Blackfire
Native American punk rock trio Blackfire formed in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1989. Comprised of brothers Klee Benally (vocals / guitar) and Clayson Benally (percussion / vocals) and their sister Jeneda Benally (bass / vocals), Blackfire were best known for mixing punk and alternative rock with lyrics that dealt with many political issues including human rights. The trio spent the first few years of the 1990s building an audience before releasing their 1994 self-titled five-song debut EP, which was produced by C.J. Ramone. Their second self-titled EP featured three songs and was released in 1998. Their long-awaited debut album, One Nation Under, was released in 2002. The critically acclaimed album features the last vocal recordings by Joey Ramone, who sang on “What Do You See” and “Lying to Myself.” The album won the Best Pop / Rock Album award at the Native American Music Awards (NAMA). The following year, they issued the Woody Guthrie Singles EP (2003), a two-track release that included Blackfire providing original music to Woody Guthrie lyrics. Blackfire returned in 2006 with the album Beyond Warped, which featured a live recording from their appearance on the Warped Tour alongside previously unreleased tracks and a DVD. The group’s final album, 2007’s (Silence) Is a Weapon, was produced by Ed Stasium. After Blackfire split up in 2011, Klee Benally pursued a solo career and continued to be a Navajo activist while Clayson and Jeneda formed Sihasin. Klee Benally died at the age of 48 on December 30, 2023, of undisclosed causes.
©Copyright Music Story Stephen Schnee 2024
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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One Nation Under
Punk / New Wave - Released by Tacoho Records on 1 Jan 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Blackfire - Night Vision
Rock - Released by Irruk Birruk on 2 Jan 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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[Silence] Is A Weapon (double disc album)
Hard Rock - Released by Tacoho on 1 May 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Woody Guthrie Singles
Punk / New Wave - Released by Tacoho Records on 1 Jan 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live Music Series
Punk / New Wave - Released by Beyond Warped on 14 Sep 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Replay
Dancehall - Released by Blackfire Productions on 24 Dec 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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BlackFire Everywhere
Pop - Released by perfectarts on 5 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo