Eva Walker
Early
Last show: Wednesday, Oct 23 2024, 5AM
580Shows
20,180Spins
Monday, Jun 24 2024, 5AM
Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 by Mavis Staples.
Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel". Jackson became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist. She was described by entertainer Harry Belafonte as "the single most powerful black woman in the United States". She recorded about 30 albums (mostly for Columbia Records) during her career, and her 45 rpm records included a dozen "golds"—million-sellers.
"I sing God's music because it makes me feel free," Jackson once said about her choice of gospel, adding, "It gives me hope. With the blues, when you finish, you still have the blues."
www.last.fm
On this day in 1969, The Harlem Cultural Festival (also known as Black Woodstock) kicked off.
It was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the continued politics of black pride.
Notable participants included Nina Simone, B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone, Chuck Jackson, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach, The 5th Dimension, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, and Moms Mabley, among many others.
For the concert featuring Sly and the Family Stone on June 29, 1969, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) refused to provide security, and it was instead provided by members of the Black Panther Party. A movie about the series, directed by Questlove and called Summer of Soul was released in 2021.
Featuring South African singer Mereba.
Check out the official video here:
www.youtube.com
Baby Rose will be in Seattle on Nov. 2 at Showbox SoDo and in San Francisco on Nov. 7 at The Warfield.
babyrose.bandcamp.com
Eva listened to this song to help her breathe during pregnancy contractions!
From U2's 1983 album, War.
Lorde covers “Take Me to the River” for Talking Heads tribute album, 'Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense.'
Al Green co-wrote and recorded “Take Me to the River” for 1974’s Al Green Explores Your Mind. Talking Heads covered the song for 1978’s More Songs About Buildings and Food and played it live for 1984’s Stop Making Sense.
tinyurl.com
shop.a24films.com
Habibi are back with 'Dreamachine', their first album in four years and their first for Kill Rock Stars. It came out on May 31st! habibitheband.bandcamp.com
Local band Mt Fog's next album "ultraviolet heart machine" is slated for release in September 2024.: www.mtfog.com
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Playing Jul 19 Cryptatropa in Olympia, WA
Suki Waterhouse will play the Day in Day Out Festival at Seattle Center on Saturday, July 13th! She'll be at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on Friday, October 25th.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin will be out in September. sukiwaterhouse.bandcamp.com
"Saved by Zero" is apparently a reference to the Buddhist mantra Śūnyatā. Fixx frontman Cy Curnin said in a 2008 interview that "It was about looking at your own life, not so much about amassing material things but about experiences that lend you to be blissful... It’s sort of a meditation. It clears your head of all fears and panics and illusions and you get back to the basics, which is a Buddhist mantra, which I practiced back then, and which I still do."
www.thefixx.com
Happy Birthday to Andy McCluskey of OMD, born on this day in 1959.
OMD is on tour!
+ Sept 9 & 12 @ The Moore in Seattle
+ Sept 13 @ Roseland Theatre in Portland
+ Sept. 15 - @ Fox Theatre in Oakland
This anti-war song addresses the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the aircraft Enola Gay on 6 August 1945, toward the conclusion of World War II.
Read how Andy McCluskey created this memorable song: bit.ly
Happy Birthday to Solange, born on this day in 1986!
Solange's "Binz" from her 2019 album, "When I Get Home," sampled the Rotary Connection's cover of The Lovin' Spoonful.
Shot entirely on webcam, the self-directed video shows Solange happily dancing solo in the kitchen and in the darkened living room with various wardrobe changes throughout the clip.:
www.youtube.com
Solange talked about self-care in this interview.
In the midst of conflict and chaos, she says, "Just for the sake of being able to exist in that day, to exist without rage, and exist without heartbreak. To be able to get up and tell my child to have a wonderful day and know that he’ll be protected and nurtured and loved and treated like an equal contributor to society, I sometimes have to choose to not look.":
improvisedlife.com
Yet another Happy Birthday...this time to Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, born on this day in 1961!
The video to "Head Over Heels" was directed by Nigel Dick, who would later direct Britney Spears in "Baby One More Time."
Roland Orzabal gave Dick the concept, which was meeting a beautiful girl in the library and growing old with her. He also suggested many of the very random images, like the rabbi and the chimp. There's even an homage to the movie 'Ghostbusters' in a scene where Orzabal pulls a card catalog drawer and the cards go flying.:
www.youtube.com
A funk cover of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Scary Pockets & Cory Henry.
