Perhaps no other artist has brought Eastern music to the West like sitar master Ravi Shankar. His tutelage of George Harrison in the mid-60's kicked off a lifetime of cultural exchange. While rock bands like The Beatles were incorporating Eastern sounds in their music, Shankar himself was composing…
Even with the most voracious of music fans, there's still likely a certain feel or sound that comes to mind when you see the word "jazz." Maybe it's the swing of the music or that magical feeling of seventh chords walking down a piano. For others, it might be the drone of smooth jazz or the coolnes…
Whatever your personal opinion of her may be, there is one fact that is truly undeniable: Lana Del Rey is in a league of her own. If you don't believe me, read her fantastically revealing cover piece with Fader. If you don't feel like it, listen to her albums, watch her videos, read other interview…
It’s Living Singles! The series where we talk to a KEXP staff member about three songs they’re really into right now. On this episode, Sharlese Metcalf—host of KEXP’s Mechanical Breakdown—brings us a very new wave edition.
Sound & Vision is bringing back Living Singles, where we talk with a KEXP staff member about three songs they are loving right now.
The deeper we get into Animal Collective's Painting With chapter, the more it feels like a real renaissance for the band. As the band themselves described it, the process for the new record felt natural and fun - a far cry for the laborious process it took to put forth Centipede Hz. Spending time i…
Longtime KEXP-friend Bob Mould has announced his next album, Beauty & Ruin, is slated for a June 3rd release on Merge Records. He'll continue to be backed by bassist Jason Narducy (Split Single, Verbow) and drummer Jon Wurster (Superchunk, Mountain Goats), who pretty much killed it on Mould's …
"So, what did y'all motherfuckers do to get in here? What makes you VIP? Is this like one of those fucked-up... when the celebrities go play the show at the Eastern European child dictator's party?" So asked Travis Morrison, mischievous frontman for the DC post-punk veterans The Dismemberment Plan,…
Sunday night was a great one for Seattleites pretty much every kind. The Seahawks’ final playoffs game against the Forty-Niners stayed tight throughout, but in the end, the Hawks emerged victorious and everyone in Seattle jumping and shouting in the streets. But perhaps the luckiest of the these ma…
Happy Boxing Day! Even if you are not particularly familiar with the catalog of the Pogues (and if you aren't, what is wrong with you?) you have most likely heard their song "Fairytale of New York" - in fact, you've probably heard it in the past month or so, as over the past twenty-five years it ha…
The crowd at Kex Hostel is abuzz with excitement in anticipation of the triumphant return of Icelandic indie-rock band SUÐ (appropriately, Icelandic for “Buzz”). The band originally formed in the late 90’s, releasing only one album, 1999’s Hugsunarvélin, and played together until 2003. After reconn…
Here at KEXP, we firmly believe that music matters. But we live in a world that is more awash in music than ever before. So how do you, as a musician, make your mark? How do you stand out and create a brand that will get you noticed and while still being true to your image and intent? What tools ar…
Imagine a pair of bell-bottoms. A suede vest. A wide collar, strutting leather boots. Similarly, imagine sequins and elongated lashes. Pearls and sly eyes. If you can imagine this, you can begin to sense the spirits that inspired the newest record from Seattle soul and funk group, The True Loves. T…
West coast rapper Tyler, The Creator shares his fourth LP, which boasts the FCC-unfriendly title Scum Fuck Flower Boy. (A representative for TTC says the "official title" is just Flower Boy.) The album features guest appearances by Frank Ocean, ASAP Rocky, Anna of the North, Lil Wayne, Jaden Smith,…
This Friday, Radiohead are releasing OKNOTOK, a deluxe reissue of their iconic 1997 album OK Computer in honor of its 20th anniversary. The album includes a remastered version of the original album, eight B-sides, a hardcover book, and three previously unreleased tracks: "I Promise," "Lift," and "M…
April ended strong with new releases from some of our favorite artists. It's been five years since the last album from Feist, and the Canadian songstress returns with what KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls "a powerful set of dark, intimate folk-rock. Recorded mostly live, the album features a sta…
If you missed a minute of our exclusive interview with Father John Misty, stream his hour-long intimate chat with DJ Cheryl Waters below. KEXP has had a long-standing relationship with this charismatic singer/songwriter (real name: Josh Tillman) and one-time Seattle resident. From his early days as…
The Suffers have earned their name: it took them about five years of running the Houston circuit before jumping overnight to national attention. Houston is one of the cities that often gets overlooked in the discussion of the American music scene, partially because neighboring New Orleans dwarfs it…
