In Our Headphones

SPECSWIZARD - “Floyd,” a 2020 self-released single. Michael Hall is a long-time fixture of Seattle's hip-hop scene, recording under the names Specs One and Specs Wizard. (Seattle's bi-weekly alt-paper The Stranger dubbed him "the Holy Ghost of Northwest Hiphop.") He began rapping and making beats while growing up in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle in 1979, began releasing albums in the late '80s, and made waves with his crew The Elevators throughout the '90s.  Today's Song of the Day is a powerful reflection on the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. "And if you Black, you know that this is nothing new," he raps solemnly against a wistful piano loop. Hear his musical memorial below. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Denial - "I'm Not Your Type (feat. DoNormaal)" from the 2020 album fuck danny denial on Cruisin' Records. On his third solo album, "goth-punk auteur" Danny Denial teams up with The Black Tones’ Eva Walker, Rat Queen, Razor Clam, and, on today's Song of the Day, DoNormaal. When KEXP premiered this track late last year, Denial told our writer Martin Douglas:  "I approached this solo record mainly wanting to experiment with genre and work with artists and bands I admire, and 'I'm not your type' felt like the right song to push the envelope. I created the foundation for the beat cutting up pieces of Courtney Love's breathing and screaming, and worked with a producer called Bibz in New York, and then took it to DoNormaal in Seattle to write and record the rest of the song, so its journey has been a very unique one. And, honestly, I think it's the first song I've ever made that I'd describe as 'fun.'" Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baronhawk Poitier - "Temperado Tornado" from the 2020 Temperado Tornado EP on Honey Soundsystem. Baronhawk Poitier is a busy man: not only is he a long-running DJ/producer, but he's also a professional dancer and co-founder of the NeedlExchange crew and club night in his hometown of Washington, D.C. When Honey Soundsystem Records asked Baronhawk Poitier to make them an EP "he would want to dance to", he replied, "Oh Honey, I have never made any that I didn’t." Check out the title track from his latest dancefloor soundtrack.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Princess Nokia - "Gemini" from the 2020 self-released album Everything Is Beautiful. Earlier this year, New York-born Puerto Rican MC Princess Nokia (real name: Destiny Nicole Frasqueri) released not one, but two albums: the perfectly-titled Everything Sucks and Everything is Beautiful. In a press release, Everything Sucks is described as “a brash, ruthless and insistent collection,” and Everything is Beautiful as “a representation of the sensitive, feminine side of the gender fluid artist.” Today's Song of the Day reflects that duality as Frasqueri reflects on their astrological sign, the twins of the zodiac. “I am Gemini / Like Pac, André, Lauren / and Kanye, Boy George, and Anne Frank,” they rap. “And all the famous rappers got a sign like me / And all the famous rappers got a heart like me / But I know that I’m different and they’re not quite me.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zebra Katz - IN IN IN - from the 2020 album LESS IS MOOR on ZFK Records. Following a worldwide tour with Gorillaz in support of their 2017 album Humanz, Jamaican-American artist Zebra Katz returns in a big way with his long-awaited debut solo album Less Is Moor. In an interview with PAPER, Katz talks about KEXP's featured track: "This single is very much a re-introduction to the music sphere. 'IN IN IN' is a sonic reflection to how I see the world. I'm taking ownership of my narrative. While doing so, I want to explore social issues surrounding race, sexuality, and the black experience. I wanted to stay true to the minimalistic style that introduced me to the world while also taking a sonic risk and evolving as an individual and musician. I wanted to tell a story in a fun, energetic way while still touching on issues of everyday life. To me, it's a grandiose dark dance anthem with elements of house, ballroom, and Qgom. I hope it leads my listeners back into the Zebra zone." We'll meet you there. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shamir - "On My Own," a 2020 self-released single. I don't mind to live all on my own and I never did... I don't care to feel like I belong But you always did…  Following the release of his sixth full-length album Cataclysm, Shamir returns with the appropriately-titled stand-alone single "On My Own," where the Philadelphia-based artist asserts his independence against a '90s-influenced guitar-pop melody. It's a sneak peek at another forthcoming full-length slated to come out this Fall.  