Events, KCRW Music Announcement, Station Announcement

Line-up Announced for KCRW Showcases at SXSW Wednesday, March 16

KCRW Showcases at SXSW

Wednesday, March 16
WHITE DENIM, LAPSLEY and DECLAN MCKENNA
Radio Day Stage
Ballroom D, 4th floor, Austin Convention Center
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

RA RA RIOT, ELIOT SUMNER, MARLON WILLIAMS CLOVES, JOON MOON AND SOFI TUKKER
to Perform
THE FIRST-EVER NIGHTTIME SHOWCASE at
3TEN at Austin City Limits Live
310 Willie Nelson Blvd, Suite 1A
8:00 pm -2:00 am

Santa Monica, CA (February 23) – Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW has announced the line-up for this year’s KCRW Showcases at SXSW, kicking off the convention with two official showcases on Wednesday, March 16.

KCRW is proud to present the very first nighttime showcase at a brand new venue, 3TEN at Austin City Limits, featuring Ra Ra Riot, Eliot Sumner, Joon Moon, Cloves, Marlon Williams and Sofi Tukker from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am.

Earlier in the day, White Denim, Declan McKenna and Lapsley hit the Radio Day Stage located on the 4th Floor of the Austin Convention Center in Ballroom D, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Both showcases are open to anyone with a festival badge or wristband (no RSVP required).

KCRW will also be broadcasting LIVE from Austin, TX on Friday, March 18 during Morning Becomes Eclectic, and Saturday, March 19 during Anne Litt’s program. Additional details to come!

KCRW is proud to present the first-ever nighttime showcase at a brand-new venue, 3TEN at Austin City Limits Live. As the newest extension of the Austin City Limits live experience, the 350-person capacity showcase room is equipped with the most advanced audio and lighting systems available to deliver a live music experience like no other.

The showcase kicks off at 8pm and features six of KCRW’s favorite artists:

KCRW welcomes back Ra Ra Riot – a Morning Becomes Eclectic favorite and a live force to be reckoned with. They return in support of their just-released fourth album, Need Your Light, which gets back to their house party roots without abandoning the more heady soundscapes they explored with 2013’s Beta Love. The opening track “Water,” which starts off with a syncopated groove and minimalist instrumentation before gradually building into a triumphant, 90’s soul call to arms, has been on constant rotation on KCRW since its release.

London-born Eliot Sumner has music in her blood and a sound that is very much her own. She recently released her debut album, Information, and has lent her lush vocals to Miike Snow and Trentemoller. Her songs marry haunting low-register vocals and upbeat electro-pop with Krautrock-inspired inflections, showing a range of influences from the Bad Seeds to bands like Cluster, Faust and iconic German electronica four-piece Kraftwerk.

The Parisian duo Joon Moon features Julien Decoret, a producer with connections to the Nouvelle Vague camp, and Krystle Warren, a smoky-voiced singer from Kansas City. Together they have enchanted listeners with their debut EP, Chess, and captured KCRW’s attention with the infectious track “Help Me.”

Australian newcomer Kaity Dunstan, who performs under the name Cloves, has an incredible voice that makes you stop and pay attention. The stunning, heartfelt and haunting minimalism displayed on her debut EP harkens back to the vocal greats of yesteryear, which is made even more remarkable by the fact that she is still in her teens.

Twenty-five year old Marlon Williams truly inhabits his material live and on record with his exceptionally versatile and evocative voice, tremendous stage presence, and songwriting that blends Americana with first wave rock ’n roll through a modern lens. Ever since his father turned him on to country music in his teens, his trajectory has been straight up. Williams just won Best Male Solo Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the New Zealand Music Awards for his remarkably assured and diverse eponymous debut album.

Sofi Tukker’s weirdly wonderful pop single “Drinkee” has been a favorite on KCRW’s airwaves for months. The New York duo has just finished their debut EP titled, Soft Animals. Having created a truly unique sound blending global instrumentation with modern technology (while sounding anything but machine-made) nobody can seem to agree what box to put them in… and that suits them just fine.

