All of our DJs receive hundreds of CDs a month to consider for airplay. In this regular feature, KCRW DJ Chuck P catalogues his musical bounty from the Post Office each week.
We’re currently in the midst of our summer fund drive (or FUN DRIVE!), but that don’t mean the mail stops… oh no, and we got some goodies today.
1) VINYL! – two great albums today, one from EMA (a definite top 10 of 2011 for me) and the other from post punkers, Young Legionnaires. Two very stellar records that deserve your love and attention. Especially EMA… do yourself a favor.
2) Slow Club “Paradise” – new album out soon on Moshi Moshi records. Hoping for more of that beautiful haunting folkish music. Their previous disc “Yeah, So” was such a brilliant album, so I’ve got high hopes for this one, and for…
3) Laura Marling “Sophia” – a track from the upcoming album, “A Creature I Don’t Know,” due out next month. I don’t care to listen to singles from upcoming albums, because they’re usually not my favorite track. However, Laura had a great single on Third Man records (Jack White’s label) recently… a cover of the Jackson C Frank classic, Blues Run The Game, so I’m eager enough to listen to this sooner rather than later this time around.
4) Hugh Laurie “Let Them Talk” – yes, this guy is not only a great dramatic actor. In fact, most people don’t know he’s also a fantastic comedic actor as well. He’s incredibly popular for comedies in England (along with buddy, Stephen Fry in “Fry & Laurie”), despite only being popular for his acerbic character on his wildly popular TV show House here in the US. I doubt he’ll be giving up television to focus on music (don’t do it, Hugh!), but I’m looking forward to hearing more of what he does with a piano. If he’s half as good a musician as he is an actor, this will be a treat to listen to.
Honorable mentions include Ethan Gold, Milk Maid & Roey Rider (who’s album cover is a cross between Roxy Music and Gary Numan). Very cool.
Always remember/never forget… public radio is here to serve you. The selectors at KCRW wade through oceans of music to bring you the best and most noteworthy music to consume. If we were just doing it for ourselves, we wouldn’t be on the air. It’s all for you. The other hosts at KCRW feel the same way. From Elvis Mitchell to Evan Kleiman, Anne Litt to Eric J Lawrence, we are all in this together to bring you the best of the best without the corporate (money rules all) agenda. This is why we stop down twice a year to ask for your help. We need you now more than ever.
Dig deep and always know that we have your back.
Much respect,
Chuck P.
(@chuckp8 on twitter)