KCRW WELCOMES LILY ALLEN

Lily Allen stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic to perform songs off her latest album, It's Not Me, It's You. Check her doing a version of Brits "Womanizer."

HENRY ROLLINS RETURNS TO KCRW

Henry Rollins returns to the station where he got his start in radio, hosting a KCRW music show that will feature “a great mix of all kinds from all over from all time.” It will air live -- on air at 89.9 FM and online at KCRW.com -- Saturday nights from 6 to 8pm starting March 7. Each show will also be available on demand until the next show airs.

Rollins will appear on Morning Becomes Eclectic with KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley as a Guest DJ TODAY at 11:15am.

“I am very happy to be a new member of the KCRW family,” says Rollins. “Some of the first radio work I ever did was many years ago at KCRW under the guidance of Deirdre O'Donoghue, so it's a great turn of events to be back over 20 years later with a show of my own. To say that I am excited is an understatement.”

“Henry is an intensely passionate and outspoken personality with exceptional taste in music. He lives and breathes the stuff, and I'm thrilled to welcome him to our Saturday night line-up,” said Bentley.

Rollins previously hosted a radio show on LA commercial station Indie 103 and brings a wealth of music he has collected while traveling the world, as both a musician, producer and stage performer. His direct and open communication with his listening audience has always been notable and he will continue this at KCRW. His DJ page will feature additional information on the artists he plays, as well as a direct email address for listeners looking to reach out.

ABOUT HENRY ROLLINS: Henry Rollins joined the Southern California band Black Flag as vocalist in 1981. Upon the demise of the legendary rock group, he formed Rollins Band and has been making records and touring the world ever since. Beyond taking the stage as a musician, Henry does speaking dates all over the globe, and along with the band dates, has averaged over one hundred shows a year for twenty-five years.

A Grammy winner for the performance of his own book Get in the Van, Henry is not one to confine his performances strictly to the stage. He performs in movies and TV shows including Bad Boys II and Heat, and was host of his own The Henry Rollins Show on IFC.

Henry recently finished filming a series of documentaries for IFC, and is currently hosting his weekly LA radio show, and running 2-13-61, a publishing company he created to release books, CDs and DVDs. He is also an occasional blogger for Vanity Fair.

KCRW AT SXSW

Jason Bentley hosts his first live Morning Becomes Eclectic remote broadcast and

SXSW showcase as KCRW Music Director

KCRW (89.9 FM and KCRW.com) returns to Austin this year with new Music Director Jason Bentley, who will host a live broadcast of Morning Becomes Eclectic onThursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 with special live performances to be announced at a later date.

KCRW’s Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic Jason Bentley says: “I’m excited to be taking MBE on the road again this year. You never know who might pop into the show those two days in Austin!”

KCRW’S OFFICIAL SXSW SHOWCASE feat IDA MARIA, SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS

Bentley has selected a stellar line up of bands he has been supporting this year. Join us for what is sure to be a good time…

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 AT BUFFALO BILLIARDS

IDA MARIA

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS

PORT O’BRIEN

ANGUS AND JULIA STONE (Appearing March 9 on MBE)

OTHER LIVES

BOAT PEOPLE

LIVE MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC BROADCASTS / EVENT COVERAGE AT KCRW.COM

KCRW will be broadcasting Morning Becomes Eclectic live from 11am to 2pm (CST) at Tequila Mockingbird studios with band performances on March 19 and 20. Last year, Nic Harcourt hosted Duffy’s debut performance on U.S. radio. The songstress just picked up a Grammy for “Best Pop Vocal Album.”

KCRW DJ Anne Litt will be doing live interviews from Austin for her weekend music shows.

We will be webcasting these SXSW in-studio sessions on KCRW.com. A dedicated SXSW page will also include exclusive interviews, performance videos, photos and more from the festival.

RADIO SPONSOR FOR FILTER MAGAZINE’S REVENGE of CEDAR STREET

KCRW is the official radio partner for the 7^th annual Revenge of Cedar Street daytime showcases on March 19, 20, and 21 from noon to 6pm at the Cedar Street Courtyard on 4^th Street. The event is open to all badge holders. Confirmed acts include Razorlight, NASA, Wild Light, Other Lives, Rye Rye, Hockey, Black Gold and more.

KCRW WELCOMES OREN LAVIE

Oren Lavie was the 1st guest for new host of Morning Becomes Eclectic, Jason Bently on KCRW.

Oren Lavie is a singer/songwriter from Israel, who is often compared to Nick Drake, Elliot Smith and Leonard Cohen.



Oren also stopped by the Hotel Cafe Tuesday night to perform. If you missed it...catch him again at the Hotel Cafe on Dec. 16th!

http://www.myspace.com/orenlavie

THE CHANGES CONTINUE...

KCRW announces more music changes as new Music Director Jason Bentley takes the helm of Morning Becomes Eclectic.

New KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley launched into his first show as host of Morning Becomes Eclectic this morning with a track called “Crash” by composer Mark Isham, from the “Crash” movie soundtrack. His first week will also include live performances by Oren Lavie (Dec 2), School of Seven Bells (Dec 3), and Keane (Dec 4). Hear the performances live on 89.9 FM or streaming on KCRW.com at 11:15am PST. All performances are archived for future listening here: http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb

Bentley’s move to the mornings brings longtime KCRW DJ Garth Trinidad back to the airwaves on weeknights. He now moves into Jason’s 8 to 10pm weekday slot, formerly known as “Metropolis.”

