Embodying the sounds and spirit of New Orleans' French Quarter for more than four decades, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is nothing short of an institution of American jazz music. Still touring extensively, the energy of the New Orleans-style jazz compositions is as vibrant as ever, certain…
The Roadhouse is a roots program emphasizing the blues and other traditional styles of American music. The show presents the wide and wonderful spectrum of our musical legacy - the roots of today's popular music and culture. The show explores regional differences in American recordings with a decid…
KEXP catches up with Shana Cleveland of La Luz about their telenovela-style new music video, their recent Australian tour, and their upcoming third full-length Floating Features out May 11 via Hardly Art Records.
On September 22, Bikini Kill are releasing a special reissue of their 1991 demo Revolution Girl Style Now!. The release will feature three unreleased tracks, one of which is called "Playground." Listen to this gem of classic Pacific Northwest grunge, below. [Stereogum]
The Do-Over is a world renowned party and DJ crew based in Los Angeles, California, that regularly brings their feel-good vibes and super fresh sounds to block parties in their home city in addition to one-off parties in metropolises all over the world. Their exclusive mix for Midnight In A Perfect…
It's another busy fall week, but KEXP's Music Director Don Yates definitely spots some highlights, like the latest from NYC's The Juan Maclean. Now "officially" a duo, producer/musician Juan MacLean and vocalist Nancy Whang share "a strong set of muscular disco, house and related styles, combining …
The warm, golden Finnish-style Americana of Tuomo & Markus flows with the aqueousness of jazz and bursts of a post-rock glow. Backed with a crack band, the Helsinki duo join Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room to play songs from their latest releases, tell the story of how they became a band, and…
To name your debut LP The Epic takes quite a bit of confidence, but in the case of Kamasi Washington, it's the only title that would make sense. The Californian saxophonist, composer, and bandleader's sweeping style of jazz is nearly overwhelming in its scope and scale, but Washington's virtuousti…
There’s an art to first impressions. As an artist, you really only get to make one first step onto the scene, and whether everyone cares or no one cares, that’s the point from which you take every single step after. For Thomas Arsenault, that first step has been a long time in the making. He’s been…
There's some pretty great releases for a holiday weekend, like the third LP from Dev Hynes — a.k.a. Blood Orange. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the album "another masterful set of expansive, moody R&B blended with funk, synth-pop and other styles, combining a diverse sound and a variety o…
It's been twelve long years, but there's finally a new album from UK pop giants Blur out today! KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes their eighth album as "a strong return-to-form incorporating everything from classic-sounding, crunchy Brit-pop to excursions into spacy electro-pop, brooding, dub…
The epic debate that unfolds on the cover of this unassuming collection of Jamaican music from the '70s and '80s pretty much speaks for itself. Apparently the only thing that stirs the college radio station pot more than the sweet sounds of ABC is the idea of a reggae compilation in heavy rotation.…
Succubass is the alias of Seattle-based DJ Jessica Duran, a member of the local TUF collective who's quickly become well-known for her exceptionally diverse tastes and ability to jump across multiple styles and confidently provide top-notch vibes to a wide range of dancefloor parties. A trusted sel…
Calling Brooklyn dance outfit Future Brown's debut LP an album is almost depressing. Future Brown is less of an album and more of a flawless collection of singles curated in the most listenable form possible for maximum sonic impact. There is no slow middle section. There's no one track you'll pass…
Formed after the disastrous 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Port-au-Prince band Lakou Misik combines the diverse talents of elder and younger musicians and of modern and traditional styles into a unified message of hope, strength, and pride for listeners at home and beyond. The 9-member multigenerational…
What was already a heavy bleeding track by METZ, "Wasted" has been given a suitable and totally screwy video. As the guitars scream through the three minute long track, people in a photo studio are waiting to have their pictures snapped while digital distortion begins to play with their faces. Eyeb…
DJ Morgan presents the latest installment of the KEXP Music That Matters mixtape-style podcast, featuring new music from Goldfrapp, Washed Out, and Stres, that acts as the perfect soundtrack as we segue from Summer into Fall. 1. Volcano Choir - Byegone 2. Okkervil River - It Was My Season 3. Gold…
Wow, what an unbelievable end to a great day of live music. Day one of the Airwaves broadcast live from Kex Hostel closed with a bang as we welcomed Iceland’s favorite new live act Hatari. Icelandic for "Hater," Hatari was formed by Klemens Hannigan, Matthías Tryggvi Haraldson, and Einar Stéfansson…
Black Constellation member JusMoni reads an original piece, “Mac Dre was one of God for us” over Erik Blood’s song “The Exchange” featuring Palaceer Lazaro (Ishmael Butler) and Tendai Maraire.
Erik Blood is the technical wizard of the Black Constellation. But he’s more than just a “behind the scenes” force.