It's an unlikely cover, but they make it work: downtempo duo Darkside (electronic producer Nicolas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington) take on the 1972 Nick Drake track “Things Behind The Sun,” from his classic Pink Moon album. The cover was recorded for Modular’s Modcast podcast: stream their hou…
English indie band The xx released the deluxe edition of their third studio album I See You today which includes three bonus tracks. One of them, "Naive" samples Drake's "Doing It Wrong," while "Brave For You (Marfa Demo)" is a stripped down acoustic recording of their track "Brave For You." They …
"Utterly enchanting." That's how DJ Cheryl Waters described our recent in-studio session with the lovely Jessica Pratt, who was on tour in support of her sophomore release On Your Own Love Again, out now on Drag City. This young singer/songwriter emerged from the Bay Area's garage scene with an alb…
If the recent rainy weather is getting you down, take a musical vacation with Beach Day. Formed in 2011 in an uncannily-named place called Hollywood, Florida, it would be impossible for the bright sunshine of their locale not to radiate into their retro-tinged songs. A shared love of surf-rock brou…
It's hard to believe, but west coast one-time wunderkind Beck turns 45 years old today. The junior high school dropout has gone from self-released cassettes, to a surprise smash hit with "Loser", to Grammy Award-winning artist. He's tackled styles from the soulful slide of Midnite Vultures to the N…
North Carolina's Superchunk have announced a new album called What a Time to Be Alive (not be confused the Drake and Future collaborative album of the same title). They've also shared the album's first single and title track. Frontman Mac McCaughan said of the political messages within new album: …
Opening day two of the KEXP broadcast live from KEX hostel at Iceland Airwaves is Icelandic singer-songwriter Snorri Helgason. His music has classic American folk sensibilities, reminiscent of the likes of Harry Nilsson and Nick Drake. some with sparse instrumentation, and words sung so quietly and…
He might look like a tough guy in the photo above, but 28 year old Swedish singer-songwriter Linus Lutti performs under the disarming moniker Little Children and creates lush, calming pop in the vein of Junip and Nick Drake. The songs on his recently released EP, In Hau, tend to be somber without s…
Spearheaded by recent NYC transplant and longtime Seattle DJ, musician, and writer Andrew Matson alongside Seattle DJ, musician, and designer HansmJustin, FR FR is a low-expectation, low-maintenance monthly rap party currently going down first Saturdays at Speckled + Drake on Capitol Hill. Known f…
It's hard to feel sad about British band The Clientele's uncertain future and potentially permanent hiatus while Amor de Días glows brightly. With songwriting partner Lupe Núñez-Fernández (also of the duo Pipas), Clientele frontman Alasdair MacLean continues to carry the torch of happy-sad songs of…
Local duo Shabazz Palaces have announced a new album on the way, Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star out July 14th via Sub Pop. Check out the first single "Shine a Light (feat. Thaddillac)" below, via a lyric video directed by Cristina T. Bercovitz and Jonathan Snipes of clipping. In addition to Thad…
In the haze of the smoke machines and blue lighting at the Crocodile, as a packed in crowd at a sold out show danced relentlessly to the bass-heavy tracks booming from the stage, we collectively celebrate one thing: brilliant songwriting. If there's one commonality between the two acts on the bill …
Something felt different in the Neumos basement last week as the crowd packed in to see Shy Girls. The Portland electronic act, led by Dan Vidmar, has been around for a couple years, dropping lush EPs including the lauded Timeshare, making earnest love songs for the introspective bedroom-ridden lis…
KEXP listeners voted for their top 666 albums of all time in coordination with our Fall donor drive.
