KEXP in-studio performances continue on Day 2 of Bumbershoot with Jagwar Ma. The Sydney psych band may have blown the world away with their 2013 debut Howlin’, but with the first few singles from upcoming album Every Now & Then, it looks like they are bent on maintaining their skyrocket trajectory to the moon. Tunes like “Give Me A Reason” show off a band with immense potential and growing maturity. They’ve found a near perfect balance between endless danceable groove and psychedelic mantra, taking after their heroes with impeccable taste. Here, a month and a half ahead of the album release, we get a sneak peek at what’s in store for Jagwar Ma. Bumbershoot attendees will not want to miss their set later this evening at the Fisher Green stage, as there’s a splendid possibility they’ll be playing a much, much more crowded stage the next time around.
For their four song session, Jagwar Ma gave us two old and two new, as if to show us twice as how have progressed from the days of Howlin' to the sound of the upcoming record. As Jono mentioned in the broadcast, the band split recording time between Australian beach towns and French countryside, compounding the feeling of exploration from the first record with a sonic centering closer to home. 2013 was a great year for Australian psych and acid house revival, with Howlin' giving Jagwar Ma their debut and with Cut Copy's existential dance journey of Free Your Mind. As both "OB 1" and "Give Me A Reason" show, Jagwar Ma's singular goal on Every Now & Then is deeper. The grooves are heavier, the 808s are snappier, and more than ever, you can see yourself dancing to this stuff on a summery Sydney rooftop from dusk til dawn. As candid as they were focused, Jagwar Ma's in-studio gave us a great opportunity to preview the record and get to know the very down-to-earth band a bit more with their first return to Seattle in three years. Make sure to catch their set at the Fisher Green later tonight to hear more of Every Now & Then. After that, October can't come soon enough.Jagwar Ma:
Stay tuned on the blog all weekend as we bring you more coverage from Bumbershoot, and join us again live on air tonight at 5pm for a session with Explosions in the Sky!
The crowd at Kex Hostel is abuzz with excitement in anticipation of the triumphant return of Icelandic indie-rock band SUÐ (appropriately, Icelandic for “Buzz”). The band originally formed in the late 90’s, releasing only one album, 1999’s Hugsunarvélin, and played together until 2003. After reconn…
