It happened again.
A voice conquering the tiny laptop speakers in my office, filling the room with its magnitude, lodged itself into my consciousness. At this very moment, “Worthy“, the song I first heard some weeks ago is now in constant replay in my mind, specifically a certain passage of the verse and then the booming chorus.

Isn’t it a wonderful thing, the hold a great …

When I trace the roots of my love and appreciation for a variety of styles of music, I first credit my parents’ record collection. My mother, a lover of melody and harmony who was once part of a doo-wop-inspired quintet in our hometown of Columbus, Ohio – was a massive fan of Ray Charles, Burt Bacharach, Johnny Mathis and The Carpenters, while my father …

I am forever grateful my super-talented cohort Carly Evans turned me onto Austin Brown.
This dynamic fireball is the heir-apparent to the Jackson family throne. Son of Rebbie, the oldest member of the original family of musicians, he looks like a Jackson, sounds like a Jackson, albeit with a modern flare. (yes, he’s Michael Jackson’s nephew.)
Right now you can get a free download of his …

Gil Friesen, best known for his tenure as president of A&M Records and A&M Films, passed away after at battle with leukemia at age 75. He was an avid KCRW listener and supporter, as well as a friend to many of our DJs. DJ and former Music Director Chris Douridas tells this story:
“Gil was a man of distinction. he had a rabid thirst …

From KCRW DJ Chris Douridas:
The most lasting memories of SXSW 2012 for me will likely be the 3am bike rides from 6th Street back to my guest house in the foothills along the Colorado River, and all the deer I encountered along the way. Musically speaking, though, it will be the compelling conversations i recorded with Nicolas Jaar, Matt Corby and Grace Woodroofe.
We aired …

From KCRW DJ Chris Douridas:
When I first met this lovely Georgia peach she was still bartending at Hotel Cafe, the famed Hollywood haven for up-and-comer songwriter types that birthed her.
This was long past the point of her budding notoriety as a girl with solid songs and a soft-spoken Southern allure (her curious moniker comes from having Japanese ancestry on her mother’s side).
Tonight Meiko stops …

From KCRW DJ Chris Douridas:
The songs of Leiber and Stoller were a catalyst that helped propel the advent of Rock and Roll, and constitute an inordinate share of the most well-known and most successful songs of the era, including “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Love Potion No. 9″, and “Stand By Me”.
They were the link that fused R&B into the pop idioms of the day, …

From KCRW DJ Chris Douridas:
As many of you know, I host a weekly club night on Mondays called Bardot which has become a godsend – I’m constantly humbled by the incredible artistry that appears on that tiny stage in Hollywood. Often they are new bands that have become favorites on my playlist early in their careers.
This week was a bell ringer for several reasons. …

From KCRW DJ Chris Douridas:
As you might guess, I’m always on the hunt for exhilarating new artists and bands. It’s the life blood of my work here at KCRW. Often it happens in the mail, on a stage somewhere, through a trusted friend…I stumble across something that captivates.
It happened again this past Monday. Each week, I host School Night — a club night at …

From KCRW DJ Chris Douridas:
Last night, while watching Paul Simon’s spellbinding performance at the Music Box with my son, I was reminded of one of my favorite radio moments in my years at KCRW.
It was in the Summer of 2006, during his tour in support of his Brian Eno-produced album “Surprise”. I spent a couple of days following Paul Simon around at that time, …