In Our Headphones

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.

DJ Python - "ADMSDP (feat. LA Warman)" from the 2020 album Mas Amable on Incienso. New York-based producer Brian Piñeyro records under many names: Deejay Xanax, DJ Wey, Luis; but, it's under the moniker DJ Python that he takes things to a hypnotic level. On his sophomore full-length Mas Amable, released last month on Incienso, he combines ambient techno and what he calls "deep reggaeton" into a mesmerizing blend. There are no breaks between the eight tracks on the album, creating a dreamy vibe for almost an hour. On today's featured track, he teams up with Brooklyn writer and poet LA Warman, where her hushed verses echo against tribal beats.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holy Esque - "Reverence Falls" from the 2020 CPH EP on Beyond the Frequency. Scottish post-punk band Holy Esque are projecting a third album will be out in 2021, but until then, they've released their third EP, CPH, a collection of rarities, to tide us over in the meantime. The tracks on CPH were recorded back in 2014 at STC Studios, Copenhagen. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William McCarthy - "Ballad for the Unemployed," a 2020 self-released single. As the frontman for Pela and Augustines, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter William McCarthy has never shied away from difficult topics. (Augustine's 2011 album Rise Ye Sunken Ships was influenced by the deaths of his mother and brother.)  As a solo artist, McCarthy continues to explore darker subjects in his music, like on today's featured track “Ballad for the Unemployed.“ Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DJ Houseplants - "Just Don't Know," a 2020 self-released single. Seattle's own DJ Houseplants (aka DJ, producer, designer, and aspiring botanist Justin Av) says he's "driven by the vibrancy of the community there is at house & techno shows and wants everyone to thrive to the music." He certainly accomplishes that on today's Song of the Day. KEXP's own Alex Ruder tells us: "He first made a splash on the local music scene as HansmJustin, spinning rap at festivals and clubs around town, co-hosting the beloved monthly rap party FR FR, and creating his own trap-leaning rap songs. Now using the DJ Houseplants alias, Justin makes addictive lo-fi house tunes with an introspective touch, and he recently dropped his label debut EP titled Root Bound on Melbourne's clipp.art Records." Be sure to check out his exclusive mix for KEXP's Midnight in a Perfect World here. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Flowers Cafe - "Who" from the 2020 album Flow on La Lumaca Dischi. Keen-eared listeners of the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole may recognize this song from when it had its global debut on the KEXP airwaves in late April.  Italian indie rock quartet Black Flowers Cafe craft what they call "flower pop," mixing influences from Bombay Bicycle Club to Caribbean folk to Afrobeat. Formed in 2010, band members Angelo Zicca (guitar), Antonio Nicoletti (drums, percussion), Gaetano Lidonnici (bass), and Fernando Rennis (vocals, guitar, synth) imagine the "Black Flowers Cafe" as a physical place. "Who" will be out on the band's second full-length album, Flow, out May 29th.    Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ALTA - "Figured Out" from the 2019 album Reasons on Soothsayer. On their debut album Reasons, Melbourne-based duo ALTA strived to create what they call "emotional dance music." Vocalist Hannah Lesser and producer Julius Dowson spent ten months at home recording the album themselves. "We get a little obsessive and care a lot about the feel of the vocal take, and when we’ve tried we can’t recreate that feel later in a better environment, even though it’s a better recording," they explained in an interview with Wonderland Magazine. Their D.I.Y. spirit got them the results they wanted, as reflected in the intimate, emotional resonance on today's Song of the Day. "We really poured a lot of ourselves into the album, we’ve definitely come out of the process different people. We hope that it resonates with some people like it did with us when we were writing it." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daníel Hjálmtýsson - "Birds," a 2020 self-released single. Icelandic singer/songwriter Daníel Hjálmtýsson kicked off 2020 in a big way: by releasing his debut solo single "Birds" back on January 3rd.  Hjálmtýsson may be better known as half of the experimental duo HYOWLP, a project with producer and multi-instrumentalist Hjalti Steinn Sigurðarson (and a KEXP podcast alumni)! On his own, he continues to produce dark, emotional music in the vein of Nick Cave or Mark Lanegan. He explains online that "Birds" is "inspired by the tragic, personal and familiar, struggles of being yet the glory of overcoming and acceptance," adding, it's "a homage to all the friends and fellow travelers that have gone too soon." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee Fields & The Expressions - "Don't Give Up," a 2019 single on Big Crown Records. Plainfield, NJ-based artist Lee Fields just celebrated his 70th birthday last week, and he's spent 50 of those years performing old-school soul, funk, and R&B. His first single was released in 1969, and he went on to work with artists like B.B. King, Clarence Carter, Kool & The Gang, and more. Last year, he released his seventh full-length (and fifth with his power-house backing band The Expressions) titled It Rains Love. Today's featured track was recorded during those sessions, but was unreleased until late 2019, when it was shared as a digital single. While the passionate ballad most likely reflects a love gone wrong, it bears a message of hope and solidarity that's perfect for these times. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

STRFKR - “Never The Same” from the 2020 album Future Past Life on Polyvinyl. STRFKR returned this month with their sixth full-length, Future Past Life, which finds the long-running Portland-based band evolving from their psych-synth dance-heavy pop to something more stripped down and organic. For the first time ever, every song on the album is led by acoustic guitar with the synth sounds on the side. Today's featured track is quite possibly the most vulnerable song in their decade-long discography. It's a surprising twist, but we wouldn't expect anything else from the shape-shifting trio. Listen below.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washed Out - “Too Late," a 2020 single on Sub Pop. What started out as a hindrance due to the coronavirus pandemic, ended up becoming a beautiful expression of support and community. For his latest digital single “Too Late”, Ernest Greene (aka chillwave pioneer Washed Out) had planned to shoot the music video in Italy, collaborating with an international team of filmmakers. In a statement, he explains: "I’d spent months planning a music video for a new song called 'Too Late.' My inspiration was a Mediterranean sunset I saw late last year, and the plan was to shoot on the coast of Italy with a team of UK and European collaborators..." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hazel English - “Off My Mind” from the 2020 album Wake UP! on Polyvinyl / Marathon Artists. Don't let her sweet voice and the swingin' '60s vibe of today's Song of the Day fool you. Australian-born, LA-based artist Hazel English just released her debut album Wake UP!, and she's imploring listeners to do just that. She describes the album as “a reminder to wake up and be present in a time where we are used to switching off and looking for constant entertainment.”  English worked with producers Justin Raisen (Angel Olsen, Yves Tumor) in Los Angeles and Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Cut Copy) in Atlanta to craft this 10-track LP. She describes today's featured track as “about feeling stuck in a situation but too afraid to make a move. It’s about the limbo state between where you are and where you want to be.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chemtrails - “Frightful in the Sunlight” from the 2020 album The Peculiar Smell of the Inevitable on PNKSLM. "Like riding into hell on a unicorn." That's how a friend of Manchester-via-London band Chemtrails described their latest single. (They clarify on Facebook, "his music taste is questionable, but we'll take it.")  Originally a lo-fi home recording project of musical and romantic partners Mia Lust and Laura Orlova, Chemtrails have been riding that unicorn since the release of their 2016 digital-only EP Love In Toxic Wasteland. Even though they had only played one live show (at Trans Pride Brighton), Swedish label PNKSLM Recordings signed them right up. (You should check out an episode of our podcast focused entirely on the renowned label.) Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Woods - “Where Do You Go When You Dream?” from the 2020 album Strange to Explain on Woodsist. New York psych-folk band Woods return this Spring with their first new album in three years, titled Strange To Explain. The album will be their first since frontman Jeremy Earl became a father and since guitarist Jarvis Taveniere relocated to Los Angeles, adding new challenges for the 15-year-old band, but also invigorating their 11th full-length to date (and the 99th release for their label, Woodsist). They recorded the forthcoming full-length in Stinson Beach in northern California, adding to the warmth and sun-soaked songs on the new release. On today's Song of the Day, Earl describes it to Fader Magazine as "a gateway into dream and an escape from everyday reality." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Tutmarc - "A Brave New World," a 2020 self-released single. “We’re all together / We’re not alone / Through the window through the phone / Where it stops nobody knows” Former Seattle-ite/current Nashvillian Shane Tutmarc shared the quarantine-inspired track "A Brave New World" earlier this month, inspired by reporter Eric Johnson of KOMO News in Seattle. Tutmarc remarked on his Facebook page: "It gave me a chance to really examine my feelings in a tangible way while searching for a light at the end of the tunnel and how this scary moment that we are all sharing may connect us all more than we had been." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catholic Action - "There Will Always Be a Light" from the 2020 album Celebrated by Strangers on Palo Santo Records. Glasgow garage-rockers Catholic Action returned with their second album Celebrated by Strangers last month, their first new LP since 2017 debut In Memory Of. And while the full-length was written and recorded way before the coronavirus sent everyone into quarantine, many messages on the release will resonate during this lockdown.  Today's featured song, in particular, is a soaring anthem of hope, reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Fearless" as covered by Spiritualized. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iceage - "Lockdown Blues," a 2020 single on Escho. Gibbard's not the only one releasing quarantine-inspired songs to benefit charity. Danish post-punk band Iceage have shared a new single inspired by feelings that have been brought up during lockdown.  “The only way out is through,” sings frontman Elias Rønnenfelt. He paints a picture of the world as we know it now: "Empty shelves in barren streets / Confined domestic quarantine." The band writes on their Bandcamp page: "Written in the wake of the lockdown on gatherings, borders, schools and life as we know it, 'Lockdown Blues' is an attempt at addressing this troubled new reality during Covid-19." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benjamin Gibbard - "Life in Quarantine," a 2020 single on Barsuk Records. Since the start of the statewide stay-at-home mandates, Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard has been there for us, streaming live performances from his home studio almost daily. (He's since pared down to just performing on Thursday evenings, which is still an incredibly generous act to do week after week.) During one of his sessions in late March, he debuted a new track he had written titled “Life In Quarantine.” "I know this is a really fucked up and scary time for everybody, including myself," he said, introducing the track. "And I know that we're all trying to figure out what we can do to make it better, or what we can do to alleviate the suffering of someone else." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ellis - "Fall Apart" from the 2020 album Born Again on Fat Possum Records. Hamilton, Ontario dream pop artist Ellis (real name: Linnea Siggelkow) had hearts aflutter with her 2018 EP The Fuzz. Earlier this month, she re-emerged with her debut full-length, titled Born Again, which, as the title alludes to, finds Siggelkow exploring her feelings on faith. As for today's Song of the Day, she explains, "This is really just an honest reflection of my struggle with anxiety and how I can't hide it from the people closest to me. It's about the feeling the first time someone you admire sees you in your most vulnerable state, about putting in the work to get better but still having moments of weakness..." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sólveig Matthildur - "Dystopian Boy" from the 2019 album Constantly In Love on Artoffact Records. As a member of Icelandic trio Kælan Mikla, vocalist/keyboardist Sólveig Matthildur knows her way around atmospheric synth-pop. When she relocated from her hometown of Reykjavík to Berlin, she began to produce music on her own, resulting in the 2016 debut LP Unexplained Miseries & the Acceptance of Sorrow, which went on to win the Icelandic Kraumur Award. Her 2019 follow-up album, Constantly in Love, continued to expand on her goth-tinged new wave, adding a little light to the darkness with the single "Dystopian Boy." The track features L.A.-based artist Deb Demure (aka Drab Majesty) on guitar, and together they craft an ethereal, '80s-inspired track that would fit right into a John Hughes movie. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinead O’Brien - "Taking On Time" from the 2019 album Speedy Wunderground - Year 4 on Speedy Wunderground. Esteemed London-based label Speedy Wunderground celebrated their 30th release with a new track by Irish poet Sinead O’Brien. O’Brien's work has been published for years, including a short story of hers printed in the London Review Of Books. Punk poet John Cooper Clarke invited her to open for him on a spoken word tour, a moment that changed her life. "He actually introduced me to the music of Mark E. Smith – probably one of my most valuable references ever," she recalled in an interview with Loud & Quiet. Like The Fall frontman, O’Brien recites her lines with a stoic cadence, an oratorical delivery, though hers is thick with an Irish brogue.  “I would love people to dance to it,” she continued. “It’s the pace. I always try to do things faster than anyone will let me, then it gets pulled back just a tinge. Runaway, that’s my feeling. Always.” Read the full post at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L’éclair - "Suite No. 2" from the 2019 album Sauropoda on Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records. It's not surprising to learn that L’Eclair recorded their latest LP Sauropoda from an undisclosed location in the Alps: their music displays an array of influences as vast as the famous European mountain range itself. From krautrock to disco with Afro-Cuban percussion, the Swiss septet managed to capture an atmospheric groove in a 48-hour recording session.  Bassist Elie Ghersinu explained to Popmatters, "We were just thinking of recording the last jams that we had developed during the last year's shows, and I think we just got inspired in the moment and we recorded some new jams, new songs, and it turned out to be an album. It was not meant to be an album." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Balkan Taksim - "Zalina," a 2019 self-released single. True to their name, Balkan Taksim take the traditional folk music of their homeland and combine it with psychedelic electronic beats that their Romanian ancestors never could've imagined. Formed by multi-instrumentalist Sașa-Liviu Stoianovici, producer Alin Zăbrăuțeanu, and percussionist Cosmo, the band thrive on stage, hypnotizing the hips of the audience. In a press release, Stoianovici explains that today's featured track is "about a strong-minded, beautiful girl and a man who is desperately in love with her. Musically, the song epitomises some of the directions we're pursuing, with its Romanian traditional vocals and keyboard stylings and laid-back yet dance floor-oriented trip-hop electronics."  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse Markin - “Run” from the 2019 album FOLK on VILD Music.  Finnish rapper Jesse Markin got his start with the group The Megaphone State, building up a cult following with their soulful samples and smooth, versatile rhymes. While you can still these elements in Markin’s solo music, there’s a newfound intensity that’s risen to the surface on his first LP FOLK. It was a conscious decision to begin addressing serious topics, from love and loneliness to xenophobia and greed.  On “Run” you can feel this immediately with a rush of thundering drums, synthesizer droning, and pitched-up chants. The energy only picks up as Markin jumps in, delivering fiery verses over industrial beats. Through the chaos his voice rises as the most dominant force in the music as he exudes his greatness while sneering at those stuck in their prejudices.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomo Nakayama - "Get To Know You" from the 2020 self-released album Melonday. This week, Tomo Nakayama, master of cinematic indie-folk and former leader of local band Grand Hallway, flipped the script by releasing his very first dancefloor-ready record, Melonday. A massive departure from his tender, tranquil songs of past, the record is chock-full of groovy pop anthems. Our Song of the Day is the album’s lead single, “Get to Know You.”  “Tell me stories, tell me rhymes, tell me anything you like / Tell me all about the good things that could make you feel alive,” croons Nakayama over a propulsive beat that simmers and shakes. Co-produced with Yuuki Matthews, of the Shins and Teardrops, the song is a bright and beautiful synth-filled banger. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharon Van Etten - "Beaten Down," a 2020 single on Jagjaguwar. Sharon Van Etten is on a roll. Following last year’s masterful studio album Remind Me Tomorrow, the singer-songwriter and actress returned in February with the smoldering single “Beaten Down.” The minimal song is dark and spacious, evoking the dubby trip-hop of the ‘90s.  Produced by John Congleton, the song focuses on “love, patience, and empathy,” Van Etten said in a statement. “It’s about making life-changing choices and remaining strong enough to see them through.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RINSE - "Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me," a 2020 self-released single. Last month, Brisbane artist Joe Agius, member and co-writer of Hatchie, debuted his first material under the name RINSE. Titled “Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me,” the song is an infectious throwback mashup of post-punk, shoegaze, and new wave and was mixed by Jorge Elbrecht (Ariel Pink, Japanese Breakfast, Wild Nothing, Sky Ferreira) and mastered by Heba Kadry (Bjork, Slowdive, Beach House, Deerhunter). Agius has this to say about the song: “‘Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me' was recorded late last year at Airlock Studios in Brisbane and sonically sits in the middle of a lot of the music I've been getting ready in RINSE so felt like the right place to begin in. The song talks about a time in my life when I was wrapped up in a lifestyle that wasn't doing great things for my mental health and I lived in a place that only really encouraged that behavior. While I still have many things to figure out, I realized leaving this period of my life that a lot of what I was doing to make myself feel better was really making myself feel a lot worse.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Shauf - "Try Again" from the 2020 album The Neon Skyline on ANTI- Records. With his latest album, The Neon Skyline, Andy Shauf has crafted his most realized and engrossing work yet. You needn’t look much further than single “Try Again.” Shauf’s songwriting style is all finesse and detail. “Try Again” finds a narrator, presumably Shauf,  trying to salvage a relationship that just won’t stick. And while the heartache of the scenario writes itself, it’s Shauf’s scene setting with drunken gaffes and awkward exchanges that ground his breezy reflection, culminating in the gut punch of a line “I make a silent toast to the things that I do and don’t miss.” With the light light of strumming acoustic guitars and Shauf’s charming croon, it’s a story you can’t help but be invested in despite it’s inevitably tragic ending. Real the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Other Lives - “Lost Day” from the 2020 album For Their Love on ATO Records. In January, Oklahoma-bred indie folk outfit Other Lives announced their first album in nearly five years, following 2015’s Rituals. Titled For Their Love, the new record sees them continue their streak of transcendent indie folk that started in 2006 when they released Flight of the Flynns under the name Kunek. Our Song of the Day is the record’s lead single “Lost Day,” a lush jangly rambler filled with cinematic strings and heavenly choral vocals. Read the full post at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tres Leches - “Nieve,” a 2020 self-released single. The latest track from Seattle's Tres Leches is a beautiful example of community, featuring guest appearances from fellow Northwest artists Terror/Cactus, Rachael's Children, and Medejín.  The band describe the song as an attempt to "stay alive once more through music." They point to a quote from poet Audre Lorde: “Implicit in survival is joy, mobility and effectiveness… if we do what we need to be doing then we will leave something that continues beyond ourselves." While the band recently had to cancel their spring tour due to the coronavirus, they're using this period of self-quarantine to work on new music. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucinda Williams - “Man Without a Soul” from the 2020 album Good Souls Better Angels on Highway 20/Thirty Tigers. "All the money in the world / Will never fill that hole / You're a man bought and sold / You're a man without a soul" Over the past 40 years, Lucinda Williams has built a name for herself with her vivid storytelling, which has earned her four Grammy Awards throughout her career. But her forthcoming full-length, Good Souls Better Angels, will "forgo the personal and narrative-based songcraft that has become synonymous with her name and instead speaks to some of the injustices permeating our society." Today's Song of the Day perfectly illustrates this shift. And while she never directly names who the subject of the song is, it's not hard to guess who she's referring to. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.