Kevin Cole

"In 1956, George Clinton formed a doo-wop group in the back of a barbershop in Plainfield, NJ. He named this band The Parliaments. He loved R&B, and the harmonizing sound of the 1950s, but in the 60s his band started listening more to Jimi Hendrix than to Ray Charles. He threw out the suits the band performed in and exchanged them for torn jeans. The Parliaments hit the R&B charts in 1967 with their first official single, '(I Wanna) Testify.' George Clinton masterminded the creation of a second band who could work outside the sound of The Parliaments. He took the backing band from The Parliaments and created a second band called Funkadelic. Taking inspiration from other funk acts like Sly and The Family Stone and rock groups Cream and the Rolling Stones, Clinton added rock stylings to the music and crazy, colorful costumes to the stage show. Funkadelic would focus more on long jams, rock sounds and the showcasing of players who were usually in the background." bit.ly

"Whenever I’d think of songs, I’d whip up a demo wherever I can on whatever I can, so in that way, I guess it was similar to the last album. Sometimes those songs were when I was at home and sometimes it was at the beach. The songs never really reflect where I was at the time. The main difference is that I bought a house and set up my own studio in that served as a central place to work on the music 24/7... I think one of the big goals for this album was to make sure no two tracks were alike, so it didn’t really matter which songs were going to come out in any other. Either one was going to be as accurate or as misleading as a representation of the album. At the same time, you’ve got to keep them guessing." ~ Kevin Parker bit.ly

"The title track [of the album] was a tribute to Pope John Paul I, whose brief papacy coincided with the recording sessions. The first single off the album was 'Frederick,' a love song for her husband-to-be Fred 'Sonic' Smith with a melody and structure bearing resemblance to 'Because the Night,' the group's biggest hit. The second single, 'Dancing Barefoot,' has been covered by many artists. The band broke up after this album was released, and Smith went on to marry Fred Smith. She spent many years in semi-retirement following the birth of their children, Jesse and Jackson, until her 1988 solo comeback album, Dream of Life. The 1996 remaster of Wave includes Smith's original version of 'Fire of Unknown Origin.' Blue Öyster Cult's version was released on their album of the same name in 1981. The back cover of the original LP bore a quote from the Jean Genet poem, 'Le Condamné à mort.'" bit.ly

"Mutilator Defeated At Last is a studio album by American psychedelic rock band Thee Oh Sees, released on May 18, 2015 on Castle Face Records. The album is the ninth to be released under the name, Thee Oh Sees, and is the band's fourteenth studio album, overall. The album is the first to feature bass guitarist Tim Hellman and drummer Nick Murray, both of whom joined the band to tour in support of its previous release, Drop (2014). The album also features regular collaborator Chris Woodhouse added to the band's core line-up, and former member Brigid Dawson returning as the album's backing vocalist." bit.ly Here's a fab Song of the Day from TOCs, just for you: blog.kexp.org

"Sri Lankan artist M.I.A. was denied entry to America because the U.S. Government determined that her profile made her a potential terrorist. She turned this all around by using her time to help build a playground in Liberia, visit youth detention centers and make a new album. The record “Kala” samples indie bands and brings the culture to many third world countries for the first time ever." Follow the link to stream our documentary feature on M.I.A.: bit.ly

"Because of [their] recurring violent and sexual lyrics and profanity, often specifically directed at governmental organizations such as the LAPD, N.W.A always enjoyed a particular reputation with U.S. Senators and the FBI, as noted in the LP's published notes. This situation persisted over the years with the group's visible head, Eazy-E. One of the reasons for this was 'Fuck tha Police,' the highly controversial track from the album that resulted in the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service sending a letter to Ruthless Records informing the label of their displeasure with the song's message, and N.W.A was banned from performing at several venues. The FBI letter only helped further popularize the album and N.W.A, and in the group's 1990 song '100 Miles and Runnin',' the follow-up to Straight Outta Compton, while the music video shows the crew running from the police, Dr. Dre raps 'and now the FBI is all over my dick!' as a response to the FBI's warnings." bit.ly

