Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Black Magic” by Seattle's Prom Queen from the 2014 album Midnight Veil on Tsurumi Records.
Prom Queen - Black Magic (MP3)
Celene Ramadan, songwriter and frontwoman of the dynamic Seattle four piece Prom Queen, is all about theatrics, but don’t let that fool you. Prom Queen’s music has all the substance and more to back up their lavish, retro style. Their song, “Black Magic”, crosses genre borders with a languid ease befit of its grandiose but laid back style. At one moment a gothic organ kicks things off with all the moodiness of a silent German expressionist film, and at the next, spaghetti western styled guitars fly listeners to a whole new scene set for gunslingers and lost loves. Add the soft strings and horns of a smoky, swanky lounge around 1:20, and an extraterrestrial synth around 2:12, and you’ve finished the song with a thoroughly exhaustive yet thrilling cinematic experience. Luckily, Ramadan’s steady vocals steer the song calmly through its many transitions, grounded enough to act as its anchor, but mysterious enough to keep the listener coming back for more.
Prom Queen are currently raising money for a West Coast tour, which you can support over at Go Fund Me, or by attending their fundraising show at Cafe Racer on August 15th. Otherwise, stay tuned for updates from the band’s Facebook page and website. If you want more from 2014’s Midnight Veil, check out the album’s full length video below:
As lighthearted as they are lethal, Seattle’s Mommy Long Legs stepped into our live room to rock out a handful of tracks from their debut release, Life Rips, comprised of clever, hooky punk rock that mixed furious righteousness with a wicked sense of humor. Songs like "Horrorscope" and the title tr…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Mor…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Aft…
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