Live on KEXP

Sharp, booming, and a hell of a lot of fun, 2KFG, Kung Foo Grip's aptly titled second album, is an early 2018 standout for Seattle hip-hop. Joining Stas THEE Boss on Street Sounds, the Seattle group perform four tracks from their Keyboard Kid-produced LP. Recorded 03/09/2018. 4 songs - Mic Check, Blvck Hollywood, Sposed Ta B, I Quit (feat. Misunderstood)Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roots musicians Dori Freeman's voice floats with "a certain purity”, to quote Roadhouse host Greg Vandy, that cuts through the noise and grabs the listener. Playing songs from her sophomore record, Letters Never Read, the Virginia songwriter runs through four songs and discusses her musical journey in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 02/09/2018. 5 songs - Lovers On The Run, If I Could Make You My Own, Ern and Zorry's Sneakin' Bitin' Dog, Cold Waves, Just Say It NowSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of his second album, Full Circle Nightmare, Kyle Craft's swampy storytelling got sharper and it shows all over the Louisiana songwriter's newest record. Melding golden-toned rock with a glammy sneer, Craft and his band join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for four Full Circle Nightmare songs. Recorded 01/31/2018. 4 songs - Heartbreak Junky, Fever Dream Girl, The Rager, Exile RagSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Spook School's music is certainly political - written from the crucial voice of a trans person's perspective - but its vital message has a razor-sharp catchiness and chiming dynamic that makes the Scottish group's songs soar with a stinging grace. Joining DJ Miss Ashley in the KEXP Live Room, the band play four songs from their latest album, Could It Be Different? Recorded 02/09/2018. 4 songs - Less Than Perfect, Body, Keep In Touch, Still AliveSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Zauner's second album as Japanese Breakfast, 2017's Soft Sounds From Another Planet, may have a space-adjacent angle to many of its songs, but it's all a lens to an intimate, personal LP that cuts to the bone. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Zauner and her band discuss space and personal exploration alongside four Soft Sounds songs. Recorded 02/15/2018. 4 songs - Diving Woman, Road Head, The Body Is A Blade, BoyishSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The origins of Johnny Goss and Ola Hungerford's latest LP as Cock & Swan, Dream Alone, lie in a live soundtrack the band created for the Nicolas Winding Refn film “Only God Forgives”. Filled the with sleek, stylish, and dark tones of the film, the Seattle duo join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for a performance of four Dream Alone tracks. Recorded 02/09/2018. 4 songs - SILM, PERG (Honing), What Was Life? (What's Your Problem?), Never Been So LostSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolf Parade's return from hiatus in 2016 found the band with renewed energy, plenty of which went into the recording of Cry Cry Cry, their vibrant fourth album. Filled with the spiky, art-damaged energy that runs through their best work, the band perform three Cry Cry Cry tracks and a Wolf Parade classic live from the KEXP Gathering Space. Recorded 01/03/2018. 4 songs - Lazarus Online, Soldier's Grin, You're Dreaming, Baby BlueSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Portland musician Kelli Schaefer channels a trembling thunder on her latest album, No Identity, bursting with power and control with the finesse that only a seasoned songwriter can channel. Schaefer roars into the KEXP Live Room on Audioasis with DJ Sharlese with four No Identity songs. Recorded 02/09/2018. 4 songs - Big Black Box, Underground, Machine, Shiny Black FeathersSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jen Cloher's self-titled record isn't just her most dynamic, it's likely her most self-reflective as well. Wrapped in these spiraling, sprawling songs is a top-class songwriter expanding her sound with intricate Rust Never Sleeps-esque guitar work. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Live Room, Cloher and her band run through four songs off her self-titled record. Recorded 01/27/2018. 4 songs - Analysis Paralysis, Sensory Memory, Regional Echo, Forgot MyselfSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After reuniting in 2015 for a series of live dates, Dean Wareham and the other members of Luna gradually worked back into a recording mindset, resulting in an instrumental EP and cover album combo, A Sentimental Education. Joining Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room, the band run through two songs from Sentimental and a pair of Luna classics, as well as a top-drawer Prince anecdote. Recorded 1/23/2018. 4 songs - GTX3, Fire In Cairo, Speedbumps, Sideshow by the SeashoreSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Auerbach's prolific streak has run for two decades now, but after an eight-year break between solo albums, he gathered a number of top-notch musicians for the sublime Waiting on a Song. Joined by the Easy Eye Sounds Revue and Robert Finley (who sings two of his own songs), Auerbach brings a warm, intimate set of songs in this acoustic session in the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 02/12/2017. 5 songs - Waiting On A Song, Never In My Wildest Dreams, Trouble Waits For You, Medicine Woman, Get It While You CanSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The London-via-Seattle duo FKL's crisp electronic sounds channel kinetic energy with silvery tones, not unlike the grey-skied cities that Sage Redman and Joe Gillick hail from. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, the pair discuss the project's inception and relocation to Seattle from London alongside a performance of songs from their debut, Out of Tune. 4 songs - Even, A Different Street, All I Got, ViolenceSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's easy to get lost in The Barr Brothers' rich, often sweeping take on folk rock, wrapping Laurel Canyon shimmer with a sharp, fine-tuned sense of craft. Brad & Andrew Barr, Sarah Pagé, and their bandmates join DJ Morgan for a return trip to the KEXP Live Room to perform four tracks from their latest record, Queens of the Breakers. Recorded 12/16/2017. 4 songs - Queens of the Breakers, Hideous Glorious (Parts 1&2), Look Before It Changes, Song That I HeardSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When they first announced their reunion in 2014, Slowdive's legacy as one of the definitive shoegaze bands had long been crystallized, and when they returned in 2017 with a masterful self-titled album, their years apart felt like a footnote in a band producing some of their best work three decades in. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for one of the most anticipated sessions of the year, Slowdive discuss their return and perform three songs from their new album and a shoe gaze classic. Recorded 10/25/2017. 4 songs - Slomo, Star Roving, Crazy For You, Sugar For The PillSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stas THEE Boss's solo debut, S'Women (pronounced “swimming”), finds the Seattle musician sharpening her smooth, R and B-streaked hip hop while she meditates on, in her own words, "an aquatic explanation of failed female companionships”. Joined by Seattle's Jusmoni in the KEXP Live Room, Stas performs four tracks from S'women and discusses futurism, music, and the excellence of Octavia Butler with DJ Riz. Recorded 10/21/2017. 4 songs - Solo, Before Anyone Else, Sex Pack, No ServiceSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four years passed in between Sam Beam's previous album as Iron & Wine and his latest, 2017's Beast Epic, but stepping away from the project to work on other endeavors - duet records, starting a record label, digging into his archives - refreshed him and inspired him to craft one of his most thoughtful and sweeping records to date. Joining Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room, Beam and his band play a stripped down set of Beast Epic songs that highlights the gently powerful songwriting. Recorded 10/18/0217 - 4 songs: Call It Dreaming, About A Bruise, Summer CloudsSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten years before this performance in the KEXP Gathering Space, the Seattle hip-hop group Common Market released Tobacco Road, a key album in the 2000s Seattle hip-hop canon. In celebration of its anniversary, Sabri and RA Scion (accompanied by a full band) reunited for a performance that shows the group hasn't lost a step since their 2009 disbandment. Recorded 12/01/2017. 5 songs - Slow Cure, 40 Acres, Re-Fresh, Trouble Is, Tobacco RoadSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The grimy, industrial Seattle group Haunted Horses initially broke up in 2016, but it wasn't long before they announced their revival as a “new band.” Returning to Audioasis with DJ Sharlese for the third time, the group perform five new songs from their new chapter and talk about why they came back to the project. Recorded 11/18/0217 - 4 songs: Vessel, INTO, Winkle, Pleasure, Cold MedicineSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Washington D.C.-via-Brooklyn artist Nick Hakim's spectral R and B is entrancing, a sublime mix of psychedelic tones and luscious vocals that shift around with glistening flair. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Hakim discusses his introduction to music, shifting from visual art to music, and his journey to Green Twins. Recorded 10/24/2017. 4 songs - Needy Bees, Cuffed, Roller Skates, Green TwinsSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ГШ (Glintshake), the Russian group fronted by Ekaterina Shilonosova, exploded onto DJ Kevin Cole's radar in 2017 with their raucous and radical take on garage rock. Performing a quartet of songs live from KEX Hostel as part of our 2017 Iceland Airwaves broadcast, the band roar through a set that could've leveled the tiny room they were playing in. Recorded 11/2/0217 - 4 songs: Симпатичный мужчина (Handsome Man), Польза (Usefulness), Без пятнадцати пять (Quarter to Five), Мой новый стиль (My New Style)Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a few years away to work on other projects, Ted Leo returned in 2017 with The Hanged Man, a personal, arresting record that ranks among his best work. Returning to the KEXP Live Room for the first time in years, Leo and the Pharmacists rip through three Hanged Man tracks and a Pharmacists classic. Recorded 11/8/2017. 