Teach the Children, Save the Nation

February 2, 2019 7:15 AM

"They tried to ban, censor and erase Indian culture from rock and roll history but Native American influence is wrapped into modern music’s DNA. RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World (1:25:29) is an electric look at Native American influence in popular music, going deep into the Indigenous foundations of rock."

Available through 02/05

posted by cashman (11 comments total)

Amazing. I did an oral history interview with a guy (who is also a local indigenous leader, albeit not Shawnee) in my hometown who was at Link Wray's first performance of "Rumble." We've tried to find the building where the performance was - it was some teen sockhop at the armory - but there's debate and ambiguity in the town records over the location. It was a local history project I since put on the back burner, but this is really making me want to pick it up again. I was hoping it would get people here interested not just in the town's rock and roll history but also the (often erased or overlooked) role that indigenous peoples played in it.
posted by nightrecordings at 7:31 AM on February 2, 2019 [10 favorites]

I'd also strongly recommend A Light in the Attic's "Native North America" compilation.
posted by ITheCosmos at 8:05 AM on February 2, 2019 [4 favorites]

Great film, saw it at EbertFest last year.
posted by octothorpe at 8:17 AM on February 2, 2019

Love this. I am familiar with a lot of these songs, as I live in Oklahoma, and I am immersed in the culture. My favorite artists, however, are the ones who are just doing their own thing. Samantha Crain is one of my favorites. Check her out if you see her playing your local bar or club.
posted by bradth27 at 8:20 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

I really need to watch this -- saw it on Twitter a while back, but it was bedtime, & i forgot. Thanks for the link!
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:26 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

The only Native American rock that really comes to mind right now is Robbie Robertson, & Tomahawk did an album called Anonymous a few years back that's fantastic, but they're not indigenous - they just wanted to record some indigenous music. This is a big blindspot in my music history knowledge, considering my family tree. (i.e. utterly acculturated a generation ago)
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:30 AM on February 2, 2019

This is a great documentary! I saw it last year at a film fest and it was illuminating, really thoughtful and well done. Plus, you get to listen to a lot of terrific music.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:28 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

Speaking of punk/hippy Indians.
posted by es_de_bah at 12:58 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

I can't tell if Charlie Panigoniak is included in this documentary (I have limited bandwidth right now), but if he isn't, he should be mentioned as at least rock-and-roll adjacent (Here are a bunch of YouTube clips). He got sick as a child and while in the hospital was exposed to country western music and rockabilly. I first got to know his music when I lived in a sabbatical house of a linguistics professor who had a 45 rpm of Panigoniak's iconic 1974 CBC broadcast (the professor just wrote to the CBC and asked for a copy; he's like that). Anyway, I just now googled Panigoniak to see what was new with him before I posted here, and discovered that he's in poor health, and his wife needs help keeping them in their house. Here is the GoFundMe site. I can't tell you how my life has been enriched by his music. He's one of a kind.
posted by acrasis at 2:59 PM on February 2, 2019

Sounds interesting! Unsurprisingly not available here in the UK though. Bit of a bummer since I wanted to punt it on to my music doc loving (also UK) friend to see if I should watch it. I'll have a nose for a link on *coughcoughcasualcopyrightinfringement*Tube at some point. Cheers for the heads up!
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 9:09 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

Haven't watched this yet, but one of the first bands that comes to my mind is Redbone, whose "Come and Get Your Love" is featured early in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:17 AM on February 3, 2019