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Monday, Aug 26 2019, 6AM
You can catch San Fermin at Neumos November 1st.. www.sanferminband.com
Angel Olsen will be playing at the Moore Theatre on Wednesday, December 11. angelolsen.com
This is one of two new songs First Aid Kit released in tribute to David Berman, who passed away recently, than a month after the release of his acclaimed comeback album as Purple Mountains.
First Aid Kit’s Klara Söderberg reflected on Berman’s sudden death and the legacy he’s left behind: "I think a lot of people were as shocked as I was upon hearing the news of David Berman’s passing. It didn’t seem real. It left me completely devastated. So I wrote the song ‘Strange Beauty’ to try to make sense of my feelings."
Inspired by one of frontman Wesley Schultz’s family members caught in the spiral of alcoholism. “So many people are touched by addiction, way more than is talked about,” Schultz says. “It’s a lot like cancer in that it is this way too common thing in our culture.” thelumineers.com
Local Seattle artist Lemolo is touring the US, and will return to play St. Mark's Cathedral on October 12th. lemolomusic.bandcamp.com
Lower Dens will play WaMu Theater here in Seattle, on October 26th. lowerdens.com
The Cure released this, their 6th album, on this day back in 1985! Smith stated that it was inspired by the albums Kaleidoscope by Siouxsie and the Banshees and Dare by the Human League.
Also released on this day, in 1991 Blur's debut album 'Leisure' came out. Damon Albarn said that the band's ethos at the time was to "play loud, fast music, jump around a lot and do it to the point of exhaustion."
Our first Mix Tape Week selection is from Matt Herron - he calls it "Midnight Calling", and says "This is music for late nights when you feel a little melancholy or alienated from the world." It features some early Elbow (who are releasing a new album, "Giants of All Sizes", this November.. elbow.co.uk
Another track from Matt's "Midnight Calling" mix - he explains that "I made this mix for my best friend. We were both around 20 during the early 00's and this era of slower atmospheric leaning indie-rock really made an incredible impression on both of us." Doves have reunited to play a couple festivals in the UK this summer: www.dovesmusicblog.com
Last selection from Matt's mix: Pleasant Grove, named for a Dallas, Texas suburb, was formed by co-vocalists / guitarists Bret Egner and Marcus Striplin. They were "drawn together by a vision to write and play music that captured raw melancholy melodies laid out over slow spacious rhythmic harmonies. Pleasant Grove released their self-titled debut album on a regional label in 1999". www.facebook.com
Great Grandpa will be playing Chop Suey November 16th.. greatgrandpa.bandcamp.com
This London-by way of Australia duo will play Barboza on November 15th. geowulf.bandcamp.com
"Doot, do, doot, do, doot, do, doot, do, do..." Danielle Haim dedicated the song to Lou Reed, likely a nod to the song's similarity to Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side." In a press statement, she said she started writing the song after her partner was diagnosed with cancer. “ I was on tour and felt like I was trying to send positive energy his way almost telepathically. Whenever I would come home in between shows I wanted to be his sunshine - his summer when he was feeling dark. His hope when he was feeling hopeless.” Here's the video: www.youtube.com
In 1988, two British record producers remixed "Tom's Diner", grafting Vega's vocals onto a dance beat from Soul II Soul ("Keep On Movin'") and turning her simple ad-libbed outro – "Da da da duh, doo da-doo doo" – into the song's driving hook. Without permission from Vega, her record label, or publisher, the duo released the remix on a limited basis for distribution to clubs as "Oh Suzanne" by "DNA featuring Suzanne Vega". Vega's record company of the time, A&M, decided to buy[citation needed] and release the remix rather than take DNA to court for copyright infringement.
Check out the 80's hair in the video for this song! www.youtube.com
Next up is Michael Girard's "Non Au Racisme" mixtape, which was a gift from his friend Roxanne. "While this started out as a gift for my birthday, this tape has taken on mythic level proportions in our friendship - 27 years and counting. It touches on all the best aspects of the perfect mixtape: inside jokes, nostalgia, old music, new-to-the-listener music, shared interests, danceable moments, current states of mind, tunes that pull at your heart, and an overall weird and wonderful selection of tunes that otherwise would not be found together in one place"
Track #2 on Michael's mixtape seems appropriate: "I now live in Maine and Roxanne lives in Seattle. We only see each other a couple times a year now but whenever we catch up, music is still a huge element of our bond." (P.S. YEAH MAINE! - Stef 🦞)
Recorded for the John Hughes film 'Pretty in Pink'.
Wrapping up Roxanne's mixtape for Michael, who says "It's one of the few mixtapes I ensure survive (going so far as to pay someone to create a cassette holder for the cassette case.) Listening to this mix today, it is still relevant to our story in many ways. It has aged well - I still listen to it before I embark on any trip or new endeavor." You need to see this SUPER CUTE cassette holder: twitter.com
“If you ever change your mind about leaving it all behind, remember: No geography.” The first sample that the Chemical Brothers locked down when building their new record, “No Geography,” was taken from a 1972 two-LP collection of spoken pieces recorded as part of a “dial-a-poem” art project featuring lines uttered by Michael Brownstein from his poem “Geography.” The album was compiled from artist John Giorno’s answering-machine poetry line, which was listed in New York directories around that time. “It’s such an interesting idea that you would call a phone and you would get poetry,” the Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands says. www.thechemicalbrothers.com
From their first new album in 4 years! www.ceremonyhc.com
A morning song? Why, we're a morning how! Fancy that .. Oso Oso will play the Vera Project on September 11th. osoosoband.bandcamp.com
This Scottish band was named after the quiet meeting place in Anne of Green Gables.
Playing at the Tractor Tavern October 24th.. blackbelteaglescout.bandcamp.com
A selection from Nathan Heuser's "Fitter.Happer" mix. KEXP's DJ Morgan recently interviewed Portishead’s Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley, who broke down their album 'Dummy' 25 Years after its release - read (and listen to) more at the KEXP blog: www.kexp.org
"Sometimes it takes a major shock to the system to awaken and sustain the will to change. About Five years ago, I had a major health issue. My surgeon was direct with me: I needed to change a lot of things in my life or (probably) die at a relatively young age. Incorporating exercise into my routine was at or near the top of the “change” list. I started walking my dog for a few miles on a regular basis. And — to make things more enjoyable — I also listened to some of my favorite songs.."
After suffering a heart attack recently, Murphy posted the following to Instagram today: “Following my recent episode in New York City with my heart attack and being admitted into Lenox Hill Hospital and seeing myself go through the rigors of intensive care, I am very happy to say that I have made a full recovery... Thanks to the superb team of doctors, specialists, nurses and care staff. I am so glad to say I am up and running again.” Hooray! 💖
The video features Billy Bragg and a handful of British comedians taking part in a self-help group at a hardware store. www.youtube.com
KEXP producer, Owen Murphy, spoke with singer, Jeff Tweedy, about keeping uniqueness and originality in new music and the inspiration behind the title of the new album. Read more over at the KEXP blog! www.kexp.org
Mixtape time! This one come from Danielle Henty, who titled it "The Last Child of Gen X." She says "this mixtape is a compilation of songs that have stood the test of time from my original mixtape in 1987 (I was in third grade) and was recording songs off the radio, and from my friend's older sibling's double tape deck, AND from their collection. These are the songs that ...make me happy, bring joy and lift me up because life is hard enough as it is." Truth!
According to songwriter Martin Gore: "It's a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care. It's about how Elvis Presley was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships; how everybody's heart is like a god in some way, and that's not a very balanced view of someone, is it?"
Fun fact: The Baltimore Ravens play "Don't Change" at their home games when a call in their favor is being reviewed by the referees. Smart... 😉
Another selection from Danielle's mix tape! James played a great show here in Seattle a few weeks ago..wearejames.com
Excellent liner notes from Danielle: "(arf! arf! arf!)" 🐶
