In Our Headphones

Maajo - "Esukey (feat. Ismaila Sané)" from the 2020 album Kuru Kuru on Queen Nanny. Though hailing from Tampere, Finland, Maajo find influence in traditional African music, combining it with modern electronic sounds. They continue to explore this fusion on their second LP Kuru Kuru, released earlier this year on Queen Nanny Records, and on today's Song of the Day, they team up with Senegalese vocalist Ismaila Sané for this infectious groove. Sané began his career in the '70s as a percussionist and also as a solo dancer/choreographer of African ballet. He relocated to Finland in 1999, winning the "citizen of the year" prize in 2003, marking the first time an emigrant knowingly received the award.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Ends - "Monday Mourning" from the 2020 self-released Stay Evil EP. With today's Song of the Day, Seattle's Black Ends contend with acceptance against a grunge-y backdrop. Frontperson Nicolle Swims told KEXP when we premiered the track:  “‘Monday Mourning’ is a pretty bleak song although it may not sound that way at first listen. it’s basically about the impending demise we all face and the getting ready for death. The character in the song goes through their week suffering and mourning their own death in different ways until they finally end up dying on a Sunday (which is why that day doesn’t come up in the song at all). As ‘scary’ as that sounds, it’s supposed to be about finally accepting that fate- to release the thanatophobia we all feel at some point and just accepting that life ends and it’s okay. That’s ‘Monday Mourning!’” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Braids - "Snow Angel" from the 2020 album Shadow Offering on Secret City Records.  Today's Song of the Day was written by Montreal-based band Braids in the wake of the 2016 election, "as our collective conscience took a sharp inhale,” as vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston put it in a press release. She elaborates: “It’s a diary entry of sorts – a snapshot of the mind grappling with our era’s endless barrage of content and destruction, continents away and close to home. *This* moment, with our world in the midst of a pandemic, is admittedly a new context. But I can’t help but sense the song speaks to feelings many of us are experiencing – uncertainty, angst and a desperate desire to make sense of it all. For me, it was deeply therapeutic to write and sing this song; saying things out loud can help us to not feel so alone, can help validate our natural fears about the future of our world, and can bring to light some of the hard questions that many of us are asking ourselves. I believe that art can change our relationship to fear. We hope this song can offer you a moment of catharsis and relief, in the same way writing and performing it has for us.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chong the Nomad - "Take Two" (feat. Hollis), a 2020 self-released single. Seattle-based artist Chong the Nomad (real name: Alda Agustiano) returns this summer with the soulful jam "Take Two," a collaboration with Grammy-nominated local artist Hollis Wong-Wear (more on her here). On a trip to Los Angeles, Agustiano connected with Hollis and Grammy-nominated producer Rogét Chahayed for an inspiring session. "Wrote it during my first big writing trip in LA and I was super sick," she confessed on Facebook. "Still managed to create something I’m proud of." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Hakim - "QADIR" from the 2020 album WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD on ATO Records. On today's KEXP Song of the Day, New York-based artist Nick Hakim shares a deeply personal tribute to his childhood friend Qadir Imhotep West, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 25. (That's a photo of West that adorns the cover of Hakim's latest album, WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD.)  “He was a little younger than me, but we had a similar path,” Hakim says in a press release. “We both had trouble in school and switched schools a lot. He was the youngest in his family and his older sisters asked me to watch out for him. The song is my ode to him. It’s my attempt to relate to how he must have been feeling.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Honey," a 2020 single on Flightless Records. Earlier this month, Australian psych-rock royalty King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard shared their first new material of 2020 with the single "Honey."    “I wrote this song a couple of years ago,” frontman Stu Mackenzie revealed on Twitter. “It’s nice to have it out in the world.”  The track premiered alongside a video directed, edited, and photographed by John Angus Stewart, in a socially-distanced manner. "Shot at sunset during the apocalypse with a reeeeeeal long lens," Mackenzie confirmed on Twitter.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eggshells - "Unknown," a 2020 self-released single. Seattle trio Eggshells brings together the talents of the Verdoes siblings (Peter of In Praise of Folly, Can the Boy Tell Time, and Benjamin of Iska Dhaaf, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, In Praise of Folly) and songwriter Sera Han, who brings the perspective of a first-generation immigrant queer woman to their moody trip-hop sound. Today’s Song of the Day is an early look at their third and forthcoming full-length album, Hopeless Romancers, out later this year.