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Wednesday, Jun 17 2020, 2PM
Music from local Seattle band Polyrhythmics. Local musicians need support now more than ever with incomes being slashed due to cancelled shows and tours. Support Polyrhythmics by pre-ordering their new record Man From the Future here: www.polyrhythmics.com
Grimes shot 5 green screen lyric videos for her latest album, Miss Anthropocene. She has released the raw components to allow the public a chance to get artistic and make their own creative videos with her footage during the quarantine. You can download the kit here: grimes.wetransfer.com
Ghetto Kumbé is composed of three of the most skilful musicians from the popping modern Colombian scene: El Guajiro (singer of La 33 , La Otra Banda and former singer of Sidestepper,), Chongo (percussionist of Sidestepper, Toto La Momposina, Ondatrópica, among many others) and Doctor Keyta (African music specialist and percussionist in the dancing company “Zarabanda” & L’arpeggiata).
Our recent Song of the Day pick comes from this Finnish band. Read more about this featured track and find the free download here: www.kexp.org
COVID-19 Afternoon Show Theme Song! A great song about looking inwards and assessing and understanding what truly matters. A list of COVID-19 resources and how you can support others can be found here: www.kexp.org Say hi and let me know how you're doing at dj@kexp.org / 206-903-5397 / @djkevincole
Big Thief broke down this track on an episode of Song Exploder just a few months ago - Lead singer and songwriter Adrianne Lenker discussed writing the chord progression while the band was in the studio recording U.F.O.F., after everyone else had gone to bed. She also described how the song’s lyrics reflect elements of her childhood in Minnesota. Lenker claims the “Violet” in the song is a reference to her great-grandmother, who played music throughout her life and picked up electric bass when she was in her 80s. You can listen to the full Song Exploder episode here: songexploder.net
With vocals primarily performed by Dr. Dre, "Express Yourself" samples the Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's song of the same name. The lyrics focus on the concept of free expression and push back against radio censorship
Happy Birthday MC Ren!
The newest single from Fontaines D.C. ! Singer Grian Chatten says "This song is a dismissal of the expectations of other people who consider themselves loyal to you. This sentiment of not belonging can be liberating in a way, but it's also lonely and sad. We wanted to show both sides of that type of loneliness. One verse is about a soldier who has his bravery commended by his country, but throws his medal down and refuses to accept the commendation. He sees it as a hijacking and commodification of his principles. The other verse is about someone causing a ruckus in a bar, refusing to be enticed by any sort of friendliness and kindness, wanting to remain in the wrong corner. I had a few cans before I recorded the vocals, I wanted it to sound like I was playing the role of embittered barfly and feel like the soundtrack of someone swaying themselves home after a cold night out - full of principles but surrounded by nobody."
The newest single from Fontaines D.C. ! Singer Grian Chatten says "This song is a dismissal of the expectations of other people who consider themselves loyal to you. This sentiment of not belonging can be liberating in a way, but it's also lonely and sad. We wanted to show both sides of that type of loneliness. One verse is about a soldier who has his bravery commended by his country, but throws his medal down and refuses to accept the commendation. He sees it as a hijacking and commodification of his principles. The other verse is about someone causing a ruckus in a bar, refusing to be enticed by any sort of friendliness and kindness, wanting to remain in the wrong corner. I had a few cans before I recorded the vocals, I wanted it to sound like I was playing the role of embittered barfly and feel like the soundtrack of someone swaying themselves home after a cold night out - full of principles but surrounded by nobody."
Pottery's debut album, ‘Welcome To Bobby’s Motel’ is set to be released June 26th. Talking about their track, "Hot Heater" they told DIY, “While there are hints of environmental themes on this one, we mainly wanted to make a disco song with a robotic feeling, something that could be easily chanted.”
The latest single made in lockdown--produced by 100 Gecs and the new album is out May 15th. How I’m Feeling Now is a collaborative album Charli made with her fans; it was written and recorded during self-isolation during COVID-19. “For me, staying positive goes hand-in-hand with being creative, and so that’s why I’ve decided that I’m going to use this isolation time to make a brand new album from scratch,” she said. “The nature of this album is gonna be very indicative of the times, just because I’m only gonna be able to use the tools that I have at my fingertips to create all music, all artwork, all videos, everything,” she added. “In that sense, it’ll be very DIY.”