"The first grunge-era band to get signed to a major label was Seattle’s own Soundgarden. They got started officially in 1984, naming themselves after a sound sculpture near Seattle’s Magnuson park. One of six bands to appear on the first grunge compilation, Deep Six, released in 1986, Soundgarden’s original sound was psychedelic garage — very influenced by Led Zeppelin — and Chris Cornell started out singing in a screaming-style voice. By the time their first EP, Screaming Life, came out in 1987 on Sub Pop, Cornell had already made his voice more pop-friendly. What stood out about this band from the start was their ability to write strong hooks and hard-hitting guitar riffs that were balanced by emotional lyrics." Our full documentary on Soundgarden here: blog.kexp.org

Speaking of "Go," please absolutely join us for RAW POWER KEXP, featuring Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Duff McKagen (Gun's'Roses), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), joining forces to play a FREE SHOW of Iggy and the Stooges covers on the roof of Pike Place Market on Sunday, August 23rd! The streets will be shut down, just so you'll have room to dance! All info here; just come!!! blog.kexp.org

"I grew up playing a Gibson SG, starting out learning Deep Purple songs, Cheap Trick and Kiss, and the Beatles. Love the power of the guitar mixed with a sweet idea. Where else do you need to go? I played everyday, sometimes all day. Shadow was the first real band, and we rehearsed 5 days a week, loud as we could, but there was always melody -- maybe not in the vocals -- but in the guitars. I met Carrie Akre after Hammerbox had split up. When I first heard her voice on playback I knew that something good had happened. Goodness released a debut independent, and got signed to Atlantic. We toured with Candlebox, opened for Oasis, opened for Pearl Jam, played Vladivostok, ran out of money in Indiana, re-signed to Immortal records and toured some more. We released two full length records, an ep, and several live recordings. Later I wrote songs for and helped found the Rockfords with Mike McCready and Rick and Chris Friel." Read on right here: dannynewcomb.com

Debuting Stag's newest album, which comes out next week. For more from the band, here's "She + Me," a downloadable featured Song of the Day: blog.kexp.org

"The New Pornographers have always had a knack for explosive, shining melodies, but after two relatively experimental, more mellow albums, they’ve returned to playing to their strengths – multi-part harmonies and agile, punchy performances – on their new album, Brill Bruisers. The Vancouver supergroup were back from a four-year break when they entered the KEXP studios, but judging by their fierce performance, you’d never be able to tell. Twin guitars, buzzing keyboards, and, of course, up to three-part harmonies filled the room and showed that, fifteen years on, the band are still as vibrant as ever." Catch the whole recorded performance here: blog.kexp.org

Digging into the archives: "To celebrate his record release of his solo album, Jeremy Enigk brought together the 13-piece collective the Seattle Rock Orchestra to perform with him at The Triple Door. Enigk, who many fans might know from his days with Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft, played five songs from OK Bear, his third proper album under his own name, as part of KEXP’s VIP Club Concert Series" (which you can gain access to by heading over to kexp.org/donate ). Watch videos from that session here: bit.ly

Speaking of Little Creatures, here's an always amusing Review Revue on the album: blog.kexp.org

"Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is the second studio album by US rock band Pavement. The album, released in 1994, saw the band move on towards a more accessible, classic rock sound than that displayed on their more lo-fi debut Slanted and Enchanted and achieve moderate success with the single 'Cut Your Hair'. The album also saw original drummer Gary Young replaced by Steve West. The photo in the middle of the cover was taken from the March 1978 issue of National Geographic Magazine." bit.ly

A fun Dukes of Stratospher Review Revue, juste pour vous! blog.kexp.org

"It was always a dream of mine to be onstage and become a singer or musician. I went to college and my major was communication, so I knew I’d do journalism or broadcasting or something related to those fields. I was a DJ first, because I was the family DJ. I was eight years old and remember being infatuated with record players and all the components that made it work. I would sit and stare and watch the mechanics of it all. My mom knew this, so I became the designated DJ at family functions, Christmas parties, and all that. I used to run around with my pen and pad and get requests from everybody and then run and play ’em. I started checking out all these DJs when I was really getting into hip-hop. I met this guy named DJ Hollywood. DJ Hollywood was a rapper too, and he was actually the first rhythmic rapper I ever encountered. He was an incredible cat. He was the first rapper I ever saw. He’d do long, rhythmic verses and just moved the audience." bit.ly

"In fact, given that as the lead single 'Hey Ladies' formed the first impression many had of Paul’s Boutique and the post-Licensed to Ill Beastie Boys, it’s important to note how much irony is present in the track as a whole... We get the impression that we’re listening to the tales not of experienced travelers who have been around the block a time or two, but rather goofy adolescents who make up crazy stories in the locker room." bit.ly If you missed (or want to revisit!) our Paul's Boutique special last week, you can check it out here: blog.kexp.org

"FIDLAR is a skate punk/garage punk band from Los Angeles California, currently signed to Mom + Pop Music in the US, Wichita Recordings in the UK and Dine Alone Records in Canada. The band's name is an acronym for 'Fuck It Dog, Life's A Risk', or 'Forget It Dad, Lifes All Right' a skate mantra gleaned from singer Zac Carper's former roommates. Originally, FIDLAR went under the name 'Fuck The Clock', as referenced in their song 'Cheap Beer'. Three years after recording their first songs they stepped on stage together with The Black Lips and went on tour with The Hives. In 2012, FIDLAR were named one of Stereogum's '40 Best New Bands of 2012'." bit.ly

"On May 19, 1951, Jeffry Ross Hyman was born and raised in an area of Queens, New York called Forest Hills. During his teens, he attended Forest Hills High School which is where he met and became friends with his future Ramones band mates, John Cummings, Tommy Erdelyi, and Douglas Colvin. In 1974, the friends formed The Ramones and each adopted a new name using Ramone as their last name. They wore torn up jeans and black leather jackets as their own modern punk take on the 50’s greaser. The band performed their very first live show on March 30, 1974 at Performance Studios in New York City. Originally Joey just played drums for the band while the bassist, Dee Dee took care of the lead vocals." More from John Richards' ode to Joey Ramone and The Ramones: blog.kexp.org

"Upon first hearing Teenage Kicks in September 1978, BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel is reported to have burst into tears, and readily admitted to still being reduced to tears upon hearing the song in interviews granted to journalists up until his death. To judge songs he had heard for the first time as to worthiness of airplay upon his show, Peel often rated new bands' songs with a series of asterisks, with each song judged upon a scale of one to five asterisks: Peel was so taken by 'Teenage Kicks,' he awarded the song 28 stars. On one occasion, he is known to have played the this song twice in a row, with the explanation given to his audience being, 'It doesn't get much better than this.' In a 2001 interview given to The Guardian, Peel stated that apart from his name, the only words he wished to be engraved upon his gravestone were the opening lyrics, 'Teenage dreams so hard to beat.' In February 2008, a headstone engraved with these words was placed on his grave." bit.ly

Have you heard? Coming up in a few weeks is RAW POWER KEXP, featuring Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Duff McKagen (Gun's'Roses), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), joining forces to play a FREE SHOW of Iggy and the Stooges covers on the roof of Pike Place Market on Sunday, August 23rd! The streets will be shut down, just so you'll have room to dance! All info here; just come!!! blog.kexp.org

In case that sweet new track from Ben and Company aren't enough for you, check out some cool archived videos, straight from our studio: blog.kexp.org

"Sam Cooke grew up singing gospel music, and at age 19 landed a big gig with The Soul Stirrers, a group who toured the entire U.S. As African-American musicians, they were harassed in the Southern states, not allowed to sleep in many hotels or sit in restaurants. When Sam turned 25 years old, in 1956, he started writing and singing pop music. One year later he produced 'You Send Me,' kicking Elvis’s 'Jailhouse Rock' out of the #1 spot in the charts. After that, the singles kept coming from Sam Cooke: 'Twistin’ The Night Away,' 'Chain Gang,' and 'Cupid.' With Sam’s movie star looks, intelligent, friendly way of talking and his savvy as a businessman, it seemed that he’d have a long, successful career. But Sam Cooke was an African-American who refused to be treated as less than an equal in a time of intense racial struggles. So every single he released, every African-American artist he produced or wrote for, every bit of fame made his life more dangerous." bit.ly

"The group was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985 by Keith Elam (then known as Keithy E. The Guru) and DJ 1, 2 B-Down (also known as Mike Dee) with various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out. In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on Wild Pitch Records. In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with Houston native DJ Premier (then known as Waxmaster C) who sent him a beat tape, which Guru liked. He invited DJ Premier to join Gang Starr and in that same year they released their first single 'Words I Manifest' along with the album No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989). In 1990, the group was signed to the Chrysalis record label by then A&R director Duff Marlowe, a former DJ and Los Angeles Times rap music critic. The London-based label offered Guru and Premier unlimited artistic license and major-label distribution worldwide." bit.ly

"Alabama Shakes has amassed their loving legion the hard way, the grass roots way, the word of mouth way… and by being explosive live performers." See it all for yourself by following the link: blog.kexp.org

"Hum, as they stand now, have been reduced to YouTube clips and ad fodder for an automobile manufacturer; all things well and good. At the time of Downward Is Heavenward, Hum had endured terrible comparisons to Smashing Pumpkins because of shared Illinois roots. Hum was — and is — something different, something more. The brand of atmosphere that pervaded their production was only available on small labels churning out smaller quantities of good music. The construct of their dual guitar assault had no equivalents during the time, though critics relied upon the obvious: Sonic Youth. Only now are we aware of Hum’s forward sound. Downward Is Heavenward, as with its impressive predecessor, is still fresh — something rarely true about any 90s release no matter the genre." bit.ly

"Washington, DC’s Unrest was always a strange band. One minute they would be throwing layers of sloppy weirdness at you, and the next they’d be be slaying you with the perfect pop beauty of something like Perfect Teeth‘s 'Makeout Club.' Perfect Teeth (along with much more music out of DC) was a very important part of my musical taste development in high school, but for whatever reason I never really delved beyond that." Dig deeper into the album with Levi Fuller in our Review Revue: blog.kexp.org

"It’s hard being The Strokes. After setting the template for the next ten years of guitar-based rock with their 2001 debut, Is This It, it wasn’t long before the NYC quintet was being outpaced by the bands they paved the way for. After some time apart, Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Nick Valensi, Fabrizio Moretti, and Albert Hammond Jr. regrouped to play some shows in 2010, and the following year, they released Angles, a decidedly mixed bag that failed to reclaim the band’s former glory. After the brief promotional tour behind the album, the once-upon-a-time media darlings retreated to New York City and kept a low profile. So when the band unexpectedly uploaded 'One Way Trigger,' a jittery, synth-driven number with Casablancas trading out his morning-after-hangover growl for a slick pop number not far removed from Ah-Ha’s 'Take On Me,' nobody really knew how to react." More from our album review of Comedown Machine: bit.ly

In celebration of the wonderful Kristin Hersh, who enjoys her 49th birthday today. "'Seriously? Another song?' Kristin Hersh, frontwoman for Throwing Muses, teased KEXP’s DJ El Toro (a.k.a. Kurt Reighley) in mock-exasperation during their in-studio session, 'We are so old, Kurt — why are you doing this?' The veteran alt-rock legends are doing it for their latest release, Purgatory/Paradise, their first new album in a decade, and their ninth total during their 30+ year career. Hersh explained, 'Our pet name for the album was ‘Precious/Pretentious‘ because we’re so obsessed with what we do, and we’ve been apologizing for it since we were 14 years old, but we’re not going to apologize anymore.'” Enjoy Throwing Muses' incredible performance for our Amplifiers at the Triple Door: http://blog.kexp.org/2014/04/01/live-video-throwing-muses/ Find out how to get access to these intimate performances here: www.kexp.org/donate

"'We Gotta Get out of This Place,' occasionally written 'We've Gotta Get out of This Place,' is a rock song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded as a 1965 hit single by The Animals. It has become an iconic song of its type and was immensely popular among United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil were husband and wife (and future Hall of Fame) songwriters associated with the 1960s Brill Building scene in New York City. Mann and Weil wrote and recorded 'We Gotta Get out of This Place' as a demo, with Mann singing and playing piano. It was intended for The Righteous Brothers, for whom they had written the number one hit 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' but then Mann gained a recording contract for himself, and his label Redbird Records wanted him to release it instead. Meanwhile, record executive Allen Klein had heard it and given the demo to Mickie Most, The Animals' producer." bit.ly

Once a week, at midnight on Friday nights as the day rolls into Saturday, we ask a musical luminary to play guest DJ for us. Here is Jon Spencer doing the very recent honours; hear his fabulous set here: blog.kexp.org

Josh Tillman, aka Father John Misty, recently performed a stunning, intimate afternoon set at Columbia City Theatre as a benefit for our New Home; while we await the release of video from that show, here's a set from the vaults to keep you entertained as no other than Tillman can: blog.kexp.org

