Saturday night, 12 bucks (a cheap cover at nearby clubs) bought you a night of chilled out, near-perfect indie pop bliss. Though How To Dress Well just swung through town a couple months ago, they returned with friends - namely, rising indie pop icon Sky Ferreira and Australian psych-pop band High …
The second day of the Macefield Music Festival featured indie musicians spanning punk, folk, pop, rock, hip hop, and just about every hybrid in between, as Seattle residents continued to enjoy shows from some of their favorite groups. The festival brought artists together for an unforgettably diver…
New York based indie singer-songwriter and guitarist of The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. and his band perform songs from his newest solo record, "Momentary Masters", live on KEXP with Troy Nelson. Recorded 10/26/2015 - 5 songs: Spooky Church, Side Boob, Cooker Ship, Everyone Gets A Star, …
Fort-Lauderdale, Florida-based indie singer-songwriter and also founder of Superchunk and Portastatic, Mac McCaughan and his band The Non-Believers perform songs from their new record ‘Non-Believers' live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 09/15/2015 - 4 songs: Your Hologram, L…
Charleston, SC-based indie-folk duo Shovels & Rope delights KEXP listeners with a live in-studio set, featuring songs from 2014's, "Swimmin' Time." Recorded 11/10/2014 - 4 songs: Coping Mechanism, The Devil Is All Around, Mary Ann & One Eyed Dan, Evil.
English indie-rock experimentalists Alt-J (∆) have been a listener favorite since KEXP debuted them on U.S. airwaves in 2011. Their fourth KEXP performance features songs from 2014's "This Is All Yours" and is as otherworldly as you would hope. Recorded 10/13/2014 - 4 songs: Every Other …
Dan Boeckner's new trio, Operators, builds on the indie-rock of Wolf Parade, the techno elements of Handsome Furs and the pop strengths of Divine Fits. Their radio debut features a set of danceable synth driven pop songs mostly from 2014's "EP1." Recorded 08/04/2014 - 4 songs: Ancient, T…
Cincinnati indie outfit Wussy return to the KEXP studio to deliver an impressive set of pop-rock. Fuzzy, droning guitars are balanced by folk inspired song craft and topped with back and forth vocal melodies from Chuck Cleaver (former Ass Ponys frontman) and Lisa Walker. Recorded 06/20/2014 - 5 so…
After a while, it's easy for a British indie pop band to fall into sense of safety and sameness, but Bombay Bicycle Club stay true to their name with their most adventurous and exotic album to date. The newly released So Long, See You Tomorrow channels singer and principle songwriter Jack Steadman'…
Bands go through changes – name changes, member changes, sound transformations, covers. One of those bands that has recently changed names, members, and sound, but has survived, is Philadelphia’s Bleeding Rainbow. Starting as a duo of sludge-infused indie pop back in 2009, the band then known as Re…
Fresh off the launch of his new project Quarter-Life Crisis, chameleonic Canadian musician Ryan Hemsworth shares a dreamy guest DJ mix for Midnight In A Perfect World that blends ambient, dream pop, downtempo, indie rock, and more disparate styles with a whimsical touch.
KEXP is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a radio station this year. To honor that celebration, each week we’re looking back on one year of music during the past five decades. This week, we’re celebrating the year 1982 with R.E.M.’s “Gardening at Night.” Dusty Henry reflects on the band’s debut E…
Seattle indie-pop group Ivan & Alyosha drop into the KEXP studios to perform an enthusiastic set of songs from their new record "It's All Just Pretend," live on KEXP. Recorded 05/04/2015 - 4 songs: Bury Me Deep, All This Wandering Around, Tears In Your Eyes, It's All Just Preten…
2014 Mercury-Prize-award-winning indie hip-hop group Young Fathers pay a visit to the studio and perform songs from their blazing new album "White Men Are Black Men Too" live on KEXP's Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 05/04/2015 - 4 songs: Nest, Rain or Shine, Old Rock n Ro…
The penultimate act on our roster for day one of KEXP's Iceland Airwaves broadcast, live from KEX Hostel in Reykjavik is another fantastic Icelandic band, Valdimar. Both of Valdimar’s albums, Undraland (2010) and Um Stund (2012), have seen quite a lot of commercial success in their native Iceland, …
Their name implies that they have bad posture, but Sloucher are definitely not slackers leaning back in their desks at the back of the classroom. The Seattle outfit's locktight songwriting shows they've been paying attention to their Pacific Northwest indie rock predecessors in this brilliant sess…
Veteran LA-based alt/indie rockers Failure perform songs from their killer new record, "The Heart Is a Monster" and their amazing 1996 album "Fantastic Planet" live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/28/2015 - 4 songs: Hot Traveler, Another Space Song, At…
Castillos, Uruguay based indie-folk group Molina y Los Cósmicos perform songs from their debut record, "El Desencanto", live on KEXP's El Sonido. Recorded 06/22/2015 - 4 songs: En El Camino Del Sol, Pequeñas Cosas (Que Jamás Te Contaré), Y.T.C. En El Fin Del Mundo, Gallos De Kentucky.
Austin indie pop-rock powerhouse Spoon treats KEXP listeners to a career spanning set, including songs from their 2014 album, "They Want My Soul." Recorded 07/24/2014 - 9 songs: Knock Knock Knock, Rent I Pay, Who Makes Your Money, Rhthm & Soul, The Ghost Of You Lingers, Rainy Taxi, S…
For longtime followers of the band, it's a little strange that Modest Mouse has now spent more time as a big-name ticket than a scrappy indie rock band from Issaquah, but in retrospect, the band's current status goes along with Modest Mouse's singular trajectory. Although many would label them with…
