In Our Headphones

During KEXP’s fall fund drive, discover the variety of music podcasts we produce at KEXP and hear some of our favorite clips from each one. We’re thankful to the thousands of amplifiers who already donate to KEXP, building the foundation for our community of storytelling, and we want you to join them with a one-time donation or a recurring gift! 50 Years of Hip-Hop:  https://www.kexp.org/podcasts/...

Subsonic Eye - "Performative," from the 2023 album All Around You on Topshelf Records. Singaporean dream-pop group  Subsonic Eye continue their exploration of nature on their latest LP,  All Around You . This examination of the natural world around urban landscapes began on their third album, 2021's  Nature of Things . "Ticking boxes / charging laptops / separating causes from ourselves," they sin...

James and the Cold Gun - "Something to Say" from their self-titled 2023 album on Loosegroove Records Often referred to as “South Wales’ loudest group,” the Cardiff, UK-based garage rockers  James and the Cold Gun share their self-titled debut album via Seattle's own Loosegroove Records, the label owned by Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) & Regan Hagar (Malfunkshun, Brad, Satchel). Gossard describes t...

DAIISTAR - "Speed Jesus" from the 2023 album Good Time on Fuzz Club Records Austin, TX psych-rock band DAIISTAR shine on their debut LP Good Time . The album was produced by Alex Maas of The Black Angels and engineered by James Petralli of White Denim. Formed in the Spring of 2020, Alex Capistran (vocals/guitar), Nick Cornetti (drums), Misti Hamrick (bass) and Derek Strahan (keys) escaped the dold...

Drew Martin - "Second Nature," from the 2023 album Where's Your Feet on Kritter Records Kānaka Maoli singer/songwriter  Drew Martin recently returned to Seattle from Maui, releasing his latest LP  Where’s Your Feet? . As he writes on Instagram , "There’s some joy on this record, there’s some grit on this record, there’s some chicken skin on this record." Drew utilizes a Hawaiian slack-key guitar i...

Miiesha - "Made for Silence," from the 2022 self-released album Smoke & Mirrors Though still in her early-20s, R&B artist  Miiesha is already a five-time ARIA nominee (like the Australian GRAMMYs) and NIMA (National Indigenous Music Awards) award-winning artist. Her 2019 debut LP, Nyaaringu , explored themes of growing up in Woorabinda — an Aboriginal community in Queensland — with interlu...

Bobby Sanchez - "the premonition (lethalneedle)" from the 2023 album Melancholy Tgirl on Harawiq Records "Indigenous people is who I pray for / The past can be painful so we face forward" A veteran Song of the Day featured artist, American-Peruvian Indigenous songwriter  Bobby Sanchez kicked off 2023 with their sixth EP, titled  Melancholy Tgirl.  The three-song release continues Sanchez's mission...

This week’s Song of the Day picks, as chosen by DJ Miss Ashley, coincide with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. While Indigenous Peoples’ Day is recognized on October 9, KEXP will be paying tribute to Indigenous artists throughout the whole week here and throughout the rest of our podcasts and programming. Learn more about our Indigenous Peoples’ Day coverage .  Warning: This write-up touches on topics of...

This week’s Song of the Day picks, as chosen by DJ Miss Ashley, coincide with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. While Indigenous Peoples’ Day is recognized on October 9, KEXP will be paying tribute to Indigenous artists throughout the whole week here and throughout the rest of our podcasts and programming. Learn more about our Indigenous Peoples’ Day coverage .  Mali Obomsawin is an award-winning jazz musi...

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speedy Ortiz - "You S02," from the 2023 album Rabbit Rabbit on Wax Nine Records On today's Song of the Day, Speedy Ortiz songwriter Sadie Dupuis finds inspiration in season 2 of the Netflix series You . She explains in a press statement: "Mostly when I’ve met my musical heroes, they’re kind and principled people. But occasionally someone whose work I love(d) reveals themselves to be anti-union, or...

nour - "wana," a 2023 single on Ra Records On her debut EP  Daydreaming , Egyptian artist  Nour shares a sparkling synth-pop, with lyrics in both Arabic and English.  After discovering fellow Egypt-based producer Kubbara on Instagram, Nour sent him some lyrics and a beat, igniting the creative fires behnd today's Song of the Day.  The song is about empathy. "It's someone agreeing with the same thi...

Tara Clerkin Trio - "The Turning Ground," a 2023 single on World of Echo On today's hypnotic and dreamy Song of the Day, the Bristol-based band  Tara Clerkin Trio  draw influence from the dub-step-heavy influences of their backyard (think Portishead and Massive Attack), combined with their own past as the eight-piece psych-folk group the Tara Clerkin Band. (“You could say the Tara Clerkin Trio sta...

