Kexp Song Of The Day

Fight Milk - ICU from the 2022 self-released Fight Milk EP. Fight Milk is the project of Redmond, Washington-based project of Jackson Leavitt, who has been releasing singles and EPs since 2019 under the name. Influenced highly by campy ‘80’s new wave bands like Devo, Fight Milk’s shows are a multi-disciplinary audiovisual experience made to entertain. Our Song of the Day, “ICU,” comes off of 2022’s self-titled EP and is a high-energy bop led by tapping synth rhythms and a scorching guitar melody, with Leavitt fusing very real and vulnerable feelings of longing with silly voices and lines that brings to life the absurdity that is longing. “I wanna see you so bad, it hurts me all of the time /It's like when you cut your thumb, and then you heal it with lime,” sings Leavitt like a long-forgotten Hawthorne Heights track before following with a bridge of, “Romp around the rink, romp around the rink /Where do you think /Romp around the rink, romp around the rink /Star on the sink.” Fight Milk will be competing in t

Avalanche Kaito - Dabalomuni from the 2022 Dabalomuni EP on Glitterbeat Records. Avalanche Kaito is as their name suggests, an avalanche of disparate sounds, ideas, and ancestral odes. Made up of Burkinabe griot singer and multi-instrumentalist Kaito Winse and Brussels noise punk musicians Benjamin Chaval (drums, electronics) and Nico Glitter (guitar), the trio fuse West African oral traditions with pummeling post-punk for a sound so unique it defies categorization. Our Song of the Day, “Dabalomuni,” comes from the three-song EP of the same name, released in early 2022 and catapulting them into the European festival circuit, the international consciousness, and even the Grammys stage. The song is ferocious, with super-charged, sinewy post-punk rhythms backing a myriad of tribal instrumentation, glitchy electronic flourishes, and Winse’s powerful, bellowing recitations for a hypnotic experience that makes one ask, “What the hell just happened?” Watch a mesmerizing live performance of the song and read the full

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Tautumeitas - "Spodrē Manu Augumiņu" from the 2022 self-released album Skrejceļš. Latvian ensemble Tautumeitas take traditional folk songs and folklore from their homeland and update them with modern beats and production. Their latest album, Skrejceļš, was crafted with their long-time producer Reini Sējanus, as well as Swedish producer Povel Olsson.  Today's Song of the Day is a celebration of the winter solstice, as captured in the accompanying video, directed by Dārta Apsīte. The clip was filmed in early November on the coast of Vidzeme, using light installations to convey how "in ancient traditions, through disguise and rituals, people became brighter and stronger." In the same press release, percussionist/vocalist Aurēlija Rancāne explains the masks worn: “Masks are made of various plants and cereals found in Latvian nature, as well as components of electrical appliances that no longer function in everyday life. This is a direct reference to tradition, because in the past, masks were used to integrate

Jembaa Groove - "Bassa Bassa" from the 2022 album Susuma on Agogo Records. The word “Jembaa” translates to “life,” and a "groove in life" is what Berlin-based Afro-Soul band Jembaa Groove aims to inspire with their music. Bassist/composer Yannick Nolting and vocalist/percussionist Eric Owusu happened to meet in late 2020 when they were each picking up their sons from kindergarten. Before too long, they'd assembled a seven-piece band to meld influences from traditional West African styles (like Highlife, Adowa, and Wassoulou) with ‘60s and ‘70s soul music.  In a press statement, the band explained they wrote today's Song of the Day "to motivate people." They continue, "It’s an energy and it’s for people who are looking to make a vibe, especially the new generation. It’s for those people who are fed up with the mess that is everywhere at the moment." Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noah Coinflip - Journey (feat. Porsche) from the 2022 self-released album God Is Love. Seattle-via-Alabama producer Noah Coinflip released his latest album God Is Love back in November. According to Bandcamp, the album is “an exploration of themes related to finding a transformative higher power through compassion and community” as well as “an exploration of the mystery behind the higher power” and “a prayer of surrender.” That’s expressed most clearly in our Song of the Day “Journey.” One of the few tracks on the vibey instrumental record with vocals, Coinflip, who is also a member of the jazz fusion band Animal Face and engineer at South Seattle studio Mead St., lays down a swirling beat chock full of ripping electric guitars and glitchy flourishes, anchored by a smooth and sexy synth melody. Over it, Porsche articulates through spoken word the power of inner purpose, perseverance, and love. Watch Noah Coinflip wield magic in a live video and read the full post at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp

Christine and the Queens - la clairefontaine from the 2022 album Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) on Because Music. In November, Christine and the Queens dropped their latest album Redcar les adorables étoiles which also unveiled a new persona for frontperson Chris, Redcar (he/him). The record follows the 2020 EP La vita nuova and his sophomore album, Chris, released in September 2018. One of the lead singles and standout songs of Redcar les adorables étoiles is “la clairefontaine,” a mesmerizing and ethereal track that showcases Chris' unique blend of nostalgic synthpop and modern electronic music. With its hypnotic pace and twinkling synths, the song transports listeners to a dreamlike world where the starry night sky speaks through Chris' pristine vocals. As the track slowly unfolds, its soft percussion and intricately layered production reveal a soundscape that is both nostalgic and contemporary. This standout track from Chris' third studio album, Redcar les adorables étoiles, is a testament to the

Fievel Is Glauque - "My Rebel" from the 2022 album Flaming Swords on MATH Interactive. Taking their name from a diss on a 1986 cartoon character, Belgium-based vocalist Ma Clément and NY producer/musician Zach Phillips comprise the duo that is Fievel Is Glauque. ("Fievel" is a mouse who stars in the animated An American Tail film series; the internet says "glauque" translates from French to "sinister, ominous, worrying.")  The jazzy-pop of their 2021 debut cassette God’s Trashmen Sent To Right The Mess landed them an opening slot on Stereolab's recent North American tour, but their first proper LP — Flaming Swords, released back in November — adds a sheen to their prog-punk-jazz sound. The album was recorded live, in its entirety, during an evening in Brussels, August 2021.  “Musically, Ma directed melodic impetus and I directed harmonic and rhythmic framing,” Phillips said in a press release. “Lyrically, we fought and embraced our initial impulses alternatingly; above all, we tried to trust and document the

MIKE - Stop Worry! (feat. Sister Nancy) from the 2022 album Beware of the Monkey on 10k London-via-the-Bronx artist Michael Jordan Bonema (better known as MIKE to us) has recruited the legendary Sister Nancy to help out on today's Song of the Day. Sister Nancy is the first ever female dancehall DJ, and her repeated refrain to "wake up" helps elevate this laid-back, synthesizer-laden song.  The track can be found on his latest full-length Beware of the Monkey, titled after some advice he found in his Chinese horoscope. Like on previous releases, the new album honors the memory of his mother. The video, directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa, is dedicated to her, and the single was released on what would've been his mother's birthday. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A party in the Bronx on August 11th, 1973 is widely considered to be the birthplace of hip-hop. The art form has since touched every corner of our world and evolved into one of the most significant cultural forces today. This year, on hip-hop's 50th anniversary, we’re giving it a proper tribute.  50 Years of Hip-Hop is KEXP’s newest podcast. Hosted by Larry Mizell Jr, the series highlights a different year of rap history each week. Jumping around the timeline from 1973 to today, expect personal reflections, iconic tracks and albums, and conversations around the genesis of the culture. New episodes drop every Wednesday starting February 1.  Subscribe to 50 Years of Hip-Hop now and learn more at KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liv.e - "Wild Animals" from the 2023 album Girl In The Half Pearl on In Real Life Music. Psychedelic soulstress Liv.e returns with her sophomore full-length Girl in the Half Pearl, out February 10 via In Real Life. The Dallas-born, Los Angeles-based singer/producer found inspiration while experimenting with live performance at her residency last year at London's Laylow. Today's Song of the Day was co-written and produced with John Carroll Kirby and Solomonphonic, and is accompanied by a video directed by herself.  “I really love the process of coming up with a vision and doing my best to ensure that it will come out just as it was in my imagination,” Liv.e shared in a press release. “I tend to use almost all my practices as another way to strengthen my trust and belief in myself. The concept is just based on the release of letting go old ‘people pleasing’ habits that I tended to act on in the past a lot. A depiction of gaining the strength & courage to choose myself every time.” Read the full story at KEX

Hibou - Night Fell from the 2023 self-released Arc EP. Hibou, the solo project of former Seattlite Peter Michel, dropped his first body of music in three years earlier this month. The five-song EP Arc builds upon the dreamy atmospherics that have been his signature since releasing his debut self-titled back in 2015. Now living in Paris, Michel was inspired by “an electric arc between things, or arc lightning” when titling his new EP. Our Song of the Day “Night Fell” is a shimmering, nostalgic bridge between shoegaze and dreampop with only a steady, pulsing drumbeat keeping our feet planted on ground lest we float straight to the heavens. “It’s exhilarating to be releasing new Hibou music after spending so much of the last several years concentrating on my folk project,” Michel says of Arc. “‘Night Fell’ feels like the perfect song to kick things back into gear. Packed tightly into this track is my return to the lush textured melodies and breezy blend of gossamer vocals that comprise Hibou.” Michel spent the s

Black Belt Eagle Scout - Don't Give Up from the 2023 album The Land, The Water, The Sky on Saddle Creek. Three years after the release of her sophomore record At the Party Wtih My Brown Friends, Katherine Paul unveiled the new Black Belt Eagle Scout single "Don't Give Up." The song is a dreamy, emotive gift to her Indigenous Swinomish, WA community, where over a melancholic guitar melody she hushedly touches on mental health awareness and the importance of connection to the land in the healing process. Paul wrote the song over the course of two years, starting in 2020 at a songwriting residency in Coast Salish territory before the pandemic and finishing in November 2021 while attending the same residency again. She had this to say about the song: “'Don’t Give Up' is a song about mental health awareness and the importance that my connection to the land plays within my own mental health journey. Spending time with the land and on the water are ways that strengthen my connection to my ancestors and to my culture

Genesis Owusu – “Get Inspired,” a 2022 single on Ourness With his 2021 debut LP Smiling with No Teeth, Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu swept the ARIA Music Awards (like the Australian Grammys) landing Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release, and even Best Cover Art. As we await another full-length, Owusu has shared some stand-alone singles, including today's Song of the Day, which brings a fun new wave-feel to his lightning-quick raps. The track is accompanied by a video made in collaboration with creative agency Babekühl and illustrator/animator Chris Yee. Owusu heads to the US later this year, touring in support of Paramore. No Seattle dates yet, but stay tuned. Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gladie - "Heaven, Someday" from the 2022 album Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out on Plum Records Recorded in early 2022, Philadelphia band Gladie chose an appropriate name for their second LP: Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out. The thoughtful title covers more than just the pandemic. As frontwoman Augusta Koch explained to Flood magazine, "We decided to name the record this because it deals a lot with the theme of shifting into a new mindset, and with that change you can objectively look back and see what you were going through without your thought processes being clouded by being in the thick of it." She adds, "I think it’s also an ambiguous title in a way, because I like the idea that it can be interpreted as both a positive and a negative. Like, the duality of both ‘you don’t know what you’re in until you’re out’ could seem sad because it implies hardship and turmoil, but it can also seem hopeful in the sense that although you’re going through something really rough, there’s hope that it

Deerhoof - My Lovely Cat! from the 2023 album Miracle-Level on Joyful Noise. Bay Area-based noise-pop group Deerhoof may not be savvy on internet-memes, but they did dedicate today's Song of the Day to the online feline sensation Lil Bub, and had the song produced by Mike Bridavsky, Lil Bub's owner. As the band explain in a press statement: If you were going to compose a song about a cute cat from the internet, then get it recorded and mixed and mastered by an outside producer known not only for their recording and mixing and mastering, but for their cute cat from the internet, well, you would be shrewd indeed. But this of course we did not do, because we didn't know about Mike Bridavsky or Lil Bub when we wrote the song! Well, we think about him now: a true collaborator and artist and friend. The song is a first-look at the band's forthcoming full-length, Miracle-Level, which will be released on March 31 via Joyful Noise. It's their first Japanese-language LP, and their first to be made entirely in a proper

Quasi - Doomscrollers from the 2023 album Breaking the Balls of History on Sub Pop. "Doomscrollers" is a new single from the indie rock duo Quasi, the project of former partners Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss, off their upcoming album Breaking The Balls Of History which is set to be released in February and is their first full-length in a decade. The song is a commentary on the modern phenomenon of doomscrolling, where people compulsively consume negative news and social media, leading to feelings of anxiety and despair. The lyrics of the song also touch on themes of addiction and isolation, painting a bleak yet relatable portrait of the 21st century. The song opens with a punchy guitar riff, and Coomes's lyrics paint a picture of the current state of society, of people sleeping in their cars, teenage TikTok stars, and everyone baking bread, doomscrolling, and going out of their heads. Weiss, famed former Sleater-Kinney drummer, adds an upbeat, energetic feel to the song that belies the dark lyricism. The lyrics

Death Valley Girls - What Are the Odds from the 2023 album Islands in the Sky on Suicide Squeeze. Los Angeles-based garage rockers Death Valley Girls are releasing their fifth record Islands in the Sky on February 24th via Suicide Squeeze. The follow-up to 2020’s Under the Spell Of Joy was recorded in a cabin in the California woods in early 2022 following a “mysterious illness” that left frontwoman Bonnie Bloomgarden bedridden from November 2020 to March 2021 which inspired much of the record. “When I was sick I had to sleep most of the day,” Bloomgarden details in a press release. “I kept waking up every few hours with an intense message to take care of the island, feed the island…I have no idea why, but making music for the island kept coming up.”  Our Song of the Day is the lead single off the record “What Are the Odds,” a rollicking riff-ripping scorcher that takes its inspiration from an unlikely source: Madonna. “In ‘I’m A Man Too’ we were trying to revisit No Doubt’s ‘I’m Just A Girl’ but through a ne

Moriah Bailey - "The Ocean Life" from the 2022 album i tried words on Keeled Scales. "i was hoping on the ocean life to pull through /turns out i’ll have to say goodbye real soon." On her sophomore full-length, i tried words, harpist/vocalist Moriah Bailey reflects on the end of a relationship, and the definitions and expectations of "femininity" that can play into not only romantic relationships, but friendships, jobs, or family.  Not only is this reflected in her words, but also on the expanded sound she presents on the new album. After recording the voice and harp parts in her former rental home in Tucson, AZ, she recruited Sarah Reid (violin), Ryan Robinson (percussion), and Ricky Tutaan (guitar) to contribute to those tracks, allowing them to follow their own "musical intuition and insight." The beautifully woven results provide a backdrop for her thoughtful lyrics, ruminating on the struggle of dualities: "yes/no, future/past, darkness/light, giving/taking, masculinity/femininity, wants/needs." Today's

Fan Girl - "react (react)" a 2022 self-released single. Australian quintet Fan Girl closed out 2022 with a bang, releasing their latest single "react (react)," a boisterous high-energy piece of early 2000's-influenced pop-punk.  “We wrote this song during a particularly wintry week in our studio in Brunswick, Melbourne, channeling the energy and excitement of playing shows,” they told Australian website Pile Rats. You can witness that excitement in the song's accompanying video, filmed at one of Melbourne’s longest-running venues, Revolver Upstairs.  Read the full story at KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.