Troy Nelson

Brooklyn-based collaboration containing members of the Dap-Kings, Antibalas, El Michels Affair, and Budos Band. While this album carries the aesthetic torch that MSB has skillfully woven into the tapestry of their DNA, it also delves deeper into the experimental, exotic sounds that fill many of the coveted Sound Library and Soundtrack LPs of the late sixties and early seventies - an amalgamation of moog synths, electric pianos, drum machines, and a bevy of analog instrumentation, that ebb and flow in lush swells of Morriconian grandeur. menahanstreetband.bandcamp.com

Moon Duo has stopped by the KEXP studio a few times over the years. Dive into their sessions here: www.youtube.com Stars Are the Light, the luminous seventh album by the American psych explorers Moon Duo, marks a progression into significantly new territory. From a preoccupation with the transcendental and occult that informed Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada’s guitar-driven psych rock, and reached its apotheosis in the acclaimed Occult Architecture diptych, Stars Are the Light sees the band synthesize the abstract and metaphysical with the embodied and terrestrial.  moonduo.bandcamp.com

New single from Canadian producer Louis Kevin Celestin (KAYTRANADA). www.kaytranada.com While we eagerly await his next major release, Kaytranada has, for now, blessed us with the ‘Intimidated’ EP, which does what the 29-year-old does best: fuse oozy soul samples with hip-shaking synths over thumping beats. bit.ly

Sally Shapiro's music is heavily influenced by 80s italo disco. The project also includes the composer and producer Johan Agebjörn, both live in Lund, Sweden. Sally Shapiro's real name is something else. She is too shy to perform live. Their new album, 'Sad Cities,' will be out on February 18th. sallyshapiro.bandcamp.com www.johanagebjorn.info

Teenage Sequence is Dewan-Dean Soomary, a London musician who used to be in bands like King Blues and Bleach Blood. As Teenage Sequence, Teenage Sequence is his danceable reaction to a world that does not honor his life and perspective. He told his story to KEXP's Owen Murphy. soundcloud.com teenagesequence.bandcamp.com

New music from Mr. Twin Sister! mrtwinsister.bandcamp.com Mr. Twin Sister is a band from Long Island, New York that debuted back in 2010, originally under the name Twin Sister. Since their debut release and subtle name change, they've been evolving upon their infectious electro-pop sound that often leans into dreamy dancefloor territory. Their exclusive guest DJ mix for Midnight in a Perfect World is a groovy glimpse into the sounds and styles that have undoubtedly influence their own music, as they seamlessly mix between classic house anthems and timeless funk jams. kexp.org

Fun fact: Grace Jones has a lifetime ban from Disney World. She frequently flashes audiences or goes topless during performances, but apparently "the Most Magical Place on Earth" didn't appreciate the showmanship. bit.ly www.gracejones.com

Request for Wendy! -- Guitar prodigy Shuggie Otis (real name: Johnny Otis Jr.) wrote this song at the age of 17. Otis wrote it for his girlfriend describing the feelings evoked by "Strawberry Letter 22," the title indicating the hopes of another letter. It is commonly believed that she wrote to him on strawberry-scented paper but Otis told Spinner in a 2013 interview that the song has nothing to do with the smell of strawberries. "What I pictured when I was writing that song, was a girl handing a guy a pink envelope," he explained. "A love letter. The guy and the girl had written each other 22 letters so far. And the 23rd one he writes is a song. But no scents." He added: "The Brothers Johnson put out a single [of the song] and it was colored red and smelled like strawberries. Did you know that? It had a scent to it. I think that's how the whole thing got started." bit.ly

This album ended up in Troy's Top 10 Albums of 2021! Have you voted on your favorites yet? Voting ends at 6:00 PM PST on Friday, December 10th. www.kexp.org Goat Girl shared a live performance recorded exclusively for KEXP and spoke with DJ Morgan in March 2021. The session starts off with "Sad Cowboy": youtu.be goatgirl.bandcamp.com

Foals wrote this disco-indebted song in a Peckham, SE London rehearsal room during the COVID pandemic. It finds Yannis Philippakis singing of how he wants to wake up in more idyllic circumstances after a year and a half of lockdown. "It's the perfect party tune for the reemergence of the world from the fever dream that's been the past 18 months." Philippakis remembered the excitement as Foals wrote the rave-driven song, especially once it all came together. "We were on cloud nine, playing it on loop while the pandemic winter was wished away for that afternoon," he said. "It's a celebration of groove and rhythm for the dance floor." bit.ly youtu.be

Rolling Stone's David Fricke described the song: "On the surface, 'Girlfriend Is Better' is a brassy, straightforward bump number sparked by Byrne's animated bragging ... and by the kind of rapid, zizagging synth squeals so common on rap and funk records. But the edgy paranoia smoldering underneath ... is colorfully articulated by guitar and percussion figures that burble along in a fatback echo, sounding like a sink backing up." bit.ly youtu.be

Virginia-born singer/songwriter Nicole Wray has everything you’d want in a singer: an infectious Jackson-5-family-member flare, a range like Aretha’s, and a church upbringing that’s brought a pure, healing texture to her voice. This is something of a homecoming for Nicole. Where her 2016 solo debut 'Queen Alone' leaned more towards Soul and R&B with tinges of hip-hop, this record changes the mixture. It’s still R&B with the textures of analog Soul, but there is a heavy Hip Hop influence that brings the sum of Nicole’s career together in a new sound that will define her future. Boom-bap drums and chunky bass lines are front-and-center creating a perfect head-nodding backdrop for Lady Wray to take on the good, the bad, the difficult, and the joyful on her most personal collection of songs to date. Sophomore album 'Piece of Me' out everywhere on January 28th. ladywray.bandcamp.com

'Freetown Sound' is the third album from Devonté Hynes aka Blood Orange. Written and produced by Hynes, 'Freetown Sound' is a tour de force, a pastiche of Hynes’ past, present, and future that melds his influences with his own established musical voice. Drawing from a deep well of techniques and references, the album unspools like a piece of theater, evoking unexpected communions of moods, voices, and eras. 'Freetown Sound' derives its name from the birthplace of Hynes’ father, the capital of Sierra Leone. Thematically, it is profoundly personal and unapologetically political, touching on issues of race, religion, sex, and sexism over 17 shimmering songs. bloodorangenyc.bandcamp.com

In 2015, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the late Phife Dawg talked about this remarkable album, then 25 years old. www.npr.org

Good morning DJ Troy!! and crew 🎄🥳💚 I’m loving all the great music you are laying this morning. You are a magical creature with Super Powers!! ⚡️✨💛⚡️✨ Could you please play Love Love Love by My Morning Jacket?? I feel so good when I listen to that song!! 💗🧡💛 Much Love & Thank You Karen (Pdx Amplifier) P.S. could you dedicate my song to Amy the Rainbow Unicorn in West Seattle, from the Portland Giraffe Bunny too?? I might as well as for what I want. Thank you -- In a statement, James said of the song, “‘Love Love Love’ is trying to steer the ship away from everything I’m talking about in ‘Regularly Scheduled Programming,’ and speak toward positivity and pure love, finding truth within yourself and in the world around you.” bit.ly On their long-awaited new full-length—a self-titled body of work that marks their ninth studio album—My Morning Jacket reaffirm the rarefied magic that’s made them so beloved, embedding every song with moments of discovery, revelation, and ecstatic catharsis. mmorningjacket.bandcamp.com

Per the band’s A Savage: “I told [producer] Rodaidh McDonald that I wanted to find a sound that was equal parts Can, Canned Heat and This Heat. He was really into that and probably took some glee in having such a bizarre challenge.” It comes with an animated video created by Shayne Ehman, who said: “We were inspired by the claymation master Art Clokey. I wanted the video to feel like it was shot in the 1950’s and so I used very old lenses. One was a brass projection lens from the 1860’s and another was radioactive.” bit.ly Check out the claymation video too: youtu.be parquetcourts.bandcamp.com

The Dukes of Stratosphere was a side project of XTC, with all the members adopting different monikers. Andy Partridge was Sir John Johns, Colin Moulding was the Red Curtain, and David Gregory was Lord Cornelius Plum. In 1985, the British pop band XTC recorded an EP of affectionate parodies of '60s psychedelia and guitar pop called '25 O'Clock'. The EP was released without mention of XTC's name anywhere on the record, and the group members claimed they had nothing to do with the project. Later in 1987, both the EP and album were released on a single compact disc, 'Chips from the Chocolate Fireball'. bit.ly