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Jayhawks - “This Forgotten Town” from the 2020 album XOXO on Sham/Thirty Tigers. On their 11th LP, the members of long-running Americana band The Jayhawks all share songwriting duties for the first time ever. On today's Song of the Day, in particular, lead singer Gary Louris and drummer Tim O’Reagan share vocals on a track co-written by Louris and bassist Marc Perlman.  “Introducing different voices throughout the song added a new dimension to telling the story,” Perlman told Rolling Stone Magazine. “We approached it much like we did the whole record — more collaboration in the writing and more sharing of lead vocals than in the past.”  “Marc brought the chord progression for this song, and then I started singing a melody on top of it,” Louris added. “We wrote the lyrics together.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - “Inner City Blues,” a 2020 single on Colemine Records. Back in June, Colemine Records launched the Brighter Days Ahead singles series, a response to the stay-at-home orders and the subsequent loss of income from canceling tours, postponing release dates, and ceasing the manufacturing for LPs and 45s. "We wanted to come up with some way to give our fans and our artist's fans something to look forward to," explained label owner Terry Cole. Starting on May 22nd and running through the summer, Colemine will release a new track every Friday on their Bandcamp page with 100% of any revenues generated going directly to the artist. "Our goals are simple: put a little bit of money in our artist's pockets and get our fans some new tunes," Cole summarized. The series kicked off with Seattle's own Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio covering Marvin Gaye's 1971 track "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" off his landmark album What's Going On. The lyrics convey the despair of the bleak economic situation of the times, the lack of support from the government, and police brutality. (That sounds depressingly familiar.) But, in the hands of maestro Delvon Lamarr, the song sounds almost joyous as an instrumental. Guitarist Jimmy James adds a funky groove to the track, and drummer Dan Weiss picks up the pace from Gaye's original composition. Listening to it makes you believe, there might really be brighter days ahead. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IDLES - “Grounds” from the 2020 album Ultra Mono on Partisan Records. Bristol-based post-punk band IDLES return this fall with their third LP, titled Ultra Mono, out September 25th via Partisan. They've previously shared the singles "A Hymn" and  “Mr. Motivator,” and for today's Song of the Day, we're sharing the single "Grounds." Frontman Joe Talbot explained in a press release: “We wanted to write a song that embodied self-belief, and gave us self-belief — a counter-punch to all the doubt we build up from all the noise we so easily let in. We wanted to make the sound of our own hearts’ marching band, armed with a jack hammer and a smile. We wanted to make the sound of our engine starting. So we did. Thank you.”  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SAULT - “Wildfires” from the 2020 album Untitled (Black Is) on Forever Living Originals. "The bloodshed on your hands Another man Take off your badge We all know it was murder" As we reported last year, not much is known about the mysterious London-based band SAULT, but their feelings on police brutality and systemic racism couldn't be clearer on their third LP titled Untitled (Black Is). On today's powerful Song of the Day, vocalist Cleo Sol somberly sings, "We are dying / it's the reason we are crying." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Akasha System - "Warped Shadow" from the 2019 album Echo Earth on 100% Silk. With his project Akasha System, Portland-based producer Hunter P. Thompson brings the lush nature of the Northwest to his electronic beats. On his Bandcamp page, he says the new album, Echo Earth, was inspired by “days and nights spent in the forests,” “long stretches of back road trails,” and “sitting alone under moss-covered trees,” calling it "club music for misty mornings, towering redwood canopies, and overcast skies above uninhabited terrain." Since the release of Echo Earth, Thompson has since released the remix album Echo Versions, which features "refracted" renditions of his work by producers PkaCarl, MC/beatmaker Emeska, and pslzy, just to name a very few. Proceeds from this album will go directly to the contributing artists and also donated to the Black Lives Matter Movement, NAACP, and the ACLU. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India Jordan - "For You" from the 2020 album For You on Local Action Records. London-based producer and DJ India Jordan recently released a six-track EP titled For You, a release they call their “largest and most personal” release to date. The album photography was shot in the bathroom of London’s Dalston Superstore venue, a legendary LGBTQ+ venue. In a press release, they explain:  I’ve always been really into toilets, I did a photography project at college writing messages in toilets for people. I’m drawn to the idea that they’re public but ultimately isolated and individual, so writing a message was a way to show another human had been there. They’re spaces for me to decompress, sort my head out and get some time away. They’re also places I’ve experienced to be queer. When I was growing up, it wasn’t necessarily safe for me to show any public displays of affection with people, so toilets were a safe option. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Land of Talk - "Weight of That Weekend" from the 2020 album Indistinct Conversations on Saddle Creek. Montreal-based singer-songwriter Elizabeth Powell revived her Land Of Talk project, releasing the new album Indistinct Conversations earlier this year. As hinted in its title, today's Song of the Day does, indeed, look at heavier topics. In a press release, Powell explained: “Weight of That Weekend” is a recognition of having been on the receiving end of a lifetime of sexual coercion, assault, boundary violations, and subsequent gaslighting. It all just came to light after an especially heavy weekend a few summers back. I was so sick of carrying all this weight that wasn’t mine to bear. So sick of being owned by all of this. Imposed on me mostly by men. I grew so sick of suffering and being slowed down by this weight. The song is a prayer for a lightness of being. A prayer for capital “L” Love. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mourn - "Call You Back," a 2020 single on Captured Tracks. Barcelona-based trio Mourn returned this Spring with their first new music since last year's full-length Sorpresa Familia. Today's Song of the Day was appropriately, but unintentionally, released in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. “Parts of the song talk about the anxiety of phone calls and the emotions around them,” Carla Pérez Vas explained to Billboard.  “It’s pretty ironic that now we are looking at the phone all day, and everyone is anxious. If I’m not connected, I feel like I should be talking to my friends or family.” Originally, they had grander ideas for the accompanying video. “We had thought about locations like the woods and a pool, or riding bikes, all the time wearing a poker face,” Pérez remembered. “The song is about when around you everything is beautiful, but you have this constant battle going on inside of you.” Instead, they filmed the clip in quarantine using their phones, with Pérez in her boyfriend's apartment, and her bandmates (sisters Jazz Rodríguez and Leia Rodríguez) recording from their home.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petite Noir & Kingdom - "Alive" from the 2020 single CoeurWorld on Roya Records. South African artist Petite Noir [real name: Yannick Ilunga] has teamed up with Los Angeles-based producer Kingdom for the new double A-side single CoeurWorld.  In a press release, Ilunga declared, “I have been a huge fan of Kingdom since the early Fade to Mind days and I was very excited for this collaboration as it sparked new ideas for the future. CoeurWorld is an EP dedicated to sending love out to the world during these trying times.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gabriel Teodros - "If They Come for Me in the Morning... (feat. Aisha Fukushima)" from the 2020 self-released album What We Leave Behind. Seattle artist (and KEXP DJ) Gabriel Teodros celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first solo show at Rainier Valley Cultural Center with this new collection of previously unreleased tracks, "with a few new songs recorded specifically for this project," he adds, continuing, "Wanted to give y'all something special for all the love you've given me these past few decades. There's a completely new album coming this year as well... but for now you can enjoy these lost tapes." Today's KEXP Song of the Day was originally written and recorded in 2015, inspired by Sandra Bland, letters between Angela Davis and James Baldwin, and the 400+ year legacy of Black freedom fighters. Public speaker, educator, singer, and 'RAPtivist' (rap activist) Aisha Fukushima appears on guest vocals.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Beths - "I'm Not Getting Excited" from the 2020 album Jump Rope Gazers on Carpark Records. New Zealand pop band The Beths return this month with their sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers, out July 10th via Carpark Records. But frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes is keeping her cool about it. In a press release, she states: “People always ask ‘are you excited!?’ and it’s a fair question, because exciting things do happen to us sometimes. Support slots, overseas tours, music releases. Stuff we’ve dreamed about for years. So the correct answer is always ‘yes.’ But the truth is that deep down there’s a tiny Liz saying, ‘don’t get excited.’ She is certain that anything good that could happen will most likely not happen, because of a freak accident. Or because somebody finally realises that we aren’t worthy, shouts ‘phony!’ and takes everything away. I wrote ‘I’m Not Getting Excited’ last year, well before everything really did get taken away. From everyone. It feels like the song has a new context, but we don’t know what it is yet. And now we all share a blurry, uncertain future.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fontaines D.C. - "A Hero's Death" from the 2020 album A Hero's Death on Partisan Records. Don't ask Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten about the meaning behind today's KEXP Song of the Day. "I'm not sure myself," he confesses to the BBC. "I purposefully keep the things I write open to interpretation, even to myself." But the track also serves as the title of the Irish post-punk band's forthcoming full-length, out July 31st via Partisan Records. "I found the idea quite funny — because I'm half-expecting people to dislike [the album]," he continued. "So, the idea of calling it A Hero's Death is kind of laughing about that and setting people up for disappointment." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordi - "Sandwiches" from the 2020 album Our Two Skins on Jagjaguwar. On her latest LP Our Two Skins, Australian folktronica artist Gordi (real name: Sophie Payten) mourns the passing of her beloved grandmother, Alisa, whose spirit fills the gorgeous new album. It was even recorded in her hometown. "Her whole life was in Canowindra, and that's why I wanted to make the record there," Payten explains via a press release. "We made it in a house that's a hundred meters from her house." The title of today's Song of the Day was derived from a moment during Alisa's last day in the world. Payten explained to ABC that she and her mother were making sandwiches to disperse among those visiting around her grandmother's hospital bed. “It was one of those moments where everyone was finally taking their first breath of the day that she chose to quietly slip away.” “I’d been wanting to write a song about her and all of it, but I didn’t want it to be this terribly dreary, melancholic song, because it was a celebration of a life. So, I tried to focus on the tiny details.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phoebe Bridgers - "Kyoto" from the 2020 album Punisher on Dead Oceans. Singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers has always brought a vulnerability and candidness to her lyrics, but especially on her highly-anticipated sophomore album Punisher, where she tackles themes of loneliness, disappointment, and feeling like an outsider. And on today's featured track, in particular, Bridgers works through her complicated feelings about her father.  Bridgers has written about her complicated feelings for her dad before, but on today's KEXP Song of the Day, she tackles it from a new perspective. “I feel so much fucking empathy and so much fucking anger toward him,” she told The New Yorker.  She elaborated in an interview with NPR Music: "This record, in a lot of ways, kind of feels like a graduation, but I feel like I'm trying to be self-aware about my resentments. I feel like I have strong opinions weakly held. So that's what 'Kyoto' is about. There's a lot of just straight up hatred and resentment on the first record — about all kinds of people — and then on this record I'm exploring just how quickly that all goes away with a little bit of examination." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deep Sea Diver - "Stop Pretending," a 2020 self-released single. Seattle's Deep Sea Diver has managed to adapt creatively to the stay-at-home orders. As we reported via our Sound & Vision series in April (listen here), band members Jessica Dobson and Peter Mansen have been doling out "stems" — a drum beat or guitar riff to play with and create a song out of — and then featuring the best songs every weekend via Instagram Live. The project even resulted in today's featured track, “Stop Pretending.” "We recorded this song, 'Stop Pretending', this week, as we were continuing to stay at home," they explained via their Bandcamp page. "The song was written using a collaboration exercise that we had given to our fans as an outlet to create and find connection in a time of duress & isolation (we called it the "Stay Home Stems" series) — and it ended up also working for us — this song was written, recorded, mixed and mastered in two days at our house, & this what we have to show for it. [I] often write apocalyptic songs as way to enter a new world that juxtaposes despair with hope.. I hope it can bring a little bit of light in a dark season." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv.e - “SirLadyMakemFall “ from the 2020 Bout These Pipedreams / Lessons from My Mistakes.. but I Lost Your Number EP on In Real Life Music / AWAL. Following a tour with Earl Sweatshirt and appearances on both his and Pink Siifu’s recent albums, Dallas-bred, Los Angeles-based artist Liv.e (pronounced "liv") somehow found time for a forthcoming full-length, titled Couldn't Wait To Tell You, out later this year via In Real Life Records. Today's featured track is a sneak peek at the upcoming release. On today's Song of the Day, Liv.e taps into her roots for a little Western swing behind the soulful R&B sounds. She gave some insight into the track to The Fader, explaining, "'SirLadyMakemFall' started off as a conversation I was having with myself about how I would view myself from a feminine and masculine stand point. Hence 'sir lady.' Like what them boys gotta say about Liv? And what them girls gotta say?" Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sibille Attar - “Hurt Me,” a 2020 single on PNKSLM Recordings. Swedish singer/songwriter Sibille Attar shares a first listen of her forthcoming full-length out this fall via PNKSLM Recordings, a follow-up to her 2013 debut album Sleepyhead. Formerly a member of bands like The Tourettes and Speedmarket Avenue, Sleepyhead was the Scandinavian songstress's first solo effort, and her first on a major label.  “Sleepyhead was my first attempt [at going solo] and I got signed to a big label and it was kind of overwhelming,” she told BTR Today. “Being told what to do was not my favorite thing, which meant it was a lot of unnecessary struggles, and I realized I should be independent… So I had to recollect myself — I was questioning my entire motive of doing music at all because I thought the industry was so shitty. I kind of lost my confidence. When everyone starts having opinions on what you do… I started questioning myself.” Since signing with beloved indie label PNK SLM (hear our spotlight on KEXP's Weekly Mix podcast here), her confidence has returned, as evident on today's featured track. Listen below. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jake Blount - “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” covered by Jake Blount from the 2020 album Spider Tales on Free Dirt Records. The song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" has been covered hundreds of times before — the track is often associated with blues musician Lead Belly, but the Nirvana version from their 1993 MTV Unplugged performance is perhaps the best known rendition. And now, banjo player and fiddler Jake Blount has added his own interpretation, influenced by his research into Black and Indigenous cultures, as well as his own experiences as an LGBTQ activist.  “Connecting with my family history and my father’s childhood history, he’d talk about people disappearing,” he reflected in a press release. “Those lynchings didn’t all happen in broad daylight; my dad talked about people in his community ‘disappearing’ and you’d kind of assume what had happened. For me there was a very direct connection between what I’d gone through in the queer community and this narrative of disappearance and loss that surrounded the Black community in the South throughout much of our nation’s history, and still arguably does.”  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SPECSWIZARD - “Floyd,” a 2020 self-released single. Michael Hall is a long-time fixture of Seattle's hip-hop scene, recording under the names Specs One and Specs Wizard. (Seattle's bi-weekly alt-paper The Stranger dubbed him "the Holy Ghost of Northwest Hiphop.") He began rapping and making beats while growing up in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle in 1979, began releasing albums in the late '80s, and made waves with his crew The Elevators throughout the '90s.  Today's Song of the Day is a powerful reflection on the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. "And if you Black, you know that this is nothing new," he raps solemnly against a wistful piano loop. Hear his musical memorial below. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Denial - "I'm Not Your Type (feat. DoNormaal)" from the 2020 album fuck danny denial on Cruisin' Records. On his third solo album, "goth-punk auteur" Danny Denial teams up with The Black Tones’ Eva Walker, Rat Queen, Razor Clam, and, on today's Song of the Day, DoNormaal. When KEXP premiered this track late last year, Denial told our writer Martin Douglas:  "I approached this solo record mainly wanting to experiment with genre and work with artists and bands I admire, and 'I'm not your type' felt like the right song to push the envelope. I created the foundation for the beat cutting up pieces of Courtney Love's breathing and screaming, and worked with a producer called Bibz in New York, and then took it to DoNormaal in Seattle to write and record the rest of the song, so its journey has been a very unique one. And, honestly, I think it's the first song I've ever made that I'd describe as 'fun.'" Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baronhawk Poitier - "Temperado Tornado" from the 2020 Temperado Tornado EP on Honey Soundsystem. Baronhawk Poitier is a busy man: not only is he a long-running DJ/producer, but he's also a professional dancer and co-founder of the NeedlExchange crew and club night in his hometown of Washington, D.C. When Honey Soundsystem Records asked Baronhawk Poitier to make them an EP "he would want to dance to", he replied, "Oh Honey, I have never made any that I didn’t." Check out the title track from his latest dancefloor soundtrack.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Princess Nokia - "Gemini" from the 2020 self-released album Everything Is Beautiful. Earlier this year, New York-born Puerto Rican MC Princess Nokia (real name: Destiny Nicole Frasqueri) released not one, but two albums: the perfectly-titled Everything Sucks and Everything is Beautiful. In a press release, Everything Sucks is described as “a brash, ruthless and insistent collection,” and Everything is Beautiful as “a representation of the sensitive, feminine side of the gender fluid artist.” Today's Song of the Day reflects that duality as Frasqueri reflects on their astrological sign, the twins of the zodiac. “I am Gemini / Like Pac, André, Lauren / and Kanye, Boy George, and Anne Frank,” they rap. “And all the famous rappers got a sign like me / And all the famous rappers got a heart like me / But I know that I’m different and they’re not quite me.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zebra Katz - IN IN IN - from the 2020 album LESS IS MOOR on ZFK Records. Following a worldwide tour with Gorillaz in support of their 2017 album Humanz, Jamaican-American artist Zebra Katz returns in a big way with his long-awaited debut solo album Less Is Moor. In an interview with PAPER, Katz talks about KEXP's featured track: "This single is very much a re-introduction to the music sphere. 'IN IN IN' is a sonic reflection to how I see the world. I'm taking ownership of my narrative. While doing so, I want to explore social issues surrounding race, sexuality, and the black experience. I wanted to stay true to the minimalistic style that introduced me to the world while also taking a sonic risk and evolving as an individual and musician. I wanted to tell a story in a fun, energetic way while still touching on issues of everyday life. To me, it's a grandiose dark dance anthem with elements of house, ballroom, and Qgom. I hope it leads my listeners back into the Zebra zone." We'll meet you there. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shamir - "On My Own," a 2020 self-released single. I don't mind to live all on my own and I never did... I don't care to feel like I belong But you always did…  Following the release of his sixth full-length album Cataclysm, Shamir returns with the appropriately-titled stand-alone single "On My Own," where the Philadelphia-based artist asserts his independence against a '90s-influenced guitar-pop melody. It's a sneak peek at another forthcoming full-length slated to come out this Fall.  The song was inspired by a recent break-up. He told Rolling Stone magazine, “I wrote ‘On My Own’ last summer after a breakup as a way to remind myself that while it sucked to lose someone I was getting used to, at least I’m an introvert. But considering the pandemic, it’s also morphed into an accidental quarantine anthem, especially for the people who live alone like me.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shabazz Palaces - "Chocolate Souffle" from the 2020 album The Don of Diamond Dreams on Sub Pop. With each new Shabazz Palaces release, it feels like we’re given a glimpse into a distant future, or maybe a far off galaxy, or possibly a parallel universe similar but maybe just a bit better than our own. Whichever theory you subscribe to, it goes without saying that the Seattle group’s music exists within a world of its own. Their latest album, The Don of Diamond Dreams, is another mind-bending trip guided by Ishamel Butler’s cool, prophetic rhymes. On “Chocolate Souffle” he claims himself to be at the “zenith of slick demeanors” while synthesizers blurt and thump beneath. He swipes at phones for being “not that smart,” proclaiming himself an explorer instead of a scroller. Butler’s lyrics often look at the world from a million miles away but still cut with vindication from someone who has lived on and seen the mental traps of planet Earth. Real the full post on KEXP.org Read KEXP writer Martin Douglas’ review of ‘The Don of Diamond Dreams’Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bee Bee Sea - "Daily Jobs," a 2020 single on Wild Honey Records. Italian garage punk act Bee Bee Sea abide by a succinct mantra: “When there's no good shit around, you better form a band.” That spirit exudes through the ramshackle, PA system shaking riffs the band has been churning out since releasing their self-titled debut in 2015. Their latest single, “Daily Jobs,” shrieks and howls like a sugar-rushed younger sibling demanding you give up the controller and give them their turn on the Super Nintendo. Jagged riffs mutate into wobbly, brain-twisters, and stabbing rhythms akin to the visceral tones of bands like Oh Sees and Together Pangea. In the frantic fury of the song are endless melodic hooks that will rattle in your skull and fuel your own rebellious spirit. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tropea - "Technicolor" from the 2020 self-released Might Delete Later EP. Tropea describes their music as "pajama music for pajama people," a fitting description for their dreamy '80s-inspired synth-pop sound. Formed in Milan, Italy in 2017, the band self-produced their forthcoming EP, Might Delete Later, while on lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis.  "This song is loud and fun to play. In our live shows people go insane, dancing '80s or 2010s style or whatever they like," the band said via a press release. "It’s a very bonding moment and it gives a sense of community with our audience. We wanted to capture the same live energy, but also give it a new meaning since we are facing tough times: it’s a song for dreaming, dancing, or just exercising and taking care of oneself, for burning with love and taking care of each other even in the midst of the difficulties of this absurd world. It’s a tribute to those who help others see the magic, despite our illusions and the lies we tell ourselves”. Might Delete Later was released on June 12th via Butik and peermusicITALY. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joensuu 1685 - "Light in the Heart of Our Town" from the 2020 album ÖB on Gems Records. Formed in 2007 in Helsinki, Finland, Joensuu 1685 — a project of brothers Markus and Mikko Joensuu and non-related bassist Risto Joensuu — have been dormant for over a decade, but a 2018 reunion performance at the Flow Festival ignited the spark for them to complete an unfinished album. Today's featured track was inspired by "an image of a dying town," Mikko explained. “About a person in front of a gas station right at the edge of town, seeing the town and seeing oneself, what was, what is and what will be. It’s an image of the hope that runs deep in our bones…”  The long-awaited sophomore release, titled ÖB, will be released October 9th via Gems Records.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Orion Sun - "Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)" from the 2020 album Hold Space For Me on Mom + Pop Records. Philadelphia’s Orion Sun – aka songwriter Tiffany Majette – made her official full-length debut earlier this year with Hold Space For Me, but she’s been honing her craft for years with multi-instrumentalist expertise. Bringing in sounds of R&B, soul, and pop together, she tells her story with enthralling prose and dazzling production.  Her single “Ne Me Quitte Passe (Don’t Leave Me)” takes inspiration from Nina Simone’s rendition of Jacques Brel’s song of the same name. Yet Majette opts to flip the feeling of sadness in Simone’s song and seek joy. Majette describes her song as being about “falling in love unexpectedly & feeling like its too good to be true but actually it’s good and true. This feeling was proof to me that good things can happen to people that feel ugly inside.”  You can feel it in the lift of her voice as she sings “It feels so good know” you over sparse beats and plucks of guitar. It’s a song for getting lost in hopeless romance, embracing tenderness and living in the bliss of the moment.   Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A message from Kevin Cole, Afternoon Show host and Chief Content Officer, on behalf of KEXP. We urge anyone who is looking to learn more about and support ongoing racial justice to visit our page with Anti-Racist and Social Justice Resources. There you will find organizations and funds for donations, online petitions, and resources for education and allyship. Thank you.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicano Batman - "I know It" from the 2020 album Invisible People on ATO. On their fourth LP Invisible People, Los Angeles-based band Chicano Batman return with their unique fusion of funk, psych-pop, R&B, and more, fine-tuned by GRAMMY-award winning engineer Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs) and producer Leon Michels (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields & The Expressions). “This album is an evolution from our last one in that we put much more thought in our approach to the songwriting and production before hitting record,” guitarist Carlos Arévalo said via a press release. “We went in with a plan that helped guide the musical direction. We demoed songs for over a year before going into the studio as well. In the past, we’d pool some songs together, rehearse them for a few weeks and go in and simply record them. This time we had a much more elaborate MO; replace organs with synthesizers, make the guitars funkier, and have the drums and bass play beats that make your head bob up and down." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollis - "Heavy Hands" from the 2020 half-life EP on Hollis. Throughout the month of May, KEXP has been celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We’re putting an extra spotlight this week on API artists with this week’s Song of the Day picks, capping off with Hollis’ “Heavy Hands.” The Seattle local, whom you might recognize from her other project The Flavr Blue, is at her most soulful on the track. Waxing poetic on her inner struggles, Hollis finds self-realization that she can no longer wait for existential answers and finding power in the fact that there’s “no escaping myself.” Though it may read as a ballad, there’s empowerment to be found in Hollis’ words and her smooth, emotional vocal performance. — Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

K!MMORTAL - "Breathe," a 2020 self-released single. Throughout the month of May, KEXP has been celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We’re putting an extra spotlight this week on API artists with this week’s Song of the Day picks, continuing with K!MMORTAL’s “Breathe.” "Breathe” was released for the current moment of uncertainty during the global pandemic but actually has its roots in much earlier. The Vancouver B.C. rapper wrote and recorded the song back in 2016 but recently released the track on Bandcamp, feeling it made sense for the these “highly fraught times.” K!MMORTAL dazzles with immaculate flow over glossy, dripping beats, culminating in a reminder to breathe and a reminder that we’ll be alright. Take a deep inhale, put on this song, and allow yourself the same moment of clarity K!MMORTAL exudes on this track. — Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lightning Bug - "The Onely Ones," a 2020 single on Fat Possum. Throughout the month of May, KEXP has been celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We’re putting an extra spotlight this week on API artists with this week’s Song of the Day picks, continuing with Lightning Bug’s “The Only Ones.” Helmed by songwriter Audrey Kang, Lightning Bug has been making hazy, swooning music since arriving on the scene in 2015 with her project’s self-titled debut and continuing through last year’s excellent October Song LP. But if you’re just learning about Lightning Bug, her latest single “The Onely Ones” offers a spectacular entry point, with washes of guitar static and Kang’s effervescent vocal performance. It’s a beautiful sonic fog, one you won’t mind losing yourself in. — Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MYXA - "Carrion" from the 2019 self-released album Mosca 蠅. Throughout the month of May, KEXP has been celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We’re putting an extra spotlight this week on API artists with this week’s Song of the Day picks, continuing with MYXA’s “Carrion.” The Seattle trip-hop duo emerged last year with their dark and vibey debut MOSCA EP. The murky atmosphere is all consuming, heightened by Irene Fan’s haunting vocals coming in and out of the ghostly beats. “Carrion” also features lyrics contributed by South African author Ian S. Thomas, adding to the heady and immersive experience. — Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MAITA - "Someone's Lost Their Wallet" from the 2020 album Best Wishes on Kill Rock Stars. Throughout the month of May, KEXP has been celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We’re putting an extra spotlight this week on API artists with this week’s Song of the Day picks, starting off with MAITA’s excellent “Someone’s Lost Their Wallet.”  