DJ Rawskillz (Anishnaabe) is climbing back on top with Twin City Vibe promotions partner Mz Lady Delight after a 7-year hiatus
DJ Rawskillz, aka Bradley Ellis, is a member of the Leech Lake Band and started his career in hip-hop back in 1998. He ranked as the #1 DJ in Minneapolis-St Paul when he won the Sound Clash battle between the best of the nightclub DJ's in 2000. He returned to the scene this spring and says he "is hungry once again to regain his spot at the top." Now Bradley Ellis is a Promoter, Booking Agent, Producer and a DJ, destined for further success.
RPM had a chance to sit down with singer/songwriter Don Amero via Skype for some conversation about music and motivation.
Don Amero speaks to us about his beginnings, his present and his future as well as sharing some insight on the music business and the artists he'd most like to work with.
DJ emit_rapture, aka Anthony Dorion, is a deephouse and techhouse DJ and a member of Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Manitoba.
He started out as a promoter for Edmonton clubs in the late 90s, but soon became better known as a DJ, playing house music at local nights in Alberta. Now a resident of Calgary, Alberta, he says he has "a voracious appetite for music. I try to make a conscious effort to seek out new music because it kind of drives me nuts when I have to listen to a DJ that plays sets full of so called classics." DJ emit_rapture misses the days of vinyl but is perfectly happy with CDs or Traktor Scratch. His latest mix, I'll Be Your Stereo, will keep you bumping through your day with its driving bass and textured drum beats.
Our good friend Clarence Two Toes has released a new comedy album, Live in Red Lake, on a pay-what-you-want scale.
Anishinaabe comedianRyan McMahon aka Clarence Two Toes has a new album out, available on Bandcamp, that can be purchased on a pay-what-you-want scale. The album is a LIVE show that was recorded in Red Lake, Minnesota.
This is an internet-only release only available for a limited time, so get your copy soon and support Indigenous comedy!
Yankton Sioux internet radio host Brian Lush shares his insight about the business of internet radio and his personal experiences working in Indigenous music culture.
Brian Lush is the founder and editor-in-chief of internet radio station Rockwired.com and he curates Indigenous music on his show Aboriginal Sounds, which recently came across our desks here at RPM. We had the chance to talk with Brian and hear some of his insights about creating an internet radio show.
Secwepemc and N\'laka pamux, Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician and filmmaker. Chris does not confine his music to genre. While making art on a daily basis and working, it seems he uses whatever medium suits the creative idea best. It can range from roots to metal, from acoustic to this little spoken word ditty he sent us... that we love. You may not know what you're going to get from Chris with each new track you tune into, but you know it's going to be good.
DOWNLOAD: Chris Bose - "Words Are the Devil"
In episode nine, RPM turns up the volume on Indigenous rock music, from metal to punk.
Our host Ostwelve talks with Cree/Dene vocalist and guitarist Veronica Johnny from the rock and roll couple The Johnnysabout it never being too late to live your dream, and just what can be accomplished when you focus on your career; Ojibwe Wayne Restoule - who rocks guitars, keyboards and vocals in progressive rock band Weaselhead - describes how the stories from the band's family and community came through to create their concept album A Residential School Story, and vocalist and bass player Loren Anthony from the Navajo metal band Bloodlinelinks the warrior in his bloodline to the music he makes today.
Navajo/Diné artist Dylan Mclaughlin's style of post-rock ambient is both haunting and serene. From Kayenta, AZ, Dylan creates installations, film and photograph but finds solice in making music and has been doing so for the past eight years. Dylan has dabbled in everything from experimental prog-rock to garage and punk rock. His more current projects consist of experimental shoe-gaze and ambient noise. This track in particularis simply gorgeous.
DOWNLOAD : Dylan McLaughlin - "Liebe"
Dean-O-Matic (Sioux-Dakota Whitecap) is an old school DJ in the Canadian electronic music scene. He says what makes him old school, besides his age, are his values - "God is a DJ. Life is a dance floor. Love is the rhythm. You are the music". Dean-O-Matic emerged from the Plastic Puppet Motive in the 90's out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and is the former "Flatlands" creator and columnist for Tribe Magazine. These days he lives in Calgary, Alberta, where he claims he is a semi-retired DJ. You can still find his brand of ethereal deep, textured, trance mixes up on his Soundcloud though, including this recent mix - Pioneer DJ.DOWNLOAD: Dean-O-Matic's Mix "Pioneer DJ" Pioneer DJ 24SEP11 by Dean-O-Matic
RPM talks to queer-post-punk-electronic musicians and promoters Brad Charles and Hansen Ashley about throwing a hundred year party for Navajos, and how to rock it Discotays style.
