Live on KEXP

Mexican-Panamian artist Michelle Blades brings a vast range of influences to her unique transcontinental post-psych. Born into a family of salsa musicians, Blades has a rich musical history that includes the Arizona-based noise rock band called North Dakota and the French synthpop group Fishbach. Troy Nelson journeys down “the rabbit hole of French awesome” and digs into her continent-hopping past, present, and, likely, future. Our connection with Michelle Blades has been a tale of festivals. Recorded 11/14/2019.  Politic! Mota O Perreo Ring His Man Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over 15 years, Emily King has been showcasing her gorgeously soulful vocals and prize-winning songwriting on platforms both minor and major. The daughter of two musicians kicked off her career in a major way by signing to J Records, being a featured vocalist on Nas’ 2004 album Street Disciple, and spending the next few years opening for legendary artists like Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, John Legend, and Erykah Badu.  Now on indie label ATO Records, King still has Major Label Energy which can be seen on 2019’s Grammy-nominated record Scenery and 2020’s acoustic album Sides. Troy Nelson takes us through King’s journey from Nas to Stas (Thee Boss), who hosted King’s KEXP in-studio earlier this year. As a young musician, Emily King was ambitious and eager. She was also confident...  Recorded 01/31/2020.  1. Look At Me Now2. Already There 3. Distance4. Go Back Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If fiery fuzzed-out riffs and tireless headbangable energy is your thing then SONS is your band. The Belgian four-piece has spent the past couple of years introducing their brand of blistering garage rock to the world via nonstop touring. This performance of SONS finds them in the wintery wonderland of Reykjavik for Iceland Airwaves, where the band turns the heat up to tropical levels to melt both faces and minds. Troy Nelson takes us through the short history of the longtime good buds and the making of their 2019 debut album Family Dinner. Sometimes a story is pretty simple. Some friends get together and start jamming. Recorded 11/07/2019.  Family Dinner  Tube Spit  Waiting On My Own Do They See Me Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palestinian-Jordanian band 47Soul are making waves around the world in a cultish way with their completely unique take on traditional Palestinian street music infused with electronic, hip hop, dancehall, and dabke that they call Shamstep. This trailblazing new genre is named after the province Bilad Al-Sham, with their lyrics focusing on themes of displacement and community. Troy Nelson takes you through a brief history of life in the Middle East before and after the Arab-Israeli War in 1948, which led to the forced displacement of 700,000 Palestinian Arabs from what became known as Israel, stripping them of their freedom and ease of movement. Egyptian feminist activist Nawal el Saadawi once said “If you are creative, you must be dissident."  Here is one such story, of the artist straining against authority. Recorded 09/23/2019. Machina Gamar Marked Safe Intro to Shamstep Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may know composer, singer, and producer Caroline Polachek best as the frontperson of the iPod-hawking band Chairlift. But, as Troy Nelson details on this episode of Live on KEXP, the New York-based artist has long been busily churning out music for herself as well as a wide list of artists including the Queen Bee herself. Her latest record, 2019’s 'Pang,' is the first to be released under her own name and is a sweepingly bold proclamation of an artist who’s never been afraid of innovation.  For KEXP, Polachek strips down four songs from the album to just piano and heavenly vocals while Troy explains her relationship to bugs, Beyonce, and “Bruises.”  Recorded 12/18/2019. Go As a Dream Door So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings Ocean of Tears Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A prolific musical force, Georgia Anne Muldrow has released 19 albums since 2006 and has worked with everyone from Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Brittany Howard, and Blood Orange. Her latest release, 2019’s 'Black Love & War,' is a collaboration with husband Dudley Perkins that sees the poetic geniuses explore the funky depths of Afrofuturism.  Troy Nelson expands on Muldrow’s rich history while presenting a symbolic and timely analogy of the plight of a caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, in which butterflies only appear when the caterpillar looks inside and is ready to change.  Recorded 11/19/2019. Run It Down Flowers Change Overload Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube Check out an exclusive mix the duo crafted for KEXP's 'Midnight in a Perfect World' seriesSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instead of releasing a new session today, we are continuing our station-wide pause on new content to hold space for anti-racist education and action. Meanwhile, we are using our platform to amplify Black voices in music. Today, we revisit one of our favorite KEXP sessions by Seattle group, The Black Tones. Their 2019 debut full-length album, 'Cobain and Cornbread,' is an invigorating blend of blues and punk, produced by Jack Endino of Seattle grunge fame. Their song, "The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead)," speaks to the ongoing fight against police brutality and the violent realities of systemic racism. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for four songs from the new album. Recorded 06/18/2019. Ghetto Spaceship The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead) Mama! There’s A Spider In My Room Welcome Mr. Pink Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailing from Portland, The Shivas make surfy psychedelic that takes a massive amount of inspiration from the 1960s. For this episode of Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson draws parallels from artists of that era like the Beatles, Little Richard, and The Kingsmen to the explosive shake-n-shimmy of The Shivas. For the past 14 years, the quartet has charmed audiences with their bombastic live performances and this one is no different. Performing the first four songs off their latest record, Dark Thoughts, the band proves why they continue to shine after all this time. Recorded 11/13/2019. Gloria Turn Me On Playing On The Radio If You See Me Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formed by brother/sister duo Jack and Lily Wolter on a small island called Isle of Man, Penelope Isles channels salty seas and flowing currents for their eclectic and lustrous style of fuzzy dream pop. Now Brighton-based, the band is rounded out by Brighton locals Becky Redford on bass and Jack Sowton on drums. For this Live On KEXP session, Troy Nelson gives some background on the Isle of Man, which Jack Wolter calls a “special” and “safe” place where “80,000 alcoholics are clinging to a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea,” before the band breaks into a dazzling set of songs from their 2019 debut record, 'Until the Tide Creeps In.’ Recorded 10/30/2019. Leipzig Not Talking Gnarbone Cut Your Hair Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fourteen years ago, Latin-infused Americana band Calexico teamed up with folk singer-songwriter Sam Beam, better known as Iron & Wine, for an EP called In the Reins. After much delay, the old friends reunited in 2018 to work on their debut full-length, Years to Burn, which was unveiled last year. The chemistry between the good chums is unmistakable during this KEXP performance, recorded at 2019’s inaugural Thing Fest at Fort Worden.  DJ Troy Nelson takes us through the history of the band and introduces us to the people responsible for the quick and collaborative making of Years to Burn. Recorded 08/25/2019. Father Mountain Midnight Sun He Lays In The Reins Bring On The Dancing Horses Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.