ByGD
Long ago, I wrote a post on Indigenous artists I like, and mysteriously, none of them were heavy metal. That’s just plain weird. There were hardly any Native students at my high school, but lots of them at the heavy metal concerts I went to as a teenager in Arizona. So metal is the musical style I most closely associate with Native Americans. And there are a lot of really great Indigenous metal bands here in the U.S. and around the world. Here are a few that I like.
ByGD
I have a confession to make. I was a little bit afraid to watch “Blue” at Seattle Opera. Often described as “the race opera,” “Blue” tells the story of a Harlem family losing their son to police violence. It sounded pretty heavy during a time when the more escapist aspect of opera has a lot of appeal. But I know that the ability to tune out racial violence is a privilege, so I went anyway. And there was nothing to be afraid of.
Read More
ByGD
I think it was the movie Undercover Brother that had a scene with the cool guy walking along, followed by a bunch of musicians. When someone asks who they are, he says, “That’s just my theme music.” I think a lot of us wish we had our own theme music. Sometimes I even find the right band.
ByGD
I’ve written before about how guitar is the home base that my musical tastes always return to. So it stands to reason that one post wouldn’t fit all the divine guitar music I like.
ByGD
I know “Japanese soundtrack composers” sounds like a pretty niche interest, but hear me out. J-pop is even more manufactured and sterile than American Top 40. So instead of pursuing stardom, many of the most talented and interesting musicians in Japan end up getting a lot of soundtrack work. The music they make is far more intriguing and varied than what you might expect if you think of orchestral scores when you hear the word “soundtrack.” Not all of the music in this post is soundtrack music – but I found all of these artists on the soundtrack to an anime or movie.
