The Discotays: DIY on the Rez

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 The Discotays 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.

STREAM: Discotays - "Death" Discotays - Death (live) by RPMfm 

Get The Discotay's music on teenagesewage.bandcamp.com and catch up with the band on discotays.tumblr.com.

DOWNLOAD: Madeskimo - "Alaskan Highkick" & "Somers"

Geronimo Inutiq, aka Madeskimo presents an original take on independent electronic music, synthesizing his Inuit heritage and metropolitan life experience. This is evident in the song Alaskan Highkick where he combines traditional Inuit throat singing with messy break beats. Madeskimo currently resides in Montreal where he still performs and produces tracks for the world, posting regularly on Soundcloud and continuing to push the envelope; working with smooth synthesizer tones, otherworldly sound effects, syncopated rhythms, and ephemeral sound samples. DOWNLOAD: Madeskimo - "Alaskan Highkick" alaskan highkick by umati

DOWNLOAD: Madeskimo – "Somers"

Somers by umati

Indigenous Live Music Picks - September 8-11

It's another full weekend of live Indigenous music, powwows, festivals and award shows, including the first ever RPM Presents show!

Derek Miller September 8-10 - Catch Mohawk blues man Friday September 8th at Knights of Columbus Hall, Kahnawake, QC, Saturday at Brass Horse Bar & Grill, Akwesasne, NY and Sunday at Ohsweken Fair, Six Nations, ON. More info: derekmiller.ca

Samantha Crain September 8 - Samantha's last Oklahoma City gig of the year takes place at Saint's, in the Plaza District. More info: facebook.com

Navajo Nation Fair September 5-11 - The 65th Annual Fair will see about 15,000 visitors a day to Window Rock, AZ, for live music, rodeo, carnival and more Event info: navajonationfair.com

Indian Summer Festival September 9-11 - The 25th annual festival and the Indian Summer Music Awards includes live performances from Eagle and Hawk, Brulé, Wayne Lavallee, Jimmy Lee Young, T-Hawk, Johnathan Ward and a lot more. Full lineup and schedule: indiansummer.org

Akwesane Powwow September 10-11 - Gates open at 10am at the A'nowara'ko:wa Arena on Cornwall Island, ON. More info: akwesasnepowwow.com

Rockin' The District September 9 - Winnipeg's Most joins the lineup at this one day/all day music festival in Old Market Square, Winnipeg, MB. More info: rockinthedistrict.com

Sagkeeng Powwow Saturday 10-11 - Grand entry is at 11am and 6pm, host drum is Sagkeeng Community Drum and Traditional Drums with co-host Whitefish Bay Singers. Sagkeeng Powwow Grounds, MB. More info: facebook.com

New Forms Festival September 9-11 - A Tribe Called Red will be rocking the Waldorf in Vancouver, BC, as part of the Saturday night lineup. Full lineup:  newformsfestival.com

Drum/Prayer Circle for Eli PaintedCrow and Turtle Women Rising September 10 - Bring your drum to Peralta Hacienda Historical Park in Oakland, CA, from 12-4pm. More info: facebook.com

Electric Powwow September 10 - While A Tribe Called Red is kicking it in Vancouver, DJs Budda Blaze and Magnificent will take their place at the monthly electric powwow, Babylon Nightclub, Ottawa, ON. More info: facebook.com

RPM Presents: Ryan McMahon/Clarence Two Toes with Special Guests September 11 - RPM's own Ostwelve hosts the first "RPM Presents" event in Vancouver, BC, with Ryan McMahon, Clarence Two Toes, and some very special musical guests. More info: facebook.com 

Origins: Festival of First Nations Held in London

Indigenous musicians, theatre-makers, visual artists, film-makers and cooks from around the globe are traveling to London for the Origins First Nations Festival.

But it's not your standard festival of performance - it's "a space for dialogue between artists and London audiences... to exhibit and explain, to perform and inform, to debate and celebrate".

Exciting stuff. As is their emphasis that while Indigenous cultures are ancient, they're neither dead nor outdated. Artists will be contributing their views on current issues - climate change, human rights, globalization and colonialism.

Colonialism is back with a vengeance. The only difference today is that the aggressors are not privateers and pioneers armed with beads and bibles, but international corporations, so powerful and so prosperous that they answer to no government, but rather expect governments to answer to them. ... What’s more, many of the mining companies –Rio Tinto being the prime example – are run from the City of London. It’s high time that the indigenous people come to London, and that their voices are heard in what remains a centre of colonial aggression.

That’s what the Origins Festival is aiming to do, writes Micheal Walling, in the New Internationalist: First Nations festival kicks off in London

The Origins: First Nations Festival takes place June 28-July 9, 2011 in London, UK. Visit originsfestival.bordercrossings.org.uk for full event listings.