When Sweden's Shout Out Louds came onstage for their 6:50 p.m. show at Sasquatch Music Festival this year, the weather started to shift from sunny skies to cloudy weather, but where most bands would thrive in a warm-natured festival environment, Shout Out Louds' melancholy pop benefitted from the o…
2013 has been a good year for guitarists. Chelsea Light Moving's Thurston Moore, Savages' Gemma Thompson, My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields, Marnie Stern, and Mikal Cronin have spent the year reminding listeners why the six-stringed instrument remains rock's weapon of choice. Playing with the pro…
Noise for the Needy, a music festival that raises money for Seattle charities through a variety of shows and events, will culminate in June with performances at the Conor Byrne Pub, the Sunset Tavern, Hattie's Hat and the Tractor Tavern June 20 - 23 in Ballard. Two artists featured in this year's p…
If you saw them on the street, it's very possible that you'd mistake Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for, well, members of an actual motorcycle gang. Bassist Robert Levon Been and guitarist Peter Hayes have been playing together since high school (drummer Leah Shapiro has been with them since 2007), an…
Last month, KEXP, STG, and Starbucks hosted the 5th edition of the Little Big Show at the Neptune Theater to benefit Youth In Focus, an after-school program that gives students an opportunity to develop positive identity, social skills, and voice through intensive photography training. The Walkmen…
From the big stadium to the intimate studio, British group Bloc Party, who made a name for themselves with a big Brit Pop influenced guitar sound, recently stopped by KEXP to strip down their sound to bare essentials. What makes this acoustic session even more special and rare is the band's continu…
If it seems like everyone is reuniting lately, it's true, because now The Postal Service is back with a show and a re-release. Today we found out that not only will the band be releasing the Deluxe Tenth Anniversary Edition of Give Up on Sub Pop featuring two new tracks, "Turn Around" and "A Tatter…
After 10 amazing years at KEXP, DJ El Toro is moving to Tucson, AZ next month. In his final “Music That Matters” podcast, you'll hear some of his favorite new songs, with special emphasis on punk and no wave veterans (Jah Wobble, Alice Bag, James Chance) who continue to innovate and instigate…
El Sonido is a three hour trip around the diverse world of Latin music and culture from South, Central and North America, as well as Spain and the rest of the globe.
The focus is on new music and the growing Latin alternative scene, but traditional styles, both old and new are also regularly spot…
It's the quintessential story of grunge, or at least how we've come to know the Seattle music scene of the '80s and '90s. It involves friends, music, an isolated region, heroin, grief and rampant commercialism. It's the story of talent lost too soon before its time, and of the musicians who gathere…
"We're here for a rock n roll good time", Ryan Devlin chuckles as Hounds of the Wild Hunt finish another total jam. He points to the Tractor Tavern door. "If you aren't here for a rock n roll good time, you best just turn right around." Tonight, the Hounds open up for the infamous Nashville rock ba…
Shlohmo is one fearless dude. If there is anyone else left in the room doubting that at this point, I really think they need to come forward if for nothing else than to just have a talk. Last year, Henry Laufer dropped an EP with R&B god Jeremih on his own record label, WEDIDIT, and shared a st…
It should be no surprise that several of the artists topping this week's list of new releases were making appearances at SXSW last week, but two of them were also previewing their new songs live on KEXP during our broadcast from Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop. Billy Bragg and Palma Violets both gave mem…
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, host of Drive Time on KEXP, is " Taped in Front of a Live Studio Audience" by Damien Jurado, from the 2022 album Reggae Film Star on Maraqopa.
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "Alive Ain't Always Living" by Quelle Chris, from the 2022 album Deathfame on Mello Music Group.
There's something about the booming sound of an analog synthesizer that excites the imagination. Decades of filmmakers and composers have utilized the mesmerizing power of these instruments, from John Carpenter to Vangelis all the way through Hanz Zimmer and Cliff Martinez. So it made sense that Se…
Montreal natives The Luyas have been around since 2006 and have put out some really great records over the years, two of which -- Too Beautiful To Work and Animator -- were included on the long list for the 2011 and 2013 Polaris Music Prize respectively. Their sound is hard to pinpoint, using tons …
