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The
MUSIC TRADE magazine
RED THUNDER
Makoce Wakan (Eagle Thunder
Records/Koch) |
PERFORMANCE
9/7 SOUND QUALITY
 With one foot in
traditional native music and one in classic folk/pop, Red
Thunder is a good indication of how far Native American
music has come in the last five years. Robby Romero and
the Red Thunder quartet successfully bridge the gap
between indigenous and popular music with traditional
instrumentation morphing seamlessly into rock. But this
isn’t a tacky hybrid by any stretch. Romero’s band
mates know their way around Native American drums, flutes
and rattles, preventing the chemistry to lapse into cheesy
contemporary pop. “Hidden Medicine” mixes the
sentiments of a medicine man with slightly psychedelic
flourishes; “Sacred Ground” has a sweet flute
break, but never loses its folk heart; and “Heartbeat”
grinds folk into a commercial pop delight with a catchy
singalong chorus. Red Thunder recently toured with the
‘95 H.O.R.D.E. Festival and their debut EP, Red
Thunder, sold over 50,000 copies. Without betraying
their ethnic soul, Red Thunder has crafted a genuinely
compelling effort and if any Native American band has the
potential to crossover to mainstream, this is the one.
— Bob Gulla |
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