Read an excerpt from KEXP writer Martin Douglas’ previous debut on the track: “[MAITA’s] ‘Someone's Lost Their Goddamn Wallet,’ setting the pace as the second track on Best Wishes (out May 15th on Kill Rock Stars), is steeped in the songwriting tradition of jaunty, lighthearted folk-rock being used as a Trojan Horse for the creeping dread of existentialism. It's 3 AM and the party is still moving through the night presumably without incident or noise complaints, both the front and back door are being used, bodies are moving around in the enjoyably predictable way they always move around at parties.” Read our premiere of the track on KEXP.org. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve finally reached World Goth Day and DJ Abbie is going out with a bang – or rather a “Ravebomb.” This alternate mix from the Vancouver B.C. techno outfit lives up to its name. It’s a haunted eruption of sound, shrieking against the clamoring of drums. Bold, unrelenting, and even a bit frightening, it hits all the hallmarks of goth music. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oakland’s Houses of Heaven takes us into the homestretch of DJ Abbie’s Song of the Day pics leading into World Goth Day on May 22. The center piece of the group’s debut LP, “A Place Between” is quintessential goth with sharp, spelling-binding and dissonant percussion and whirls of cryptic drones and vocals. Playing the track loudly invokes the feeling of sweatily dancing in an underground club moments before stepping outside for the breath of invigorating fresh air.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Continuing with her week of goth song of the day picks, DJ Abbie brings us the industrial banger that is Fee Lion’s “Blood Sisters.” The moniker of Justina Kairyte, she’s described the EP and titular song as themed around self-love.  “I was experiencing a deep disconnect with myself and had to begin the journey of re-learning how to love myself, which can be so daunting,” she told Paper Mag. “There were many, many days where I just didn't leave my bed, didn't leave the house and most definitely did not work on music. This wouldn't be the first time; I am actively working on finding the balance in my process.”  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re continuing DJ Abbie’s week of songs leading up to World Goth Day on May 22. Despite what the name may imply, Glasgow band The Ninth Wave’s “Happy Days!” is not a happy affair. This is ‘Goth Day,’ we’re talking about here – what did you expect?  “’Happy Days!’ is a song of ups and downs,” the band told DIY Mag earlier this month. “At its core, the lyrics shine a torchlight on the murky highs and lows of life.”  You can feel this in the driving pulse of the record. Waves of dark synthesizer rumbles under vocalist/guitarist Hadyn Park-Patterson’s guttural growl. The sputtering drums and spacious pauses make the climactic moments feel mammoth in size. All to say, it’s a happy day for goths with this incendiary track.  Read the full post on KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leading up to World Goth Day, DJ Abbie is giving you a dose of variations of goth every day this week. She’s kicking things off with an essential cut from The Birthday Party’s own Rowland S. Howard.  While often associated with post-punk, there’s an unmistakable goth-ness to the landmark Australian musician’s work. “Autoluminescent,” a standout track from Howard’s debut Teenage Snuff Film, contorts and twists in a bluesy haze. It’s a highlight of the tender, personal side of goth. Howard’s voice shakes as he sings “Into the dark darkness, I gave away myself.”   Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smokey Brights - "I Love You But Damn" from the 2020 album I Love You But Damn on Freakout Records. Seattle's own Smokey Brights — led by husband and wife duo Kim West and Ryan Devlin — return this summer with a new album titled I Love You But Damn, out in July via Freakout Records. Via their Facebook page, the band describe the song as "a love song for times of distance. Written about the early months of our relationship, we hope it serves as an audial salve for tired hearts in these strange times." Listen to the title track here.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coriky - "Clean Kill" from the 2020 album Coriky on Dischord Records. Combine the melodic energy of the Evens and the gruff bark of Fugazi and you've got Coriky, not surprisingly, 'cause they feature members of both those bands. The trio of guitarist Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Evens), bassist Joe Lally (Fugazi), and drummer Amy Farina (Evens) played their first show in late 2018, at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington D.C., but hadn't officially released anything 'til now. Their self-titled debut was recorded last year by Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios, a name you've probably seen in the liner notes of most of your Dischord Records albums. Due to the coronavirus and the resulting closure of distributors and shops, they've postponed the release of the LP for now, but you can enjoy 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.