If you haven’t heard of Ashley Force Hood, you probably don’t pay much attention to racing. Not only is she extremely successful -- in September, she became the first woman to win a National Hot Rod Assn. U.S. Nationals championship in the funny car division – she is also part of a racing dynasty, as the the daughter of four-time national champion John Force. Also, she was voted the Hottest Athlete in an AOL Sports Poll in 2007. From racing to romance, she reveals the music that has gotten her through both triumph and tough times in her Guest DJ set.
This weekend, Ashley will be in Pomona as part of the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. She’s been writing updates for USA Today that you can read here.
RR
David Gray has been a regular visitor to KCRW since before his album “White Ladder” launched him to stardom. In fact, the Welsh singer loves KCRW so much, he even dropped by for a performance on his wedding day many years ago. The multi-platinum selling artist was back today to perform songs from his latest hit record, “Draw the Line” – including the title track and other favorites like “Fugitive” and “Kathleen.” He also performed a special cover of Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me in the Morning.”
Jason asked him how he could be such an easy going guy to chat with but channel such heartbreak and cutting emotion in his songs. David replied that when playing music you get to access the “reaches of your tortured soul.” And aren’t we glad he does!
RR
Orgone brought some funky grooves to our Santa Monica studios -- a full throttle live performance despite the early morning hour, with a full horn section and Fanny Franklin on vocals. While a lot of soul/funk bands tend to sound entirely retro, Orgone seem to have created a vibe that is fresh, unique and very much influenced by Southern California. Their cover of “Funky Nassau” has been a favorite among our DJs and they managed to squeeze it in, along with a Meters’ cover, just before the end of their set.
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KCRW put together a compilation through iTunes of songs straight from our DJ’s playlists and we are offering it FREE for our listeners. It’s 20 tracks, including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Mayer Hawthorne and Miike Snow – all who made their debuts here and have been getting a ton of buzz – as well as Moby, St. Vincent, and Iron and Wine.
Here’s the link: http://www.kcrw.com/selections
Get it while you can!
RR
KCRW Selections: 20-Track iTunes Playlist
ARTIST / TITLE
The Morning After Girls / Part of Your Nature
Fanfarlo / Ghosts
St. Vincent / The Strangers
Headless Heroes / Just Like Honey
Nickodemus / Calle Sol
Black Moth Super Rainbow / Smile the Day After Today
Sonic Youth / Malibu Gas Station
A Camp / Here Are Many Wild Animals
Iron and Wine / Belated Promise Ring
Zap Mama / Do You Wanna?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / 40 Day Dream
Miike Snow / Sans Soleil
Eels / In My Dreams
Bibio / Ambivalence Avenue
Generationals / When They Fight, They Fight
Moby / Pale Horses (Empyrean Dub remix)
Mayer Hawthorne / Maybe So, Maybe No
The Temper Trap / Sweet Disposition
Quantic and His Combo Barbaro / Un Canto a Mi Tierra
Mocky / Birds Of a Feather
KCRW’s online-only music channel Eclectic24 will stream the soundtrack to the latest film in the “Twilight” series tonight at 8pm PST on Monday, Nov 9. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” OST will also be available streaming ON DEMAND for one week only! You can check it all out here.
The soundtrack includes fantastic new songs from Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Skulls and Bon Iver, among others. Enjoy!
Next week, we preview Norah Jones’ latest “The Fall.”
RR
Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC with host JASON BENTLEY
Tuesday, November 10, Multi-platinum selling artist David Gray loves KCRW so much, he even dropped by for a performance on his wedding day years ago. We've had him back many times since and he joins Morning Becomes Eclectic for an intimate performance of songs from his latest release at 11:15am.
Thursday, November 12, Colombian artists Bomba Estereo made a splash at this year’s Latin Alternative Music Conference. They combine Afro-Caribbean rhythms with electro, dub, hip hop and more for a sound they call "electro-tropical." Hear it live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Tuesday, November 17, Forro In The Dark is based in New York, but they tap into their Brazilian roots to create hip-swiveling grooves. Their fans include KCRW favorites like David Byrne and Bebel Gilberto-- you’ll hear why on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Thursday, November 19, As a young woman, Rosanne Cash told her father Johnny she wanted to play country music. He put together a list of 100 essential songs for her to listen to and, years later, she’s put together an album highlighting her favorites. Hear it live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Friday, November 20, New Zealand soul collective Fat Freddy's Drop is ready to invade the U.S. with their dub reggae vibe, which has now expanded to include elements of jazz and hip-hop. We'll hear their new and improved sound on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
KCRW.COM PRESENTS
Tues, November 24, ROYKSOPP at WEBSTER HALL in NEW YORK.
