UKNY for March 24

London-based, Munich-born, Spanish-American singer and songwriter Victoria Canal, who has lived in multiple countries most of her life, has launched her first headlining tour in North America this month, which included a stop at New York's Mercury Lounge this past Thursday.  The Thursday prior, I had caught her short, beautiful solo set at Austin's Speakeasy, part of the SXSW Music Festival — and I wanted to see her again this past Thursday with the advantage of a fuller set and playing with violinist, guitarist, and backing vocalist Lucy Clearwater (who also opened) and bassist James Quinlan.

Canal, a pianist and guitarist who won the Rising Star award at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2023, writes and sings eloquently and intimately of love, grief, queerness, and disability (she was born without a right forearm and hand, due to amniotic band syndrome). Although she brightly describes her songs as "sad girl music," there was a lot of humor, wit, and warmth at her jam-packed show on a cold night in New York, and the sense that this perceptive songwriter connects with her audience in a special way.

On tonight's "UKNY" at 11pm, the new single by Canal, written for her friend Lucy Clearwater as a response to a song that Lucy wrote about her.

Also in the hour, more fresh music from bands coming off of the whirlwind (and controversy) of SXSW, including Nottingham's very impressive Divorce, the charming Porij (who played their first-ever American set at WFUV on March 11), and the New York trio Fcukers, whose slinky songs hark back to the juicy basslines and beats of '90s-era dance.

Breaking through in the '90s and just as mighty today, Underworld has a new release too — a collaboration with Irish producer and DJ Kettama — plus new releases from Metronomy, Fat White Family, and Shabaka too.

And a song for Scottish tempest Angela McCluskey, a beloved singer and friend to many in New York's tight-knit music community and beyond, who passed away on March 14.

That's "UKNY," Sundays 11pm-midnight, on 90.7FM, streaming online and in the Archives after broadcast.

Songs played:

1. Fat White Family, “Bullet of Dignity (radio edit),” Forgiveness is Yours
2. Metronomy feat. Pan Amsterdam, “Nice Town,” single
3. Divorce, “Gears,” single
4. Dry Cleaning, “Viking Hair,” Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks
5. (Paris, FR) L’Impératrice, “Me De Igual,” single
6. Porij, “My Only Love,” Teething
7. (New York, NY) Fcukers, “Mothers,” single
8. (UK-IE) Underworld and Kettama, “Fen Violet,” single
9. (DE-UK-US) Victoria Canal, “Chamomile,” single
10. The Last Dinner Party, “Beautiful Boy,” Prelude to Ecstasy
11. Kassa Overall feat. Theo Croker, “The Lava is Calm,” Animals
12. Shabaka, “End of Innocence,” Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
13. (FR-UK) Télépopmusik feat. Angela McCluskey, “Breathe,” Genetic World
14. (Dublin, IE) Sprints, “Can’t Get Enough of It,” Letter to Self
15. (New York, NY) Slow Fiction, “Monday,” Crush EP