Song of the Day

Sol y Santi - "Have You Heard," from the 2024 album Sol y Santi on Casa/Teca

A project of producer Santiago Salazar and vocalist/lyricist Soltera, Sol y Santi released their self-titled LP last month via Casa/Teca.

"We started making this album right before the pandemic hit," Soltera states on Instagram. "Santi sent me a hundred songs that he had been archiving for years and I began to write lyrics for them. After completion we sat with the album for a while and it wasn?t until recently that we finally made the decision to release it independently thru @casaxteca and share it with the world."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ortrotasce - "Seeing Red," a 2023 self-released single

Ortrotasce (pronounced: or-tro-task) is the moniker for minimalist-synth artist Nic Hamersly, who has been crafting his unique brand of dramatic darkwave for over a decade.

As he told the Orlando Weekly last year, as a teenager, he fell in love with experimental punk label 31G Records and its founder's band, The Locust, before moving on to bands like Coil and Throbbing Gristle. "I was more so into the harsher realm of electronic music," he tells the Weekly. "Power electronics and dark ambient and so on." He notes that his later influences leaned in poppier directions. "Hard Corps, SPK ? Machine Age Voodoo, specifically ? Fad Gadget, to name a few," he adds. "The juxtaposition between synth-pop and industrial in these groups just do it for me. You can probably hear this in most of my recent output."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The KVB - "Labyrinths," a 2024 single on Invada Records UK

Manchester coldwave duo The KVB share the lead single off their forthcoming full-length, Tremors, to be released April 5th via Invada Records. Band members Nicholas Wood and Kat Day describe today's Song of the Day as "the most aggressive track on the album and a nod to some of our early releases." They add, "Lyrically, it was inspired by the collection of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges and its references to historical subjectivity; the flexibility of truth and construction of narratives."

They describe the new album as "dystopian pop," noting that they've "expanded on previous album themes of dystopia, apocalypse, and the human condition, but with a more pessimistic outlook and deeper distrust than before. It also touches on themes of loss, and the resistance, lament and acceptance of inevitable change.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day Soul Exquisite - "Mosaic" from the 2024 album Sanguine & Cardamom on La fem Records

Seattle-based, QTBIPOC-led sextet Day Soul Exquisite released their debut EP last month via La fem Records, an indie label founded by the band's vocalist/guitarist Francesca Eluhu. Today's Song of the Day is, indeed, a work of art, pieced together by Josh Pehrson's gentle percussion, Lillian Minke Tahar's hypnotic keyboard riff, and Seboulisa's soulful vocals, just to name a few of the elements that comprise this languid lullaby. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Salt Cathedral - "Terminal Woes" from the 2024 self-released album Before It?s Gone

With today's Song of the Day, New York-based Colombian duo Salt Cathedral share a sneak peek at their forthcoming full-length Before It?s Gone, to be self-released on March 22nd. In a press statement, the band share:

??Terminal Woes? are the woes that will bring us (humanity) to our demise ? in this song, climate change. How do I bring a child into a world that is getting, by all predictions, physically worse? How is capitalism/corporate interest & greed steering the wheel (or not steering the wheel?). We live in bubbles where we forget nature and animals exist too. Powerful people making decisions have their wallet, not the planet in mind. The only solution is reaching a point where the planet and the wallet align, where the most profitable business plan is to be sustainable. Sonically, it?s a march of sorts, a chorus that bursts into stacks of voices to show collectivism and a lot of inspiration from Ravi Shankar?s music.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven Davis Jr - "Soul Music" from the 2024 album Stranger Than Fiction on Secret Angels

Singer/songwriter Samuel Lonnelee Davis ? known to us as Seven Davis Jr. ? dug into the vault for today's Song of the Day. The track was originally recorded back in 2016 around the time of his LP Universes. As he explains on Bandcamp, "It was supposed to go on the next album but did not match the tracklist. It was released on an underground EP but never officially. Detroit's Kyle Hall began playing this track out in 2022 which led to us deciding to officially release it."

The soulful (no pun intended) single can now be found on new album Stranger Than Fiction, which came out last month via his own Secret Angels imprint. "I wanted to make a tribute album reflecting all the music that has played a huge role in forming who I am as an artist and as a person," he writes. "Each track showcasing a different audio aesthetic but connecting to the next like scenes in a film, creating my own world."

"This project is for others like me who fit into multiple categories and none at the same time," he concludes. "While bringing it back to an old school-ish energy, simply about humble songs, good vibes and fun beats."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Art Feynman - "Chasing My Life" from the 2023 album Be Good The Crazy Boys on Western Vinyl

Long-time KEXP fave Luke Temple has been recording under the alias Art Feynman for a few albums now; his press release says, as a way to "explore surprising sonic landscapes without the burdens of identity." And now, on his third LP under the pseudonym, Be Good The Crazy Boys, he's joined by a full band, and the release was recorded live in the studio. "Sonically, I was inspired by records that were recorded at the late Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas such as Grace Jones? Private Life, Lizzy Mercier Descloux?s Mambo Nassau, and Talking Heads? Remain in Light,? he shares. 

He adds, ?To me, there was a lot of energy that needed to be released as the result of living in isolation for six years. It also seems to speak to a general anxiety we?re all holding, but it?s expressed in a cathartic way.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Butcher Brown - "Down With the King" a 2024 single on Concord Jazz

For today's Song of the Day, Virginia-based jazz/hip-hop collective Butcher Brown brings their take on the 1993 Run DMC classic ?Down With the King.? The track was created in collaboration with the ACC Network, ESPN?s 24/7 national network dedicated to Atlantic Coast Conference sports, and the song can be heard in promotional spots that kicked off last month. 

?Virginia music is one-of-a-kind, and always has been, just like the ACC,? said Butcher Brown?s lyricist and horn player Marcus Tennishu in a press release. ?The Richmond aesthetic comes from a place where everyone is really diehard and blue collar ? you work for what you get. We wanted this remake to be derivative of the original, but we had to put our own twist on it.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lesser Angels - "Burn it Away," a 2024 self-released single

Lesser Angels is a goth/darkwave project out of Eugene, OR, that brings dreamy musical vibes from a trans-feminine perspective. Today's Song of the Day examines the duality of life, as they explain on Bandcamp:

"'Burn It Away' is a song meant to evoke the meditative concept of fire as a type of rebirth and the cycle of positive and negative experiences in life. A beautiful day can't last forever or it wouldn't be beautiful, just like how a terrible day seems more terrible in contrast to better days. No light without shadow."

"We go through these things in life like a rosebush. In that moment the thorns get caught on our blue jeans but on the outside we get to look back and see the beauty of it. And we must singe the frayed edges of our jeans so that we can keep going and stay unfettered."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TISIPHONE - "The Sound of His Voice," a 2024 single on Icy Cold Records

French coldwave trio Tisiphone returned this month with their sophomore LP Riot Puppets. 

Band members Léo and Suzanne met as music students at the Conservatoire de Lyon, with Clara later meeting Léo in the drumming program. In an interview with Threshold Magazine, Clara explains, "We love rock, jazz, classical, but is true that we wanted to make this band around this coldwave thing, post-punk. It was also an aesthetic style that we loved."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zanias - "Earthborn" from the 2024 album Ecdysis on Metropolis Records

Today's featured track comes from a KEXP Song of the Day veteran, the Berlin-based project Zanias, led by Australian-born multidisciplinary artist Alison Lewis.

"Earthborn" is the first single off her forthcoming full-length Ecdysis, out this Friday, February 16th. The album was created around the same time as 2023's LP Chrysalis, but Lewis points out on Instagram that these tracks have a "far more alien quality to them." She continues, "This one?s a serious healing venture, a spiritual exercise, a deep dive into all those things we feel and have no words for (hence, there are no words)."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glaring - "Burn the Snow" from the 2024 self-released EP DR666

Over the past few years. Germany-based coldwave artist Anna Nin has been recording her melancholy medleys under the name Glaring. Her latest EP ? the self-released DR666 ? reflects the cold winter month of January in which it was released: chilly synths, glacial pacing, and a vapor-breath vocal delivery. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anja Huwe - "Rabenschwarz" a 2024 single on Sacred Bones

As the frontwoman for German post-punk band Xmal Deutschland, vocalist Anja Huwe was at the forefront of the 4AD avant-garde art-rock scene in the 1980s. When the band broke up in 1989, Huwe left music to pursue her visual art career. 

But now, nearly 30 years later, Huwe re-emerges with her debut solo album, Codes, scheduled for release on March 8th via Sacred Bones Records. Huwe's long-time friend Mona Mur managed to coax her back into the recording studio, and over the span of eighteen months, they crafted a collection of dark, dramatic soundscapes for Huwe to wrap her distinctive vocals around.

?Since I sing multilingually, and often work with metaphors, I hope that the listener can grasp the moods without understanding them literally," Huwe shared in a press statement. "I believe that voice, expression, and sound can achieve an overall atmosphere. Sometimes melancholic and blue, but also uplifting, vibrant, or subliminally aggressive."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polyrhythmics - "Clydesdale" from the 2023 self-released album Filter System

Now on their 13th year as a band, Seattle's own psych-funk septet Polyrhythmics released their latest LP last fall titled Filter System.   

?When I listen to this music I feel comforted and excited at the same time,? saxophonist Art Brown said of the album in a press statement. ?I really feel like we've created some beautiful musical spaces that can transport you. And in that way I think it can provide a source of inspiration, and maybe revitalize the hearts and minds of folks who listen.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nation of Language - Spare Me the Decision (Cutouts Remix) a 2024 single on PIAS

Brooklyn trio Nation of Language revisit last year's single "Spare Me the Decision" with a remix by their bassist Alex MacKay, who also records under the name Cutouts. The original version of the track appears on the album Strange Disciple, which was voted the #2 album of the year by KEXP listeners. 

?I knew pretty instantly ?Spare Me the Decision? was the track I?d have the most fun trying to remix from Strange Disciple as it?s a personal favorite," MacKay shared in a press statement. "However, my time management isn?t always the best so while I thought I?d have turned it in before we started touring last year, I ended up finishing the master in the lobby of our Barcelona hotel, just a few hours before our set at Primavera Festival. As a result, to me that day represents a beautiful duality, wearing two very different hats from the afternoon into the evening. In the daylight a focused (albeit jet-lagged) moment of solitude and creation. After sunset, an evening onstage performing in front of a jubilant congregation of Spanish fans, far more frenzied than I could have ever imagined when I woke up that morning."

He continued, "As far as the song itself: I love the drum tracks Ian and Nick came up with, especially the slinky hi-hat pattern? and Ian is a true singer, so it?s an absolute joy working with his vocals. I preserved those parts but had a go at replacing almost everything else. I thought it?d be fun to stretch the length, and try different chords under the chorus melody every time it comes around. I also slowed it down a couple BPM. I like seeing how slow I can make songs without losing the groove. Sometimes there?s a second pocket in there, a little slower than you might expect??

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gustaf - "Starting and Staring" from the 2024 album Package Pt. 2 on Royal Mountain

Brooklyn-based no-wave band Gustaf share the lead single from their upcoming sophomore full-length Package Pt. 2, out April 5th via Royal Mountain. The new album was produced by Erin Tonkon, who worked on David Bowie?s final album Blackstar.

With its driving bass and anxiety-ridden performance from vocalist Lydia Gammill, it's easy to see why this group is a tour mate of bands like IDLES, Sleaford Mods, and Yard Act. Check out the video below, directed by Alex Ross Perry. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ride - "Peace Sign" from the 2024 album Interplay on Wichita

Shoegaze pioneers Ride return with the album Interplay, out March 29th on Wichita Recordings/PIAS. It'll be their seventh full-length overall, and their third since reuniting in 2014. 

?This album has taken a long time to make, and has seen the band go through a lot of ups and downs; maybe the most of any Ride album,? co-founder Andy Bell said in a press release. ?But it has seen us come through the process as a band in a good place, feeling able to shake off the past, and ready to celebrate the combined musical talents that brought us together in the first place.?

Today's Song of the Day first began to come together during a jam session in band member Mark Gardener's recording studio, OX4 studio. "We called it ?Berlin? and initially it featured Loz on drums, Steve on bass, and myself on a prophet 5 synth," Bell continued. "About six months later I got hold of the recording and wrestled it into song form. Lyrically I was inspired by a film called The Alpinist about the visionary free climber Marc-André Leclerc. Soon after I?d finished working on the song I remember I was raving to my bandmates about Leclerc at OX4, and a good memory of that time was us all watching that film at Mark?s studio."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TR/ST - "Robrash" a 2023 single on Dais

TR/ST ? a project of producer Robert Alfons ? shares the first single from his latest release, a self-titled EP from his new label, Dais Records. Formed in Toronto, and now based in Los Angeles, he continues to craft darkwave synth perfect for haunting the dance floor. 

Today's Song of the Day was co-produced by Nightfeelings and mixed by the legendary Nick Launay, who has worked with everyone from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to IDLES to Kate Bush. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brittany Davis - "Sepricon" from the 2024 album Image Issues on Loosegroove Records

Last we spoke with Seattle artist Brittany Davis, they had released an EP via Loosegroove Records, the label ran by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard (who is also Davis's bandmate in the side project, Painted Shield). Now, they've returned with their debut full-length album, titled Image Issues, out March 1st on Loosegroove. It's an ambitious 26-track, concept-driven release, interspersed with spoken word pieces by Davis, and with deeply personal lyrics touching on their "discrimination as a Black, non-binary, blind musician, to traumatic family experiences touching on abuse, gun violence, and the prison system." The LP was co-produced by Josh Evans (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Brandi Carlile), with Gossard's full support. (?He is everywhere in spirit and conception and love and vision,? Evans told Spin Magazine.)

Davis describes today's Song of the Day as "definitely born to funk...to soul funk! The record is an ode to James Brown and filled with thoughtless greatness...there really is no rhyme or reason to it...all primal instinct." Check out the music video below, directed by Tony-nominated modern dance choreographer Donald Byrd (The Color Purple, The Minstrel Show). 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Izzy and the Black Trees - "F-16" a 2024 single on Antena Krzyku.

Polish punk rockers Izzy and The Black Trees tap into some COVID anxiety for today's Song of the Day.

As vocalist Izabela ?Izzy? Rekowska explains to music blog Vanadian Avenue: "Back then, I was watching many movies and Stanley Kubrick?s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb really got stuck in my head. Plus, there was a constant hum of jet planes flying over our apartment. So, you get the story. The song was recorded with our producer Marcin Bors at his home studio in the mountains. Marcin also produced our second album Revolution Comes In Waves. We really loved working on that album as well as on 'F-16' and our previous single, 'Shutdown City.'"

The band are currently working on a new EP with their sights set on a third full-length in the future.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waxahatchee - "Right Back To It (feat. MJ Lenderman)" from the 2024 album Tigers Blood on ANTI-

On today's Song of the Day, singer/songwriter Katie Crutchfield ? best known as Waxahatchee ? enlists the talents of MJ Lenderman (of the band Wednesday, as well as a solo artist) for an unconventional love song.

?I wrote it backstage at Wolf Trap when I was on tour opening for Jason Isbell and Sheryl Crow,? Crutchfield says in a press statement. ?I?m really interested in writing love songs that are gritty and unromantic. I wanted to make a song about the ebb and flow of a longtime love story. I thought it might feel untraditional, but a little more in alignment with my experience to write about feeling insecure or foiled in some way internally, but always finding your way back to a newness or an intimacy with the same person.?

The track will appear on her forthcoming full-length, Tigers Blood, out March 22nd via Anti-. The LP was recorded with Brad Cook at Sonic Ranch in Texas, and features guest appearances from Spencer Tweedy and Phil Cook, in addition to Lenderman.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SPRINTS - "Adore Adore Adore" from the 2024 album Letter To Self on City Slang

Dublin, Ireland-based garage rockers Sprints rage against the patriarchy on today's Song of the Day, as vocalist Karla Chubb explains on Bandcamp:

?'Adore Adore Adore' is a guttural reaction to my experience of criticism, gender, and misogyny. People can't seem to stop pressing their idea of what being a woman or acting like a woman is or should be upon us. You can't act like this, you can't say that, you have to be born with this or that and it's exhausting.

There is still a different standard of behaviour expected from me vs even the other members in Sprints. There is a different set of invisible rules I am supposed to abide by ? I am supposed to fit their mould and give them what they want ? and not deliver what it is I am here to do.

So at a time when trans rights are under attack, people are trying to force upon us what they think a woman is or should be, this is the outward expression of my own frustration, struggle and rage.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arcwelder - "Lafayette" from the 2024 self-released album Continue

Minneapolis trio Arcwelder return with their first new album in 24 years. During their '90s heyday, they released six albums on Touch & Go and Big Money Records before their double-decade hiatus. Their latest LP was mixed by J. Robbins of Jawbox, Burning Airlines, and Government Issue.

And it's all too appropriate that "Lafayette" is today's Song of the Day, as the band say the track is drummer/vocalist Scott  Macdonald's tribute to "music, radio stations, and the childhood radio that delivered it all to him." Check out Morning Show Producer Owen Murphy's 2017 chat with Scott here.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spoon Benders - "Dichotomatic" from the 2023 self-released album How Things Repeat

With their sophomore full-length, How Things Repeat, psych-rock group Spoon Benders continue to elevate the glam-garage sound we first fell in love with on their 2020 debut LP Dura Mater.

As they explained to Be in a Band or Die, "Since April of 2019, the band has been writing, rehearsing, and performing live together multiple times a week. I think How Things Repeat has captured that growth and is an excellent representation of our evolution together as a band and individually as players and songwriters. For How Things Repeat we are building on our sound and looking to express similar energy through the recording as we do on stage in the live setting."

The accompanying music video ? directed by Karlee Boon ? aims to capture the opposite: the monotony they experience in their day jobs. "People often forget that musicians work grueling 9-5 jobs to survive while balancing their band and personal lives," they added.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skating Polly - "Hickey King" from the 2023 album Chaos County Line on El Camino Media

Tacoma-based punk-pop trio Skating Polly describes today's Song of the Day as "the most Skating Polly song" on their latest LP, a double-album titled Chaos County Line, out now via El Camino Media. Songwriters (and step-sisters!) Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse trade off vocals on the stripped-down single, inspired by a bad date Kelli went on.

?In Peyton?s verse she?s talking about never knowing how far to go or how much of yourself to give to someone, and when my part comes crashing in it?s about guys being possessive and always trying to leave their mark on you,? Kelli says in a press release. ?To me, it?s the most Skating Polly song on the record because it?s all these different energies happening at once.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurry - "Beggin' For You" from the 2023 album Don't Look Back on Lame-O Records

Philadelphia-based group Hurry released their sixth album last year, titled Don?t Look Back, a nod to a 1995 Teenage Fanclub song, if that gives you a hint to their influences. And today's Song of the Day brings that same jangly, power-pop goodness. 

The new album was produced by Ian Farmer (of Slaughter Beach, Dog, and Modern Baseball), and is out now via Lame-O Records. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Pond PA - "Imagining Everything" from the 2024 album Call and Response on 131 Records

Today's Song of the Day marks a homecoming for singer/songwriter Matt Pond who launched his career in 1998 as matt pond PA, but tried to ditch the name the past few years, releasing an album under the moniker The Natural Lines in 2022. But now, he's re-embraced his original band name with the release of this new single.

"Our album as The Natural Lines was one of my favorite experiences in making music,? Matt told Brooklyn Vegan last year. ?We thoughtfully built songs and a band that represented the inner world of the post-pandemic return to reality. But as it stands now, I?ve said everything I can in that incarnation. I gave myself a strange band name back in Philly and it?s been impossible to shake. As much as I love to run, there?s no running from who I am.?

?In the song and video for ?Imagining Everything,'? he adds, ?I can hear the worst thoughts about myself ? about all of us. Nevertheless, I want to find a way back to loving this world.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bayonne - "Right Thing" from the 2023 album Temporary Time on Nettwerk

Today's Song of the Day from Bayonne (a solo project from Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter Roger Sellers) is extra potent, not just for being a total new wave nostalgic groove, but because it was the last song Roger was able to play for his father before he passed away from cancer. 

?Approaching my mid 30s, I was having a lot of anxiety about life, music and the future ? contemplating where I wanted to go creatively, which among other things, caused me to fall into a state of depression. It?s a deeply meaningful song to me, conveying feelings of stagnancy and self-doubt while maintaining a poppy format,? he says in a press statement. ?One of the reasons it?s so meaningful to me is because it was the last song I remember showing my Dad before he passed. In the middle percussive section, I added samples from old home VHS tapes, wherein you can faintly hear him and other family members chattering lightly in the background. I?ll never forget showing him how I implemented these old recordings into the song. He was highly amused by this.?

The track appears on Bayonne's third full-length Temporary Time. He adds, "To me the overall narrative of Temporary Time is the events following my Dad?s cancer diagnosis in early 2019. The record explores the emotional journey we went through as a family coming to terms with his declining health. Not every song covers this, but that presentiment is lingering in the back of my mind through it all.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ghoul Talk - I Just Like To Watch from the 2024 album I Want to Consume on Death Certificate Records

Seattle's Ghoul Talk ? a solo project of local artist Rachel King ? brings an exhilarating ferociousness to today's Song of the Day, a track she declares her "favorite and most polarizing song so far." She describes the single as "a two-and-a-half minute relationship horror story about ignoring your intuition, written in a 100+ degree room."

She tells KEXP, ?I re-recorded the vocals many times, and nothing stuck until I was able to get out of my head and lock into the true emotion of the song. I wanted the recording to capture the messiness and desperation of the feeling beneath it all. Towards the end of recording, I found mice in my studio and finished some of the takes standing on a chair. There was something very punk about having them as an audience.?

"I Just Like To Watch" will appear on Ghoul Talk's forthcoming visual horror album I Want to Consume, to be released later this year on Death Certificate Records.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDLES - "Dancer (feat. James Murphy & Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem)" from the 2024 album TANGK on Partisan Records

Today's Song of the Day teams up two powerhouse KEXP faves: UK band IDLES and LCD Soundsystem?s James Murphy and Nancy Whang. It's the first single from IDLES' forthcoming fifth full-length, Tangk, due for release on February 16th via Partisan Records. IDLES frontman Joe Talbot says the new album will be full of enchantment. "I needed love. So I made it," he says in a press release. "I gave love out to the world and it feels like magic. This is our album of gratitude and power. All love songs. All is love."

This cross-Atlantic collaboration came to be following some shows the two bands played together. As Talbot told NME, "If you don?t ask, you don?t get. By that point we?d been touring with them for a few weeks and knew they were lovely human beings. They took time out of their day off and took us to their studio. They were really accommodating and lovely, so hard-working, patient and awesome. They?re sick.?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stepan i Meduza - "?????????s," a 2018 self-released single

Ukrainian duo Stepan i Meduza evoke the spirit of early Depeche Mode on this captivating synthwave track. Kiev-based musicians Burkov Aleksandr (vocals, guitar, synth, programming, mixing) and Mashkin Dmitry (bass guitar, vocals, synth, programming) have been releasing music together for over a decade, starting with their 2012 debut LP Bludnitsa. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dharmacide - "Horses/Divorces" a 2023 self-released single

Hailing from Madrid, Spain, shoegaze quintet Dharmacide thrilled with their dreamy debut LP, Cult Band Member, in 2021. 

