David Gray has been a regular visitor to KCRW since before his album “White Ladder” launched him to stardom. In fact, the Welsh singer loves KCRW so much, he even dropped by for a performance on his wedding day many years ago. The multi-platinum selling artist was back today to perform songs from his latest hit record, “Draw the Line” – including the title track and other favorites like “Fugitive” and “Kathleen.” He also performed a special cover of Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me in the Morning.”
Jason asked him how he could be such an easy going guy to chat with but channel such heartbreak and cutting emotion in his songs. David replied that when playing music you get to access the “reaches of your tortured soul.” And aren’t we glad he does!
RR
Orgone brought some funky grooves to our Santa Monica studios -- a full throttle live performance despite the early morning hour, with a full horn section and Fanny Franklin on vocals. While a lot of soul/funk bands tend to sound entirely retro, Orgone seem to have created a vibe that is fresh, unique and very much influenced by Southern California. Their cover of “Funky Nassau” has been a favorite among our DJs and they managed to squeeze it in, along with a Meters’ cover, just before the end of their set.
RR
KCRW put together a compilation through iTunes of songs straight from our DJ’s playlists and we are offering it FREE for our listeners. It’s 20 tracks, including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Mayer Hawthorne and Miike Snow – all who made their debuts here and have been getting a ton of buzz – as well as Moby, St. Vincent, and Iron and Wine.
Here’s the link: http://www.kcrw.com/selections
Get it while you can!
RR
KCRW Selections: 20-Track iTunes Playlist
ARTIST / TITLE
The Morning After Girls / Part of Your Nature
Fanfarlo / Ghosts
St. Vincent / The Strangers
Headless Heroes / Just Like Honey
Nickodemus / Calle Sol
Black Moth Super Rainbow / Smile the Day After Today
Sonic Youth / Malibu Gas Station
A Camp / Here Are Many Wild Animals
Iron and Wine / Belated Promise Ring
Zap Mama / Do You Wanna?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / 40 Day Dream
Miike Snow / Sans Soleil
Eels / In My Dreams
Bibio / Ambivalence Avenue
Generationals / When They Fight, They Fight
Moby / Pale Horses (Empyrean Dub remix)
Mayer Hawthorne / Maybe So, Maybe No
The Temper Trap / Sweet Disposition
Quantic and His Combo Barbaro / Un Canto a Mi Tierra
Mocky / Birds Of a Feather
...watching my students work on their final group projects, I heard a loud sort of bang just outside our building. As a teacher on a largish campus, I now find myself worrying about school violence. I actually sat there and planned our classroom emergency procedure should a gunman ever enter our building. It included the shutting of doors, the turning off of lights, the straightening of desks, and the quick movement of students against walls hidden from view of the little window in the door.
KCRW’s online-only music channel Eclectic24 will stream the soundtrack to the latest film in the “Twilight” series tonight at 8pm PST on Monday, Nov 9. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” OST will also be available streaming ON DEMAND for one week only! You can check it all out here.
The soundtrack includes fantastic new songs from Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Skulls and Bon Iver, among others. Enjoy!
Next week, we preview Norah Jones’ latest “The Fall.”
RR
Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC with host JASON BENTLEY
Tuesday, November 10, Multi-platinum selling artist David Gray loves KCRW so much, he even dropped by for a performance on his wedding day years ago. We've had him back many times since and he joins Morning Becomes Eclectic for an intimate performance of songs from his latest release at 11:15am.
Thursday, November 12, Colombian artists Bomba Estereo made a splash at this year’s Latin Alternative Music Conference. They combine Afro-Caribbean rhythms with electro, dub, hip hop and more for a sound they call "electro-tropical." Hear it live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Tuesday, November 17, Forro In The Dark is based in New York, but they tap into their Brazilian roots to create hip-swiveling grooves. Their fans include KCRW favorites like David Byrne and Bebel Gilberto-- you’ll hear why on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Thursday, November 19, As a young woman, Rosanne Cash told her father Johnny she wanted to play country music. He put together a list of 100 essential songs for her to listen to and, years later, she’s put together an album highlighting her favorites. Hear it live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Friday, November 20, New Zealand soul collective Fat Freddy's Drop is ready to invade the U.S. with their dub reggae vibe, which has now expanded to include elements of jazz and hip-hop. We'll hear their new and improved sound on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
KCRW.COM PRESENTS
Tues, November 24, ROYKSOPP at WEBSTER HALL in NEW YORK.
Fri, December 11, FIERY FURNACES at THE MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG in NEW YORK CITY.
KCRW PRESENTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tues, November 10, INARA GEORGE, ELENI MANDELL, FERRABY LIONHEART AT THE BOOTLEG THEATRE.
Thurs, November 12, ORGONE AT ZANZIBAR.
Thurs, November 12, BURAKA SOM SISTEMA AT THE MAYAN.
Sat, November 14, JENNY LEWIS & FRIENDS AT THE ACTOR’S GANG.
Wed, November 18, SWELL SEASON AT THE WILTERN.
Wed, November 18, ROYKSOPP AT CLUB NOKIA.
Wed, November 18, FORRO IN THE DARK at THE SOHO in Santa Barbara.
Thurs, November 19, FORRO IN THE DARK AT THE MINT.
Sat, November 21, FRIENDLY FIRES WITH THE XX AT THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA.
Friday, November 20, FAT FREDDY’S DROP AT THE ROXY. Jeremy Sole will host and deejay the evening.
Sat, November 21, BEN GIBBARD & FRIENDS AT THE ACTOR’S GANG.
Sat, November 21, PETER BJORN AND JOHN with FOOL'S GOLD AND EL PERRO DEL MAR AT CLUB NOKIA.
Mon, November 23, EL PERRO DEL MAR AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ.
Tues, November 24, LISSIE at THE BOOTLEG THEATRE.
Friday, November 27, JULIAN CASABLANCAS AT THE PALACE THEATRE.
Friday, December 4, FINK AT SPACELAND.
Sat, December 5, SARA WATKINS AND TOM BROSSEAU AT LARGO AT THE CORONET.
Sat, December 12, BRETT DENNEN AT THE WILTERN.
Sat, December 12, JOHN DOE with JILL SOBULE AT THE ACTOR ’S GANG.
Wed, December 16, ZERO 7 AT THE ORPHEUM.
Friday, December 18 and Sat, December 19, OZOMATLI AT CLUB NOKIA.
Friday, January 8, SONIC YOUTH AT THE FOX THEATRE IN POMONA.
Sat, January 9, SONIC YOUTH AT THE WILTERN.
Friday, March 12, BRANDI CARLILE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES (ANAHEIM).
I was walking home - desperately - from work one day, shuddering with my disinterest, when I looked up and saw a simple composition floating in the impatient sky. All of the elements were ruled by astronomy, so as each second passed, they were shifted by a celestial sleight-of-hand.
I saw a crescent moon, hanging in the sky like a slice from a ghostly fruit. A rag of cloud, the color of sweetness - apricots, irises - was pulled across the pale lunar fraction. The sky was a gentle product of the negotiation between daylight and sunset: a lavender agreement.
The sky assembles visions like this every evening. It is common drink. But I would dare anyone to take a sip from this vignette ordinaire and not return home happy and reeling.
I'm glad I can now post content from Amazon again, but I can't seem to write in the same post that I post any Amazon content? Anyway, as I suspected it would be, Purple Hibiscus was great -- a really sad, evocative coming-of-age novel. To me, Half of a Yellow Sun is the better novel, because it's broader in scope and more political, but I think that's a matter of personal preference; I think many readers would be completely enraptured by the intimacy of Purple Hibiscus.
