November Collaborative Blog: Native American Heritage Month and Gratitude Playlists

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the T&E collective curated a playlist of all their favorite songs written by indigenous musicians. And to keep with the November themes, there's a bonus playlist of songs about thankfulness. Gratitude is the attitude!

Native American Heritage Playlist:

​T&E contributor Noe on his pick "October 6, 1813" by Nechochwen: Folk metal is often associated with Norse traditions. This is why Nechochwen is such a breath of fresh air. Their music talks about Native American folklore and history, accompanied by top notch instrumentation. In my favorite album of theirs, The Heart of Akamon, they tell the bloody story of the British invasion to their culture. I am not an american citizen, but Nechochwen’s engaging representation of these historic events made me curious about learning more. Listen and transport yourself back!
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T&E contributor Parisa says. "If you're looking for more Native American music, I recommend checking out the 2017 documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World as well as the Light in the Attic compilation Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985. Both shed light on indigenous musicians who were incredibly crucial to the evolution of popular music, but never got the credit they deserved."
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​Songs of Gratitude:

T&E contributor Brandon Biallas on his pick "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin:  “The mellow folky vibes present on this track of the band’s second album, Led Zeppelin II, served as a tribute to singer Robert Plant’s’ then-wife, Maureen Wilson. The song alternates between steadily-driving yet calming rhythms, contrasted by quiet verses that consist of little aside from John Paul Jones’ church organ and Plant’s earnestly delivered lines: 'If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the see, there will still be you and me.' It’s a simple, but moving testament to the love he shared with his partner and serves as a reminder to express gratitude for the ones we love. According to various Led Zeppelin biographies, this is also the song that guitarist Jimmy Page realized his fellow band-mate could competently handle songwriting duties for the increasingly popular band, adding an additional layer of gratitude to a song so heavily influenced by feelings of appreciation."

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​Playlists created by Alex Lopez, Brandon Biallas, Kurt Reighley, Parisa Eshrati, Noé Loyola, and Joanna Swaap.