KCRW Showcase at SXSW at the Radio Day Stage from 3:00 pm to 6:00 features White Denim, Declan McKenna and Lapsley. The Radio Day Stage is located on the 4th Floor of the Austin Convention Center in Ballroom D.

White Denim has long been a KCRW favorite, in large part due to their incredible live shows. The Austin quintet will perform tracks from their soon-to-be released sixth record, Stiff, out March 25, 2016 via Downtown/Sony Red. Stiff is a return to the band’s frenetic rock roots, and is both a jubilant thrill ride and joyous celebration of their past ten years. Teeming with a cool ‘70s undertow, tumultuous riffs, and a feverish energy, the new album has resulted in arguably some of their biggest and brawniest White Denim songs to date.

KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley did a little digging for new music on Soundcloud over his holiday break and a track, “Falling Short,” by Liverpool artist Lapsley emerged as his favorite. The track, which combines minimalist electronica with soulful vocals, leads her 4-song Understudy EP, and now she is set to release her self-produced debut Long Way Home on March 4, 2016 on XL Recordings. At only 19 years old, it’s the perfect time to catch this rising star, while she’s on her way up.

17-year-old Declan McKenna has achieved more than your average teenager. He’s been booking his own gigs for three years, whilst recording songs in his bedroom. He also won the Glastonbury Emerging Talent contest & secured a performance at the festival last summer. He’s currently on the road in the UK and France supporting Lisbon, Foals and Mystery Jets. McKenna’s SXSW performances will be among the first-ever in the U.S.

KCRW OFFICIAL SHOWCASES AT SXSW

Radio Day Stage, presented by KCRW
Wednesday, March 16, Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D

Set times:
White Denim               3:00 pm
Declan McKenna        4:00 pm
Lapsley                          5:00 pm

3TEN at Austin City Limits Live, presented by KCRW
Wednesday, March 16, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd, Suite 1A

Set times:
Cloves                          8:00 pm
Marlon Williams        9:00 pm
Joon Moon                  10:00 pm
Eliot Sumner              11:00 pm
Ra Ra Riot                   12:00 am
Sofi Tukker                  1:00 am

About KCRW:

KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world.  A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via five KCRW-developed smart phone apps and online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

 

 

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KCRW Launches Free Virtual Reality App

KCRW LAUNCHES FREE VIRTUAL REALITY APP WITH EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS FROM DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, BRANDI CARLILE, THUNDERCAT AND PURITY RING

FIRST-EVER PUBLIC MEDIA COMPANY TO LAUNCH DEDICATED VIRTUAL REALITY APP

http://www.kcrw.com/vr

Santa Monica, CA (Jan. 20, 2016) – Today, Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW announced the launch of their free Virtual Reality mobile app. Designed to work with KCRW Cardboard (a branded version of Google Cardboard), the KCRW VR app gives fans a unique opportunity to join a live session from the station’s legendary basement studio, by putting viewers inside intimate performances. The KCRW VR app launches with exclusive videos from artists including, Death Cab for Cutie, Brandi Carlile, Thundercat, and Purity Ring. KCRW is the first-ever public media entity and radio station to launch a dedicated VR app, and with its in-house production team, will continue to provide exclusive content throughout the year.

Built by hand in the basement of KCRW’s Santa Monica studio, the custom video rig features eight GoPro cameras that allow each artist’s performance to be captured in stereoscopic 3D (Virtual Reality) to create a 360º panoramic video. Footage is then stitched together to create an immersive, stereoscopic 3D VR experience that puts the user inside the session.

“Now for the first time, you can be in our studio with the artists. It’s a revolutionary change in the way KCRW curated artists and music can be discovered. We are always striving for creative ways to connect with our community and we’re so excited to try out this new technology together,” commented Jennifer Ferro, KCRW president.

Performances are captured during artist’s in-studio sessions for Morning Becomes Eclectic, the station’s flagship music program.