Ramble Jon Krohn, better known by his stage name RJD2, is owner of RJ's Electrical Connections and has been member of groups such as Soul Position, MHz Legacy, and Icebird. officialrjd2.bandcamp.com -- Sam Chennault of Pitchfork called it "an essential purchase for any fan of instrumental hip-hop". "Smoke and Mirrors" totally flips the script. It's bluesy, eerily reminiscent of the cold psychedelia laid out by early Pink Floyd. After a raucous intro, a throaty voice pops in and sings, "Who knows what tomorrow will bring, maybe sunshine, maybe rain... maybe it'll bring my love to me." And while the track initially comes across as simplistic and retro, the subtleties of its execution are complex, transcending the genres that inform it. bit.ly -- rjd2.net

Beach House is playing The Paramount Theatre on Sunday, April 3. bit.ly Beach House's new 18-track behemoth will be released in four separate chapters over the next few months, culminating in the full album’s release on February 18. The second chapter (tracks 5-8) of 'Once Twice Melody' comes out on December 8. bit.ly Chapter One: youtu.be beachhouse.bandcamp.com

LA-based synthpop artist Riki released her second album 'Gold' through Dais Records. On this single, she collaborates on vocals with the album's co-producer, Telefon Tel Aviv co-fouder Joshua Eustis. riki.bandcamp.com

Jessy Lanza will be live on KEXP today at 2:00 PM! This session is NOT open to the public, so be sure to tune in. bit.ly She is playing tonight, Friday December 3, at Barboza. bit.ly -- Jessy Lanza is from Hamilton, Ontario. Her second album 'Oh No' is inspired by Japanese 80s electro outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra’s philosophy of experimental pop. Playfully laced with cascading arpeggios, crispy drum machines and breezy songs, 'Oh No' has an infectious energy that has carried over from her live shows. jessylanza.bandcamp.com

Thievery Corporation is playing two nights here in Seattle this weekend at The Showbox, Saturday & Sunday, December 4 & 5. bit.ly -- Off the 10th studio album from the Washington D.C. band, recorded in Port Antonio, Jamaica. The band noted about the recording: "The innovation, spirit and power of Jamaican music is a constant source of creative manna for us. On the musical map, Jamaica is an entire continent. Frankly, we could have spent a year there... " thieverycorporation.bandcamp.com

On recording this album, Jessie Ware shares, "I feel really confident about the new music I’m doing. I don’t feel like I’m trying to impress or please anybody, I’m just making the music I feel like making... This whole new record is about fantasy and escapism. It’s for the fans who have been there for a start. It was funny seeing the comments from fans like, ‘At last! You’ve given us a groove, Jessie!’ It’s a record people can dance to or have sex to, I hope... I’m proud of everything I’ve done, but I needed some energy. I can sing ballads till the cows come home, but I also can do dance music, and it’s where I came from, so I just wanted to dip my toe back in that." bit.ly jessieware.com

From Depeche Mode's debut LP, and the only one featuring Vince Clarke; the song was originally titled "Operator", and Dave Gahan called it by that title during several gigs for their 1981 tour; learn more at the Depeche Mode Wiki: dmlive.wiki "Puppets" live: youtu.be

Request for Jeffrey! Check out this lovely Christmas tune by Khruangbin! 💚❤️🎄🎶 khruangbin.bandcamp.com www.khruangbin.com

"For us as a band it’s important to contribute to a more sustainable way of living," says the Amsterdam-based Altin Gün. "Travel by van or train, no plastic on or backstage, CO2 compensation in case of flying and a vegetarian rider. However; we felt the urgency to do more. Recording a full-length album and donating all revenues to Earth Today to help them reach their goals is for us a way to contribute to a healthier planet." bit.ly Altin Gün performed live, recorded exclusively for KEXP. Check out their Live on KEXP at Home session from July 2021: youtu.be altingunband.bandcamp.com

Essaie Pas always seek out fresh challenges. Emerging from Montreal’s sprawling electronic scene, the duo - Marie Davidson and Pierre Guerineau– feel completely free to express themselves, to sketch out hitherto unmapped musical regions. “Essaie Pas has always been about exploring new territories” explains Pierre. “From the very first tapes, to the last one. We don’t want to do the same thing over and over again, – we just need to keep it exciting and to challenge ourselves. Take those experiences, open new boxes and see what happens.” essaiepas.bandcamp.com

Wolf Alice performed "Don’t Delete the Kisses" live in the KEXP studio in 2017. Watch the full session here: youtu.be wolfalice.co.uk

Mitski is playing two nights at The Moore Theatre, with CHAI, on Wednesday & Thursday, March 9-10, 2022 bit.ly In this second single from her new album, 'Laurel Hell,' she casts herself as the "bad guy": youtu.be mitski.bandcamp.com mitski.com

Michael Kiwanuka's voice! With his acoustic sound and timelessly soulful voice, British singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka emerged to acclaim in 2011 combining folk, indie rock, and R&B with traditions borrowed from his Ugandan heritage. Drawing favorable comparisons to Curtis Mayfield, Terry Callier, and Van Morrison, Kiwanuka earned a Mercury Prize nomination for his debut album, 2012's 'Home Again,' and won the BBC's Sound of 2012. bit.ly www.michaelkiwanuka.com

Bringing 2 coasts together, Seattle’s Jarv Dee and Brooklyn’s Bad Colours team up for this incredibly electric collaboration EP “BlakHouse”. jarvdee.bandcamp.com

“Wrong,” a song about pushing love to its breaking point. Everything but the Girl was released in May 1996, and is the eighth album from the UK duo. bit.ly youtu.be

From a tweet - (“Hi @chancetherapper. If you are very obviously a rapper why did you put it in your stage name? I cannot stop thinking about this.”) - a collaboration (and song) is born. Back in December 2020, Dionne Warwick took to Twitter to poke harmless fun at the stage names of high-profile artists, including The Weeknd and Chance the Rapper. From there, it was announced that a surprise collaboration titled “Nothing Impossible” was in the works featuring all three acts. Nearly a year later, the inspirational track has surfaced with Warwick and Chance joining forces. The Weeknd is not featured. Instead, the duo is backed by an uplifting choir and receives a co-production and co-songwriting assist from Warwick’s son Damon Elliott. Twitter: @dionnewarwick

Over a decade into their existence, Chastity Belt remains true to itself. It’s a joke told in a college town that became a living, breathing rock band. It’s a quartet of four friends–Julia Shapiro, Lydia Lund, Gretchen Grimm, and Annie Truscott–in dialogue with each other and the world. Across four albums to dazzling effect, their work stands as a deeply moving extended meditation on parties, relationships, power dynamics, sincerity, and aging–all delivered without even a hint of heavy-handedness. “Fake” / “Fear” the band’s new single, picks up where their self-titled fourth album left off. “Fear”’s snarling riff, soaring chorus, and Moby-Dick imagery came to singer and guitarist Lydia Lund after she dreamt of what she described as “gut-wrenching fear” caused by a “neverending series of unknowns.” chastity-belt.bandcamp.com Read KEXPs Jasmine Alberton's article about the making of the new video for "Fake": www.kexp.org

Singer and bassist Kim Gordon explained that the song is about "using passiveness as a form of rebellion—like, I'm not going to participate in your male-dominated culture, so I'm just going to be passive". bit.ly The video features Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna dancing and occasionally interacting with the band members, particularly guitarist Thurston Moore; she accidentally gave Moore a bloody lip during filming. youtu.be

"People see rock 'n' roll as, as youth culture and when youth culture becomes monopolized by big business, what are the youth to do? Do you, do you have any idea? I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture." This opening quote on this track is from Thurston Moore. theradiodept.bandcamp.com

Hand Habits, the project of Los Angeles-based musician Meg Duffy (they/them), is back with their new album 'Fun House' - the most ambitious Hand Habits album to date. Produced by Sasami Ashworth (SASAMI) and engineered by Kyle Thomas (King Tuff), the record was not intended as a reaction to the pandemic, but it was very much the result of taking a difficult, if much-needed, moment of pause. handhabits.bandcamp.com Check out Hand Habits live in the KEXP studio from 2019: youtu.be

"Knives" was chosen as a KEXP Song of the Day in July 2021. Originally from Sheet’ka (Sitka, Alaska), artist Nicholas Galanin brings the influence of his Tlingit and Unangax̂ heritage to his spacey dance pop. Under the name Ya Tseen (which simultaneously translates to “be alive” and references his Tlingit name Yeil Ya Tseen), he uses his music to advocate for "Indigenous sovereignty, racial, social, and environmental justice, for present, and future generations." Subscribe and download this song for free: kexp.org yatseen.bandcamp.com