KCRW DJ Raul Campos will be broadcasting his show (8-10pm PST) on KCRW and KCRW.com from the Setai Hotel in Miami this Thursday and Friday as part of the Winter Music Conference. The weekend event is a celebration of electronic music and Raul will have special guests dropping by, so tune in! For those headed east, he will also be deejaying an event at the hotel alongside Mark Farina on Friday, March 26.
KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole will also be in Miami spinning at 3 high profile gigs: On Friday, March …

Alas, another SXSW is in the books. A wild frenzy of live music, panel discussions, pedicab rides, tacos (and beer), networking, late nights, and crowded bars – somehow it all makes for the premier music conference in America.
As Music Director, it’s invigorating to step away from our basement studios to appreciate the profound difference KCRW makes for independent music around the world. I was especially gratified to be able to move through different music communities in attendance at SXSW. From Alternative Rock, to Electronic, Folk, and World Music, staged at …

KCRW TOP 50 FOR WEEK OF 03/23/2010
1 GORILLAZ == Plastic Beach >> [Virgin]
2 BROKEN BELLS == Broken Bells >> [Sony]
3 BONOBO == Black Sands >> [Ninja Tune]
4 MASSIVE ATTACK == Heligoland >> [Virgin]
5 XX == Xx >> [Xl]
6 GONJASUFI == Sufi & A Killer >> [Warp]
7 PANTHA DU PRINCE == Black Noise >> [Rough Trade]
8 TORO Y MOI == Causers Of This >> [Carpark]
9 SHE & HIM == Volume 2 >> [Merge]
10 DJ CENTER == Everything In Time >> [Push The Fader]
11 FOUR TET == There Is Love In You …

One year ago, Angus & Julia Stone played KCRW’s official SXSW showcase and charmed the crowd with strikingly beautiful tunes sung from the heart. The Australian brother and sister duo are now back with their sophomore album, which maintains their ethereal charm.  The entire album is available streaming on demand now until April 20.
Enjoy!
RR

SXSW is over.  It took me an eternity to get home.  I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.  But — what an amazing 5 days of music!  It’s rare that I get to be in a time and place where my only obligation (in between radio shows) is to see as much music as possible.
SXSW is a remarkable music festival because its key is community and enthusiasm.  Being together with thousands of people who just want to immerse themselves in music is quite remarkable.  Yes, there were music …

Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC with host JASON BENTLEY
Wednesday, March 24, Actress Zooey Deschanel showcases her perfect pop sensibilities on a new set of songs produced with M. Ward. They team up as She & Him to perform their duets on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Thursday, March 25, The Low Anthem’s songs sound like short-stories culled from American folklore and the quartet perform on as many instruments as a full orchestra!  We’ll be treated to a live session when they join Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Monday, March …

KCRW is hosting an intimate concert with songstress Corinne Bailey Rae on Tuesday April 6, 2010 at Vibiana, the stunning, historic cathedral in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Tickets initially sold out in less than a day to KCRW members only, but we have opened the balcony to make more tickets available for sale to the public tomorrow Wednesday, March 24 at 10am.
Tickets will be available for purchase here: www.kcrw.com/cbr
RR

Groove Armada’s set this morning was heavy on new material from their most recent release “Black Light,” yet the band took some time to reflect on one of their most legendary shows in Los Angeles – a packed gig at the Santa Monica Museum of Flying almost 10 years ago. Needless to say, the electronic music duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato has had an extraordinarily successful career and now tours with a full band to fill out the more rocking sounds of their new songs, like Jason’s favorite …

We’ve collected our SXSW images into a Flickr gallery for you! Click on the images for captions and photo credits!

I’ve missed a few days of blogging and my only excuse is that I was trying to see as many bands as possible at SXSW before returning to LA. Now I want to share some of the highlights. Here it goes:
Band That Exceeded My Expectations:
Surfer Blood (They were the talk of the festival and I chased them for days before finally catching a show.)
Also, The xx. Very sexy, cool music. And you can check that out here
Best Stage Banter:
Tie between Soko and Courtney Love. Both were explicit and very …