4 songs - Can't Go Back, William Weld in the 21st Century, Bottled In Cork, Let's Stay On The MoonSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Call It Love, is not just Briana Marela's most dreamy and dense record, it might also be her most sublime. The Seattle musician's songs drift in and out but keep you pulled in, and Marela discusses that gliding tension with Cheryl Waters in this gorgeous session in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 10/20/2017 - 4 songs: Feel What I Feel, Give Me Your Love, Quit, Farthest ShoreSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Paris-based Lebanese musician Yasmine Hamdan ties echoing sounds and slinky rhythms to create a danceable, ethereal haze that leaves in a trance. Joining Wo' Pop host Darek Mazzone in the KEXP Live Room, Hamdan performs four songs from her newest record, Al Jamilat. Recorded 11/14/2017 - 4 songs: Balad, Cafe, Al Jamilat, K2 Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While it's true that Jófríður Ákadóttir is one of the more prolific Icelandic musicians of recent memory - her projects have included Pascal Pinon, Samaris, GANGLY, and now her solo venture, JFDR - but to focus on the quantity of her output doesn't do its quality justice. Ákadóttir's solo work in this session touches on electronic, baroque, pop, and experimental tendencies, but it's easier to just listen to this session from KEX Hostel than it is to try and delineate its sounds. Recorded 11/2/2017 - 4 songs: Instant Patience, My Work, Anything Goes, White SunSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After leaving your rock band and abandoning your faith, you're bound to come back with some kind of statement or not come back at all. Mikko Joensuu chose the former path, creating an ambitious trilogy of albums with songs that often live in spiritual, transcendent moments. Performing with a full band and string section from KEX Hostel during Iceland Airwaves 2017, Joensuu performs one of the more stirring sessions in recent memory. Recorded 11/3/2017 - 4 songs: Warning Sign, Closer My God, Dream About A Miracle, Drop Me DownSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor McFerrin's music walks the line between jazz, electronic, and soul with a beautiful, aqueous flow that invites minds and feet alike to his songs. Joining John Gilbreath on Jazz Theatre, McFerrin plays an untitled, improvised set that twists and turns. Recorded 11/11/2017.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Antisocialites, the second album from Toronto's Alvvays, takes all of the charms of their stellar 2014 debut and sharpens them - the songs are catchier, the band's interplay is more sleek, and Molly Rankin's hooks are the kind of emotional echoes that cut deeper than their gauzy sweetness first implies. Joining DJ Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room, the band talk about the process of making Antisocialites and play four songs from the album. Recorded 10/27/2017 - 4 songs: Plimsoil Punks, Dreams Tonight, Not My Baby, In UndertowSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a seven year break, the members of Broken Social Scene felt compelled to reunite, not just for new music, but to underscore the personal bond that runs through the Toronto collective. Performing songs from their new album, Hug Of Thunder, and a BSS classic, the band join Stevie Zoom in the KEXP Live Room for a four-song performance and a remembrance of Gord Downie. Recorded 10/04/2017 - 4 songs: Stay Happy, Skyline, Protest Song, Sweetest KillSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between their first session at KEXP in March 2015 to their return trip three and a half years later, Wolf Alice toured the world two or three times over and became one of the biggest bands of their generation. Visions of a Life, their sophomore record, meets the hype - it's ambitious and grand and vivid - and three of those songs (along with a Wolf Alice classic) are performed in a stripped down session with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/12/2017 - 4 songs: Sadboy, Space & Time, Bros, Don't Delete The KissesSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Baba (Arabic for “father”), Happy Orchestra producer Tarik Abouzied created a vibrant, joyous record that doubles as a tribute to his late father. Performing on Audioasis as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival, Abouzied and the rest of sextet work through four kinetic jazz tunes and talk about how the project came to be. Recorded 10/04/2017 - 4 songs: Room 358, 55, Step How You Like, BabaSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You must set an example - to be a good person, you must be a good person.” The English translation of Ladilikan, Trio Da Kali's 2017 LP, has some weight to it, but the trio of musicians from the Mande culture of Southern Mali have so much life in their