Conn Raney lives in Los Angeles now, but he spent some formative years in East Portland while his father attended Multnomah Bible College, which is now called Multnomah University and is located around 85th NE and NE Glisan. In Portland Raney first heard Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and life was never the same after that. Another …
On the hot humid Saturday of August 18 I headed downtown to Seattle’s City Hall to join others protesting a white supremacy group calling themselves the Patriot Prayer group. As I wandered up and down the block I heard chants like, NO KKK. No fascist USA. No Trump. Rows of police lined the street on …
Oruam is an Italian record producer, songwriter and DJ currently based in Perth, Australia. Oruam started working on “Looking Straight” while on vacation in Broome, he was locked up inside a hotel room while a cyclone was happening outside. The track features a mix of dance elements, from the soft intro to the breakdown and …
To be honest, making hot records make me fear less the hands of time and the strangeness of aging. There are old men, and then there are old men with hot records. There are guys like Willie Nelson you wouldn’t even recognize before they were 40. Well maybe there is just Willie Nelson. But as …
This video is a master class in fingerstyle picking. Watch and learn kids… Darling Cora herself says, “Here is my cover of Scottish folk singer-songwriter and guitarist Bert Jansch’s “Angie”, which was based on Davey Graham’s original “Anji”. Hope you enjoy!” http://darlingcoramusic.com/
Too Fast is the breakthrough collaboration of three seasoned artists- electronic music producer Cyran, singers K-Lien and Dave L- introducing a tantalizing new sound to the music world. At its core a bracing blend of EDM and Hip-Hop, their music is infused with bold topical themes to move even the most jaded, weaving a powerful …
My word, KEXP really scored when they hired Eva Walker as the new host of Audioasis. This woman is a mega talent and I absolutely adore her long view and careful study of history. It makes her music and performances hit so much harder than what a Hipster might do scratching the surface with same the chord …
‘FUNKY KINGSTON’ is sounding nice with Hold in Fyah at rehearsal. I am coming on stage to this Maytals anthem on September 12th at Nectar when we open for Israel Vibration & The Roots Radics at Nectar Lounge. Big show and a song that I want to make a part of my sets as my album West Indian Rock come …
Heather O’Neill is a supremely gifted songwriter working out of Chicago. Take a listen to her Transmute EP. A few months ago she sent her amazing acoustic track “Red Roses for Lady Blue.” I loved it then and still do. As I said, the guitar playing on this track is haunting and tender and perfectly …
Oozing attitude and commanding attention, PSA’s new video for “Ghost” embodies the bombastic spirit of the rising Seattle pop star. Cheered on by her team, PSA lambasts a love gone sour with tongue-in-cheek flair. Native to the Pacific Northwest, PSA embodies the creativity and freedom of DIY culture as well as the drive and ambition …
On a hot August night I ventured to SE Seattle to see the highly pedigreed Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra. This outfit, fronted by Greg Lee (of Hep Cat fame) was a combination of a big jazz band, a ska band and modern mixed in with old and traditional. Greg Lee was fascinating to watch. …
On the inspiration for the song “Cadillac” William Dolan says: “It’s okay to talk about, and even worry about what’s happening in the world. But, you can still enjoy yourself whether you are a kid or an adult. I’m trying to open kids eyes about important issues and help make the world a better place. …
Check out Sly Dunbar and Anthony Red Rose discussing the making of ‘Free Your Mind’. Thank you Enriek Thomas for shooting this, Mike Martin for editing, and Roy Roy Ce for embracing the unique challenge of sending this footage to America via the series of tubes we call the Internet. Davin’s new song has been released and has become a global earworm …
Discussing her new track, Riley states “When I was younger, I suffered abuse by the hands of an older man. Being able to sing out my confusion and frustration made me confront some upsetting truths about my past. Innocence is about seeing these issues face-to-face and and way to heal from them.”
