In Our Headphones

Verito Asprilla - "Letras Millonarias," a 2023 single on Discos Pacífico Colombian artist Verito Asprilla arrived on the scene from Tumaco-Nariño at the age of 18, yet possessing a maturity beyond her years on her debut EP Mundo Lila. She writes of women's empowerment, and on today's Song of the Day, she raps, "I'm still poor but my lyrics are millionaire." An inspiring message of self-esteem in any language. “It flows to me,” she says in a Google-translated interview with Colombia Visible. She says of the Pacific, "I want people to look here and see that more than violence, there is talent." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luisa Almaguer - "Wey," a 2023 self- released single It's been four years since we last heard from Luisa Almaguer (check out her previous Song of the Day pick here), and now she's sharing the first single off her forthcoming full-length, titled Weyes, out in 2024. Like her previous work, it's a sultry slice of synth-pop, elevated by her powerful vocals. Almaguer has also been keeping busy as the host of the La Hora Trans podcast, and is currently working on a documentary about Mexican folk-rock band Belafonte Sensacional. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diego Raposo - "EL UNDERGROUND (feat. mediopicky)" from the 2023 album YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ on GRAN VAINA This week's Song of the Day were selected by KEXP DJ Albina Cabrera, co-host of El Sonido, in honor of Aquí y Ahora: Without Borders. Join KEXP September 15th to October 15th as we continue amplifying the music, stories, and presence of Latinx, Latine, and Hispanic communities in the United States and the diaspora in our on-air, in-person, and digital world. More info here. Dominican multi-instrumentalist/producer Diego Raposo teams up with his frequent collaborator Mediopicky for today's Song of the Day. On his debut album, YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ, Raposo blends electronica and alternative with dembow (a Dominican musical genre that originated in Jamaican dancehall) and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms. “We were trying to find something that had its own identity,” he told Rolling Stone. “I loved the idea of making an album that’s electronic at its core, so the idea was to mix these many influences: Electronic sounds, but also the music I listened to as a kid, with early Daft Punk and Radiohead and My Chemical Romance.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nada Rosa - “Reversal of Fortune" from the 2023 album Nunca Te Olvido on OTHERWORLDS Based in Seattle, but with roots in the Dominican Republic, Brandi Diaz celebrates her family with her musical project Nada Rosa. As she told KEXP Staff Reporter Martin Douglas back in June, the band name traces back to her beloved abuelito (or "grandmother"), who has passed away: it's a combination of her grandmother's name with the Buddhist concept of non-attachment. “And that’s when I started moving forward with music in a more intentional way,” she explained. And the title of her debut EP, Nunca Te Olvido, pays tribute to her grandfather, who tells her as much over the phone when he calls. As she says on Bandcamp, the phrase translates to "I never forget you" or "You're always in my heart." "This whole project is me learning how to love myself and the power of love between friends, between family,” she tells KEXP. Read the full story at KEXP.org Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Pumas - "More Than a Love Song" from the 2023 album Chronicles of a Diamond on ATO "More than a love song," indeed! The Grammy-nominated Austin, TX-based duo Black Pumas (singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada) return with their sophomore album Chronicles Of A Diamond, out October 27th via ATO. Burton describes today's Song of the Day as “the exclamation point on the initiation of mine and Adrian’s relationship in the first place.” “That’s what we sound like, together when he is introducing music to me for me to then find the character or the moment to embellish and add colours to that initial canvas,” he told NME. He adds in a press release, “’More Than a Love Song’ is a message I borrowed from my Uncle Steve. As a songwriter and caregiver, he’d listen to me write songs from afar and if I were lucky he’d have a pointer or two for me. ‘Life is more than a love song.’” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hand Habits - "Something Wrong" from the 2023 album Sugar the Bruise on Fat Possum Sugar the Bruise, the latest LP from Hand Habits — led by LA-based artist Meg Duffy — was inspired by a songwriting class they taught back in August 2021. "It was both inspiring and terrifying," they shared via a press release. "I hesitated to consider myself a Songwriter, despite having released three records, let alone enough to teach others how to do it my way. In preparing for this course I examined my own approach with a close eye (at times too close for comfort). I realized how vital improvisation and collaboration are to me; in life and in songwriting. I was asked to design writing prompts, and although this was not typically how I would write left to my own devices, I found it to be a wonderful way to get the wheels of inspiration turning. I also cherished how special it was to see all of these other musicians, some new, some contemporaries, rising to the occasion and following themselves into the unknown." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sparklehorse - "Evening Star Supercharger” from the 2023 album Bird Machine on ANTI- Today's Song of the Day is a bittersweet one: the track comes from the posthumous Sparklehorse album Bird Machine, recorded by singer/songwriter Mark Linkous in 2009, but unreleased following his death by suicide in 2010. The release was lovingly spearheaded by Mark's brother and his sister-in-law Melissa. “It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Matt says in a press release. “It’s difficult making a choice about someone else’s art, even if you’ve known them all your life and worked with them, even if they were your brother and best friend. We had long conversations about not wanting to take this into a different direction. We wanted to bring out what was there.” “Mark communicated these songs," Melissa adds. “We just did our best to transmit them.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juan Wauters - “Modus Operandi (feat. Frankie Cosmos)" from the 2023 album Wandering Rebel on Captured Tracks On today's Song of the Day, Queens-based Uruguay-born artist Juan Wauters casts a critical eye on the New Yorkers who were able to vacate the city during the COVID-19 crisis. Against a melancholy plucked melody and with swelling strings, Wauters sings, "People that have options go back to their suburbs / To them it was just like some kind of Disney World." “COVID made it clear that some people have it harder than others,” Wauters told the Tucson Weekly. “People that didn’t have an option, they were locked in their apartments. It was right in your face, the inequality of the world, and I commented on that. Sometimes I feel like ‘Modus Operandi’ could come off like I was resentful that everyone left the city, and people that didn’t have an option could not leave. Maybe I was resentful. But also, as I now look back and have a conversation about it, I realize that it’s just an observation of everyday life.” “Maybe life is supposed to be like that, that some people live more comfortably than others, and some people are supposed to have it harder. But maybe it’s an opportunity to talk about it, and perhaps we can do something that, if COVID hits again, it’s not unfair.” The track features guest vocals from born-and-bred New Yorker Greta Kline, better known as Frankie Cosmos. In the accompanying music video, she and Wauters wander through NYC and Montevideo, respectively. Director Fatos Marishta shared in a press release, "The idea of 'Modus Operandi' is that even though Juan lives elsewhere now, his essence stays in New York. Sometimes he’s in NY, sometimes he’s not, he can be anywhere. We shot through one week in two different countries with Juan wandering through the streets of Montevideo during the inaugural carnaval parade and Greta in Union Square, NYC. As they are having a conversation about New York City, Greta senses and sees Juan in the vicinity but can’t seem to reach him." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daisies - "Blue Cowboy," from the 2023 album Great Big Open Sky on K Records On their latest LP, Great Big Open Sky, Olympia, WA-based band Daisies flex their musical muscle, diverging from their previous trip-hop/electro-pop sound into more organic, folkier territory. That said, today's Song of the Day is true to the "electronic paisley underground" sound we've heard them explore over the past seven releases. Vocalist Valerie Warren girlishly coos the story of a "blue cowboy on the range," and the accompanying music video spotlights some stellar moves from Mario. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Temple of Angels - "Waving to the Wind" from the 2023 album Endless Pursuit on Run for Cover. It's no surprise that the gothic dream-pop of Austin, TX-based band Temple Of Angels finds inspirations from actual dreams. Their debut full-length — titled Endless Pursuit, and out now from Run For Cover — reflects both the good and bad subsconscious nighttime reflections. “Sometimes a beautiful dream will sneak in past the nightmares, which inspire a lot of my writing as well, specifically these dreams I had as a teenager that took place in a past or future life in some kind of parallel universe,” explains honey-voiced frontwoman Bre Morell. “I’ve been thinking about those dreams for 16+ years and they still consume me.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deeper - "Tele," from the 2023 album Careful! on Sub Pop Records On today's Song of the Day, Chicago-based quartet Deeper gets vulnerable. The track can be found on their latest album, Careful!, their third full-length overall and first for Sub Pop Records. “’Tele’ is a song without its shield,” the band said in a press release. “In past Deeper compositions, we would hide behind jerky guitars and abstract vocals telling a story only we could decipher. With ‘Tele’ we wanted to explore the vulnerability behind our music and give focus to the melody and mood of the song. Replacing guitars with synthesizers and drums with samplers we stumbled upon a new way to approach a Deeper song.” “We wanted to make a darker track that people could dance to,” they continued. “Since the foundation is built on a sampler beat, it’s the kind of song we could’ve only created with the limitations of the pandemic. The electronic components left more space for the rhythm, so our engineer Dave started playing with a busier bass line for the verses and laid down the hook on the first pass. At the end we wanted the synth parts to constantly overtake one another and hopefully make the listener feel like they’re being swallowed into the song.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shamir - "Our Song (clean edit)," from the 2023 album Homo Anxietatem on Kill Rock Stars Last month, Shamir spoke with KEXP's Sound & Vision about his ninth full-length, Homo Anxietatem, and the anxiety that fueled his latest LP. In the video for today's Song of the Day, the genre-defying artist pays tribute to those who have literally stood by his side throughout it all. "It took about three months to write this song, which is the longest it’s ever taken me to write a song," he shares in a press release. "The music video is a love letter to my band. Grant Pavol and Rhea Freed are the only reason I still play live. I wanted the video to focus on the three of us as a band." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fan Girl - "falling (ft Elizabeth M Drummond)," a 2023 single on Mandatory Music Australian pop-punk outfit Fan Girl returns with another KEXP Song of the Day pick: "falling" featuring guest vocals from Elizabeth M. Drummond. “Lyrically, ‘falling’ is about how the honeymoon period in a relationship is just the beginning. While it can be an electric and pleasurably nauseating period, it’s not the best bit, and it’s often not the real bit," the band told Jammer Zine. "We tracked ‘falling’ at our studio (Taste Police HQ) in Brunswick, Melbourne, feverishly trying to keep the eclectic balance between colour, manic collage, and directness. The amazing Elizabeth M Drummond was kind enough to lend us some vocals, in what became more of a demonic angel choir part. Aaron Cupples [mixing] dealt with the sonic mess and brought it to life with a hot steamy mix. When we were writing and recording ‘falling’, we wanted the verses to be really fun & bouncy, the chorus to be big & crisp like a bullshit FIFA song, and outro to be anthemic but tight.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prometheus Brown - "(East | West) feat. Leua" from the 2023 album Taglagas on Beatrock Music LLC Seattle's own Prometheus Brown has long been an important voice in local hip-hop, dating back to his days as Geologic in the duo Blue Scholars. As the son of Filipino immigrants, he uses the stage to uplift and empower the Filipino community with his lyrics. His first ever musical project as a solo artist has been this four-part EP series, named for each of the four seasons, "after the nonliteral corollary translation for the season's word in Tagalog," as he explains. With Tagsibol and Tag-init released in 2019, he's now released Taglagas, or "fall." He adds, the fourth and final Winter EP, Tag-lamig, should be coming out later this year. Prometheus Brown has also recently joined the KEXP team as a DJ, which you can read more about here. Check out today's Song of the Day below, and revisit his 2022 KEXP in-studio session below that. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Milk feat. Phonte & Raphael Saadiq - "No Wish," from the 2023 album Everybody Good? on Mass Appeal / Computer Ugly Detroit-based producer, MC, and musician Black Milk returned with his eighth studio album Everybody Good? this summer, featuring special guests like Mick Jenkins, Karriem Riggins, and Quelle Chris. On today's Song of the Day, North Carolina rapper Phonte delivers a powerful, confessional, and personal guest verse against a track produced by award-winning artist Raphael Saadiq. It's the only song of the new LP that isn't produced or co-produced by Black Milk himself. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MMYYKK feat. Ricki Monique - "Bliss" from the 2023 album The Midst of Things on SwayHeavy Records. On his latest LP, The Midst of Things, Minneapolis-based musician and instrumentalist MMYYKK (pronounced "Mike") reflects on the state of the country today. Today's Song of the Day asks the questions, “Who can I trust in a world of deep fakes? Is there any objective truth in a world with 'alternative facts'? Is there one true reality or is it all subjective?" "This album is also the culmination of my processing of the trauma and hardship I experienced over the pandemic and civil unrest in Minneapolis over the last few years," he explains on his Bandcamp. "The deep levels of depression that come with living in a black body in this country. The rejection, the anger and frustration, and the fear of having my body destroyed simply for expressing that anger in the presence of the wrong white body." He adds, "My goal with this album is to provoke conversations and create engagement around these questions and themes. but also to give you something new and inspiring while opening you up to the full spectrum of my sound and voice." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

C.S. Armstrong - "SOUL SURVIVOR (feat. Buddy)" from the 2023 album COME AS YOU ARE on TOP OF THE BOOT RECORDS. Today's Song off the Day is more than just a song; as C.S. Armstrong writes on social media, "shit really is my life and a proclamation to never stop." On today's featured track, the Texas-born bluesman teams up with Los Angeles-based rapper Buddy. As Armstrong writes, "I moved to LA in 2015, after living in New York I became more recluse. Wasn’t tryna work with many folks but in my time here I can honestly say @buddy has become one of my fav folks I’ve worked with. Reminds me of a cousin n he always show up for me. You are appreciated man, thank you for your phenomenal contribution to COME AS YOU ARE."Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On her latest EP, California-based artist Dea Galore teams up with L.A. group The Melodiks for a sunny, soulful set of songs. On today's Song of the Day, she invites guest vocalist Georgia Anne Muldrow, who she says has "impacted me and touched my soul since 2009... definitely a pinch-myself experience." The Flow was recorded in 2021, during the quarantine. "The ffirst timewe all made music together was golden and we were hooked," Galore continues. "We would meet up at what I call 'The Womb' haha because of how cozy it feels in there and how creative we got in there." She adds, "I hope you feel the genuine creativity and vibe we all experienced while making this project. We are all deep music lovers/ nerds/ fanatics! I’m so grateful for the experience, and I’m so grateful that we can share it with everyone."Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bread Pilot - "Crook," from the 2022 album New To You on Double Double Whammy Bread Pilot began in 2011, when high school students Taylor Hayden (guitar/vocals), Stephen Ibanez Jr. (guitar/vocals), and Evan House (drums) would practice in Hayden's mother's home. In fact, today's Song of the Day is named after Crook Horn Road, where a teenaged Hayden would host basement shows. After graduating, the trio relocated to Seattle, choosing to record their debut album at The Unknown in Anacortes. “We had a bunch of different musicians playing on tracks that made them so much better, adding in this new flair," Hayden told Under the Radar. "The best part of recording is that the process is so fun. That’s another strength that all of us have. When we’re starting on recording, putting our heads together, it’s like building.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glasser - "Vine" from the 2023 album crux on One Little Independent Records Cameron Mesirow — who records under the name Glasser — returns this fall with her first album in a decade, and her third album overall, titled crux. It'll be released October 6th via One Little Independent Records. "Just getting back to making songs was hard for me after the last album," Mesirow explained in a press release. "When I made my first album, I didn’t have an established routine of trying and failing, it was very immediate. The second record was made after a few years of touring, which is a very unstable life, and I still didn’t establish a relationship to creating things regularly. After its release, I didn’t have a center from which to recompose myself. The thing that finally brought me back to music as a positive experience was that I began taking lessons to learn Balkan singing. I wanted to try to learn all this vocal gymnastic stuff that I was listening to in the Bulgarian state television choir records. I started writing songs and working toward an album." Today's Song of the Day combines electronic beats with soaring strings, calling to mind Björk's own dramatic, cinematic soundscapes. “I wanted to create something where all the parts sound like they're very separated,” Mesirow continues. “I was thinking like jazz, actually. It was about getting back to writing music after feeling a bit disconnected from the machinery around making music your profession.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Budos Band - "Frontier's Edge," a 2023 single on Diamond West Records. After six soulful albums and two EPs on Daptone Records, the New York collective The Budos Band are releasing their new EP Frontier’s Edge via their own label, Diamond West. “It’s just a natural growth,” said guitarist Tom Brenneck in a press release. “We’re going further away from the sound of Daptone and into territory they probably wanted to stay away from.” That territory is still a psych-heavy instrumental one, inspired by old school R&B, as you can hear on today's Song of the Day. “Somehow, we wrote six songs in two days,” says drummer Brian Profilio. “Tom was able to take what we were doing and put it together in a cohesive manner.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

bdrmm - "It's Just a Bit of Blood," a 2023 single on Rock Action Records When post-rock icons Mogwai sign you to their label, Rock Action, you know you gotta be doing something right. Such is the case for Hull-based quartet bdrmm, whose second full-length, titled I Don’t Know, was just released by the label back in June. “After touring with Mogwai and forming such a close relationship with them, we feel blessed to have been invited to work with them and their team," the band said via a press release. "To be on the same label as Arab Strap too? I mean, say no more.” On today's Song of the Day, the band capture a favorite live track. Lead vocalist Ryan Smith shares, “The more we played it, the more it dawned on us it was becoming something special, and an integral part of our set. Lyrically, it stems from my recent mental health awareness. I’d become depressed and very socially anxious, I really felt like I had changed and didn’t know who I was. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by three of my brothers within this band – one literally by blood – and have always been able to be myself with them. It’s about realising what you have and remembering that when you can’t see it.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dengue Fever - "Touch Me Not," from the 2023 album Ting Mong on Tuk Tuk Records. Los Angeles-based Cambodian psych band Dengue Fever return with their sixth studio album Ting Mong, to be released September 15th via their own Tuk Tuk Records. The band explain a "ting mong" is "a decoy or mannequin, similar to a scarecrow, used to fight away evil spirits and plagues." Following the pandemic, couldn't we all use a ting mong to protect us? Today's Song of the Day originated from a melody vocalist Chhom Nimol came up with one day. Her band members built the hypnotic groove around her voice. “We gave ourselves parameters recording Ting Mong, but we smashed the rules we created for ourselves on past albums,” bassist Senon Williams told Flood Magazine. “The songs’ sole purpose was to let Chhom’s voice soar. It was our mood or perhaps the mood of the world that gave us focus on the sublime and the melancholy." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High Pulp - "Unified Dakotas (feat. Jeff Parker)" from the 2023 album Days In The Desert on ANTI-. Los Angeles-based jazz collective High Pulp team up with Jeff Parker of Tortoise on today's Song of the Day. The track can be found on the band's adventurous new LP Days In The Desert, out now via Anti- Records. “We have been fans of Jeff Parker (both solo and his work with Tortoise) for years, and when thinking about who the right person may be to collaborate with on this song it became abundantly clear once I threw his name out," explained High Pulp's drummer Bobby Granfelt in a press release. "Jeff’s maturity and humility shine throughout this song. It tells a story and feels more like watching someone make a painting than listening to a traditional guitar solo.” “'Unified Dakotas' was one of the last songs that we wrote, and it quickly became one of the band’s favorite songs from Days In The Desert,” he continues. ”If you listen to the trumpet writing you can hear explicit choices and tones inspired by [the 1959 Miles Davis album] Sketches of Spain; we felt this song called for that color palette: playful, tense, and slightly indignant.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweeping Promises - "You Shatter" from the 2023 album Good Living Is Coming For You on Feel It Records. Sweeping Promises weren't kidding when they titled their second LP Good Living Is Coming for You. The duo of Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug used the advance they received from Sub Pop Records to purchase a home in Lawrence, Kansas. In an interview with Pitchfork, they explain how they used the back of the house to build a recording studio where they crafted their latest album. (They've also recorded 40 other bands there in the past year alone!) Lira and Caufield describe today's Song of the Day as “our ode to being a hammer,” something they surely understand after their renovations. Catch Sweeping Promises on September 15th at Madame Lou’s. And check out Martin Douglas's album review for Good Living is Coming for You here. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Killer Mike - "SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS (feat. André 3000, Future, Eryn Allen Kane)" from the 2023 album MICHAEL on Loma Vista Recordings / Concord It's been 11 years since the last solo album from Killer Mike, and his latest LP, titled Michael, is his most personal yet. Songs reflect on his childhood growing up in Atlanta, and, as he told Zane Lowe in an interview, he was also inspired by "the civil rights movement, the abolitionist movement, which gave us some of the most beautiful music ever." The album features a fantastic collection of collaborators, including CeeLo Green,Young Thug, his Run the Jewels bandmate El-P, and more. Today's Song of the Day features guest vocals from Eryn Allen Kane, and reunites Killer Mike with two members of the Dungeon Family hip-hop collective, Future and André 3000. “I’ve assembled a cast of some of the best artists from Atlanta and beyond,” he wrote on Instagram. “Our collective perspectives will allow you to understand the glorious story and beautiful nuances of what it’s like to be a Black boy growing up in the deeply religious south, specifically the westside of Atlanta.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pozi - "Slightly Shaking Cells" from the 2023 album Smiling Pools on PRAH Recordings On their sophomore full-length Smiling Pools, London-tro Pozi break away from the post-punk sound they demonstrated on their debut LP, PZ1. “It’s not our goal to totally embrace and restrict ourselves within a genre,” says bassist Tom Jones. “I feel that the tracks on Smiling Pools demonstrate that we’re taking our music to a different place and we want to bring the listener along on that journey.” Today's Song of the Day shows shades of krautrock. “This song is inspired by figures such as Boudica, Cleopatra and Xena the Warrior Princess, and the kind of immortality you can create through believing in your own strength," the band state via Bandcamp. "The song then switches to someone admiring another person from afar, zooming into everyday existence away from matters of life and death.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sen Morimoto - "If The Answer Isn't Love" from the 2023 album Diagnosis on City Slang Records. Chicago-based artist Sen Morimoto has signed with City Slang Records, accompanying the announcement with the new single "If The Answer Isn’t Love." The track will appear on his third album, Diagnosis, out November 3rd via City Slang in partnership with his own Sooper Records. “In the face of imminent climate disaster, war and unending sickness it’s natural to start considering what will remain and what might have made it all worth it,” Morimoto says of today's Song of the Day. “I want the sound of my music to reflect that same urgency – instruments warbling and splattered over the beat, melodies tangled and contradicting. I wrote this song about the enduring power of love and the struggle to hang onto that feeling when in crisis.” The song's video was directed by Chicago film production duo New Trash. Morimoto continues, "Up until my first tour in Japan, I washed dishes for a living. I would daydream all day at work about being a full time musician. My fantasies were sweet and naive, mostly just pop culture references glued together, stuff I’d seen in movies and music videos. It wasn’t until I started touring full time that I realized how long the road is from being a working musician to building a life in music that is actually sustainable, which has become even harder as touring proves itself to be a gamble with bad odds, even for more established acts. I wrote this video concept as a kind of tongue-in-cheek visualization of those mid-shift daydreams. I’m dreaming of this big guitar solo in the sky, but even my fantasy is insecure, balancing on a rusted beam with no support." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RUB - "Contentment," a 2023 single on RUB Sounds. Today's Song of the Day is the debut single from Rub, a Seattle supergroup featuring members of Trick Candles, Salt Lick, Acid Tongue, Killer Workout, Cute Lepers, Panama Gold, and NighTraiN. The group are currently recording their debut full-length. On today's featured track, the band write: "This song is about Contentment. When will it happen, and what to do when you finally get it? It's about remembering that you are in control of your happiness and can choose it anytime. In the video, we wanted to show something mundane like band practice and how you can turn everything into a moment of celebration. You're doing the work by just being." Check out the video for the single, directed by Nina Wasankari, below. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Veldt - "The Everlasting Gobstopper," a 2023 single on 5BC Records. Flashback to 1989. North Carolina-based identical twins Daniel and Danny Chavis had formed The Veldt just a few years before, inspired by soul, Sun Ra, and shoegaze. They began recording the LP The Everlasting Gobstopper with Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie on production, but despite this dream pairing, their label, Capitol Records, shelved the project. Jump back to 2023, and the album will finally see the light of day, via The Veldt’s own 5BC Records. Guthrie has returned to remaster the LP, and the album features backing vocals from his Cocteau Twins bandmate Liz Fraser. While the full album won't be out until the fall, the group has shared the title track as a teaser. “As the benchmark of the new sound we had started to develop, The Everlasting Gobstopper was a throwback to our younger days of our family getting together on holidays, when Willy Wonka would be playing, and the certain atmosphere would be filled with a sense of love and security,” Daniel Chavis shared in a press release. “Upon reminiscing about this, my brother Danny came up with a riff and then called it The Everlasting Gobstopper as a lullaby to put his baby daughter to sleep. Thus was born this sound that would develop into what we have right now. This is significant – the birth of the sound that we have come to develop until present, because back then we were quite a different band. Robin pretty much shaved off all the excess and led us toward the sound we have now, so The Everlasting Gobstopper is the cornerstone that Robin helped us to lay for our own unique sound, which we still have to this day.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obongjayar - "Just Cool," a 2023 single on September Recordings London-based Nigerian artist Obongjayar shares his first new single in a year, declaring, "Everyone is on edge! How could we not be?” He continues, "Where’s our united humanity? Where is our united love for our brothers and sisters and children looking for safety and opportunity? Where is the love for our planet? We’re constantly being lied to, used and squeezed of whatever energy is left in us. We’re in a pit fighting amongst ourselves while the bloodsuckers incite division and cheer from high above while poking at us continuously. Be cool and let cool." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beverly Glenn-Copeland - "Africa Calling" from the 2023 album The Ones Ahead on Transgressive Records Late last month, celebrated vocalist/composer Beverly Glenn-Copeland returned with his first new album in 20 years, titled The Ones Ahead. “As the old world crumbles, a new world is waiting to be born," he shared in a press release. "All of our various strengths are needed. The generations of those yet to come are calling us forward.” Today's Song of the Day finds Glenn-Copeland exploring his heritage. “In the ‘80s I had the honor of performing with an incredible artist named Dido, a master of the drums indigenous to West Africa. The beauty of this drumming tradition is explored in ‘Africa Calling,’” he continued. “Over the years, in many conversations, I have come to understand that I share an undefinable, unnamed feeling — a calling — with many other members of the African diaspora, a bone-deep need to explore and express our heritage. Alongside the grief, there is a longing to know our roots, hidden from us as family lines were torn apart in the terrible days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In a world still caught in the ties of colonialism, I know I am not alone in needing to heed the call of this generations-old longing.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MJ Lenderman - "Rudolph," a 2023 single on ANTI- When not playing guitar in the band Wednesday, Asheville, North Carolina-based singer/songwriter MJ Lenderman has a solo project on the side. Last year, ANTI- Records released his solo LP, Boat Songs. Today's Song of the Day is the first track he's shared since the release of that album. "I had been sitting on the guitar part for a long time and slowly worked out the song whenever I could in between tours in 2022," the busy musician explained in a press release. "I finished the lyrics with my friend one late night after a Wednesday gig in Atlanta." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomo Nakayama - "Contigo," a 2023 single on Ricebelly Music Long-running Seattle singer/songwriter Tomo Nakayama continues to capture the hearts of his listeners, this time with the swoon-worthy single "Contigo." As he sings in Spanish, "Quiero estar contigo," which translates to "I want to be with you." As Nakayama shares in a Spotify playlist, the song draws inspiration from The Cure to PM Dawn to Caetano Veloso and more. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ghost of Vroom - "Still Getting It Done" from the 2023 album Ghost of Vroom 3 on Mod y Vi Ghost of Vroom — a project of former Soul Coughing-frontman Mike Doughty and his longtime collaborator Andrew “Scrap” Livingston — return with Ghost of Vroom 3, out September 1st via Mod y Vi Records. The LP was produced and mixed by Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldado, Jr., who worked with the duo on previous releases. “It’s a dream, and a groove, and its language is an object,” writes author Rick Moody in an essay accompanying the album, “one that leads beyond where Doughty started, into a life of greater improvisation, the aleatory, the migratory, the dilatory, hand signals, dropping in and dropping out the kid goes for broke, and here makes one of the great records of his life, a thing of its time, a thing of another time, a thing that makes dreams out of time, and a thing of great beauty, and, let it be said, acceleration, here it is the third of three, like hypothesis, antithesis, synthesis, GHOST OF VROOM 3.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Upper Wilds - "Short Centuries" from the 2023 album Jupiter on Thrill Jockey Brooklyn trio Upper Wilds continue their exploration of their solar system, following up 2018's Mars and 2020's Venus with their latest LP, Jupiter. Fronted by Dan Friel (formerly of Parts & Labor), the band celebrates the largest planet with a sound just as mighty. Today's Song of the Day brings us back to Earth with a tribute to Ecuadorian couple Julio Mora and Waldramina Quinteros, declared the world's oldest married couple in 2020. The lyrics touch on "love’s ability to echo out through the eons," and the track features gorgeous guest vocals from Katie Eastburn (KATIEE) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers). Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Film School - "Tape Rewind" from the 2023 album Field on felte Long-running west coast shoegazers Film School share a sneak peek at their forthcoming full-length, Field, out August 25th via felte Records. Against their signature sonic waves of guitar, frontman Greg Bertens reflects on regret and internal struggles. The new LP takes its title from the Rumi poem, "A Great Wagon," which states: "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field / I’ll meet you there." Bertens tells us, "This is a poem I’ve returned to over the years, and I love the idea of this place, but getting there is life’s journey," adding, “I think the longing for and elusiveness of this field is a recurring theme in our music.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newest jam from the Vancouver-based multihyphenate comes with a light touch. Its slowly mutating beat starts with the melancholy peace of its ukelele lick and ends up floating through space carried by the vibrating low end of bass. Kimmortal's gently rapped lyrics about the wall between them and a person they love renders the sadness almost dreamlike on "Get Better," marking a new depth of vulnerability for the often-satirical artist, first explored on their single "K I'M MORTAL." - Martin DouglasSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By your powers combined, Captain Planet has ignited crowds across the world. The ever-world-traveling DJ has picked up steam touring constantly since shows opened up again in the wake of the pandemic. But Captain Planet never slows down. Right after finishing his 2022 tour, he jumped back into the studio to create his latest record Sounds Like Home. For Captain Planet, the goal was to make a record like the ones he reaches for while relaxing or entertaining at home. What results is the perfect house party album, brimming with positive vibes and endless grooves. “Moqueca” features Zuzuka Poderosa and Raphael Futura for an infectious track that sounds primed for a rooftop party and endless refreshments. Throw this one in your home and you’ll feel instantly transported to the soiree of your dreams. – Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After spending the last four years finding new approaches to recording, NAVVI's first new music in four years displays the Seattle duo functioning in a new gear. The sleek aesthetic is still there, vocalist Kristin Henry still sounds like she's singing from a different spiritual realm. But the 2023 issue of NAVVI is even more atmospheric than they were when we last heard them. Henry and producer Brad Boettger give "Clemency" more room to breathe. "I wanted to lean into tenderness,” Henry recently told Jas Keimig of the South Seattle Emerald. This (comparatively) delicate approach to their work has made the next phase of NAVVI's body of work one to watch very closely. - Martin DouglasSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamaican singer Jah9 has built a remarkable career bridging dub music with jazz vocals. Taking inspiration from Nina Simone and Billie Holiday with the dancehall aesthetics of her native Kingston, Jah9 creates a sonic palette uniquely her own. “Open Heart” is a feel-good anthem, or rather an anthem in the pursuit of feeling good. Crossing over with her other career as a yoga teacher, she preaches mindfulness ideas of focusing your mind, embracing the beauty around you, and finding the moments of peace surrounding us. With the danceable rhythm and flourishing horns, Jah9 creates a vision of serenity that feels worth the pursuit. - Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South London’s Yussef Dayes