With today's Song of the Day, they achieve one of the ultimate shoegaze honors of working with Mark Gardener of genre-icons Ride, who mixed, mastered, and produced the track from his OX4 Studios. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bien et Toi - "Haiku" from the 2023 Voici EP on Temple Records

L.A.-based producer Gianluca Buccellati has been racking up accolades, especially for his work on the 2021 Arlo Parks album Collapsed in Sunbeams. He crafts just as much beauty on his own music, which he records under the name Bien et Toi. 

With its warm, sunny vibes, his latest EP ? the six-song release Voici ? is the perfect antidote to grey winter weather. "This collection of songs was created when I was in a completely carefree state of flow,? Buccellati said in a press statement. ?After my last EP [2022's London Safari], I wanted to create a body of work that had less features and felt more personal. This EP is for people to let loose to, a soundtrack for pool parties or warmer nights." 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bella Cuts - ?Until Everybody Is Free? from the 2023 album Rise Up: BDS Mixtape Vol. 2 on Amplify Palestine

?The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free?
? Dr. Maya Angelou

Berlin-based artist Bella Cuts originally wrote today's Song of the Day as an anthem for the Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin. It has since gone on to become the theme song for The Solidarity Index, a podcast "exploring cultural power for collective liberation." The track was built around a vocal sample taken from an interview with Dr. Maya Angelou, and as such, Bella Cuts is donating all proceeds from the track to the Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bosq & Kaleta - ?No Walls" from the 2023 compilation album By the People, For the People on House of Afandi Records

Long-time collaborators Bosq & Kaleta team up again for an Afrobeat-inspired disco funk groove. 

Born Benjamin Woods in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Bosq is now based in Colombia where he has dominated dance floors with his blends of Afro-Latin music with Disco, Funk, Reggae, House, and Hip Hop.

Singer/songwriter/producer/musician Leon ?Kaleta? Ligan-Majekodunmi was born in Porto Novo, Benin, and was active in the Lagos, Nigeria music scene in the '70s. 

On today's Song of the Day, they convey the message, "TEAR DOWN THE WALLS." As Bosq writes on Instagram, "In Gaza & the West Bank but also all over the world. The vocals in the beginning are spoken in Zulu, a South African language. The South African people also long suffered under a racist apartheid regime that was supported until the very end by Israel and the US. She says 'open the gates here comes the elephant, open the road here comes the elephant.' Palestine will be free."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baraari - "Habal (feat. Jurum) (prod. Julmud),? a 2023 self-released single

Based in Ramallah, Palestine, MC/singer Baraari blends Arabic melodies with hip-hop in today's Song of the Day. 

When not recording her own music, she's also active in pre-production of different audio/visual projects with artists Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abu Rahme, and organizes events and private parties in Palestine. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bint il Sham - "Ishtar? from the 2023 compilation album By the People, For the People on House of Afandi Records

A relatively new singer/songwriter, Bint il Sham says her music is "driven by translating the journey of being a Palestinian refugee between Amman and Damascus." Her songs mix minimal electronica with poetry and sociopolitical messages related to her own experiences. 

Today's Song of the Day is the title track from her 2023 EP, inspired by the book Lugz Ashtar (or The Mystery of Ishtar) by author Firas Al-Sawwah. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El Waili - ?TGLY? from the 2023 compilation album By the People, For the People on House of Afandi Records

Egyptian artist El Waili ? a project of rapper/producer Kareem Gaber ? takes his name from a neighborhood where he once lived in Cairo. 

"I started to produce music that translates my sonic experience while living in the El Waili neighbourhood," he told Egypt Today. "I wanted to deconstruct the urban noises and present a perspective and a feeling with a distinctive music style and drops."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hak Baker - "DOOLALLY" from the 2023 album Worlds End FM on Hak Attack Records / AWAL

Hak Baker has penned a party anthem with today's Song of the Day. (It even garnered him a collaboration with spiced rum brand Sailor Jerry, who released a limited edition "DOOLALLY" bottle back in the summer.) The East London-based artist was born to a Grenadan father and a Jamaican mother, and combines his love of reggae and punk into his lauded debut LP Worlds End FM. 

?We thought we was big, big boys, going to MC at these little clubs in Romford. Don?t forget that Moet cost 30 quid back then so we were having it large,? Baker says in a press release. ?Everybody loves a house party. You?re talking to the house party king here. These are all the shenanigans rolled into 3.5 minutes, or all the ones I can talk about anyway ? DOOLALLY!!?

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aphex Twin - "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f" from the 2023 EP Blackbox Life Recorder 21f on Warp

Today?s Song of the Day marks the first new music from electronic music icon Aphex Twin (aka Richard D. James) in five years. (And it's been nearly ten years since his last album, 2014's Syro.) 

His latest EP ? titled Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760 ? is a percussive-heavy delight. with a surprising synth-laden sensitivity. His signature glitchiness is ever-present, but the song also reflects his evolution towards more mellow moments. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Afrosideral - "Aggayu El Immenso" a 2023 single on Ocha Records

Under the moniker Afrosideral, multi-instrumentalist/producer/songwriter Kumar Sublevao-Beat explores the mystical side of his culture. 

On today's Song of the Day, in particular, he pays tribute to the Aggayú Orisha, which is said to be "an esteemed Yoruba deity of wilderness and change," most associated with powerful flowing forces like volcanic lava and raging rivers. (An "Orisha" is a divine spirit that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa.)

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Troy Kingi - "All Your Ships Have Sailed" from the 2020 album The Ghost of Freddie Cesar on All Good Absolute Alternative Records

When he began his career, New Zealand-based actor/musician Troy Kingi set a goal to release 10 albums in 10 genres across 10 years, which he calls the "10/10/10 project."

Today's Song of the Day comes from his funk-inspired album, which is also his most personal album: it was inspired by a cassette tape owned by his father, who tragically disappeared around Christmas 2005, while driving between Rotorua and Auckland. 

As he explained to Music 101, ?It looked pretty old and had this hand-scribbled name, ?Freddie Cesar? on it, and on the back was just handwritten names of songs. I recognized some of the songs from my early childhood back when my parents were still together and started writing down the lyrics as a form of therapy." A search for Freddie Cesar turned up fruitless, so Kingi began to recreate the songs himself. "It?s kind of a dedication to my dad and Freddie Cesar, this album. Even though the lyrics aren't fully mine and the music?s not fully mine, I feel him when I?m singing these songs."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lord Echo - "Whoa! There's No Limit (feat. Mara TK)(Alternate version)" from the 2023 album Rarities 2010-2020: Japanese Tour Singles on Soundway Records.

New Zealand-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Lord Echo (aka Mike Fabs) digs into the vault for a new compilation from London's Soundway Records, titled Rarities 2010 - 2020: Japanese Tour Singles. The title really does say it all: the eight-track LP shares digital versions of what were vinyl-only singles released only in Japan, at the time. (There's also a vinyl version available with an embossed Japanese printed sleeve and obi strip.)

Today's Song of the Day revisits a 2017 track from his third album, Harmonies, featuring guest vocals from Maori-Scottish artist Mara TK. This alternate version features "influences of soul and early hip-hop amen breaks," as he shares on Bandcamp.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freekind. - "Visualize" from the 2023 album Since Always and Forever on Butter92

Croatian duo Freekind. combines the talents of pianist and vocalist Sara Ester Gredelj and drummer Nina Koro?ak-Ser?i?. On their debut LP, Since Always And Forever, they craft a soulful sound with nods to pop, hip-hop, and jazz. Today's Song of the Day, in particular, brings a peaceful groove they say is meant to inspire.

As they write on their website, "We were at a period in our lives where we had the possibility to take time for ourselves and formed a nice routine where we got up, meditated, did yoga and spent the rest of our day with a sense of ease. Eventually our schedule started filling, the media was full with news of restriction, fearful threats, the people being polarised and anxious and that sense of ease started fading. So all that naturally brought to a thought ? I just wanna live my life in peace. In a stress-inducing fast paced world filled with a lot of music, art and series with dystopian-like depictions of the world we wanted to create our vision of life. A peaceful one. In order for it to ever come to fruition we need to ? Visualize."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bulgarian Cartrader - "Golden Rope" from the 2022 self-released album Motor Songs.

Berlin-based musician Daniel Stoyanov pays tribute to both his birthplace and his love of cars with his musical project, Bulgarian Cartrader. 

"My name sounds Eastern European, and to be precise I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and came to Germany when I was 4. I grew up in Germany, but stayed connected to Bulgaria, kept the language, and mingled a lot with friends and family," he explained to Exberliner.com. As for the second part of the name, he adds, "If you look at me, you would never think cartrader, but it?s inside of me." (His debut album is even titled Motor Songs.)

Today's Song of the Day is a warm, laid-back groove, that he describes as "not a song that runs behind to grab your attention. It just stays there, it?s slick and mellow. I have energetic songs, and sometimes I need those, but I know that when I hit the mellow strings on the guitar, these songs are more powerful."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pearly Drops - "I Cry While You Sleep (Dream, Ivory version)" from the 2023 EP Haunted Expansion Pack on Cascine

Helsinki-based duo Pearly Drops pull '80s influences through their prismatic synthpop sound. Their latest EP ? titled Haunted Expansion Pack ? features special remixes of tracks off their sophomore LP, A Little Disaster, which came out earlier this year. 

Today's Song of the Day is a remix of "I Cry While You Sleep," reinvented by Dream, Ivory, a production team of siblings Louie and Christian Baello. Pearly Drops explain to Glam Cult, the track had very different beginnings. 

"This song has actually had a quite long journey. It was originally written for a completely different artist and it was probably even before our debut album. But a few years later we realised that it could actually be our own little ballad and we just had to request it back, hah. It was our attempt to make something warm, wood-y and modern with instruments from the '60s and the '80s. That?s been our favourite palette for some time now."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Berry Galazka - Leash from the 2023 Leash EP on Climax Records & Sweat Entertainment

Each artist we're featuring this week is a Music Moves Europe Awards nominee. The MME Awards are the EU-funded prize for emerging artists. There are 15 nominees for these prestigious awards and the winners will be announced Thursday, January 18 at the ESNS festival in Groningen, NL.

Listeners/viewers can vote for their favorite artist for the MME Public Choice Award here.

Born in Poland, raised in Florida, and now living in London ? Berry Galazka brings a wealth of worldly influences to her music, from My Chemical Romance to polka to Denzel Curry. She reflects her Polish heritage in her clothing, wearing a babushka scarf and the country's flag colors of red and white. 

On Facebook, she shares that today's Song of the Day is "largely inspired by my family?s virtue of questioning everything." She also notes to Polyester Zine that the new EP is inspired by the Salvador Dali painting Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening. "I still find so many different meanings within this painting,? she told The Line of Best Fit. "It always stuck with me how he visualized the sensation of being ripped out of a dream as the subconscious mind protects Gala from the bee sting."

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ana Lua Caiano - "Mão na Mão" from the 2023 self-released album Se Dançar É Só Depois

Portuguese multi-disciplinary artist Ana Lua Caiano studied classical music for eight years, and then studied jazz for four years at the prestigious Escola De Jazz Luiz Villas-Boas, the oldest jazz club in Europe. In 2017, she joined the acoustic ensemble Os Vertigem, but when the pandemic hit and she couldn't play music with others anymore, she decided to embark on a solo endeavor. 

Caiano combines traditional Portuguese music with modern electronic sounds, using a synthesizer and a loop station in her live performances. Her second EP, Se Dan?ç?ar É Só Depois, was released earlier this year. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Panthervision - "Wish You Were Here (Baby it's Christmas)" a 2023 single on Fetish Pop

This week, we are continuing a long-held tradition of featuring Christmas-themed Songs of the Day, selected by Brian Foss, one of the hosts of KEXP?s punk show Sonic Reducer. He will be hosting his 20th annual Punk Rock Xmess on Saturday, December 23rd from 9 PM to midnight PT, and then tune in on Monday, December 25th from 7 AM - 4 PM PT, for No Standards Christmas. You won't hear a single "holiday standard," but instead get a mix of soul, rock, blues, hip-hop, and more!

Portland power-pop quartet Panthervision first formed in 2019, but its members have been active in the local music scene for fifteen years, playing in bands like Beyond Veronica, Spiral Electric, and Spy Device. Their concept with the new project was "The Muffs meets Sweet, but The Yardbirds are in there somewhere, and some pre-'Walk Like An Egyptian' Bangles ? and most of all, their own style and enthusiasm."

It's a goal they achieve on their debut album, Now In 3?-?D, released back in January 2023, and on today's Song of the Day, a rollicking holiday track. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Problem Patterns - "Christmas Number One" a 2020 self-released single

This week, we are continuing a long-held tradition of featuring Christmas-themed Songs of the Day, selected by Brian Foss, one of the hosts of KEXP?s punk show Sonic Reducer. He will be hosting his 20th annual Punk Rock Xmess on Saturday, December 23rd from 9 PM to midnight PT, and then tune in on Monday, December 25th from 7 AM - 4 PM PT, for No Standards Christmas. You won't hear a single "holiday standard," but instead get a mix of soul, rock, blues, hip-hop, and more!

Problem Patterns ? self-described as Belfast's pre-eminent DIY feminist queerpunk quartet ? released their highly-anticipated debut album back in October, titled Blouse Club. But today's Song of the Day takes us back to 2020, when they released this single during a tumultuous season. As they wrote at the time:

This year, many of us will be spending Christmas alone for the first time ever, and for a few of us, that is the norm. The holiday season can be an incredibly isolating time in general. We wrote this song in an effort to try and look on the bright side of an otherwise tough situation. For the video, we wanted to collaborate and connect with a few friendly faces. We may not be able to be together right now, but stay hopeful. 

Whatever your plans are, we hope that you are safe and sound.
Sending love to anyone who needs it.
Merry Christmas,
Bev, Beth, Ciara and Alanah 
xxxx

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.