This is Shawn Lambert. He is a fellow American that invited me to HIS session where I got my big break at Sly & Robbie‘s studio in Kingston. This was a magic moment as he took a break from working on his stellar Michelle Obama inspired Hip Hop / Dancehall track with Sly and company to talk about how …
Mona Lisa is an “Off-Top Freestyle” that Auspiddit did after having a big disagreement with family and friends about investing in himself. This high energy trap-like song is produced by Brandon Chapa. The Risky, Religious church theme was shot and directed by Kyle Ahlberg.
Dig the new track from KXA with LA singer Jenny March: KXA Instagram Jenny March Instagram
The sun sets. Appreciate every gig. This is Tom Wilkinson‘s last gig with us until after his baby arrives. Every time The Staxx Brothers hit the stage, it’s all kind of a minor miracle that my friends and I built this tradition that is so many albums and unbelievable stories deep, that I have been able to sing …
On a warm early August evening I had the chance to do some time traveling. One of my favorite performers of the early eighties was playing a concert at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. That artist is Adam Ant. I saw Adam a couple times in 81 and 82 and remembered him being an incredible performer. …
I think the difference between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans that emerged from Africa about 40,000 years can be summed up so: Neanderthals today were at best capable of providing links to articles they read that reinforce their own basic-ness, as not quite men who live in caves. They also loooooove memes but don’t understand …
When my kids were active members with our church’s youth groups I got to know a man named Nabil as he had daughters very close in age to my sons. I learned that Nabil’s parents and grandparents owned two farms in Palestine that bore oranges, lemons, and limes. Then the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and …
I have so many wonderful things to say about Rick Beato and his Rick Beato – Everything Music series on youtube. This guy is everything about why some youtube creators are delivering even more valuable content than most television producers. He is hitting a real audience. His peers. Rick is talking about music news, theory, production, business and songwriting …
Do people still listen to albums ever so still, tracing every word and phrase, unlocking the mystery of every rhythm? When I was a kid an album had a real value. $19.99 was over $30 then. That inevitable scratch was a tragedy. Sure, it was a safe bet when we could leave our collection at …
I like the world-shrinking impact that bleak overseas (I’m an American and a proud East Portlander) podcasts have on me. Hence my love affairs with a Norwegian/British (Death in Ice Valley) and an Australian (The Teacher’s Pet) podcast. American podcasts, produced by the likes of CNN, MSNBC or, for that matter, the Comedy Channel, all …
The Sarah Benasouli Quartet is a new Jazz-style project that combines original compositions, colourful arrangements and varied influences. Sarah Benasouli is a singer, creator and writer. She fully welcomes the audience into her musical world; an exciting mix of jazz, soul and ethnic music blending together a wide range of cultures and rhythms that have …
Don’t miss this brief interview with legendary dancehall producer and keyboardist Lenky Marsden as he discusses how he and the song’s producer Anthony Red Rose turned what Lenky considers my “American Folk Ting” into what is becoming a MAJOR hit in Jamaica. It certainly is a hybrid. As a Half Puerto Rican that has always felt a bit out …
I know it sucks that THEY are coming for The Showbox. But the fate was sealed years ago when we all swallowed this pill of sh_t that it was OK to drive out the Soul of our city, starting with Black folks in the Central District that gave the world f_cking Jimi Hendrix and Quincy …
I got some real challenges ahead in August. I know how to be Thick Jagger, lick a harmonica like boss, and front The Staxx Brothers all day. But this is new territory boss. I am joining forces with the reggae outfit Hold in Fyah at Morgan Henley‘s Rock The Nation Carnation, WA block party on Saturday August 4th and even …
Seattle police’s lip-sync video of Macklemore’s “Downtown” (above) has rightfully drawn a lot of attention. The department still under a Department of Justice order to eliminate brutality, especially against people of color, has thoroughly embraced the Seattle rapper’s one-love vibe while putting their show on the road, blowing away police department lip-syncing videos from around …