has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting jazz drummers and composers to emerge in recent years. Anticipation has been mounting for a full-length album from Dayes and we’ll finally see it come to fruition with his debut solo album, Black Classical Music, out Sept. 8. Alongside the album’s announcement, Dayes shared this statement: “What is jazz? Where did the word derive from? Birthed in New Orleans, born in the belly of the Mississippi River, rooted in the gumbo pot of the Caribbean, South American culture & African rituals. Continuing a lineage of Miles Davis, Rahssan Roland kirk, Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong ~ music that is forever evolving & limitless in its potential. The groove, it’s feeling, the compositions, the spontaneity, with a love for family, the discipline & dedication in maintaining the very high bar set by the pantheon of Black Classical Musicians. Chasing the rhythm of drums that imitated one’s heartbeat, the melodies for the mind and spirit, the bass for the core. A Regal sound for this body of music.” The single “Rust” finds Dayes teaming up with fellow English jazz wunderkind and frequent collaborator Tom Misch. The instrumental jam finds both musicians at the height of their powers, locking into that cosmic groove Daye speaks of with delectable percussion pastiche, ambient vocals, and a bass line that’ll rumble in your bones for days. - Dusty HenrySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love & Pain - “Deep Space (Soft Faith remix),” a 2023 self-released single. Seattle duo Love & Pain — Natalia Czajkiewicz and Brad Clifford — team up with New York City synth-pop duo Soft Faith for today's Song of the Day. The track commemorates the one year anniversary of the release of It Comes In Waves, their second full-length. As they write on Instagram, "Maybe it will make you dance or cry or do both at the same time." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Code Industry - “Crimes Against The People” from the 2023 self-released album Structure. Formed in 1989 after changing their name from Code Assault, Code Industry were among the few Black artists in the EBM genre during that era. On Juneteenth 2023, they resissued their 1991 EP Structure with lyrics and liner notes by band member Pen Jackson aka E.N. Sevy. Their lyrics calling out racism and hypocrisy still ring true today. On today's Song of the Day, they deliver seething lyrics against an intense industrial sound, calling to mind '80s faves like Skinny Puppy and Nitzer Ebb. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neu-Romancer - “Superposition” from the 2023 EP Neue Romantika on Fleisch. Neu-Romancer is the solo venture of Australian musician Laura Bailey, currently residing in Berlin, Germany. (She's also the bassist for VV & the Void, Ciern, and in the live line-up for Zanias.) Her debut EP Neue Romantika features four tracks of Italo-disco-infused coldwave. "Neue Romantika" translates to "New Romantics" in German, a nod to the '70s/'80s music genre that included bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Soft Cell. Today's Song of the Day recalls early Depeche Mode classics with its dark, danceable rhythm. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlo Onda - “Kette (feat. Blanche Biau)” from the 2023 self-released album EURO89. Swiss darkwave artist Carlo Rainolter composes music as both Carlo Onda and Karl Kave. Both are synth-based, '80s-inspired projects influenced by post-punk and minimal wave. His latest album, Euro89, is described as both "digital and organic," with today's Song of the Day featuring guest vocals and lyrics from Zurich-based artist Blanche Biau. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Escuela de Aviación- “Escalera infinita” from the 2023 album Fabrica de uniformes on Flexidiscos Escuela de Aviación (translated to English: "Aviation School") is the solo project of Jerónimo Martín, formerly the drummer of the krautrock-inspired band Sei Still which relocated from Mexico City to Berlin, Germany. Still embracing the minimal synth sound of his previous band, Escuela de Aviación's latest LP, Fabrica de uniformes, is an introspective meditation on the world, set to an icy darkwave sound. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roosevelt - "Luna," a 2023 single from Counter Records. Marius Lauber — the German-based producer who records as Roosevelt — shares a funky summertime groove for today's Song of the Day. The track definitely nods to his recent collaborations with artists like Nile Rodgers and Classixx. “'Luna' started as a jam with a bass line two years ago — it was laying on my hard drive already when doing my last album Polydans and it never really developed into a song," he explains in a press statement. "I’ve reconnected with some of my old equipment and a stripped down setup in the last months and finally made it work, turning it into a funk driven dance track.” Roosevelt will be playing Friday, October 6th at the Showbox at the Market. Check out the complete 35+ North American tour schedule here. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nina Kohout - "Little Butterfly," a 2023 single on Deadred Records. Slovakian artist Nina Kohout lands her second KEXP Song of the Day pick with this powerful synth-pop single. Having now graduated from the BRIT School in London, she has been playing live around Europe, with more dates planned for the Fall. "'Little Butterfly' is a song about those who do not understand what ‘no’ means, automatically mistaking it for the words of consent," she writes on her Bandcamp page, adding "'Little Butterfly' is an anthem for the angry ones." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.