23 posts tagged “jason bentley”

We returned to music today after our 10-day pledge drive with a live performance by Brazilian musician Curumin. His style has been described as “samba-funk.” He even snuck in a Nina Simon cover – “Four Women”.

Watch the full performance here

RR

We had a couple of guests in the studio for Mercury Rev’s performance last week. LA Weekly Music Editor Randall Roberts and photographer Tim Norris dropped by to document the performance – and a bit of new Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley in action. You can check it out here

Here is a link to the performance in our archives.

RR

The last time I saw Juliette Commagere, she was on stage at the Viper Room with a platinum blond mohawk playing a keytar (a keyboard played like a guitar) with her indie rock band Hello Stranger. I was a little overwhelmed by how much “look” they had going on, but I liked the music a lot – and she certainly commanded my attention. It was the limited success of that band, after years of almost making it, that plunged her into a depression when they returned from a tour. But it also inspired her to record a solo album that caught Jason’s attention.

She made her MBE debut today with a big band behind her – strings, horns, back up singers – playing tracks off “Queens Die Proudly,” available on Aeronaut Records.  

Check it out here

RR

New York trio Mercury Rev returned to MBE with a new batch of songs from their album “Snowflake Midnight.” As the set geared up, a few words were thrown around in the studio – cinematic, magical, art rock …even a comparison to early Genesis. I first got turned onto this band thanks to the soundtrack to the movie "Laurel Canyon" and their tune “In a Funny Way.” It’s one of those songs I’ve literally listened to over and over.

Jason delved into a bit of their history and I learned some fun facts. Mercury Rev singer Jonathan tells Jason they began playing along to nature shows on TV and made, what I believe to be, the first “platypus” reference during an MBE interview. He explains that the band has never been geared to the verse chorus verse, “let’s make sure this sticks in someone’s head” type of songwriting and that for this current album, many of the songs started as 40-minute long pieces. When the band gets in the studio, he says, their job is more to erase a record rather than record one. It was an intriguing interview and a solid set of music.

Check it all out here

RR

The reigning king of Afrobeat Femi Kuti gets the remix treatment from KCRW DJs, including new Music Director Jason Bentley, as part of a unique creative collaboration with Mercer Street / Downtown Records. The five-song EP will be available during KCRW’s winter pledge drive January 30 through February 9 as a gift with a donation of $100 or more.

KCRW has been playing music by Femi, and his father Fela Kuti, since the station launched it’s eclectic music format over 30 years ago. The Femi Kuti vs. KCRW Soundclash Remix Project came about when Mercer Street / Downtown Records’ Michael Pontecorvo asked Jason to remix a track off “Day by Day,” Femi’s first studio album in seven years and the first release on Downtown Records newly launched imprint Mercer Street Records. Jason suggested turning it into a KCRW Soundclash and inviting a handful of other DJs to remix songs as well. He approached the first Afrobeat fans that came to mind -- Garth Trinidad, Raul Campos, Liza Richardson, and Jeremy Sole.

"Everybody's remix is representative of their personal take on Afrobeat and all of them are compelling and unique. From my edgy dancefloor version to Garth's dubbed out sketch, Raul's poolside House groove and Jeremy's purist Afrobeat offering. The one that I am most proud of is Liza's remix. It's her first remix and she hit it out of the park," said Bentley.

Femi Kuti vs. KCRW Soundclash Remix Project

1. One Two (Garth Trinidad's Fiyah Dubb) 3:45        
2. Tell Me (Jeremy Sole's Musaics remix feat. Ticklah) 5:07
3. Eh Oh (remixed by Liza Richardson & Jake Davies)         7:07     
4. Do You Know (Raul Campos rmx) 6:18     
5. You Better Ask Yourself (remix by Jason Bentley feat Static Revenger) 5:14

Jason Bentley just finished his first week as host of Morning Becomes Eclectic and we’ve set up a page on KCRW.com where you can comment AND see a video where KCRW DJ Anne Litt talks to Jason and his history at KCRW, with music in general and about some of his favorite things.

Also, there’s an incredible audio recording of multiple artists thanking Jason and congratulating him on his move. It was a surprise gift for Jason that aired on the last night of the show (formerly Metropolis) that he hosted for 16 years. Artists include everyone from Moby, Daft Punk, William Orbit and Mark Ronson to Ulrich Schnauss, Crystal Method, Jaime Lidell, M83, Fatboy Slim and more.

Also, you can see a list of all the contributing artists here.

RR

Today was a day of firsts – Jason Bentley hosted his first live guest on Morning Becomes Eclectic and it happened to be Oren Lavie’s U.S. radio debut! Oren tells Jason that he “couldn’t get arrested in Berlin,” where he was living when he found out a group of DJs were playing him on a station in California.

Former Music Director and current KCRW DJ Chris Douridas fell in love with Oren’s album and passed it along to other DJs during various hallway run ins (our unofficial meeting space here in the basement at KCRW). Oren is a true citizen of the world – he calls Israel, where he grew up, his home but has also lived in London, New York and Germany. When Jason noted his music has a “dream like quality,” Oren replied that “daydreaming is the most important thing you can do as a writer” and proceeded to read the first chapter from a children’s book he is writing.

Check out a fantastic set by Oren Lavie HERE

RR  

Jason Bentley's Top 10 Albums of 2008

1. M83 - Saturday's = Youth (Mute)
2. Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
3. Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp Records)
4. Adele - 19 (XL Recordings/Colombia)  
5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings)
6. Juana Molina - Un Dia (Domino)
7. Little Dragon - Little Dragon (Peacefrog)
8. The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts (IAMSOUND Records)
9. Portishead - Third (Mercury Records)
10. Jazzanova - Of All the Things (Verve)

(Note: Jason Bentley will be the new host of Morning Becomes Eclectic starting December 1)

Hello everyone,

Here is the follow up to our announcement about Nic Harcourt stepping down as Music Director. Our new Morning Becomes Eclectic host is someone you should already be familiar with! Read on for details…

KCRW announces the appointment of Jason Bentley as Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic, effective December 1. Bentley will leave his current evening time slot to take over KCRW’s signature music program from 9am to noon PST, Monday through Friday.
 
"This is a wonderful KCRW story. Jason began as a phone volunteer in the front office when he was still in high school. He grew up on KCRW because his parents were listeners. When he returned from college he reconnected with the station and debuted on the air here 16 years ago,” said KCRW General Manager Ruth Seymour. “He has a passion for the music and a deep connection to the local music scene. Moreover KCRW is in his DNA."
 
“I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the task, which is to open a new chapter for the station. It's a reinvention of myself to match the gold standards set by previous music directors. It’s no longer the hypnotic pulse of the city at night – it’s the ever-evolving optimism of weekday mornings,” said Bentley.

“My show has always reflected the continual evolution of music and emerging artists. And while I built my foundation as a champion of dance and electronic music, this is a great opportunity for me to grow, a challenge I will take very seriously. “

"The other side to this position, no less important than MBE, is to work closely with the incredibly talented group of DJs we have at KCRW to inspire the best from these bright minds and celebrate the diversity of our music department. Together we will build on KCRW's stellar reputation in Los Angeles and around the world."

Bentley is widely respected, not just as a KCRW DJ but as a Music Supervisor for film (“The Matrix” soundtracks), a music executive (co-founder of the Quango Music Group and an A&R exec at Madonna's Maverick imprint) and as a music producer and remixer in his own right.
 
Jason has nurtured a thriving music scene in Los Angeles over the years, Producing events at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skirball Cultural Center, and The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and consults for the LA Philharmonic on special events at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was the headlining DJ at Uptown Underground, a hugely successful public art installation that drew more than 8,000 people to the Music Center in Downtown LA and the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
 
Jason has served for two consecutive terms on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and is involved in awards committees every year leading up to the Grammy's. Earlier this year, Jason became the first ever DJ for the Governor’s Ball, the celebration following the Academy Awards, and more recently, he headlined the official election night party for President elect Barack Obama in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Century Plaza to a capacity crowd.
 
Current Music Director Nic Harcourt will step down at the end of the month to pursue several independent projects and will continue as a KCRW DJ, hosting a 3-hour show on Sunday nights from 6-9 pm PST.
 
Further programming updates will be released in the next few weeks.

DJ Mark Farina will drop by during Jason Bentley’s show tonight for a quick chat at around 8:30pm. You can see him spinning live THIS Saturday, November 15, at Avalon.

RR