Check out the video here:
www.youtube.com
That's Patrice Quinn on vocals on "Lines in the Sand."
See Kamasi Washington's incredible Live on KEXP performance from 2016: www.youtube.com
New music!
The fourth studio album from Oakland, CA native Kehlani is a seductive, irresistible blend of emotive R&B. Her commanding vocals effortlessly glide over immaculate production, drawing listeners deeper into each groove. Reflecting on ‘Crash’ she articulates: “A crash, in any form, is the peak height [of] the moment … A space with no reminisce, no remorse, and no after thought”. Throughout this remarkable new album, Kehlani showcases an artist at the zenith of their craft, embracing a fearless, unapologetic approach. What a triumph.
- Chris Sanley, KEXP Music Director
Hiatus Kaiyote are on tour!
+ July 17 at Remlinger Farms in Seattle
+ July 18 at Grand Lodge in Portland
+ July 20 at Fox Theater in Oakland
Latest single from Melbourne, Australia's Hiatus Kaiyote. The song is the first new music from the band in two years and provides an early taste of a forthcoming project Love Heart Cheat Code, out on June 28th
"Everything's Beautiful" is a musical affirmation in celebration of life's infinite possibilities.
hiatuskaiyote.bandcamp.com
Originally from Ellensburg WA, Star Anna is now based in Seattle and playing a show at the Sunset Tavern on Saturday, July 20th!
staranna.bandcamp.com
Taken from their forthcoming album (releases July 12), ‘Teenage Kicks’ is a rambunctious slice of punk angst that was recorded in one take. It’s a timeless anthem with a joyous riff that explodes into a hail of feedback.
mariamckee.bandcamp.com
By request for Mark!
The Breeders sang "No Aloha" live on MTV remember that?) in 1993:
www.youtube.com
This song, written by Rod Argent, has a lot of distinct elements that made it a rock classic and landed The Zombies in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019.
For starters, the lead instrument is Rod Argent's electric piano, which was very unusual at the time - in the UK it was the first hit song with that lead instrument. And then there's the breathy vocals of lead singer Colin Blunstone.
Check out KEXP's video of The Zombies playing SXSW in 2013:
bit.ly
Born on this day 1944 – Jeff Beck of The Yardbirds.
In January 2023, musicians began paying tribute minutes after the news of Jeff Beck's death broke. Gene Simmons called it “heartbreaking news … no one played guitar like Jeff. Please get ahold of the first two Jeff Beck Group albums and behold greatness. RIP.”
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi wrote that he was “totally shocked”. “Jeff was such a nice person and an outstanding iconic, genius guitar player - there will never be another Jeff Beck. His playing was very special & distinctively brilliant! He will be missed,":
www.theguardian.com
By request for Rudy, a proud KEXP Amplifier!
Black Pumas' sophomore LP was KEXP listeners' #7 album of 2023.
Cheryl Waters hosted them Live in the KEXP Studio in 2019:
youtu.be
On this day in 1997, Ween releases "The Mollusk."
Did you know Ween’s ‘The Mollusk’ helped inspire the creation of SpongeBob Squarepants?
As Mickey Melchiondo (a.k.a. Dean Ween) remembers:
"I got a call a long time ago from a marine biologist that said he wanted to start a cartoon inspired by Ween’s album 'The Mollusk'. His name was Steve Hillenburg and his idea was to create a Bugs Bunny type cartoon on the bottom of the ocean floor."
bit.ly
youtu.be
Playing at Marymoor 7/18!!!
In 2010, Primus released a new version of the track sung entirely in Spanish under the title "Me Llamo Mud"
During the band's Woodstock '94 Music Festival performance, Primus were pelted with mud while they performed this song.
About a minute into "My Name Is Mud" the band stopped playing, and Primus frontman Les Claypool said, "Well I opened a big-ass can of worms with that one, didn't I? The song is called 'My Name Is Mud', but keep the mud to yourselves, you s.o.b.": www.youtube.com
Love Plus One was Haircut One Hundred's only hit in the US despite being well-loved in their native UK.
Here's what the very handsome Nick Heyward (of Haircut One Hundred) is up to now: nickheyward.com