Your Song of the Day on KEXP! www.kexp.org
Tropea describe their music as "pajama music for pajama people," a fitting description for their dreamy '80s-inspired synth-pop sound. Formed in Milan, Italy in 2017, the band self-produced their forthcoming EP, Might Delete Later, while on lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis.
"This song is loud and fun to play. In our live shows people go insane, dancing '80s or 2010s style or whatever they like," the band said via a press release. "It’s a very bonding moment and it gives a sense of community with our audience. We wanted to capture the same live energy, but also give it a new meaning since we are facing tough times: it’s a song for dreaming, dancing, or just exercising and taking care of oneself, for burning with love and taking care of each other even in the midst of the difficulties of this absurd world. It’s a tribute to those who help others see the magic, despite our illusions and the lies we tell ourselves”.
Might Delete Later was released on June 12th via Butik and peermusicITALY.
"Just after the December election, we texted our families, our friends and each other, to tell them we loved them and we’d be there for them. We haven’t met in the flesh since COVID and every week we do our best to stay close: phone calls, online rounds of Red Dead Redemption 2, meme shares, texts (our mum’s are all collectively Suddenly Very Good At Whatsapp Chain Messages), retweeting everything, just to maintain that connection. This track was brought to life by our good friend and producer, James Greenwood. The world is a mess and we are all we have left. That’s what we’re trying to say, here."
- Benin City 0800-moshi-moshi.bandcamp.com
Look here - same song... but from the Song of the Day? No way! - blog.kexp.org
73 listeners submitted videos of themselves dancing to Robyn's "Dancing On My Own"! Thanks to everyone who participated (especially Seattle's own Miss Texas 1988) in the Afternoon Show Virtual Dance Party. Check out the full video here: www.youtube.com
Jayda G is a Canadian DJ and producer. Her new EP, "Both Of Us/ Are U Down" will be arriving on July 3 via Ninja Tune. She said in a press release, “I wanted to make a happy house song. The uplifting vocal, the slow breakdown, the release, those are a key part of so many of those classic house tracks I’ve found through digging over the years, and I really wanted to emulate the feeling I get from those.”
"Don't get me started
I am a one-woman army
I am the force that we speak of
What's a wave to a tsunami?"
littlesimz.bandcamp.com
Black Visions Collective is a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a wonderful place to donate: www.blackvisionsmn.org
This Friday, Bandcamp waives its fees so that 100% of support goes to the artists to help during COVID-19.
littlesimz.bandcamp.com
"California Love" is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist of Death Row Records
Happy Birthday to the new King of the West Coast!
The 13th track in Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed record To Pimp a Butterfly.
The song features lyrics that celebrate his African-American heritage, and "tackles hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on."
The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with production from Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Taz "Tisa" Arnold, Thundercat, Rahki, LoveDragon, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Boi-1da, Knxwledge, and several other high-profile producers, as well as executive production from Dr. Dre and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith.
The video for this song features Don Cheadle www.youtube.com
Kendrick Lamar (born June 17, 1987), is an American rapper from Compton, California.
His first name was given to him by his mother in honor of singer Eddie Kendricks.
In 1995, at the age of eight, Lamar witnessed his idols, Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, film the music video for their hit single "California Love", which later proved to be a very significant moment in his life.
Starting at 16, Lamar rapped as K. Dot and released a series of mixtapes under that name.
He released his first mixtape as Kendrick Lamar in 2010 (Overly Dedicated) (2010) and his first official album in 2011 (Section.80),
During a 2011 concert, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Game dubbed him "The New King of the West Coast,.” Not long after, Dre signed Lamar to his Aftermath label.
Watch the video for this "Black Panther" soundtrack song directed by Dave Meyers and the little homies:
www.youtube.com
Tricky has announced the release of his fourteenth studio album ‘Fall To Pieces’. Like much of the new album, ‘Fall Please’ features vocals from Marta Złakowska, who filled in last minute on the first night of one of Tricky’s European tours when he was without a vocalist. It’s being released on September 4 via the musician’s own label False Idols.
