Durand Jones & The Indications - Tuck 'N' Roll

Spirit Award - Pushing Forward from the 2023 album The Fear on Share It Music. Seattle’s Spirit Award, the project of Daniel Lyon and currently with Chris Jordan of Sunny Day Real Estate on bass, has been fine-tuning his brand of doom-filled psychedelic indie for over seven years now, with his upcoming fourth studio album The Fear destined to be one of his best. While they may only have one single out, it’s an incredibly strong one and shows that Spirit Award are only getting better. “Pushing Forward” is a psychedelic journey into the recesses of the mind that technically refers to drugs but can be taken to a larger level. Unlike the long journey that drugs often take a mind through, the song breezes by with its layers of dreamy guitar play. While the song specifically references the paranoia post-drugs that requires one to either succumb to the fear or push forward through it, it has deeper layers for Lyon. “This idea for this song came about at a time of growth and realization, during some sleepless nights,” explains Lyon. “I had so many things getting thrown my way throughout my musical career; Vans getting broken into, gear stolen, rehearsal space getting robbed, identity getting stolen, van getting stolen, health problems, and most of all financial problems. The worst of all these has been a post-pandemic landscape which has changed how bands tour and put out music and try to make a living doing so. This has not only affected musicians but also music venues. Throughout all this, as a person and as a musician, I have always tried to keep ‘pushing forward’. So this song became a motivation to do so and sort of a rallying cry for our music community. I am thankful to have had the support of MusiCares and friends that helped me through a journey of growth and discovery. And knowing that no matter how low things get, there is hope.” The Fear is out May 19th via Share It Music. The video for “Pushing Forward” sees Lyon traverse a wild night helmed by some mystically masked characters and is directed by Seattle’s Eric Luck. Watch it and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Feb 20233min

Thrillhouse - "Fatal Flaw," a 2022 self-released single. Brighton duo Thrillhouse channel the '80s (Echo & the Bunnymen, in particular) on their latest single, "Fatal Flaw." ("Hopefully it’s not toooo similar. Eek," they joked to Analogue Trash.) "We’ve never really settled on a sound," they continued. "Will probably be the cause of our eventual demise down the road. But it’s nice to write different types of songs otherwise the whole thing gets a bit stale, I think." With today's Song of the Day, Thrillhouse pens an ode to supportive friends. "It’s kinda like a love letter to people that stick by you when you’re having a crap time. So, more of a thanks to the people in my life that have been nice, rather than a particular moment." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Feb 20233min

Screaming Females - "Brass Bell" from the 2023 album Desire Pathway on Don Giovanni Jersey trio Screaming Females continue to pave their own punk-rock path on their latest LP Desire Pathway, out now via Don Giovanni Records. Vocalist/guitarist Marissa Paternoster speaks to the album title, sharing, "Maybe there was one in your neighborhood growing up, a corner where everyone decided it took too long to go around, so they made their own pathway to cut through. There’s this cool unsaid group consciousness that comes together where everyone decides, this is the right way to go." With today's Song of the Day, she reflects on sacrifice, stating, "'Brass Bell’ is a song about surrendering your autonomy to something so overwhelmingly powerful you willingly relinquish your ambitions and self-worth. My intention was to draw an interesting dichotomy between the muscular nature of the song and the rather bleak, worried lyrics.” Screaming Females will be playing in Seattle on Wednesday, April 12th at Madame Lou's with Smirk and Generacion Suicida. More dates on their website here. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Feb 20234min

Eyelids - "Colossal Waste of Light" from the 2023 album A Colossal Waste of Light on Jealous Butcher. Portland supergroup Eyelids have gotten even more powerful on their fourth LP, A Colossal Waste of Light, which will be released on March 10 via Jealous Butcher Records. Songwriters John Moen (of The Decemberists) and Chris Slusarenko (formerly of Guided by Voices) are now joined by Victor Krummenacher (of Camper Van Beethoven) alongside existing members Jonathan Drews (guitar) and Paulie Pulvirenti (drums). Their latest album is produced by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, also a guest musician on the release. He'll be accompanying the band on March 11th when Eyelids plays the Sunset Tavern in Seattle.  Today's Song of the Day was released with a video from their longtime director John Clark; the band members are captured in papier-mâché, using figurines made by Scottish artist Jo Hamilton and bodies built by multi-talent Moen. "We still have that Little Rascals 'let's put on a show' with every Eyelids video," the band state on their website. "This one might take the cake, though. It's beautiful and ridiculous in equal measure." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Feb 20233min

