Kyle Craft leads a storied life. The Portland-based singer-songwriter trails with him a cast misfit characters and messed up relationships from his former home in Shreveport, Louisiana, to populate is his rollicking full-length debut, Dolls Of Highland. He also carries with him a sound with a past …
Arguably one of the Pacific Northwest's most enigmatic and charismatic artists, Tilson XOXO has carved a singular lane within Seattle's music community with his leading role in party-starting Seattle trio The Saturday Knights and more recently emerging with new solo material that defies easy catego…
Local duo Chimurenga Renaissance (aka Tendai Maraire of Shabazz Palaces and Hussein Kalonji) debut a new track today titled "Girls With Gunz," a song they say was inspired by African assassin Grace Maseva, a woman who fought in the Second Chimurenga, the war that ended white rule in Zimbabwe. Loca…
In case you missed its debut on The Morning Show on KEXP yesterday, Nada Surf are back with new music: stream the single "Believe You’re Mine" below. The Brooklyn band's eighth studio album, You Know Who You Are, will be out March 4th via beloved local label Barsuk, and features two tracks co-writ…
When it comes to young bands making self-assured, thoughtful and influence-referencing music, Ought already do. The Montreal-based four-piece formed just three years ago amid a burgeoning DIY scene in the city's Mile End district and, while drawing heavily from sonic inspirations like Talking Heads…
It's been a while since we've heard from Emily Wells. The NYC-based singer, performer songwriter and producer released her full-length debut, Mama, back in 2012, and surprisingly has yet to follow it up with a proper sophomore LP. But that's not to say she hasn't been busy. Since then, Wells releas…
Slippery as they are, Australian seven piece King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard managed to record six albums before before finally squeezing into the KEXP live room. Granted, it's only been three years since their debut, but as the Melbourne band are about to release their seventh (and for the fi…
This week's highlights include the latest from Hudson Mohawke. The Scottish producer, a.k.a. Ross Birchard, shares his sophomore full-length, and KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes the release "finds him bringing a bit more restraint to his maximalist blend of various electronic styles with R&…
West coast weirdo Ariel Pink shares a video today for the track "Jell-O" off last year's stellar full-length Pom Pom. The psychedelic clip, directed by Dan Kapelovitz, showcases vintage meat industry footage interspersed with the band making Jell-O shots. The video is dedicated to the late Kim Fow…
Armed with a fine assortment of tracks from their new Seattle-recorded release, Ohio band The Sidekicks unleash their brand of hooky rock in the KEXP live room. On Runners in the Nerved World, they've branched out from their punkish roots and now take pleasure in crafting out songs that are invigor…
Beloved Boise band Built to Spill share another track from their upcoming eighth album, Untethered Moon. Stream the single "Never Be The Same" below, which appears to have some excellent kitten action for the cover art. You can catch the boys at a hometown show on Friday, March 27th at the Treefor…
Lena Simon is a wizard. She plays bass, guitar, drums, keys and sings. She's been on Leno with Mary Lambert, has toured Europe with La Luz (who, incidentally, just announced a tour with Ty Segal) and writes songs for her band Kairos. She's also a generous soul with a great deal of compassion and in…
"It's what turns the kids on," guitarist and vocalist Chuck Cleaver said, defending a bit of questionable narrative during a recent in-studio. We've been fans of Wussy since their first LP, but this year's Attica! is easily one of the year's best. Even if the kid's aren't listening to it, we're gla…
atTentIoN, huManS of eArtH. Hightek Lowlives bring greetings and great sounds from the distant future. The Seattle duo of Otieno Terry and Kjell Nelson toss everything you know about R&B, beat-making, hip-hop and rap, throw it into a time-machine, and send it careening like a bizarre blast from…
A lot has been said of how the latest album from Jersey quintet Real Estate is "their most mature to date," but when the boys showed up to their in-studio session carrying a large framed poster of Bob Marley, and then began sound-checking with Nirvana's "Come As You Are," it was apparent they're th…
There's lots to love in the record stores this Valentine's Day week, like the aptly titled Hotel Valentine, the first release in fifteen years from New York City duo Cibo Matto. If you're in a more somber mood, check out the album Benji from Sun Kil Moon aka Mark Kozelek (ex-Red House Painters), fe…
Starbucks are at it again with Sweetheart 2014, their annual compilation of artists covering their favorite love songs. This year's romantic roster includes Beck, The Head & the Heart, Vampire Weekend, Phosphorescent, and Jim James, covering Bob Marley, as you can stream below. Sweetheart 2014…
Ever since Bliss Release, Cloud Control's breezy debut LP hit the KEXP doorstep, we've been waiting for our chance to see them live. That was over two years ago, and the band, already critically acclaimed and beloved at home in Australian, and now with their second LP widely available, only just ma…
The Flaming Lips are offering some pretty amazing material in honor of this month's Record Store Day Back To Black Friday. One album is a complete cover of Stone Roses' debut album that features contributions from Foxygen, Poliça, Spaceface, Peaking Lights, Stardeath, and several others. The other…
If you happen to break up with someone don’t go on a drinking binge and record emotional songs with the hopes of playing them for your ex. Right? Well, usually. This equation actually worked for Stuart McLamb, however, frontman for the North Carolina-based group The Love Language. McLamb originally…