Artists and songs available at launch include:

●               Death Cab for Cutie – “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive”

●               Brandi Carlile – “Murder in the City”

●               Thundercat – “Them Changes”

●               Purity Ring – “Stranger Than Earth”

“VR is undoubtedly the next frontier for blockbuster entertainment. While the biggest studios in Hollywood develop content for the masses, KCRW can amplify the outstanding live sessions that take place on a regular basis at the station, and offer a uniquely immersive experience to the audience,” said KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley. “This exciting initiative matches KCRW curated music and art with exciting new technologies and partnerships for wider distribution.”

Additional performances will be captured throughout the year, with video from Penguin Prison, Mew, Gardens and Villa, Amason, Mr. Pauer, Shana Halligan, Natalia Lafourcade, Korey Dane and Langhorne Slim, slated for release in the upcoming months. All videos, including several exclusive app-only performances, will live on the KCRW app, with select content featured in the KCRW branded room on Samsung’s MilkVR.

To experience KCRW’s exclusive performances in full stereoscopic VR video, fans can download the free app in the iOS and Android stores and can purchase a specially designed KCRW Cardboard, with artwork by Mr. Scruff, for only a $5.00 donation to KCRW.com. Users that do not have KCRW Cardboard can still watch the videos as an interactive 360 degree video on KCRW’s YouTube channel.

For more information on KCRW’s virtual reality experience, including a behind-the-scenes video, visit www.kcrw.com/vr.

About KCRW

KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world.  A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via five KCRW-developed smart phone apps and online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw

Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio

Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw

Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

 

 

 

 

 

 

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KCRW DJ’s Top 10 Albums of 2014!

KCRW DJ’s Top 10 Albums of 2014!

See them all here

 KCRW DJs have selected their favorite albums of 2014 and you can see them all here.

The full length debut from Norwegian producer Todd Terje was the top pick among our 23 DJs who have been supporting him since he began his run of celebrated remixes & edits in 2006.

He was followed closely in a 4-way tie between Ray LaMontagne, Beck, the War on Drugs and Ty Segall. See the full list of KCRW DJs’ Top Ranked Albums.

LaMontagne topped Music Director and Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley’s list, which also includes three bands who made their U.S. radio debut on the station’s famed morning music show: Hozier, Alt-J (in 2012) and Beck (in 1993).

View his full list below and keep an eye on the KCRW Music Blog over the next few weeks for additional year-end lists, including our top EPs, best LA albums of the year, standout singles, top compilations and remixes, as well as the most anticipated albums of 2015.

Music Director Jason Bentley’s Top 10 Albums of 2014

1. Ray Lamontagne – Supernova (RCA)
2. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream (Secretly Canadian)
3. Hozier – Hozier (Rubyworks)
4. Spoon – They Want My Soul (Loma Vista/ Republic)
5. alt-J – This Is All Yours (Atlantic/ Canvasback)
6. Ty Segall – Manipulator (Drag City)
7. Flight Facilities – Down To Earth (Glassnote)
8. Todd Terje – It’s Album Time (Olsen)
9. Beck – Morning Phase (Capitol)
10. First Aid Kit – Stay Gold (Colombia)

(Note: Click on highlighted bands to find their KCRW live sessions from this year!)

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KCRW Names Kevin Systrom to Board of Directors

Co-Founder and CEO of Instagram brings expertise in technology to innovative content distribution platform

KCRW today announced that Kevin Systrom has joined its Board of Directors. Systrom, the co-founder and CEO of Instagram, will join the board effective immediately, bringing the total number of members to 25.

“Kevin is an industry leader and it is our great honor to welcome him to the board,” said Jennifer Ferro, KCRW General Manager and KCRW Foundation President. “KCRW’s goal is to inspire, inform and engage people no matter where they live and Kevin’s reputation and experience in the digital space is exactly what KCRW is looking for to take us beyond the radio dial. Kevin will help us as we explore new ways to connect with our audience in the rapidly changing media landscape and prepare to build and unveil our new facilities in 2016.”

“I’ve been listening online to KCRW for years, and I’m thrilled to join the Board and have the opportunity to work to further its mission,” said Systrom, 30. “KCRW was built around a community of creative and passionate people, and I’m excited to help them explore new ways to reach more listeners.”

In 2010 Systrom co-founded Instagram, a community of more than 200 million who capture and share the world’s moments. He is responsible for the company’s overall vision and strategy as well as day-to-day operations. Instagram, which was acquired by Facebook in 2012, has become the home for visual storytelling for those with a creative passion. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

In addition to Ferro, Systrom joins current KCRW board members Michael Fleming, Stu Bloomberg, Tom Donner, Norris Bishton Jr., Scott Brittingham, Jay Borzi, Shawn Colo, Donald de Brier, Shahram Delijani, Donald Girard, Paul Haas, Matt Kline, Jay Markowitz, Rod Perth, Rob Rader, Deborah S. Ramo, Lee Rierson, Victoria Riskin, Christine M. Robert, Monica Shilling, Tom Wertheimer, Karyn L Williams and Adele Yellin.

ABOUT KCRW 
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. KCRW is driven by the spirit of Los Angeles and delivers in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via five KCRW-developed smartphone apps and online at KCRW.com.

To learn more, visit http://www.kcrw.com/about

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KCRW Unveils All-New Website, Bringing 100+ Weekly Hours of Original, Award-Winning Programming and 20 Years of Archives to Worldwide Community

New Website Comes As KCRW Makes $10 Million Investment in Technology and New Programming

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 9, 2014) — Today, KCRW launched its all-new Website at KCRW.com.  Strikingly modern, the new Website’s streamlined design features an “always on top” smart  media player and allows users to easily explore KCRW’s award-winning content with over 100 hours of new weekly programming, HD video, and 20 years of archives.  Driven by the spirit of Los Angeles, KCRW’s unique mix of content centers around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs.  The Website launches as KCRW makes an additional $10 million investment in technology and new programming, as part of its broader $20 million capital campaign.

“In our rapidly changing media landscape, we are constantly exploring new ways to connect with our audience, whether through mobile devices, apps, social media, or live performances.  KCRW.com is the most important tool we have to reach our global community,” said Jennifer Ferro, KCRW President and General Manager.  “The new website focuses on what we do best—our programming.  It brings audio and video to the forefront, delivered to people at home, in their car, at work, and at play.”

Originally founded in 1945, KCRW became Los Angeles’ first NPR affiliate in 1969.  Over the past 30 years, KCRW has organically attracted a national and international audience.  Today, over 70 percent of KCRW.com visitors come from outside of Los Angeles, 2.1 million hours are digitally streamed monthly, and 1.6 million programs are listened to on-demand.

“The new website is a giant leap forward for KCRW, bringing all our content to mobile devices through responsive design, and focusing our listeners on rich media experiences,” said Nathan Lubeck, Digital Director for KCRW.  “The homepage is no longer a catch-all—a big priority is allowing users the ability easily find content, no matter what page they arrive on.  With the reimagined navigation and user interface, we are providing a valuable portal into KCRW’s rich cultural history.  It’s an exciting time.”

KCRW.com features now include:

  • “Always on top” media player that allows users to browse while listening to audio.  Media player will recommend programs based on previously selected “favorites,” fostering discovery of new programs that speak to specific listeners’ interests.
  • “Mobile first” and responsive design with the screen scaling to a user’s smartphone, tablet, or computer, and allowing listeners to take KCRW with them everywhere.
  • Ability to listen to and easily share individual segments from show pages.
  • Contextual HD video of Morning Becomes Eclectic live in-studio performances from emerging and established artists and bands, and cultural events.
  • Optimized search with streamlined user interface, filtering options and faster search results.
  • Ability to easily share content via social media or email, as well as view popular content.

