Jeremy Farmer

You asked for it! Perhaps the most memorable performance from KEXP’s Chicago broadcast from Engine Studios earlier this month came from the 80-something year old (reports vary) bluesman T-Model Ford. Born James Lewis Carter Ford, The Taildragger, or as his guitar states “Taledragger”, came to the guitar late in life, but you’d never know it from the natural ability he demonstrates here and his carefree disposition… that, and the Jack Daniel’s doesn’t hurt:

Sallie Mae:

Wood Cuttin’ Man:

Ask Her For Water:

Allie Pasquier

The first rule of the secret Music Lounge is that nobody talks about the secret Music Lounge. It’s kind of like Fight Club, but without the fighting. KEXP is once again proud to host this year’s Music Lounge from our secret location at the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. The festival runs from Aug 30 - Sep 1, and KEXP will be broadcasting and posting live from the Music Lounge all weekend. In the past, we’ve hosted some great bands like Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, Jermy Enigk, Cloud Cult, and Jose Gonzalez. This year is equally great. The line-up includes:

The only way to get access to this secret stage is to go to KEXP.ORG for details on how to reserve your spot — or enter to win admission to the festival and the Music Lounge here.

Unfamiliar with the Lounge? You can check out our photos from last year.

• Vampire Weekend, fresh from the Capitol Hill Block Party, has released a new video: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa:

• A number of September tour dates have been announced: Witchcraft will be at El Corazon on the 4th, Sam Sparro will be at Neumos on the 10th, Tilly & The Wall will be at the Showbox on the 18th; meanwhile, The Muslims, along with a ridiculous line up of performers, have announced they will be at Portland’s Musicfest NW on September 5.

• Jack White and Alicia Keys will be recording the theme song for Quantum of Solace — apparently the first James Bond theme to be a duet.

• O’Death, with new label Kemado, will be releasing their third LP, Broken Hymns, in the U.S. on October 28,

Gregory A. Perez

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is Rat Is Dead (Rage) by CSS from the 2008 album Donkey on Sub Pop.

CSS, out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, had a runaway hit with their 2006 debut, Cansei de Ser Sexy. Since then, tour demands and choosing which commercial interests to provide songs to have been their biggest concerns… until now. Donkey, the group’s second effort, finds them toning things down a bit. It’s the perfect album for a group that started out as raw as CSS — it’s crafted with precision for an audience including many who probably didn’t get it the first time around. The basic dance-punk principles remain, but the sound is more refined. The first thing a casual listener will notice is the lack of swear words in the song titles and that pop culture references have mostly disappeared throughout. But with Mike Stent (Madonna, MIA) manning the mixing board, the group is far from lost. The new album is a controlled effort to bring the band into a new and bigger arena. The one major change that occurred between albums is the loss of bassist Ira Trevisan, who left the group to pursue other interests. Drummer Adriano has stepped up to fill the position, and a session drummer now resides where he once did. CSS is on a massive tour right now, currently of the Midwest, but turning to Europe in mid-August. If possible, don’t miss out on that, and don’t miss this official video for Rat Is Dead (Rage):

924 Gilman, a punk club near Berkeley, California. 1990. I had just discovered the University of California radio station KALX Berkeley. It was full of colorful characters but my favorite was a DJ who called himself Dogboy. His real name was Michael. He had big blue eyes and glasses that hid them from everyone but me. He played in a punk band named Juke. He was the drummer.

We met at a party at my house. My housemate had invited all the KALX radio people and a live band was rockin our huge, shabby penthouse. There were decks on all sides. One side faced the Berkeley hills and the Campanille. The other side had a panoramic of the Bay Bridge and a glimpse of the Golden Gate across the water.

It was on this deck that thronged with people in the dark that we somehow found each other. A helicopter flew in close and both Michael and I reacted with the same goofy joke. “The helicopter people are coming to get us, we must all jump to our deaths!!” We stopped and looked at each other (both ridiculous and not caring) and it was pretty much a done deal.

I resisted his charms for quite a while, professing “I won’t belong to anyone; I’m too young to have a steady boyfriend.” But we hung out as friends.

He taught me how to edit audio (on reel-to-reel with editing tape!) in the dusty basement of KALX. We poured over the library yanking out albums and exchanging. Sitting close over the turntable.

We both loved Gilman Street. Basically it was just a big dirty garage. No beer. All ages. And it was dangerous. You were bound to get stomped on wherever you stood. There was this one huge girl who had it out for me (I don’t know why), she had a swastika tattoo and was African-American (never figured that out either). She crushed my left foot (which still hurts when it rains) with her boot and was up for crushing me more any chance she got.

But even the huge, scary girl couldn’t keep me from Gilman St. It was the only good punk club in the Bay Area. Our favorite punk bands were Operation Ivy and Fugazi. Fugazi’s album 13 Songs had just come out the year before and we were in love with the album. From start to end, its warm edgy bass, splashy spare drums and racecar guitar riffs were so basic and raw. There was a literary bent to the vocals, yet Ian MacKaye’s voice held pure emotion.

