KCRW Has World Cup Fever

Hi Music Insiders,

Happy Thursday! I’m still recovering from the Knicks/Spurs game last night, and now it’s time for the World Cup! No dull sports moments now that we are in peak summer mode.

The last time the US hosted the World Cup was 1994, and to mark the moment, Washington DC band Air Miami (some former members of Unrest) released a certified KCRW smash, “World Cup Fever.” Check out this gem that we all swooned over 32 years ago! It still works for the 2026 edition. I wonder if one of you is out there in your garage or bedroom, cooking up a new World Cup banger for us…

One of the World Cup projects I'm most excited about and intrigued by is Family Field Day: Come Play Multiform at The Broad. It’s free and takes place over two weekends, June 20th-21st and June 27th-28th. I’ll be DJ’ing along with Jason Bentley, Francesca Harding, and Peanut Butter Wolf. Here’s what you’ll experience: The Broad’s outdoor plaza will be reimagined as a playground of art, movement, and play… play what? Something they’re calling “Multiform,” an open sport with fluid rules and teams, designed by artist Gabriel Fontana. Think of it as soccer if done by a contemporary artist.

Just like NYC did for the Knicks, we, too, are putting together public watch parties… but for soccer, of course (or fútbol). KCRW partnered with The Music Center for ¡Dale! Fútbol, a World Cup watch party. Come by the Jerry Moss Plaza to watch Spain vs. Uruguay on June 26th. But that’s not all. After that is Dance DTLA, in the very same spot! Both sports and dancing are better with music, we think, so we have made the ultimate Spain meets Uruguay playlist to carry you through to the end of the night!

If you check this space regularly, you know that I’m a bit of a Metro obsessive. If Metro is your ride or die, too, no doubt you’ve experienced Soundtrips, our ongoing collaboration with LA Metro to soundtrack your journeys around SoCal. As a welcome to our global visitors, FIFA has put together Fan Zones at various stops, which will be full of music curated by our own DJ SiLVA.

Is your head spinning yet? If you can believe it, there’s more! We're also looking forward to Copa del Rave, a series of World Cup watch parties that bring together DJs, artists, cultural collectives, and soccer fans. If we Angelenos know anything, it’s that global sporting events are the perfect place to throw down a dance floor… especially during these warm summer nights.

And closer to KCRW’s home by the beach, we’ve also joined forces with the City of Santa Monica on Golden Hour. The Santa Monica Pier will do what it does best – as a gathering place for a beachfront summer music series. While not technically World Cup-themed, if you love sunsets, community, the outdoors, and music, this is your ticket!

Behold! Your guide to making sense of the World Cup Fever that has taken over LA!

xx, Anne

Now Spinning On My Turntable
Sweatson Klank – Super Stuff

Sweatson Klank stopped by the K for Wyldeflower Wednesdays last week to drop a Guest DJ set (scrub to 58:30) and to fill us in on Super Stuff, his latest album. He spent some time with Wyldeflower stepping through the album and sharing its genesis.

The artist, producer, and record collector (formerly known as TAKE), Sweatson Klank emerged from the early days of Los Angeles’ beat scene and helped to shape a movement that would ripple far beyond the city. As part of a forward-thinking generation of producers, his Sketchbook nights laid the foundation for the now-legendary Low End Theory, a proving ground for boundary-pushing sound.

Coincidentally, his new album has been gracing my turntable at home this week. In Sweatson Klank’s own words, “it moves through tempos” — from chill to vintage vibes to jazzy ’90s-sounding house. His wish is for us to listen to it in order, from front to back. And that’s what I've been doing.

More Music Moments

Today, Novena welcomed special guest Ziggy Marley to discuss the healing frequency of his recent album Brightside and to give away tickets to his upcoming show at the Hollywood Bowl for Reggae Night XXIV, along with Burning Spear and Zuri Marley! You can still buy tix to the KCRW Fest's first show of the season!

Let's take a look at history for a moment. It was March 30th, 1989, and Sarah McLachlan was about to head out on her first US tour and drop her debut album, Touch. That evening, she stopped by KCRW to do a three-song set with Dierdre O’Donaghue on SNAP. She and bass player Jeff Cross play a short duo set spotlighting her earthy but ethereal sound. They discussed the stories behind her songs, her move across Canada, and the Alaska oil spill.

Now, let’s fast forward to just a few days ago, June 8th, 2026 (37 years later). Sarah came to KCRW once again to share with our own Morning Edition Host, Danielle Chiriguayo, the story of her new album Better Broken and her tour of the same name. They also talked about that SNAP performance all those years ago.

Let’s let Danielle take it from here!

Here’s a bit more from this week's rebroadcast of SNAP, from KCRW's archivist, Myke Dodge Weiskopf:

Deirdre O’Donoghue welcomes David J to the studio. A founding member of both Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, J visits Deirdre at KCRW on June 11th, 1990, just weeks before the release of his US solo debut, Songs from Another Season. In addition to a guest DJ set featuring Robyn Hitchcock, Bert Jansch, and others, J also performs two acoustic numbers live in-studio.

And finally... Today's Top Tune — A free download for you today!! Curated by our own Executive Music Producer and KCRW Legend, Ariana Morgenstern. Every weekday, Ariana finds a delicious new track for you and makes it a free download so you can add it to your collection. For today, Thursday, June 11th, we present Digitalism ‘Achtung! from the new album Optimism.

German electronic duo Digitalism channel euphoric energy and early-2000s indie nostalgia on “Achtung! Optimism,” a driving new single from their album Optimism.

Enjoy!
xx, Anne

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