Song of the Day KEXP

Emi Pop - "Lo Sé," a 2023 self-released single

Now based in Seattle, Emi Pop began her musical journey in her home of Puerto Rico. Following stints in bands like Mely y Los Poppers, and local groups Famous Lizards and 38 Coffin, Emi Pop has ventured out on her own with her debut single "Lo Sé." The track is an irresistible blend of punk and pop, punctuated with some new wave-y keyboards. As she writes on her Instagram, "It was about time I put my music out into the world — this song is just one of many more to come."

Read the full story at KEXP.org
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pachyman - "Trago Coqueto," a 2023 single on ATO Records

L.A.-based artist Pachy García — who records as Pachyman — reflects on his homeland of Puerto Rico on today's Song of the Day.

“It’s like a stream of consciousness,” he tells Remezcla. “I wanted to play with the idea of being a bartender, the profession of getting people drunk, and my constant dilemma about returning home – which I am still not ready to do. It’s about grappling with the emotions of my daily life in a casual yet poetic manner.”

You can find the track on his new LP, Switched-On, which comes out tomorrow, Friday, September 29th, via ATO Records. The album is a dub-filled delight, and was even recorded on the same model of mixing board that Lee “Scratch” Perry used in his Kingston studio. 

Read the full story at KEXP.org
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Verito Asprilla  - "Letras Millonarias," a 2023 single on Discos Pacífico

Colombian artist Verito Asprilla arrived on the scene from Tumaco-Nariño at the age of 18, yet possessing a maturity beyond her years on her debut EP Mundo Lila. She writes of women's empowerment, and on today's Song of the Day, she raps, "I'm still poor but my lyrics are millionaire." An inspiring message of self-esteem in any language. 

“It flows to me,” she says in a Google-translated interview with Colombia Visible. She says of the Pacific, "I want people to look here and see that more than violence, there is talent." 

Read the full story at KEXP.org
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luisa Almaguer - "Wey," a 2023 self- released single

It's been four years since we last heard from Luisa Almaguer (check out her previous Song of the Day pick here), and now she's sharing the first single off her forthcoming full-length, titled Weyes, out in 2024. Like her previous work, it's a sultry slice of synth-pop, elevated by her powerful vocals. 

Almaguer has also been keeping busy as the host of the La Hora Trans podcast, and is currently working on a documentary about Mexican folk-rock band Belafonte Sensacional.

Read the full story at KEXP.org
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diego Raposo - "EL UNDERGROUND (feat. mediopicky)" from the 2023 album YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ on GRAN VAINA

This week's Song of the Day were selected by KEXP DJ Albina Cabrera, co-host of El Sonido, in honor of Aquí y Ahora: Without Borders. Join KEXP September 15th to October 15th as we continue amplifying the music, stories, and presence of Latinx, Latine, and Hispanic communities in the United States and the diaspora in our on-air, in-person, and digital world. More info here.


Dominican multi-instrumentalist/producer Diego Raposo teams up with his frequent collaborator Mediopicky for today's Song of the Day. On his debut album, YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ, Raposo blends electronica and alternative with dembow (a Dominican musical genre that originated in Jamaican dancehall) and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms. 

“We were trying to find something that had its own identity,” he told Rolling Stone.  “I loved the idea of making an album that’s electronic at its core, so the idea was to mix these many influences: Electronic sounds, but also the music I listened to as a kid, with early Daft Punk and Radiohead and My Chemical Romance.”

Read the full story at KEXP.org
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nada Rosa - “Reversal of Fortune" from the 2023 album Nunca Te Olvido on OTHERWORLDS

Based in Seattle, but with roots in the Dominican Republic, Brandi Diaz celebrates her family with her musical project Nada Rosa. As she told KEXP Staff Reporter Martin Douglas back in June, the band name traces back to her beloved abuelito (or "grandmother"), who has passed away: it's a combination of her grandmother's name with the Buddhist concept of non-attachment. “And that’s when I started moving forward with music in a more intentional way,” she explained.

And the title of her debut EP, Nunca Te Olvido, pays tribute to her grandfather, who tells her as much over the phone when he calls. As she says on Bandcamp, the phrase translates to "I never forget you" or "You're always in my heart." 

"This whole project is me learning how to love myself and the power of love between friends, between family,” she tells KEXP.

Read the full story at KEXP.org

 
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.