Five Essential Icelandic Albums From World Cafe
We stop by 12 Tónar Records, where a longtime employee shares his five favorite Icelandic acts.
Category: Studio Sessions
Bjork On World Cafe
The show digs deep into its archives for a discussion with the multi-talented singer from 2000.
KCRW Presents: Quantic
The U.K. native, one-time Colombian and current New Yorker blends traditional cumbia rhythms with electronic beats. Watch Quantic perform “Duvido” at Sonos Studio in Hollywood for KCRW.
KEXP Presents: The Antlers
Few artists combine heavy topics with sweeping music quite like The Antlers. Watch the Brooklyn band perform its dreamy, ambient pop song “Doppelganger” live at KEXP’s studios in Seattle.
King Khan And The Shrines On World Cafe
The over-the-top Berlin band performs three songs that combine garage-rock, soul and psychedelia.
KCRW Presents: Sharon Van Etten
The singer-songwriter’s new album, Are We There, is full of emotive, beautiful ballads. Watch Van Etten and her band perform “Nothing Will Change” live on Morning Becomes Eclectic.
KEXP Presents: Chelsea Wolfe
The “drone-metal-art-folk” artist took an electronic approach before settling on a stripped-down sound. Wolfe delivers her mysterious aesthetic in this performance of “The Warden” at KEXP.
KEXP Presents: Hurray For The Riff Raff
The dark Americana band taps into the legacies of everyone from Woody Guthrie to Bikini Kill. Hear Hurray for the Riff Raff perform the somber “Everybody Knows” live from the KEXP studios in Seattle.
KCRW Presents: Dean Wareham
A veteran of Galaxie 500 and Luna, Wareham has dabbled in film along the way. Now he has a fine solo career, which recently brought him to Morning Becomes Eclectic to perform “The Dancer Disappears.”
Strand Of Oaks On World Cafe
Fueled by a string of tragic personal incidents, from infidelity to a near-fatal auto accident, Timothy Showalter’s new album HEAL functions as a cathartic memoir. Hear three songs.
KEXP Presents: SOHN
One of the biggest electronic crossover artists of the year so far, Christopher Taylor (a.k.a. SOHN) visits KEXP’s Seattle studio to perform his hit song, “Artifice.”
KCRW Presents: Jungle
Without any real press photos, this U.K. electro-funk band had been a bit of a mystery — at least until its members revealed themselves during a recent studio session for Morning Becomes Eclectic.
KEXP Presents: Liars
In both audio and visual art forms, the L.A. electro-punk band hides serious intentions behind what appears to be chaos. Watch Liars perform “Mess on a Mission” from KEXP’s studio in Seattle.
KCRW Presents: First Aid Kit
The Swedish folk-pop sister act stopped by the KCRW studios just before the release of its latest album, Stay Gold. Watch First Aid Kit perform the title track for Morning Becomes Eclectic.
KEXP Presents: Young Fathers
KEXP hosts hundreds of in-studio sessions a year, but it’s rare when the station’s entire staff is blown away. Watch the soulful Scottish trio Young Fathers perform “Get Up.”
KEXP Presents: Lykke Li
The Swedish star recently performed a gorgeous live session at KEXP’s studio in Seattle. Watch a moving version of “I Never Learn,” from her new album of the same name.
The Current Presents: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Watch the former Pavement frontman perform “Chartjunk,” a highlight of his recent album Wig Out at Jagbags, live in The Current’s St. Paul studios.
KCRW Presents: Tycho
Scott Hansen and his live band recently visited KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic to perform songs from his breakthrough album, Awake. Watch the group bring the record’s mesmerizing title track to life.
WFUV Presents: Damon Albarn
Albarn recently stopped by WFUV’s studio in the Bronx, where he and his band the Heavy Seas were joined by New York’s Scorchio Quartet. Watch them perform “Lonely Press Play” together.
Andrew Hill On Piano Jazz
With his heady, bop-rooted explorations of improvised music, pianist and composer Hill stretched the boundaries of jazz. He demonstrated his mastery of melody, rhythm and technique in a 2005 session.