King Zaae - Someplace Somewhere a 2022 self-released single. Seattle-based artist King Zaae may be young at only 17 but he already has a widespread discography of genre-fluid sounds in the six years he’s been making music when he started fiddling with making music on his iPhone at eleven years old. Since 2021, though, his music has really started to take shape, refining his production techniques for a fully formed yet ever-changing musical identity. His earlier mixtapes like I Hate This Town and debut album Being Sad is a Cliché saw King Zaae lean into the emo influences he gleamed from his auntie like My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights, and American Football. In recent singles (of which he’s released over a dozen since the start of 2022), he’s explored everything from R&B and funk to hyper-pop. Our Song of the Day, “Someplace Somewhere,” is a softly-strummed R&B ballad that leans on King Zaae’s smooth vocals while a warbling synth and a hypnotic electric guitar melody keep meter. The main element of emo - longing - is still present but in a more Frank Ocean than Gerard Way manner. King Zaae will compete in this year’s 2nd annual 21-and-under Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) music showcase, Sound Off! He’ll perform on Saturday, February 25th alongside other up-and-coming local artists Pilot Seat, defsharp, and lavenderhayez. Watch the official video for “Being Sad Is a Cliche” and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 Feb 20234min

Oddisee - Try Again from the 2023 album To What End on Outer Note Label. In January, rapper/producer Oddisee dropped his twelfth studio album, To What End, which explores human ambition, posing the question: “How far are you willing to go, and why?” This idea is expressed in our Song of the Day and early single “Try Again.” Backed by a funky groove, the DC-based emcee waxes about growing from the trials and tribulations he previously endured. "Couple wins, couple L’s / Took a hit but I prevailed/ Now I got the gist on how to flip it when I fail." Synth keys, rapid-firing drums, and a luscious guitar lick round out the infectious dance jam as Oddisee encourages listeners to not let their losses define them, proclaiming "All this time you spent / All that love you gave/ Please don’t walk away / Try again.” Watch Oddisee’s stirring Live from KEXP at Home performance and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Feb 20232min

Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - "Fire In Detroit", a 2023 single on Jazz Is Dead. Launched in 2020, the Jazz is Dead series is an ongoing series from producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, aiming to elevate some legends of the genre with original collaborations. For the latest edition, the guys team up with trombonist Phil Ranelin and saxophonist Wendell Harrison, founders of the '70s Detroit-based label and collective, Tribe Records. Tribe Records was more than just an independent record label; it was a community-run organization that tackled all aspects of an album release, including promotion, distribution, and publishing. Their message was "music is the healing force of the universe," and it's a motto that Jazz is Dead keeps alive with their own releases.  Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Feb 20235min

Ivy Sole - "Don't Hide (feat. Kingsley Ibeneche)" a 2023 single on Ivy Sole LLC / Venice Music Candid, the latest album from Philly-based Pan-Africanist artist Ivy Sole, is presented as triptych, inspired by her parents' love story and how it shaped her own views on relationships.  As she told Metal Magazine, "How the story unfolds in this album is not identical to how it transpired in the lives of my parents, or even in my life, but this much is true – Candid helped me love myself and love my family in ways I could never have imagined and confirmed that our enemy is not each other but the world we live in. How could I not talk about that when the world has only gotten more deadly for all of us?" Today's Song of the Day finds Sole reuniting with previous collaborator Kingsley Ibeneche, a singer/songwriter/dancer in his own right. Watch them perform in the music video below, directed by Sole and filmed by Wren Rene.  Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Feb 20233min