Jason Bentley

Odd Future affiliates Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians brought together a talented group of L.A. musicians to form the R&B collective The Internet. With Syd's soulful voice leading the way, the band delves into songs about love, sex and everything in between on their new album Ego ...

One of this year's most exciting new artists, Texas singer Leon Bridges sings soulful songs with a personal touch and flair that sets him apart instantly. With a backing band that includes members of White Denim, Bridges recently played an incredible set in KCRW's studio, including ...

Boxed In is a project from British producer Oli Bayston, who brought together a talented group of musicians to perform his driving rock songs. His self-titled debut seemingly came out of nowhere and then shot to the top of KCRW's most-played list on the strength of singles like this one, ...

The members of Minnesota's Hippo Campus may be young, but these art-school graduates take music seriously, and their star has been rising since a well-regarded appearance at SXSW earlier this year. Hippo Campus performed new songs from its forthcoming EP, South, during a recent KCRW appearance — including ...

Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio is striking out on his own as Baio, and he brought a string quartet to KCRW's studio to premiere songs from his first full-length. The album veers between danceable electronic music and thoughtful, catchy pop songs like this one, called "Needs."

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L.A. native Kamasi Washington has one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year with his three-volume set The Epic, released on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label. At KCRW's studio, Washington recently brought in a stripped-down version of his band, many of whose members ...

Joy Williams is best known as half of Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars. Love, motherhood and her professional split from John Paul White are all addressed on her new album, VENUS, which takes a spiritual and powerful journey through her life over the past few years. "Sweet ...

Philly-bred soul singer Bilal recently walked into the KCRW studio with his red acoustic guitar and, joined by an upright bassist and electric guitarist, played a beautiful set of stripped-down songs. "Satellites," the first single from his new album In Another Life, was a clear highlight.

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Cayucas recorded its new album in rainy Seattle, but its sound is still pure indie-pop sunlight. The L.A. band keeps crafting perfect summertime jams like this one, the title track from Cayucas' new second album, Dancing At The Blue Lagoon.

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• 'Dancing At The Blue Lagoon'

Montreal singer-songwriter Patrick Watson has been thrilling audiences with his lush arrangements and gorgeous vocals for more than a decade. He combines his love of music composition and science fiction on his new album, Love Songs For Robots. "Hearts" is one of the highlights of his layered and atmospheric ...

Dawes visited KCRW's studio not long after a sold-out hometown show in Los Angeles and the release of the group's fourth studio album, All Your Favorite Bands. The high-flying performance — both thrilling and emotional — reflected Dawes' palpable excitement about what's to come.

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• "Things Happen"
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Nashville singer-songwriter Jessie Baylin leaned toward Brill Building pop on her 2012 album Little Spark. But for her latest, Dark Place, she teams up with super-producer Richard Swift to craft a more seductive set of songs. "Black Blood" exemplifies how Baylin's songwriting mines a deep well of emotion ...

Self-described "future pop" duo Purity Ring wrote its new album, Another Eternity, in its hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, finding inspiration in the industrial landscape and wide-open spaces there. In the band's live set, Corin Roddick plays a delightful diamond-light-sculpture percussion mechanism — created by the pair — while Megan James' ...

José González has kept himself busy over the past few years; between his work with Junip and his Secret Life Of Walter Mitty soundtrack, he's cranked out quite a bit of new material. But González took quite a while to release a new solo album, and the Swedish-Argentine ...

Seattle producers Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight met during their senior year of college in the Pacific Northwest. Each had his own unique style — Mills with more of a dance mash-up approach and Knight with a hip-hop background — which they combined to form the intricate sounds of ODESZA. ...

Sylvan Esso combines heady electro beats from Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath's warm and graceful voice. They've hit a sweet spot with their self-titled debut. On their recent visit to KCRW between Coachella dates, the two delivered an excellent interpretation of their danceable single, "H.S.K.T."

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• "H.S.K.T."
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After relocating to Portland, Oregon, from their native Stillwater, Oklahoma, Other Lives used the new surroundings for a different perspective on their new album. The result is their third studio release, Rituals, which marries an orchestral rock sound with a classic singer-songwriter sensibility. New songs like "Easy Way" ...

The pioneering Oxford shoegaze band Ride had been on a 20-year break before reuniting for a world tour, which kicked off in earnest at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival this month. Before heading to the desert, the group chose KCRW for its first U.S. appearance since getting back together. ...

Before Toro Y Moi released its new album What For?, frontman Chaz Bundick and his band played it front to back for a small audience at Apogee Studio in Santa Monica. Bundick is a musical chameleon, and after a dance/electronic release under the name Les Sins, he's confidently planted ...

Kevin Barnes has just released his 13th album as Of Montreal, and the prolific artist sounds as inspired as ever. For its return to Morning Becomes Eclectic, Of Montreal performed new songs from Aureate Gloom, an album layered with the sounds of late-'70s New York and disco-inflected electronic music. ...