Hey hey, 

Morning Becomes Eclectic producer Anna Chang here. To some, April signifies the arrival of spring: the birds and the bees; the Easter and the Passover. That’s cool, but to me and roughly 100,000 musicheads across SoCal, it means one thing and one thing only. COACHELLLLLAAAA!!! I'm currently gearing up for C-season, big time. Thinking about the fits and the parties, but most importantly THE MUSIC. It’s a time when the best talent from around the world gathers in our backyard for two unforgettable, performance-packed weekends. My philosophy has always been that whether or not you’re familiar with a certain band, you can trust they are the cream of the crop simply because they made it onto the lineup. You can also trust that KCRW has you covered when it comes to who — from the list of 150+ artists — deserves your undivided attention. 

Last year’s KCR-CHELLA featured Young Fathers, Barry Can’t Swim, and Justice (pictured above with MBE host Novena Carmel and me). We’re going even harder this year. Guest Selector sets will be all over FREAKS ONLY and MBE: HAAI, Seun Kuti, and Viagra Boys are just a few of the names we’ve secured so far. And then there are the live performances that YOU are eligible to attend. Here’s what you need to know:

Maribou State: Electro-magnetic Brits. IMHO, the duo’s 2015 LP Portraits is one of the most perfectly produced (and soulful) dance albums of the past decade. It’s just the thing to soundtrack a long, vibey drive to the desert… as is their new album Hallucinating Love. P.S. Their live show setup is massive, so expect some epic showmanship when they bring it to KCRW.

Japanese Breakfast: Author, singer-songwriter, and all around indie goddess. And here’s the coolest part: Her new album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is SO fresh from the press that we’re basically going to experience the first live listen of the songs from it together. C’mon now.

Plus, there's more in the works that we can't announce just yet... but trust us, you'll be seated for it.

It’s all going down throughout the week between Coachellas. And here’s where I finally tell you how to get into the room where it happens. Become a KCRW Champion at the $5k level today — it’s as simple as setting up a tax-deductible, $417 monthly sustaining donation — then you’ll automatically score the invite to check out these intimate live sessions.

See you at the show(s) (and out and about in the desert). 😎

The Altons rep East LA Live From KCRW HQ

East LA souldies crew The Altons just dropped their sophomore LP Heartache in Room 14 — their first for modern soul behemoth Daptone Records. The new record finds co-bandleaders/vocalists Adriana Flores and Bryan Ponce writing and singing in Spanish for the first time, fine-tuning their feverishly romantic slow jams, and delivering vocal harmonies that are snug in all the right places. Tune in for new album delights like “Del Cielo Te Cuido,” “Tangled Up in You,” and “Over and Over.” Plus, check our interview with Flores and Ponce for insights into what it’s like to be a born and raised LA band and why they wanted to write songs that their parents would love.

Lucy Dacus: KCRW Guest Selector set

Listen... all you *really* need to know about this Guest Selector set from folk-pop-confessional queen Lucy Dacus is that we asked her to share her favorite sapphic love song, and this was her response: "I thought it would be disrespectful to say anything other than fast car by Tracy Chapman." But of course there's plenty more to dig into: from Dacus offering a glimpse into her songwriting process for her new LP Forever Is A Feeling, to her praising the "underrated" songwriting of LCD Soundsystem.

Actress Cristin Milioti really (really) loves Joni Mitchell and Fiona Apple

Sometimes stars truly are just like us. They can wax rhapsodic about two of the finest singer-songwriters of their respective generations with the best of 'em:

"They both are artists who I think have been dismissed in various ways and obviously celebrated in so many ways," Milioti muses. "But [they both] cut straight to the marrow of the human experience while also retaining these otherworldly superpowers. [They are] basically just the finest lyricists, but they also have these voices that whenever they open their mouths, it's like they're in communion with a higher power." 

Hear more directly from the source when you click into the segment below.