When Fugazi finally came to Gilman, I went to the show with my friends, and I kept looking for Michael. But no sign of the tall brown-haired boy. Here is an actual video from the exact show. We are both getting stomped on somewhere in the middle of the crowd! And we loved it. Crazytown.

After the show everyone hung outside in the dusk, happy and satisfied. Michael stumbled out of the club and stood up right in front of me. His t-shirt was torn almost completely off, his glasses were askew, and he was holding a battered daisy. It barely even looked like a daisy. He looked up at me, shyly. “This is for you,” he said.

Join Michele Myers for Nite Life, every Friday night at 9pm. She also produces KEXP Documentaries — short radio features. KEXP Documentaries series include: Punk Evolution, Masters of Turntablism, The Heart of Soul and Music Revolutionaries.

All photos by Jason Bergman for JellyNYC

You know a show has a good lineup when in the weeks leading up to the event almost everyone in the city is buzzing about going to see one of the bands or another. Plans are made about when to arrive at the destination, McCarren Pool Park, an old defunct waterhole in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, aka the heart of the hipster homeland. If only mother nature had payed attention to all of our carefully laid plans. Under darkening skies, friends arrived to meet friends who had staked a claim in the line that snaked its way down thirteen streets filled with the well dressed (sporting the latest fashion and colored sunglasses), the young (trendy music loving mamas and papas toting their young tots on their hips despite the crashing lightening overhead), and the prepared (decked out with tables, chairs and coolers full of beers and booze). I overheard that some people turned up as early as 10:30 AM even though doors didn’t open until 2 PM.

When the opening hour finally commenced and the skills of KEXP DJ John Richards began to warm up the crowd, Mother Nature decided that was her cue to unleash her wrath upon the concert goers. It proceed to pour for the next two hours, with thunder crashing and lightening ablaze. But there was no calling off this event — this is Brooklyn, we can handle anything!

The Ting Tings are the latest in the line of English darlings to visit the U.S. and gain the attention and affection of the music community, selling out their previous NYC shows in a matter of days. After their first song, it was easy to understand why. Vocalist, guitarist and bass drummer Kate White was aglow with British confidence and class. Her bright white hair blew in the wind as she graced the stage and sang as if she were in the safest elements in the world. Percussionist Jules De Martino enjoyed the experience while smashing drums and adding vocals and guitar, dancing around and ignoring the drenched and uncomfortable crowd crouched below the stage. Showing just what New Yorkers are made of, girls danced in groups holding hands and jumping into puddles while boys with beards kept their Ray Bans carefully in place despite the lack of sun for miles around. Their hit single, “That’s Not My Name,” inspired a sing-along to compete against the thunder, but “Shut Up and Let Me Go” had to be my personal favorite.

By the time Black Moth Super Rainbow slid onto stage the winds had subsided and only a mere trickle of water was falling from the sky. Their smooth, groovy and electronic brand of Pittsburgh psychedelia folk-rock relaxed the audience allowing people to mingle and enjoy the scene. Although the lines still wrapped around the venue like a rubber band the party inside was just resting before the true storm, local delights MGMT. While band members Tobacco, The Seven Fields of Aphelion, Power Pill Fist, Iffernaut, and Father Hummingbird maneuvered their way through their ultra chill set, a palpably energy was building amongst the hipsters, wafting in waves surrounding the dodge ball court and among those brave enough to experience the slip n slide.

As John finished his last set, DJing from a booth set up on the left side of the stage, MGMT positioned themselves in front of the massive audience like rock stars from the 70’s with years of touring experience under their belt. It only took a little over a year for these musicians to master the swagger and strut of a band that is the darling of their record label, MTV and every iPod within the Tri-Borough area. Their hit tracks “Electric Feel,” “Kids,” and “Time to Pretend” were obvious crowd favorites and caused people to jump and scream when the first chords hit the wind. Chains of dancing friends clasping hands and weaved through the crowd as the set slowly came to an end. I think it would be safe to say that despite the long wait to get into the show and the poor weather, everyone gathered at McCarren Park Pool enjoyed themselves and had one heck of a good time. It was the perfect summertime concert to deliver exactly what New Yorkers are looking for, a good time to talk about for ages.

Next week at the JellyNYC Pool Parties, catch Black Lips, Deerhunter, King Kahn & His Shrines and Tall Firs, all for free at McCarren Park Pool.

Also, this Thursday (that’s tomorrow), Boost Mobile and JellyNYC present “The Secret Society Shows” featuring The Apples in Stereo, Earlimart and Poison Control Center at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets are available here.

photo by Hilary Harris

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is Song For by Earlimart from the 2008 album Hymn and Her on Majordomo.

Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, both multi-instrumentalists and the core LA band Earlimart, have never shaken comparisons to their old friend Elliott Smith. Chances are Hymn and Her won’t make those comparisons a thing of the past, but the band’s 6th record is their boldest move in a new direction in years, perhaps ever. Normally featuring a cadre of musicians, Earlimart records have been grand affairs, but their latest is truly just him and her (Aaron & Ariana). The record boasts more from Ariana than ever before in terms of songwriting and singing, and with less than a year having passed since 2007s Mentor Tormentor, it’s the quickest turnaround for an Earlimart record in the band’s history. After last year’s album, they could have spewed out 30 minutes of crap and likely had it gobbled up, but the slower serenity of Hymn and Her shows a band willing to take risks and exercise well-deserved creative capitol over pandering to any long-held perceptions. Check them out on tour now through the 2nd week of August and stick around for this video for Song For, performed at LA’s Echoplex:

We’ve posted many photos already from the Capitol Hill Block Party by the many talented photographers associated with KEXP, like Dan Muller, Rustee Pace, Ron Henry, Hilary Harris, Kyle Johnson, Josh Bis.

Here’s another round of incredible photos by Christopher Nelson:

Head Like a Kite

Kevin Cole

Menomena

Girl Talk

masses

Les Savy Fav

See Me River

Governor Gregoire

Vampire Weekend

Darker My Love

Kimya Dawson

security

Fleet Foxes

getting ready

Jaguar Love

Audioasis!

dude

Chromeo

Support KEXP!

The Hold Steady

Devotchka

Devotchka

The Saturday Knights

Trent

adoring fans

Sing Sing Afterparty

View more of Christopher Nelson’s photos here

Dan Muller

review by Jason Kinnard

After this exhausting weekend of music I’m not so sure. I don’t think you could even cram much more music into a two day period. Friday and Saturday were both amazing days at the Capitol Hill Block Party (see our full reviews) and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Hill as packed as it was this weekend. Moving around (especially on Friday) was an exercise in futility as the Main Stage area was completely bottlenecked. Relief, however, was not far away on some of the smaller stages like King Cobra and Neumo’s. Loved the addition of a couple more stages this year although I heard bands complain of the noise bleeding over.

Christopher Nelson

On Friday, some of the highlights on the Main Stage were Common Market, Vampire Weekend, and, surprisingly, Girl Talk — I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many poorly dancing people together on stage at one time. Thee Emergency and The Dodos both had great performances on the smaller stage at Neumo’s. Approaching near exhaustion after the insanity of Vampire Weekend, I headed home to prepare for another full day of Music on Saturday.

Christopher Nelson

Saturday was much better in terms of crowds and weather, and there were again some memorable performances. One of the highlights was being able to see the Cave Singers again (last time was at the KEXP BBQ) and the Fleet Foxes for the 2nd time this month! They were of course amazing and I found it remarkable they were able to get the crowd to stay that quiet during their set. Unfortunately, they were also the last band I was able to see that day as I was headed straight to Key Arena for exclusive access at the sold out Nine Inch Nails show at Key Arena. 

Steven Friederich

Just an hour earlier I had watched the Fleet Foxes unload all their own equipment out of a Van and now I was about to see a band that just sold out Key Arena and was about to embark on a year long tour of North and South America. With six trucks carrying their elaborate stage equipment and 60 support people, the difference was staggering. Nine Inch Nails would rival most military operations – the machine they feed is unbeleievable. The music itself was a great mix of old and new and their new stage set-up really made the music come to life. It was hands down the most eleborate stage set-up I’ve ever seen. Bright LED screens covered almost everything and created an unbelievable backdrop to their music and the sound was huge. This is a big time rock band.

After the show I had a rare glimpse inside and a chance to talk to some members of the band backstage about the tour. After their 2+ Hour long set, the band looked exhausted. They talked about the “theater” of the show and the months of practice it took them to get to this point. In a couple hours they had to load everything back up and drive to Canada overnight to clear Visa’s. As I reflected on the long journey ahead of them and watched them say goodbye to family and friends all I could think about was one thing: So you really want to be a rockstar?

The list of new releases this week is short and sweet… literally that is, with the long awaited full length from Wild Sweet Orange. You’ve been hearing their songs on KEXP for quite some time, years in fact, but the talented boys from Birmingham have finally landed on Canvasback Records (after their previous record deal went south). Apparently, male vocalists are fashionable on the rest of Largehearted Boy’s list: check out the latest from South London folkie Johnny Flynn, Wooden Wand vocalist James Jackson Toth, former Mojave 3 frontman Neil Halstead, and R&B wildman Andre Williams. Also, the CD version of George Carlin’s final standup performance commemorates the groundbreaking comedian’s fiery wit. For record collectors, there’s a truckload of re-issues, including the double vinyl edition of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Here’s the recommended shortlist: