Kexp Live Performances Podcast

Angel Olsen excels in hitting those long, sustained notes that speak volumes, and her songwriting pairs perfectly with her rich vocals, unwinding slowly to unfurl affecting, personal narratives. Her 2016 album MY WOMAN is full of those stories - accented by plenty of those heart-shattering vocal lines - many of which are on display in this stellar session from the Cutting Room Studios in New York City.  Recorded 08/30/2016 - 4 songs: Heart Shaped Face, Those Were The Days, Give It Up, Shut Up Kiss MeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Against Me! have always operated with as much self-awareness as they have articulate, external fury, and their latest album, 2016's Shape Shift With Me, continues the more introspective-leaning trend that Laura Jane Grace began on her 2014 opus Transgender Dysphoria Blues. But that hardly means their music is any less blisteringly anthemic, so it's easy to shape shift with Laura Jane Grace and co. on this incendiary session on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/26/2016 - 4 songs: 333, Crash, Delicate, Petite, and Other Things I'll Never Be, Suicide BomberSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Drive-By Truckers have never shied away from writing about social themes, but in the light of recent events, the long running Georgia outfit recorded one of their most striking and overtly political records to date in 2016's American Band. Joining Greg Vandy in the Roadhouse, the band play four incisive and honest tunes from the record and Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley discuss the events and tensions that led “the record to write itself”. Recorded 09/29/2016 - 4 songs: Ramon Casiano, Ever South, What It Means, Once They Banned ImagineSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since their formation in 1979, Fishbone's kinetic, funky mixture of rock and ska has remained a singular sound, not least because of Angelo Moore and company's blend of social commentary and clever humor that, thirty years on, seems more incisive than ever. Still vibrant,  still relevant, and still stuck in your throat, the Los Angeles group performs four songs from their catalog on the Afternoon Show.  Recorded 11/10/2016 - 4 songs: Forever Moore, The Suffering, Chim Chim's Badass Revenge, Kung Fu GripSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just over twenty years after their initial dissolution, Digable Planets took the stage for their longest reunion to date in 2016 and it's not only remarkable how in step with each other Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug are, but also how prescient their astute, complex lyrics and aqueous, groove-laden production would turn out to be twenty years later. Backed by a full band, the Brooklyn trio are in full force in this session from Kex Hostel during KEXP's Iceland Airwaves 2016 broadcast. Recorded 11/4/2016 - 5 songs: The May 4th Movement, Black Ego, Pacifics, What Cool Breezes Do, Jettin'Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Only a little over a year before the release of their debut full-length, What I Saw On The Way To Myself, Moji Abiola and Frosti Jón Runolfsson had met on an otherwise unnoteworthy night in a Reykjavik whiskey bar. The result of that chance meeting, however, was a powerful, stirring group whose blues-streaked rock music feels far more lived in than the songs' actual age. Performing live from the Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during KEXP's Iceland Airwaves 2016, Moji and the Midnight Sons' session is one for nights both fueled and untouched by whiskey. Recorded 11/4/2016 - 5 songs: Another Mile, Keep My Memory, Carmen's Lament, Island, Cut Me DownSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fufanu's electrifying live performances are what the Reykjavík outfit's sterling reputation is built on. After previously displaying it during a remote broadcast from Iceland Airwaves, the group finally made their long awaited debut in the KEXP studio in Seattle this fall, joining Cheryl Waters to rip through a whirlwind set (featuring songs from their as-yet-unreleased album) and discuss their creative process. Recorded 10/14/2016 - 4 songs: Sports, Circus Life, Bad Rockets, NowSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Kate Tempest released a song titled "Europe Is Lost" in late 2015, she showed a eerily foreshadowing fury that preceded the seemingly unending discord of 2016. On the track's parent album, 2016's Let Them Eat Chaos, Tempest reaffirms her status as a singular figure that's both thrillingly evocative and frighteningly prescient. Tempest doesn't hold anything back during this performance on KEXP's broadcast from Iceland Airwaves 2016, which is a marvel from start to finish. Recorded 11/04/16 - 7 songs: Picture a Vacuum, Lionmouth Door Knocker, Ketamine For Breakfast, Europe is Lost, We Die, Whoops, Brews/Don't Fall InSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fémina's take on acoustic rock music has plenty of melody, but the San Martin de los Andes, Argentina trio don't ever let their harmonious voices take the backseat to their hip-hop influenced rhythms and almost percussive vocal arrangements. Clara Miglioli and sisters Sofia and Clara Trucco join Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop to share four songs, the story of the band's beginning, and the state of being an independent artist in Argentina today. Recorded 10/11/2016 - 4 songs: Brillando, Mi Eje, Arriba, Palpita y GozaSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of the band's previous tour, Okkervil River leader Will Sheff returned to a Bob Dylan lyric that he's always circled back to: "He not busy being born is busy dying". With rebirth in mind, Sheff gathered a new group of musicians and created a new musical mindset that eventually evolved into the Austin, Texas band's eighth album, Away. Joining Troy Nelson in the KEXP studios, Sheff and his bandmates display a band that sounds intriguingly reborn and hungry for adventure once more. Recorded 10/8/2016 - 4 songs: Okkervil River R.I.P., The Industry, Judey On A Street, Unless