In Our Headphones

Dioganhdih - "Native New Yorker," a 2019 self-released single. A self-described "queer, non-binary, indigenous rapper, activist, and diversity consultant", Dioganhdih uses their music to celebrate the Haudenosaunee culture. On their latest single, they explain, "this single release details the life of a water protector living in a constant state of emergency and being propelled into action while living in occupation at Oceti Sakowin, Standing Rock in 2016." The track was recorded in Los Angeles with Ziibiwan, an Anishinaabe electronic artist, on beat and post production. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ill-ēsha - "Como la Chicha (feat. Fabian Arias & Dakota Camacho)" from the 2020 self-released album Songs from the Sweat Shed. Last year, veteran DJ/producer Ill-ēsha helped create the Tribal Gathering Festival Recording Studio in the middle of the jungle in Panama, using the new space to record indigenous tribes and artists from all over the world. On her new double EP, Songs from the Sweat Shed, she incorporates samples from these sessions into her infectious electronic beats, with 100% of proceeds to "help continue funding to get tribes from all over the world to Tribal Gathering." On today's Song of the Day, Ill-ēsha features Fabian Arias and Dakota Camacho. Camacho, in particular, was born and raised in Coast Salish Territory, resides in South Seattle, and is of Matao/CHamoru ancestry. A "multi-disciplinary artist/researcher", Camacho also co-founded I Moving Lab, "an inter-national, inter-cultural, inter-tribal, and inter-disciplinary arts collective that creates community and self-funded arts initiatives to engage and bring together rural & urban communities, Universities, Museums, & performing arts institutions." You can see the wide range of projects Camacho leads here. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DJ Shub - "The Social (feat. pHoenix Pagliacci)," a 2020 single on Shub Music. Award-winning producer DJ Shub has teamed up with Toronto-based artist Phoenix for a powerful new track, with proceeds going to organizations benefiting Black Lives Matter and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. In an interview with Billboard, DJ Shub (who is a Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, Canada's largest First Nations reserve) explained: "Indigenous people in Canada are like the Black Lives Matter movement in the States. It’s pretty bad here, especially when it comes to shootings by police. The statistics are crazy, so I think we [as First Nations people] can relate to what’s happening. That’s why Phoenix [who is Black] gets it so deeply, we’ve both experienced the same struggle in Canada." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Tribe Called Red - "Land Back (feat. Boogey the Beat & Northern Voice)," a 2020 self-released single. Canadian DJ duo A Tribe Called Red have a long history of using their public platform to amplify the indigenous community, and with today's Song of the Day, they're showing their support for the Wet’suwet’en people, whose sovereign lands are being invaded by the RCMP and the Coastal GasLink pipeline. They're offering this song for free on their Soundcloud page and are encouraging listeners to donate to the Unist'ot'en 2020 Legal Fund in return. The band also shared this statement alongside the release: We oppose the invasion of sovereign Indigenous lands by the RCMP and the Coastal GasLink pipeline. We stand with the Wet’suwet’en people and their hereditary chiefs. We stand with all the people working to support their fight.  We will be making this song available to download for free and free to be used for anyone working to defend the Wet’suwet’en territories and all action that defend the right of Indigenous land sovereignty and to promote a true nation to nation discussion between the Indigenous nations of Turtle Island and our Canadian settlers.  Until our Canadians are willing to treat the Indigenous nations of this land with the respect due, a sovereign people’s reconciliation will remain an empty gesture.  It was the work of our good friend Whess Harman that inspired us to give the song away to the movement. Not only because of their work in the frontlines of resistance in Vancouver, but also because they are using their art for the movement. Whess designed the “Land Back” patch that is featured in our cover art, and has been selling them to raise money for the Unist'ot'en Camp Legal Fund. We will be making a donation to the same fund for our use of Whess' art. We encourage you to donate to the legal fund as well by following this link: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising... The Halluci Nation would like to thank our friends and collaborators who have helped make this possible. Without our community we are nothing. Boogey the Beat, Northern Voice, Whess Harman and Valeo Arts Management.#Alleyesonwetsuweten #LandBack #WaterIsLife #Standwithwetsuweten #unistotencamp #unistoten #unistotensolidarity #indigenousrights #wetsuwetenstrong Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warren Dunes - "Fishbowl," a 2020 self-released single. KEXP is a listener-funded nonprofit, and we need your help to keep creating podcasts like this one. Donate now for our Fall Fundraising Drive!  Seattle surf-pop trio Warren Dunes are currently working on their debut full-length, but in the meantime, they've shared the stand-alone single “Fishbowl,” a song frontwoman and local-music-veteran Julia Massey tells American Songwriter, “It’s about admitting your weaknesses and asking for help. It’s about making yourself vulnerable during dark times and finding strength in the little things, like taking a walk with someone and holding their hand.” Massey, along with her spouse, Jared Cortese; and his brother, Dominic Cortese, share more details about the new track on their Facebook page. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slow Pulp - "Falling Apart" from the 2020 album Moveys on Winspear. KEXP is a listener-funded nonprofit, and we need your help to keep creating podcasts like this one. Donate now for our Fall Fundraising Drive! Slow Pulp frontwoman Emily Massey's life was truly falling apart. The band had written an album's worth of songs while on tour with Alex G last year, but then Massey was diagnosed with Lyme disease and chronic mono. They scrapped the first batch and began to undertake more songwriting, better reflecting the current mood, and then things went from bad to worse. She explains in a press release: "As we were finishing up writing the album my parents got into a serious car accident and I came back home to help take care of them. A couple of weeks later COVID-19 started getting worse in the US, and quarantine began. Life felt completely surreal, everything had drastically changed and at such a rapid pace. It was especially strange because everyone was experiencing the same thing at the same time, but couldn’t be physically with each other to support each other. I felt like I couldn’t process any emotions I had about the whole ordeal because I had to keep it together to take care of my family. It became easier to stay numb, and create a facade that I was doing ok, than it was to release any type of healthy emotion for a long time. Luckily I did allow myself to have a full on breakdown induced by a stubbed toe and confusion over taxes, sometimes it’s the littlest things that finally get you." The resulting self-produced debut album, Moveys, will be released October 9th via Winspear. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sufjan Stevens - "Video Game" from the 2020 album The Ascension on Asthmatic Kitty. KEXP is a listener-funded nonprofit, and we need your help to keep creating podcasts like this one. Donate now for our Fall Fundraising Drive! As we reported back in August, acclaimed singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens has returned with his eighth solo LP, The Ascension, his first since 2015's Carrie & Lowell. The song's video features Jalaiah Harmon, a 14-year-old dancer/choreographer who went viral on Tik-Tok with her "Renegade" dance. Stevens released the following statement addressing both the song and the clip, directed by Nicole Ginelli. "It’s unfortunate that we live in a society where the value of people is quantified by likes, followers, listeners and views. So many people are seeking attention for the wrong reasons. I think we should all be doing our best work without looking for accolades or seeking reward. The main takeaway of “Video Game” for me is: your worth (invaluable) should never be based on other people’s approval (ephemeral). Just be yourself. Keep it real. Keep it moving. Do all things with absolute purity, love and joy. And always do your best." Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomberlin - "Wasted" from the 2020 Projections EP on Saddle Creek. KEXP is a listener-funded nonprofit, and we need your help to keep creating podcasts like this one. Donate now for our Fall Fundraising Drive! Sarah Beth Tomberlin (who records under the name Tomberlin) teams up with lo-fi king Alex G on her forthcoming EP Projections, out October 16th via Saddle Creek. In a press statement, she explains that today's Song of the Day was "the most fun song to record," adding "I brought the song with the guitar part and knew I wanted drums, but wasn't sure what kind of beat I wanted. Alex played this drum beat for me and was all 'kinda left field but maybe this would be cool.' It took the song to a whole new level. Sad song or summer banger? You tell me." For the accompanying music video, Tomberlin brought in actress/author Busy Philipps, who she spent the lockdown with. Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lost Horizons - "I Woke Up With An Open Heart (feat. The Hempolics)," from the 2020 album In Quiet Moments on Bella Union. KEXP is a listener-funded nonprofit, and we need your help to keep creating podcasts like this one. Donate now for our Fall Fundraising Drive! Lost Horizons unites the talents of Richie Thomas (aka Dif Juz) and Simon Raymonde (bassist of Cocteau Twins and founder of record label Bella Union), two former 4AD recording artists in the '80s. Their 2017 debut full-length Ojalá featured a stellar cast of guest vocalists, including Marissa Nadler, former Midlake frontman Tim Smith, and Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission. And, on their forthcoming sophomore LP In Quiet Moments, they reinvite those three stunning voices, adding John Grant, Porridge Radio, Penelope Isles, and more to their cast. London-based soul group The Hempolics appear on today's featured Song of the Day.  The duo gave their guests the following theme to inspire their lyrics: "Death and rebirth," Raymonde confirmed via a press release. "Of loved ones, of ideals, at an age when many artists that have inspired us are also dead, and the planet isn’t far behind. But I also said, ‘The most important part is to just do your own thing, and have fun.'” Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Left at London - "Do You See Us? (feat. Nobi)" from the 2020 self-released single Jenny Durkan, Resign in Disgrace. With a title like "Jenny Durkan, Resign in Disgrace", it's pretty obvious Seattle artist Left at London (real name: Nat Puff) does not mince words. And in the verses of today's Song of the Day, she teams up with guest rapper Nobi to sing: Fuck you, and the slavers that you work for This song’s For the people you killed “I fucking despise her,” Puff says about Seattle's Mayor Durkan via a press release. “She gassed her own citizens on Pride.”  The track reappears on her latest LP Transgender Street Legend Vol. 2., which came out last week. “I wanted it to be a series,” she says, “and then the success of the first CD really encouraged me to start working on the second one.” This new album, like today's Song of the Day, takes on a more serious tone. “Comedy hasn’t really influenced this project in any real sense,” Puff confirms.  Read the full post on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.