Indian is a long time favourite look down the local discotheque.

You got to be brave(no pun intended) to pull it off.

From The Sweet, The Village People, Pow Wow of Soul Sonic Force, Adam Ant through to Anthrax and now the latest bunch Tussle are all rocking the Indian too. Nothing turban based, just pure headdress of feathers, warpaint all round and maybe some totem pole dancing. When we played Cowboys and Indians I always wanted to be An Indian Too.

Ethel Merman – I’m An Indian Too

Irving Berlin wrote this original for the soundtrack on Annie Get Your Gun, and the magnificent Ethel Merman was happy to pow wow along. This is the lyrical equivalent of some Nazi writing a happy go lucky ode to the joys of being Jewish, or Daniel Clowes’s caricature of geeks like me. I don’t think Irving was aware he was being as politically correct as Springtime For Hitler. The Black and White Minstrels got nothing on reinforcing racial stereotypes compared to this.

Of course Irving was of that age of innocence when none of this mattered, and so it comes across as a romantic wish to be wild, kooky and maybe a free spirit. It kinda sounds fun, and i like that. Now we just have fucking dream catchers. Where did I put the shotgun?

Tussle – I’m An Indian Too

For those of you wondering how Tussle turn out this working 9-5 at the Carwash irrelevance from Irving Berlin the Pierolapithecus Catalaunicus will of course be Ze Records band Don Armando’s 2nd Ave Rumba Band. Go fetch, you will thank us.

Ethel Merman as far as we know had on Indian blood and wasn’t really a Merman or Mermaid, so we like her in the same way this is 20jazzfunkgreats, trade description act be dammed.

Indian Jewelry – I Made the Same Mistake, Man

We have to give a big up to Lincoln for pointing us in the direction of Indian Jewelry

Lincoln says
“It’s this guy named Nikki Texas (or Tex) on guitar and vox and a girl
named Erika Thrasher on synth, sometimes vox who have a rotating line-up
of backing musicians that ranges from 1 to 7 other people playing kettle
drums, saxophones, crawling around under sheets with flashlights,
throwing cymbals on the ground, etc. Amazing life shows. They’ve been
playing in Texas and Los Angeles and touring the country under a bunch of
different names (NTX+ Electrics, Swarm of Angels, something about Waco…)
but they’ve finally settled on Indian Jewelry. They’ve got some mp3s on
their site…Going South is incredible live…It’s the kind of thing that
you have to listen to a very very high volume.”

This is such a late entry to the Suicide week competition. It has closed, but our hearts are minds are always open to this noise, especially when brought by Indians.

Same Mistake washes its headband in stream next to Vega and Rev’s 1 minute loop played out for 4 minuets with growing layers of lo-tech distorted noise that could equally come from guitar or keyboard. The screaming finale is a killer.

Another one trick pony band? Ha! No chance.

Indian Jewelry don’t just live in fancy Suicide rip off land(see Dead Combo) they also manage to venture into sacred grounds placed between Love and Rockets and Add N to X (maybe a hint of Can too, but that could be via Daniel Ash).

Indian Jewelry – Health and Well Being

Even Indians get the blues and have to see a therapist sometimes. Indian Jewelry‘s drone mantra to Health and Well Being probably doesn’t do you any favors in the cheering up a bit stakes, but it does feel like it is gonna slowly rip through your speakers if that radiation detector gets any louder before drifting off into lost in the woods Liars drumming.

Indian Jewelry are on GirlGang Records and Tapes, which has some more mp3 goodies worth checking on the site.

AGENDA-

Brighton people, go to the Freebutt tonight 8-11 for the Nascent Bash, with Uncle John Whitelock, The Rebel and Mad Headed Octogram playing. Support people who do interesting stuff or no-one will do interesting stuff and you’ll moan about how there’s nothing interesting to do. Move your asses for chirssakes! And you’ll mind will be free, or somethink.

Epilogue -
This post is tagged with anthrax being jewish black and white minstrels cowboys and indians daniel clowes don armando ethel merman indian blood indian jewelry irving berlin lincoln no pun intended pole dancing pow wow racial stereotypes rave sonic force thrasher trade description act tussle warpaint