and listen to their top tens.
There was one set of results that came up without being linked to another site, and then three articles that I also used.
https://coloradosound.org/5-musicians-indigenous-roots-national-native-american-heritage-month/
https://www.wfmt.com/2021/11/24/7-native-american-musicians-you-should-know/
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/rumble-on-more-native-american-musicians-you-should-know/
For the listening in general, my favorites are probably Mic Jordan, Southern Scratch, and The Halluci Nation. There is a song that I found a bit late for Thanksgiving, but I am pretty sure I want to use it next year. I listened to Keith Secola's "NDN Kars" multiple times.
I loved finding a song based on a classic Star Trek episode: "Edith Keeler Must Die" by Arigon Starr. (Why not just take her into the future with you, Jim? She would have loved it!)
There is that familiar frustration of not getting to know the artists well enough, the way I did in my reviewing days. I get some familiarity with more artists, but less depth. I hope that will shift again.
I felt pretty good about this list, except then everyone was so new that I felt bad using Buffy Sainte-Marie; I had used her for daily songs multiple times before, making her my only repeat.
Then I repeated again for the last song!
This was a double repeat, because not only have I used songs from Buffy and from Tanya Tagaq, but also I have used that specific song before. I resisted the urge to use it, and then I realized why I needed to use it.
Way back in 2014, I wrote a post that was not about Metallica or "Master of Puppets", but that was related enough that it was a good place to capture my insight on that song following symphonic rules. I had mentioned it some other places, but it was a neat thing for me to discover and I needed to memorialize it.
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2014/02/being-music-writer-i-want-to-be.html
I needed to use “You Got To Run (Spirit of the Wind)” once more, and then when I posted about it memorialize how much and why I love this song.
First of all, musically it is an enjoyable song. It also combined one of my old familiar musicians with someone that I found not just by starting to review bands, but by also trying to find diverse artists and stretch.
In reviewing Tagaq originally, the material was mostly dark and discomfiting. Here there was a completely different energy, giving a fresh perspective. Part of that energy was when she calls "Standing Rock!" That was important too.
There was another time period where I was searching for new material among Native artists I had reviewed. At the time, no one had anything new released and it seemed like everyone was at Standing Rock. That is not to say that their time there was the reason there was no new music, nor that it would not be a a good reason if that were the case, but this song placed Standing Rock as a source of collaboration and inspiration.
It's not perfect. The lyrics are probably outdated. If it were written now, I don't think they'd use the "Whether you're woman or whether you're man", because there is more awareness of Two Spirit people now than there was then. The song nonetheless has a solid hold on my heart, and I needed to post about it. Done!
But there was a snag. It goes beyond media, so I will post about it on Tuesday. Maybe it will fit in one post.
Otherwise, here are November's songs:
11/1 “The Weight” by The Band
11/2 “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone
11/3 “The Circle Game” by Buffy Sainte-Marie
11/4 “We're All Alone” by Rita Coolidge
11/5 “Spirit Within” by Burning Sky
11/6 “Kahawi'tha” by Joanne Shenandoah
11/7“ Child of Fire” by Sihasin
11/8 “Lost With You” by Raye Zaragoza
11/9 “NDN Kars” by Keith Secola
11/10 “Superposition” by Nadjiwan
11/11 “Laid Back” by Cary Morin
11/12 “Bring It” by Debora Iyall
11/13 “Sacred Place” by Mary Youngblood
11/14 “Stone Tree” by Bill Miller
11/15 “Pistolero” by Buddy Red Bow
11/16 “Gopher's Cumbia” by Southern Scratch
11/17 “Edith Keeler Must Die” by Arigon Starr
11/18 “It Is A Good Day” by Spirit Nation
11/19 “Road Fever” by Blackfoot
11/20 “I'm a Warrior” by Shelley Morningsong
11/21 “Round Dance Song” by Joseph Fire Crow
11/22 “Young And Free” by Northern Cree
11/23 “Electric Pow Wow Drum” by The Halluci Nation
11/24 “Land Back” by OPLIAM
11/25 “For Portland” by Mic Jordan, feat. Santiago X
11/26 “Strangers In Our Own Land” by Prolific the Rapper
11/27 “Beauty Arrives” by Douglas Spotted Eagle
11/28 “Mirror” by Kelly Jackson
11/29 “Love Is Love” by Quantum Tangle
11/30 “You Got To Run (Spirit of the Wind)” by Buffy Sainte-Marie and Tanya Tagaq
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