Fri, December 11, FIERY FURNACES at THE MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG in NEW YORK CITY.
KCRW PRESENTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tues, November 10, INARA GEORGE, ELENI MANDELL, FERRABY LIONHEART AT THE BOOTLEG THEATRE.
Thurs, November 12, ORGONE AT ZANZIBAR.
Thurs, November 12, BURAKA SOM SISTEMA AT THE MAYAN.
Sat, November 14, JENNY LEWIS & FRIENDS AT THE ACTOR’S GANG.
Wed, November 18, SWELL SEASON AT THE WILTERN.
Wed, November 18, ROYKSOPP AT CLUB NOKIA.
Wed, November 18, FORRO IN THE DARK at THE SOHO in Santa Barbara.
Thurs, November 19, FORRO IN THE DARK AT THE MINT.
Sat, November 21, FRIENDLY FIRES WITH THE XX AT THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA.
Friday, November 20, FAT FREDDY’S DROP AT THE ROXY. Jeremy Sole will host and deejay the evening.
Sat, November 21, BEN GIBBARD & FRIENDS AT THE ACTOR’S GANG.
Sat, November 21, PETER BJORN AND JOHN with FOOL'S GOLD AND EL PERRO DEL MAR AT CLUB NOKIA.
Mon, November 23, EL PERRO DEL MAR AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ.
Tues, November 24, LISSIE at THE BOOTLEG THEATRE.
Friday, November 27, JULIAN CASABLANCAS AT THE PALACE THEATRE.
Friday, December 4, FINK AT SPACELAND.
Sat, December 5, SARA WATKINS AND TOM BROSSEAU AT LARGO AT THE CORONET.
Sat, December 12, BRETT DENNEN AT THE WILTERN.
Sat, December 12, JOHN DOE with JILL SOBULE AT THE ACTOR ’S GANG.
Wed, December 16, ZERO 7 AT THE ORPHEUM.
Friday, December 18 and Sat, December 19, OZOMATLI AT CLUB NOKIA.
Friday, January 8, SONIC YOUTH AT THE FOX THEATRE IN POMONA.
Sat, January 9, SONIC YOUTH AT THE WILTERN.
Friday, March 12, BRANDI CARLILE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES (ANAHEIM).
LA-based soul band Fitz & The Tantrums make breaking up sound good. Heartbreak may have inspired their recently released EP and the new songs they debuted this morning on Morning Becomes Eclectic, but it’s the funky way they swing it that makes them special. Eric J Lawrence previously noted that the single we’ve been spinning -- “Breakin’ the Chains of Love” – “is the catchiest up-tempo blue-eyed soul track in a long time, like a Tom Jones for the new millennium.” He even warned that the knickers might start flying Fitz’s way if he’s not careful. This is definitely a band that kills it in their live shows, from the first time I saw them at Spaceland to the studio this morning. They look good, they sound good and best of all they seem to be having fun. A highlight was “Pickin’ Up the Pieces of Love’ – written just this week and performed today for the very first time.
Check out the set here!
RR
Did you know Tim Robbins’ father was a singer in a popular folk group? Neither did I! The actor has music in his blood and dropped by our studios to talk about how much it has defined his life – from the song his mother sang to him as a child to a track about the stark realities of “adult” love. He also pays tribute to his time living in LA, where he founded one of the city’s most accomplished theatrical institutions, The Actor's Gang. They are currently hosting a series of both free and fundraising events called the WTF Festival.
RR
KCRW TOP 50 FOR WEEK OF 11/03/2009
1 AIR == Love 2 >> [Astralwerks]
2 TWILIGHT - NEW MOON == Ost - Music By Thom Yorke, Grizzly Bear >> [Atlantic]
3 BANHART, DEVENDRA == What Will We Be >> [Warner Bros.]
4 ZERO 7 == Yeah Ghost >> [Atlantic]
5 QUADRON == Quadron >> [A:larm/attack]
6 BROWN, VV == Travelling Like The Light >> [Island Uk]
7 MASSIVE ATTACK == Splitting The Atom Ep >> [Virgin]
8 ATLAS SOUND == Logos >> [Kranky/4ad]
9 LITTLE DRAGON == Machine Dreams >> [Peacefrog]
10 BUILD AN ARK == Love Part 1 >> [Kindred Spirits]
11 VALADEZ, ANTHONY == Audio Visual >> [Recordbreakin]
12 ASTATKE, MULATU == New York - Addis - London >> [Strut]
13 KINGS OF CONVENIENCE == Declaration Of Dependence >> [Astralwerks]
14 JOGGER == This Great Pressure >> [Magical Properties]
15 BIG STAR == Keep An Eye On The Sky >> [Rhino]
16 NDEGEOCELLO, MESHELL == Devil's Halo >> [Mercer Street]
17 MIDDLE EAST == Recordings Of The Middle East >> [Spunk]
18 HEAVY == House That Dirt Built >> [Counter]
19 FOOL'S GOLD == Fool's Gold >> [Self Release]
20 TEGAN & SARA == Sainthood >> [Sire]
21 ORCHESTRE POLY RYTHMO DE COTONOU == Echos Hypnotiques - Vol 2 >> [Analog Africa]
22 SWELL SEASON == Strict Joy >> [Anti]
23 FARRAR & GIBBARD == One Fast Move Or I'm Gone >> [Atlantic]
24 RODRIGO Y GABRIELA == 11:11 >> [Ato]
25 MAAL, BAABA == Television >> [Palm Pictures]
26 XX == Xx >> [Xl]
27 BIBIO == Ambivalence Avenue >> [Warp Music]
28 EL PERRO DEL MAR == Love Is Not Pop >> [Control Group]
29 SHAFIQ == Shafiq En A-free-ka >> [Plug Research]
30 GROOVE ARMADA == Groove Armada Ep >> [B-live]
31 MUM == Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know >> [Euphono]
32 BLK JKS == After Robots >> [Secretly Canadian]
33 BASEMENT JAXX == Scars >> [Ultra]
34 FLORENCE & THE MACHINE == Lungs >> [Universal Island]
35 DO == Mouthful >> [Get Down]
36 TIMBER TIMBRE == Timber Timbre >> [Arts & Crafts]
37 FANFARLO == Reservoir >> [Self Release]
38 WASHED OUT == Life Of Leisure >> [Advance]
39 STONE, JOSS == Colour Me Free >> [Virgin]
40 TENOR & ALLEN == Inspiration Information >> [Strut]
41 STEVENS, SUFJAN == Bqe >> [Asthmatic Kitty]
42 LEE & HOPKINS == Fascinating Fingers >> [Ubiquity]
43 FLAMING LIPS == Embryonic >> [Warner Bros.]
44 SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS == Prince Of Peace Ep >> [Vagrant]
45 HARRIS, CALVIN == Ready For The Weekend >> [Ultra]
46 FORRO IN THE DARK == Light A Candle >> [Nublu Records]
47 LUSINE == Certain Distance >> [Ghostly International]
48 CORREATOWN == Demo >> [Advance]
49 MONSTERS OF FOLK == Monsters Of Folk >> [Shangri-la Music]
50 ZAZA == Cameo >> [Kanine]
Last year, Little Dragon sold out their first-ever show in LA. It was at the Roxy on Sunset and packed with hardcore fans. They didn’t even have an album out at the time, but a few KCRW DJs – Mathieu Schreyer and Garth Trinidad in particular -- were giving them steady spins and word spread fast that this Gothenberg band was one to watch. Their new album is a bit more electro and fast-paced, but still maintains the experimental minimalist mix that made the first one stand out – as well as Yukimi Nagano’s vocals, which add warmth and passion to the array of sounds. I’ve heard word that the band is working with TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek on a collaboration so keep an ear out for that. Also, Jason confirmed this morning that Yukimi and fantastic Swedish musician Jose Gonzalez are in fact a romantic couple and she told us he is working on a new album. Some exciting music news!
Check out this live set from Little Dragon.
RR
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