Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst returns with his latest solo release, Upside Down Mountain. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says the new album, "features a warm, rich sound with acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards along with occasional horns, pedal steel, woodwinds and gorgeous harmonies courtesy of Swedish duo First Aid Kit accompanying Oberst’s quavering vocals and reflective, smartly crafted lyrics."
Brooklyn-based artist Jolie Holland shares her fifth studio album this week, "an edgy blend of rock, blues, folk, jazz and other styles. Recorded with a stellar lineup of New York downtown jazz and experimental musicians, the album features an adventurous sound with rumbling, discordant guitars along with occasional horns, violin and cello accompanying her elastic, tremulous vocals and evocative lyrics."DC trio Trans Am aren't slowing down with their tenth studio album, which Yates describes as "a wildly diverse and often-engaging affair ranging from motorik trance-rock and robotic synth-pop to heavy stoner-rock and even some blistering thrash metal." Malian artist Toumani Diabate teams up with his son, Sidiki, a famed Malian hip hop producer, for "an enchanting set of traditional kora duets." UK band Archie Bronson Outfit, now pared down to the duo of S. Windett and Arp Cleveland, present "a more streamlined take on the band’s psych-tinged garage-rock with fuzzy guitars, skronky sax and catchy song hooks."
Recover from the holiday weekend with some new music, like the latest from KEXP favorite Sharon Van Etten. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes her fourth release as, "a masterful set of brooding folk-pop... the album features a sparsely produced, mostly slow-burning sound with solemn piano and …
