The phrase "music is a universal language" is sometimes overused, but is perfectly fitting when it comes to Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate. New York native Driscoll and Guinea-born Kouyate met at a music festival in Marseilles, France and instantly clicked. Despite the enormous language barrier -- Driscoll speaks no French and Kouyate, little English -- they created a perfectly one-of-a-kind sound, an eclectic fusion of hip hop, reggae, soul, combining African and Western grooves. It's really no surprise KEXP DJ Darek Mazzone declared, "you guys are poets!" Kouyate plays the kora -- a 21-string harp used extensively in Western Africa -- like it's an extension of his body, with intensity and heart. And combined with Driscoll's chill-inducing vocals, lyrics and his rhythmic guitar, the result is pure magic. Fall under Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate's spell, live in the KEXP studio, right here:
In a manner of speaking, frontmen Tim Jenkins and Tom Crandles are master tightrope walkers. The duo behind Au.Ra balance shared singing duties, varying music styles, and even hometowns (shuttling often between Sydney and London) with striking ease and control. Take “You’re On My Mind”, the first s…
There's nothing queasy about the latest from west coast dream-pop band Craft Spells. It's been almost a year since their sophomore full-length, Nausea, came out on Captured Tracks; since then, songwriter Justin Paul Vallesteros has relocated back to Seattle and overcome a depression that influenced…
