Hi y'all, 

I regret to inform you that your trusty Music Insider was a Music OUTSIDER this week. Let me explain. I found myself tragically unable to attend Tuesday’s Guest DJ set with the man, the myth, the legend Bootsy Collins for Morning Becomes Eclectic. And if my Instagram feed is to be believed, this was the music event of the year. As I scrolled yesterday, I was greeted with shot after shot of Bootsy and his funk bus! And that Guest DJ set that brought Bootsy + bus to KCRW HQ? It truly was the definition of appointment listening and easily our number one story of the week. For the hour he was on, I listened like it was my job. Which it is, in a way, but you know what I mean. "Second screening it" was not an option.

So you’ve gotta hear more about this epic hang from someone who was in the room where it happened. I will now turn the rest of today’s intro over to MBE host Novena Carmel so she can give you the real insider bizness:

"Hey! It's your friend in frequency, Novena Carmel here, and what a joy it was to be reunited with a friend in funkquency at KCRW HQ this week — Bootsy Collins! We first met in 2013 as SXSW co-panelists along with George Clinton and Bernie Worrell (late, great keyboard player and founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic). The panel topic was "Finding the Funk." Fast forward a dozen years to 2025, Bootsy’s new record Album of the Year #1 Funkateer found our ears, and we just had to invite him to Morning Becomes Eclectic to talk about this 23rd (!) LP.

Mr. Collins' presence was dazzling on many levels: from his signature star-shaped sunglasses, to the sonic gems of his guest DJ set, to the diamonds of wisdom generously sprinkled throughout. Plus, there was an added twinkle when he reminisced on the impact of personal mentors like James Brown and his Mama (to whom he dedicated a song selection). After an hour of magnificent music, memories, and hearty laughs; the larger-than-life icon departed KCRW HQ in a literal funk bus and left us floating on air with this essential message: 'The best thing you can do is be your individual, unique, fully expressed self… while remembering you are also one of a greater one, which is all of us together.' It was something like that, but of course, he said it better, so you should listen to the wisdom directly from his mouth HERE. It's Bootsy, baby!"

Saya Gray: KCRW Live From HQ

Singular alt-rock-pop artist Saya Gray brings the auditory grab bag (think: pristine experiments in sound, jazz-chords, country twang, and clear-as-a-bell vocals) of her self-titled debut LP to KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio. Tune in for album cuts including “SHELL ( OF A MAN )” and “…THUS IS WHY ( I DON’T SPRING 4 LOVE ).” Plus, back catalog stunner “IF THERE’S NO SEAT IN THE SKY (WILL YOU FORGIVE ME???).”

Cutouts: KCRW Guest Selector Set

Multi-faceted musician Alex MacKay is best known for holding down an extremely cool day job: bassist for Nation of Language. But MacKay’s prowess extends so much further, namely to the solo project Cutouts, a synth-forward, moody, post-punk-electro tour de force.

Following the release of Cutouts’ 2025 LP Snakeskin, and around the time of Cutouts’ debut LA show, MacKay joins FREAKS ONLY’s Travis Holcombe live in studio for a chat and some choice guest DJ selections. Tune in to learn more about growing up in a musical family, grappling with the concept of being “Firstborn,” and the touring musician's guide to (future) self care. Plus, killer cuts from Cassandra Jenkins, Museum of Love, and Sextile.

Get to know Montreal-native, musical provocateur Marie Davidson

Montreal native Marie Davidson became a hit on the club scene with Working Class Woman (2018), a psychological album questioning electronic dance music and club culture. Soon after, she took a break, pointing to her struggles with addiction and insomnia after years of touring. 

Read/listen on for our conversation with Davidson as she unpacks life on the road, her new LP City of Clowns, and her active decision not to have kids.