Kexp Live Performances Podcast

Since the late ‘90s, Chk Chk Chk have been making dancey disco-punk that, as KEXP’s Cheryl Waters puts it, has been “rewriting the rules of dance music for more than 20 years.” The band, currently made up of Nic Offer, Meah Pace, Mario Andreoni, Dan Gorman, Rafael Cohen, and Chris Egan, stopped by KEXP early this summer to play songs off their latest record Let It Be Blue. There, they spoke about leaning into circumstances and the intimate relationships between friends. Alongside that performance, we’ve included a snippet of their performance from KEXP’s 50th Anniversary Party as well as their 2017 performance at our Gathering Space. It’s an episode chock-full of Chk Chk Chk. Recorded 05/13/2022. This Is Pop 2 Panama Canal Storm Around the World Un Puente Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 2015, Dehd have been making reverb-drenched rollicking indie rock tunes that touch on love, heartbreak, and the ever-evolving nature of relationships. Their fourth album Blue Skies dropped earlier this year on Fat Possum Records and continues their streak of tightly wound, lo-fi, partially shout-sung tunes.  Dehd stopped by KEXP shortly after to play a few tracks off the record as well as chat with Larry Mizell Jr. about the tight-night music scene in Chicago and the way that members Emily Kempf and Jason Balla’s relationship has matured from former lovers to dedicated bandmates and musical partners. Recorded 05/06/2022. Control Bad Love Stars Window Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 2015, Dehd have been making reverb-drenched rollicking indie rock tunes that touch on love, heartbreak, and the ever-evolving nature of relationships. Their fourth album Blue Skies dropped earlier this year on Fat Possum Records and continues their streak of tightly wound, lo-fi, partially shout-sung tunes.  Dehd stopped by KEXP shortly after to play a few tracks off the record as well as chat with Larry Mizell Jr. about the tight-night music scene in Chicago and the way that members Emily Kempf and Jason Balla’s relationship has matured from former lovers to dedicated bandmates and musical partners. Recorded 05/06/2022. Control Bad Love Stars Window Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mia Berrin makes powerfully cathartic indie rock that’s just as biting as it is heartwrenching as Pom Pom Squad. The Brooklyn-based band recently stopped by KEXP to play songs off their 2021 debut Death of a Cheerleader, and Troy Nelson chatted with the frontwoman about learning to engineer music, Nada Surf’s influence on the band, as well as a very niche indie videogame called Cuphead.  Tying in the Nada Surf influence, listeners get a two-for-one in today’s episode, featuring songs from Nada Surf’s 2018 KEXP in-studio. Recorded 05/04/2022. Head Cheerleader Cake Second That Forever Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mia Berrin makes powerfully cathartic indie rock that’s just as biting as it is heartwrenching as Pom Pom Squad. The Brooklyn-based band recently stopped by KEXP to play songs off their 2021 debut Death of a Cheerleader, and Troy Nelson chatted with the frontwoman about learning to engineer music, Nada Surf’s influence on the band, as well as a very niche indie videogame called Cuphead.  Recorded 05/04/2022. Head Cheerleader Cake Second That Forever Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the names and faces of Aeon Station seem familiar despite only releasing their debut record last year, it’s because they’re far from new to the scene. Nearly 20 years after the Wrens released their last record The Meadowlands, Aeon Station was formed by Kevin Whelan in the hopes of finally releasing the songs he’d been writing for the New Jersey indie rock band but would never see the light of day after years of creative clashes and business disputes with his former bandmate and co-songwriter unless he created a new band. Whelan and his band, primarily made up of other members of the Wrens, stopped by KEXP in April to play a few songs off their distortion-fueled debut Observatory, which came out on Sub Pop in 2021. Recorded 04/29/2022. Better Love Fade Air Queens Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the names and faces of Aeon Station seem familiar despite only releasing their debut record last year, it’s because they’re far from new to the scene. Nearly 20 years after the Wrens released their last record The Meadowlands, Aeon Station was formed by Kevin Whelan in the hopes of finally releasing the songs he’d been writing for the New Jersey indie rock band but would never see the light of day after years of creative clashes and business disputes with his former bandmate and co-songwriter unless he created a new band. Whelan and his band, primarily made up of other members of the Wrens, stopped by KEXP in April to play a few songs off their distortion-fueled debut Observatory, which came out on Sub Pop in 2021. Recorded 04/29/2022. Better Love Fade Air Queens Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday have become one of indie rock’s newest bands to watch. Their tangled blend of country and 90s grunge make for a sound that’s both raw and incredibly fresh. They stopped by KEXP to play songs off their latest record,Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up, and Troy Nelson gives some background on the Asheville band before jumping into their fiery performance. Recorded 04/28/2022. Twin Plagues Cody’s Only Handsome Man Maura Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday have become one of indie rock’s newest bands to watch. Their tangled blend of country and 90s grunge make for a sound that’s both raw and incredibly fresh. They stopped by KEXP to play songs off their latest record,Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up, and Troy Nelson gives some background on the Asheville band before jumping into their fiery performance. Recorded 04/28/2022. Twin Plagues Cody’s Only Handsome Man Maura Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle’s Da Qween is probably best described by KEXP’s own Martin Douglas as “simply is what they are. A very good rapper, a queer-identifying person, too talented and too stubborn to allow straight people to view them as a gimmick, and as the title of their 2019 album suggests, a renaissance bitch.”  