It's KicksSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From trip-hop to R%26B to bossa nova - to name only a few styles incorporated in the Washington D.C. collective's music - Thievery Corporation's diverse rhythms and textures remain a vibrant touchstone to numerous styles of music 20 years after the band's formation In a career-spanning session on Wo' Pop, Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and co. flow through five songs from their catalog and discuss the band's origins, initiative to stay independent of major labels, and the secret of keeping a band together for two decades. Recorded 11/10/2016 - 5 songs: Forgotten People, Le Monde, All That We Perceive, Amerimacka, Culture Of FearSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On their third LP, Sunlit Youth, Local Natives created their darkest and densest record to date, but in this pared-down performance in the KEXP Gathering Space, they're anything but that. Agile and direct, the quintet's performance shows that the festival anthems that built their reputation outside of their native Los Angeles work just as well in an intimate setting as they do in an open-air park in this session with four Sunlit Youth cuts and an old favorite. Recorded 09/20/2016 - 5 songs: Past Lives, Coins, Wide Eyes, Dark Days, Fountain of YouthSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the legendary dub musician starts this session with a spiritual thesis statement ("Let Scratch arise... let Scratch enemies be scattered"), it's only the first sign that the vibe of the room is about to be elevated. Lee "Scratch" Perry may be 80 years old, but his ability to conjure otherworldly, reverb-drenched atmosphere is still inimitable. Backed by Subatomic Sound System, the Jamaican pioneer's potent energy shines through in this four-song session and wide-ranging interview on Wo' Pop with Darek Mazzone. Recorded 09/18/2016 - 4 songs: Happy Birthday, I Am A Madman, Black Ark Vampires, Dread LionSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"When I was a kid, they didn't allow rappers to reach 44 years old." Atmosphere MC Slug may joke about his middle age ("dad rap - it's what I do now!"), but it belies his sense of pride in the Minneapolis group's two decade career. Joining Kevin Cole in the KEXP studio, Slug and his partner in crime Ant discuss the experience of having a two decade hip-hop career and rock four tunes that show that the pair haven't lost a step as they enter their "brush your teeth, wear your seatbelt" phase. Recorded 09/15/2016 - 4 songs: Seismic Waves, Pure Evil, Perfect, HappymessSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Much was made of Nao's jazz backgroud when she was a buzzy artist in 2015, but the London musician's debut full length, this year's For All We Know (named for a jazz standard) displays a singer with significant funk credentials and forward-thinking, electronic-tinged production. In this kinetic session, Nao joins Larry Rose to play four songs and discuss growing up in a music-centric household, the original name for her record label, and singing backing vocals for Pulp at Glastonbury. Recorded 09/23/16 - 4 songs: Happy, DYWM, Apple Cherry, Bad BloodSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When DJ Sharlese asks MASZER frontman STITCX about growing up in Tel Aviv, he immediately, enthusiastically replies "Born and raised!" As the Israeli musician points out, however, there's musical influences from all over the globe that go into the Seattle-based group's roaring, percussive rock. Even if you don't speak Hebrew (which some of these songs are sung in), there's plenty of rich musical landscape to dig into during this session on Audioasis. Recorded 09/30/16 - 4 songs: California Sees You, Ma Nia, Dancing Mice, DecisionsSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Michigan outfit Heaters took the “space rock” tags that were put on the band after their debut to heart, naming their sophomore outing, Baptistina, after the asteroid that was once presumed to have ended the dinosaur. Doubling down on the heavier, more gauzy elements of their music for their second album, Heaters expand the KEXP studio a swirling, acid-lined universe in session with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 09/09/2016 - 4 songs: Dali, Elephant Turner, Centennial, Ara PacisSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courtney Marie Andrews isn't out of her twenties yet, but she's spent more time on the road than most musicians ever will. Yet the inspiration from her newest album, Honest Life, came from her experience getting off the touring circuit and bartending in a small town, and the results are some of her most affecting songs to date. Courtney joins Greg Vandy in the Roadhouse to discuss the characters that inspired the songs and learning how to live on and off the road. Recorded 09/07/2016 - 4 songs: How Quickly Your Heart Mends, Irene, Table For One, Rookie DreamingSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When My Bubba entered the studio for their third LP, this year's Big Bad Good, they didn't have any songs, but the Swedish-Icelandic duo didn't take that as a reason to not craft a new set of tunes on the spot. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Studio, Guðbjörg Tómasdóttir and My Larsdotter share four songs from Big Bad Good and a short history of the perpetually-traveling group. Recorded 07/30/2016 - 4 songs: Big Bad Good, Charm, Carolina / Going Home, Ghost SweatSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Franti will, without hesitation, say that his 20-plus year career was built on one thing: tenacious optimism. And even if you can't see it in the room, Franti's optimism radiates just as brilliantly through the songs of his new album Soul Rocker as anything else in his catalog. Franti, along with his band Spearhead, join Kevin Cole for a semi-acoustic session of songs and emotional stories from both the artist and the host. Recorded 09/02/2016 - 5 songs:Get Myself To Saturday, Good To Be Alive Today, I Got Love For Ya, Crazy For You, My LordSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.