Only the best for our engineer, Garry! 'Never Come Back' was the first track from Suddenly that I finished," Dan Snaith said. "It came together very quickly and was one of those tracks that is a lot fun to make. As soon as I landed on the main synthesizer chords and the repeated refrain the rest came together very quickly and naturally. I felt like it was my job to get out of the way and not over complicate or over think it. Sometimes the best pleasures are the simple ones." The album was recently selected for the Polaris Music Prize in Canada --only 40 albums are selected for this list. The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label.
Inspired by growing up queer in the North of England, For You documents India understanding and learning about their own identity, and to being kind to themselves in the process (the “You” in the EP’s title is a reference to India). The EP’s six tracks draw from all aspects of India’s musical make-up, from the raw sample-chopping house and high-emotion techno that they first made their name with, to the fast-paced drum’n’bass and happy hardcore of their formative early clubbing experiences. During these times, the best way to support artists is through your direct support via their websites or bandcamp pages: indiajordan.bandcamp.com
Just announced, the third album from IDLES, 'Ultra Mono’ is set to be out on September 25th! About this first single from the album, it is “a song that embodied self-belief, and gave us self-belief – a counter-punch to all the doubt we build up from all the noise we so easily let in."
shopus.idlesband.com
London Calling's subject matter included social displacement, unemployment, racial conflict, drug use, and the responsibilities of adulthood. While working on "The Card Cheat", the band recorded each part twice to create a "sound as big as possible". The final track, "Train in Vain", was originally excluded from the back cover's track listing. It was intended to be given away through a promotion with NME, but was added to the album at the last minute after the deal fell through. bit.ly
Happy Birthday Eric Boucher, aka Jello Biafra, singer, musician and activist for the Dead Kennedys, The No WTO Combo, and Lard
The track will appear on his upcoming 14th solo LP, Blue Hearts, and it vibrates with urgency as he sings, “I never thought I’d see this bull**** again.” It’s an aggressive first taste of the album, which is due out September 25th.
“‘American Crisis’ is a tale of two times: Past Time and Present Time,” Mould said in a statement. “The parallels between 1984 and 2020 are a bit scary for me: telegenic, charismatic leaders, praised and propped up by extreme Evangelicals, either ignoring an epidemic (HIV/AIDS) or being outright deceitful about a pandemic (COVID-19).”
Cover of the Tracy Chapman classic from the Austin band. "I'm attracted to songs that make us reflect on our daily struggles for making life worth living for"
New single from this East LA group. www.coleminerecords.com Bandcamp announced that this Friday, June 19th, 100% of the site’s share of sales will go to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The date, known as Juneteenth, marks the ending of slavery in Texas, and is recognized nationally as a celebration of freedom for Black Americans.
Bandcamp is the latest member of the music industry to announce dedicated efforts to advocate for racial justice through their large platform.
The streaming sales raised on Juneteenth will benefit the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a civil rights organization known for cases like Brown v. Board of Education. Additionally, the music site has pledged to donate $30,000 per year to organizations that “fight for racial justice and provide opportunities for people of color.”
New album out now--the band took the blur of their lives and tried to channel it into something new, something whole, with Keaney adding: “I wanted to write songs that I could use as some sort of bedrock of hopefulness to stand on, something to be proud of. A lot of the songs on the new record are reaching forward and trying to imagine an idyll of home and love.”
Melbourne band RVG's new record Feral is out now. You can pick it up and support the band here: www.rvgband.com
Nashville-based Bully's third album "SUGAREGG" is set to be released this August via Sub Pop. They played live at KEXP in 2018: www.youtube.com
This song was inspired by ‘Tubthumping’ by Chumbawamba as singer Alicia Bognanno says, "...let’s be real, that is undeniably a solid song.” She adds, “There was a change that needed to happen and it happened on this record,” she told Rolling Stone. “Derailing my ego and insecurities allowed me to give these songs the attention they deserved.”
Their first post statement reads:
“We present our first ‘Untitled’ album to mark a moment in time where we as Black People, and of Black Origin are fighting for our lives.
RIP George Floyd and all those who have suffered from police brutality and systemic racism.
Change is happening…We are focused. Salute x”
The mysterious band have previously released 2 incredible albums which have most certainly been some of our favourite releases of of late. Their sound has been well described as “zig-zags between ESG-esque post-punk funk, early 80s boogie and something approaching net-soul”.