☰
KEXP Playlist
The music of Dua Saleh (they/them) explores the inner self and the world at large. With their long-awaited full-length debut, a collection of R&B-infused electronic indie-pop songs titled I SHOULD CALL THEM, they portray the spiritual power, resilience, and joy of love. Equal parts imaginative and lived-through, it's a statement record only Saleh could make. duasaleh.bandcamp.com
By request from Pat in Ohio!
--------------
Produced by Rico Wade.
"Chasing Waterfalls" is TLC's way of expressing how people chase intangible dreams with no thought of the consequences. The first verse is talking about an inner city mother-and-son relationship. He is chasing "waterfalls" (money and respect by dealing drugs), but his mother knows this cannot end well. The second verse deals with a man's relationship with a woman. His "waterfall" is casual sex - he has a "natural obsession for temptation." This could mean he is cheating on someone or the woman he is seeing is cheating on someone. Either way, he contracts HIV and dies ("three letters took him to his final resting place"). TLC were big on AIDS awareness - Left Eye would often wear condoms attached to her clothes and in her glasses to promote safe sex.
bit.ly
"I ran into this girl, I said, "I'm tired of explaining"
Man, this shit is draining
But I'm not really allowed to be mad...."
This song finds Solange exploring black emotional vulnerability, as she questions why African Americans are always seen as angry. It follows the interlude "Dad Was Mad" where her father Matthew Knowles recounts his childhood experiences of racism, which made him an angry young man. The song features a verse from Lil Wayne where the New Orleans native lists some of things that have made him mad. Lil Wayne addresses in his verse his suicide attempt at age 12 when he shot himself in the chest.
"And when I attempted suicide
I didn't die I remember how mad I was on that day": genius.com
solange.blackplanet.com
Kelela released her debut album, 'Take Me Apart' in 2017. Check out Kaytranada's remix of this track. www.youtube.com
Brand new album! London based DJ and producer TSHA has created a sound that is diverse and intricate, giving foundation to her unique personal style that draws on influences from the likes of Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Floating Points and Four Tet. tshamusic.bandcamp.com
Twigs first began teasing the album in January 2024 through a string of posts on her Discord. Having relocated to Prague "a couple summers" prior, she fell in love with techno; while she explained that the album would not consist of that genre but would bear its "spirit," and she described it as "deep but not sad." Twigs further revealed that she had teamed up with electronic duo Two Shell who helped her craft the era from scratch after 85 of her demos were leaked in October 2023. tinyurl.com In an interview with British Vogue in March 2024, she explained the meaning behind the word "eusexua," saying that she came up with it to describe the "sensation of being so euphoric" that one could "transcend human form."
This song was inspired by Jackson's time in New York City. It's about the anticipation and excitement of a drive out around the town.
Check out the music video for "Steppin' Out": www.youtube.com
Going out to Erwin in the Netherlands!
The whiplashing sword sound effect you hear in this track is a sample of the song "Da Mystery of Chessboxin", by Wu-Tang Clan
The Beatnuts are a hip-hop duo composed of rapper/producers Juju and Psycho Les, from Corona, Queens, NY.
This song samples Lata Mangeshkar's "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai".
Produced by DJ Quik.
Brand new local music from FEM du lit aka Francesca Eluhu of Seattle soul/jazz outfit Day Soul Exquisite: femdulit.com
The group's sax player, Charles Miller, came up with the idea for the song. Drummer Harold Brown said: "What happened on 'Low Rider' was in the studio, we were jamming, and I was supposed to have been on the downbeat. But all of the sudden I was on the upbeat. And I said, 'Oh, boy. I got the beat turned around.' I didn't panic. I said, 'Wait a minute. Stay there. Don't change it. Stay.' Because as long as you keep doing it over and over and over, it won't be a mistake.
We were just messing around, you know. Then the next thing I know, Charles [Miller]started just singing, 'Low ri-der drives a little slower. The low...' he was just pumping it. And then the next thing I know Lee's [Oskar] over there putting that harmonica on, because Lee is a melody man all the time. And then - boom."
By request from Sam G!
Psychedelic rock band Spirit Mother with new music!
Bandmember Armand Lance says of the new track, Emerald:
"Emerald is our take on psychedelia informed rocknroll in a direct collision with protometal and folklore narrative. Written first as a poem with no music. The music is added to accompany and deliver the poem. It’s comes off cryptic but is actually very literal. A testament to the location that Emerald both references, and was written.”
Seattle afropunks Black Ends are releasing their debut album, 'Psychotic Spew', on October 11th!: blackends.bandcamp.com
DANCE TIL YOU'RE DEAD
Frontwoman Karen O told the New Musical Express January 17, 2009, with a grin: "I figured if we were going to write a dance song it should be about heads bouncing on the floor and murder and slaughter."
yeahyeahyeahs.com
Jayda G is a Canadian DJ and producer, she received a Grammy nomination for her song "The Both of Us" and is also known for her remix of "Cool" on Dua Lipa's album 'Future Nostalgia.' jaydag.bandcamp.com