In Our Headphones

Beach Vacation - "Lay Low" a 2023 single on Z Tapes. Take some time off with the dreamy vibes of Beach Vacation. The latest single from this Seattle-based pop project of songwriter Tabor Rupp will call to mind bands on the Captured Tracks Records roster like Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing. Rupp told the music blog kid with a vinyl that today's Song of the Day is about “wanting to leave behind everything – specifically the things and people that are stressors and forget about them forever.” Sounds like a vacation to me. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sendai Era - Calamansi dreams from the 2023 self-released album Kalayaan. Sendai Era are a Seattle-based music duo of emcee Era and producer Sendai Mike. They’ve been making music together since 2013 and released their sophomore full-length Kalayaan in January. “Kalayaan” is the Tagalog word for “Liberation,” which is a feeling the duo tried to capture throughout the album. “This album carries the lessons and experiences over the past few years,” explains the duo. “Forming a myriad of songs that signify a new beginning for us.” Our Song of the Day, “Calamansi dreams,” features guest vocals from Clarissa Abadesco and uses the economically important citrus hybrid predominantly cultivated in the Philippines, calamansi, as a metaphor for growth through discrimination and getting back to one's roots. "We wrote Calamansi dreams during lockdown,” says Sendai Era of the song. “It describes our experiences growing up in the diaspora through the lenses of family, culture, and music.” Watch Sendai Era’s music video for Kalayaan track “Written" and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lo! Peninsula - Super Glue (Cover) from the 2023 self-released album The Resurrection Of The Princess Of Woe And Her Vampire Hound Posse. Lo! Peninsula is a shoegaze/dreampop trio from Imphal, India that first caught the ears of KEXP’s John Richards and his producer Owen Murphy back in 2018 with their debut full-length AKA Lo Peninsula. Murphy interviewed the band that year about making music in a conflict-torn area and their DIY recording process. Since then, they’ve only released less than a handful of singles but recently returned with “Super Glue.” The song is a cover of Indian noise-rockers Hoirong’s 2013 original and appears on a covers album made in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Hoirong’s debut album The Reincarnation of The Princess of Woe and Her Vampire Hound Posse. Titled The Resurrection of The Princess of Woe and Her Vampire Hound Posse, the album sees contributions from Indian bands like Pacifist, Disco Puppet, Mr. INDIA, and Audrey. Hoirong’s version of “Super Glue” is a lo-fi affair with screeching warbles and fuzzed-out guitars while frontman Kamal Singh melodramatically sings, “Slowly comes an asshole and he looks so good /Slowly you become my menstruation /Funny how you try to be the super glue.” The original is so good that it’s a nerve-wracking undertaking to cover. Instead of trying to mimic, Lo! Peninsula wraps the song in a sheeny haze, taking “Super Glue” to new heights. Watch the video for Lo! Peninsula’s 2021 single “Kintsugi” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drinking Boys and Girls Choir - "City" from the 2023 album Hey, Listen To Me on Damnably The latest release from South Korean trio Drinking Boys and Girls Choir is a collaborative project with three female artists from their hometown of Daegu. (On this EP, they've also invited special guest Jang Young-eun, guitarist and vocalist of the band igloo.) On today's Song of the Day, they've teamed up with artist Kim Seoul, known for her humorous work in printmaking with hand-colored details. As they write on their Bandcamp, the song was inspired by a conversation with drummer/vocalist Myeongjin Kim and Kim Seoul "about the loneliness and fear that metropolitan cities can give to individuals living in them, especially those cities that feel bigger for women living alone. Inspired by the conversation, the image of the song itself is about comforting yourself, after having experienced those feelings, and comforting fellow citizens who are still in such a situation." For the accompanying exhibition, Kim Seoul crafted a space that looks like her old living room. "The memories of living in a gap between clothes and objects in a small room are reproduced in this work. Through installations made with eco-friendly materials such as Tyvek, and silkscreen engraving techniques, the artist created a space filled with small but precious things which allowed for small citizens in large cities and exhibition visitors to search for other entries." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FiFi Zhang - "Nobody" from the 2023 EP So Beautiful So Lonely on Gum Studio. What started as a thesis project at the Parsons School of Design has since become a music career for FiFi Zhang. The Shanghai-born/Brooklyn-based artist was inspired by a sound design class to create her own songs, and submitted the track "Butterfly" and its accompanying music video. Since then, she's continued to evolve her ethereal electro-pop style, culminating in her latest EP, So Beautiful So Lonely (a title Zhang told music blog Grandma Sophia's Cookies was inspired by a line from the TV show Sex & the City). Today's Song of the Day transforms the loneliness Zhang experienced during the pandemic into a house track, with a companion clip directed by Xiao Han and produced by Kennie Zhou. As she told GSC, "My image for the video was, you are at the bottom of the ocean and nobody can hear you, just floating by yourself in the bottom of the ocean. There is a scene where I’m a mermaid deep in the ocean, the sea creatures, my imaginary friends, all pop up from underneath me. It’s my version of turning tears into pearls, a productive solitary self-indulgence where my own creations make my world so colorful and beautiful. That’s the message of the music video." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lionmilk - "anxious thing" from the 2023 album Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222 on Leaving Records. With his latest LP Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222, Lionmilk continues the theme of using music to heal with another collection of soothing soul-jazz sounds to inspire introspection. Los Angeles-based musician/composer/producer Moki Kawaguchi refers to the new album as "music to feel less whack to." Like on 2021's COVID-response release, I Hope You Are Well, Kawaguchi explores songcraft as a means of self-care, connection, and community. (It's fitting that he continues to work with Leaving Records, who share a similar philosophy of camaraderie.) Today's Song of the Day is a lovely, lo-fi, breezy piece of electropop sure to absolve your own anxious feelings. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MCM - Cry Me A River from the 2023 self-released Stolen Moments EP. MCM (aka Mid Century Modern) is a brand new Seattle-based duo featuring long-running emcee, producer, and community organizer King Khazm and singer/songwriter Jesse Kogita. In February, they released their debut EP Stolen Moments. The three-song EP sees the duo reimagine classic jazz standards by building a collage of samples, boom bap, bebop, and hip hop. On our Song of the Day, Ella Fitzgerald’s classic “Cry Me a River,” adding potent verses from Khazm of regrets and heartbreak, staying true to the sorrowful original but adding a downtempo boom bap beat, samples from old films, and Kogita taking on the role of singing Fitzgerald’s part. Ending with a sobbing woman, the song is both emotional and an incredibly original take on a song that’s been a part of our musical canon for nearly a century and covered countless times. Find the Stolen Moments EP on Bandcamp and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

URF Tone - Zan Zendegi Azadi (Women Life Freedom) a 2023 self-released single. URF Tone is a duo made up of producer (as well as model, actor, and avid golfer) Nicholas Demps, aka The World Famous N.I.C, and MC Ila Parvaz. Together they seek to pay tribute to the golden era of Hip Hop, with inspirational lyricism and jazzy production. Emerging in 2020, the duo have released a string of singles, with a full-length titled All That Glitters due out in 2023 which features contributions from Camp Lo, Mr. Funke (of Lords of the Underground), Rae Khalil (contestant on the Netflix series, Rhythm + Flow), and Uhmeer (actor/rapper, and son of DJ Jazzy Jeff). Our Song of the Day, “Zan Zendegi Azadi (Women Life Freedom),” uses downtempo to highlight Parvaz’s lyrics about fighting oppression and tyranny, as well as lifting women up. The song is an excellent example of the band’s ethos, which they explained to The Hype Magazine in 2022 saying, “In a landscape of excessive braggadocio and shock-jocks, we raise questions around what is being elevated, while decency and simple goodness fall to the wayside. We’re both full-time workers and, more importantly, husbands to our wives, so we give everything we can to music from a place of passion and childlike joy.” Watch the video for “Zan Zendegi Azadi (Women Life Freedom)" and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chyle - DAY (feat. B SELF) from the 2023 album Majestic Constellations on Cosmic Aliens Entertainment On his latest LP, Majestic Constellations, Chyle MC (pronounced Child Emcee) invites listeners on a voyage influenced by classic Parliament-Funkadelic, who he cites as his "muse." Though based in Atlanta, Georgia, Chyle MC has ties to Seattle, working with longtime friend and producer Vitamin D, and on today's Song of the Day, bringing in Vitamin's Ghetto Children bandmate B-Self for guest vocals. The track serves as a pep talk to anyone just trying to get through the day, reviving you with its upbeat energy. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pure Akan - "Yete Apor (feat. Efya)" a 2023 single on A-Level Music. Ghanaian highlife/hip-hop artist Pure Akan stays true to his roots by rapping in Twi, a dialect of the Akan language. "It created a connection between me and my people, the Akan people and also our culture," he told Pan African Music. "My fans relate better. They understand me now." His new single sees him pairing up with another Ghana-based songwriter, neo-soul artist Efya, whose voice elevates the beauty of today's Song of the Day. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alsarah - "Farasha فراشة (feat. Sufyvn & Flippter)" a 2023 single on Alsarah Productions On today's Song of the Day, Sudanese songstress Alsarah celebrates femininity. The song title "Farasha" translates to "butterfly" in Arabic, and in a press statement, she says the track honors the "spirit of resistance, resiliency, and perseverance" of Sudanese women. The featured song was co-produced with Sufyvn and features guest rapper, Flippter. In the background, you'll hear field recordings Alsarah gathered in the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile in Sudan. The accompanying music video — directed by award-winning Sudanese multidisciplinary artist, Mai Elgizouli — is designed to "shine a light on neglected issues facing women in Sudan, which have ranged from societal pressure over beauty standards to women’s roles in the revolution.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acid Tongue - Consumerism a 2023 self-released single. It’s been two years since Seattle garage rockers Acid Tongue released their third full-length Arboretum, which came about as frontman Guy Keltner came to terms with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as his struggles with his bipolar diagnosis, during the pandemic. Keltner and co-frontman Ian Cunningham detailed the making of the record as well as their personal experiences on Sound & Vision in 2021. Our Song of the Day is the latest release we’ve gotten from Acid Tongue since then, the anti-capitalist/nihilist anthem “Consumerism.” Over the thrumming guitar rhythm, the message relayed by Keltner is clear. No matter how or what you consume, we’re all consumers. Be it eating too much, drinking excessively, consuming cheap drugs, or “digital love” (I think we all know what means), they’re all easy forms of escape through consumption. “Every day I consume more,” softly cries Keltner. “Can you tell me what it’s all been for?/ Cheap drugs and digital love/ I never know when enough’s enough.” Below, watch the video for “Consumerism,” directed & edited by James Kimberling, and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daníel Hjálmtýsson - No Reception (feat. Aðalbjörn Tryggvason) from the 2022 self-released album Labyrinthia. While Daníel Hjálmtýsson’s recorded work only dates back to 2020, he’s made quite a splash in the past few years, perking the ears of his fellow Icelanders as well as a particular Seattleite - Kevin Cole. He recently caught their performance at Tremor Festival which is set at secret locations around São Miguel island in the Azores and has been said by some to be the “world’s weirdest music festival.” So stunned by their performance, he had to share their music with the world. In November, Daníel Hjálmtýsson, which also includes Hálfdán Árnason and Skúli Gíslason, released their debut full-length Labyrinthia. The album leans into Nick Cave-esque gothic rock that Mark Lanegan, also a clear inspiration, cited as, “Neo-goth music that brings to mind the forbidding landscapes of his native Iceland. One can imagine him on a stage in a church-turned-dungeon somewhere in the Reykjavik underbelly.” I don’t think I could possibly describe it better than Lanegan so I’ll let him do the talking. Our Song of the Day is the lead single off Labyrinthia, “No Reception,” which features guest vocals from fellow Icelandic rocker, Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, of the long-running post-metal band Sólstafir. It’s a slow-churner about the anxieties of loneliness and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Also, perhaps because I’ve recently binged the new Interview with a Vampire series, the words, “I’ll never see another /I’ll never see another /Day” seem like a song Louis might write. A melancholy ode to the plight of eternal darkness. The official video for “No Reception” debuts today, alongside our Song of the Day, and was directed, edited, and produced by Jónatan Leó. Watch it and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tramhaus - "Make It Happen," a 2022 single on Subroutine Records. Post-punk quintet Tramhaus provide a sneering statement on their hometown of Rotterdam, Netherlands on today's Song of the Day. The phrase "make it happen" serves as the city's official slogan — "a phrase which coincidentally functions as the absurd and out-of-touch city-slogan of Rotterdam," they state on Facebook. The accompanying music video was filmed in the Wielewaal neighborhood, and the residents who are set to be evicted. “Drawing further on what we believe is a misleading Rotterdam city slogan – 'make it happen' – we came up with the idea to make a video with the Wielewalers,” the band commented to Beats Per Minute. “With the video, we hope to show their struggle to a wider audience.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Verde Prato - "Niña Soñando" from the 2023 album Adoretua on Plan B Rec. Recording under the name Verde Prato, Colombian artist Ana Arsuaga sings in Basque, honoring the traditions of the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Her haunting neo-folk synth-pop songs call to mind artists like Kate Bush or Tirzah. Via her Bandcamp page, she explains today's Song of the Day reflects on "the questions that arise for a girl, questions that a girl asks of the world, of life, of otherness, of love, to innocence." The accompanying video features students at the Berrobi School in Tolosa, Spain, and the clip was directed by Maria Muriedas and Arsuaga's mother, Elena Arambarri (the theater teacher at the Berrobi). "I find it a song that moves me," she tells Mondo Sonoro, "because it talks about some questions and a general state in which I could be a lot when I was a child, and I'm not only referring to the lyrics but also to the tone of the song, to the cadence, to the atmosphere. For me, it's like a sad and happy song at the same time, dreamy, and the rhythms also lead me to such a dance." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucrecia Dalt - "Contenida" from the 2022 album ¡Ay! on RVNG Intl. On her eighth and latest LP ¡Ay!, Colombian-born, Berlin-based artist Lucrecia Dalt celebrates both her homeland and outer space. Infusing childhood influences of bolero, mambo, merengue, and salsa into her synth-heavy soundscapes, she tells the story of Preta, an extraterrestrial being who lands on Earth. The ten-track album examines themes of love, time, and on today's Song of the Day, existence. "A falling progression, vocals harmonizing, a jazzy something… Why not?," she describes to The Fader in a track-by-track. "Playing this piece live, it’s become one of my favorites from the album. Fun to perform, fun to dance to. Can you imagine being bodiless and suddenly feeling trapped, like theatrical containment? Irreversible…" Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jarv Dee & Bad Colours - Beat Drop a 2023 single on MOOR LIFE. Jarv Dee has been one of the leading rap luminaries of the Seattle scene for the past decade, churning out numerous bops and anthems. Since the beginning, one of his secret weapons has been production from London-born, Maryland-raised, Brooklyn-based DJ, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ibe Solima, aka Bad Colours. Solima has worked with some big names including Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Keyshia Cole, and Faith Evans but it wasn’t until 2021 that he finally dropped his debut Bad Colours full-length PINK, which featured Jarv Dee. Since then, the duo has been consistently dropping collaborative singles and our Song of the Day is their most recent. Described by Dee as “If ‘F**k around and found out’ was a person,” the song is an absolute banger. The house track bounces and bumps while Dee encourages listeners to dance the pain away “When the beat drop.” Watch the Tim Slew-directed video for “Beat Drop” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Es - Swallowed Whole from the 2023 Fantasy EP on Upset The Rhythm. London-based quartet Es burst onto the scene back in 2020 with their debut LP Less of Everything, made up of nine tracks of ominous and icy post-punk exploring the tension between intent and interpretation. Three years later, they’re back with the Fantasy EP. For their new release, they’ve bumped the tempo up but haven’t lost an ounce of sneer. Our Song of the Day “Swallowed Whole” is frantic and twitchy, with taut syncopated rhythms and pinched synths while frontperson Maria Cecilia Tedemalm sings of building anxiety that completely overwhelms. Tedemalm had this to say about the song: "Musically the writing process behind ‘Swallowed Whole’ is a bit hazy for me, but I very vividly remember getting super excited when listening to the first rough demo over and over again and writing almost all the lyrics while walking to the bus stop 7 minutes from my house. Once I had the first line down the rest just came flowing. I think I had a lot of pent up frustration just itching to get out as thematically the song taps into some quite frantic and raw emotions. It’s about teetering on a knife's edge and wanting to escape yourself and your current circumstances before they completely devour you. We shot the video for it at our friend's recording studio called Head Cold in Bermondsey. The idea originally was to be "Swallowed Whole" in smoke but sadly the smoke machine we borrowed wouldn't work so it came out a bit more like maybe we're playing at your highschool under the sea themed prom." Watch the video for "Swallowed Whole," directed by Tedemalm, and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

