Song of the Day: King Tuff - Eyes of the Muse

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 song, selected by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is “Eyes of the Muse” by King Tuff from the 2014 album Black Moon Spell on Sub Pop.

King Tuff - Eyes of the Muse (MP3)

Kyle Thomas is his real name, but while wielding an ax, he's King Tuff. Or Tuffy if he's feeling fluffy.

If you like what's going on in the current California garage rock scene -- Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, Meatbodies, Thee Oh Sees, etc. -- you'll love Tuff's stuff. But you should know, he's really from Vermont.

Now on his third album, and second for Sub Pop, King Tuff has turned his hook-laden garagey psychedelic beach pop to the dark side, embracing the black arts on Black Moon Spell, the recording of which may or may not have involved "Dracula landlords, flashes of mysterious light, haunted microphones, songs that mixed themselves, demonic vortexes swirling in coffee cups".

Glam doesn't begin to describe today's featured song, "Eyes of the Muse", a bright spot on Black Moon Spell that might have remained a lost nugget if it didn't wind so adeptly between jangly elation and a blistering six-string virtuosity you can't help mimic on your own air guitar.

This format was stolen from Sub Pop's artist page.

Unfortunately, you just missed King Tuff performing in Seattle, and in the U.S. in general. He's now in U.K., performing tonight in Birmingham, England, and soon heading to the rest of Europe, but if he doesn't get abducted by his fellow goblins on the moors, he'll surely be back to perform in the Northwest once again. Stay tuned here for videos from his recent in-studio session at KEXP.

Follow him on Facebook if you need to know more.

For now, watch the dizzying video for the title track to Black Moon Spell, featuring Ty Segall on the skins: