2,350Shows
101,523Spins
Friday, Sep 12 2014, 2PM
Brooklyn-by-way-of-San-Francisco's Callan Clendenin on some of Lemonade's inspirations: "And I feel like we get ideas from so many different areas, for me some that aren’t even music related. From watching cartoons, like, older cartoons, I want to write music. Or maybe if I have a dream where I imagine a lot of dinosaurs walking, a father and a mother dinosaur and they’re walking in a line, I wake up and I want to write a song that will go along with that. We have one song that I feel is really propelled by, like, Sonic the Hedgehog. Thinking about him. We took some samples from the game, but even before we put those samples into the track, it was just sort of like, Sonic the Hedgehog. Just influences from all over the place." The boys dropped by a few years back; listen in here: kexp.org
"Finding an unlikely middle point between Suicide's hostile, proto-electro punk art noise and the sardonic, pop-friendly sound of the Flaming Lips, MGMT started as electroclash musical terrorists but quickly grew into an eclectic, brainy pop group with psychedelic overtones. MGMT first formed in 2002, during Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Van Wyngarden's freshman year as art students at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. The band was initially known as the Management, and its shows consisted mostly of backing tapes, synthesizers, and prerecorded vocals playing as Goldwasser and Van Wyngarden engaged the audience in a manner somewhere between performance art and good old-fashioned punky hostility. By their senior year, things had toned down considerably on-stage and the duo began augmenting its live sound with backing musicians." goo.gl Check out a sweet vintage in-studio they played here back in 2008: kexp.org
"Mary Timony is back with a new project, Ex Hex, whose debut album is appropriately titled Rips, ‘cause this does. The former Helium frontwoman/Wild Flag guitarist brings her trademark shred to the single 'Don’t Wanna Lose.'" Stream it right here: blog.kexp.org
"I’m always begging to not be in the videos, I asked for that for years. Then I saw some Cat Power videos and I said, 'Look, she’s not in them!' [Management] said, 'Yeah, you don’t have to be in it.' 'Finally!' [Director] Steve Glashier said, 'Well, we could be driving through the desert… and we’ll have an old couple, because it’s this song about everlasting love.' I said, 'Well, I’m not sure if that relates to my life very much. How about a man and a dog, which is a little more on my level?' There was a great Argentinian film called Bombon El Perro, I got Ingrid Newkirk, who started PETA, to watch it with me. It’s about a man who inherits this fighting dog, and his journey with this dog. And all I said to [Glashier], was: “Refer to that.'" ~ Chrissie Hynde on her video for "You or No One." radio.com
From the band's label: "During this past year, Brad Laner, Elizabeth Thompson and Jim Goodall eschewed the 90s-nostalgia touring circuit and instead dug deep to bring you Home Everywhere: A collection of new songs created with a gaze that is omni-directional. An answer to no other band, movement or genre. An ambitious LP that could be the work of none other than three lifer music weirdos in full inspiration mode. A very groovy man once suggested in song that one could 'arrive without traveling.' Firmly re-established in the present, Medicine took heed, stayed home and went everywhere. Visiting large and small land masses, raging seas, urban and rural regions, people hoping to connect and people in conflict, it’s all in there via sweet harmonies, crazy stellar drumming, mysterious sounds and several shit-loads of melodic noise guitar stylings, if you will. And you shall. Because they did. And how." capturedtracks.com
"I've always wanted to make music on my own and work with new people to express more of my persona, essentially from a standpoint that's outside the construct of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It's just something that I feel I was planting the seed for really early on. You know, come to think of it, right after Fever to Tell. I always knew I had other things that I wanted to tell people with my music outside of what we do with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I definitely think the experience and being fortunate enough to have success with Yeah Yeah Yeahs has really opened the space up and opened the doors to feel freer to explore. This record is not going to make me any money, it's just needing to come out of me... People evolve, but do they ever change? I feel like I'm still writing songs, especially with these love songs, that probably come from the 12-year-old version of me and will always in some way, come from the 12-year-old me." goo.gl
Hungry for more Richman and trying to enjoy every last drip of summer? Then check out this feature of warm golden-rayed songs by John Richards, featuring Richman's "That Summer Feeling," of which Richards writes, "Nothing captures that melancholic nostalgia of summer quite like this awesome Jonathan Richman track. The song was released in 1984, and he’s settled into his gentle, jangly folk troubadour stage after breaking up his protopunk group The Modern Lovers a decade earlier. 'That Summer Feeling is gonna haunt you one day in your life,' sings a still baby-faced Richman. And as you hear him sing it, you know damn well it’s true." Watch the clip, and soak up more gloriously sunny tracks, right here: blog.kexp.org
The video for this song, garnering "a 2008 Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video, features an epic cast of celebrities: Iggy Pop, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Kate Moss, Keith Richards, Johnny Depp, Sheryl Crow, Owen Wilson, and many more." Read on, and see it yourself, on National Geographic's website: video.nationalgeographic.com For something a little different (and very cool) here are the Walkmen covering Cash here in our studio: blog.kexp.org
"Birmingham, AL-based lo-fi rockabilly troubadour Dan Sartain rode in on the wave of interest in stripped-down back-to-basics roots music spearheaded by the all-conquering White Stripes in the early 2000s. The lean and bequiffed Sartain self-released a couple of long-players before his full debut; 2003's Dan Sartain vs. the Serpientes -- released on Rocket from the Crypt/Hot Snakes frontman John "Speedo" Reis' Swami label. The frantic and compelling fusion of rockabilly, blues, garage, and punk, characterized by heartfelt yet gloriously misanthropic songs, ensured that the album stood out among the crop of Stripes copyists. The album found particular favor in the U.K., where it was championed by hip tastemaker the NME." www.allmusic.com/artist/dan-sartain-mn0000670168/biography
This Seattle pair of "young producers each made a name for themselves in the local scene - Harrison Mills as Catacombkid and Clayton Knight as BeachesBeaches - before teaming up while still in college. Together, they create lush, blissed out, beat-driven music that’s as perfect for a walk outside on a sunny day as it is for the late night nightclub." Read on, and experience some beautiful video shot here in our studio just last autumn: blog.kexp.org
Shara Worden on continuing to study operatic voice: "I still take lessons every week. I try to keep my classical chops alive because it informs my pop singing. I've been trying to understand those choices, because I love classical music so much [and] I always try to understand why. It's been a long process of me understanding how can you love two things that are seemingly so disparate. I'm trying to bring them together more, just for my own sanity. I'm also understanding the differences more and understanding why I needed to do pop music." More from this fascinating, and wonderfully candid, interview: pitchfork.com
"Gina X Performance was composed of the charismatic Gina Kikoine (vocals/lyrics) along with famous German producer/musician Zeus B. Held and backing band. Released in 1978 on various labels including EMI, 'Nice Mover' has been out of print on vinyl format since 1980. The track “No G.D.M.” (a tribute to famous gay actor/writer/personality) was a club hit on both sides of the Atlantic and remains a commonly heard track on better DJ sets to this very day. It is made up of an infectious slow driving disco-esque beat with perfectly aligned and arranged synth accompaniments. Gina’s unmistakable and truly unique vocals and lyrics set this record apart from its contemporaries. Tackling controversial subject matter such as transgenderism, exhibitionism, and other fetishes , this record has left a deep mark on the history of new wave and electro/disco." medical-records.org
"The Beastie Boys were teenagers when they started out. Mike Diamond and Adam Yauch created the band with money from their parents. Working with Kate Shellenbach (who’d later be in Luscious Jackson) and Adam Horovitz. And despite their Neanderthal beginnings, the Beasties started to show real promise on the album Paul’s Boutique in 1989. This record had a funkier feel. And the guys kept putting out records. But it was 1998′s Hello Nasty that really broke the mold, with styles ranging from electronica to salsa, soul to bossa nova. Hello Nasty also had a guest appearance from reggae great Lee Scratch Perry!" Head over and take a gander at our Friday Nite Spotlight on the Boys for more delicious Nasty goodness: blog.kexp.org
"I don’t think English people realise what places like the Fillmore in San Francisco are like; the people there have been into all sorts of things for a long time, and they get up and jump about and go wild. Everything that’s in them comes out, and that’s what entertainment is all about. It isn’t something that demands that people should adhere to some strict line, that 'this is a serious group and this is a teenybopper group'. There should be no barrier – everybody should be able to enjoy it, and at the same time we as musicians should come off at the end feeling pleased. I think that if we just went on stage and stood there, we’d be cheating ourselves and the people we’re playing to." A 22-year-old Robert Plant responding to being asked how it feels to be described as "some kind of plastic, teenybopper heavy group." More from this classic Melody Maker interview: www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/10/robert-plant-led-zeppelin-classic-interview
"'I plead total ignorance to Led Zeppelin,' Karen O recently told the Sun. 'I didn't even hear the name right when it was asked. I thought they said the 'The Pilgrim' song and I was like, 'Wat's that?' Yeah, I know, it's pretty embarrassing.'" Official video: www.spin.com/articles/watch-trent-reznor-and-karen-os-led-zeppelin-video/
"Since their 2010 debut, the band has been launched into the limelight when director/actress Lena Dunham used their track 'It’s On' in season three of her HBO show GIRLS. The TV time caught the attention of Dine Alone Records, who put out the band’s sophomore release, Just Enough Hip To Be Woman. The new release finds the group expanding their garage rock sound with a love of power-pop bands like Cheap Trick and The Cars." More about the band, and download your own copy of "Class Historian," here: blog.kexp.org
"Tennis is one of those bands that can kind of trick you into thinking they’ve been around for a lot longer. The husband and wife duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley put out their first LP Cape Dory only three years ago, with LP #2 Young & Old hot on its heels the next year. Between the two, we saw Tennis grow unnaturally quick from a cheery surf pop nostalgia act to a complex pop contender, with a hefty portion of forward surf rock energy, sprinkled with bits of Beach House psychedelia and the rougher, more vibrant edges of Dum Dum Girls. For a young band, Tennis seem to be working through growing pains pretty easily, as their sound is only getting stronger and easier to fall in love with." Read on, and download your own copy of this song as a Featured Song of the Day, right here: blog.kexp.org
Enjoy our Saturday Afternoon Artist feature on Bowie by our own Michele Myers, including lots of video clips to check out: blog.kexp.org
"How to describe the sound of Bear in Heaven? Anthemic, electric, ethereal, moody, psychedelic, somewhat gothy, somewhat dancy... none of these classifiers quite hit the nail on the head. Regardless, the group, borne out of Athens, Georgia’s Jon Philpot and developed into a tight Brooklyn-based four-piece, is ready for a much wider audience. Like early Yeasayer, with whom they share more than just a kinship, Bear in Heaven has built inroads with their critically acclaimed, independently released albums (both on Hometapes) and are poised for greater success." Read more, plus catch our exclusive video of their performance in Seattle's Cafe Vita Bean Room, here: blog.kexp.org
"Brooklyn-based siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, aka The Fiery Furnaces, performed songs from their new album, I’m Going Away, live on the Morning Show. The duo, who have consistently released in album a year for the past eight years, stated in a press release about their new LP that the 'dramatic music' they make is 'something more like a version of Taxi than something like a version of Titanic' and that their hope is to make 'theme songs to folk’s own personal versions of Taxi.'" They performed for us during The Morning Show at NYC's Cutting Room Studios back in 2009; relive it here:
"Spits founders Sean Wood (guitar and vocals) and Erin Wood (bass and vocals) are siblings who were born and raised in Allegan, Michigan and began making music in 1987 with a band called the Riot Midgets. Deciding the Allegan scene was too sleepy for them, Sean and Erin headed to Seattle, Washington in 1990, and the first lineup of the Spits was formed a year later with drummer Wayne Draves. The band bounced around the Northwest scene for several years playing makeshift gigs before putting out its first single, 'Tired and Lonely,' in 1997. In 2000, Nickel & Dime Records released the band's self-titled debut album, and the Spits hit the road, developing a reputation for their wild stage show, their relentless touring schedule, and their habit of dressing up for the audience, getting decked out in anything from monks robes to homemade mummy outfits to Ronald Reagan masks." www.allmusic.com
Want some cool Friday afternoon entertainment besides, of course, listening to Troy sub in for Kevin? Check out some archival footage of Jon Spencer demonstrating the playing of a theremin on a children's program: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4zcbIGb3Qs Next, here he is with his band performing a sweet and totally mind-blowing session right here in our studio: http://blog.kexp.org/2012/01/19/live-video-jon-spencer-blues-explosion/
"As one of the most traditional pop bands of the new wave, Squeeze provided one of the links between classic British guitar pop and post-punk. Inspired heavily by the Beatles and the Kinks, Squeeze was the vehicle for the songwriting of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, who were hailed as the heirs to Lennon and McCartney's throne during their heyday in the early '80s. Unlike Lennon and McCartney, the partnership between Difford and Tilbrook was a genuine collaboration, with the former writing the lyrics and the latter providing the music. Squeeze never came close to matching the popularity of the Beatles, but the reason for that is part of their charm. Difford and Tilbrook were wry, subtle songwriters that subscribed to traditional pop songwriting values, but subverted them with literate lyrics and clever musical references." www.allmusic.com
"We wanted to make something that had the sense of being timeless. Our ultimate goal is to make a record that will be the favourite album of people that aren't born yet." ~ Austin Garrick "The pair met in sixth grade, when Austin's family moved from Toronto to Bronwyn's nearby hometown of Hamilton. 'We became friends around that age, and I asked her out in 8th grade,' says Austin. 'She was my girlfriend from that time on.' Austin came from a household where his parents listened to anything from his Mom's beloved 80s synthpop to his Dad's Level 42 and reggae, while Bronwyn's religious family favoured church songs and classic songwriting form the likes of James Taylor and The Beatles. The band officially formed in 2009. Bronwyn says: 'It's the only band I imagine I'll ever be involved in.'" Read on and swoon over this sweet pair: www.secretlycanadian.com
"Richard D. James goes by the name Aphex Twin. He grew up in Cornwall, England and as a teenager used to take apart electronic devices to see how they worked. James started DJing in Cornwall in the late 80s. In 1992 as Aphex Twin he came out with “Selected Ambient Works:85-92. This album explored the electronic style called 'ambient' and included some gorgeous, beatless, melodic neo-classical sounds." Dig a little deeper and listen to our in-house documentary on AT, part of our Electronic Innovators series: blog.kexp.org
"Rjd2's music is a collage of cut-and-paste hip-hop that combines disparate elements to make for soulful, moody portraits of the world. Born Ramble John Krohn in Eugene, Oregon, on May 27, 1976, he moved to Columbus, Ohio, a few years later and was raised there. He first busted out onto the hip-hop scene in 1998 -- a time when producers were emerging from the shadows to seize the spotlight -- as the DJ/producer for the Columbus-based group Megahertz. MHz had two 12" singles released on Bobbito Garcia's Fondle 'Em Records and the group was mentioned in Vibe Magazine's History of Hip Hop." www.allmusic.com/artist/rjd2-mn0000389486/biography Now, delve deep into the world of Deadringer with our Midnight Album Feature: http://blog.kexp.org/2007/07/05/nite-life-midnight-album-feature-deadringer/
Can't get enough of SMD? Here is an archived in-studio performance from 2009: kexp.org For a live review on his show at CMJ 2007, complete with sensational photos: blog.kexp.org
"It’s not so bright Underneath the Rainbow — at least not the way Black Lips tell it — but their seventh LP still has its share of sonic gold. The Atlanta garage-punks continue to sharpen their songwriting with a bluesier take on their sound while losing none of their attitude or swagger. During a recent in-studio, Black Lips took DJ Troy and all KEXP listeners on a dark, hook-filled journey Underneath the Rainbow." Video, because it happened: blog.kexp.org