System Olympia - "Falling in Love" from the 2023 album New Erotica Collection on Okay Nature Over the past few years, London-based producer, DJ, and vocalist System Olympia (real name: Francesca Macri) has been releasing a series of sultry stand-along singles, including today's Song of the Day, featuring guest vocals from South London artist P Nut. Earlier this year, she compiled nine of these tracks into the LP New Erotica Collection, With an album title like that, you won't be surprised that System Olympia finds inspiration in Tinto Brass films and Anaïs Nin's Delta of Venus short story collection. (In fact, Macri's 2020 LP of the same title is an ode to those literary works.) On her Bandcamp page, she cites "night rides in my Mercedes Benz." Check out the video for today's Song of the Day, and climb into the passenger seat. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Say She She - "Reeling" a 2023 single on Colemine/Karma Chief. It's a tongue-twister, but Brooklyn trio Say She She named their group as a tribute to none other than Nile Rodgers ("C’est chi-chi!: It's Chic!,” they explain on their Bandcamp). They also carry his torch with their self-described "discodelic soul," sure to get you out on the dance floor. On today's Song of the Day, band members Nya Gazelle Brown, Sabrina Cunningham, and Piya Malik deliver an "incantation from Mother Earth to the masses to join the rising against the calamitous forces of unfettered capitalism that has left our seas and skies grappling." In flawless harmony, the incite the listener to: Shake it all offToss the ashesKick the door downSmash the ceilingLeave 'em reeling Check out the accompanying video (directed by Lisa Schiller), and then revisit their November 2022 KEXP in-studio session below. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outside - "Then It Hits You," a 2023 single on Dorado Records Limited. "I’ve evolved the mixture of modern and retro," says multi-instrumentalist, writer, and arranger Matt Cooper. "That’s the Outside sound." Cooper began Outside during the '90s London club scene, releasing his 1993 debut album Almost In at the age of 20. Now, 30 years later, he returns with a forthcoming sixth studio album, Almost Out. The album was recording during lockdown from his home studio in west London, and in a press release, he calls it, "a distillation of everything I’ve produced here." Today's Song of the Day gives us an early listen; the track features guest vocals from Danish artist Marie Dahlstrom. "This album is a lot more minimal," he continues. "I used to throw the kitchen sink into each song, and have massive layers. I’ve evolved: I can have fewer instruments, but those instruments speak better because they have room to breathe." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rose City Band - “Chasing Rainbows” from the 2023 album Garden Party on Thrill Jockey. Rose City Band, the brainchild of Ripley Johnson (also of Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo and, with a name like that, was either born to play music or be the keeper of facts that you may, or may not, believe) is due to release their fourth record later this month. Titled Garden Party, the album follows up 2021’s Earth Trip and is said to be, “A celebration of summer and all it brings: communal gatherings, the respites offered by nature, and an appreciation for even the simplest beauty, from 12-foot sunflowers to a contorted carrot planted in the spring.” The record’s lead single and our Song of the Day does not dispute that claim. “Chasing Rainbows,” by name alone, suggests the nostalgic innocence of childhood when one’s summer days might consist of chasing things one cannot capture but deeply believe they can. Led by a rollicking pedal steel by Barry Walker, the song actually tells a story not of childhood but on the road on tour, which can feel like a certain kind of childhood in that your days are filled with car rides and playing music. ”Tour ‘round the world and back,” sings Johnson. “Throw it out and you blaze a path /Wanderin' a dream all our own.” Rose City Band will be chasing rainbows all the way to Seattle on Friday, May 5th to play the Tractor Tavern. Read Martin Douglas’ Throwaway Style piece on Rose City Band and watch Ripley Johnson front a Wooden Shjips KEXP in-studio performance from all the way back in 2013 at the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanukichan - “Thin Air (feat. Enumclaw)” from the 2023 album GIZMO on Company Records. Last month, San Francisco-based artist Hannah Van Loon, known better as Tanukichan, released her incredible sophomore record GIZMO which widened the depth of the shoegaze-indebted dreampop that she’s been making since 2016. Co-produced by Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bear, who’s been assisting Van Loon since her debut EP Radiolove, GIZMO is a massively textured record that deserves repeat listens. One of the highlights on the record comes from an unexpected but deeply exciting collaboration with one of Seattle’s brightest rising stars, Enumclaw. The band’s frontman Aramis Johnson lends vocals on our fuzz-filled Song of the Day, “Thin Air.” Johnson’s languid, disaffected croons interplay with Van Loon’s ethereal, breathy hums in a way that on paper doesn’t seem like it should work but come together magnificently for a wistful malaise that reads perfectly for this song. "This song is about exes,” explains Van Loon. “Some people that I really cared about but ultimately didn’t want to be with.The sadness I feel when I’m hurting someone, and missing them and knowing you won’t ever have that closeness again. It’s about how important they are and how much they’ve taught me, or helped me, but how I also know that people come and go. The chorus has a double meaning for me where I feel like I can’t prioritize relationships because I need to keep on focusing on myself. The other is feeling like I’m broken and keep ending up with the wrong people, and hurting them." Tanukichan will be playing her first KEXP in-studio session on Monday, April 24th at noon PST. Until then, relive Enumclaw’s KEXP in-studio session, recorded in November 2022, and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Momma – “Bang Bang,” a 2023 single on Polyvinyl. With their latest single "Bang Bang," Brooklyn-based trio Momma set out to write something provocative. “We wanted to write something lyrically different than anything else we’d done," explained band member Allegra Weingarten, "just super literal and crude." Today's Song of the Day came out of a COVID bubble between Weingarten and her bandmate Etta Friedman. "We decided to isolate, get drunk, and write together,” Friedman said in a press release. “Within a night, we had demoed a hot sounding song about great sex.” They sent the demo to their bandmate/bassist/producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch. "He sent us back a new version with a lot of added extra production: drums, bass, synths, acoustic guitar, etc. It felt totally different and fresh," Weingarten says. "The finished song has a lot of classic Momma – heavy guitars and catchy melodies – but packaged in a different form. It feels immediate, like a whole new sound for the band." Read the full story at