Hi friends,

One of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard this summer isn't in a concert hall or on a record. It's on a bench.

Along the Wilshire Boulevard overpass at LACMA's new David Geffen Galleries, Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe created a special version of Big Empty Country for a Zumthor-designed bench commissioned by KCRW. It transforms a simple place to sit into something more: an invitation to pause, listen, and experience the city differently.

That idea has stayed with me. Music doesn't just soundtrack our lives — it can shape the way we experience a place. It can change how we move through a museum, a neighborhood, a train ride, or even a quiet moment in the middle of a busy day. The right piece of music has the power to make a familiar place feel entirely new.

This week, KCRW and LACMA unveiled Currents, an original playlist created for the museum's stunning new David Geffen Galleries. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the galleries have no prescribed path, so we approached the music the same way. Rather than creating a soundtrack with a beginning and an end, we imagined an open-ended listening experience that visitors can step into from anywhere, wandering through the galleries at their own pace.

As I thought about it, I realized this isn't an isolated project. It feels like part of a larger evolution for KCRW.

Our Soundtrips collaboration with Metro and Metro Art transformed train rides into curated listening experiences inspired by Los Angeles. Henry Rollins recently created a playlist for the Skirball's Outsiders, Outcasts, Rebels + Weirdos exhibition, and this summer we've launched a year-long Musician-in-Residence partnership with the Skirball to explore how music can deepen exhibitions and public spaces.

Add KCRW Summer Nights, School Night, and the countless places we gather throughout the city, and it feels like we're expanding the definition of what a radio station can be and how we connect music to those places.

We'll always be on the FM dial. But increasingly, we're meeting listeners where life is happening: in museums, on trains, in parks, at festivals, and across Los Angeles.

To me, that's a pretty exciting place to be. Feel free to reply and share how music has shaped a place in your world.

Ale

Now Spinning On My Turntable
Rain Parade – "Home In Any Language"

Last year, Rain Parade stopped by KCRW for an intimate acoustic session that stripped their songs down to their essence. That performance has now been released digitally and on CD, with a vinyl edition on the way, adding a handful of additional tracks. Hearing classics like "What She's Done to Your Mind" in this setting is a reminder that beneath the swirling guitars and psychedelic textures are beautifully crafted songs and unmistakable vocal harmonies.

Rain Parade emerged from Los Angeles' Paisley Underground, a loose-knit collective of bands that blossomed in the early 1980s by reimagining the city's psychedelic roots. Drawing inspiration from artists like The Byrds, Love, Buffalo Springfield, and other West Coast pioneers, the movement rejected the era's slick production in favor of jangling guitars, rich harmonies, and a spirit of musical exploration. Alongside bands like The Bangles, The Dream Syndicate, Green on Red, and The Three O'Clock, Rain Parade helped define one of LA's most influential underground scenes.

More Music Moments

Digging Deep into the KCRW Archives

If you've been paying close attention, you may have noticed something special happening on our YouTube channel. Every Friday, we're opening the KCRW vault to share incredible live sessions that have never been available online, or disappeared from the internet years ago. It's a chance to rediscover unforgettable performances from artists like Jack Johnson, Ravi Shankar, Randy Newman, and many more. Subscribe to our KCRW Archives playlist and get lost in decades of eclectic performances.

Saturday Nights Are for Dancing

One of my favorite things about KCRW is that you never know who's going to stop by. A couple of Saturdays ago, the lineup featured KCRW DJs SiLVA, Jason Bentley, and John Tejada, alongside guest mixes from Mia Moretti, Todd Edwards, and Photek, the kind of lineup you'd expect at a world-class club, except all you had to do was tune in. If you missed it, check out Mia Moretti's in-studio mix, Todd Edwards' World Cup-inspired set, and Photek's cosmic journey with John Tejada. Then join us every Saturday starting at 6 PM on 89.9FM, the KCRW app, or kcrw.com for evenings fully dedicated to dance and electronic music.

And finally… Chris Douridas Takes the Reins at Today's Top Tune

Chris Douridas has seamlessly stepped into the role of curator for Today's Top Tune, continuing the tradition established by Ariana Morgenstern while bringing his own deep musical knowledge and unmistakable taste. If you're looking for one great new song every weekday, subscribe to Today's Top Tune and let us do the digging for you.

Enjoy!
Ale

Upcoming Music Events

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

July 23rd — KCRW & Make Out Music Present School Night

July 23rd — Sunset Concerts at Skirball ft. Terrace Martin, Brandee Younger and KCRW DJ Wyldeflower

July 24th & 25th — KCRW Presents: Mereba

July 24th — Summer Nights at MOLAA

July 25th — KCRW Presents Fleur bleu.e, Mirrorball, Sugar World

July 25th — Summer Nights at Grand Performances

July 25th — KCRW Presents Emperor X

July 25th — Reggae on the Mountain at Topanga Community Center

July 26th — KCRW Festival: Boris Brejcha with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra