BADBADNOTGOOD are three young jazz enthusiasts based out of Toronto.
They bring to the table interesting jazz covers of Kanye West, Odd Future, James Blake, Gangstarr and Tribe Called Quest tracks.
Flashing Lights by BADBADNOTGOOD
What makes these guys really good at what they do is their ability to keep it simple — to set a mellow groove and then take into a whole new direction.
It’s really great to see artists like BBNG and Robert Glasper push their sound to a younger audience and keep the elements of jazz still intact, especially in …

UK electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco has captured the ears of our DJs since their debut “Attack Decay Sustain Release”. Their sophomore album “Temporary Pleasures” featured guest spots from members of Yeasayer and Hot Chip and was followed by 2010’s “Delicacies”, which compiled a series of 12” singles named after exotic delicacies James Ford and Jas Shaw discovered while touring around the world.
Now they are back with a new full length — “UnPatterns”.
Jason Bentley said the album “transported him to some after after after hours club without even leaving the …

For a short while, I’ve been singing the praises of Kindness.
Earlier this year, they released their first video, “Cyan,” which featured Kindness’ main man, Adam Bainbridge walking around New York City in time to the lyrics.
That track set the bar pretty high for the full-length and thankfully, they’ve delivered one of the year’s most stunning releases “World, You Need a Change of Mind.”
On a fantastic record with a number of really fantastic singles, one track stood out to me not only as THE track on the album but as my absolute favorite track of …

LA-based band Mariachi El Bronx reached out to Venezuelan producer Algodon Egipcio, up and comers Monareta from Colombia and Los Macuanos coming out of Tijuana, Mexico to be the crew of remixers to re-imagine and re-flavor their hit single “Revolution Girls”.
The package is a very cool cross section of the Latin Alternative vibe thriving on the scene today.
The original got quite a few spins on KCRW when the album dropped last summer, and you can be sure these remixes will pop it back into the charts in the foreseeable future.
Personally, …

In a little under two years and essentially on the strength of 2 tracks and a B-side, Halifax/Montreal-based duo Purity Ring (Corin Roddick and Megan James) have built up enough kinetic energy that they could potentially be the catalyst for the discovery of dark matter before the Hadron Collider.
Steadily working on their debut album, Shrines, while perfecting their live show (which my Production Assistant Tahl caught at SXSW and claims was “one of the coolest things he’s EVER seen”) Roddick and James, both still shy of 25, have very smartly …

Frontman Luke Temple, who released solo albums before forming Here We Go Magic, has never had a consistent sound.
Sometimes the musical styles will vary greatly within the same record.
What IS consistent, however, is his warm voice, which I find calming, especially when it’s set against the funky, strangely 80’s synthy sounds of a song like “Make Up Your Mind”.
Here We Go Magic – “Make Up Your Mind” by Secretly Canadian
Then there’s the simplicity of  “How Do I Know”, which kinda reminds me of what  Simon & Garfunkel might sound …

Jesca Hoop’s quirkiness has always been what’s drawn me to her music. So when I heard her new single “Born To“, I really wasn’t sure what to think. It was quite a bit poppier than I’m used to hearing from her.
But as Jason Bentley continued to play it on Morning Becomes Eclectic, it grew on me to the point where I now totally love it and think it might be among her best. A great lesson in not making a snap judgment!
Check it out and download it from her website:
[Audio …

A little over a year ago Mute recording artists (legendary and recent) all gathered at the Roundhouse in London for a weekendlong festival/celebration of the labels exceptional output. Audiences were treated to performances from classic heavyweights like Erasure, Nitzer Ebb, The Residents and future heavweights Liars…but one performance in particular was so unique and remarkable it resulted in a record.
A collaboration between Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti (of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey respectively) and Nik Void (of Factory Floor,) turned out an EP titled Transverse. One would half …

Glen Hansard’s new song “Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting” is everything I love about his music – it’s romantic, longing, wistful, and has undeniable hints of Van Morrison.
It sounds familiar yet it’s a new addition to the canon of music I categorize as “heartbreaking yet hopeful”.
Glen Hansard by antirecords
Like most people, I discovered Glen through the film “Once”, which he starred in with his Swell Season bandmate (and former romantic partner) Marketa Igrlova.
We were early supporters of the film and its music here at KCRW so its thrilling …

(Editor’s Note: Many of KCRW’s DJs are artists and remixers in their own right. We asked Anthony to share his brand new single with KCRW listeners on the day before its release.)
“Under Water” is the first single from my forthcoming album entitled “Just Visiting“, which will be out June 5 on Plug Research.
The song started as a jam session with San Francisco-based band The Park, who have been supporting Quantic and Alice Russell on tour recently. I have a studio inside my apartment and they were in my living room …