Dos, the fearsome bass duo of Mike Watt and Kira Roessler, belongs to that rarefied class of bands that I know I love without ever having knowingly heard them. Their music is played entirely on two basses, the charmingly low-key punk rock hero Mike Watt is half of the band, they seem to love what t…
Filling the KEXP studio with his breezy pop/rock tunes, Nic Hessler flawlessly paints a picture of summer by the shore with a sound that is unmistakably Californian. Originally signed to Captured Records under the name Catwalk, he halted his career when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with an autoimm…
Poor Tom Petty. He gets no love. Actually, that's not true. He probably has lots of money and lots of people, including some prominent contemporary songwriters, do love him, but back in the day, KCMU DJs couldn't seem to be bothered even to comment on the single for "Change of Heart", which was add…
This is one of those records where reading the DJ reviews from 1987 really makes me want to hear the album (without having to do anything so crazy as, say, buy it on iTunes or Amazon, cheapskate and preferrer-of-physical-media that I am). A lot of tantalizing phrases and references get thrown aroun…
It's hard to believe, but LAKE are celebrating their tenth anniversary as a band this year. The charming Northwest outfit formed in Olympia, debuting at frontman Eli Moore's birthday party, and since then, have released eight full-lengths, four of those on legendary local label K Records. Over the …
Miki Berenyi & KJ ‘Moose’ McKillop of Piroshka share the tools they used the craft the dream-pop magic on their latest LP, Love Drips And Gathers.
All week long in advance of KEXP’s third annual Record Fair this Saturday, Sept. 8, Afternoon Show host DJ Kevin Cole gives us a look inside his record collection at some of his rarest and most loved records.
Seattle soul/funk guitarist Jimmy James talks to KEXP about everything from his guitar strings, amp, and pedal preferences, to the impact of good music and the power of individuality.
Two of Seattle’s premiere DJs and producers chat about their process ahead of their S’women/Love Memo split vinyl release on Crane City Music.
Few bands pack the emotional wallop of Cloud Cult. Ever the seekers, the Midwest band has always tackled the big questions, the universal, philosophical and existential one -- who are we, where do we come from, where do we go, what do we do with each other while we're here? Cloud Cult albums are li…
Back in 2010, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim collaborated on the concept album and "disco musical" Here Lies Love, which tells the story of former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. Following award-winning runs in New York, London, and Adelaide, Australia, the project has now arrived in Sea…
Portland-via-New Zealand band Unknown Mortal Orchestra share a fantastically animated clip for the track "Necessary Evil," off their latest Jagjaguwar release Multi-Love. Artist and director Sean Solomon says, "The video is an abstract love story about two characters whose insecurities and paranoi…
Veteran indie rock trio Yo La Tengo tackle iconic goth-poppers The Cure on their forthcoming covers album Stuff Like That There, out August 28th on Matador Records. Check out their rendition of the 1990 hit "Friday, I'm in Love" in this video directed by Jason Woliner. As drummer/vocalist Georgia …
With Ibeyi, every song is a blessing, sometimes quite literally. The Parisian born twin sisters reach deep into their French-Cuban ancestry and call upon the spirits of Santería on their debut LP, which blends Yoruban evocations with contemporary expressions of love and loss. Their music is, as the…
Rock n' roll legend Fats Domino has passed away at the age of 89, due to natural causes. Born Antoine Domino in 1928, "Fats" combined the bluesy sound of his hometown of New Orleans with a boogie-woogie style to become one of the top artists of the 1950s and early '60s, including the hits "Ain't T…
Fresh off the release of his debut album Love Power A-to-Z, NYC-based musician Instupendo shares a supremely dreamy guest DJ mix for Midnight In A Perfect World.
DJs freaking love a good transition from one song to another. When a DJ nails a segue, you can just feel it in your bones. There are many differences between an algorithm and an actual human programming your music, but magic segues is a big one—they really bring the art of DJing to light.
There are many ways to express love and affection for someone else. More often than not, however, it's the tiny gestures that mean the most. That's the premise put forth by the Durham, U.K., DIY band Martha on their scrappy 2017 single, "The Winter Fuel Allowance Ineligibility Blues."
