In Our Headphones

MACK - "Fire Among Us (feat. Akua Naru)," a 2021 single on Deposito Zero Studios. Italian duo MACK combines the talents of Federico Squassabia (keyboards/bass synth/composition) and Marco Frattini (acoustic and electronic drums/live sampling/composition), who craft a genre-defying blend of hip-hop, jazz, kraut-rock, freestyle rap, and more. On their 2019 self-titled debut EP, they invite collaborators to contribute their own creativity, including AVEX, Devon Miles and Rachel Doe on vocals, Federico Pierantoni on trombone, and Enrico Terragnoli on guitar. On today's Song of the Day, MACK allows U.S.-based artist Akua Naru to lace their laid-back electronic groove with her passionate, poetic rap. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano - "Agüita (Remix) (feat. Sampa The Great & Amber Mark)" from the 2021 Agüita EP: I on Jagjaguwar/Stones Throw. Last year, New York-based artist Gabriel Garzón-Montano released his sophomore full-length, Agüita, an ambitious "anti-genre" album with everything from reggae to post-punk to funk to folk. This year, he's begun releasing the Agüita EP series, featuring re-workings of songs from that album. Today's Song of the Day is a remix of the title track, featuring new verses from special guests Sampa The Great and Amber Mark. “This 'Agüita' remix is special. Sampa and Amber came with their magic in usual form,” Garzon-Montano said in a press release. “Estoy muy agradecido a estas reinas por este remix. Un aguacero.” (I am very grateful to these queens for this remix. A downpour.)  Amber Mark added: “I was speechless in absolute amazement when GGM played me the ‘Agüita’ demo years ago. He literally can tap into any sound he’s feeling and make it sound amazing. ‘Agüita’ is my motivational anthem; I’m so honored and excited that I get to be a part of this one.” Sampa The Great declared: "It’s always amazing to be able to connect across cultures and languages with music! 'Agüita' is one of those dope songs that does that and it was amazing being part of this remix.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Halluci Nation - "It's Over (feat. Chippewa Travellers)" from the 2021 self-released album One More Saturday Night. Back in 2016, Canadian duo A Tribe Called Red released the album We Are the Halluci Nation. Now, in 2021, they've shed their old moniker, re-emerging as The Halluci Nation, a phrase borrowed from artist/activist John Trudell to "describe the vast global community of people who remember at their core what it means to be human." In a social media post, they declared, "These words have come to mean much more to us than just an album title. The ideas that came from our work with John Trudell have served as a road map to the future of ATCR."  They add, "as we move into this next phase of our evolution, we also find it necessary to remember our past." Their new album One More Saturday Night pays tribute to the Electric Pow Wow gatherings at Ottawa’s Babylon nightclub that ran from 2007-2017. “We wanted to pay homage to the Electric Pow Wow and wrap that whole decade of experience up and close the cycle, and in doing so give direct coordinates of where the future was headed. In a nutshell, that’s what this album is about,” says co-founder Bear Witness in a press release. “We just wanted to make a party record, as well, one that people could dance to while still having the strong message we are known for.”  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HOLLIS - "Less Like," a 2021 single on AntiFragile Music. Former-Seattleite/currently based in Los Angeles, Hollis has announced her highly-anticipated debut album, Subliminal, will be out this fall.  “The album is a document of the highs and lows, all of the self-consciousness and soul-seeking, cracking myself open to find hope within all of the unknowns," she shared in a press release. "It was also a period of growth for me as a music creator, a lyricist, and a singer, and an opportunity to work with dear friends.” On today's Song of the Day, she delves into her insecurities, adding, "This song is all about how even with all the time and space, we’re still just who we are — feeling like a counterfeit prodigy, wishing we could be lighter, brighter, more realized, all with a breezy sing-a-long vibe. It’s an anthem for us all to admit we’re not exactly who we wish we were but we’re just gonna keep rolling with it anyway.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ty Segall - "Harmonizer" from the 2021 album Harmonizer on Drag City. Wildly-prolific West Coast artist Ty Segall returned with his latest LP Harmonizer in early August. (Physical formats will be released via Drag City in October.)  The album was co-produced and co-mixed by Cooper Crain, at Segall's own Harmonizer Studios in Topanga, California. Segall’s wife, Denée, contributed vocals, lyrics, and album art, and the Freedom Band—bassist Mikal Cronin, drummer and percussionist Charles Moothart, guitarist Emmett Kelly, and pianist Ben Boye— assist on instrumentation.  Ty returns to Seattle on February 6th, 2022, at The Showbox. Check out today's Song of the Day below, and revisit last year's Live on KEXP at Home below that.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slothrust - "Once More For the Ocean," a 2021 single on Dangerbird Records. "This song felt like it was handed to me by the ocean," says Slothrust bandleader Leah Wellbaum about today's Song of the Day. The Brookline native continues: It came to me when I was sitting on some rocks and staring at one of my favorite oceans in the world, on Star Island off the coast of Rye, New Hampshire. The bass line arrived first, and then the melody and the lyrics came at the same time. I didn’t have an instrument with me that week so I sang what I had into my phone notes and carried on with my day, almost forgetting about it entirely. I have a unique relationship with this song because it felt like it came through me more than from me, though I recognize that really there is no difference. It is not the easiest song to sing or explain. At times I even wondered if it might be suited for a different artist. However after sitting with it for a while I have come to the conclusion that this song was meant for me and it is about the search for a greater consciousness in times of chaos. For me that feeling of oneness often shows up when I am spending time in nature.  "Once More For the Ocean" can be found on the band's fifth full-length, Parallel Timeline, out September 10th via Dangerbird Records.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sleigh Bells - "Locust Laced," a 2021 single on Mom + Pop. Brooklyn noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells return with their sixth full-length this fall, Texis, out September 10th via Mom+Pop Music. If today's Song of the Day is any indication, it finds the pair returning to the highly-propulsive, anthemic sound of their 2010 debut Treats. “We stopped worrying about whether or not we’re in or out of our comfort zone, or if we were being repetitive or formulaic,” co-founder and guitarist Derek Miller said in a press release.  He adds that he hopes the new LP brings joy to listeners. “The thing I’m most attracted to is the juxtaposition of happy and sad, melancholy and hope,” he continues. “A lot of this is about trying to hold on to a shred of optimism through sheer force of will, and I hope this music can give people some joyful energy and confidence.”  Sleigh Bells will play The Showbox in Seattle on Thursday, October 28th. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wau Wau Collectif - "Thiante" from the 2021 album Yaral Sa Doom on Sahel Sounds. The Wau Wau Collectif was formed in 2018 by Swedish musician/producer Karl Jonas Winqvist and Senegal-based studio engineer Arouna Kane. Utilizing over 20 musicians from both hometowns, the two traded recordings via WhatsApp. carefully constructing the album Yaral Sa Doom. “It’s like diving into the sea,” explains Kane in an album statement. “There are all different species of fish swimming around, but together they make the ocean.” The phrase "Yaral Sa Doom" is a Wolof expression that means “educating young people,” and the theme of education can be heard amongst the traditional West African music. Contributing musician Djiby Ly offers, "Today you must educate children with an instrument and art, when you teach them an instrument you teach them to use their spirit."  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Left at London - "there is a place for you here." from the 2021 self-released album t.i.a.p.f.y.h.. On her debut full-length, t.i.a.p.f.y.h., Seattle artist Left At London (aka Nat Puff) explores mental health against everything from folk to pop, punk, rock, hip hop, and electronica. “There are some days when you are angry in a way that you can’t describe and there are some days when you’re absolutely defeated in a way you can’t describe. Then there’s manic episodes, there’s dissociative episodes, all these sorts of things I feel are unintentionally represented in the genre switches,” Puff told KEXP's Sound & Vision. “Each track represents a different part of my mental state — from suicidal ideations, to hope and healing." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Marías - "Hush" from the 2021 album CINEMA on Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Recording Corporation. Los Angeles band The Marías was formed in 2016 by vocalist María Zardoya and producer/drummer Josh Conway, and their relationship is at the heart of their highly-anticipated debut album, Cinema.  "We dedicated our whole lives to this album and we were completely devoted," Zardoya told AL DÍA news. "This album is a direct reflection of Josh and I at this point in time, and our experience so far. I think this album has been living between us for a long time, waiting for the moment to come out. We want this album to be an experience for the listeners, an out of this world paradise. I want you to listen to this album, imagine the world and the scene in your head and feel it for yourself. To be honest, the whole album is just a feeling." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Luz - "In The Country" from the 2021 album In The Country on Hardly Art. Today's Song of the Day transports LA-via-Seattle trio La Luz to the countryside, adding a gentle folk feel to their signature surf sound. It's the band's first new music in three years, since their 2018 album Floating Features.  Principal songwriter Shana Cleveland explains in a press release, "I moved to the country a few years ago after living in cities for most of my life. Being out in the middle of nowhere makes it easy to imagine how it would be possible to leave society all together. I love how in this track some of the most unnatural elements of the arrangement (synthesizers, fuzz, effects) create an atmosphere around the instruments that ends up feeling very natural — I can hear bugs buzzing around and bird sounds in different directions." La Luz plays November 19th at the Neptune Theatre with Tropa Magica. Check out the video below, directed by band member Lena Simon. The band states, "This is a reminder to go outside, to stare at nature a little bit too long, and to appreciate what it shows you." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L'Rain - "Two Face" from the 2021 album Fatigue on Mexican Summer. Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist L’Rain (real name: Taja Cheek) follows her powerful 2017 self-titled debut with Fatigue, a new album that infuses soul, gospel, jazz, and other styles into her experimental sound. Today's Song of the Day finds her reflecting on a failed friendship. As she states on her Bandcamp: This is a song about a falling out with a friend. The friend was a gemini, hence the title ‘Two Face.’ The song is a disjointed imaginary conversation between us. The ‘spooky’ parts of the song have the most optimistic lyrics, and the ‘sunny’ parts have the bleakest lyrics. The song is mostly a reflection on regret, because the dissolution of our friendship was absolutely my fault and it still haunts me. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courtney Barnett - "Rae Street" from the 2021 album Things Take Time, Take Time on Mom+Pop/Marathon Records. Long-time KEXP fave Courtney Barnett has announced her third album, titled Things Take Time, Take Time, out November 12th on Mom+Pop Music / Marathon Artists. Today's Song of the Day features the opening track, the languid rocker "Rae Street." Things Take Time, Take Time was written over a two-year period, marking what's called "a particularly joyful time in her life." It was recorded towards the end of 2020 and early 2021 with producer / drummer Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint, and the comfort can be heard in the resulting intimate songs.  Courtney will be stopping by Seattle on Tuesday, December 14th with Bartees Strange at the Paramount. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nox Novacula - "Victim" from the 2021 album Ascension on Manic Depression. Seattle's Nox Novacula has brought a goth presence to the local music scene since 2017. On their debut full-length, Ascension, they combine electronic and post-punk sounds into a genre they call "Death Rock." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ash Code - "Fear (Forever Grey Remix)" from the 2021 self-released EP Fear. Throughout the pandemic, the predominant feeling has been "fear," which is what inspired the new EP from Italian darkwave trio Ash Code. Twin brothers Alessando and Adriano Belluccio and Claudia Nottebella had an album almost finished, but the lockdown just changed the mood.  "We had a lot of songs almost finished and the plan was to release them in late summer 2020 as part of a US and Latin America tour," Adriano told German website RTL, "But everything was canceled, we spent the first half of the year planning live streams like 'Ash Code vs COVID-19' and the Gothicat festivals in order to generate donations. And then we realized that most of the songs no longer suited us and we decided to write something new. Somehow the pandemic changed us." The Fear EP features three remixes of the title track from Molchat Doma, Clan Of Xymox, and Forever Grey. Today's Song of the Day features the latter. "We met Forever Gray in Los Angeles in 2019," Alessandro explains. "Ever since we knew her we wanted to ask her if she would remix something for us. The track is very dark with an incredible bassline!" Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Balvanera - "¿Cuánto resiste el cuerpo?" from the 2021 album Courses of Action on DKA Records. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the duo of Balvanera bring an EBM aesthetic to their dark electronic music. Vocalist Agustina and multi-instrumentalist Lucas both came from the DIY punk and hardcore scene before moving into electronics.  "For some reason, electronic music feels like a continuation of punk to me," Agustina explained in an interview with Brutal Resonance. "Like in the '80s a lot of ex punks and industrial musicians were drawn to raving. In that sense I feel there’s a lot of similarities in the communal experience, ethics, DIY, etc." Their latest album, Courses of Action, draws from the political fury of punk. "It’s a record that invites you to action, to movement; to gain consciousness of one's acts," Lucas said of the title. "We felt the record sounded and demanded 'action',"  Agustina continued, "And since last year was so hard, time itself put everything in perspective, demanding also to make choices in our own personal lives." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NNHMN - "Tomorrow's Heroine" from the 2021 EP Tomorrow's Heroine on K Dream's. Berlin-based darkwave duo NNHMN (pronounced Non-Human) released the EP Tomorrow's Heroine earlier this year, a mini-album they describe as "five songs of hope, desire, and sheer electronic magic." Band members Lee Margot and Michal Laudarg (who's a techno DJ on the side) take a minimal approach to their sensual synth sound, drawing influence from "New Brutalists theatre, experimental electronic music, and techno culture," as they state on their website.   Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Camlann - "Metropolitan Boy" from the 2021 album Circa 1983 on Cold Transmission. It's fitting that the Jakarta-based darkwave trio Camlann named their latest album Circa 1983, because they easily channel the sounds of Depeche Mode and Soft Cell, despite the fact that its members weren't even born at the time. The self-described "dark disco" group consists of Ony Godfrey (17) on vocals and guitar, Bayu Triyudanto (17) on bass, and Fauzan Pratama (16) on synths. (There's also Chariszan (17), their producer and music collaborator.) As they declare on their Bandcamp page, the new LP is a "statement to the world that they are here to bring you their own version of modern nostalgia." Check out the lyric video for today's Song of the Day below, directed by band member Pratama.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tycho & Benjamin Gibbard - "Only Love," a 2021 single on Mom + Pop. Step aside, Jimmy Tamborello. Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard is lending his distinctive voice to a new electronic producer, Tycho (real name: Scott Hansen).  In a press release, Hansen explained how the two came to collaborate: I had been a fan of Ben’s work for a long time when, in 2016, I had the chance to do a remix for Death Cab for Cutie’s track “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive.” Ben’s voice was a very inspiring element to work with from a production standpoint, I felt it really meshed well with the kinds of sounds and instrumentation I gravitate towards. ‘Only Love’ started life as an instrumental, but something was missing. I sent a rough demo to Ben and he recorded some vocals over it. The first time I heard the rough vocals the whole song suddenly made sense and the arrangement flowed out of that. After my early experimentations with vocals on Weather this felt like a great opportunity to put everything I had learned during that process into practice. It was certainly an honor to be able to work with such an iconic voice. Gibbard described how his lyrics came together: In 2014, while reading This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein, I came across a quote from Montanan goat rancher and environmentalist Alexis Bonogofsky that moved me immensely. Speaking about the fight to protect public lands in southeastern Montana from the mining company Arch Coal, she said: ‘(The) connection to this place and the love people have for it, that’s what Arch Coal doesn’t get. They underestimate that. They don’t understand it so they disregard it. And that’s what in the end will save that place. It’s not the hatred for the coal companies or anger, but love will save this place. When Scott sent me the music for ‘Only Love,’ it seemed perfect for this statement. Since reading Alexis’ words, I’ve carried them as a universal truth; that the only way we preserve the people, places or things we care for is with love, not hatred. This is often easier said than done, of course. But I find myself coming back to her statement as if it were a mantra. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mac McCaughan - "Dawn Bends" from the 2021 album The Sound of Yourself on Merge. Superchunk frontman and Merge Records co-founder Mac McCaughan returns this fall with his second solo album, The Sound of Yourself. The release features a slew of guests including Mary Lattimore, Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog), TORRES' Mackenzie Scott, Telekinesis' Michael Benjamin Lerner, Annie Hayden, his brother Matt McCaughan, and on today's Song of the Day, drummer Jon Wurster and Yo La Tengo. ("I am aware of the irony of an album called The Sound Of Yourself with this many guests on it!," he shares in a press release.)  Like many great albums coming out right now, The Sound Of Yourself came out of the lockdown. "Each day is blurring into the next, so what are we doing today?” he would ask himself during the pandemic. “How can I disrupt this? I think what resulted was a theme of subdued… ‘joy’ is the wrong word, but it’s at least comforting if not propulsive to have something open-ended to work on every day without any kind of structure or deadline or rules.” The Sound of Yourself will be out September 24th via Merge Records (of course).  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penelope Isles - "Sailing Still," a 2021 single on Bella Union. UK duo Penelope Isles — a project of siblings Lily and Jack Wolter — were able to use the pandemic lockdown to recover from the heavy touring they did for their 2018 debut album When The Tide Creeps In.  “Before the enforced break due to COVID we spent pretty much all of 2019 driving ourselves around Europe and America having some incredible adventures as a band and it seems that everything since then has been falling apart," Jack explained in a press release. Today's Song of the Day finds the Wolters reconnecting during the break. “I wrote the music for this song at my brother’s flat, on a really crappy electric piano, but always envisioned the whole thing as something widescreen, with a big sound to match," Lily remembers. "The lyrics took me a few months to finish, by which point the song had taken on many different meanings. Then I took it to band practice, where Jack and I wrote the end section together. It’s one of our favourite sounding songs on the record. We played around with pitch-shifting instruments to get it sonically sweet. Plus, it was the first time we ever heard strings with our music. That’s one tick off the bucket list.” For the video, Jack wanted to travel again, at least visually. "Writing and recording the new album was a huge part of the recovery process and making this film for 'Sailing Still' I wanted Lily and I to get back on the road somehow, as travelling has been such a massive part of our band ever since we began. So I had this idea of filming Lily in a myriad of places and scenarios, both urban and rural, coastal and inland. Mountains and rivers, council flats and tunnels, cafes and bridges. We drove up and down the country for a week, sleeping in the van, and waking up at the crack of dawn to start filming again. Reconnecting as a ‘band’ again but also spending time together as brother and sister was special for filming this real heartbreaker of a song.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Film School - "Superperfection" from the 2021 album We Weren’t Here on Sonic Ritual. Long-running west coast shoegaze group Film School return this fall with the full-length We Weren’t Here, a nod to pandemic-related conditions in which they recorded the album. Band members — bassist Justin LaBo, guitarist Nyles Lannon, frontman Greg Bertens, and keyboardist Jason Ruck — were divided between the Bay Area and Los Angeles, recording their parts from their respective home studios and then emailing files back and forth.  We Weren’t Here will be released September 24th via Sonic Ritual.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jarv Dee & Bad Colours - "Black Skin (feat. Stas THEE Boss)," a 2021 self-released single.   Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skyzoo - "Bed-Stuy Is Burning" from the 2021 album All the Brilliant Things on Mello. New York has long been embedded in the work of rapper Skyzoo. Born Gregory Skyler Taylor in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, he cites his hometown as an influence, telling The Living Room, "There’s certain values and morals that come with the neighborhood and era that I grew up in. Those are important musically and just in life." However, he laments the gentrification of his city on today's Song of the Day and the album it comes from, the new LP All The Brilliant Things. He explains in a press release: With All The Brilliant Things, the idea was truly to try and tackle the realities of gentrification and this new era of cultural appropriation, commonly known as “culture vulturing”. The way they intertwine with one another, parallel at times, and how us as the residents of our long-standing homes and creators of these cultures have been stripped of it, or at times let it happen, all for what we assumed was our best interest. The irony of it all is, despite how it all makes us feel in hindsight, one would have to admit that the orchestration of it was truly brilliant. Brutal, and heinous, but somehow pretty brilliant. Hence the title of the album. The cover art, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller, shows my 3 year-old-son and I on the corner of Fulton St. and Franklin Ave. in Brooklyn, and I’m showing him a condo being built in our neighborhood, a neighborhood that’s rapidly dying, explaining it to him and trying to make sense of it all. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

K.ZIA - "Sanctuary," a 2021 single on Groove Attack. Brussels-born, Berlin-based artist K.ZIA unveils a "place beyond the physical" in today's KEXP Song of the Day. Born to a Martinican father and a Belgo-Congolese mother, she weaves the influence of her upbringing into this soulful single.  “I am building a realm for the unheard," she explained in a press release. "For the ones that never found boxes to fit in because of their differences. To be able to exist freely, we will have our own boundless space. A Sanctuary where together we rise around authenticity, depth and love. This song is about a special place where we can disconnect, connect, and reconnect with a special person, a spirit, a community, a divinity and re center around the essentials of Love.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Riley - "say yes (feat. Joe Armon-Jones)" from the 2021 self-released album interest rates, a tape. She may only be 23-years-old, but West London-based artist George Riley draws on her lifetime of influences on her latest release, interest rates, a tape. Her Jewish mother and Jamaican father would play R&B icons like Stevie Wonder, Aretha, and Sade in the house, and her dad was briefly a drummer and backing vocalist in '70s reggae group Steel Pulse. She channels all of that into interest rates, a tape, explaining to Crack Magazine, “This is me wanting to show the breadth of sounds that have inspired me, because I don’t subscribe to just one thing.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khrysis - "The Disrespect (feat. Rapsody & Sa-Roc)" from the 2021 album The Hour of Khrysis on Jamla. It's no surprise it took Khrysis 12 years to return with his fifth full-length, The Hour of Khrysis. The Durham, NC producer/rapper/engineer also serves on Jamla Records' in-house production team, The Soul Council; crafted beats for the Netflix dramedy The Forty-Year-Old Version; and has worked with Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, De La Soul, Redman, Problem, Bad Lucc, and more. The work has built connections with the star-studded line-up of guests on The Hour of Khrysis, including Busta Rhymes, Pharoahe Monch, De La Soul, and on today's Song of the Day, Rapsody and Sa-Roc.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mia Day - "Rosie," a 2021 self-released single. A self-described "groovy, fairy, cowgirl witch," Seattle singer/songwriter Mia Day recorded today's featured track in a barn outside of Seattle, with some of her closest friends. "It's a reverse perspective song that is a deeper exploration into my mental health," she explains via her Soundcloud. "I wrote it as an assignment for one of my college songwriting classes. I knew that I wanted to create a sad song that I could dance to. I was inspired by Oasis and Waxahatchee while recording it." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Suburbs - "Summertime" from the 2021 album Poet’s Party on Suburbs Music. The Suburbs have been crafting their unique brand of pop-punk joy since 1977. They've been credited as one of the godfathers of the "Minneapolis Sound,” a scene including bands like The Suicide Commandos, The Replacements, and Hüsker Dü.  While vocalist Chan Poling and drummer Hugo Klaers are the only remaining original members, they're accompanied by longtime saxophonist Max Ray, and new additions Stevie Brantseg and Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitars, Steve Price on bass, Janey Winterbauer on backup vocals, Rochelle Becker on baritone sax, and Stephen Kung on horns and keys. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Vega Bodegas - "All My Fish Are Dead," a 2021 self-released single. Cardiff post-punk band The Vega Bodegas is led by Jimmy Watkins, formerly of Future Of The Left and Strange News From Another Star. They've been laying low since the 2018 release of their debut full-length, A Complete History of Witchcraft, but have re-emerged to share the single "All My Fish Are Dead." Watkins described to Birthday Cake Breakfast how today's featured track was inspired by two books: At the time I was reading a book called Strangers by Rebecca Tamás, and it was changing the way I thought about the modern world. It was terrifying, but at the same time it had answers about how we could change things like capitalism and the destruction of the planet. It introduced me to panpsychism and I was fascinated by this idea that our surroundings influence how we think. I was also reading a book called American Cosmic by D.W Pasulka. In that book she meets people who believe their great ideas have come from aliens. I used that for the lines about “operating on a whole other level… outside on my mile high decking” and about our body parts being full of galaxies. Together, those two books painted a picture of humans destroying the planet whilst also receiving messages of hope and innovation from outer space. That was a pretty surreal combo for me, so I went for it lyrically and described a modern world full of chaos and weird beauty. I wanted to paint a dreamlike landscape which was driven by capitalism and greed, but had a soft middle where it talks about how magical the human body can be. I have no idea if I succeeded, but for the first time in my life I can listen to a song we’ve recorded and think to myself that I’d put everything I could into the lyrics. Read the full behind-the-scenes story of the making of today's Song of the Day here. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polar Noir - "If Everybody Listened," a 2021 single on Polarness. June 8th marked World Oceans Day, a day designated to "inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean." German radio show host Sandra Gern seized the moment to unveil her recording project Polar Noir, sharing her love of water on her debut single.  "I‘ve learned that the music you make is never really complete as long as you don‘t share it," she stated on Facebook. "That‘s why I‘ve started this project. Some of the music I am sharing is brand new, some was written or started somewhen within the last 10 years. So you‘re warmly invited to keep me company making these songs complete." In the accompanying video for today's featured track, Polar Noir shares links to organizations working to preserving the ocean. She shares that in the month and a half since the video has been released, "the ocean caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico, a sunken container ship loaded with chemicals, oil and plastic pellets polluted the ocean and coast around Sri Lanka, and just recently some tourists held and petted one of the strictly protected whales in the Baltic Sea for pictures. Shortly after it died." "These are the things many of us have heard of because they sounded lurid enough to be put into a headline. But the ocean is much more at risk than we hear and see in the media. That’s why I put these words including different organisations at the end of my music video. You can support them, follow them, check their websites and read about their (actually our) topics." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicano Batman - "Pastel Sunrise," a 2021 single on ATO. Psych/funk/soul band Chicano Batman return with a new single, featuring the powerful track "Dark Star" on the A-Side, and today's Song of the Day on the B-Side. It's the L.A. four-piece's first new music since their 2020 album Invisible People. Like last year's release, the new single finds them pairing up with Grammy-nominated producer John Hill (Portugal. The Man, Santigold, M.I.A.).  “The music got here collectively in John Hill’s studio,” frontman Bardo Martinez told Fader over email. “The band met up and instantly we began riffing on concepts.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hallows - "All That Is True Dies" from the 2021 album All That Is True on Cold Transmission Music. Formed in Minneapolis in 2018, and now based in Seattle, darkwave duo HALLOWS incorporate post-punk influences into their atmospheric synthpop on their latest album, All That Is True. Founding members Vanee D. and Dom R. wrote the songs during what they call "times of unrest in Seattle (and the world)," They explain in a press statement, "though the album is not explicitly political, it explores the emotional journey of existing in an unjust world." On today's Song of the Day, they explore impermanence. “The song is about the past and how it follows you around but, in the end, everything is temporary,” Dom told Post-Punk.com. “We really wanted this track to evoke a duality where the first part is tense and somewhat dark, with the second part being more hopeful and dancey.”  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yves Tumor - "Jackie," a 2021 single on Warp. Enigmatic, experimental artist Yves Tumor returns with their new single "Jackie," a fierce glam-rock stomp with squalling guitars and an '80s dance beat. It's their first new solo work since their 2020 album Heaven To A Tortured Mind.  The track is accompanied by a psychedelic video clip created by Los Angeles-based visual artists Rick Farin and Claire Cochran from the studio Actual Objects. "We loved collaborating with Yves Tumor on 'Jackie' — we've been massive fans for years," they said in a press release. "Their work is always so forward-looking, and has always been a major inspiration for us. 'Jackie' was a chance for us to dig deep into our toolkit and work with some of our most experimental techniques." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ric Wilson - "Fight Like Ida B & Marsha P," a 2020 single on Free Disco / EMPIRE. On his latest single, released days before Juneteenth 2020, Chicago rapper Ric Wilson pays tribute to civil rights leader Ida B. Wells and LGBTQ+ activist Marsha P. Johnson.  He wrote on Twitter [sic]: “when I think about next level courage to ball your fist up & look Patriarchy, racist,sexism, homophobia & transphobia right in the eye & fight against it, I feel like blk folk like Ida B Well and Marsha P Johnson are of the bravest of us all and if ima fight any injustice I wanna have the courage of blk queer & femme freedom fighters like them. I believe the liberation of black womxn and black trans womxn lead to the liberation of all black people." He adds [sic]: "I encourage people to also study the History of policing and prisons here in the US & the laws made to keep Blk and Queer folk suppressed in this country for over 450 years. If we focus and start understanding the 'why', we will longer waste time arguing on the 'what.'" Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pixel Grip - "Pursuit," a 2021 single on Feeltrip Records. Chicago darkwave trio Pixel Grip return with their sophomore full-length ARENA, a soundtrack for the misfits out there. “Being in an audience of freaks, queers, fetish people, all in the same room sweating together,” is how vocalist Rita Lukea puts it, “and we all knew our purpose, and we were manic and arrogant.”  Lukea explains that today's Song of the Day has a specific feeling to her: "the feeling of surrendering power, the feeling of having your love chewed up and spit out, the feeling of getting toyed with. Sometimes love isn’t empowering; in fact it can be humiliating and disabling. The only way I can take my power back is to pretend like it’s my decision. This song is designed to be screamed along with by an audience who understands the pain." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emma-Jean Thackray - "Say Something," a 2021 single on Movementt. An active artist and producer in South London’s nu-jazz scene, multi-instrumentalist Emma-Jean Thackray has just shared her latest LP Yellow on July 2nd via her own Movementt imprint. “It’s a record about togetherness, the oneness of all things in the universe, showing love and kindness, human connection," she explains via a press release. “I approached the record by trying to simulate a life-changing psychedelic experience, an hour where we see behind the curtain to a hidden dimension, where the physical realm melts away and we finally see that we are all one.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ya Tseen - "Knives (feat. Portugal. The Man)" from the 2021 album Indian Yard on Sub Pop. Originally from Sheet’ka (Sitka, Alaska), artist Nicholas Galanin brings the influence of his Tlingit and Unangax̂ heritage to his spacey dance pop. Under the name Ya Tseen (which simultaneously translates to “be alive” and references his Tlingit name Yeil Ya Tseen), he uses his music to advocate for "Indigenous sovereignty, racial, social, and environmental justice, for present, and future generations." Today's Song of the Day is not about weaponry, but surrender. In a press release, Galanin shares, "“Knives is a love song about softening a calloused heart and experiencing the edge of magnetic desire, romantic connection, vulnerability, and risk that love opens us up to.” The song features guest vocals from John Baldwin Gourley of fellow Alaska-formed band Portugal. the Man, who he considers "friends and allies for social and environmental justice." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Joy Formidable - "Into the Blue" from the 2021 album Into The Blue on Enci Records. Welsh band The Joy Formidable return with their first new music in three years. Today's Song of the Day is the title track from their forthcoming fifth album, Into The Blue, out August 20th. While the song was written in their hometown of Wales, it was completed in their new adopted home of Utah, which is also where the accompanying music video was filmed.  “I am always daydreaming in the bathtub between recordings," frontwoman Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan says of the watery clip. “That diffuse thinking where your mind wanders freely — I always finish songs when I’m in that state. The idea that your imagination, that escape into another, deeper world can sometimes create a stronger connection with yourself.” She describes today's Song of the Day as being "about surrendering to love and magic," adding, “Having the courage to enjoy a new journey and the mystery and excitement of something unexpected. It’s about opening your eyes to beauty and love again. Making it to the other side. Whilst not conceived as a metaphor for the times we all live in now, it certainly turned out that way.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glüme - "The Internet" from the 2021 album The Internet on Italians Do It Better. When Glüme first heard the Chromatics come up on Spotify Shuffle, she knew that frontman Johnny Jewel was her sonic soulmate. It was destiny that she'd be signed to Jewel's record label Italians Do It Better for her debut album The Internet.  An artist/musician/actor and trained tap dancer, Glüme was diagnosed with Prinzmetal Angina, a rare heart disease. Confined to bed, she went online to escape, and to eventually reinvent herself as the ‘Wal-Mart Marilyn Monroe’ she calls herself. “I didn’t like the vision of myself as a sick person. So I went on The Internet," she shares in a press release. “My online presence was my truth even though it was a lie. I have this self at home who is sick & then this self on The Internet that’s doing amazing. The world wasn’t working for me. But online, I could live the life I wanted to live.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lightning Bug - "The Right Thing Is Hard To Do" from the 2021 album A Color of the Sky on Fat Possum Records. On today's Song of the Day, Audrey Kang — lead vocalist for shoegaze sensations Lightning Bug — shares her personal battle with self-worth against a delicate wash of guitars.  "Here I wanted to connect how the struggles and flaws within the individual are mirrored in the greater problems of society," she reveals in a press release. "How do we as individuals know we are on the right path? How do we as a society, as a species, know we are on the right path? So I started with myself, and my own struggles, touching on how I hide myself away from other people, on my stage fright, on my inability to be vulnerable, on this feeling I used to have that I needed to prove I was worthy of being alive. Then I tried to connect these struggles outward to global issues like xenophobia, arbitrary borders, the lines we draw between ourselves and the environment, and the ways we sacrifice the health of the planet for human convenience." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mochipet - "Godzilla League of Legends" from the 2021 self-released album Godzilla Resurgence. David Wang has long had an obsession with dinosaurs, from wearing a purple costume of the prehistoric creatures in his musical alias of Mochipet, to the recent release of his EP Godzilla Resurgence, named for the mythical kaiju who has starred in films since the 1950s.  “I saw my first Godzilla movie when I was around 10 years old in Taiwan. I think my cousin showed it to me or something," Wang told MixMag Asia late last year. “I actually didn’t like it at first. I didn’t understand why Godzilla was destroying Japan and I didn’t like that it was in black and white. It was not till later in my life I began to appreciate Godzilla for its representation of the human need for control and the Atomic Bomb that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki and destroyed many lives during World War II. Godzilla is a constant reminder of man’s need for control which usually ends in death and destruction." The new EP is dedicated to the memory of Wang's father, who passed away as this release was nearing completion. Proceeds are going towards the cost of his funeral and burial costs. More information here. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollis - "Grace Lee," a 2021 self-released single.  Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Essam - "Free Palestine," a 2021 self-released single. South Seattle-based rapper/poet and community organizer Essam wrote his first rap at the age of eight. “I wrote a personal narrative essay – it was the first time it wasn’t research – and I realized that writing is for me,” he told the University of Washington at Bothell.  He's since released two albums: 2018's 12.12 and last year's LP Chapter20six; early last month he shared the powerful new single "Free Palestine," stating, "my grandfather used to say when she calls then we always gotta answer." Check out the video below, shot/edited by Muzammil Siddiqee against a mural by artist Gabril.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little Simz - "Woman (feat. Cleo Sol)," a 2021 single on AGE 101 MUSIC / AWAL. U.K. rapper Little Simz returns with her fourth full-length this fall, the relatably-titled Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, out September 3rd. In a press release, today's Song of the Day has been called “a soulful love letter to women around the world.” “I love it when I see women doing their thing and looking flawless; I’m here for that!” Simz said. “It’s empowering, it’s inspiring; I wanted to say thank you and I wanted to celebrate them.” The 70s-tinged summer jam reunites Simz with vocalist Cleo Sol, who also guests on the track “Selfish” from Simz's 2019 LP GREY Area. And, the self-directed accompanying video features guest appearances from Jourdan Dunn, Joy Crookes, Denai Moore, two of her cousins (Zeze Millz, Kesewa Aboah), and her best friend of 15 years. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mara TK - "Grew Up Inna Chaos (feat. 2MY)" from the 2021 album Bad Meditation on Extra Soul Perception. Scottish-Māori artist Mara TK has lent his velvety vocals to neo-soul trio Electric Wire Hustle for years, and with his deeply personal debut solo album, Bad Medication, he takes center stage. The album brings him back to his home of Aotearoa (or "long white cloud," the Māori name for New Zealand). He says in a press release, “writing this album has been a form of therapy over the last few years trying to figure out what kind of music I wanted to make next.” He adds, "I was offered what was basically a whole studio worth of gear from a friend who was moving overseas. I took a gamble and bought that gear and have spent the last five years learning how to use this shit. I had to bet on my own ability to learn new things so it was scary, but also keep in mind that music, like any other creative form doesn’t have to be perfect — the brush strokes don’t have to be exactly straight.”Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children of Zeus - "No Love Song" from the 2021 album Balance on First Word Records. Manchester duo Children Of Zeus return with their first new music in three years, since the release of their acclaimed debut Travel Light.  Today's Song of the Day reunites band members Tyler Daley and Konny Kon with producer Beat Butcha (Jay-Z, Beyonce, Nipsey Hussle) who worked on their earlier album. The lush production adds a lush, soulful vibe to the smooth slow jam, providing a velvety platform for Daley's vocals and Kon's riffs.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle shoegaze band Shine combines the talents of band members from Regional Justice Center and Seattle’s New Gods. This new project, they say, "channels the noise and driving aggression of these bands, but through a more playful, Britpop-tinged lens." Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darkwave duo Cold Cave deliver their distinctive synth-driven psychedelic sound on their latest EP, Fate In Seven Lessons. Today's Song of the Day finds the long-running project of Wesley Eisold drawing influence from their former tour mates The Jesus and Mary Chain and Nine Inch Nails. The accompanying video was directed by Travis Shinn and Jeremy Danger, and finds the group encircled by 23 candles given to Eisold from his friend and collaborator Mark Lanegan.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With her sophomore LP Stand For Myself, Grammy-nominated artist Yola reclaims her crown as the self-described "queen of country soul." She teams up again with producer Dan Auerbach in his studio and on his record label, both named Easy Eye Sound.  On the album's title track, Yola finds her footing again. As she says in a press statement: "The song’s protagonist “token,” has been shrinking themselves to fit into the narrative of another’s making, but it becomes clear that shrinking is pointless. This song is about a celebration of being awake from the nightmare supremacist paradigm. Truly alive, awake and eyes finally wide open and trained on your path to self actualisation. You are thinking freely and working on undoing the mental programming that has made you live in fear. It is about standing for ourselves throughout our lives and real change coming when we challenge our thinking. This is who I’ve always been in music and in life. There was a little hiatus where I got brainwashed out of my own majesty, but a bitch is back." Stand For Myself will be released 7/30 on Easy Eye Sound.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.