Dear Music Insiders,

Back in 1986, I was just getting my start in college radio (WXYC, UNC Chapel Hill) and spending an obscene amount of time digging through the vinyl stacks at the radio station, and the bins at Schoolkids Records. It was through one of these by-your-gut digs that I discovered London 0 Hull 4, by a band out of Kingston upon Hull, England, called The Housemartins. It was pure joy, charming, exuberant Pop (with a capital P). I can’t tell you how many times I played it on my show… I wore that record out on the air.

With only three albums in the bank, the members of The Housemartins went on to other projects, including band member Norman Cook. He found success with electronic group Beats International before striking out on his own… as Big Beat impresario Fatboy Slim. His first album, 1996’s Better Living Through Chemistry, caught our ears, and the follow-up, You’ve Come A Long Way Baby, was a stone cold hit at the K — with mega-tracks “Rockerfeller Skank,” “Praise You,” and on and on.

This week, Fatboy Slim performs at Coachella for the sixth time since his 1999 debut there. To celebrate his return to the desert, we’ve got the worldwide premiere of his legendary 5-hour set at the iconic Robert Johnson Club in Offenbach, Germany, which coincidentally opened in 1999. It is a board recording, never heard before.

Whether you are looking for an amp up for Coachella — or Couchella — we have you covered with this epic set. Thank you, Fatboy Slim. And to our Coachella-goers, we’ll see you at the Quasar Stage at 8 PM Sunday, April 12th, for his two-hour set!

While we’re talking Coachella, KCRW’s own Ro Wyldeflower Contreras will take over the Mojave Tent at 2:30 PM on Sunday, April 12th!

xx, Anne

P.S. KCRW’s must-see picks for Coachella are here!

Now Spinning On My Turntable
Robyn

I can’t stop listening to the new Robyn album Sexistential, her first in eight years! As usual, it’s full of sad songs that you can dance and rage to, all at the same time! This one is different, though. A closer listen reveals the Swedish icon musing on motherhood, breastfeeding, IVF… Take a listen to “Blow My Mind” and tell me what you think it’s really about! ICYMI — Sam Sanders digs in with the New Yorker’s Jia Tolentino about Robyn’s frank assertion that while this is not a motherhood album… at this moment in her life, motherhood has another complex layer added to her ecstatic and sorrowful work.

More Music Moments

Blame the pandemic, blame social media, blame the fires — folks have gotten out of the habit of seeing live music. But after years of struggle, venues are starting to see a change. New clubs are bringing creative ideas to get us back out into the scene. Press Play spoke to August Brown from the LA Times and Kyle Wilkerson of Sid the Cat fame about the new venues sprouting up all over Los Angeles!

From Rhode Island to Los Angeles, Tyler Ballgame has finally found his true home. He arrived here, moved to the east side, and visited a venue where an artist was playing to a silent, rapt audience of 60… artists and writers honing their craft for all the right reasons — and something was ignited. His voice has touches of Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Marlon Williams, and his songs hit straight to the heart. See Tyler Ballgame’s live session on Morning Becomes Eclectic, plus interview with Novena Carmel, and you’ll fall in love as much as we have!

Sam Fender — People Watching (Deluxe) — The UK musician has won back-to-back Brit Awards as best alternative rock act and received airplay from us since 2017. However, his song of the year win, "Rein Me In," featuring best new artist Olivia Dean, is finally making waves in the states — debuting on the Billboard chart at #77 and now on our chart at #15. Check out Sam's great chat with Novena Carmel last week on MBE as our special guest, talking about a song for his teenage crush, and music that inspired him to dream bigger outside his small town in North Shields.

KCRW’s 6’8” indefatigable energizer bunny, Social Media Helmsman Tohar Zamir, chopped it up with none other than the legendary Jeff Tweedy recently. They talked Steve Albini, life in a family band, and what it was like releasing his latest album on the same day Cameron Winter did! Tohar, you haven’t worked at KCRW long enough to score an interview like this! Well played, sir.

Upcoming Music Events

Speaking of LIVE music, bounce over to Venice to see KCRW's Tyler "Boogie" Boudreaux bringing down the BOOGIE HOUSE this Saturday, April 11th, at Townhouse Venice. All house, all night.

You have your choices cut out for you, because KCRW's Novena Carmel is heading to Village Studios on Saturday, April 11th, for a night of climate action with Sierra Sessions, featuring musicians including Hooray for the Riff Raff. Spend the night saving the planet, one song at a time.

And looking ahead to next week, April 16th, El Rey Theatre is hosting a collaboration between Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers and Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA. They're calling it TOMORA... get it?

🎶 🗓️ ➡️  Also On KCRW's Radar  ⬅️ 🗓️ 🎶

Friday, April 10th — Cass McCombs @ the Lodge Room

Thursday, April 16th — Gregory Uhlmann @ Zebulon

Thursday, April 16th — "Third Thursdays" with Aaron Shaw/Devin Daniels Quintet @ Sam First

Thursday, April 16th — UCLA x USC x CSUN Battle of the Bands @ The Troubadour

Friday, April 17th — Microdazing with Flying Mojito Brothers + Brainstory @ Camille's at the Bellwether