KEXP.org Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indigo De Souza- “Younger and Dumber” from the 2023 album All of This Will End on Saddle Creek On today's Song of the Day, Asheville, NC-based artist Indigo De Souza reflects on the insecurities of her youth. The track serves as a sneak peek to her forthcoming full-length, All Of This Will End, which will be released April 28th via Saddle Creek. In a press statement, she shares: “Younger and Dumber” is a flood beam of my emotional and spiritual human experience. My growing up defeated by a world brutally littered with trash, violence and grief, and somehow finding beauty, purpose, and boundless love existing in the same place. This song felt really emotionally intense for me when I wrote it. I was sitting in my house and it kind of flowed right to me as if it had already been written by some other force. A lot of the lyrics are a nod to the idea that your experiences make you who you are. I endured some heavy darkness and dysfunction when I was a teenager. But if I hadn’t been through those things, I wouldn’t be who I am now. When you’re young, you don’t know any better, but you learn from your experiences, and then you become somebody who’s been alive and learning. It’s also about how heartbreaking that is; to start as a child with vivid curiosity, innocent imagination and joy, and for the world to end up being kind of brutal to be a part of. This song is a love letter to everyone’s inner child. No one can prepare us for how insane it is to be alive. How many times we will have to rise from the ashes and what courage it will take. De Souza directed the song's accompanying music video, as well as co-designed the costumes alongside her mother. Of the clip, she says: I took psilocybin for the shoot. I have a very specific way of dancing when I’m on mushrooms. The movements feel like electricity rising up from the earth through ancient networks of mycelium. It feels like the trees and plants are moving my body for me and I am just surrendering. It feels so clear to me now more than ever, how important it is to unabashedly embody my truest spirit. Because I am not special, and I’m fleeting, and it feels like it’s my purpose to help mobilize others to come home to themselves. To wake from our societal sleepwalk and consider the importance in creating deep connection within community and relationships. To find a preciousness in the time we have and the earth we’re nourished by. To see nature in all its primordial magic, as something to learn from and grow with. Something to protect. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ven Y Mira - “Padre Nostro” from the 2023 self-released album Parque de Letras. With today's Song of the Day, Mexico-based quartet Ven y Mira shares a sneak peek at their forthcoming debut full-length, Parque de Letras, due for release on April 28th. Expanding on the psych-inspired sounds we heard on last year's EP, Nota Roja, the group takes a harder, punk-influenced approach on today's featured track, crafting a cacophony of fierce percussion punctuated by impassioned vocals. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Is She? - My My Orca Card a 2023 single on Father/Daughter. Seattle supergroup Who Is She?, made up of Bree McKenna of Tacocat, Robin Edwards AKA Lisa Prank, and Chastity Belt frontwoman Julia Shapiro, have been making sweetly sardonic music since 2017, when they released their debut record Seattle Gossip. After a few years of silence from the trio, the band went from Who Is She? to Where Are They? (Admittedly, busy with their other bands.) But they came back in a big way when they were invited to be the house band for Seattle’s newly established hockey team The Kraken for a weekend and played “My My Orca Card” at “Jeff Bezos’ Climate Pledge Arena.” A reimagining of Le Tigre’s 1999 song “My My Metrocard,” the song takes aim at Amazon’s head honcho and multi-billionaire Bezos. “Oh, no /Jeffrey Bezos /He’s such /A total jerk /Shut down /all the bookstores /Billionaires /Do not work.” They were swiftly fired after one night of playing the song, making it the most punk, anti-establishment music moment to happen in Seattle in far too long. Hear more about the story of how this legendary moment came to be in KEXP’s Dusty Henry’s interview with the band prior to their performance and watch Lisa Prank’s KEXP in-studio session from 2016 at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TV Star - In-Between from the 2023 album Hallucinate Me on Painter Man. Seattle’s TV Star make desert-tinged neo-psych with nods to The Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Formed in 2020, the five-piece features members of Shine, Regional Justice Center, and Advertisement and unveiled their debut EP in February, Hallucinate Me. Our Song of the Day is the rambling “In-Between,” the dreamy guitar-led early single off the record. Ashlyn Nagel’s crystalline vocals cry out with catharsis, “I’m comin clean/ I’m livin free/ The in-between,” about ditching what’s expected in order to become one’s authentic self. She had this to say about the song: “‘In-Between’ is about breaking out of a funk, letting go of the pressure, and living the way you want to. It’s about caring less what others think and making self-fulfilling decisions.” The song comes with a lo-fi fisheye shot video of the band on the road, being themselves. Watch the Nate Kahn-directed video and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DEBBY FRIDAY - "SO HARD TO TELL" from the 2023 album GOOD LUCK on Sub Pop Nigerian-born, Toronto-based artist DEBBY FRIDAY needed some convincing before designating today's Song of the Day as the lead single from her debut album, GOOD LUCK, released just last week via Sub Pop Records. "Every single person that I would play the album to was like, 'This song, this song, this song, this song — this one has to be the first single!'" she told Exclaim!. It's a surprisingly softer side than we saw on DEBBY's 2019 EP DEATH DRIVE, with a graceful co-production from Graham Walsh (METZ, Holy Fuck). “I have a lower register and speak with vocal fry so I don’t know what came over me when I made this track,” she stated in a press release. “I have never in my life sung like this before and I had no idea I could even make these kinds of sounds with my voice. There’s no pitch effects on ‘SO HARD TO TELL,’ it’s all me.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Model/Actriz - Crossing Guard from the 2023 album Dogsbody on True Panther Brooklyn-based band Model/Actriz taps into Greek mythology on today's Song of the Day. The titular "Crossing Guard" is the figure Charon, the ferryman of the dead who transported the ghosts of the dead across the rivers Styx. As the post-punk band explained to Paper Mag, the accompanying music video, directed by Nathan Castiel, captures vocalist/lyricist Cole Haden conveying "the body's fragility and gradual degradation through slow, deliberate movement," via choreography by Alena Henke. The band also cites the track as the "initial creative revelations that guided and buoyed [them] to completing" their debut LP, Dogsbody, released last month via True Panther. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caution - "To Decide" a 2022 single on Hardly Art. Last year, local label Hardly Art Records celebrated its 15th anniversary by releasing 15 new singles from some of their favorite artists. They closed out the series back in December with this release from the duo Caution. Songwriters Cash Langdon and Nora Button formed the pairing in 2019, after departing the DC-based power-pop group Saturday Night. With Langdon relocating to Alabama and Button in Minnesota, they collaborated by sending files back and forth online. For today's Song of the Day, Langdon shares, "The initial demo of ‘To Decide’ was created January 1st of 2022. The cold darkness of Minneapolis winter had pervaded my mood. The lyrics confront an inability to experience meaning and connection as well as a wavering between fear and acceptance of ephemerality." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kassa Overall - John Coltrane (Clifford Jordan Quartet) (feat. Tomoki Sanders & Vitamin D) from the 2023 self-released album Shades 3. The ever-talented jazz musician, emcee, singer, producer and drummer Kassa Overall dropped the latest addition to his Shades mixtape series, Shades 3, in February as a sample-heavy remix project that fuses jazz with modern danceable drum machine rhythms in a gonzo approach to the jazz tradition. The Seattle-raised, Brooklyn-based artist has been blowing minds to a wide audience of fervent fans since the release of his acclaimed sophomore record I Think I’m Good in 2020 and this project does not disappoint. Our Song of the Day reimagines the Clifford Jordan Quartet’s 1974 track “John Coltrane” with the help of New York-based multi-instrumentalist Tomoki Sanders on Tenor Sax and Derrick Jabar Brown, better known as Vitamin D, on vocals. “Welcome to the Upside Down” introduces the song before going into a profession for the love of jerk chicken. Over a warbling brass line, manipulated vocals cry out “Black spirit” while Vitamin D spits a verse about Black power and the incredible endurance and accomplishments of Black folks despite the many obstacles thrown at them. Below, watch Kassa Overall’s KEXP in-studio performance from 2020 and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mic Flont & Khingz - Gucci (feat. Larisa Marie, AbJo) from the 2023 album Premium Smoke on OTOW. Earlier this year, Seattle emcees Mic Flont and Khingz teamed up to drop the collaborative LP Premium Smoke via Operation Take Over the World (OTOW), a Seattle-based independent record label and multimedia collective. Our Song of the Day sees local musicians ABJO and Larisa Marie jump to provide production and vocals, respectively. It’s a downtempo slow-burner about feeling “Gucci/ Feelin good” and perfect to bump either when you're in the throes of elation or if you need a little boost to get there. Read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

rum.gold - "Water My Heart (feat. Mereba)" from the 2023 album U Street Anthology on Leola LLC. Brooklyn-based artist rum.gold has been on a creative run since his 2018 debut EP yaRN. He followed with 2019's EP aiMless and the 2021 LP Thicker Than Water, a soulful, confessional full-length that was an introspective examination of upbringing, experience, and identity. His sophomore full-length, U Street Anthology, is right around the corner, but in the meantime, he's shared the slow-groove "Water My Heart." The track teams him up with Los Angeles-based artist Mereba for a delicate, romantic duet. Hear him turn the tides on today's Song of the Day, and catch him on May 4th at Madame Lou's with Seattle's own dsrt flwr opening. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jackie Venson - "Flying #evolution" from the 2023 self-released album Evolution of Joy. When Jackie Venson named her latest LP Evolution of Joy, she meant it in more ways than one. Not only is this a re-working of her 2019 album Joy, but it's also reflective of the evolution she's seen in the music industry since the pandemic struck. “I released more music than I ever have before,” she told Austin Woman. “But that also led to more people discovering me that never had before. Then at the end of that year, I actually landed my first Austin City Limits TV taping, and it was because of all of the buzz that I had garnered. I shifted my whole career to the internet, made more music than I ever have in my life and also got more exposure than I ever have in my life. No label helps me get that exposure; all I did for that exposure was frequency.” With Evolution of Joy, she continues, "everything is beefier. Everything’s bigger. Everything is more consistent. Everything is better put together, more organized, and the skills are better. The techniques are all there presented. I’m excited about having Evolution of Joy as a foundation for who I am now [and] releasing more projects under that foundation.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylar Elizza Beth & WD4D - "THE BEAST / DAY 117" from the 2023 self-released album UNDERCOVER LOVERGIRL. On her new album UNDERCOVER LOVERGIRL, Seattle-based rapper Taylar Elizza Beth [aka Taylar White] reunites with producer and DJ WD4D (Blue Scholars, Abyssinian Creole, Common Market). The pair previously worked together on last year's EP, NINETY THREE. “I want to have more say in what my sound sounds like — and so meeting up with WD4D and figuring out that we have a really great artistic chemistry, it was really serendipitous,” she told the South Seattle Emerald. And on this release, White gets her first producing credit. On her Bandcamp, she writes that UNDERCOVER LOVERGIRL “is for anyone who has an abundance of love to give, but hasn't always felt safe giving it. It's for people who have had to grow hardened, to protect themselves, to survive. It's for the romantics, the dreamers, the people who even after all the bullshit still know that love is real — because they are full of it.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lalalar - Yalniz Olu Baliklar Akintiyi Takip Eder from the 2022 album Bi Cinnete Bakar on Bongo Joe Switzerland. Lalalar are currently Turkey’s buzziest band and for good reason. The trio’s fusion of 70’s Anatolian rock and 80’s dark wave with a punk attitude make for an intoxicatingly fierce and innovative sound. While the band has only been around since 2018, Ali Güçlü Şimşek, Barlas Tan Özemek and Kaan Düzarat are established members of the Istanbul music scene so it was an almost-inevitable meeting of minds and an exciting one for those familiar with their prior work. Last year they released their debut album Bi Cinnete Bakar, a 70-minute epic journey of head-bopping soundscapes. Our Song of the Day “Yalniz Olu Baliklar Akintiyi Takip Eder” was originally released in 2019 on the split 7” Isyanlar. One of the most psych-infused tracks on the record, the band amps the fuzz up to 11 with an explosive meandering guitar line that cools to let Şimşek recite his spoken word lyrics only to burst again when he steps off the mic. It’s a dynamic thrill ride that’s only a small portion of what Lalalar excels at. To get a taste of Lalalar’s riveting live shows, watch a performance of Bi Cinette Bakar opening track "Isyanlar" and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ill Considered - Dawn Lit Metropolis from the 2020 album Band Selects on Ill Considered / New Soil. Ill Considered are a UK-based improvisational jazz outfit that’s become a cult favorite after releasing nine albums between 2017-2019 of deep grooves made up completely on the spot. Led by Idris Rahman on sax, Leon Brichard on bass, Emre Ramazanoglu on drums, and Yahael Camara-Onono on percussion, the group’s recordings sound so tight it’s tough to believe that they weren’t written and rehearsed prior but that’s part of the magic of Ill Considered. We’re taking it back to the beginning for our Song of the Day with “Dawn Lit Metropolis,” originally released on their 2017 self-titled record. The opening track off the LP, the song softly saunters in with a mischievously plucked upright bassline and a lone mournful brass. Frantic yet delicately pattered drums join in as the song builds over the course of its four-and-a-half-minute running time (a rather brief track for this group). It’s proof that sometimes less is more, with just bass, brass, and drums carrying the song its entire length, and can be just as - if not more- compelling a listen. Watch the video for "Dawn Lit Metropolis" and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Area - "Esto me pertenece" from the 2022 album Esto me pertenece on Humo Internacional & BFE Records. Barcelona-based duo Dame Area deliver their most dance-oriented release to date with Esto me pertenece. The post-industrial twosome of Silvia Konstance Costan and Victor Hurtado met in 2014 via Màgia Roja, a cultural center and record label. Combining their loves of krautrock, industrial, and black metal, they released their first single by the end of 2015. On today's Song of the Day, they bring these influences to the floor, punctuated by Silvia's vocalizations and a relentless rhythm. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inês Malheiro - "Overflowing" from the 2022 album Deusa N​á​usea on Lovers & Lollypops / Inês Malheiro. The debut album from Portuguese artist Inês Malheiro went through a few iterations before finally landing at Deusa N​áusea, released late last year. The songs evolved throughout the lockdown, "polarized, reversed, perplexed, epithelialized by espectral processes and beleza pura," as it states on her Bandcamp. “The album was not all made at the same time, it went through several stages and I would say that this is reflected in the lyrics as well," she told the culture website A Cabine. “I think that on this record I felt that the lyrics were more of a plastic material to guide the voice than an objective source of meaning." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grove - "Feed My Desire" a 2022 single on Memorials of Distinction x Grove. Bristol-based artist Grove returns with a pulsating, gritty dancehall track, expanding on the club-inspired sound introduced on their 2021 debut release QUEER + BLACK. Today's Song of the Day finds Grove teaming up with fellow Bristol producer Kursa, as well as their partner EJ:AKIN. “After getting this beautifully dark, skippy UKG beat through from Kursa and making my own additions – the concept and lyrics spilled straight out of my mind," she shares in a press release. "It's born out of sweaty and interlocked nights, with the rises and rests of intensity that entails. It's passionate, cheeky and queer through and through." "My partner (both romantically and on-stage), EJ:AKIN, also wrote the gnarly synth part that comes in. They're a bass demon and they're amazing. Definitely my most collaborative release to date with Kursa, EJ, and I all on the making, and I'm so happy about it :-)" Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cherry Ferrari - Call Me Up a 2023 self-released single. Cherry Ferrari is the project of teenagers Emma Wang and Oliver Crosby. While they’ve been in existence for roughly a year and currently have just two singles in their discography, those pair of songs are exciting enough to warrant paying attention to the young Seattle band. And people certainly have, if their slots on beloved local stages like the Crocodile and Barboza are any proof. Our Song of the Day, “Call Me Up,” is a slinky funk track with an infectious hook that’s impossible to not sway your hips to. Taking inspiration from disco funk greats and modern pop, Cherry Ferrari have a retro-futuristic sound that’s fresh, fun, and groovy. Cherry Ferrari will be competing in this year’s 2nd annual 21-and-under Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) music showcase, Sound Off! They’ll be performing on Saturday, March 11th alongside other up-and-coming local artists Stargazy Pie, Fight Milk, and Sadie Hale. Watch a snippet of a self-made video for “Call Me Up” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JusMoni & Nappy Nina - Henny Lavender a 2023 self-released single. If you feel like you just saw a Song of the Day feature from Seattle-based singer/songwriter JusMoni and Oakland-born/Brooklyn-based emcee Nappy Nina, it’s because you did. Earlier this week, we shared the song “Prayer Hands” off Nappy Nina’s latest album Morning Due and today we’re sharing another collaboration between the two artists, “Henny Lavender.” Released in February alongside the drop of an exclusive candle and clothing collab with the fashion retailer and creative agency Paradice Avenue Souf, the song is dripping with erotic sensuality. While “Prayer Hands” leaned on Nappy Nina’s dexterous rhymes with JusMoni adding gorgeous vocal flourishes, “Henny Lavender” is a true collaboration. Backed by a sexy synth slow jam beat produced by 104Rog, JusMoni coos while Nappy Nina flows about their belief in love and desire for the carnal aspects of it. Watch JusMoni’s KEXP in-studio performance from 2018 and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rahill - "I Smile for E" from the 2023 album Flowers At Your Feet on Big Dada. With today's Song of the Day, Iranian-American artist Rahill shares a sneak peek at her forthcoming debut album, Flowers At Your Feet, out May 12th via Ninja Tune imprint Big Dada. The track is a tribute to her late Aunt Elaheh. As Rahill writes on Instagram, "The rock of my fathers family. A beloved mother, daughter, sister, and wife. I wrote this song to celebrate and honor her, because the love shared and connection I still feel to her outshine the devastation of her departure from the physical realm. She’s still with me. May this song be a gentle reminder to anyone walking with that pain and grief." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nappy Nina - "Prayer Posture (feat. JusMoni)" from the 2023 album Mourning Due on LucidHaus. On her latest LP Mourning Due, Nappy Nina, as she puts it, "considers grief a currency and questions who is owed what." The Oakland-born/Brooklyn-based artist delivers vulnerable lyrics in her distinctive rapid-fire style, like a conversation with a friend who's had too many cups of coffee. Mourning Due features a plethora of guests, including Moor Mother, Mavi, lojii, maassai, Cavalier, Stas Thee Boss, and on today's Song of the Day, JusMoni. The track is produced by Nina's frequent collaborator, Nelson Bandela. "Prayer Posture" explores the uncertainty of life. As Nina raps "Shit won't last on some quarter notes / I may laugh but I'm hoarding hope and reading my homies' horoscopes," JusMoni coos in a following line, "I feel like the worlds on fire / none of us know how to swim." It's a relatable emotion, that resonates throughout the whole reflective album. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lavarr the Starr & Shabazz Palaces - "Glass Top Roof (The One)" from the 2023 album Illusions Ago on Glass Cane Records. Like many of Ishmael Butler's projects, this collaboration between Lavarr the Starr & Shabazz Palaces is shrouded in mystery. Their Bandcamp tells us they're based in Lagos, Nigeria, and that today's Song of the Day features "Lavarr sings of blissing, riding around with 🧁 sun roof peeled tunes floating cuz Love Ain't Dead." Luxuriate in a backyard hang with the track's accompanying video, directed by Natalie Worgs for gIRLS aBOUT pECKHAM productions. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zari Alexandria - (Gotta Get) Over You from the 2022 self-released Congratulations, I'm Angry EP. 19-year-old Zari Alexandria has been honing her vocal abilities since childhood, performing in choir and musical theater and delving into songwriting at fourteen. After spending the past five years sharpening her skills and finding her sound, she released her debut EP Congratulations, I’m Angry in 2021. Made up of six tracks of emotionally-charged R&B/pop tracks, it’s an excellent introduction to an artist determined to climb her way to the top. Our Song of the Day is the EP’s lead single “(Gotta Get) Over You,” a heartbreak banger led by a synth piano line and a softly driving electronic drum beat. In it, Alexandria relays an all-too-familiar story for many of a romantic partner stringing her along and the final realization that she’s just gotta get over them because “You make me feel bad.” Alexandria will be competing in this year’s 2nd annual 21-and-under Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) music showcase, Sound Off! She’ll be performing on Saturday, March 4th alongside other up-and-coming local artists Midpak, Podesta, and Wyatt Silva. Watch the official video for the Congratulations, I’m Angry track “Be Gone” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yves Tumor - Echolalia from the 2023 album Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) on Warp. Genre-bending visionary Yves Tumor is set to release their fourth full-length Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) on March 17th and the anticipation couldn’t be higher. After breaking through in a big way with their acclaimed 2020 record Heaven To A Tortured Mind, Tumor has been proving their rock god excellence through their expertly crafted blend of rock, psychedelia, R&B, and electronica as well as their larger-than-life androgynous stage persona. The second single off the album, released in February, is our Song of the Day “Echolalia.” Led by syncopated drumming and a buzzing guitar riff, the song churns with momentum as Tumor sings of an all-consuming kind of love to a person referred to as “God” and the madness a love like this provokes. Meanwhile, the spoken-word interlude advises against this. “If you say you love me and you, like, your happiness only depends on me, it might not be true love. Maybe it's something you need and you want, but you think it's love, it's not love.” The song comes with a striking video directed by Jordan Hemmingway which leans on a Gulliver’s Travels-type theme, with a team of tiny Tumors taking down one giant one. Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is produced by Noah Goldstein (Frank Ocean, Rosalía, Drake, Rihanna, Bon Iver), and mixed by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails). It also features contributions from Chris Greatti (Yungblud, WILLOW), Yves Rothman (Girlpool, Amaarae) and Rhys Hastings. Watch the video for “Echolalia” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petite Noir - "Simple Things (feat. Theo Croker)" from the 2023 album MotherFather on Roya. Petite Noir (real name: Yannick Ilunga) shares a message of empowerment on today's Song of the Day. “’Simple Things’ is about taking back your power,” the Congolese artist states in a press release. “It’s a song for the people, to embrace harmony, reject division, and recognise that freedom comes from within.” The track features trumpet from Grammy-nominated, Floridian jazz musician Theo Croker, and will appear on his forthcoming sophomore LP MotherFather, out April 14th via Roya Records. It'll be his first new release since 2018's mini-album La Maison Noir / The Black House, and his 2020 singles “Alive” and “Through the Bad Times.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

M83 - "Amnesia" from the 2023 album Fantasy on Mute. Earlier this month, M83 shared six songs from their forthcoming ninth LP Fantasy, due out March 17th via Mute. In a press release, primary songwriter/frontman Anthony Gonzalez claims it'll be his most intimate release yet. "I wanted to be more present lyrically and vocally even if that was daunting at first. I thought if I could achieve that, this album will be more personal than those that came before.” He adds, “I wanted this record to be very impactful live. The idea was to come back with something closer to the energy of [his 2005 album] Before the Dawn Heals Us. The combination of guitars and synths is always in my music, but it’s maybe more present on this new record than on the previous ones.” You can experience the impact yourself when M83 stops in Seattle for two dates at Showbox SoDo on May 10th and 11th. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.