Access to 20 years of archives featuring hundreds of original in-studio performances, and hundreds of interviews with leading thinkers and creators, including such musical talent as Jake Bugg, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros,  Moby, Jim James, Lorde, The National, Phoenix, Tame Impala, Ben Harper, Vampire Weekend, Local Natives, The XX, Hot Chip, Jimmy Cliff, M. Ward, Alabama Shakes, Future Islands, Death Cab for Cutie, White Denim, Cut Copy, St. Vincent, among hundreds of others.

World-renowned for its music programming, KCRW DJs are given one directive: “play what you love.”  Many artists made their U.S. live performance debut on flagship music program Morning Becomes Eclectic, currently hosted by music director Jason Bentley, including Beck, Adele, Massive Attack, Gotye, Sigur Ros, Coldplay, Fitz and Tantrums, Franz Ferdinand, Mayer Hawthorne, Sigur Ros, The Naked and Famous, Two Door Cinema Club among dozens of others.  Now, all Morning Becomes Eclectic and other music show archives will be easily accessible on KCRW.com.

KCRW’s 100 weekly hours of original programming also feature nationally syndicated news and culture shows To The Point with Warren Olney, The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell, Bookworm with Michael Silverblatt, Left, Right & Center, and The Business hosted by Kim Masters and John Horn, among many others that continue to uniquely capture the essence of Los Angeles.

ABOUT KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. KCRW is driven by the spirit of Los Angeles and delivers in innovative ways—on the radio, digitally and in person—to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world.  A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via five KCRW-developed smartphone apps and online at kcrw.com.

 

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KCRW Foundation Hires Jill Smayo as Development Director

Smayo Joins With Over 13 Years Development Experience

IMG_2059 - Version 2LOS ANGELES, CA (May 6, 2014) — KCRW Foundation announced today it has brought aboard Jill Smayo to serve as Development Director.  Smayo will oversee efforts to expand KCRW’s 50,000-donor base and $15 million annual operating budget, while leading and growing the development team.  Smayo joins KCRW in the midst of the station’s first major capital campaign in its 75-year history to raise $48 million for the construction of a new facility, and new programming and technology investments.  Alongside KCRW Foundation President Jennifer Ferro, Smayo will lead the capital campaign as KCRW positions for a period of substantial growth.

“We are excited to bring Jill Smayo aboard.  This is a very important time in KCRW’s history — with Jill’s proven track record and tenacious attitude, she will be a valuable addition to the leadership team,” said Jennifer Ferro, KCRW General Manager and KCRW Foundation President.

Smayo brings more than 13 years of development experience, most recently as Director of Development for Invisible Children where she created a Major Gifts Program and built a development department from the ground up.  Prior to Invisible Children, Smayo served in various roles for the San Diego Opera, La Jolla Playhouse, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Smayo earned a Bachelors of Science degree from Northwestern University.

ABOUT KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. KCRW is driven by the spirit of Los Angeles and delivers in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world.  A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via five KCRW-developed smartphone apps and online at KCRW.com.

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KCRW and Santa Barbara Foundation Announce KDB Radio Station Acquisition

Expansion Brings Local KCRW Broadcast of News, Music, and Culture Programming to Santa Barbara

SANTA MONICA, CA (FEBRUARY 18, 2014) — KCRW and the Santa Barbara Foundation announced today KCRW’s acquisition of KDB.  With the purchase, KCRW will pursue its goal of creating meaningful connections with communities it serves through relevant, credible content across news, music, and the arts.  KCRW is also committed to supporting local cultural institutions, and building on its already established partnerships with the Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and other organizations.

As a result of the purchase, Santa Barbara listeners will benefit from an increase in programming across the spectrums of news, culture, and a variety of music genres.  KCRW will broadcast from 88.7 FM, while KUSC will combine its broadcast (previously at 88.7 FM) with KDB to preserve 93.7 FM as a high quality source for classical music with Santa Barbara-focused programming.

KCRW has also formed a strategic partnership with Antioch University.  KCRW’s Santa Barbara studio will be located on campus, and will provide opportunities for students to gain insight into storytelling and broadcasting through internships and integration into the curriculum.

