KEXP DJ Greta Rose on Australian producer and DJ HAAi

Dijon - "Talk Down" from the 2021 album Absolutely on Warner. LA-based artist and former half of the alt R&B duo Abhi//Dijon, Dijon released his debut album Absolutely back in November, perhaps just a smidge too late in the year for listeners to spend the appropriate time cozying up with it for the album to end up on the 2021 year-end lists that it absolutely should have been on. A home-run of a first record, Absolutely is a brilliant blend of smooth R&B and downtempo pop, with flourishes of Americana. Our Song of the Day, “Talk Down,” is just one of the many highlights on Absolutely. Built upon a shuffling breakbeat, Dijon huskily croons out an arresting story of a couple on a road trip, where landscapes change, arguments ensue, and the radio is constantly playing music in the background. Gillian Welch, the Band, and Liz Phair soundtrack their journey, often distracting the narrator from their conversation who pleads to turn the music down. Dijon will be on tour starting late April 2022, with a stop in Seattle on May 22nd at the Crocodile. Watch an abbreviated live version of “Talk Down” at the link below. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Helmi 20222min

Parris - "Skater's World (feat. Eden Samara)" from the 2021 album Soaked In Indigo Moonlight on Can You Feel The Sun. Parris is a London-born-and-raised producer who has been using his grime, drum 'n' bass, and pop influences to weave diverse soundscapes since his 2017 split single release Burr / Blue. 2021 saw him finally unveil his debut full-length, Soaked in Indigo Moonlight, which intertwines stripped-down, airy compositions, jittery experiments, and club-rooted pop for a dynamic, exciting listen. Our Song of the Day, “Skater’s World,” is one of the poppiest, upbeat, and carefree tracks on the record. Featuring upcoming London-via-Toronto singer/producer Eden Samara, the track is a frenetic eulogy to friendship and skateboarding. Parris aka Dwayne Parris-Robinson says this about the album: “The only constant truth is change. This is a record about understanding yourself. This is a record about finding the support you trust so you can have the confidence to start building. It is a record about friendship. About hanging out, about skating. This is an album built on Pop, then torn into my thing. Charli XCX, Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, Kewngface, Digga D, SL, Unknown T, Vince Staples, Lil Peep, Denzel Curry and Emmy the Great: if you’ve known me then you’ve known these are the reverberations in my head. I write music in blue, this album is my indigo. They say only moonlight shows your true reflection, that is the light of this record.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Helmi 20223min

serpentwithfeet - "Down Nuh River" from the 2021 EP DEACON'S Grove on Secretly Canadian. In March of 2021, Los Angeles-via-Baltimore experimental soul artist serpentwithfeet released his sophomore album DEACON, which ended up on both KEXP’s Larry Rose and Larry Mizell Jr.’s top albums of 2021. While that one incredible record would’ve been quite sufficient for one year’s release, the artist who’s legally known as Josiah Wise quickly followed that up with a companion EP this past October titled DEACON'S Grove featuring reinterpretations of two DEACON songs, a remix of “Fellowship” featuring Ambre and Alex Isley, and the new songs “Down Nuh River” and “Shoot Ya Shot.” Our Song of the Day, “Down Nuh River,” is characteristically hushed but playful in its sing-song manner. “When working on ‘Down Nuh River’ I was thinking of all the songs that me, my friends and cousins made up as kids," serpentwithfeet said of the song. "We had so much fun creating and reinventing songs on the playground and the porch. I wanted to channel that energy in this track." The song comes with a video that channels that youthful spirit. Directed by Keith Nedd, the video sees Wise a few friends performing a choreographed dance routine on a school football field, dressed in matching outfits made for the playfield. Watch the video for “Down Nuh River” as well as serpentwithfeet’s Live on KEXP at Home session with Larry Mizell Jr. from 2020 at the link below and catch serpentwithfeet in Seattle on Saturday, February 26th at Neumos. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 Tammi 20222min

Friedberg - "Yeah" from the 2021 album YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH on Marathon Artists. Indie pop quartet Friedberg is named after frontwoman Anna F.’s Austrian hometown and is just the latest project from the musician, who had a successful solo career in her native country that included two chart-topping records and four Amadeus Austrian Music Awards, before joining forces with Emily Linden, Laura Williams and Cheryl Pinero as Friedberg. One could say that Anna F.’s prestigious history is the reason Friedberg has been making major waves despite only having a string of singles and one five-song EP out but that would be extremely reductive to the incredible music the band is making. Our Song of the Day, the abridged title track off 2021’s Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, is pure, unadulterated fun. What the song lacks in depth, it makes up for in spades with its catchy dance groove and joyful exuberance. Anna F. had this to say about the song: “‘Yeah’ is my personal anthem for letting go – of everything and anything. From voices in your head, pictures popping up and patterns you have learnt. When we wrote the song we were just dancing to the groove in the studio until all those voices and things disappeared and basically only the yeahs, the beat and bassline remained. Dancing yourself clean I suppose.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Tammi 20222min

Qlowski - "Folk Song" from the 2021 album Quale Futuro? on Maple Death Records. London-by-way-of-Italy art-punk outfit Qlowski is led by Michele Tellarini and Cecilia Corapi. Friends since the age of 16, the duo have dabbled with a number of sounds and influences over the past decade, which is apparent on their debut full-length Quale Futuro? which eccentrically fuses new wave and post-punk with just a flourish of twee for a sound that’s both nostalgic and refreshing. Our Song of the Day, “Folk Song,” is deceptive in its titling because, for all the genres the band meshes together, folk is not one of them. Abrasive rhythms coincide with motorik guitar strums while Tellarini mumble-roars nearly imperceptible lyrics, sounding like a fusion of Robert Smith, Joe Talbot, and Hamish Kilgour. The song comes with a video directed by Eli Hart. The band had this to say about it: "The original idea was to recreate a late 70s/early 80s Top of the Pops scenario - but given the nature of the song we opted for a more dreamy/nightmarish vibe. The presenter is struggling pronouncing our name and no one in the crowd is even slightly touched by our performance and music. Everyone is actually frozen in time, as if our music wasn’t even reaching their reality. For once we wanted to be ironic and funny, but it turned out quite Lynchian I'm afraid!" Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Tammi 20223min

Amelie Siba - "hold on to me" from the 2021 self-released EP when is our time. Prague-based singer-songwriter Amelie Siba makes quiet, intimate songs that are simple in instrumentation so as to focus on Siba’s childlike falsetto which belies the maturity of her songwriting. Following 2019’s introductory EP titled It Was Nice to Meet You, Siba’s 2020 debut full-length Dye My Hair arrived when the musician was just 17 years old and went on to earn her the critics’ choice Apollo award for the Czech album of the year. 2021 saw Siba release both the EP when is our time and the full-length Love Cowboys. Our Song of the Day, “hold on to me,” comes from the latter release. While the EP continues Siba’s penchant for gentle melodies and airy vocals, she sets aside the guitar to incorporate electronic beats for just the smallest hint of danceability over the EP’s four songs. “hold on to me” closes out the EP with spacious, layered vocals with the wistful sentiment of yearning to be loved and held. Amelie Siba played the Netherlands-based non-profit showcase for European artists Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) this past weekend. At the link below, watch Siba’s video for “New Normal,” a song off the Czech film of the same name from the Laterna for Camera series. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Tammi 20223min

Meskerem Mees - "Joe" from the 2021 album Julius on Mayway Records. Belgium-based singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees first appeared on the scene in 2020 with her debut single, “Joe.” A sweet and simple guitar ballad, Mees’ soft, clear voice takes center stage and pulls listeners in with her saccharine coos, making it an easy choice for Song of the Day. “Joe” went on to become a massive commercial and critical success in Belgium and its neighboring countries and set Mees up to release her debut album Julius in November 2021. At only 22 years old, the 13 songs that make up Julius show an artist fully formed in her timeless delivery of catchy, well-crafted folk-pop gems. With just her voice, an acoustic guitar, and the cello of her sister-in-arms Febe Lazou, the sparse songs carry so much more weight than their simplicity belies. Meskerem Mees played the Netherlands-based non-profit showcase for European artists Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) this past weekend, where they were also awarded with the Grand Jury MME Award for the Music Moves Europe Awards. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Tammi 20223min

LADANIVA - "Vay Aman" from the 2020 EP Ladaniva on Planete B. Ladaniva is the musical partnership between Armenian singer Jacqueline Baghdasaryan and French multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas. Founded by the duo in 2019, they went viral in the early days of the pandemic with the release of the video for our Song of the Day, “Vay Aman.” Set in a sunny locale with faces full of joy, it’s hard not to smile while watching their effervescent playing. Ladaniva’s music takes influences from all around the world, from traditional Balkan music to maloya, jazz and reggae, with strong roots in Armenian folk. It reflects Baghdasaryan’s DNA, of Armenian and Belarussian descent while Thomas came from a family of musicians and began to play trumpet at the age of 7. After a jazz course at the conservatory, he traveled with his instruments around Africa and Latin America and got introduced to a long list of musical genres through meetings with traditional musicians. The two fused their backgrounds and styles after meeting in Lille, France, where Baghdasaryan is a vocal teacher at the MusicaLille music school. Ladaniva played the Netherlands-based non-profit showcase for European artists Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) this past weekend, where they were also awarded with the esteemed prize of Public Choice Award for the Music Moves Europe Awards. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Tammi 20223min