KEXP had yet another great week last week.  In addition to Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express (check yesterday’s post), Damien Jurado showed up and played a magnificent mini-set with a band consisting of members of The Head and the Heart and Jessica Dobson (from The Shins and Deep See Diver–girl gets around, having also appeared this past Saturday night on SNL with The Shins–see our post below).  Jurado and band were on KEXP in support of his phenomenal new album, Maraqopa. According to Damien, Maraqopa is a “concept-album” built around a character dreamed/imagined by Jurado.

Our pick of Jurado’s KEXP-litter is Working Titles, found first below.  Jurado and band are in perfect form, and the lines, “What’s it like for you in Washington? I’ve only seen photos of Washington. I’ll never know,” never fail to stir.  Then check out So On, Nevada, with its fine harmonies and poignant refrains (“The birds will fly south, so you take their advice, and leave also”).  Then watch as Jurado and band break out a new song not found on Maraqopa, entitled Horizons.  The song is pure late ’60s/early ’70s throwback, starting out falsetto-ballad-Youngian (not unusual with Jurado), but then at 2:51 kicking in to a full Crazy Horse-lite jam.  Oh how that Richard Swift has had his way with Damien’s music.  Superb stuff.  Afterwards check out another Maraqopa gem, This Time Next Year.

Apparently the band had only rehearsed once prior to their performance on KEXP.  Wow.  We can’t wait to hear what they sound like after jelling and building (though minus the “backup singers” as Jurado says).  They’ll be heading out to Europe on Tour before coming to Cali and North America after (see the apres-Europe list way below).

04/13/12 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/14/12 Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/15/12 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/17/12 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/18/12 Salt Lake City, UT – Velour w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/19/12 Boise, ID – Neurolux w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/21/12 Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
04/22/12 Portland, OR – Holocene w/ Peter Wolf Crier BUY TICKETS
05/16/12 Chicago, IL – Schubas w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/17/12 Pittsburgh, PA – The Andy Warhol Museum w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/18/12 Boston, MA – RADIO w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/19/12 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/20/12 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/21/12 Washington, DC – Black Cat w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/22/12 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/23/12 Atlanta, GA – The Earl w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/25/12 Nashville, TN – The Basement w/ JBM
05/26/12 Bloomington, IN – Russian Recording w/ JBM BUY TICKETS
05/28/12 George, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival BUY TICKETS
08/09/12 Haldern-Rees, DE – August 9th-11th: Haldern Pop Festival BUY TICKETS