"Let's get heavy," Other Lives frontman Jesse Tabish jokes before launching into the principle dichotomies behind the creation of their latest release, Rituals. But whether they're conflating old and new styles or humanity's primal nature and our technologically isolating modern world, the surprisi…
It's hard to believe that That's It!, the new album by Preservation Hall Jazz Band, is their first record of all new material, not just because they've had a prolific 50 year history already, but also because the songs fit so seamlessly into the rest of the New Orleans traditionalists' catalog. Ban…
Telekinesis is the name of Seattle's own Michael Benjamin Lerner and his soft-spoken, incredibly charming indie-rock solo act. Since his 2009 self-released debut EP, Lerner has garnered a reputation for himself blending 80's pop sensibilities with mellowed-out vocal stylings, a tried and true dynam…
Dee Dee, songwriter and main force behind the Dum Dum Girls, stopped by the KEXP studio to chat with Stevie Zoom and perform alone with just her heavy-tremolo-ed guitar. Her Girls-less performance is a throwback to the early 2008 to 2010 years, which saw Dee Dee's first CDR release on her own label…
What brought two already well known and respected artists together to collaborate on a new project? The internet, of course. Though Aimee Mann and Ted Leo shared a casual friendship and a liking for each other's music, they bonded over things "#dumb" on Twitter. Eventually, a 140-character comedic …
Local lad Will Toledo -- better known to KEXP listeners as Car Seat Headrest -- shares a new video today for the track "Vincent" off the upcoming Matador Records release Teens of Denial, out this Spring (not to be confused with the previous release, Teens of Style). As the YouTube caption states: …
Car Seat Headrest came dressed for success to their first KEXP in-studio session. Adorned in suits and ties, the young Seattle band got down to business with a fantastic five-song set of lo-fi epic indie rock. Despite his relatively young age, frontman and songwriter Will Toledo (reportedly just 22…
Thurston Moore has nothing to prove after decades spent as part of one of the most influential bands of all time, Sonic Youth. The guitarist, singer, and songwriter has long been worshiped by SY fans and adored by critics as Sonic Youth evolved from brash indie upstarts in the 80s, to semi-commerc…
Though he'd been playing a variety instruments and styles for years, Oakland music Luis Vasquez never intended his current project, The Soft Moon, to catch on. A true bedroom project, The Soft Moon was originally meant to be a device of self-exploration, a spelunking of the depths, as it were, of V…
It's hard to think of another band that has not only lasted as long as but has also never lost their knack for sonic adventure like Yo La Tengo. After nearly 30 years, and through 13 studio albums and who knows how many singles and EPs, the Hoboken, NJ, trio still sounds like no one else, even with…
Closing out a fantastic week of music live from KEX Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival were London-based power-pop trio Dream Wife. The band is comprised of London-based musicians Alice and Bella, and Icelandic singer Rakel, who are known for their super-fun performances and strange, beautif…
Half-man, half-enigma, UK electronic producer Darren Cunningham has been transfixing listeners over the past decade with his experimental electronic productions under the alias Actress, offering up releases on his own label Werk Discs as well as a steady supply of fascinating sounds for both Honest…
Ever since moving to Seattle from Lansing, Michigan, in 1989, Shomari Shanks (a.k.a. DJ Sho Nuph (f.k.a. Sho Nuff) has been immersed within the local music community, first connecting with seminal 1990s local hip-hop crew Tribal Music before diving into the electronic music scene in the early 2000…
DJ NativeSUN is a Washington, DC-based DJ/producer and also the co-founder of the Future R&Bass collective, hosting events in the nation's capital with kindred crews such as Soulection, HW&W, Radar Radio, and OkayAfrica. Well-known in the DC area for his ability to jump between Afrobeat, ho…
This Saturday, August 13th, The Vera Project & Friends of Waterfront Seattle present Vera at the Waterfront: a much needed, free, all-ages excuse to pretend the summer's end isn't rapidly approaching. Complete with a stacked lineup of local musicians and art installation provided by Vera's scre…
If there's another performer who has received two standing ovations for a single song at the Moore, Jason Isbell should call them and see if they'll go for best two out of three, because chances are that he'll win. The revitalized Southern songwriter is at a career high at the moment, and no other …
With their new release The Wanting, Seattle’s Nightmare Fortress have created the perfect blend of somber and emotionally intense sonic streams of grandiose grave wave soundscapes. Enthralled by this ambiguous and unnerving artwork, KEXP caught up with guitarist Cassidy Gonzales to discuss the maca…
DARKSIDE, a brilliant pairing of electronic producer Nicolas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington, is getting a ton of buzz on the internet lately and in fact yesterday earned a "Best New Music" rating of 9.0 on Pitchfork. Our Music Director, Don Yates, describes their debut album, Psychic, as "a moo…
Nearly 35 years in music and Bob Mould shows no signs of slowing down! From his early punk roots with Hüsker Dü in the 1980s through his alternative pop years with Sugar in the 1990s, and in the years between and afterwards with his ten solo albums, the veteran songwriter has explored a variety of …
