New Radiohead! The idiosyncratic UK band sneakily released a new album online this past weekend. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says, "This British band's ninth album is a transportive blend of brooding avant-pop, spacy prog-rock and psych-folk, with an intricately textured, tension-filled sound combining buzzing synths, atmospheric electric and acoustic guitars, reverberating piano, some gorgeous string arrangements and occasional ghostly choral vocals with Thom Yorke's haunting lead vocals and dread-filled lyrics blending the political and the personal."
Other highlights of the week include the debut from Haiti-born, Montreal-based producer Kaytranada (real name: Louis Kevin Celestin), a "masterful, groove-driven blend of house, hip hop, R&B, funk, jazz and other styles, combining buoyant grooves and sunny melodies with an impressive guest lineup of vocalists and musicians including Anderson .Paak, Little Dragon, BADBADNOTGOOD, AlunaGeorge and other notables." Formerly known as Antony Hegarty (of Antony & The Johnsons fame), UK artist Anohni offers up her debut album under her new name. "Co-produced by Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never, it's a powerful set of dark, tempestuous electro-pop with ominous synths and thundering rhythms accompanying her dramatic, tremulous vocals and politically cutting lyrics aimed at drone warfare, climate change, our surveillance society and other ills of the modern world."
Former WU LYF frontman Ellery James Roberts and Dutch artist Ebony Hoorn combine forces as LUH. "Produced by The Haxan Cloak (aka Bobby Krlic), their debut full-length is a potent set of anthemic rock with idealistic lyrics and a massive, densely produced and emotionally cathartic sound featuring loud, swirling guitars, atmospheric keyboards, thundering rhythms and occasional strings and brass along with Roberts' inimitable gravelly howl, nicely counterbalanced by Doorn's more demure vocals." Another power duo -- Yoni Wolf (of WHY? fame) and Chicago rapper Serengeti -- release their debut as Yoni & Geti. Check out an in-depth review of their LP on the KEXP Blog here. The fourth album from LA/Vancouver, BC trio White Lung led by Mish Barber-Way is "their finest yet, with a more expansive and sophisticated take on their driving punk sound that brings brighter melodies and sharper song hooks to their visceral blend of buzzing, sometimes synth-sounding guitars, energetic rhythms, piercing vocals and sharply crafted lyrics."
Brooklyn band The So So Glos lead this week's new release with their fifth full length. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says the LP, "finds them bringing a bit more diverse and hook-filled sound to their anthemic garage-punk, with often-politically charged lyrics contrasting anxiety, political extrem…
It's true: KEXP is playing the new Beyoncé. Don't be too surprised, though -- KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the release, "a powerful set of expansive R&B blended with hip hop, electro-pop, reggae, blues-rock, gospel, New Orleans brass band music and more, combining a dark, decidedly non-g…