Since When Did Happiness Become A Sin?

I featured FKA Twigs here for the first time last month, as part of a short selection of songs performed by various artists for Seattle-based broadcaster KEXP. That session was recorded at the time of her debut album, LP1, and is itself a thing of beauty.

On Friday (10th), FKA Twigs aka Tahliah Debrett Barnett delivered another stunning session, this time for NPR's Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series. This three-song set is performed neither at home nor at the famous Tiny Desk in Washington D.C., but in the suitably atmospheric St. Matthias Church in Stoke Newington, North London. 

 

It's an astonishing listen, FKA Twigs' voice swooping and soaring above the waves of piano and cello, accompanied by violin for the first song and double bass for the remainder. In addition to two songs from her 2019 album Magdalene, new single Killer is previewed ahead of its release on Thursday (16th). 

Simply amazing.

Home With You / Killer / Cellophane (Live @ St. Matthias Church, London for NPR, 10th June 2022)

Lights On / Hide / Kicks / Two Weeks (Live On KEXP, 18th November 2014)

All The Stars Were Aligned

KEXP is a non-commercial radio station transmitting from Seattle, Washington. It became a regular virtual music stop for me during the pandemic and I've listened to hours upon hours of their Live On KEXP sessions.

The show follows a fairly consistent format: 4 or 5 songs, 20-30 minutes, usually performed in the small KEXP studio with lengthy Q&A mid-section with the resident DJ, sitting nearby. Occasionally, they'll use another location, even head outdoors to the local park, as evidenced by this beautiful performance from Ben Watt & Bernard Butler in 2015.

Too many favourites to mention here, so here's a small, half-hour selection of seven cracking songs for your listening pleasure.

1) Camels (Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 23 June 2019): Bill Callahan

2) Tokay (Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 10 February 2015): Dengue Fever

3) Maybe (Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 12 June 2019): SOAK

4) Is He Strange (Live @ Avast! Recording Co. for KEXP, Seattle, 18 December 2018): John Grant

5) Kicks (Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 18 November 2014): FKA Twigs

6) Corsicana Lemonade (Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 01 February 2014): White Denim

7) Magic Of Meghan (Live @ KEXP, Seattle, 10 March 2020): Dry Cleaning

All The Stars Were Aligned (Live On KEXP) (31:16)