Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

this is clearly one of the best damn songs ever.

also, my friends are really good lookin'. and funny.

Everything comes down to poo!

See, Doyle?

I think I feel this way about most of the people in my life right now.

Most of the people... and dogs.
I think my cat is the only one exempt from this.

This was my favourite song for the lonnnnngest tiiiimmme.

dance with me!

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

Well. I dunno about you, but I feel better. Thanks Julie Andrews, for that wonderful advice!

High Fidelity - Monday Tape

Indigenous Music As Resistance

While the assignment asked us to investigate colonialism and resistance with respect to a specific indigenous group, I have instead decided upon studying a specific method of resistance used by many indigenous groups throughout the world. I have attempted to collect evidence of musical resistance and resilience among aboriginal groups in every region, paying special attention to the musical movement in North America. What all of these musics have in common is their ability to speak to and against the colonial systems that have oppressed them. Music is a powerful resistor in these stories, and continues to play an important role in the maintenance and recollection of indigenous histories and cultural practices.

Music, as a cultural force, has many tools to offer resistance. It has the capacity to preserve the stories and values of the past, through habitualized songs and dances passed from generation to generation. It can protect those who cannot speak in plain terms about their beliefs, due to an extremely oppressive climate. It can also hybridize and evolve to make space for its message in a global society, and it can be transmitted to a broad audience through various media.

The processes of colonialism were destructive and violent, with the capacity to erase whole cultures and histories. However damaging these processes were, indigenous resistance has been equally resilient. The stories of indigenous groups throughout the world were, and are, able to preserve themselves through music, often experiencing renaissance in the post-colonial era. While indigenous groups used diverse tools to maintain their heritage despite their oppression, one of the most recurrent and powerful of these tools was, and is, music.

While my paper (segments quoted above) focused on the historical and global aspects of resistance through music, the unique opportunities presented by radio and internet have encouraged me to focus on more contemporary examples of such resistance.

FOR EXAMPLE:

MYSPACE.com - one of many popular social networking sites, Myspace Music specifically offers its members a way to search and locate like-minded musicians. In my research, many examples were found of the power gained through networks like this. A certain unity is created as bands decide what it is they stand for, who they align themselves with, and what their music means. Record labels have been founded through this sort of unity, which means groups getting together and finding the resources to produce outside the mainstream, giving a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard.

Much of these artists are practicing what Victoria Lindsay Levine would call "renegotiative musical revitalization." This means that, while elements of their traditional music may be used, these artists are using mainstream styles of music to communicate their message. Predominantly, the genres of rap and hip-hop are employed for renegotiative musical revitalization, and songs speak about life on the rez, racism, and their colonialized heritage. Many call back to previous musical revitalization, especially the song titles of Buffy St. Marie. For example, Antithesis have a song called "Bury My Heart At Wounded ME", a reference to Buffy St. Marie's "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee," a song used in protests everywhere, and even referenced in OCAP's protest song lyrics bank.

Myspace also acts as a place to lay claims to identity and to history. Antithesis uses this space to create a manifesto of their existence:

We are merely a group of Brothers and Sisters connected by a common bond that is comprised of a need to bridge the gap that exists between the older members of our Tribal Nations and the Youth of our People. There is a dire need for focus in this effort as our Cultures stand on the edge of Complete Assimilation into this Empire that occupies OUR HOMELANDS. Some of us are Mothers and Fathers or Uncles and Aunties or just plain 'ole concerned Tribal members who are determined to turn the focus of our Tribe's attention onto the Younger members of our Nations. There seems to be a consistent dismissive attitude towards the children of our Tribes. There are those of us who remember our people's teachings that the most Sacred members of our tribes were and are the children and elders. Together they represent the future and the past of our people. We also recognize that the Women of our people must be protected, being that they are bearers of children and the first teachers a child knows in this life. Not falling into any of these categories means that we must be the conductors of effort and the energy that provides the Tribe with what it needs to not only subsist but to prosper on the Mental, Physical and Spiritual planes of existence. Some of the older Tribal Council members are content to speak in a negative fashion as to how the Youth of our Nations are behaving or what they're not doing right instead of trying to find out what problems plague them and how to circumvent what is sometimes self-destructive behavior. With a minimal effort into empowering the children to become self-determined adults, we now stand at a crossroads as a people. If you were to randomly choose a major developmental dysfunction (for example adolescent suicide, alcoholism, methamphetamine addiction, teenage pregnancy, single parent households, gang activity, drop out rates etc., etc.) our Native children would the lead the pack in percentage per capita yet we only make up 2% of the population of people on the Northern Continent within the confines of the United Snakes & Canada. Sounds like a recipe for disaster right? Couple that with also being the most likely to marry out of the race second only to Japanese Americans and you might start to get the idea that we as Indigenous people and our Cultures are well on their way to becoming extinct. It is with this understanding that some of us had banded together in an effort to retain what little we can as a people and direct energies, efforts, resources and focus back onto the youth of our Indigenous People and bridge the apathetic gap (that now exists) to encourage interaction with Tribal Elders (not to be confused with plain 'ole old people) and our Tribal Spiritual Ceremonies for healing and providing empowerment to our youth. All of Antithesis' members adhere to a code based on the Tribal & Spiritual Principals of: 1. Sobriety (this includes weed, no excuses) 2. Community Involvement & Service 3. Promotion & Implementation Of Respect & Equality For The Women, Children & Elders of Our Tribes 4. Protection of Tribal Sovereignty & Sacred Sites 5. Preservation & Retention Of Our Cultural Practices & Behaviors With An Emphasis On Decolonization 6. Protection Of Our Basic Human Rights To Not Be Physically Harmed By ANYONE! 7. Promotion & Implementation Of Empowerment For The Youth By Encouraging Creative Expression 8. Working In Solidarity With People Outside Of Our Cultures Who Are Also Struggling With Injustice & Oppression 9. To Disband The Accepted Illusion of Borders & The Separation Of Indigenous Peoples From Alaska To Tierra del Fuego & The Outlying Islands Of Our Occupied Homelands 10. Working Towards Creating True Freedom (Not The Illusionary One Provided To Us) By Any Means Necessary! On the Hip Hop end of The Antithesis Movement is our musical backbone 3 Mc's: Freetruth, Prophecy & C-Los. Our music is a reflection of our Culture's Teachings and our Family's Upbringing. It is an effort to reach the Ears, Hearts and Spirits of our Native Youth and extend the comfort and strength that comes with the knowledge that there are Warriors who not only empathize with their daily circumstances but are also fighting to end the many dysfunctions that plague our communities. Believing that everyday is an opportunity to create positive change by peeling back the many disguises that negativity & denial hides behind we are working to complete our first Album titled "The Power Of Purpose".With the belief that once a person gains an understanding as to what their life's purpose is that person shall blossom into the powerful being they were always meant to be. They in turn can empower others who may feel helpless in the face of the tremendous amount of adversity that racism, imposed poverty, classism and assimilative efforts can and do produce, preventing our people from being self-determined and unable to begin to move beyond the grief caused by the Genocide that was committed against our People. It is in this spirit that we present to you our Music and Mindstate that is in direct contrast to or the direct opposite of what our Oppressors had intended for us as a people, in other words we have become the definition of Antithesis.

This means a great deal for any youth who might come across their site while wandering through the internet. It also provides space for unity of movement. Many of the artists have "friends" on myspace with the same ethos, and several posted their support for The Longest Walk (see below).

YOUTUBE:

Youtube was also an interesting source of revolutionary and resistant interchange. Another open site of expression, there was a mixed display of both resistant and oppressive voices, allowing for a great deal of important communication. The following may not seem empowering, but the ability of others to respond, and the fact that colereber was not the last to speak is empowering itself, allowing for an open-endedness that does not exist normally. Further, that UpcomingJedi critiques the identity of these performers brings into question ideas about the fluidity of identity, and the nature of "genres" within music.These responses refer to the below video, one that exemplifies "renegotiative" resistance at its finest. Youth whose experience of racism in the north led them to voice their oppression musically are using this site to express themselves, and to network. And while they could be doing the same thing with poetry or words or images alone, music has the power to attract a broad audience. This song is also pretty catchy, I must say.

