Miya Folick - So Clear

Witch Prophet - Memory from the 2023 album Gateway Experience from Heart Lake Records. Toronto-based neo-soul artist Ayo Leilani aka Witch Prophet recently unveiled her third studio album, Gateway Experience, which delved into her personal experience with focal aware seizures, sometimes known as Déjà vu or Déjà reve. They’re out-of-body experiences that include lucid dreaming and memory loss. “If I came out with an album like this five years ago, it would probably be a little too witchy,” says the former Polaris-shortlisted artist. “Now it’s a lot less scary to talk about.” Our Song of the Day, “Memory,” deals directly with the memory loss aspect of her unique condition. “I’m at a loss for words /Can’t remember the last time /I’ve been here /Yeah my memory keeps fading fast /Trying to hold on to the bit I have,” croons Leilani over a downtempo R&B beat. She receives backup from another shining Canadian artist, Begonia, who was nominated for a JUNO Award for Adult Alternative Album Of The Year for her critically acclaimed 2017 EP Lady In Mind and was shortlisted for The Polaris Music Prize for her 2019 debut full-length. "’Memory’ is about my struggle with memory loss and brain fog,” Leilani explains. “There are some days where I can't get the right words out, where I can't remember something as simple as someone's name or whether I've taken my medication (moments after taking it). While working on the album I had a dream where I was singing with Begonia. When I woke up she just happened to be on TikTok live. I joined and told her about my dream and she turned it into a reality." Watch the Francesca Nocera-directed claymation video for “Memory” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Juni 20232min

SoulChef & Uptown Swuite - "Wheels Fall Off" from the 2023 album LUA on SoulSwuite Music New Zealand-based artist SoulChef teams up again with west coast MC Uptown Swuite for today's Song of the Day. (We spotlighted the duo last year with another of their singles.)  The latest in their "SoulSwuite" series is titled LUA, or "two" as translated from Samoan. The duo have long used their music to celebrate their shared heritage. As Uptown Swuite told HipHopDX, "We really just wanted to capture the Samoan experience all around via our eyes — whether it be a Samoan living in California, New Zealand. or even the motherland Samoa/American Samoa.” Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Juni 20233min

dragonchild - "Sera" from the 2023 album dragonchild on FPE Records. dragonchild is the new project from saxophonist DA Mekonnen, who previously led the Boston-based 11-piece Ethiopian music collective Debo Band. As a solo artist, he says he plans to take his exploration of Ethiopian music and explode it "into vivid, three-dimensional space." On today's Song of the Day, he collaborates with Addis Ababa-based electronic artist Ethiopian Records (real name: Endeguena Mulu); he also samples the track "Seqota" by Yezinna Negash, a fellow Addis Ababa-based vocalist.  As he sums up in a press statement, “The record feels and breathes to me like the Ethiopian music I’ve been trying to figure out my whole life.”  Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Juni 20232min

Speakers Corner Quartet - "Can We Do This? (feat. Sampha)" a 2023 single on OTIH Records KEXP loves a literal name ("The Morning Show on KEXP," anyone?), and jazz collective Speakers Corner Quartet have just that. The group formed in 2006 as the in-house band at South London landmark Speakers' Corner, a place that hosted open-mic nights where these four musicians would play for hours, improvising hip-hop beats for guest MCs to rap over. “There’s never been a rush as we’re just happy being in a room together," percussionist Kwake Bass told Qobuz. "Playing instruments is just an extension of that and I think that’s what the community is all about, it’s just another part of the conversation.” Now, as a recording collective, they continue to bring that live experience to their albums with an impressive list of guests. They've worked with Novelist, Joey Bada$$, Kae Tempest, Mica Levi, and on today's Song of the Day, fellow South London artist Sampha.  Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Juni 20232min

La Fonda - New Mexico from the 2023 self-released album We Are Infinite. Seattle-based quintet La Fonda recently released their sophomore full-length We Are Infinite, a dream pop-indebted elegy to navigating life in a corporation-led city and the financial and mental health struggles that brings and finding the specks of hope within. Led by Filipino-American sisters Valeria and Veronica Topacio, the two have been grinding to make La Fonda into the band it is now since 2016. Playing every venue while tinkering with their sound has massively paid off, as the new record sees the band at their best. Our Song of the Day is the early single “New Mexico,” an anthemic ode to life on the road and the complicated feelings and relationships formed in the unique scenario of touring. Quick goodbyes to people who felt like family for a moment, scenic vistas that are constantly being replaced, and the feeling of constantly chasing something in the distance but not knowing exactly what it is. The immense beauty and simultaneous sadness of it is captured in the shimmering song. The band had this to say about the inspiration behind “New Mexico”: “This song takes us back to tour 2019. We spent some extra time in New Mexico with the band and our friend, who was hosting us at his home. He died of a drug overdose in the peak of the pandemic and this song is for him. We wrote parts of this song while at his house and unfortunately this was the last time we saw him. So many great memories happened on this tour and especially spending time at his home laughing under a red tiled roof with desert beneath our feet. We will never forget being in New Mexico together and it is a sacred place for us.” Watch the video for “New Mexico,” co-directed by Gemma Cross, Lily Grace, and GiiiRLBAND, and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Juni 20233min

Hallelujah Lilly - "Bunny Rainbow Revolution," a 2023 self-released single DJ Kevin Cole picks another mystery track for this week's Song of the Day: while I can't seem to discern if Hallelujah Lilly is based in Reykjavik, Iceland or Nashville, Tennessee (or Canada?), Kevin was kind enough to share how he discovered her music: I was doing a DJ set at Lucky Records in Reykjavik last year on the Sunday of Iceland Airwaves.  She came on and performed a solo acoustic set after me, and I was taken aback by her songwriting, grounded uplifting optimism, and spirit.  I might not have heard her if it wasn't for this fortunate booking alignment. After her performance, I asked if she had music out and she said she was working on an album and would send it to me.  This is the first song I've received. There's a haunting, lo-fi sparseness to "Bunny Rainbow Revolution" urging you to "set yourself free."  Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Juni 20234min

Ooh La La - "Life's Too Fast To Feel" a 2023 self-released single. There's not a lot of information out there yet about brand-new Los Angeles-based duo Ooh La La, but sharp-eyed KEXP listeners might recognize the name Kii Arens from the liner notes of past Live at KEXP compilation albums! The long-time artist/director/graphic designer has previously created album covers for us. Now, relocated from his hometown of Minneapolis to Los Angeles, he and partner Jessy Greene (who has played violin for P!nk, Foo Fighters, and others) have launched this new musical project. The band reports on Facebook that today's Song of the Day will be released this summer as a double single via Killer Kern Records. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Juni 20234min