To look at Jonathan Wilson, you know where he's coming from, or more likely when. His long straight hair tied back, his well but not too neatly kept beard, the worn army green coat over a very well-worn low neck DIY band t-shirt, the beaded jewelry, the knit hat -- it all evokes a 70's hippy chic t…
Ever since we caught sight of Rising Mountains, their 2009 release, we've been fans of Capsula. The Bilbao by way of Buenos Aires band always thrills with their glam rock inspired riffs and pounding rhythms, reminding you as much of Sonic Youth as T.Rex and David Bowie. Their stage shows, in partic…
For good reason, Foals have earned a reputation for some wild and frenetic peformances, mixing high energy math rock with modern take on 90's Britpop. It's not really a show if frontman Yannis Philippakis isn't surfing the crowd or climbing the walls. Yet Foals have never been one-dimension and thr…
Recently, David Schelzel of The Ocean Blue stopped by the KEXP studios to play a live acoustic set, which included a cover of Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without A Face.” Stripped down – accompanied only by one other guitarist for the final tune (Schelzel’s friend Michael Morris) – and in preparation for a …
"Nothing is more dangerous than a man," Hutch's guitar declared as The Thermals blazed through an incendiary set live at KEXP. The songs on the Portland band's latest album, Desperate Ground, carry the same message: guns kill, people kill, wars kill. In the studio, the trio (Hutch, Kathy and Westin…
When Laura Marling first emerged out of the West London folk scene in 2008, her age (then 18) belied her eloquent lyrics, deft guitar playing and strong voice, but as her has career progressed, critics have stopped using her age as a talking point and begun championing her consistency. Her fourth a…
You won't find many wallflowers growing among the hills and dales of Scotland. Even in their quieter moments, Scots tend to go big. Witness Glasgow band Frightened Rabbit, who on their latest album, Pedestrian Verse, play "folk rock" at its most anthemic. The impassioned lads are no strangers to KE…
After years of extensive touring, Seattle band Ivan & Alyosha released a new album called All the Times We Had. The group celebrated its release by hanging with DJ Cheryl Waters earlier this year and playing a live set at the KEXP studios. “I want to be the man who understands his woman and you…
Like goths on a beach, the dark sounds of Daughter may seem out of place on sunny summer day, but few bands make "moody" music that's not downright depressing as well as this UK trio. Their atmospheric debut LP, If You Leave, arrives just in time for the warmer weather, and you may find yourself, w…
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.
