Jason Bentley, KCRW Music Director

Hanni El Khatib plays a style of rock 'n' roll that keeps company with late nights, drag races and bar brawls. With his second album, Head in the Dirt, the L.A. musician enlisted Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach to help flesh out a fuller, richer sound. Watch ...

A multi-talented 24-year-old from the U.K., James Blake is most widely known for his production skills. But when he performed for a small audience at the Berkeley Street Studio for KCRW, it was his voice and piano that really stood out. Blake combines the buzzy beats and dramatic anticipation of ...

The Australian duo Dead Can Dance recently performed a live session for Morning Becomes Eclectic that could only be described as a cinematic experience. Combining baroque orchestral sounds with haunting synths and vocals, the group played up its medieval aesthetic inside the historical Moroccan Ballroom at the Village ...

The French band Phoenix experienced massive success, both critically and commercially, with 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Now, four years later, the group has finally returned with a new album titled Bankrupt! Designed to push beyond its hit predecessor rather than replicate it, the album nevertheless retains Phoenix's gift for catchy ...

For Rhye's first-ever radio performance, we turned the lights down and lit some candles to get in the mood. We were curious to hear how the band — the project of producer Robin Hannibal and singer Mike Milosh — would translate the intimacy of its sensual, soulful music into a ...

Jamie Lidell describes his latest album as an "electronic affair": The DJ and producer returns to his club roots on the self-titled record, and for his return to Morning Becomes Eclectic, he brought with him a new sound and fresh moves. Watch him perform as a one-man band in all ...

The Baltimore duo Matmos crafts a unique brand of experimental pop music. Drew Daniel and Martin Schmidt use abstract instrumentation like elk whistles, balloons and bowls of water to create their rich sound, which makes for a performance unlike any other we've seen on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Matmos recently joined ...

Southern California natives Cold War Kids return with a purpose on Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, their fourth album. During a intimate show for KCRW, they played several new tracks off the album, which explores their relationship with the city they call home, as is evident on the single "Miracle Mile."

Though he only just turned 19, U.K. singer Jake Bugg has already developed sharp songwriting skills that shine through on his self-titled debut. Bugg recently swung by the KCRW studios to perform a batch of songs that highlight his range, from heartfelt ballads to the blues-rock guitar licks of the ...

Longtime college friends from Syracuse, N.Y., Ra Ra Riot gained notoriety with their unique blend of indie and orchestral pop songs. With their latest release Beta Love, the group moves towards catchy dance beats and synth sounds you can hear in "Dance With Me."

Watch Ra ...

Since 1984, DJ Shadow has embodied the definition of the term "DJ," always evolving and embracing new technologies while staying true to his underground roots.

Shadow recently released a compilation album spanning nearly 20 years of recordings, and he premiered a version of his "Organ Donor Megamix" on Morning Becomes ...