Song of the Day: The Olympians - Sirens of Jupiter

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Sirens of Jupiter” by The Olympians, from their upcoming 2016 self-titled album on Daptone Records.

The Olympians - Sirens of Jupiter (MP3)The name "Daptone Records" conjures up a very specific image. The label is known well for their history of putting out amazing work primarily in the jazz/funk genre and The Olympians self-titled release is no exception. The super group is led by Toby Pazner (Lee Fields & The Expressions, El Michels Affair) and is made up of members of the Tonight Show Band, Menahan Street Band, Budos Band, Charles Bradley, The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Antibalas, El Michels Affair, and The Arcs. The album has a semi-mystical concept behind it: "After repeatedly being visited by a strange messenger in his dreams while on tour in the islands of Greece, Toby Pazner became consumed with a vision to tell the stories of The Olympians through music. Chosen by the gods as a messenger for not only his musical gifts but for his unique position at the center of the Daptone family, Toby built a home studio from scratch and employed some of the top soul musicians in the world to help him breath (sic) life into this album."

And breathe they did. "Sirens of Jupiter" is the lead single and also the lead track on the album, giving the album a soulful and joyful start. The harp at the beginning gives nods to Pazner's Ancient Grecian theme but then quickly departs to let the horns and bass take it from there. The pace bounces and bops the full way through, never giving up, even for the mean flute solo in the middle section. It's a blissful experience and one that you can safely share with your grandpa who hasn't listened to a new record in 40 years.

The Olympians don't currently have any tour dates scheduled but you can keep up with them on Facebook in the meantime. And definitely check out their official video for "Sirens of Jupiter," which features black and white footage from past Olympic games (very fitting) below.