The collaboration between Hamilton, Ontario musicians Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, Junior Boys have been KEXP favorites for over a decade now with their sophisticated spin on slinky, emotional synth-pop. Showing no signs of slowing down, the duo have had a productive and successful 2016, rele…
Seattle-via-Brooklyn DJ/producer Jaymz Nylon has been crafting supremely funky dancefloor grooves over the past two decades, forging his "Afro-tech" sound through a unique fusion of Afro house, Latin house, deep house, tech-house, disco, and jazz. In addition to a stacked discography that includes …
Brooklyn’s brassy big band Red Baraat stopped by on their way across the country on a national tour to bring their infectious world music into the KEXP live room. Led by percussionist Sunny Jain, the eight members draw on a Bhangra blend of North Indian rhythms mixed with hip-hop, funk and New Orle…
London-based group The Veils stopped by KEXP for a live session rich in gorgeous textures and thoughtful, lyrical compositions. Immediately, even before bandleader Finn Andrews' vocals begin, the joyous production strikes listeners via jaunty piano runs, bright brass melodies, and lively guitar rhy…
It's a big week for new releases, so let's get right into it. First thing on your shopping list: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' latest, Push The Sky Away. Fifteen albums in and Cave & Co. still create unique stunners. As our Music Director, Don Yates, says, it's "a masterful set of brooding, mi…
Paul Janeway's vocal range is some kind of miracle. For the young Alabama-based soul stirrer and his band, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, the sounds of Memphis and Muscle Shoals go marrow deep. On Half The City, their unbelievable mature debut, Janeway channels '60s R&B greats like Otis Reddi…
It's said the brightest flame casts the darkest shadow, but in the case of Brooklyn's Twin Shadow, that there's plenty of light there too. On his past two albums, filled with 80's synths, danceable rhythms and crunchy hooks, Brooklyn's George Lewis Jr. crooned stories of grief and heartbreak. Live …
In a manner of speaking, frontmen Tim Jenkins and Tom Crandles are master tightrope walkers. The duo behind Au.Ra balance shared singing duties, varying music styles, and even hometowns (shuttling often between Sydney and London) with striking ease and control. Take “You’re On My Mind”, the first s…
Seattle band Ivan & Alyosha, in the lineage of local powerhouses the Head and the Heart and the Fleet Foxes, are masters of the bright, jangly guitars, tight, soaring harmonies and steady kick-drum rhythms. But there is something distinct about them, too – the band has more joy to it than maybe…
“It’s like watching a movie,” DJ Cheryl Waters exclaimed during the elaborate in-studio performance by Shugo Tokumaru. The Japanese musician, famous for using more than 100 different instruments in his album recordings, incorporates so many instruments in his music, from the more traditional guitar…
A catchy melody doesn't just get stuck in your head – it lives there. You sit with it, sometimes for days or even years, ruminating on it whether you want to or not. Writing just one of these songs can be an accomplishment. Portland songwriter Mo Troper does this 15 times over on his latest album, …
T.Wan is Seattle native Tiffany Wan, a member of the TUF collective and a steadfast devotee of the ideal dance floor vibe. Her heart beats excitedly to acid-tinged rhythms, jacking Chicago and Detroit house, seductively pulsating disco, and nearly anything with hand drums. Trusted behind the decks …
Earlier this week, Fever Ray surprised fans with a new album, the first in eight years for this solo project from Karin Dreijer Andersson, frontwoman for the Swedish duo The Knife. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it "an excellent set of adventurous, noise-addled electro-pop combining buzzing sy…
DJ ZAI is the alias of Seattle native Isaiah Hinojosa, a self-taught vinyl DJ that strives to connect the dots between a variety of global club sounds every time he gets behind the decks. With a refined taste that covers a wide range of genres and tempos, he can frequently be found spinning at prog…
Seattle native Eva is a veteran of the underground music scene both locally and worldwide having toured the globe as an in-demand DJ, spinning in top-tier clubs such as Fabric in London and sharing the same stage as Fatboy Slim, Moby, Basement Jaxx, UNKLE's James Lavelle, Felix Da Housecat, and mor…
It's another jam-packed week of great releases! San Diego duo Crocodiles return with their fifth album, which KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "was recorded in Mexico City with production by Martin Thulin (lead singer of Mexican band Los Fancy-Free), and he brings some occasional Latin rhythms …
Paris-based French-Cuban sister duo Ibeyi share their sophomore LP. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the latest from Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz "another stunning, beautifully crafted blend of electro-pop, soul, hip-hop and traditional Cuban percussion, combining a spacious, beat-driven sound wit…
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