Indigenous Live Music Picks October 20-23, 2011

As the cold autumn winds start sweeping across Turtle Island, it's a good time to gather inside and listen to RPM's Top 6 Indigenous live music picks for this weekend.

Derek Miller October  20 - iNative Fest presents Mohawk blues artist Derek Miller at the Tattoo Rock Parlour, Toronto, ON. More info: facebook.com

Raincity Rap: The History of Hip Hop in Vancouver October 21 - JB the First Lady and Discreet Da Chosen 1  are part of this forum bringing together key players in the development of Vancouver’s hip hop scene at Moberly Arts & Culture Centre, Vancouver, BC. More info: facebook.com

Pura Fé October 21 - founding member of Ulali performs her blend of blues and jazz at Walter Hall, University of Toronto, ON. More info: events.utoronto.ca

The Beat Featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie October 22 - imagineNATIVE presents a night of Indigenous musical talent featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie with guests Sean Conway and Lena Recollet. More info: imaginenative.org

The Snake Oil Salesmen October 21 - The lads are going to rock and groove at The Mercury Cafe, Regina, SK. facebook.com

Jason Burnstick and Ann Vriend October 21 - The double-bill features two performers that were well received at this year's Harrison Festival of the Arts, Jason Burnstick and Ann Vriend. More info: harrisonfestival.com/events

Indigenous Live Music Picks: October 13-16, 2011

Here are RPM's top six Indigenous live music events for this weekend. Enjoy!

Sierra Noble October 13 - Métis fiddle/violin virtuoso plays The Living Room in New York, NY. More info: facebook.com

Harvest Moon American Indian Festival October 15 - Bill Miller, Joanne Shenandoah and Indigenous headline the festival in Kansas City, MI. More info: harvestmoonamericanindianfestival.wordpress.com

RedMan, Madchild, Discreet Da Chosen 1 October 15 - A stacked lineup of Indigenous hip-hop at Gossip Nightclub in Vancouver, BC. More info: facebook.com

Don Amero October 15 - Métis singer-songwriter returns to Guelph, ON, at the Kortright Church. More info: facebook.com

Tucson Meet Yourself Festival October 14-16 - Hot off his NAMMY wins, classical guitarist Gabriel Ayala performs at the festival on the 15th, City Hall stage, Tucson, AZ. More info: tucsonmeetyourself.org

October Soul October 15 - Blues rockers October Soul play the Milwaukee Ale House in Grafton, WI. More info: octobersoul.com

RPM: The Official Launch Party

After three months of beta phase, Revolutions Per Minute will officially launch on October 25, 2011. You'll see new features here, and if you're in Vancouver, BC, you'll see us partying at The Media Club.

Come and celebrate RPM and Indigenous music culture with a FREE concert!

Hosted by our very own Ostwelve, the night will feature performances by Haida duo Sister Says, Squamish Nation hip-hop artist Discreet Da Chosen 1 and all-female rockers Vancougar.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 The Media Club 395 Cambie Street, Vancouver BC Coast Salish Territories Doors at 7pm. Show at 8pm. NO COVER.

RPM merch giveaways all night long!

RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook: RPM.fm - The Official Launch Party. We hope to see you there!

Indigenous Live Music Picks: September 21-25, 2011

Another weekend is here, and what a great time to get out and enjoy some live music. From across Turtle Island, here are RPM's must-see picks.

Young Kidd and Vibez September 22 - Winnipeg-ers Young Kidd and Vibez join the lineup at Scott Nixx's cd release party at the Houston's Country Roadhouse, Brandon, MB. More info: facebook.com

SoundLand Music Festival September 21-24 - Catch Yelawolf on September 23rd at this Nashville, TN, festival. More info: nbnsoundland.com

Cris Derksen September 23 - Cris Derksen is on the bill with Tara Holloway at ArtBank in Cris' hometown Vancouver, BC. More info: facebook.com 

The RED Revue September 23 - ANDPVA's latest RED Revue features Leah Flanagan from Australia. Open arts mic opens the night at Mitzi's Sister, Toronto, ON. more info:  facebook.com

Hip Hop 4 Peace September 24-25 - Ostwelve, JB the First Lady and Discreet da Chosen 1 are among the artists you'll see at the Vancouver Art Gallery and Bonsor Rec Complex in Vancouver, BC. More info: facebook.com

Bahlats Celebration September 24 - The day long celebration with food and entertainment will feature Mike Gouchie at the Stellaquo Community Hal, Stellat'en First Nation, BC. More info: facebook.com

Standin' On The Corner Festival September 23-24 -  Navajo blues band Plateros headline the festival on the 23rd at 2nd Street and Campbell in Winslow, AZ. More info: standinonthecorner.com

2011 NAMMY Nominees Announced

The Native American Music Awards have just announced the nominees for their 32 music categories.

The NAMMYS are the largest Indigenous Awards event to take place in the world. This year was the first time they opened up the nomination process to public voting and the first round saw a remarkable 200+ submissions.

The list is now narrowed down and voting is open to the public again. There's many great new discoveries to be made listenting to all the nominees! Listen and vote at: nativeamericanmusicawards.com.

Winners will be announced at the 2011 Native Amercian Music Awards on October 7th at the Seneca Niagra Hotel in Niagra Falls, NY.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: Bobby Bullet (Lac Du Flambeau) – Bigfoot Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui)– Passion Fire & Grace JJ Kent (Oglala Sioux) – Prairie Meditation Joy Harjo (Muskoke) – Red Dreams, A Trail Beyond Tears Vince Redhouse (Navajo)– Hozhooji’ – The Beauty and Blessing Within Us Yvonne St. Germaine (Cree) – My Jesus I Love Thee

DEBUT ARTIST NOMINEES: Bear Fox (Mohawk) – Rich Girl Doc featuring Spencer Battiest (Seminole) – The Storm Don Amero (Metis) – The Long Way Home Dylan Jenet Collins (Montaukett) - Hear Our Prayer Josh Halverson (Mdewakanton Sioux) – These Timesm Uno (Cherokee) - A Strange Revolt

BEST BLUES RECORDING NOMINEES: Joel Johnson (Tuscarora) - Blues Joose Vol 1 Marc Brown & The Blues Crew (Huslia) - Indian Rock ‘n Roll Mike Hammar and The Nails (Muscogee Creek) - Recipe for the Blues Cornbred (Onondaga) - Rez-Bomb Table Top Three (Onondaga) - Table Top Three Graywolf Blues Band (Yaqui, Seminole, Choctaw, Cherokee, Muskogee) - Thin Line

BEST MUSIC VIDEO NOMINEES: Shy-Anne Hovorka (Metis) - Can’t Change The World Wind Spirit Drum - Grandfather  Jan Michael Looking Wolf & Various Artists - Karla La Rive, Chris Crosby, Live As One  Pick Up Truck - Shane Yellowbird (Cree) Stoned For Days - Derek Miller (Mohawk/Ojibway) XI Pow Wow Songs Recorded Live @ San Manuel - Bear Creek (Ojibwe)

BEST RAP HIP HOP RECORDING NOMINEES: * Three way tie for last nominee slot Uno (Cherokee) - A Strange Revolt Lady Xplicit (Navajo) - Cali Girl Rezhogs (Yakama) - Lowlife  Evan Lee Cummins (Crow) - Passionate Love Nake Nula Waun (Rosebud Sioux) - Scars and Bars Buggin Malone (Oneida) - The Rapture  Doc featuring Spencer Battiest (Seminole) - The Storm

For a complete list of nominees, visit nativeamericanmusicawards.com.

Indigenous Live Music Picks: September 1-4

Celebrate the first weekend of September with your local Indigenous music!

SheKing September 1 - The big, passionate voice of Shawnee - Six Nations front woman of SheKing - will fill the room at Alley Catz, Toronto.

Murray Porter - Howling at the Moon Benefit September 1 - The Murray Porter band performs at the Benefit Concert for the Young Wolves Lodge at The Yale, Vancouver. More info: facebook.com

Asham Stomperfest September 2-4 - The Asham Stompers' mission is to re-capture and preserve the history of the Métis people through the traditional dancing of the Red River jig. Stomperfest takes place in Reedy Creek, MB. More info: ashamstompers.com 

Derek Miller September 2 - The blues-rock Mohawk brings it to Stage Red, Tyendinaga, ON. More info: derekmiller.ca

Wemotaci Powwow September 2-4 - The 15th Annual Wemotaci Annual Powwow takes place in Wemotaci, QC. More info: drumhop.com

Miracle Dolls September 2 - The Indie/punk band plays at San Soucis, Ventura, CA. More info: miracledolls.com

Sweetwater 905 Festival September 2-4 - Kinnie Starr joins the line-up at this year's festival in Rolla, BC. More info: sweetwater905.ca

Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Powwow September 2-4 - While information is sparse, the powwow is scheduled to take place at Wabigoon Lake, Dryden, ON. Listing: ammsa.com

Contestants for NCI Jam 2011 Announced

The 25th annual celebration and competition of emerging Indigenous artists announced this year's contestants. Seventeen singers, mostly from First Nations and Métis communites in Manitoba, will be performing one song each on September 24th at the Pantages Playhouse in Winnipeg.

The 2011 NCI Jam provides a full house, a radio audience, a house band and a chance for amateur singers to get airplay on NCI or win cash for their musical careers. Any opportunity to check out new voices and talents is a good one. Our next favourite artist may be one of these men and women!

2011 NCI Jam Contestants: Tanita Cruly - Dauphin River First Nation, MB Greg Personius - Opaskwayak Cree Nation Liza -Jane Brown - Fish Lake First Nation, SK Angus Munroe - Garden Hill First Nation, MB Jade Willowby - Whitesand First Nation, ON Horace Cook - Sapatoyak Cree Nation, MB Kathleen Jensen - Misipawistik Cree Nation, MB AJ Choken - Lake Manitoba First Nation, MB Chicky Chartrand - Camperville, MB Steven Leveque - Pinaymootang First Nation, MB Tracy Parenteau - Wabigoon Lake First Nation, ON Gator Beaulieu - Ebb & Flow First Nation, MB Kerri McGillivary - Opaskwayak Cree Nation, MB Albert Audy - Sapatoyak Cree Nation, MB Akina Dayle Shirt - Carry the Kettle First Nation, SK Malcolm Campbell - Kinosota, MB Ila Barker - Berens River First Nation, MB

More information at ncifm.com.

Live Indigenous Music Picks - August 25-28, 2011

Hard to believe these are the last shows of August! Live music and powwows are making noise from East to West Coast. Here's RPM's picks for the weekend.

1. A Tribe Called Red August 25 - The Ottawa-based DJ collective brings their electric powwow sound to Toronto, ON, at The Drake Underground. More info: facebook.com

2. Don Amero August 26 -  Métis roots singer-songwriter at St Paul's Anglican Church in Dauphin, MB. More info: facebook.com

3. 2011 International Métis Fest August 26-28 - The weekend of fiddle, jigging and river carts also includes a nightly concert series with Ryan Keplin, JJ Lavallee, Ryan McMahon, 4 Nations Dancers, Patricia Conroy, Jerry Sereda,Norman Cheif Memorial Dancers, Dawn Dumont and even more at The International Peace Garden, MB. More info: metisfest.com

4. Opaskwayak Cree Nation Pow Wow 2011 August 26-28 - Grand entry at 7pm at The Pas, MB. More info: facebook.com

5. Burnt Project 1 August 26 - The 11 piece band plays a fundraiser for their next album at Winnipeg's most notorious art house The Cyrk, MB. More info:facebook.com

6. Kinnie Starr at The RED Revue August 26 - ANDPVA presents Kinnie at their RED Revue series, this time at the TRANZAC, Toronto, ON. More info:  facebook.com

7. Kwantlen First Nation "Mini" Powwow August 26 -  Kwantlen First Nation and the Seyem Qwantlen Group of Companies will host a one day powwow at Kwantlen First Nation Park, BC. More info: facebook.com

CBC Television Documentary on Ottawa's Urban Aboriginal Scene Airs Saturday

Capital NDNS, hosted and produced by Waubgeshig Rice, explores the experiences of urban Indigenous youth in Canada's capital city, compared to other Canadian cities.

