Next on KEXP live from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival was the first non-Icelandic band of this year's broadcast. Operators is the new synth-pop project from Canadian musician Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade/Divine Fits/Handsome Furs). A ray of sun after the bright but melancholy cloud of D…
Second on the KEXP Broadcast live from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival was Icelandic folk-rock band Markús and the Diversion Sessions. Frontman Markús Bjarnason formed the band in 2011 after the breakup of his previous band, Skátar, for which he was the singer and keyboardist. A huge …
Opening this year’s live broadcast from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival is Icelandic experimental electro-pop band East of My Youth. Formed just last year, East of My Youth created a lot of buzz with their first single “Lemonstars” at the end of last summer, and have since been on a s…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. This week, we are featuring songs by …
It's an unseasonably nice day here in Reykjavik (with no signs of rain, snow, or blustering winds) on the first day of Iceland Airwaves Music Festival. Fans have come from around the world to experience the electric energy of the legendary Icelandic music scene, condensed spectacularly into five da…
Seattle’s DJ Explorateur (vinyl enthusiast Valerie Calano) has been a key figure in Seattle’s thriving underground music scene as a DJ, promoter, and curator. Her deep knowledge of psychedelia, electronic, ambient music, funk, jazz, and other genres has led to gigs with Animal Collective, Faust, an…
TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Faith No More's Mike Patton, and rapper Doesone have all joined forces under the monicker the Nevermen. They have been working on their self-titled debut album since 2008, and it will finally be released on January 29. Check out the album's lead single "Tough Town…
Dream-pop quartet Enchanted Hunters was formed in Gdańsk, in north Poland, by Małgorzata Penkalla. What originally started as a solo project truly flourished with the addition of new band members: in 2012, they released their debut Peoria, followed by the Little Crushes EP last year. Their music ha…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. This week, we are featuring songs by …

In 2018, KEXP celebrated the 30th anniversary of local record label Sub Pop with a four-month retrospective, "counting up" every catalog number in their vast discography of over 1,200 releases. Dig into the archives of our catalog coverage, featuring in-depth coverage on the history of their releases.