"In 1983, more than 100 miles from Seattle in the Eastern Washington town of Ellensburg, a group of high school students started a band and named it Screaming Trees. The four members didn’t have much in common, other than the fact that they all liked obscure music and went to the same school. Their mutual passion for the music led to them playing on the indie rock circuit. Opening for Dinosaur Jr., Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth and Soundgarden. Introduced to SST by Soundgarden, Greg Ginn from the label saw them live and signed them. Making Screaming Trees one of the first groups of the grunge era to be signed to a major label. There was tension in this band. Personalities clashed often, especially between the two brothers in the band Gary Lee Conner and Van Conner. The brothers were famous for fighting onstage. Hitting each other hard and actually meaning it. This gritty feel made its way into the music." bit.ly

"After being ousted from the Clash in 1983 and following a brief stint with the band General Public, Mick Jones formed a new band called Top Risk Action Company (T.R.A.C.). He recruited bassist Leo 'E-Zee Kill' Williams, saxophone player John 'Boy' Lennard (from Theatre of Hate), and ex-Clash drummer Nicky 'Topper' Headon. Headon was quickly sacked for his heroin addiction and Lennard either left or was fired and the band folded. Although the band released no material (only demos were recorded which have yet to be officially released), T.R.A.C. can be seen as a forerunner to Big Audio Dynamite in much the same way London SS can be seen as an early incarnation of The Clash. Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite with film director Don Letts (maker of The Punk Rock Movie, various Clash music videos, and later The Clash documentary Westway to the World), bassist Leo Williams (from T.R.A.C.), drummer Greg Roberts, and keyboardist Dan Donovan." bit.ly

"Ben Folds produced a cover version for William Shatner's album Has Been that brought the song to a new international audience outside of the British Isles. This version begins with an electronic keyboard Britpop or disco sound, but quickly moves into a drum kit and guitar-heavy indie rock style. Reviewers were pleasantly surprised by Shatner's spoken-word presentation of Cocker's tirade against class tourism as Shatner's previous work had been widely mocked by reviewers. Folds abruptly replaces Shatner's voice with that of singer Joe Jackson, and then alternates and blends the two into a duet, bringing along a large chorus of young voices on the line 'sing along with the common people,' which finally replace Shatner and Jackson's vocals in the song's concluding crescendo. Jarvis Cocker praised the cover version: 'I was very flattered by that because I was a massive Star Trek fan as a kid and so you know, Captain Kirk is singing my song! So that was amazing." bit.ly

"Singer/guitarists Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Raggi þórhallsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and guitarist Brynjar Leifsson have been making waves in the international music scene since their 2010 win of Músiktilraunir, Iceland’s national battle of the bands. Although the band began as an acoustic quartet, OMAM has since expanded to a six-piece that incorporates bass, drums, piano, and accordion to their already massive sound. Their self-titled debut has just been released in Iceland on Records Records. No doubt, it will be released in the U.S. soon enough. For now, you can listen to their KEXP Song of the Day podcast from last year of their lead single “Little Talks,” one morsel of the immensely catchy folk these young artists produce. Unsurprisingly, Of Monsters and Men blew everyone away during their set at the KEX Hostel in Reykjavik during KEXP’s first international broadcast as part of the 2011 Iceland Airwaves festival." bit.ly

"Finley Quaye is a grandson of vaudeville pianist Caleb Quaye. He is the youngest son of jazz musician Cab Kaye, the half-brother of guitarist Caleb Quaye, and half-brother of jazz musician/ethno-musicologist Terri Quaye. He is the father of Theodore Turgoose and of the bassist Caleb Quaye. Born in Edinburgh, Quaye went to school in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. However, he left school with no qualifications. Before making records he took employment spraying cars, smoking fish, making futons and as a stage-rigger and scaffolder. His father was born in London, but considered himself as African. Although known as Cab Kaye, his full name was Nii Lante Augustus Kwamlah Quaye and he was a Chief of the Ga tribe centralized in Jamestown, Accra, Ghana. Kaye was the son of the pianist Caleb Jonas Quaye a.k.a. Mope Desmond, who was born in Accra, Ghana. Finley did not grow up with his father and only found out, in his twenties, about his father's history as a musician." bit.ly

"'Go' is the first single released by The Chemical Brothers with Q-Tip, from the album, Born in the Echoes. The song was used at Google's I/O Keynote in 2015, the gameplay trailer for "Need For Speed," and Sony's press conference at E3 2015. The official music video was posted on the band's YouTube page on 4 May 2015. It was directed by Michel Gondry." http://bit.ly/1Dws3yh Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO2RPDZkY88