The Discotays are a duo from New Mexico and Utah now located on the Navajo reservation. Often described as “fun dance music” or “electro punk”, they create music using a drum machine, guitars, keyboards and laptops. Brad Charles (Navajo) and Hansen Ashley (Navajo/Zuni) like to make lo-fi, no-wave/post punk music and just put on the first Indie/Electronic music showcase for the Navajo Nation Fair.
RPM: What was cool about this past weekend's Indie/electronic showcase TheDiscotays put on for the Navajo Nation's 100 year fair?
DT: It's the first of its kind ever. Well, there is usually festivals that are aimed towards metal or country (music) on the rez - never electronic/indie music. And the fact that it was sponsored by the Northern Navajo Fair Board was quite impressive. We heard later in the night that the Navajo Nation fair wants to have the same festival at their fair next year with all the same performers and more.
RPM: How long have you been together? How did you meet?
DT: We have been together as a band for almost three years now, but known each other for over five years.We met years ago in Tucson when Hansen was still a youngster. I (Brad) was living in Tucson at the time, moved back to the reservation and went to a mutual friends and got reaquainted with Hansen.
RPM: How and why did you start The Discotays?
DT: We started using just one keyboard, and (both) felt like there was a lack of visibility of queer artists on the reservation. We wanted to make music that we loved, enjoyed, responded well to. A lot of D.I.Y. influence also.
RPM: What do each of you contribute?
DT: Hansen is a great artist - he paints. Also we both make bags out of vintage fabrics, recycled fabrics, vintage buttons, and quilts as well. Hansen does all the art for covers and also silk-screens t-shirts. I usually help with sewing CD covers and the inserts. Hansen does all the programming and making beats. We both write lyrics together and come up with melodies. Right now we are sharing vocal duties, but Hansen does the other stuff, playing the keyboards, guitar, it varies though from show to show... sometimes we do songs where I play some guitar or some keyboard.
RPM: What would be The Discotays' dream project?
BC: Supporting and working with other artists, working with other musicians we really enjoy. Art projects on the reservation, like art installations, etc. Open up an infoshop on the reservation targeting the queer youth. Plus start a label of some sort to get the music that we love on the reservation out into the world.
RPM: We love that song with the heavy lyrics but still a really catchy dance beat.
BC: Yeah its called Death. It is about all these stars that are gay, or died of AIDS. Sylvester, Rock Hudson, Perkins, Robert Reed, Freddie Mercury, Steve Rubell. It's just off of a demo. Not on any album yet. That is what is nice. That it is so dance-able. I get chills at times when we perform that song.
Cherokee artist Michael Bucher comes from the strong tradition of making folk roots music as a means for a message. Michael's work speaks to defending Sacred Sites, combating the high rates of Native teen suicide and sharing Cherokee legends. His passion for these issues imbues his music with an urgency and heartfelt emotion that is inescapable to the listener. A back-to-back Nammy winner, Michael blends his vocals with a mix of contemporary folk, blues and rock with the traditional sounds of drum and flute. The balance is beautiful. And so is this track.
DOWNLOAD: Michael Bucher - "Don't Forget About Me"
RPM Records
Revolutions Per Minute is a global new music platform, record label, and boutique agency for Indigenous music culture. RPM’s mission is to build a visionary community of Indigenous artists and to introduce Indigenous music to new audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. Our main site, RPM.fm, has featured the work of more than 500 Indigenous artists and shared their music across our social networks of more than 275,000 followers.
RPM Records is the first of its kind: a label for contemporary, cross-genre Indigenous music, run by Indigenous people. Selected by The FADER as one of “5 New Canadian Record Labels The Entire World Should Know”, RPM Records artists include Ziibiwan, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Exquisite Ghost, and Mob Bounce.
