The Local Scene Is Still the Point

Hi friends,

I’m writing this from Dublin, where I’ve spent the past few days at Ireland Music Week, a gathering that brings together artists and people from across the music industry to talk about the increasingly complicated business of making a life in music.

There are conversations about how to “make it,” how bands can build sustainable careers, what technology is doing to the industry, and the inevitable predictions about where all of this is heading.

But what has stayed with me most has been something much simpler.

Every time the letters KCRW came up, I was reminded how far the station travels. People knew Morning Becomes Eclectic. They knew our DJs. They had stories about discovering artists through KCRW. Being this far from Los Angeles and hearing that affection firsthand was incredibly moving.

Coming to Ireland has also given me a window into how a music scene develops from the ground up.

Artists like Fontaines D.C. and CMAT, both very much part of the KCRW musical universe, didn’t appear out of nowhere. Behind them is an ecosystem of artists, venues, collaborators, and people willing to invest time and belief in developing a culture.

You can feel the next generation of that ecosystem taking shape here now. Over the past few days I’ve seen artists like GAG REFLEX, Maicín, For Nina, Shark School, Band 5000, Sarah Crean, Sell Everything, Pebbledash, Negro Impacto, and Eppie. Different sounds and ambitions, but a common thread runs through much of it: shared spaces and a clear sense of where they come from.

None of that is unique to Dublin. Los Angeles has its own version. So do Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Chicago, and countless other places. But being here has been a good reminder that even in a world where music moves instantly across borders, local scenes still matter.

That thought has followed me around lately. Just before coming to Dublin, I moderated a conversation with Beatport CEO Matt Gralen at Beatport Connect in Los Angeles, where much of the discussion centered on where electronic music and the industry around it are heading. Here at Ireland Music Week, I represented KCRW on a panel about U.S. music media and what artists need to do to find an audience in America. Different conversations, different cities, but I kept hearing variations of the same answer.

AJS07527 - Photo © @alexissturm _ Photo Edits ©Harp Digital Media

Less is more. Human curation still matters. And music is rarely just a song. It’s the context around it, the intention behind it, the community it comes from, and the story that gives someone a reason to stop and listen.

None of that is particularly new. Maybe that’s what I found reassuring.

And Dublin isn’t the end of this particular journey. In November, KCRW heads to Japan for Tokyo Salone, Nourish, and Held in Sound, continuing this exchange between Los Angeles and other creative communities.

What excites me about going from LA to Dublin to Tokyo is not the idea that music culture is becoming the same everywhere. It’s almost the opposite. The more connected the world becomes, the more interesting it is to encounter the things that could only have come from a particular place or group of people.

For all the conversations about technology and what comes next, so much of music still comes down to people finding one another, making something together, and having someone on the other side curious enough to listen.

I’m leaving Dublin with a long list of artists I want to share with you. Keep an eye out for an upcoming 5 Songs featuring some of my favorite discoveries from Ireland Music Week.

And next month, I’ll be reporting back from Japan.

– Ale

Now Spinning On My Turntable
Haruomi Hosono – Yours Sincerely

With Japan already on my mind, I’ve been spending time with Haruomi Hosono’s new album, Yours Sincerely. Few artists have moved through as many musical worlds as Hosono without ever seeming tied to one of them. From Happy End and Hosono House to Yellow Magic Orchestra and decades of increasingly idiosyncratic solo work, his influence is everywhere, even when you don’t immediately hear his name attached to it.

What I love about Yours Sincerely is how gentle and curious it feels. Hosono moves between folk, electronic music, and wonderfully strange pop while circling an idea that doesn’t translate neatly: omoiyari, a Japanese concept encompassing care, empathy, and the ability to share in another person’s feelings. Rather than force an English equivalent, he landed on the word “sincerely,” like the closing of a letter.

At 79, Hosono still sounds like someone following an idea simply to see where it leads. That sense of curiosity may be one of the most enduring threads through his work.

If you want to go deeper, KCRW’s Tana Yonas recently devoted a special episode to his extraordinary career, The Sublime Worlds of Haruomi Hosono. It’s a perfect companion to the new record.

More Music Moments

Sébastien Tellier “Live on KCRW” from Berkeley St Studios

Sébastien Tellier is a fixture of the French Touch movement that dominated the early aughts with artists like Daft Punk, Phoenix, and Air. The last time we touched base with Sébastien was in 2009 when he performed on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Sébastien returns to KCRW for a career-spanning performance in his signature style, fusing electronic production with catchy pop hooks, groovy guitar riffs, seductive disco synths and funky bass lines. Watch the full performance and read the full story by KCRW DJ Tyler “Boogie” Boudreaux.

Must Listen Episode 6: Rostam

KCRW continues weekly with its new Must Listen series, where we bring someone through the expansive CD library with two instructions: find something that is a “must listen” record, and leave a note in the CD case for the next individual who picks it. Our newest episode features Rostam (Vampire Weekend). The upcoming episodes include visits from Busta Rhymes, King Gizzard, Melody’s Echo Chamber, and more. KCRW’s Must Listen is sponsored by Qobuz, an independent music and streaming and download platform whose support reflects a shared commitment to human curation, intentional listening, and artist discovery.

And finally… Stones Throw 30!

This year, Stones Throw marks 30 years since KCRW’s very own Peanut Butter Wolf founded the label in 1996. To celebrate, they’re putting on a three-day outdoor festival right next to their longtime headquarters in Highland Park, with a stacked lineup highlighting the label’s artists past and present. Headlining artists include Automatic, Los Retros, and Mild High Club (playing their first LA show in over five years). Celebrate with us from October 16th-18th, for a weekend of incredible music and surprises for all ages.

Sébastien Tellier “Live on KCRW” from Berkeley St Studios

And finally… Stones Throw 30!

Upcoming Music Events

KCRW and Make Out Music have teamed up to present School Night with its new home at The Airliner in Lincoln Heights! Join us Thursday, October 15th with G Lune, SHOOP, and BIG CHoMP3RS. We can’t wait to see you there.

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