DJ Miss Ashley

RIP Sixto Rodríguez. The film "Searching for Sugarman" documents Rodriguez's amazing story: bit.ly In 2009 Light in the Attic reissued Rodriguez's 1971 album 'Street Boy' sugarman.org

The Austin duo's cover of the famous Rodriguez song. Black Pumas don’t attempt to replicate Rodriguez’s 1970 track and, instead, they molded it into their sonic universe. Guitarist Adrian Quesada commented: “‘Sugar Man’ is one of those songs we’ve both been attracted to for years, from Rodriguez’s songwriting and performance to the production of Dennis Coffey, it’s inspired us in more ways than one and is one of those true timeless pieces of music. It was a total blast to dissect it and reinterpret in our voice.” Video of their live cover version: youtu.be

Indigenous artist Nicholas Galanin's debut as Ya Tseen (“be alive,” and a reference to his Tlingit name Yeil Ya Tseen) is 'Indian Yard', his first album for Sub Pop. With his Indian Agent bandmates Zak D. Wass and Otis Calvin III, they collaborated to build the album alongside longtime collaborator Benjamin Verdoes. During strings of sessions in Sitka and Seattle, a cast of brilliant friends—Shabazz Palaces, Nick Hakim, fellow Indigenous Alaskan singer and songwriter Qacung, to name a few—helped turn 'Indian Yard' into a cataract of intensely current pop wonders. yatseen.bandcamp.com

Bear Witness and Tim “2oolman” Hill of A Tribe Called Red have reintroduced themselves as The Halluci Nation, to reflect the evolution of their music and mission. The name is inspired by the works of Indigenous poet and activist John Trudell, who died in 2015, and was the inspiration for their 2016 album 'We Are the Halluci Nation.' 'One More Saturday Night' serves as a homage to the group's monthly Electric Pow Wow party, which ran in Ottawa for nearly a decade starting in 2007. thehallucination.bandcamp.com

Released earlier this year, D.C.-Raised, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter rum.gold with Mareba! A KEXP song-of the-day in March! www.kexp.org www.rum.gold IG: @rum.gold

"(Escapándome) de mí" stitches electric guitar strums with iLe’s auto-tuned vocals, adding gritty electronic textures to a track about the fears of entanglement. It’s one of iLe's favorite songs on the album, in part because of the production and arrangement. "I didn't want the song to stay in the monotony of my voice," iLe explains, adding that she and producer Ismael Cancel deepened and modulated her vocals to heighten the song’s slightly psychedelic aura. ilevitable.com Check out DJ Miss Ashley's 2019 KEXP interview with iLe: www.kexp.org

Latin jazz. Originally released in 2001 on López's "Cachaito" album. Tumbangá was written by Hugh Masekela (on trumpet), Miguel Angá Díaz (percussion), and Orlando López (bass).

Ethereal UK neo lovers rock singer Hollie Cook teams up with Mungo’s Hi Fi for "Sugarwater". This daring Mungo’s remix of Hollie’s 2011 Prince Fatty produced love meditation finds Hollie supplying pure audio nectar, floating above a sparse and eerie Rub A Dub soundscape. mungoshifi.bandcamp.com www.mungoshifi.net

"No diasporic record is complete without reggae tunes and Caribbean riddims, and the presence of Jamaican dancehall legend Sister Nancy on 'The French 75' interlude encapsulates the sense of laid-back communion. Each influence ebbs and flows through the record like neighbors stopping by for some rum and gossip." Read the full album review here: tinyurl.com www.jmonae.com

Janelle Monáe is kicking off her tour in Seattle on Wednesday, August 30th! She'll be playing an all-ages show at WaMu Theatre. Be sure to catch her on tour later this summer and into the fall. www.jmonae.com

Debut from East London-based singer/songwriter Yazmin Lacey, made out of studio jam session collaborations. The recording process intentionally captured the beauty of imperfection; Lacey opted to forego a polished sound to give way for rawness, the chance to “hear someone's pauses, their stops or the cracks in their voice”. Sonically she is uncategorisable, made up of many styles and influences. “There's lots of different flavours in there in terms of different ways I express myself. The things that I listen to, music that I love – it’s hard to place it. In some ways I would call it soul because that's where it comes from, my own soul. But I always avoid that; it's all perception.” yazminlacey.bandcamp.com www.yazminlacey.com

From Baltimore, Mumu Fresh (Maimouna Youssef) is of Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee and African American heritage. maimounayoussef.com

"Never Give Up" from reggae artist Chronixx was produced by Inflo. Upon releasing this album in April 2022, Chronixx posted online: "Give thanks for the Rastafari vibration. The positive vibrations that make it possible for youths here in a seemingly chaotic world to sing from our souls into the soul of the world. For all the people who are struggling for peace and against systematic oppression. #nevergiveup the fight for the family. Never give up the fight for love. This one is for all the young musicians in Jamaica…we have lost so many of our guiding lights here on the physical plane. We are hurting and longing for the word sound of universal truth. Now we have to feel their essence in our creativity and keep the flame alive in the earth. This one is for our elder musicians. You have woven the fiber of who we are…your honor is our honor. We love you. You are our heroes. #nevergiveup my brother @yardmanflo you are full of inspiration. Keep it blazing." bit.ly

Remembering The Band's Robbie Robertson, who died yesterday at the age of 80. Talking about “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” Toronto born Robertson told “Shakespeares in the Alley”: “I know at the time that it seemed strange that somebody from Canada would be writing this Southern anthem. It took somebody coming in the from the outside to really see these things.” Performance of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" from the 1978 film 'The Last Waltz': youtu.be www.nytimes.com

NEW MUISC! from Catskill NY artist Mikaela Davis. Video! youtu.be www.mikaeladavis.com mikaeladavis.bandcamp.com

New Music! Jenny Lewis released her fourth solo studio album 'Joy'All' in June! Produced by Nashville-based Dave Cobb. www.jennylewis.com

Check out a 1973 Spinners performance of "It's a Shame": youtu.be

British production duo Jungle has returned with the latest single from their upcoming fourth studio album Volcano, 'Dominoes' - out TOMORROW! www.junglejunglejungle.com Jungle is performing live in the KEXP studios on Friday, September 15th at noon. Later that evening, they'll play an all-ages show at WaMu!

New Music! The LA-based singer/producer Jessy Lanza will be playing KEXP's Concert at the Mural TONIGHT!! jessylanza.bandcamp.com jessylanza.com

New Music! Acclaimed GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello makes her Blue Note Records debut with The 'Omnichord Real Book', a visionary, expansive, and deeply jazz-influenced album that taps into a broad spectrum of her musical roots. Produced by Josh Johnson and features a wide range of guest artists including Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Julius Rodriguez, Mark Guiliana, Cory Henry, Joan As Police Woman, Thandiswa, and others. Meshell Ndegeocello performs at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley on October 19th. www.meshell.com

NEW MUSIC!! Gabriel got help from Vitamin D on this new single. Video! youtu.be "Gabriel Teodros is a musician and writer from South Seattle who first made a mark with the group Abyssinian Creole, and reached an international audience with his critically-acclaimed solo debut Lovework." (you might also know Teodros for his KEXP show EARLY!) gabrielteodros.bandcamp.com www.gabrielteodros.com