Kexp Live Performances Podcast

Jake Xerxes Fussell has proven himself a modern master of American folk and blues, with prodigious guitar playing and a rawness to his voice that goes straight to the heart. Hosted by Greg Vandy on KEXP's The Roadhouse, Fussell performs four songs and discusses getting his start in the folklore world, his Southern origins and how he reinterprets traditional music. Recorded 10/04/2019. 4 songs - Jubilee, Raggy Levy, The River St. John's, Have You Ever Seen Peaches Growing on a Sweet Potato Vine?Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Convention-breaking artist and activist Madame Gandhi, formerly the drummer for M.I.A., writes music that centers the female voice and experience, boldly making space for more women and femme rappers to follow. As part of KEXP's 2019 Iceland Airwaves broadcast from Kex Hostel, she performs tracks from her latest EP, Visions, skillfully jumping between a drum kit, beat pad and the mic, and taking breaks to explain her inspiration and intended impact. Recorded 11/06/2019. 6 songs - Waiting For Me, Her, Top Knot Turn Up, Young Indian, Yellow Sea, Bad Habits.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born out of the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, KOKOKO! inventively up-cycles various materials to create a sonically vibrant, spontaneous style of dance music. The collective joins Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room for an exhilarating performance of songs from their new record, Fongola, and a multilingual discussion about the spirit of collaboration, building instruments out of necessity and breaking away from Congolese musical traditions. Recorded 10/12/2019. 4 songs - Likolo, Tongos'a, Malembe, Azo Toke.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ORUÃ brings their own brand of jazz-infused, fuzzed-out psychedelia to the KEXP Live Room. Playing mostly songs from their 2019 album, 'Romã,’ the three-piece band also speaks with Cheryl Waters about their connection with Built To Spill, the arts community in Rio de Janeiro and their many side projects. Recorded 03/27/2019. 5 songs - Volte Consciente, Malquerências, Domador, Vitin, Ilhas De Força.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On her debut LP, 'Keepsake,' Australian artist Harriette Pilbeam, or Hatchie, delivers the electro-pop nostalgia the record's title promises. She and her band join DJ Evie in the KEXP Live Room to perform four songs and discuss influences, selling out shows and writing songs in her pajamas. Recorded 09/29/2019. 4 songs - Her Own Heart, Kiss The Stars, Obsessed, Stay With Me.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recorded 04/02/2019. 4 songs - Crosses, Heartbeats, The Forest, Leaf Off / The Cave.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recorded 09/27/2019. 4 songs - Weyu Lárigi Weyu (Day By Day), Banda, Gudemei (Poverty), Mongulu.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh Sees frontman John Dwyer is known for his relentless experimentation across genres, encompassing krautrock, punk, thrash metal, no-wave, and psychedelic. The band is also prolific, with this year's 'Face Stabber' putting them at a staggering twenty-two studio albums. Hosted by Troy Nelson, the band performs three sprawling tracks from 'Face Stabber' as well as two from earlier releases, and discuss Toby Keith, mosh pits, and how Dwyer came across the album's cover art. Recorded 10/05/2019. 5 songs - Nite Expo, C, Snickersnee, Together Tomorrow, Henchlock.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The eponymous debut record from Austin-based Black Pumas has been a KEXP favorite since its summer release. The uniquely raw and soulful delivery of singer Eric Burton paired with producer Adrian Quesada's instrumentals, which nod to 70s soul and 90s hip hop, give them a sound that's simultaneously nostalgic and of the future. DJ Cheryl Waters chats with the duo about how they formed the project, what messages they want to convey through their music, Burton's nomadic past and bringing their distinctive spirit to live shows. Recorded 10/18/2019. 4 songs - Black Moon Rising, Fire, Colors, OCT 33.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On their sophomore LP, ‘Cry,’ Cigarettes After Sex continues delicately crafting a world that’s moody, atmospheric and cinematic. Frontman Greg Gonzalez says the sound is owed in part to the recording of the album in a remote part of the Spanish island Mallorca. DJ Morgan hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for a performance of four songs and a discussion about recording in exotic locations and how movies have affected their songwriting. Recorded 09/28/2019. 4 songs - Don't Let Me Go, Kiss It Off Me, Heavenly, Falling In Love.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The title of Jay Som’s latest record, ‘Anak Ko,’ is a term of endearment in the Filipino language of Tagalog, and translates to “my child.” Songwriter and frontwoman Melina Duterte describes the title as “a warm blanket over the record,” which finds her rooted in the personal while maintaining a bright, dream pop punchiness. Duterte and her charismatic band join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for four songs and an interview on her approach to the record, her many collaborators and the importance of “me time.” Recorded 09/19/2019. 4 songs - Anak Ko, Peace Out, Superbike, Get Well.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zimbabwe's Mokoomba merges traditional Tonga rhythms with modern Afro-fusion for a brimming sound that's at once energizing and emotionally evocative. The six-piece band joins Wo'Pop's Darek Mazzone in the KEXP Live Room to perform four new songs and discuss eleven years of touring together and the meaning behind their songs. Recorded 04/26/2019. 4 songs - Nyansola, Njawane, Manina, Ndipe.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On her dynamic debut LP, 'Miss Universe,' Nilüfer Yanya manages to exceed the hype of her alluring earlier releases. Breaking down boundaries of genre and expectation, the London artist bounces between floating falsetto, anthemic power, head-banging rock and spare jazz arrangements, all interspersed with short skits of the fictional WWAY HEALTH, a satire on self-improvement industries. She joins DJ Abbie in the KEXP Live Room for this performance of four songs followed by an interview on her early creative influences, the comfort of the unknown and more. Recorded 09/26/2019. 4 songs - Golden Cage, Paradise, The Unordained, In Your Head.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shana Cleveland is best known as the lead guitarist and vocalist of surfer-rock group La Luz, but her solo music stands wholly on its own. Inspired in part by Afro-futurist Sun Ra, her second solo album, 'Night of the Worm Moon,' explores UFOs, the cosmos, and alternate dimensions. With her acoustic fingerpicking and moody melodies gliding on a bed of ambient drones, the record serves as the perfect vessel for mind wanderings. Recorded 04/10/2019. 4 songs - Face of the Sun, In Another Realm, Don't Let Me Sleep, Invisible When the Sun Leaves.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Perth-based psychedelic rock outfit gets bigger with every release. With crunchier guitars, heavier riffs and more hypnotic melodies, their much anticipated 2019 LP, 'And Now For The Whatchamacallit,' does not disappoint. The band joins Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to perform four songs. Recorded 09/13/2019. 4 songs - Hymn For A Droid, Bill's Mandolin, Cubensis Lenses, Cornflake.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LA-based duo Girlpool's third LP, 'What Chaos Is Imaginary,' demonstrates their continued need for expansion and experimentation. While at the heart, it's still driven by the crafty and infectious melodies characteristic of their previous releases, the record is bursting with new harmonies, instrumentation and textures. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for four new songs and a conversation on songwriting and the captivating title of their album. Recorded 04/12/2019. 4 songs - Hire, Pretty, Minute In Your Mind, What Chaos Is Imaginary.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The five members of Portland-based No Kind of Rider have been making music together since their teen years in Oklahoma, drawing influence from jazz, post-punk, R&B, shoegaze and electronic. Their 2018 debut full-length, 'Savage Coast,' strikes an intricate balance between these varied genres, resulting in a sound that evokes no comparison. Audioasis host Eva Walker welcomes the band to the KEXP Live Room for four songs from the record and a discussion on how music heals in times of grief. Recorded 09/10/2019. 4 songs - Intermission, Dark Ice, Sophia, Autumn.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooklyn-based Alsarah & The Nubatones encompasses the diverse influences of its members in what they describe as "East-African retro-pop.” With a range of backgrounds including Sudanese, Egyptian, Armenian, American, French and Togolese, this group proves that music with soul has no borders. Alsarah's calm yet vibrant vocals lead the way in four stunning songs and an enlightening interview with Wo'Pop host Darek Mazzone. Recorded 04/11/2019. 4 songs - Men Ana, Habibi, Alforag, Fulani.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wilco frontman and indie rock icon Jeff Tweedy stops by Rainshadow Recording on his birthday for this live session during the THING Fest 2019 broadcast. After releasing two gorgeous, stripped-down solo records and a memoir in the span of a year, Jeff is back on the road with Wilco to promote their 11th studio album, Ode To Joy. Along with playing a few songs, old and new, Tweedy talks with KEXP's DJ Morgan about grief, album titles, his memoir, and free cantaloupes. Recorded 08/25/2019. 4 songs - An Empty Corner, White Wooden Cross, Family Ghost, Impossible Germany.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Molly Burch's sophomore LP, ‘First Flower,' is an intimate self-portrait that lays bare her insecurities alongside her triumphs. Accompanied by dreamy electric guitar, her sultry vocals take center stage to tell her story. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room as they play songs from ‘First Flower’ and the new 7” single. Recorded 08/28/2019. 4 songs - First Flower, To The Boys, Your Party, Only One.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.