“This opportunity is very exciting. Santa Barbara is a natural home for KCRW.  We’ve partnered with Santa Barbara institutions for years on music and culture initiatives,” said Jennifer Ferro, president and general manager of KCRW.  “It has all the elements that have made KCRW a success in Los Angeles — a diverse and intelligent population interested in arts and culture who are passionate about their local community.  We believe we can further amplify the voices of Santa Barbara in a unique and compelling way.”

“At the Santa Barbara Foundation, philanthropy is the starting point for being high impact on community issues,” said Ron Gallo, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation. “With the transition to the ‘new KDB,’ we were able to keep classical music alive while enhancing and expanding the variety of musical programming offered in Santa Barbara.”

The Santa Barbara Foundation announced its intention to sell KDB in September 2013, following an unanimous vote from Foundation board members.  KCRW submitted its proposal to the Santa Barbara Foundation in November 2013.   The broadcast is expected to start airing in Spring 2014.

KCRW will create culturally responsive news, music and talk programming that speaks to the nuanced interest and needs of Santa Barbara listeners.  With plans to partner with The Santa Barbara Independent and hire two announcer/producers, KCRW will create a Santa Barbara edition of NPR’s popular morning newsmagazine Morning Edition and afternoon news show All Things Considered.

The schedule will also include syndicated public radio programming broadcast on KCRW, such as MarketplaceThe WorldThis American LifeTED Radio Hour, and The Moth Radio Hour, in addition to over 100 hours of KCRW’s originally produced, award-winning content, ranging from flagship music program Morning Becomes Eclectic with music director Jason Bentley to news and culture show Press Play with Madeleine Brand, nationally-syndicated To The Point with Warren Olney, and cultural programming on art, film, architecture, food, literature, and politics.  The on-air schedule will follow a similar format to KCRW’s terrestrial broadcast, available online at www.kcrw.com/schedule.

The Santa Barbara station will benefit from KCRW’s community engagement programs and digital platforms, including its robust events department, which will help build local partnerships with arts and culture institutions; expansion of the Fringe Benefits program, a curated collection of discounts from over 1,100 Southern California businesses; and Santa Barbara-specific content’s availability on KCRW.com, mobile apps, and social media platforms, which reach over 1.5 million people monthly.

KCRW will welcome two Santa Barbara residents to its Foundation Board in the coming year, ensuring that the community’s needs are represented in the visioning of KCRW’s future.  An Advisory Board will also be formed, including philanthropic, arts and culture, academic and political leaders from the Santa Barbara community.


About KCRW
KCRW, a community service of Santa Monica College, is one of the nation’s leading National Public Radio (NPR) affiliates, also featuring an eclectic mix of originally-produced and nationally-distributed news, music, talk and arts programming.  The terrestrial signal serves Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, Riverside and Ventura counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, and Kern counties and the greater Palm Springs area. KCRW’s programming is available worldwide, both live and on-demand, at KCRW.com, and through its smartphone apps (iPhone, Android, and Blackberry).

Visit KCRW.com and follow below for updates and exclusive content:
Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

About Santa Barbara Foundation
The Santa Barbara Foundation is a community foundation established in 1928 to enrich the lives of the people of Santa Barbara County through philanthropy. As one of the largest private sources of funding for area nonprofits, agencies, and college bound students, the foundation builds and facilitates philanthropy through donor partnerships; invests in nonprofits; and identifies and strategically addresses important community needs. Guided by compassion for the most vulnerable and those most in need of help, excellence in what it supports and with whom it partners, and integrity with a focus on stewardship and transparency, the Santa Barbara Foundation is invested in a more vibrant, engaged, and meaningfully connected Santa Barbara County…for all.

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KCRW Celebrates a Year in Podcasts

KCRW Celebrates a Year in Podcasts
 
Hear standout shows from some of our featured podcasts below.