"The Danish duo, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, met in Copenhagen and soon after recorded their first EP in 2002. Although they picked up band members along the way, the latest album returns the original two, with Wagner on guitar, instruments, vocals, and Foo on bass, guitar, and vocals." Read on, and download your very own copy of "Forget That You're Young" right here: blog.kexp.org
"If surf rock is making a comeback with the rise of bands like Seattle’s La Luz, then Portland-based band The Shivas may well be ahead of the curve. Their head-bobbing rhythms and cute, airy background vocals envelope the ears like a warm tropical day. The band can rock, too, like on their song 'Stalkin Legs' which begins with the lyrics, 'Sitting alone in the afternoon, come on baby, won’t you come home soon!' sung over a pulsing electric guitar lead. The group has charm and moxie and obvious chemistry playing together - their songs are full of changes and delightful moving pieces." Here they are at the Doug Fir Lounge during MFNW 2013: blog.kexp.org You can also pre-order their brand new album here: shop.krecs.com
"More than any other performer, Iggy Pop’s sweet but cocky mug may be the deconstructed happy face of punk. Known more for self-abuse than ever hurting anyone else, and being a very endearing guy if you ever get to meet him, his open-heartedness and warm humor could use a little plagiarizing by the legions of sweaty leather-bound contenders that trail behind his brutal pop art expression. A recent DVD, titled after probably Pop’s best solo album after leaving the Manson-era king-thug rock band The Stooges, shows Pop both scaring the hell out of thousands of people all at once in that period, and attempting a come back in the mid-80s. Lust For Life shows how Iggy (named after his early fuzz-stomp band The Iguanas) collaborated with fellow Ann Arbor, Michigan, brothers of the garage Ron (guitars) and Scott Asheton (drums), and bass player Dave Alexander to make Motor City mayhem that was as inspirational, if not more so, than the Velvet Underground." goo.gl
Self-described as "Music for a beach day," check out these Seattlelites' Bandcamp for loads of tracks to explore. theechoechoechoes.bandcamp.com
"Join KEXP for a special live performance with the kings of desert psych-rock Meat Puppets. Curt and Chris Kirkwood (now with Ted Marcus on drums) play tracks from their LP 'Sewn Together' and throw in 'one of those Nirvana songs' for good measure." kexp.org
"It’s an interesting relationship that spawned DFA’s new act The Juan MacLean: lead singer John MacLean started his musical career in Rhode Island band Six Fingered Satellite. DFA head and LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy joined the band late in its existence as a sound engineer. Eventually, though, the members of Six Fingered Satellite went their separate ways. MacLean got a degree in sound engineering and Murphy moved to New York, but their friendship continued. After Murphy started his label, DFA, and his own band, LCD Soundsystem, he urged MacLean to step back into the music spotlight as well. Thus The Juan MacLean was born." For more, plus your downloadable copy of "One Day," right here: blog.kexp.org
"Possessing a hyper-literate, intellectual style of rapping augmented with dizzying elocution that would tongue-tie even the fiercest auctioneer, Busdriver is eclectic and eccentric enough to cite vocalese jazz singer Jon Hendricks as a primary influence. Born Regan Farquhar, the Los Angeles MC was introduced to hip-hop culture early -- his father wrote the screenplay to one of the earliest films focusing on hip-hop, Krush Groove. He began rapping at age nine, releasing his first record at age 13 with his group, 4/29, named after the 1992 L.A. riots. By the mid-'90s, Busdriver was a regular at the Project Blowed open mic, where he would meet future collaborators and underground luminaries like Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, and Freestyle Fellowship." www.allmusic.com/artist/busdriver-mn0000642728/biography
"We definitely weren't trying to hide anything. We started this record more than two years ago and at this point maybe it sounds like this super-big collaboration. But it was never really to be this big thing with this big song. We did most of the record without a label. We were just doing stuff. There wasn't this thing to really promote because we were seeing how the record was turning out as we were going along. We didn't know people would care that much. We didn't make an effort to go, "Hey, aren't we cool? Isn't this great?" We just did it.
