Music heals. Not only has it been scientifically proven to calm anxiety and ease pain, but below, we share anecdotal proof of the power of song. We asked members of the KEXP community to share the songs they turn to during tough times. Check out their picks below.
St. Vincent stopped by the KEXP studios to share songs from her latest LP, Masseduction. Revisit her interview with DJ Cheryl Waters, where she talks about her recent film work, designing guitars, and her time hiding out in a bathroom here in Seattle.
Courtney Barnett stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to play two songs off her new album Tell Me How You Really Feel
KEXP caught up with Jónsi and Alex Somers while on the anniversary tour of 2009's Riceboy Sleeps, the first time the record has been performed in full since its release
Playing while it's raining at a festival is always a gamble. Lots of people who would have otherwise wandered over out of curiosity are hiding out in every covered nook and cranny imaginable, so it was only the diehards waiting in the drizzle for The Julie Ruin's mid-afternoon set. But, to be hones…
I don't know about you, but I feel like it's been a long time coming for Phantogram. Maybe that's just because the New York two piece has found a way to write songs that stick with you and make a deeper, lasting impact on the heart and mind than their counterparts. Or, maybe they've just spent thei…
"Sweep" - that's the command that Parquet Courts give us over and over again on their new single "Dust". In the context of the tune, it's about the dust that accumulates, sitting on everything that doesn't move, marking the time we've spent without motion, watching the wheels go round. The irony of…
Elia is the most recent project of Seattle-based singer, musician and producer Ignacio Izquierdo. The name comes from Elia Liut, an Italian aviator, who was the first person to fly over Ecuadorian territory. This reflects both Ignacio's home city of Quito and his life of movement. A son of a diplom…
"Voodoo in my blood is living" - that's how Young Fathers kick off the third track on Massive Attack's return to the scene after nearly six years away. And after all that time, Young Fathers aren't lying - the voodoo is still strong. Last time we saw them was 2010's fantastic Heligoland, their firs…
“Change of coast, change of heart”. Last time we heard from Neon Indian, he was changing time zones on the Grand Theft Auto soundtrack. Turns out, now two years later, he wasn’t kidding. The only thing I can think of to make Alan Palomo’s bizzare, eclectic electronic productions any more mind-bendi…
Another light summer week of new releases, but there's a handful hitting shelves today that you'll definitely want to check out. Portland singer-songwriter Alela Diane tops the list with her fourth album of heartbreaking (and broken) folk-pop, highlighting her rich voice and often personal lyrics. …
Recently, David Schelzel of The Ocean Blue stopped by the KEXP studios to play a live acoustic set, which included a cover of Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without A Face.” Stripped down – accompanied only by one other guitarist for the final tune (Schelzel’s friend Michael Morris) – and in preparation for a …
Like goths on a beach, the dark sounds of Daughter may seem out of place on sunny summer day, but few bands make "moody" music that's not downright depressing as well as this UK trio. Their atmospheric debut LP, If You Leave, arrives just in time for the warmer weather, and you may find yourself, w…
Not many bands can successfully transition from performing a heartfelt lament into a vicious murder ballad, much less on a sunny April morning, but that's exactly what Dublin's Little Green Cars did this past April. Since the last time they played KEXP, the quintet has not only grown by leaps and b…
At around 3 o'clock, I made my way to the fairly full audience of the Bigfoot stage to catch Cole Smith's (of Beach Fossils) project DIIV. Little did I know I was in for one of the more sun drunk performances I would see - and I mean that in the best and most innocent way. At one point guitarist An…
Can you believe it's been over a year since our last David Sylvian post? My, how time flies. Back in 2012, we looked at his 1986 album, Gone to Earth, so it seems only fitting to move forward in time by another year and see how KCMU reacted to its followup, 1987's Secrets of the Beehive, his last s…
As KEXP celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’re looking back at the last half-century of music. Each week in 2022, KEXP pays homage to a different year and our writers are commemorating with one release from that year that resonates with them. This week, Kevin Cole reflects on New Order's 1983 class…
Slint frontman Brian McMahan stared out across the audience, stone-faced. "The last time we were here, you guys were so much rowdier..." he noted in his infamous monotone drawl. "You guys are so... calm. It's unsettling."
What I'm about to write sounds corny — let's just get it out of the way right now that I know that. I know the Kraftwerk catalog like the back of my hand, but, I have to say, despite this lifelong familiarity, seeing them live for the first time ever, and in 3-D, no less, I felt like I was experien…
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind. Our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.
