Chris Douridas’ Top 10 of 2009!

(Go here to see ALL KCRW DJ’s Top 10 lists)

1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)

2. Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Dollface Honey (Shangri La)

3. Chris Garneau - El Radio (Absolutely Kosher)

4. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk (Shangri-la)

5. Whitetree - Cloudland (Ponderosa)

6. Other Lives - Other Lives (ATO Records / Red)

7. Sonos - Sonos Sings (Verve Forecast)

8. Joe Henry - Blood From Stars (Anti)

9. The Mummers - Tale to Tell (Big Bass Drum)

10. Sonic Youth - The Eternal (Matador Records)

KCRW TOP 50 FOR WEEK OF 12/07/2009

  1 GAINSBOURG, CHARLOTTE == Irm >> [Atlantic]
  2 QUADRON == Quadron >> [A:larm/attack]
  3 FINK == Sort Of Revolution >> [Ninja Tune]
  4 ATLAS SOUND == Logos >> [Kranky/4ad]
  5 ZERO 7 == Yeah Ghost >> [Atlantic]
  6 MERRIWEATHER, DANIEL == Love & War >> [J]
  7 BIBIO == Apple & The Tooth >> [Warp Music]
  8 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE == Fall Be Kind >> [Domino]
  9 DAPTONE COMPILATION == Daptone Gold >> [Daptone]
10 SPOON == Transference >> [Merge]
11 JONES, NORAH == Fall >> [Blue Note]
12 BANHART, DEVENDRA == What Will We Be >> [Warner Bros.]
13 AIR == Love 2 >> [Astralwerks]
14 VEIRS, LAURA == July Flame >> [Self Release]
15 SPAIN == I'm Still Free >> [Self Release]
16 BLAKROC == Blakroc >> [Blakroc]
17 CASABLANCAS, JULIAN == Phrazes For The Young >> [Rca]
18 ASTATKE, MULATU == New York - Addis - London >> [Strut]
19 HEAVY == House That Dirt Built >> [Counter]
20 FLORENCE & THE MACHINE == Lungs >> [Universal Island]
21 MAGIC DRUM ORCHESTRA == In The Studio >> [Lion Head]
22 HOOP, JESCA == Hunting My Dress >> [Self Release]
23 KING COYA == Cumbias De Villa Donde >> [Nacional]
24 DAWUNI, ROCKY == Hymns For The Rebel Soul >> [Aquarian]
25 MASSIVE ATTACK == Splitting The Atom Ep >> [Virgin]
26 KINGS OF CONVENIENCE == Declaration Of Dependence >> [Astralwerks]
27 CLIENTELE == Bonfires On The Heath >> [Merge]
28 GRAY, DAVID == Draw The Line >> [Mercer Street]
29 HEAVY TRASH == Midnight Soul Serenade >> [Big Label Mess]
30 HAWTHORNE, MAYER == Strange Arrangement >> [Stones Throw]
31 LITTLE DRAGON == Machine Dreams >> [Peacefrog]
32 GRIZZLY BEAR == Veckatimest >> [Warp Music]
33 HOT CHIP == One Life Stand >> [Astralwerks]
34 MORRISSEY == Swords >> [Polydor]
35 VAMPIRE WEEKEND == Contra >> [Xl]
36 MASON, STEVE == All Come Down >> [Advance]
37 K-OS == Yes >> [Last Gang Records]
38 AGUAYO, MATIAS == Ay Ay Ay >> [Kompakt]
39 RACE OF ANGELS == Lady Of The Sun Ep >> [Advance]
40 GIFT OF GAB == Escape 2 Mars >> [Cornerstone]
41 EL PERRO DEL MAR == Love Is Not Pop >> [Control Group]
42 STOLEN IDENTITY == Lovely >> [Advance]
43 MUM == Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know >> [Euphono]
44 NDEGEOCELLO, MESHELL == Devil's Halo >> [Mercer Street]
45 BLK JKS == After Robots >> [Secretly Canadian]
46 KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS == Dracula Boots >> [In The Red]
47 XX == Xx >> [Xl]
48 QUANTIC & HIS COMBO BARBARO == Tradition In Transition >> [Tru Thoughts]
49 TOURE, VIEUX FARKA == Fondo >> [Six Degrees Records]
50 NNEKA == Concrete Jungle >> [Yo Mama's]

We've updated the Top10 page to load faster so if you haven’t checked it out yet, please do now. And if you’re having trouble viewing it on your mobile device, fear not! I will be posting each DJ’s list to the Music News blog over the next week or so, that way you can view them here.

RR  

 

Nic Harcourt’s Top 10 of 2009!

(Go here to see ALL KCRW DJ’s Top 10 lists)

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist (Warp)

2. Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Dollface Honey (Shangri La)

3. Imogen Heap (RCA)

4. Temper Trap – Conditions (Glass Note)

5. Silversun Pickups -- Swoon (Dangerbird)

6. One Eskimo – One Eskimo (Shangri La)

7. Flight of the Conchords  - I Told You I Was Freaky (Sub Pop)

8. Jack Penate – Everything is New (Beggars/XL)

9. Telekenisis! – Telekenisis! (Merge Records)

10. Morning After Girls – Alone.

Cold Cave’s music is playfully morose so, not surprisingly, they were clad head to toe in black and dark grey threads this morning for their Morning Becomes Eclectic debut on a rainy LA Monday. The Philadelphia-based trio’s danceable synthpop began as a solo project for singer Wesley Eisold. He originally fronted handcore punk bands and didn’t play an instrument. He started experimenting with a Casio before turning the personal project into a full fledge band. They mentioned this morning that they never intended to play the songs live so they are having to change it up as they go.

 They closed the first set of music with their catchiest track “Love Comes Close.” Check out the full set here.

RR

 

Norah Jones new album “The Fall” is one of the most played records on KCRW and is garnering critical acclaim for its rockin’ departure from her previous work. Now, we get something special that KCRW is partially responsible for – a remix of her hit single “Chasing Pirates” by Droog, a remix collective that includes Beck, who she first met backstage at KCRW’s A Sounds Eclectic Evening show in 2002! They both performed that night, alongside Beth Orton, Thievery Cooperation, Aimee Mann, Zero 7 and others, with proceeds benefiting the station. The drowsily melodic broken-beat collage-blues of "Chasing Pirates (Droog Remix") was released today on ArtistDirect.

Norah got a big liftoff for her career thanks to heavy airplay from Nic Harcourt on Morning Becomes Eclectic. She first graced our studios as a guest vocalist during a live performance by Charlie Hunter and, around that same time, MBE producer Ariana Morgenstern acquired a copy of her 4-song EP from the head of Blue Note records. You can hear her first live performance on KCRW here.  Millions of records sold, and many Grammy Awards later, the rest is, well, history!

RR

Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC with host JASON BENTLEY

Monday, December 7, Critically-acclaimed newcomers Cold Cave are playfully morose -- creating dark, danceable, experimental synthpop with serious hooks. Hear this “band to watch” perform live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

Wednesday, December 9, London-based quartet One Eskimo opened for Tori Amos on her recent tour and will melt our hearts with sonic inspiration and beautiful songs on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

Thursday, December 10, Music pioneer Lou Barlow was a founding member of Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. He joins us to perform songs from his latest solo project on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

Tuesday, Dcember 15, Sea Wolf is one of LA’s most promising bands and performed a captivating set at KCRW's Masquerade Ball on Halloween. They return to Morning Becomes Eclectic to share songs from their new release at 11:15am.

Wednesday, Dcember16, KCRW favorites Zero 7 reinvent themselves with each new release and "Yeah Ghost" is no exception. We'll hear their new songs as they make a much anticipated return to Los Angeles to perform on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

Friday, December 18, Manchester's Dylan Nathan, better known as Jega, incorporates complex beat structures and colorful melodies to create experimental electronica that is accessible to all music lovers. He’s renowned for his beatmaking and he will join us to play tracks from his new album on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

Tuesday, December 22, Actor Jason Schwartzman has spent a lot of time on KCRW’s airwaves as a musician, under the name Coconut Records. We'll hear what makes him tick and he’ll share some of his favorite songs when he joins Jason Bentley as guest deejay on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

KCRW.COM PRESENTS

Fri, December 11, FIERY FURNACES at THE MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG in NEW YORK CITY.

KCRW PRESENTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Fri, December 4, FINK AT SPACELAND.
Sat, December 5, SARA WATKINS AND TOM BROSSEAU AT LARGO AT THE CORONET.
Tue, December 8, SARA LOV & AM AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ
Thurs, December 10, ONE ESKIMO AT THE SILENT MOVIE THEATRE
Fri, December 11, BAND OF SKULLS AT THE TROUBADOUR.
Sat, December 12, GRANT LEE PHILLIPS with SARA WATKINS AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ 
Sat, December 12, BRETT DENNEN AT THE WILTERN.
Sat, December 12, JOHN DOE with JILL SOBULE AT THE ACTOR’S GANG.
Mon, December 14, MEW AT THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA.
Wed, December 16, ZERO 7 AT THE ORPHEUM.
Fri, December 18 and Sat, December 19, OZOMATLI AT CLUB NOKIA.
Wed, December 30, KINY AT THE CONGA ROOM
Thurs, December 31, POLLYN and DENGUE FEVER AT THE MINT.
Fri, January 8, SONIC YOUTH AT THE FOX THEATRE IN POMONA.
Sat, January 9, SONIC YOUTH AT THE WILTERN.
Fri, March 12, BRANDI CARLILE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES, ANAHEIM.
Sat, March 13, LUDOVICO EINAUDI AT THE BROAD STAGE.
Fri, May 7, KING SUNNY ADE AT THE ECHOPLEX

Runaway is the collaboration between DJs Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral, whose tribal disco house sound is so sincere, intense, and DIY that they've been a key ingredient in DFA's second wave. Their "Brooklyn Club Jam" single was widely-considered one of 2008's sickest bangers, 2009 found them remixing a slew of tracks, and 2010 will see the arrival of their debut album. DJ Mario Cotto will be premiering an exclusive mix from the duo during his show THIS Saturday, between 8 and 10pm. The mix will be posted online in our archives on Monday here

RR

KCRW DJ Chris Douridas hosts a performance and interview with up and coming artist Kenneth Pattengale at 1:30pm this Saturday, December 5. The LA based singer- songwriter and film composer draws comparisons to - and inspiration from - the likes of Ennio Morricone, Bob Dylan, and Joe Henry, who in fact guests on Pattengale’s new album.

 RR

All the KCRW DJs have gone through the tortuous task of choosing their Top 10 albums of the year. There's been a lot of great music released this year! But we're not complaining. Check it out

Not surprisingly, Grizzly Bear was a big favorite, as was Little Dragon, Mos Def, Phoenix, Band of Skulls, and Fink(who performed on MBE yesterday)

Below is the list from our Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic Jason Bentley.

Jason Bentley's Top 10 of 2009

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist (Warp)
2. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (Anti)
3. The Horrors - Primary Colors (Beggars XL Recording)
4. Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw)
5. Calvin Harris - Ready For the Weekend (Ultra Records)
6. Florence + the Machine - Lungs (Universal Republic)
7. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us (Graveface)
8. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)
9. Miike Snow - Miike Snow (Downtown)
10. Amadou & Mariam - Welcome to Mali (Nonesuch)

RR