While we consider all our Bumbershoot Music Lounge sessions "special," there's something undeniably extra-special about this one. When main songwriter Alex Chilton passed away in 2010, followed shortly by the passing of founding bassist Andy Hummel the same year, most assumed we'd never hear from t…
Jersey boys Real Estate head south of the border for the video for "Had to Hear," out 8/25 as a limited edition 7" single from Domino Records. (The b-side will be their cover of "Paper Doll" by The Nerves that they performed in their Seattle encore earlier this year.) Directed by Richard Law, the …
Whether it's the goal or method of art to turn complex thought into pure emotion, The Antlers are masters of their craft. The Brooklyn band frequently finds impetus in heady conceits, like on 2009's Hospice, for which vocalist and guitarist Peter Silberman compared an emotionally abusive romantic r…
KEXP knows all about the power of a Colin Meloy cameo in your video, and today, Bob Mould taps into the Decemberists' talent with his new video for the track "I Don’t Know You Anymore." Filmed in Portland by director Alicia J. Rose, the clip shows Mould moving into the modern age (#IDKYA). Mould's…
“Put your hands up if you love hip-hop!” shouted De La Soul as they opened a killer set of their career spanning hits cherished by fans of old and probably more than a few brand new fans. New York hip hop band of the last 25 years, De La Soul truly are masters of the craft and made it damn well kno…
As you might have noticed, the pictures I gathered on my most recent visit to the KEXP stacks were exclusively from the local section, and I feel like I've been learning a lot of our fair city's history that simply living here for 12+ years has not been enough to absorb. Case in point: Somehow I've…
"This is a really beautiful city", Keith Morris remarked halfway his El Corazon set with super punk supergroup OFF!. He was talking to the punk kid who had fought his way to the very front of the crowd, sweating profusely through the leather jacket he dared not remove in the pit. "You don't know th…
It's hard to believe that the album Dizzy Heights is only the third solo release from beloved singer/songwriter Neil Finn. From Split Enz to Crowded House to the Finn Brothers and his soundtrack work, the New Zealand icon hasn't stopped making music for the past 30 years. "It's confusing for the ge…
It's been four years since Coexist, but London trio The xx re-emerge with a new song today, and lots of good news. Stream the single "On Hold" below, which features a pretty sweet sample of the 1981 Hall & Oates hit "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)." It's just a taste of their highly-anticipat…
Closing out another unbelievable night of music at KEX Hostel was English rapper and poet Kate Tempest. A “wayward youth” in her early teens, she was later inspired by an english teacher who got her into poetry, and at age 16 began her career as a poet, playwright, rapper, and spoken word artist. S…
In a town as small as Reykjavik, densely packed with so much talent and collaboration, the term "supergroup" gets thrown around so much that it starts. That being said, Icelandic electronic band Gangly is a true supergroup. The band is a collaboration between three Icelandic powerhouse musicians: S…
The War On Drugs also have a highly-anticipated forthcoming album, A Deeper Understanding. In promotion for the album, the band has recorded a cover of Warren Zevon's "Accidentally Like A Martyr" for the Spotify Singles series. They also recorded a live version of lead single "Holding On." A Deeper…
Not sure of any Seattle sightings, but mysterious posters have been popping up in cities like London, Amsterdam, and Brooklyn. Bearing statements like "Worse Politicians/More Fear" and "More Public Fear/More Private Security," the words echo the lyrics of "Fitter Happier" the opening track of Radi…
People travel great distances for love, and perhaps even further for their favorite band. Little else could explain the extreme travel itineraries of visitors to Radiohead's sold-out show at KeyArena in Seattle on Saturday, April 8th. After the doors opened at 6PM, I spoke to brothers who split a 1…
Scott Hansen is known as ISO50 for his photography and design work. For his music, he and his band mates are known as Tycho. Closing down Saturday night at Sasquatch! Music Festival, Hansen and crew displayed how the two creative works aren’t mutually exclusive. Sharp images of distant landscapes a…
Sometimes, even when you're an ever-so-independently-minded DJ at a fancy college radio station in the '80s, you just want some AC/DC. I like to think that whoever brought this little gem - the band's first live album, and the sixth album they released between 1975 and 1978 - into the station grinn…
Nobody does wistful like Nada Surf. The veteran NYC band have long made longing a thing, crafting some of the most loveably poignant pop melodies you're likely to hear. (Even their "Happy Kid" ain't so happy.) Thankfully, age hasn't settled them, and two decades after their debut, they return with …