music. Joining Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop, the Malian trio perform five songs and expand on their artistic vision in conversation. Recorded 10/4/2017 - 4 songs: Dissa, Ladilikan, Kanimba, Eh Ya Ye, GuedeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caitlin De Marrais, Kaia Fischer, and William Kuehn originally stepped away from the influential emo outlet Rainer Maria in 2006, but fate led to their return nearly a decade later, first as a performing band, then as a recording one. S/T, their first record in a decade, is full of the passionate turbulence that drove their best work, and three of its songs - along with a RM classic - appear in this session with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/05/2017 - 4 songs: Suicides And Lazy Eyes, Lower Worlds, Artificial Light, Forest MattressSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the seminal shoe gaze group Ride reunited in 2015, a new record was just a matter of when, rather than if. Weather Diaries, the band's first record in over two decades, channels their textural tension with a mature, reflective set of songs that shows few, if any, signs of rust. The band that closed out KEXP's old studio returns to the New Home in this heavily anticipated session with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 9/24/2017 - 4 songs: Lannoy Point, Vapour Trail, Cali, Weather Diaries, All I Want, Leave Them All BehindSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To name her newest record, Halo, Argentina's Juana Molina sorted through her lyrics word by word before deciding “halo” was the correct way to describe this collection of rhythmic, kinetic electronic music. Joining Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop, Molina and her band return to KEXP to perform four songs from Halo and discuss the difficulty of naming the record and being one of a kind. Recorded 9/26/2017 - 4 songs: Cosoco, Estalacticas, Paraguaya, Sin DonesSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Influenced by the year he spent on the road while writing the record, Simon Green's latest record, Migration, is Bonobo's most progressive album to date, with a wider spectrum of sounds bursting into his electronic compositions. Joined by a full band in his return to KEXP's Live Room, Green joins DJ Kevin Cole to play four Migration tracks and discuss how perpetually traveling impacted the record. Recorded 9/19/2017 - 4 songs: Migration, Break Apart, No Reason, SamuraiSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benjamin Booker's second album, Witness, finds the musician rallying his blues rock sound to call for respect and justice in troubling times while retaining the sharp musicianship that made his debut stand out. On his return to the KEXP Live Room, Booker joins Troy Nelson for four Witness songs and a conversation about writing songs in Mexico and visiting Third Man Records' headquarters. Recorded 9/11/2017 - 4 songs: The Slow Drag Under, Carry, Believe, Right On YouSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The North Carolina musician Sarah Shook had been buzzy for the past few years, but with Sidelong, her 2017 album, her profile appropriately raised with the collection of twangy, burning country songs. In fiery form, Shook and her band the Disarmers join Don Slack on Swingin' Doors to play four songs and discuss the origins of the group, . Recorded 9/27/2017 - 4 songs: Keep the Home Fires Burnin', Dwight Yoakum, Heal Me, The Bottle Never Lets Me DownSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In between playing seemingly countless shows and becoming one of Seattle's worst-kept-secrets, DoNormaal found time to craft Third Daughter, her second full-length and a stunning addition to her catalog. On her return to the KEXP Live Room, DoNormaal performs four tracks from Third Daughter and discusses the last year and her favorite poets with Stas THEE Boss. Recorded 9/21/2017 - 4 songs: Buckle, Magic Donormarl, Emotional, Plugged InSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's one of America's most consistent journeyman songwriters, but Conor Oberst's 2016/17 companion albums Ruminations and Salutations are some of his best and most harrowing work yet. Performing four songs from those albums with a band, Oberst's songwriting is placed front and center in this session with Troy Nelson. Recorded 9/2/2017 - 4 songs: Barbary Coast, Afterthought, Mamah Borthwick (A Sketch), Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cigarettes After Sex is an evocative moniker, and it's brilliant that the El Paso, Texas group's sound is as vaporous, alluring, and nocturnal as they suggest. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Live Room, Greg Gonzalez and co. perform four tracks from their self-titled debut. Recorded 9/8/2017 - 4 songs: K., Sunsetz, Sweet, ApocalypseSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Considering the members' other projects, Filthy Friends' collective resume is completely stacked - having Corin Tucker, Peter Buck, and Scott McCaughey in your ranks will do that - but it's remarkable how loose and low-stakes this performance of ripping guitars and pounding drums sounds. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Live Room, the Portland, Oregon group show off their chemistry as friends and musicians with four songs from their 2017 self-titled debut. Recorded 9/8/2017 - 4 songs: The Arrival, Despierta, Ides October, BrotherSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pieces of Sky, Tomo Nakayama's latest record, is one of the Seattle veteran's most delicate and powerful works, reflecting on the nature of traveling and going through life during chaotic times. Backed by a full band in this session on the Morning Show with John Richards, Nakayama and his group play four songs and discuss the nature of playing gigs in airports and using music to stay positive in tough times. Recorded 9/7/2017 - 4 songs: Bright and Blue, Fourth of Julivar's, Undying Light, Pieces of SkySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Named after the informal moniker of the musicians who helped him make the record, Floating Harmonies is one of Júnrus Meyvant's finest records, living up to its title's description of aqueous, serene melodies. Performing a stripped down set in the KEXP Live Room, Meyvant and his band play three tracks from the record (and an unreleased tune) and tell DJ Morgan about their year after the record's release. Recorded 9/2/2017 - 4 songs: Dwelling Side By Side, Mr. Minister Great, Floating Harmonies, Neon ExperienceSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's hard to think of a local band that's emerged as explosively this year on KEXP as Great Grandpa, but it's not hard to see why. The quintet write crunchy, catchy, and thoughtful songs, of which there are 10 on their stellar debut Plastic Cough. Four of those air during this session with on the Morning Show with John Richards which also features a story about how a band member eating pumpkin seeds led to the lyrics of “Teen Challenge”. Recorded 8/23/2017 - 4 songs: Expert Eraser, Fade, Teen Challenge, Favorite ShowSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I'm just writing to write and to let that be heard.” Luz Elena Mendoza says she processes events and experiences pretty quickly, and it shows in her songs, full of musical ideas with vibrant energy. The Y La Bamba leader clearly has a lot to say, and in this session with DJ Sharlese on Audioasis, she and her band play four new songs and discuss living through the darkness and the light, articulating your experiences, and striving to being nice to everyone. Recorded 8/17/2017 - 4 songs: My Death, Mujeres, 4-Loca, SoñadoraSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Morby has been a KEXP favorite for a few years now, but he's never sounded quite as vibrant and expansive as he does on his latest LP, City Music. Performing a set full of City Music tracks (along with some old favorites) at the Triple Door, Morby and his bandmates run through a sublime 50 minute set. Recorded 8/21/2017 - 4 songs: City Music, Crybaby, 1234, Aboard My Train, Destroyer, I Have Been To The Mountain, Parade, Downtown's Lights, Beautiful StrangersSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“In order to be big, we need a lot of players.” Jungle Fire guitarist bassist Joseph Reina lays it out pretty clear: to be able to create muscular afro funk workouts, the Los Angeles outfit need at least ten musicians. But even with a guitarist missing, the nonet sound bold and kinetic when they joined DJ Chilly on El Sonido for four songs and a breakdown of their story as a band. Recorded 6/23/2017 - 4 songs: Jambú, Cumbia de Sal, Lamento Momposino, FirewalkerSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Popular Manipulations, The Districts' followup to 2015's breakout A Flourish and a Spoil, is a massive leap forward for the mature-beyond-their-years quartet. Ragged and emotional but with plenty of songwriting sharpness, the band's newest batch of songs goes forth boldly into the KEXP Live Room in this session with Troy Nelson. Recorded 7/7/2017 - 4 songs: If Before I Wake, Violet, Fat Kiddo, Ordinary DaySupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing Feels Natural, Priests' stunning 2017 LP, pulls no punches with its shapeshifting punk-damaged songs about fighting against the oppressive forces around you. It's the kind of record that makes the most sense in a sweaty small venue, but a small radio station studio comes pretty close to recreating that experience. The D.C. quartet join Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room for four songs and a discussion about running your own label and having Ian Mackaye as a “band dad." Recorded 8/17/2017 - 4 songs: JJ, Pink White House. Nothing Feels Natural, SuckSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doom Wop, the title of Prom Queen's latest album, is just as much of a title as it is a statement of aesthetic. Dressed to the nines and stocked with a wave of girl-group melodies, Leeni and co. joins DJ Sean on Audioasis for a set of smooth, beehive-haired Doom Wop tracks and a discussion of the best prom movies. Recorded 7/22/2017 - 4 songs: Vengeance (Will Be Mine), I Need You, Can't Seem To Cry, BlondeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.