I can see what you're saying because people are mentioning it now. But me and him aren't sitting around going, "Oh we're gonna do this, oh we're gonna do this, we're gonna do that." It just unfolded the same way the record did. It took two-and-a-half years, and the way it's unfolding is taking its time as well." ~ Danger Mouse on the purported "mystique" behind Gnarls Barkley. pitchfork.com
Temples will be performing at The Paramount on Saturday, September 20th at 9pm, with Wampire opening. Check out their fantastically blissful in-studio from earlier this year, complete with a supremely sweet band shot by KEXP photographer Dave Lichterman: blog.kexp.org
"Rhye is a low-key collaboration between two well-regarded producers, multi-instrumentalists, and vocalists: Denmark native Robin Braun (aka Robin Hannibal, member of Boom Clap Bachelors, Owusu & Hannibal, Parallel Dance Ensemble, and Quadron) and Canadian Mike Milosh (aka Milosh). In 2010, Hannibal contacted Milosh -- who had released three albums on Plug Research, home to Quadron -- about working on a remix. The meeting was more productive than anticipated and developed into the initially secretive project Rhye. Braun and Milosh connected with the Innovative Leisure label, where they released their first two singles -- "Open" and "The Fall" -- in 2012. The former was licensed for a Victoria's Secret commercial." www.allmusic.com/artist/rhye-mn0002845074/biography
"I don't feel any sadder than anybody else I know. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not." www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/16/elliott-smith-rocks-backpages Smith was a featured artist in our radio documentary series, "Death, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll." Listen to it here: http://kexp.org/learn/documentaries?docid=9#10
"Dear Prudence is me. Written in India. A song about Mia Farrow's sister, who seemed to go slightly barmy, meditating too long, and couldn't come out of the little hut that we were livin' in. They selected me and George to try and bring her out because she would trust us. If she'd been in the West, they would have put her away. We got her out of the house. She'd been locked in for three weeks and wouldn't come out, trying to reach God quicker than anybody else. That was the competition in Maharishi's camp: who was going to get cosmic first. What I didn't know was I was already cosmic. [Laughs.]" ~ John Lennon www.beatlesbible.com/songs/dear-prudence/
"Between the departures of multiple members and frontman Jonathan Pierce’s collaborative efforts, Brooklyn’s The Drums have been a consistent presence in the music press. However, it’s the quality of their music that keeps them from joining the long list of bands killed by the notoriously love/hate UK music press. Their second album, Portamento, was created at breakneck speed, with the band self-producing and recording tracks as soon as they finished them, and these qualities of the songwriting are immediately apparent. Urgent and spontaneous, the tracks are driven by a fragile tension that trembles through Pierce’s voice and Jacob Graham’s synths." Enjoy a live in-studio the band played when they came by Seattle back in 2012: blog.kexp.org They'll be in town on October 9th, performing at Neumos at 9pm. Ticket info: neumos.com
"Gold Panda is a London-based producer who was known primarily for his re-mixes before developing an impressive international reputation for himself after releasing a number of acclaimed EPs in 2009. Like many electronic artists, Gold Panda is somewhat of an audiophile, who over the years has compiled a wealth of different samples and recordings spanning a number of genres which he synthesizes into his own compositions.
Gold Panda is unique the fact that his music has been heavily influenced by Japanese culture. He has lived in Japan, studied Japanese, and his predilection for the Eastern is evident when listening to his music, which features traditional bass and backing beats that are lent an Eastern quality through the use of poignant samples and effects that can all but place you in a misty rock garden." More on Gold Panda, plus a downloadable copy of "Same Dream China," here: blog.kexp.org
"A project of Wooden Shjips' Erik 'Ripley' Johnson and Sanae Yamada, San Francisco's Moon Duo are a psychedelic Krautrock pair with chilly electronic underpinnings and drones inspired by Spacemen 3, Silver Apples, and Suicide. The group formed in 2009 and began issuing releases in short order, including the 'Love on the Sea 12' on Sick Thirst, which they followed with the Killing Time EP on Sacred Bones. Moon Duo made the jump to Woodsist for 2010's full-length Escape, which offered the most expansive and melodic take on their trippy sounds yet. After touring nearly incessantly following that release, Moon Duo moved their operation to the Souterrain Transmissions imprint in Berlin for Mazes later in the year, recording the set at home in San Francisco and mixing it in Germany." www.allmusic.com/artist/moon-duo-mn0002384394/biography Here's a set they performed live in our studio in 2012: http://kexp.org/live/liveperformance.aspx?rId=34278
"Their shocking live antics, combined with their intense, thrilling music, pretty much guaranteed them nationwide attention. I think it’s safe to say that the American musical landscape -- from Nirvana to the Flaming Lips -- would be very different if it weren’t for the Surfers and their deviant ways." blog.kexp.org
It isn't Black Sabbath exactly, but Brownout is an "Austin-based Latin, hardcore, and funk fusion outfit [who] have decided to move into darker territory on their new album, calling upon the notorious energy Ozzy Osbourne showed the world he was capable of when he, inhibitions aside, tore the head off that infamous bat with his teeth. As you’ve probably guessed by now, Brownout’s new alter-ego, dubbed Brown Sabbath, is a collection of Brownout-infused covers of Osbourne’s seminal project, Black Sabbath. Brownout’s new album will feature Black Sabbath classics like 'N.I.B.,' 'Iron Man,' 'Black Sabbath,' and, today’s Song of the Day, 'The Wizard.' Taking their Latin influence to a new level, Brownout have replaced the original guitar riffs with a horn section Additionally, the group has made good use of the musical knowledge of Black Sabbath-inspired band The Masters of Reality, and the album contains guest appearances from Alex Maas." Here is their "The Wizard": goo.gl
"Formed in 2008 by ex-Eames Era guitarists/songwriters Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer, New Orleans-based indie pop outfit Generationals craft hook-filled indie pop that draws liberally from rock and pop's '50s, '60s, and '70s heydays, while maintaining enough modern sensibilities to remain relevant in the MP3 age. Like their Park the Van contemporaries Dr. Dog, Spinto Band, and Capitol Years, Generationals' lo-fi recording techniques are buffered by their advanced musical chops, resulting in a clever new take on sugar pop psychedelia. The band's Park the Van debut, Con Law, arrived on July 21, 2009. The band returned in 2011 with the equally sugary-sweet sophomore effort Actor-Caster. In 2013, Generationals delivered their third studio-album, Heza." Listen to an in-studio performance they played for us last year: kexp.org
"Woodstock should have been a disaster, and it almost was. In August of 1969 thousands of young people traveled to a quiet upstate NY farming community for a three-day music festival. The nearest town, Bethel, wasn’t prepared for it. Food and gas was in short supply. Rain washed out the roads leading in and out of the festival." Intrigued? Then read on, and enjoy our radio documentary on Sly and the Family Stone, part of our Psychedelics Series: blog.kexp.org
"Festooned in feathered headdress and lavender coat, King Khan let the group through one killer song after another -- some older favorites and some yet to be recorded -- during this memorable set." See it all for yourself here: blog.kexp.org
"'Holy lord that was loud,' said DJ Sean of hardcore trio METZ’s near-My Bloody Valentine level of noise. 'I don’t want to put too fine of a point on it. But it was loud.' Only six months after their first visit to KEXP’s studios, Alex Edkins, Chris Slorach, and Hayden Menzies were back in Seattle looking to try and blow our speakers for a second time." See what Sean was talking about by clicking here and cranking the speakers up to 11: blog.kexp.org
"When Too Pure told us they were going to get him, as far as I was concerned it just showed they were taking us seriously. The great thing about him, and it sounds ridiculous, is the drums sound like drums, bass sounds like bass, guitar sounds like guitar… He gets audio performance from what’s happening live, and it’s perfect for us." ~ Andy Falkous on getting Steve Albini (Breeders, Fugazi, Nirvana, PJ Harvey) to produce "Do Dallas" www.manchestermusic.co.uk
"The Radio Dept. were one of the more successful shoegaze-influenced indie rock bands to come out of Sweden in the early 2000s, making waves among indie aficionados on the strength of their critically acclaimed first release, Lesser Matters. Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson formed a prototypical version of the group in Lund, Sweden, in 1995 while they were in high school, naming the group after a gas station called Radioavdelningen. Almered and Duncanson disbanded almost as soon as they'd found a name, but Duncanson revived the group three years later, teaming up with Martin Larsson. Bassist Lisa Carlberg, drummer Per Blomgren, and keyboardist Daniel Tjader rounded out the lineup in 2001, and things took off for the group at that point." www.allmusic.com/artist/the-radio-dept-mn0000894930/biography
"Sinkane is an alias of Ahmed Gallab, a solo recording artist from Columbus, Ohio, who sings and plays numerous instruments (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, et al.). His percussion-heavy style of music draws from a wide range of influences, most noticeably free jazz (e.g., Pharoah Sanders) and shoegaze (e.g., My Bloody Valentine). Born in Sudan, Gallab and his family fled to the United States when he was six years old. He made his debut in May 2008 on Emergency Umbrella Records with the EP Color Voice; the same year, he toured as the drummer of Caribou and Of Montreal. A self-titled album was released in May 2009. He later signed to DFA -- an ideal home for his trippy hybrid sound -- and released a second album, Mars, in November 2012, following it up with the eclectic Mean Love in 2014." www.allmusic.com/artist/sinkane-mn0000995997/biography
"It’s no wonder Night Moves chose Thom Monahan to rerecord their self-released debut, Colored Emotions. The young Minneapolis band shares that same western cosmic sensibility of the bands he has produced in the past - Vetiver, Beachwood Sparks, Devendra Banhart, and his own previous band, Pernice Brothers - and now, with Monahan’s touch, Night Moves has committed to record the psych-pop sound that has made them a Twin City favorite for the past few years." Check out live video from their performance here in 2012: blog.kexp.org
"Bright and melodic, Tomten’s charming brand of baroque indie pop draws equally from the bright pop sounds of the power pop groups of the’70s and the more orchestrated indie rock of the late ’90s. Formed by singer/keyboardist Brian Noyeswatkins, bassist/songwriter Lena Simon, and drummer Jake Brady while they were in college, the band built a reputation for their dream pop-influenced tunes while playing shows around the Pacific Northwest and producing two albums, 2010′s self-titled effort and 2012′s Wednesday’s Children. Recorded with producer Jason Quever (Papercuts) in San Francisco and Sacramento, the band’s most recent album, The Farewell Party, finds the band – now consisting of Noyeswatkins, Brady, and bassist Dillon Sturtevant – sharper and more direct than ever, showing off an expanded range of songwriting and orchestration." Delve more deeply into the album story, and download your own copy of "Mother Minnow," here: blog.kexp.org
A very cool feature by our own Michele Myers: a Saturday Afternoon Artist spot, covering the influences of Vampire Weekend. Enjoy the ride, with Myers as your very enthusiastic and knowledgeable driver: blog.kexp.org
"You might never expect this to happen to you: strolling through the woods, lulled by an enchanting melody, sorrowful yet sweet, and finding not some wandering minstrel strumming in a sun-dappled clearing but a 5-member band set up with an organ, an upright bass, and a full-sized harp. That’s the scene passers-by happened upon as The Barr Brothers returned to the Bunny Glade at Pickathon another unforgettable session with KEXP." blog.kexp.org