KCRW currently hosts 26 news, music, talk, and storytelling podcasts, including the recently relaunched Morning Becomes Eclectic podcast and The Spin-Off, a monthly TV-centric roundtable from KCRW’s The Business.

A leader in creating digital-first programming, KCRW this year debuted The Organist, a joint venture with San Francisco publishing house McSweeney’s, with experimental arts-and-culture programming driven by editors of the award-winning magazine, the Believer.

It is one of a handful of popular KCRW shows available exclusively or primarily online. This includes DnA, an exploration of design and architecture, the storytelling series Strangers, the new This… Is Interesting podcast from Matt Miller, and Sonic Trace, a multi-platform project tracing people living in the heart of Los Angeles to their origins in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. KCRW’s first online-only show, the Guest DJ Project, celebrated its 5-year anniversary this year.

Check out standout episodes from some of our featured podcasts selected by our producers below and find them all online here: http://www.kcrw.com/podcasts

The Organist
Episode: Richard, the Angel of Death
Host: Andrew Leland
Producer: Ross Simonini

Strangers
Episode: “Henry and Jane”
Host/Producer Lea Thau

DnA
Episode: Should Architects Say No to Designing Cells for Solitary Confinement?
Host: Frances Anderton

Sonic Trace

Episode: Life in Las Casitas
Host: Anayansi Diaz- Cortes

The Spin-Off
Episode: Netflix; DVR Ratings; Reality TV
Hosts: Michael Schneider, AJ Marechal, Joe Adalian, and Kim Masters

Guest DJ Project
Guest: Actor Val Kilmer
Host: Anne Litt
Producer: Rachel Reynolds

The Treatment
Guest: Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard
Host: Elvis MItchell
Producer: Jenny Radelet

UnFictional
Episode: “Falling”
Host/Producer Bob Carlson

The Business
Episode: Director Kevin Smith on Funding ‘Clerks 3;’ Producer Lynda Obst
Host: Kim Masters
Producer: Darby Maloney

Left, Right and Center
Episode:Eric Holder Meets the Press and the Lois Lerner State
Hosts: Matt Miller, Robert Scheer, Rich Lowry, Chrystia Freeland
Producer: Laura Dine Million

This…Is Interesting
Episode: Thought-Controlled Computing
Host: Matt Miller
Producer: Laura Dine Million

Good Food
Episode: Roy Choi, Ethnic Cuisine in LA, and Ottolenghi
Host: Evan Kleiman
Producer: Gillian Ferguson

Morning Becomes Eclectic

Episode: MBE Podcast: Dr. Dog, Phosphorescent & Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Host: Jason Bentley
Producer: Collin Walzak

Find out more info and subscribe to our podcasts here.

Rachel Reynolds
Music Publicity Director
KCRW 89.9FM
1900 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-4625 DIRECT
rachel.reynolds@kcrw.org
http://twitter.com/RachelRkcrw
http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/

About KCRW:

KCRW, a community service of Santa Monica College, is one of the nation’s leading National Public Radio (NPR) affiliates, also featuring an eclectic mix of originally-produced and nationally-distributed news, music, talk and arts programming.  The terrestrial signal serves Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara counties and the greater Palm Springs area.KCRW’s programming is available worldwide, both live and on-demand, at KCRW.com, and through its smartphone apps(iPhone, Android, and Blackberry).

Visit KCRW.com and follow below for updates and exclusive content:

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

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Station Announcement

KCRW Statement Regarding Shooting on SMC Campus (June 7, 2013)

KCRW remains evacuated after the tragic events that happened today in and around the campus of Santa Monica College. Some of the shots were fired right outside our offices, and we are relieved that our staff escaped harm. It’s never easy to leave the scene of a story unfolding before our news team’s eyes, but the safety of our staff will always be our paramount concern. Our hearts go out to those in the Santa Monica College community and surrounding neighborhood, of which we are a part. Even while evacuated, our news team continues to gather information and will report on the events as they develop.