Youtube is also the source of education for revivalistic and perpetuative forms of musical resistance. Below is a filmed dance performance on stage. What follows is a set of responses that inform the viewer of the sequence and meanings of the dances. This performance, depending on its purpose, could embody either revivalistic (reviving certain traditions, selected on the basis of their usefulness to the performer - therefore, inwardly motivated, and occasionally education) resistance or perpetuative (perpetuating certain traditions in an attempt to claim and perform a distinct identity, often in order to distinguish oneself from others, and with the motive being outwards - focus on the perception of others) resistance. Either way, this performance has the ability to educate and to subvert dominant perspectives.
As the above responses indicate, the dances in the video above are about community building, and therefore, they are revivalistic in nature. The purpose is not to perform for others, but to create community amongst each other.

Resistance is not possible without unity. Music has consistently offered the possibility of this unity, and specifically, it has acted as a voice for numerous oppressed groups throughout history. These are just a few modern examples.

I hope you enjoyed this presentation. What will follow is a selection of songs belonging to indigenous groups throughout the world. I'll probably interrupt every so often with some info. Thanks for listening.

LEGO from Youtube. Ah, the good ole days

Miwa Gemini

A new favourite - just heard her album "This Is How I Found You" at work today, and fell in love. So here she is. Remind me to buy this album, dammit. With money. These are the sort of artists I feel bad stealing from. She's been compared to Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Patsy Cline, Bjork and

Harmonica + Beatbox: Final Cut

holy crapper, tis cool. this is some talent.

Most Intense Guinea Pig EVER

This is CLASSIC Marvin. Classic.

and it will always be the REAL ninja turtles

i loved this show. i remember, i had this one-piece pajama suit and i was watching this show one night and i got so excited by a particularly fierce fight sequence that i fell off the chair i was sitting on. and i had my arms and legs pulled into the one-piece. and i fell off the chair directly onto my face. and that, ladies and gents, is why i spent four years without my two front teeth.
actually no. that was ONE of my two front teeth. the other one i lost in orleans, playing in the backyard with my brother. he was in a red wagon, and i was pulling him around the yard, and for some reason i was wearing a hula hoop around my waist, and it slid around my legs and i fell , again, directly on my face.
yeah, so. many years without two front teeth, and getting that bloody christmas song sung to me all the frickin' time. trauma for a kid, i tell you. trauma.

Real Life Simpsons Intro

ahuah. (that was meant to be a chuckle sort of sound like the one i just made)

a friend o' mine

being very funny

How to poop

that, or you could tell your love about your poo over speakerphone. grrreeeaaat

The Cure-Friday I'm in love

You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

Ketchup and Fries

now that... is skill.

Eddie Murphy - Delirious - Ice Cream

no need to explain

FUCKED...UP

he PEELS his SKIN! e-fucking-gad. really gets at the feeling of the FEmale gaze, you know? especially for dear robbie, who only recently came out as gay. so here he is trying with greatest desperation to catch the eyes of pretty girls, who only really want his body. literally. disturbing business. very funny, though, especially his endearing self-conscious face as the girls ignore his naked manliness.

Paddington Bear Singin' in the Rain

remember when we put our heads under the downspout that cool spring evening? remember the way the rain felt like it was giving us our outline? remember the way we ran and spun in Del Crary park?
god, i love you more every minute. i love you forever, pretty girl.

Sol Seppy

Oh so beautiful. It hurts. I love Sol Seppy now. LOVE THEM. YUM.

The Sea and Cake

Oh so very chill background music these two make. Lovely lovely. And a very cute drawing, with overtones of great violence. Yes. So here is The Sea And Cake. Enjoy.

Kristin Hersh

A bit like a more punk Laura Viers. Nice scratchy voice and simple guitar melodies. And then the weird rambly lyrics. It's all good, but I need more proof. From what I've seen, there could be bad enough stuff out there with her name on it to undo any potential respect she can earn with this song, "In Shock".

"A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left"

This is Andrew Bird. Fucking amazing shit, right here. Yeah. So he picks up a violin, strums a kick-ass little tune, loops it and WHISTLES over it.
That's just about all you could ask for in alt. music presentation. Andrew Bird, man. All the friggin' way.

Birthday by the Beatles

Now to get it in MP3 form... hmmm

I Fucking Love This Song

So here it is. It played without a title or an artist at the movie theatre and it was just about the heppest thing I've ever seen. And the tune's been stuck in my head henceforth. So I found it. And it's the best. You can't argue with it. It's the catchiest shit around. Know it. Love it. It's called "Grace Kelly" by Mika.

Live Action Super Mario

Oh the time that must've gone into this. It's a real ode to the game that won so many hearts and minds.
Oh it's so cute. Love it.

OH MY HOLY HECK

it's a hamster... in an intricately designed live action video game.
RESPECT. That is the funniest thing i've ever seen in my life.

Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher

LOVE Cab. Coolest cat around. Check out those moves.
This cartoon is ANCIENT, banned for whatever reason, featuring Betty Boop and Bimbo who decide to run away from home and hide in a cave, where they meed a scary-ass ghost who sings them the title track. Cab's dancing is animated into a ghost - SO cool. Love it.

HAMSTER BABIES!!

Little Plastic Castle

More Ani Difranco here. Clever little song about people as goldfish. Clever. Cute. And she's got such a goofy little smile. I love it. And one can't just listen to Untouchable Face and leave Ani in the past. She needs to be excavated and explored at times like these. Her depth and sweetness is incredibly significant.

Untouchable Face

Oh Ani. How I love you and your soft angstiness.
A classic in lesbian breakups, the lyrics to this song are the most clever thing since clumping cat litter.
I especially like "In the back room there is a light that hangs over the pool table, and because the fan is on it swings gently side to side. there's a changing constellation of the balls as we are playing. i see orion and say nothing, the only thing i can think to say is... FUCK you, and your untouchable face. FUCK you, for existing in the first place." sounds angry, but it's so melancholy sweet, you can't resist but feel all the shit you thought was anger as sadness.

CDs look really cool when you scan them, eh?

Only In The Past - The Be Good Tanyas
Yesterday - The Beatles
Lady Sings The Blues - Billie Holiday
Almost - Tracy Chapman
Wake Up - The Arcade Fire
The Bleeding Heart Show - The New Pornographers
Rockabye - Ani Difranco
Riverwide - Sheryl Crow
Life Uncommon - Jewel
Better Than Chocolate - Sarah Mclaughlan
Came On Lion - Sarah Harmer
Graceland - Paul Simon
Wheat Kings - The Tragically Hip
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
You Learn - Alanis Morrissette
The Man With No Skin - Great Lake Swimmers
Sofa No. 1 - Frank Zappa
Ten Feet Tall - Ember Swift
We Used To Be Friends - Dandy Warhols
Since I Fell For You - Dinah Washington
The Soundtrack Of Your Life - A Girl Called Eddy
Tangled Up In Blue - Bob Dylan
Lonely Lonely - Feist
Sodom, South Georgia - Iron And Wine
Hey What's Going On - Four Non Blondes
The Man Moan - The Divorce
Don't Panic - Coldplay
The Wind - Cat Stevens
Stormy Weather - Ella Fitzgerald and the Nat King Cole Trio
It's A Pity - Tanya Stephens
Mary- Scissor Sisters

The Laws Have Changed

speaking of which, I'm currently procrastinating on a Philosophy of Law paper. My topic is the true fluidity and culturally based nature of so-called "morality". The case in question is Norberg v. Wynrib, concerning a woman whose doctor used his knowledge of her addiction to painkillers to satisfy his sexual desires. Before the case reached the supreme courts, two previous courts decided that Norberg's claim to damages wasn't valid because of a strange legal tenet referred to as "ex turpi causa non oritut actio", which, in this case, dismissed her claim because she happened to be practicing the illegal actt of "double-doctoring" at the time. Anyway, to make a long story short, when we apply Catharine A MacKinnon's theories of law as male power, we can see quite simply that this is evidence of morality as determined moment to moment, and greatly dependent on the dominant patriarchal culture. So, it was fine at the time, but the laws have changed now.

The Arcade Fire

A sort of avant-garde group from Montreal, these guys reawakened the Canadian tradition of rhythmic slamming on the guitar and ethereal vocals. If you like them, try the New Pornographers, the Kaiser Chiefs, or, say, Polyphonic Spree.

a sidekick sort of thing

this is an extension of the gadfli, a source for more informative discourse surrounding politics, political activities, and music. primarily music. please enjoy.