Little Dragon & April + Vista - "Rebels," from the 2023 album Slipping Into Color on Ninja Tune Grammy-nominated quartet Little Dragon are about to head out on tour with Washington D.C. duo April + VISTA , and what better way to kick off the tour than with a collaborative release? The EP, titled Slipping Into Color , is out now via Ninja Tune Records. “On a recent trip to the US we got to hang...

Emi Pop - "Lo Sé," a 2023 self-released single Now based in Seattle, Emi Pop began her musical journey in her home of Puerto Rico. Following stints in bands like Mely y Los Poppers, and local groups Famous Lizards and 38 Coffin, Emi Pop has ventured out on her own with her debut single "Lo Sé." The track is an irresistible blend of punk and pop, punctuated with some new wave-y keyboards. As she wr...

Pachyman - "Trago Coqueto," a 2023 single on ATO Records L.A.-based artist Pachy García — who records as Pachyman — reflects on his homeland of Puerto Rico on today's Song of the Day. “It’s like a stream of consciousness,” he tells Remezcla . “I wanted to play with the idea of being a bartender, the profession of getting people drunk, and my constant dilemma about returning home – which I am still...

Verito Asprilla  - "Letras Millonarias," a 2023 single on Discos Pacífico Colombian artist  Verito Asprilla arrived on the scene from Tumaco-Nariño at the age of 18, yet possessing a maturity beyond her years on her debut EP  Mundo Lila . She writes of women's empowerment, and on today's Song of the Day, she raps, "I'm still poor but my lyrics are millionaire." An inspiring message of self-esteem...

Luisa Almaguer - "Wey," a 2023 self- released single It's been four years since we last heard from Luisa Almaguer (check out her previous Song of the Day pick here ), and now she's sharing the first single off her forthcoming full-length, titled Weyes , out in 2024. Like her previous work, it's a sultry slice of synth-pop, elevated by her powerful vocals.  Almaguer has also been keeping busy as th...

Diego Raposo - "EL UNDERGROUND (feat. mediopicky)" from the 2023 album YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ on GRAN VAINA This week's Song of the Day were selected by KEXP DJ  Albina Cabrera , co-host of  El Sonido , in honor of  Aquí y Ahora: Without Borders . Join KEXP September 15th to October 15th as we continue amplifying the music, stories, and presence of Latinx, Latine, and Hispanic...

Nada Rosa - “Reversal of Fortune" from the 2023 album Nunca Te Olvido on OTHERWORLDS Based in Seattle, but with roots in the Dominican Republic, Brandi Diaz celebrates her family with her musical project  Nada Rosa . As she told KEXP Staff Reporter Martin Douglas back in June , the band name traces back to her beloved abuelito (or "grandmother"), who has passed away: it's a combination of her gran...

Black Pumas - "More Than a Love Song" from the 2023 album Chronicles of a Diamond on ATO "More than a love song," indeed! The Grammy-nominated Austin, TX-based duo  Black Pumas (singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada) return with their sophomore album  Chronicles Of A Diamond , out October 27th via ATO. Burton describes today's Song of the Day as “the exclamation point...

Hand Habits - "Something Wrong" from the 2023 album Sugar the Bruise on Fat Possum Sugar the Bruise , the latest LP from  Hand Habits  — led by LA-based artist Meg Duffy — was inspired by a songwriting class they taught back in August 2021. "It was both inspiring and terrifying," they shared via a press release. "I hesitated to consider myself a Songwriter, despite having released three records, l...

Sparklehorse - "Evening Star Supercharger” from the 2023 album Bird Machine on ANTI- Today's Song of the Day is a bittersweet one: the track comes from the posthumous Sparklehorse album  Bird Machine, recorded by singer/songwriter Mark Linkous in 2009, but unreleased following his death by suicide in 2010.  The release was lovingly spearheaded by Mark's brother and his sister-in-law Melissa. “It’s...

Juan Wauters - “Modus Operandi (feat. Frankie Cosmos)" from the 2023 album Wandering Rebel on Captured Tracks On today's Song of the Day, Queens-based Uruguay-born artist Juan Wauters casts a critical eye on the New Yorkers who were able to vacate the city during the COVID-19 crisis. Against a melancholy plucked melody and with swelling strings, Wauters sings, "People that have options go back to...

Daisies - "Blue Cowboy," from the 2023 album Great Big Open Sky on K Records On their latest LP, Great Big Open Sky , Olympia, WA-based band Daisies flex their musical muscle, diverging from their previous trip-hop/electro-pop sound into more organic, folkier territory. That said, today's Song of the Day is true to the "electronic paisley underground" sound we've heard them explore over the past s...