"The video is focused on the case for Leonard Peltier, who was one of the leaders of the American Indian Movement (AIM). The band is performing live in a small venue throughout the video. During the video, footage from the Peltier case is examined and detailed with shots of Peltier and other members of AIM. There is also a reenactment of what took place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The footage of this reenactment is from Michael Apted's 1992 documentary Incident at Oglala. The video ends with a picture of Peltier in prison and the phrase 'justice has not been done.'" http://bit.ly/1DwswQR The video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_vQt_v8Jmw

We can't be more excited! KEXP Presents: RAW POWER: A TRIBUTE TO THE STOOGES featuring Mike McCready (Pearl Jam, Mad Season), Duff McKagan (Guns n’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees, Tuatara), and Mark Arm (Mudhoney). FREE CONCERT ON THE ROOF OF PIKE PLACE MARKET on Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Music lovers will soon be able to enjoy year-round, exclusive live performances both inside and outdoors at KEXP’s New Home at Seattle Center — but we’re still building it. In anticipation of the extraordinary shows to come in the New Home, on Sunday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m., KEXP hosts RAW POWER KEXP, a one-of-a-kind FREE concert at another local landmark: Pike Place Market. Full details here: blog.kexp.org

"Seattle super-group Walking Papers played a killer session in the KEXP studio for Audioasis, where they shared three songs off their Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam)-produced self-titled debut from October last year, released on Sunyata Records. Such an assured sound from a band that just released a debut album is no surprise when you consider that Walking Papers have some of Seattle’s finest blues-rock musicians of the past 25 years. Duff McKagan, most famously of Guns n’ Roses as well as Velvet Revolver, and even briefly Jane’s Addiction joined the band on bass after singer/guitarist Jeff Angell of The Missionary Position and Post Stardom Depression, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Barrett Martin of Skin Yard and Screaming Trees had started to play as a duo. They were eventually joined by keyboardist Benjamin Anderson of Angell’s The Missionary Position to round out their full line-up." Watch video from their in-studio here: bit.ly

"The lyrics were written by Jello Biafra and John Greenway for their band The Healers. Biafra composed the music in one of his rare attempts at composing on bass. The title is an allusion to the first stanza of the national anthem of Germany, which begins with the words "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" ("Germany, Germany above all"). After the end of the Third Reich in 1945, this passage was removed and is no longer sung, as it is almost universally associated with Nazism. The lyrics are a pointed, satirical attack on Jerry Brown, the Governor of California from 1975-1983 (and later 2011–present), and are sung from his perspective, as an imaginary version of Brown outlines a hippie-fascist vision of America." http://bit.ly/1Mb2nIK "San Francisco lead singer Jello Biafra runs for mayor and rocks the boat of the disco era in the late 70’s. His band Dead Kennedys took political lyrics to a new level." Full streaming doc here: www.kexp.org/learn/documentaries?docid=3#9

"To Bring You My Love is the third studio album by PJ Harvey. It was released by Island Records in February 1995. Recorded after the break-up of the PJ Harvey trio it stands as her first proper solo album. The songs on the album are heavily influenced by American blues music. To produce the album, Harvey chose Flood, best known for his work with U2, Depeche Mode, and Nine Inch Nails. Harvey co-produced the record with Flood and John Parish. To Bring You My Love would be the first of Harvey's many collaborations with Flood and Parish. The music on the album was played largely by Harvey and Parish, with contributions from seasoned musicians Joe Gore, Mick Harvey, Jean-Marc Butty, and others. Many of the musicians who appeared on the album joined Harvey on tour to support it in 1995 and 1996. To Bring You My Love is considered to be PJ Harvey's breakthrough. It garnered massive critical acclaim worldwide and became her best-selling album." bit.ly

"Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his song 'Someday, Someway,' a Top 40 hit in 1982. His music has roots in classic soul music, British Invasion songcraft, Burt Bacharach and Buddy Holly—the latter to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba. Crenshaw is also a noted guitarist who uses offbeat chord progressions (almost verging towards jazz) and concise solos. A quote from Trouser Press summed up Marshall Crenshaw’s early career: 'Although he was seen as a latter-day Buddy Holly at the outset, he soon proved too talented and original to be anyone but himself.' AllMusic Guide described Crenshaw’s style: 'He writes songs that are melodic, hooky and emotionally true, and he sings and plays them with an honesty and force that still finds room for humor without venom.'" bit.ly