“Jason's nighttime legacy is what inspired me to become a DJ in the first place and my goal with this new time slot is to expose the soul of music, no matter what the genre,” said Trinidad.
Jason Eldredge shifts to Saturdays from 6 to 9pm, providing a fresh weekend mix of stand-out tracks, innovative beats and new music from all genres, and Mathieu Schreyer returns to Friday nights from midnight to 3 am.

With a residency at the famous Chateau Marmont and various music consulting projects, Mathieu’s sophisticated music taste is in high demand. Born in France, Mathieu lived in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia before settling down in Los Angeles.

“Mathieu has impeccable taste in music. He’s lived all around the world and he integrates all of those influences into his show with a sense of adventure and fun, perfect for Friday nights,” said Bentley.

“KCRW is a fantastic creative outlet and I am incredibly excited to return. I’m planning a mix of sounds, voices and notes from all over the globe -- from the 50's to unreleased demos. The show will be obscure yet classic, funky, soulful, and modern,” said Schreyer.

Lastly, KCRW just released Top Ten Album lists by all of the station’s music hosts for 2008. They can be found online here: http://www.kcrw.com/music/top-10-albums

KCRW'S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2008

KCRW has posted Top Ten Album lists by ALL our DJs on the KCRW Music Blog: http://kcrwmusicnews.vox.com/

Here are the Top Ten lists by their Music Director Jason Bentley (he will be the host of Morning Becomes Eclectic starting on Monday, December 1) and Nic Harcourt, who is leaving the MD post, but will still be a KCRW DJ on Sunday from 6 to 9pm PST.

Check out live performances by School of Seven Bells, Keane and Oren Lavie during Jason's first week as MBE host.

Look for my top ten list coming soon!


Jason Bentley's Top 10 Albums of 2008

1. M83 - Saturday's = Youth (Mute)
2. Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
3. Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp Records)
4. Adele - 19 (XL Recordings/Colombia)
5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings)
6. Juana Molina - Un Dia (Domino)
7. Little Dragon - Little Dragon (Peacefrog)
8. The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts (IAMSOUND Records)
9. Portishead - Third (Mercury Records)
10. Jazzanova - Of All the Things (Verve)

Nic Harcourt’s Top Ten Albums of 2008

1. Adele - 19 (XL Recordings/Colombia)
2. Mates Of State – Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
3. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (Capitol)
4. Ting Tings – We Started Nothing (Columbia)
5. The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely (Warner Bros)
6. The Broken West – Now or Heaven (Merge)
7.Dandy Warhols – Earth to the Dandy Warhols (World’s Fair)
8. Duffy – Rockferry (Mercury)
9. Tilly and The Wall – o (Team Love Records)
10.Emiliana Torrini – Me and Armini (Rough Trade)

KCRW ANNOUNCES NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR

KCRW has just announced their new Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic. Such a great choice, cuz this guy is BRILLZ!

Now who gets to take his spot? Listen people....I'm serious when I say I should have my own radio show, and what a perfect time to get it! It looks like there's an opening...

KCRW announces the appointment of Jason Bentley as Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic, effective December 1. Bentley will leave his current evening time slot to take over KCRW’s signature music program from 9am to noon PST, Monday through Friday.

"This is a wonderful KCRW story. Jason began as a phone volunteer in the front office when he was still in high school. He grew up on KCRW because his parents were listeners. When he returned from college he reconnected with the station and debuted on the air here 16 years ago,” said KCRW General Manager Ruth Seymour. “He has a passion for the music and a deep connection to the local music scene. Moreover KCRW is in his DNA."

“I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the task, which is to open a new chapter for the station. It's a reinvention of myself to match the gold standards set by previous music directors. It’s no longer the hypnotic pulse of the city at night – it’s the ever-evolving optimism of weekday mornings,” said Bentley.

“My show has always reflected the continual evolution of music and emerging artists. And while I built my foundation as a champion of dance and electronic music, this is a great opportunity for me to grow, a challenge I will take very seriously. “

"The other side to this position, no less important than MBE, is to work closely with the incredibly talented group of DJs we have at KCRW to inspire the best from these bright minds and celebrate the diversity of our music department. Together we will build on KCRW's stellar reputation in Los Angeles and around the world."

Bentley is widely respected, not just as a KCRW DJ but as a Music Supervisor for film (“The Matrix” soundtracks), a music executive (co-founder of the Quango Music Group and an A&R exec at Madonna's Maverick imprint) and as a music producer and remixer in his own right.

Jason has nurtured a thriving music scene in Los Angeles over the years, Producing events at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skirball Cultural Center, and The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and consults for the LA Philharmonic on special events at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was the headlining DJ at Uptown Underground, a hugely successful public art installation that drew more than 8,000 people to the Music Center in Downtown LA and the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Jason has served for two consecutive terms on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and is involved in awards committees every year leading up to the Grammy's. Earlier this year, Jason became the first ever DJ for the Governor’s Ball, the celebration following the Academy Awards, and more recently, he headlined the official election night party for President elect Barack Obama in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Century Plaza to a capacity crowd.

Current Music Director Nic Harcourt will step down at the end of the month to pursue several independent projects and will continue as a KCRW DJ, hosting a 3-hour show on Sunday nights from 6-9 pm PST.

Further programming updates will be released in the next few weeks.