When a supergroup becomes a band, magic happens. For German electronic figureheads Modeselektor and Apparat, their work together as Moderat qualifies as a full time gig. Now that they're three albums deep, it's no secret that these three gentlemen enjoy working together and challenging each other c…
When you wish upon some stars... I guess that's really the only way to start any write up of Polaris being active again 20 years after the recording of their only record. In the recent trend of album anniversary tours, there's one record that I and many, many other listeners never could have imagin…
Where do you draw the line between the man Ariel Rosenberg and Ariel Pink, the rock icon and sex god character he's brewed up to give to all of us over the last 15 years? That's not a rhetorical question - honestly, I couldn't tell you. I don't think there's a good answer. But then again, with a re…
Last September, ODESZA were slotted for Saturday night of Decibel Festival at Neumos, along with Slow Magic and a headlining set from Gold Panda. Set to open the night's festivities up, the boys were a bit nervous. As our photographer Dave Lichterman recalls from a conversation with Harrison, they …
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El Sonido: Cancioneros — KEXP’s podcast where Latin artists share the cancionero of their lives: five songs that shaped who they are as people and artists. New weekly episodes starting June 2. Subscribe to the KEXP Podcasts channel on YouTube to follow along with English subtit…
To know Kanye West is to love him, but to be in an endless mosh pit fifteen feet under him is something even more. It's limitless devotion to the church of Yeezus. It's agreeing wholeheartedly when Ye compares himself to Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, or, most notably, God. And in turn, much like I Am fe…
There's a bittersweetness to the latest from long-running power pop veterans The Posies. The Bellingham-bred band endured two tragedies prior to the new album's release: bassist Joe Skyward passed away from cancer earlier this year, and drummer Darius Minwalla passed from unknown causes last year. …
Following his stunning participation in A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and His Month of Song at Benaroya Hall last month, L.A. punk legend John Doe shares a video for the track "A Little Help," which, incidentally, gets a little help from Chan Marshall aka Cat Power. Doe explains, "There is beauty &am…
There's a new pop-savvy sheriff in Sub Pop town, and he goes by the name of Cullen Omori, and instead of having to wield a Smith Western to corral a crowd's attention, all he has to do is coo his name. Omori quickly became a wunderkind as one of the instrumental brains of the Chicagoan outfit Smith…
Due to the windy weather and the consequential shuffling of band’s set times and locations, Sasquatch! Music Festival's El Chupacabra tent housed several acts that certainly didn’t fit the sound the EDM-themed stage is known for. Ibeyi was seemingly one of those bands, but the group had been schedu…
Seattle natives Iska Dhaaf now live in New York, but they still introduce themselves as a band from Seattle. This theme of sticking to your origins was found throughout their set at Sasquatch! Music Festival Monday afternoon. The group now takes the stage as a four-piece, a fitting change as their …
The Cure celebrate their fortieth anniversary this year. Let that soak in for a second. Then consider that the English quintet are playing three-plus hour sets with multiple encores night after night. Needless to say, Robert Smith and the current Cure lineup are doing right their legacy night after…
Shamir began his set in relatively mellow fashion, dragging from a cigarette as he and his backing band began the song “Vegas.” The calm at Sasquatch! Music Festival was brief, as by their second song, the El Chupacabra tent became a full blown dance party. Shamir bares himself completely in his mu…
Last week, Seattle sons Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight took their hometown for three straight sold-out nights at the Paramount Theater. It is truly mind-boggling how quickly and how flawlessly ODESZA has skyrocketed over the last three years. The band's debut album Summer's Gone came out only th…
It's been an exciting couple years for Chinese record label Modern Sky. Not only did they just sign rock stalwarts Miserable Faith for their first ever U.S. tour - they've also expanded their hugely successful music festival into two U.S. cities in the span of just as many years. While Modern Sky h…
These days, we all want love letters from Father John Misty. While the stage persona of former Seattle based songwriter Josh Tillman rose to indie stardom following his somewhat calculated invention and an inventive debut filled with 70's inspired soft rock, expansive folk melodies and nearly exces…
A full bill of local punk rocked Chop Suey Thursday night in a debaucherous whirlwind of moshing bodies. Presented by Sonic Reducer, KEXP's Saturday night punk and hardcore show, the evening was sure to exhibit all the gems Brian Foss brings to any event: great music, great people, and great attitu…
"Wait, they're here?" That's how most people reacted when they heard Ex Hex were playing, mishearing their name for that of the nocturnal London trio. But that confusion soon turned to either pleasant surprise or completely expected enjoyment as Mary Timony spent an hour unleashing riff after riff …