 

Media Contact:
Alyssa King, KCRW
Communications Director
310-314-4627
alyssa.king@kcrw.org
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Station Announcement

Sonic Trace Finishes Construction of Portable Sound Booth “La Burbuja”

Sonic Trace Finishes Construction of Portable Sound Booth “La Burbuja”

KCRW Storytelling Project Records Stories from Mexicans and Central Americans in Los Angeles

 

It’s official – La Burbuja is finished and Sonic Trace’s portable sound booth is ready to record stories!

“The Bubble” has made its first stop at Guelaguetza Restaurant in Koreatown and will be open Monday – Thursday from Noon – 6:00pm through December 6th.

The multi-platform storytelling experience, produced by Anayansi Diaz-Cortes and Eric Pearse Chavez, begins in the heart of Los Angeles and crosses into Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Part radio, part video, part mapping project, Sonic Trace asks ¿Por qué te vas? ¿Por qué te quedas? ¿Por qué regresas? Why do you go? Why do you stay? And, what makes you return?

La Burbuja made a sneak-peak recording debut at the restaurant in early August, to help celebrate Sonic Trace’s successful Kickstarter campaign which garnered enough backers to fund the building of the silvery orb. Part of KCRW’s Independent Producer Project, the project is co-produced with AIR, Inc. through the national Localore initiative, and sponsored by the Awesome Foundation.

The design, La Burbuja, was the brainchild of Hugo Martinez and Christin To, co-founders of MAT-TER Design + Build Studio who submitted their designs as part a competition sponsored by KCRW’s DnA. The call for entries challenged builders, architects, designers and creatives to submit proposals to design a portable sound booth to record stories for the Sonic Trace project – all for under $5,000.

Now, after weeks of hard work, La Burbuja has its final coat of chrome finish and is ready to record!

For inspiration, check out the latest five-part Sonic Trace radio series on the Sonic Trace blog. The stories trace Zapotecas in LA and show how a small part of Koreatown has become a hub for these indigenous Oaxacans.

For more information on Sonic Trace please visit their blog at www.kcrw.com/sonictrace or on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sonictrace

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About KCRW
KCRW 89.9FM, licensed to Santa Monica College, is an NPR affiliate based in Southern California. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit represents cutting edge radio at its best, presenting an eclectic mix of independent music, news, talk and arts programming. The terrestrial signal serves Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara Counties and the greater Palm Springs area. KCRW’s programming is internationally renowned and available worldwide via KCRW.com, including three streaming channels, 27 podcasts and archives of our locally-produced programs and live band performances. Hear KCRW music online, all the time, on the ALL music stream Eclectic24.

About SONIC TRACE
Sonic Trace is part of Localore, a national initiative of AIR–Association for Independents in Radio — with principal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It is produced in partnership with AIR and Zeega. The broadcast home of Sonic Trace is KCRW’s Independent Producer Project. A very special thanks to the Awesome Foundation for helping us fund La Burbuja.

About Localore/Association of Independents in Radio (AIR)
Sonic Trace is part of a national initiative of AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio, Inc. designed to bring new journalistic and technical ingenuity to extending public media service to more Americans. From Chinese restaurants in Boston, to shuttered factories in Dayton, to the oilfields of North Dakota, to Bay Area startups, the ten Localore production teams are working with their public station incubators to uncover ground-up stories of America in transition. AIR is a creative brain trust made up of more than 860 media makers from across the US and 20 countries worldwide who are re-imagining and reinventing public media and journalism for the 21st century. Its programs are designed to identify, cultivate, and deploy gifted talent for the benefit of citizens across the U.S. Learn more, and follow the work underway in the field at AIRmediaworks.org

About Guelaguetza Restaurant
Guelaguetza Restaurants is dedicated to the advocacy of Oaxaca’s culture in Los Angeles through its art, music and most importantly, food and drinks. Please visit our two locations to experience all Oaxaca. Our eldest location is in Koreatown and our most recently addition inside Plaza Mexico in the city of Lynwood.
3014 W Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90006

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