Jason McCue - When He Drinks

MAITA - "Someone's Lost Their Wallet" from the 2020 album Best Wishes on Kill Rock Stars. Throughout the month of May, KEXP has been celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We’re putting an extra spotlight this week on API artists with this week’s Song of the Day picks, starting off with MAITA’s excellent “Someone’s Lost Their Wallet.” Read an excerpt from KEXP writer Martin Douglas’ previous debut on the track: “[MAITA’s] ‘Someone's Lost Their Goddamn Wallet,’ setting the pace as the second track on Best Wishes (out May 15th on Kill Rock Stars), is steeped in the songwriting tradition of jaunty, lighthearted folk-rock being used as a Trojan Horse for the creeping dread of existentialism. It's 3 AM and the party is still moving through the night presumably without incident or noise complaints, both the front and back door are being used, bodies are moving around in the enjoyably predictable way they always move around at parties.” Read our premiere of the track on KEXP.org. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Mai 20203min

We’ve finally reached World Goth Day and DJ Abbie is going out with a bang – or rather a “Ravebomb.” This alternate mix from the Vancouver B.C. techno outfit lives up to its name. It’s a haunted eruption of sound, shrieking against the clamoring of drums. Bold, unrelenting, and even a bit frightening, it hits all the hallmarks of goth music. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Mai 20204min

Oakland’s Houses of Heaven takes us into the homestretch of DJ Abbie’s Song of the Day pics leading into World Goth Day on May 22. The center piece of the group’s debut LP, “A Place Between” is quintessential goth with sharp, spelling-binding and dissonant percussion and whirls of cryptic drones and vocals. Playing the track loudly invokes the feeling of sweatily dancing in an underground club moments before stepping outside for the breath of invigorating fresh air.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Mai 20203min

Continuing with her week of goth song of the day picks, DJ Abbie brings us the industrial banger that is Fee Lion’s “Blood Sisters.” The moniker of Justina Kairyte, she’s described the EP and titular song as themed around self-love. “I was experiencing a deep disconnect with myself and had to begin the journey of re-learning how to love myself, which can be so daunting,” she told Paper Mag. “There were many, many days where I just didn't leave my bed, didn't leave the house and most definitely did not work on music. This wouldn't be the first time; I am actively working on finding the balance in my process.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Mai 20204min

We’re continuing DJ Abbie’s week of songs leading up to World Goth Day on May 22. Despite what the name may imply, Glasgow band The Ninth Wave’s “Happy Days!” is not a happy affair. This is ‘Goth Day,’ we’re talking about here – what did you expect? “’Happy Days!’ is a song of ups and downs,” the band told DIY Mag earlier this month. “At its core, the lyrics shine a torchlight on the murky highs and lows of life.” You can feel this in the driving pulse of the record. Waves of dark synthesizer rumbles under vocalist/guitarist Hadyn Park-Patterson’s guttural growl. The sputtering drums and spacious pauses make the climactic moments feel mammoth in size. All to say, it’s a happy day for goths with this incendiary track. Read the full post on KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 Mai 20203min

Leading up to World Goth Day, DJ Abbie is giving you a dose of variations of goth every day this week. She’s kicking things off with an essential cut from The Birthday Party’s own Rowland S. Howard. While often associated with post-punk, there’s an unmistakable goth-ness to the landmark Australian musician’s work. “Autoluminescent,” a standout track from Howard’s debut Teenage Snuff Film, contorts and twists in a bluesy haze. It’s a highlight of the tender, personal side of goth. Howard’s voice shakes as he sings “Into the dark darkness, I gave away myself.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18 Mai 20203min

Smokey Brights - "I Love You But Damn" from the 2020 album I Love You But Damn on Freakout Records. Seattle's own Smokey Brights — led by husband and wife duo Kim West and Ryan Devlin — return this summer with a new album titled I Love You But Damn, out in July via Freakout Records. Via their Facebook page, the band describe the song as "a love song for times of distance. Written about the early months of our relationship, we hope it serves as an audial salve for tired hearts in these strange times." Listen to the title track here. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Mai 20204min

Coriky - "Clean Kill" from the 2020 album Coriky on Dischord Records. Combine the melodic energy of the Evens and the gruff bark of Fugazi and you've got Coriky, not surprisingly, 'cause they feature members of both those bands. The trio of guitarist Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Evens), bassist Joe Lally (Fugazi), and drummer Amy Farina (Evens) played their first show in late 2018, at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington D.C., but hadn't officially released anything 'til now. Their self-titled debut was recorded last year by Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios, a name you've probably seen in the liner notes of most of your Dischord Records albums. Due to the coronavirus and the resulting closure of distributors and shops, they've postponed the release of the LP for now, but you can enjoy today's Song of the Day here. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Mai 20204min