Julie "Winnipeg Jules" Lafreniere recently reflected that, as a new resident of Ottawa, she hadn't yet found the pulse of the Indigenous scene there - especially coming from Winnipeg where the culture is so visibile and vital.

In an interview on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning - Examining Ottawa's Urban Aboriginal Scene - Waub Rice describes an urban community that is starting to build and "create a lot of noise", thanks, in part, to A Tribe Called Red and their monthly Electric Powwow. It's exciting to know the community is beginning to flourish, culturally, gather and create.

The one-hour follows four individuals to paint a picture of their shared experiences and common struggles.

Capital NDNS airs this Saturday at 7 pm on CBC Television.

Nominees for the Indian Summer Music Awards 2011

The year marks the 25^th Indian Summer Festival which includes a powwow, tribal farmers market, arts and crafts market, golf, and the Indian Summer Music Awards. The 2011 ISMA nominees have been announced and include many RPM favourites.

Shawnee singer-songwriter Samantha Crain received a nod in the Folk category, Yaqui guitar virtuoso Gabriel Ayala is nominated for Contemporary Instrumental and Traditional Instrumental, and Northern Cree are up for an award in Traditional Drum. The nominees also include Vince Fontaine, Shy-Anne Hovorka, Wayne Lavallee and a lot of other outstanding Indigenous artists.

See the whole list of nominees at Announcing the 2011 ISMA Nominees.

The festival takes place September 9-11  in Milwaukee. Get more info at indiansummer.org.

Nominated for Best Pop Song, here's "Can't Change the World" by Shy-Anne Hovorka:

Nominated for Best Traditional Native Americal Vocal song, "Love" by Kevin Yazzie:

Nominated for Best Hip-hop song, "Always on My Mind" by Naka Nula Wuan:

Indigenous Movies and Music Series

Throughout the summer, outdoor movie screenings are a regular event in many cities and music festivals fill every weekend. This summer, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board has combined the two, through an Indigenous filter, into one series.

Minneapolis is apparently home to one of the largest Native American communities in the States and the outdoor festival Indigenous Movies and Music takes place at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The four-part weekly series began August 8th, but that leaves two more Tuesdays to go. Coming up:

Tuesday August 16 Musical performance by Indigie Femme – the innovative traditional sound from duo of Navajo artist Tash Terry and Maori/Samoan artist Elena Higgins.

With short films: Magic Wands, The Garden (Tsi tkahéhtayen), Rez Runner and Apache 8.

Tuesday August 23 Musical performance by Chase Manhattan – 2010 Nammy winning hip hop artist.

With films: Wapawekka and Of Mice and Men.

For more information on the artists, films and festival, visit minneapolisparks.org.

Live Indigenous Music Picks: August 12-18, 2011

A little something for everyone this weekend from country, to folk, to hip-hop, to dubstep, to fiddle, to powwow.

1. Trout Music Festival August 12-14 - Don Amero, Marc Merilainen and Cris Derksen are part of the line-up at this year's fest in Ear Falls, Ontario. More info: troutfest.com

2. James Blood August 13 - James Blood with special guests J Rez and Nos Insidious at The Alex in Bratford, Ontario. More info: facebook.com

3. Cowessess First Nation Powwow August 16-18 -  Host drum Buffalo Lodge and honorary host drum Crooked Lake Agency. Grand entry at 8pm at Cowessess Powwow, north of Broadview, Saskatchewan. More info: facebook.com

4. 108: Ottawas Monthly Moombahton Party August 12 - DeeJay Shub and Bear Witness (both from A Tribe Called Red) provide dance floor power at Ritual Night Club, Ottawa. More info:  facebook.com

5. John Arcand Fiddle Fest August 12-24 - Fiddle music performances and workshops with the festival's namesake - "Métis Fiddle Master" John Arcand - and others in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. More info: johnarcandfiddlefest.com

6. 55th Annual O-Sa-Wan Powwow August 13-14 - Host drum Strongheart Singers, grand entry at. 1:00 & 7:00 on Saturday, noon on Sunday in Peotone, Illinois. More info: osawan.com