Briston Maroney - Under My Skin

Daníel Hjálmtýsson - "Birds," a 2020 self-released single. Icelandic singer/songwriter Daníel Hjálmtýsson kicked off 2020 in a big way: by releasing his debut solo single "Birds" back on January 3rd. Hjálmtýsson may be better known as half of the experimental duo HYOWLP, a project with producer and multi-instrumentalist Hjalti Steinn Sigurðarson (and a KEXP podcast alumni)! On his own, he continues to produce dark, emotional music in the vein of Nick Cave or Mark Lanegan. He explains online that "Birds" is "inspired by the tragic, personal and familiar, struggles of being yet the glory of overcoming and acceptance," adding, it's "a homage to all the friends and fellow travelers that have gone too soon." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Maj 20205min

Lee Fields & The Expressions - "Don't Give Up," a 2019 single on Big Crown Records. Plainfield, NJ-based artist Lee Fields just celebrated his 70th birthday last week, and he's spent 50 of those years performing old-school soul, funk, and R&B. His first single was released in 1969, and he went on to work with artists like B.B. King, Clarence Carter, Kool & The Gang, and more. Last year, he released his seventh full-length (and fifth with his power-house backing band The Expressions) titled It Rains Love. Today's featured track was recorded during those sessions, but was unreleased until late 2019, when it was shared as a digital single. While the passionate ballad most likely reflects a love gone wrong, it bears a message of hope and solidarity that's perfect for these times. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Maj 20203min

STRFKR - “Never The Same” from the 2020 album Future Past Life on Polyvinyl. STRFKR returned this month with their sixth full-length, Future Past Life, which finds the long-running Portland-based band evolving from their psych-synth dance-heavy pop to something more stripped down and organic. For the first time ever, every song on the album is led by acoustic guitar with the synth sounds on the side. Today's featured track is quite possibly the most vulnerable song in their decade-long discography. It's a surprising twist, but we wouldn't expect anything else from the shape-shifting trio. Listen below. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Maj 20202min

Washed Out - “Too Late," a 2020 single on Sub Pop. What started out as a hindrance due to the coronavirus pandemic, ended up becoming a beautiful expression of support and community. For his latest digital single “Too Late”, Ernest Greene (aka chillwave pioneer Washed Out) had planned to shoot the music video in Italy, collaborating with an international team of filmmakers. In a statement, he explains: "I’d spent months planning a music video for a new song called 'Too Late.' My inspiration was a Mediterranean sunset I saw late last year, and the plan was to shoot on the coast of Italy with a team of UK and European collaborators..." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Apr 20204min

Hazel English - “Off My Mind” from the 2020 album Wake UP! on Polyvinyl / Marathon Artists. Don't let her sweet voice and the swingin' '60s vibe of today's Song of the Day fool you. Australian-born, LA-based artist Hazel English just released her debut album Wake UP!, and she's imploring listeners to do just that. She describes the album as “a reminder to wake up and be present in a time where we are used to switching off and looking for constant entertainment.” English worked with producers Justin Raisen (Angel Olsen, Yves Tumor) in Los Angeles and Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Cut Copy) in Atlanta to craft this 10-track LP. She describes today's featured track as “about feeling stuck in a situation but too afraid to make a move. It’s about the limbo state between where you are and where you want to be.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 Apr 20203min

Chemtrails - “Frightful in the Sunlight” from the 2020 album The Peculiar Smell of the Inevitable on PNKSLM. "Like riding into hell on a unicorn." That's how a friend of Manchester-via-London band Chemtrails described their latest single. (They clarify on Facebook, "his music taste is questionable, but we'll take it.") Originally a lo-fi home recording project of musical and romantic partners Mia Lust and Laura Orlova, Chemtrails have been riding that unicorn since the release of their 2016 digital-only EP Love In Toxic Wasteland. Even though they had only played one live show (at Trans Pride Brighton), Swedish label PNKSLM Recordings signed them right up. (You should check out an episode of our podcast focused entirely on the renowned label.) Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Apr 20203min

Woods - “Where Do You Go When You Dream?” from the 2020 album Strange to Explain on Woodsist. New York psych-folk band Woods return this Spring with their first new album in three years, titled Strange To Explain. The album will be their first since frontman Jeremy Earl became a father and since guitarist Jarvis Taveniere relocated to Los Angeles, adding new challenges for the 15-year-old band, but also invigorating their 11th full-length to date (and the 99th release for their label, Woodsist). They recorded the forthcoming full-length in Stinson Beach in northern California, adding to the warmth and sun-soaked songs on the new release. On today's Song of the Day, Earl describes it to Fader Magazine as "a gateway into dream and an escape from everyday reality." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Apr 20205min

Shane Tutmarc - "A Brave New World," a 2020 self-released single. “We’re all together / We’re not alone / Through the window through the phone / Where it stops nobody knows” Former Seattle-ite/current Nashvillian Shane Tutmarc shared the quarantine-inspired track "A Brave New World" earlier this month, inspired by reporter Eric Johnson of KOMO News in Seattle. Tutmarc remarked on his Facebook page: "It gave me a chance to really examine my feelings in a tangible way while searching for a light at the end of the tunnel and how this scary moment that we are all sharing may connect us all more than we had been." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Apr 20204min