For this episode of Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson gives some background on the “Black Queer Non Binary Raptress Spitting from the 206” before they prove their chops in the KEXP live room with a set of songs both new and old but all similarly slappin. Recorded 04/26/2022. ThunderClap When Worst Comes to Worst Quit Music Worthy Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle’s Da Qween is probably best described by KEXP’s own Martin Douglas as “simply is what they are. A very good rapper, a queer-identifying person, too talented and too stubborn to allow straight people to view them as a gimmick, and as the title of their 2019 album suggests, a renaissance bitch.”  For this episode of Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson gives some background on the “Black Queer Non Binary Raptress Spitting from the 206” before they prove their chops in the KEXP live room with a set of songs both new and old but all similarly slappin. Recorded 04/26/2022. ThunderClap When Worst Comes to Worst Quit Music Worthy Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tacoma, WA-raised musician LIVt is a master at poetic lyricism that touts messages of self-acceptance, independence, and radically soulful love. For her recent KEXP in-studio, LIVt chats with Gabriel Teodros about being a girl unbothered as well as the escapism she found through music during the tough moments of the pandemic before playing songs off of 2019’s Black Girl Unbothered and 2020’s Flowers in the Void. Recorded 04/21/2022. Social Nomad One Track Mind Sade To Infinity Unbothered Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tacoma, WA-raised musician LIVt is a master at poetic lyricism that touts messages of self-acceptance, independence, and radically soulful love. For her recent KEXP in-studio, LIVt chats with Gabriel Teodros about being a girl unbothered as well as the escapism she found through music during the tough moments of the pandemic before playing songs off of 2019’s Black Girl Unbothered and 2020’s Flowers in the Void. Recorded 04/21/2022. Social Nomad One Track Mind Sade To Infinity Unbothered Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For their fourth KEXP performance and second actually playing amongst the flickering lights of our revered studio, Altin Gün had a lot of new material to work with. Staying incredibly busy during the pandemic, the Amsterdam-based band put out two albums just last year. During their in-studio, Bassist Jasper Verhulst goes into how the band worked to give back on their latest album before jumping into a riveting set of Turkish folk psychedelia. Recorded 04/13/2022. Ordunun Dereleri Badi Sabah Olmadan Cips Kola Kilit Kalk Gidelim Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For their fourth KEXP performance and second actually playing amongst the flickering lights of our revered studio, Altin Gün had a lot of new material to work with. Staying incredibly busy during the pandemic, the Amsterdam-based band put out two albums just last year. During their in-studio, Bassist Jasper Verhulst goes into how the band worked to give back on their latest album before jumping into a riveting set of Turkish folk psychedelia. Recorded 04/13/2022. Ordunun Dereleri Badi Sabah Olmadan Cips Kola Kilit Kalk Gidelim Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha returned to the KEXP studios this past April for a powerful and timely performance highlighting the strength and beauty of Ukrainian culture in the midst of war tearing apart their homeland. Troy Nelson sheds some light on the background of the avant-garde band while vocalist Marco Halanevych expands, via translator, on the importance of raising awareness of the crisis and highlighting the beautiful art that comes from their country.  Recorded 04/15/22 Sonnet 9 nedilechok Rozhestvo Watch the full live on KEXP performance on YouTube. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha returned to the KEXP studios this past April for a powerful and timely performance highlighting the strength and beauty of Ukrainian culture in the midst of war tearing apart their homeland. Troy Nelson sheds some light on the background of the avant-garde band while vocalist Marco Halanevych expands, via translator, on the importance of raising awareness of the crisis and highlighting the beautiful art that comes from their country.  Recorded 04/15/22 Sonnet 9 nedilechok Rozhestvo Watch the full live on KEXP performance on YouTube. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this week’s Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson delves into the music of Florida rapper Denzel Curry. Starting with his early days as a member of Carol City collective Raider Klan, finding inspiration in the Memphis rap scene, and dropping his debut album while still in high school, we eventually find him eleven years later and five albums deep playing a very vibey and occasionally bleeped in-studio session for KEXP. Recorded 04/06/2022. Melt Session #1 [feat. Robert Glasper]  Walkin Troubles [feat. T-Pain] X-Wing Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this week’s Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson delves into the music of Florida rapper Denzel Curry. Starting with his early days as a member of Carol City collective Raider Klan, finding inspiration in the Memphis rap scene, and dropping his debut album while still in high school, we eventually find him eleven years later and five albums deep playing a very vibey and occasionally bleeped in-studio session for KEXP. Recorded 04/06/2022.  Melt Session #1 [feat. Robert Glasper]  Walkin Troubles [feat. T-Pain] X-Wing Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indigo De Souza made waves with her 2021 sophomore release Any Shape You Take for her intensely emotional, dexterous vocals and brooding instrumentation. On this episode of Live on KEXP, she opens up to Larry Mizell Jr. about how moving to Asheville when she was a teen had a major influence on her musical growth and understanding of what was possible and also explains the making of some of the powerfully cathartic moments on Any Shape You Take before jumping into four songs off the record.  Recorded 03/28/2022. Kill Me Late Night Crawler Bad Dream Real Pain Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.