Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, host of Drive Time on KEXP, is " Taped in Front of a Live Studio Audience" by Damien Jurado, from the 2022 album Reggae Film Star on Maraqopa.
Longtime KEXP-favorite Damien Jurado is on the heels of releasing his 18th album Reggae Film Star this June. The album comes 25 years after his debut album Waters Ave S. and is just one of seven albums the prolific songwriter wrote and recorded during the pandemic. 2021’s The Monster Who Ate Pennsylvania was the first of those to be released.
Our Song of the Day is the short but sweet “Taped In Front of a Live Studio Audience.” Over a softly driving beat and warm, thrumming guitars, Jurado paints a picture of a day in the life of an exhausted working mother, doing her best to keep it together or at least stay awake. With lines like “Who's screaming at the top of their lungs? /Well I don't have time, and my patience is running thin,” the song is a relatable story for those familiar with the comedy of parenting.
Reggae Film Sta is due digitally and on CD June 24 via his own Maraqopa Records, with vinyl arriving July 8. Damien produced it himself alongside multi-instrumentalist Josh Gordon and recording engineer Alex Bush.
Watch Jurado’s KEXP in-studio performance from 2012 below.
