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Aluna on Dance Music's Black Origins Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Aluna Francis started her career as one half of the electronic duo AlunaGeorge. But as a Black artist in dance music, Aluna always felt like an outsider. For her first solo record, 'Renaissance,' she wanted to create a record for Black folks and bring dance music to its roots. After all, techno was formed in the early 80s by Black artists in Detroit and House was created by Black DJs in Chicago around the same time. By the time electronic dance music was mainstream, however, the genre's origins were unknown to many.

“I had approached this idea as a visitor, as a guest to dance music, as someone trying to break into a world that was not mine and when I found out about the Black history of dance music I was, well, slightly enraged,” Aluna says.

Read Aluna's open letter on racial inequities in dance music.

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Jessica Hopper on Misogyny in Music Sep 22, 2020

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Music journalist Jessica Hopper has been writing about misogyny, sexism and abuse in the music industry for more than two decades. When reacting to the fallout of Burger Records because of sexual abuse and misconduct, she says abuse in the music industry is nothing new.

“Historically within music for male artists, women’s bodies, particularly young women’s bodies has been seen as their right. That it is a reward for playing a good show, etc. That it is part of what power can get you in these spaces, which is access to women,” Hopper says.

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Preventing Sexual Abuse After the Fall of Burger Records Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Burger Records was a garage rock record label in Orange County that built its brand on bringing rock and roll to teens and putting the spotlight on underground bands. It folded in July after a wave of sexual assault and misconduct allegations were posted on social media that involved members of more than a dozen bands on the label.

Today’s story will dive into the rise and fall of Burger Records. We’ll hear from women who were abused by men on the label and from one of the former co-owners of the label. We’ll also hear what the music industry can do to prevent sexual assault—from labels to venues to bandmates.

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Making Music Spaces Safer Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

Shawna Potter is the singer of a hardcore, feminist punk band called War on Women. Last year she released a book called Making Spaces Safer: A Guide to Giving Harassment the Boot Wherever You Work, Play, and Gather. She discusses what a safe music venue should look like, how staff should be trained, and how patrons can respond to harassment.

We also hear from Sadie Dupuis of the bands Speedy Ortiz and Sad13 about putting Potter’s book into practice while on tour. She also talks about her hotline she created for fans to use if they are feeling unsafe at a show.

“We set up a phone number you could text if you were experiencing harassment at a show and it would forward to every member of our touring party and the hope is we could get someone to safety,” Dupuis says.

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Blimes and Gab on Being Authentically Themselves Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

Blimes and Gab, the rap duo consisting of Seattle MC Gabrielle “Gifted Gab” Kadushin and San Francisco’s Samantha “Blimes Brixton” McDonald, recently released their debut album, 'Talk About It.' They join KEXP’s Gabriel Teodros to discuss the new album, finding alternative income streams during the pandemic, and being authentically themselves in a music industry that wants them to be something else.

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Josiah Johnson Goes Solo After Head and the Heart and Battle With Addiction Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

Josiah Johnson released his first solo album on September 4th. This comes five years after he was kicked out of Head and the Heart for his struggles with addiction. They were in the middle of recording 'Signs of Light' and Johnson wasn’t showing up to the studio or answering his phone.

“They were like, we love you. Go figure your stuff out. We need to focus. We can’t worry whether or not you are alive,” Johnson explains.

After some soul searching, Johnson has found healing in music. He discusses his journey through recovery in his latest album, 'Every Feeling On A Loop.'

Parts of this interview originally aired on the February 4th episode of the Sound & Vision podcast.

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How One Lebanese Band Reacted to the Beirut Explosion Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

One month ago, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut exploded, causing at least 181 deaths and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Among those whose homes were destroyed were all members of the band Postcards. One band member was also injured from the impact of the explosion.

KEXP's Owen Murphy catches up with Postcard's lead singer and co-songwriter Julia Sabra to discuss what happened that day. She also shares her perspective on the ongoing civil protests in Lebanon, why it's important not to normalize tragedy, and how the band is taking action to support local musicians.

Where to donate:

Learn more about Postcards' "Fossilized" in KEXP's Song of the Day feature

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The Big Life of Little Richard Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

Author Mark Ribowsky talks about the legacy of Little Richard, from the surprising story of his first hit single, "Tutti Frutti," to the many comebacks he had later in his career. Ribowsky also discusses the influential singer's struggles and frustrations with navigating a racist music industry, which he captures in his newly released biography, 'The Big Life of Little Richard.'

"I call it rock & roll's original sin. The people who actually made rock & roll, [and were] pivotal to the growth of this whole music industry, never were given a fair share of the financial results," Ribowsky says.

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Aminé's Love-Hate Relationship With Portland and Its “Backdoor Racism” Aug 27, 2020

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Portland-raised rapper Aminé talks about how the racial tensions he felt in his hometown are reflected in his latest album, 'Limbo.'

“Growing up as a Black kid in Portland, Oregon, there just isn’t a lot of us there so we never felt like we were welcomed in with open arms or felt comfortable walking around in my own city, which I love dearly to my heart,” Aminé says.

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USPS Is "the Last Lifeline" for Musicians Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

“The Postal Service is the last lifeline for us musicians," says Jessica Dobson of Deep Sea Diver. On this episode, labels and musicians weigh in on changes to the USPS.

The Postmaster general has been testifying before Congress about changes at the Postal Service, including reducing overtime hours and the removal of mail sorting machines. The changes have led to accusations of slowing down mail delivery ahead of November’s presidential election. But slowdowns at the U.S. Postal Service will also affect small businesses who rely on the service -- including record labels and independent musicians. We hear from indie labels, Asian Man Records, Help Yourself Records and the band, Deep Sea Diver about their reliance on the USPS and what changes to the service could mean for them.

Learn more about KEXP’s “Good Mail Day,” taking place September 22nd.

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