Acclaimed Canadian artist Grimes returns with her highly-anticipated album, Art Angels. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls her fourth full-length, "her most brightly melodic and also her most aggressive-sounding release, featuring a cleaner, more luminous sound for her adventurous dance-pop while …
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O has shared "I Shall Rise." her contribution to the video game Rise of the Tomb Raider. It builds steady into a forceful and empowering anthem. Karen O herself calls the song her version of Gloria Gaynor's classic "I Will Survive." Check it out below. [Stereogum]
TV on the Radio producer Dave Sitek has shared a new song, the first since 2010, under his Maximum Balloon moniker. "Let It Grow," is a bright collaboration with his fellow TV on the Radio bandmate Tunde Adebimpe and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Karen O. Listen below. [Pitchfork]
Sleater-Kinney were the musical guests on last night's Late Night with Seth Meyers. The recently reunited trio performed the song "Price Tag" from their album No Cities To Love. Watch below. [Pitchfork]
In the late '80s, three fellas outta Illinois — Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn — formed the influential alt-country band Uncle Tupelo. When the band broke up in 1994, Farrar went on to form Son Volt, while Tweedy created Wilco. Tonight, Thursday, February 26th, all those branches of the …
Last night in Chicago, Ty Segall surprised audiences with a tribute to David Bowie featuring covers of “Ziggy Stardust,” “Suffragette City,” and “Queen Bitch.” Watch fan shot video of his ode to the Thin White Duke below. [Consequence of Sound]
If her four song KEXP session wasn't enough for you, Lykke Li has announced she's returning to Seattle for a September 17th performance at the Paramount Theatre. Check out all the dates for her North American tour, in support of I Never Learn, and watch that aforementioned session below: [Conseque…
Common has yet to announce the release date for his upcoming LP, Nobody Smiling, but today he has shared the LP track "War." The album delves into the heartbreaking violence in his hometown of Chicago. This first song focuses on the similarities of the children being killed in Chicago and in wars …
South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has sadly passed away today at the age of 95. The revered statesman was imprisoned for 27 years, eventually released in 1990 after an international campaign fueled by many prominent musicians. Mandela was elected the first black president of South Af…
Weekend the band are much like their music: intense, a little intimidating, but you can't help but be drawn in. The dark, moody songs from their sophomore album, Jinx, were perfect in the gothic interiors of New York's Judson Memorial Church. KEXP managed to grab the guys for a quick chat after th…
Pop open a bottle of bubbly - The Dismemberment Plan are back in full force. As seen here at their packed performance at Judson Memorial Church during KEXP's CMJ broadcast, the band resurrects their renowned dance-punk energy and precision playing. It’s hard to imagine The Dismemberment Plan could …
It was one of the most highly-anticipated sessions of our Musicfest NW broadcast: Scottish electropop group CHVRCHES had been blowing up the music blogs for months, yet their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe hadn't hit stores at the time. From the packed audience of the Doug Fir Lounge t…
Dr.Dog has a charming lyric video for "Broken Heart" from their upcoming album B Room. Composed of vintage footage of an amusement park, the happiness of the park seems bittersweet contrasted with the tracks title - which is fitting considering the song feels upbeat, but the lyrics tell a different…
When a 4-year-old, Erik Blood began sneaking 45-rpm records from his sister’s room and listening to them while she slept, a future was being formed. Music shapes us like few elements can. The sounds, words, and images associated with certain songs can leave lasting impressions that often influence …
Minneapolis band Poliça released their single "Tiff" from their upcoming album, and the song features Bon Iver's Justin Vernon. The track a synth pop dream - darkly lit by the echos of Vernon's voice in the background. [Pitchfork]
Your band has been practicing in your basement non-stop. You know your songs inside and out. Now you're ready to finally load up your gear and play a show. But where do you start? When you're first starting to play live music around town, it can be hard to get your bearings and know who to talk to,…
Five songs into Hamilton Leithauser’s headlining set at the Neptune Theatre last week, a man got down on one knee and proposed to his sweetheart. The news didn’t reach the stage until after the former frontman for The Walkmen howled the last refrain of “A 1000 Times,” from his latest studio LP, I H…
On this day in 1992, the number-one hit song in the U.S. was "How Do You Talk to an Angel" by The Heights. The Jacksons: An American Dream, which chronicled the rise to fame of the Jacksons, premiered on ABC and movies like A River Runs Through It, Glengarry Glen Ross, and the Steven Seagal classic…
The Music that Matters podcast that defies description yet has that Barton Fink feeling with songs from great new artists (make sure to listen to HOLY!) and old favorites like Buffalo Tom, Elvis Perkins and Geowulf. 1. Elvis Perkins - There Go the Nightmericans 2. Jonathan Wilson - Over the Mid…
The latest mix from Cheryl Waters comes from all kinds of places and artists, featuring new songs from Zola Jesus, Ty Segall, and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. 1. Kevin Morby - City Music 2. Django Django - Tic Tac Toe 3. Widowspeak - When I Tried 4. Dream Wife - Somebody 5. Sharon Jones &…