The song was inspired by a recent break-up. He told Rolling Stone magazine, “I wrote ‘On My Own’ last summer after a breakup as a way to remind myself that while it sucked to lose someone I was getting used to, at least I’m an introvert. But considering the pandemic, it’s also morphed into an accidental quarantine anthem, especially for the people who live alone like me.” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shabazz Palaces - "Chocolate Souffle" from the 2020 album The Don of Diamond Dreams on Sub Pop. With each new Shabazz Palaces release, it feels like we’re given a glimpse into a distant future, or maybe a far off galaxy, or possibly a parallel universe similar but maybe just a bit better than our own. Whichever theory you subscribe to, it goes without saying that the Seattle group’s music exists within a world of its own. Their latest album, The Don of Diamond Dreams, is another mind-bending trip guided by Ishamel Butler’s cool, prophetic rhymes. On “Chocolate Souffle” he claims himself to be at the “zenith of slick demeanors” while synthesizers blurt and thump beneath. He swipes at phones for being “not that smart,” proclaiming himself an explorer instead of a scroller. Butler’s lyrics often look at the world from a million miles away but still cut with vindication from someone who has lived on and seen the mental traps of planet Earth. Real the full post on KEXP.org Read KEXP writer Martin Douglas’ review of ‘The Don of Diamond Dreams’Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bee Bee Sea - "Daily Jobs," a 2020 single on Wild Honey Records. Italian garage punk act Bee Bee Sea abide by a succinct mantra: “When there's no good shit around, you better form a band.” That spirit exudes through the ramshackle, PA system shaking riffs the band has been churning out since releasing their self-titled debut in 2015. Their latest single, “Daily Jobs,” shrieks and howls like a sugar-rushed younger sibling demanding you give up the controller and give them their turn on the Super Nintendo. Jagged riffs mutate into wobbly, brain-twisters, and stabbing rhythms akin to the visceral tones of bands like Oh Sees and Together Pangea. In the frantic fury of the song are endless melodic hooks that will rattle in your skull and fuel your own rebellious spirit. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tropea - "Technicolor" from the 2020 self-released Might Delete Later EP. Tropea describes their music as "pajama music for pajama people," a fitting description for their dreamy '80s-inspired synth-pop sound. Formed in Milan, Italy in 2017, the band self-produced their forthcoming EP, Might Delete Later, while on lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis.  "This song is loud and fun to play. In our live shows people go insane, dancing '80s or 2010s style or whatever they like," the band said via a press release. "It’s a very bonding moment and it gives a sense of community with our audience. We wanted to capture the same live energy, but also give it a new meaning since we are facing tough times: it’s a song for dreaming, dancing, or just exercising and taking care of oneself, for burning with love and taking care of each other even in the midst of the difficulties of this absurd world. It’s a tribute to those who help others see the magic, despite our illusions and the lies we tell ourselves”. Might Delete Later was released on June 12th via Butik and peermusicITALY. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joensuu 1685 - "Light in the Heart of Our Town" from the 2020 album ÖB on Gems Records. Formed in 2007 in Helsinki, Finland, Joensuu 1685 — a project of brothers Markus and Mikko Joensuu and non-related bassist Risto Joensuu — have been dormant for over a decade, but a 2018 reunion performance at the Flow Festival ignited the spark for them to complete an unfinished album. Today's featured track was inspired by "an image of a dying town," Mikko explained. “About a person in front of a gas station right at the edge of town, seeing the town and seeing oneself, what was, what is and what will be. It’s an image of the hope that runs deep in our bones…”  The long-awaited sophomore release, titled ÖB, will be released October 9th via Gems Records.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.