Holiday weekends are never the most robust for new releases, but some exciting albums did make the schedule this week. KEXP's Music Director Don Yates points out the third release from Sinkane, a project of Sudanese-born, Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist/vocalist (and former Yeasayer/Caribou/Of…
On her fifth full-length, Dallas-bred, New York-based artist St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) "successfully combines bigger production with some of her most personal songs to date," notes KEXP Music Director Don Yates. "The album's diverse sound ranges from frenetic New Wave and slinky funk-pop to lus…
It's been six long years, but the latest solo album from Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis is out today. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the album, The Voyager, as "a strong return to form steeped in classic West Coast ‘70s and ‘80s pop-rock with smartly crafted songs juxtaposing breezy mel…
Since the release of his debut 7" single in 2010, this project spearheaded by Seattle native Justin Vallesteros has steadily won over fans with a lush and bittersweet style of dream-pop that has shone brightly on two albums released via premiere NYC-based indie label Captured Tracks. Craft Spells' …
A lot of great music came out in 2014, but UK duo Jungle never got lost. In fact, their Mercury Prize nominated self-titled debut of retro-futuristic electro-funk is among this year's most enjoyable and is sure to land on many critics' "Best of" lists. But it takes a lot to recreate Jungle's lush s…
Happy backwards, Yppah is the music project of Long Beach, CA-via-Texas producer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Corrales Jr. Over three albums on the esteemed Ninja Tune label, Yppah has become a KEXP favorite with his lush and psychedelically welcoming sound that uniquely blends downtempo, shoegaze…
Lusine is the alias of Seattle-based electronic producer Jeff McIlwain, a veteran artist within our local music community who's sublime and meticulous blend of techno, house, ambient, and downtempo styles has found a home on the premier American record label Ghostly International for over a decade …
You won't be surprised to that members of Song Sparrow Research have roots in jazz and choir. As friends and classmates, Hamilton Boyce and David Balatero were both in school bands at Seattle's Garfield High, and now make lush folk-tinged chamber pop as together in this five member band. Equally a…
Cooking up a rich mixture of fuzzed out indie jams and smart lyrics, Massachusetts's Speedy Ortiz knows how to make the tastily technical sound effortlessly easy in this catchy KEXP live session. Showing off a selection of tracks from their new release, Foil Deer, Dupuis controls the room with her …
Though a man of few words in person, singer/songwriter Dan Bejar finds his voice through music, which rang out loud and clear when his project Destroyer stopped by the KEXP studios. With his tenth full-length, Poison Season, what began as a mostly-solo project of Bejar's has expanded into a eight-p…
Just before Seattle’s Rose Windows played an evening set on the Elysian stage for the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee, a celebration of the record label’s 25th anniversary, Rabia Shaheen Qazi showed off their pipes during an exclusive session for KEXP backstage. While her voice filled the room of The Stable…
Monday afternoon may not be the ideal time for a loud, full-force rock show, but it is, however, the perfect setting for a set of winding, country-colored jams, which is what the audience received when Israel Nash and his band took the stage. The Dripping Springs, Texas musician's lush, almos…
British electronic duo Maribou State (Chris Davids & Liam Ivory) have been producing consistently high-quality deep lush house grooves over the past five years with early releases on Fat!, Southern Fried, and Anjunadeep Records. Their new album, Portraits, marked their debut for Counter/Ninja T…
Five years ago, Italian songwriter/producer, Mauro Remiddi had a watershed moment. While tinkering away on the personal projects, he would record at home during time off from other bands and thought, “What if I opened the door of this room I’m in and let people see?” Luckily for us he did, and Porc…
It's been six years, but a new album from Beck is finally here. KEXP's Music Director, Don Yates, describes his twelfth studio album, Morning Phase, as "a gorgeous set of downtempo, psych-tinged folk-pop that’s a sequel of sorts to his 2002 album Sea Change, with somber, slow-moving songs featuring…
Atmosphere reigns supreme on Nostalchic, the lush debut album from UK-based electronic producer Stuart Howard, a.k.a. Lapalux. Weaving elements of deconstructed R&B, soul, hip hop, and jazz with his astral, deeply textured production, Lapalux galvanizes a gorgeously infectious mood. Lopsided be…
This week, soulster Matthew E. White unleashes his sophomore full-length Fresh Blood, which KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes as "a well-crafted set of soul-inflected pop, featuring a warm, full-bodied though intimate sound, impeccably arranged with lush strings, soulful horns, piano, soft vo…
We've recorded a lot of unique performances during Pickathon over the past few years, but there's nothing quite like lush orchestration and natural harmonies to complement the gorgeous wooded oasis that is the Bunny Glade. Two of the bigger ensembles this year were also two of the most enjoyable, i…
It hasn't been that long since Seattle band The Cave Singers performed songs from their excellent 2013 album, Naomi, live in the KEXP studio, so when we asked them to perform a special session as part of KEXP's VIP Club Concert series just three months later, they went back to their own studio and …
The alias of Portland-based musician Douglas Appling, Emancipator has become well-known for his blissful, lush, and cinematic style of music that organically fuses downtempo, trip-hop, and instrumental hip-hop elements into his own enveloping style. A stellar live performer that's a staple on the f…
