It’s time again for Friday on My Mind, our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.
There are so many people behind the scenes here at KEXP that make the station the unique place that it is. This includes, but is not limited to, our amazing video team are the people who have made our live sessions look as wonderful as they do. It's difficult to only list only three, but here are a few of our favorite recent live sessions on KEXP...
Strand of Oaks- Heal (LIVE on KEXP)
The entire album deals with extremely personal subjects including themes around his own drinking and “Mirage Year” is about his wife’s affair. During the recording, on Christmas Day in 2013, Showalter and his wife Sue were driving back to Philadelphia from Indiana in their Honda Fit when they hit a patch of black ice and crashed into two semi trucks. Showalter suffered a concussion and broke every rib on his right side. The near-death experience gave Showalter yet another source of inspiration for the album.
Shakey Graves- Dearly Departed (LIVE on KEXP)
Our next session is from August 7th of this year, and it’s a performance from Shakey Graves. Shakey Graves is Austin-based artisdt Alejandro Rose-Garcia. If you aren’t already familiar with Shakey Graves, I guarantee that you will be soon because he is going to be huge. In Austin, Rose-Garcia’s popularity draws large show crowds, in many cases bringing in a larger audience than artists that he is may open for on bills. The Mayor of Austin gave him his own local holiday a few years ago, which is February 9th, which is officially proclaimed “Shakey Graves Day” in Austin.
Besides this recent appearance, he also performed for our video crew on August 3rd, 2013 during Pickathon and was filmed in an area out in the woods called the Bunny Glade where he sat on hay bales as he performed. Footage of him during Pickathon 2013 was also shot by director Ondi Timoner who directed the Dandy Warhols/ Brian Jonestown Massacre documentary film Dig. She was then asked to direct the official music video for Pixies’ “Andro Queen”, and with Rose-Garcia’s permission, his footage was used prominently within the video.
Alt-J- Every Other Freckle (LIVE on KEXP)
This one is fresh from this past Monday, and it was the excellent session from Alt-J. This was also yet another of our sessions that listeners were able to watch live via our video streaming feature. They have been great friends to the station, and this was the fourth time Alt-J have been on the KEXP airwaves.
Based in Leeds, England, Alt-J was born when the members met in 2007 while they were attending school at Leeds University in West Yorkshire, England. Singer Joe Newman and departed bassist Gwil Sainsbury worked on Apple’s Garageband recording program while living in the dorms. Their sound developed partially out of a need to keep things quiet while living dorm life. They are now a trio after the January 2014 departure of bassist and founding member Sainsbury and since the release of their 2012 Mercury Prize winning debut An Awesome Wave. Sainsbury's departure was on good terms and they are all still good friends.
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind. Our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind, our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind. Our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.
