When we were spinning Rapprocher back in 2011, we knew it was only a matter of time before Class Actress became a full-fledged pop star. There's just something magical about the high tension melancholy Elizabeth Harper has on her records. It's a very "this is where I find myself for better or worse…
From the beginning, much of the praise directed at Courtney Barnett has been centered on her talents as a clever, affecting lyricist. While that praise is completely deserved – you don’t get away with naming your debut Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit unless you’ve got the incisiv…
Sylvan Esso was one of 2014's biggest and most unlikely sleeper successes, and now the left-turn electronic side project from two North Carolina folk veterans has entered 2015 as one of festival season's can't miss midcard staples, and it's clear to see why. Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn's spartan …
Whether it's their surroundings, the air, the water, the isolation or a communal appreciation of the arts, something has given Icelanders a lock on creating otherworldly sonic landscapes. Sigur Rós and Björk are of course the most famous of them, but if you've been listening to KEXP's broadcasts fr…
For those lamenting beloved NYC band The Walkmen's indefinite hiatus, rejoice in the band's bassist Peter Matthew Bauer's solo album, Liberation!. Don't be offended by the title, it's not an enthusiastic goodbye to the band Bauer has dedicated 13 years of his life to. The album marks an opportune m…
Charlotte Gainsbourg has announced that she will release her first album in seven years in November. Called Rest, Gainsbourg has released the album's title track as well as a teaser for its accompanying music video, which she directed herself. In a statement, Gainsbourg says that Lars Von Trier, he…
Billy Corgan is a man of extreme dichotomy. It's this gleefully dynamic binary that has made him one of the most interesting artists of the last three decades. And really, you don't have to go back that far into the throws of The Smashing Pumpkins history to get there. Take just the last couple yea…
Rock icon Tom Petty has passed away at the age of 66, following a full cardiac arrest on Sunday night that left him with no brain activity. On Monday, October 2nd, the decision was made to pull him off life support. His longtime manager Tony Dimitriades released the following statement: "On behalf …
For the rest of the year, we'll be spotlighting our KEXP DJs Top Albums of 2016, leading up to our 2016 90.3 Top Album Countdown! Voting has ended, but tune in on Friday, December 16th from 6AM to 6PM PT to hear if your picks made the list. And check out all our DJs Top Ten Albums of 2016 lists on …
For the rest of the year, we'll be spotlighting our KEXP DJs Top Albums of 2016, leading up to our 2016 90.3 Top Album Countdown! Voting has ended, but tune in on Friday, December 16th from 6AM to 6PM PT to hear if your picks made the list. And check out all our DJs Top Ten Albums of 2016 lists on …
For the rest of the year, we'll be spotlighting our KEXP DJs Top Albums of 2016, leading up to our 2016 90.3 Top Album Countdown! Voting has ended, but tune in on Friday, December 16th from 6AM to 6PM PT to hear if your picks made the list. And check out all our DJs Top Ten Albums of 2016 lists on …
It may be the shortest month, but February has had no shortage of great new releases. Highlights this week include the latest from Dirty Projectors. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "the eighth album from the now LA-based solo project of band leader David Longstreth is a powerful set of avant e…
Car Seat Headrest, lead by Seattle's own Will Toledo, have shared the opening track from their upcoming album and Matador debut, Teens of Denial (out May 20). "Fill In The Blank" is a fuzzy piece of indie rock that has me very excited for the rest of the album. Check it out. [SPIN]
It's hard to imagine, in the social media age, a band who've managed to maintain complete anonymity. But, since 1969, that's exactly what The Residents have achieved. This influential, avant garde group has released over 60 albums, gone on world tours, and released numerous music videos, all withou…
Singer-songwriter Ty Segall has shared an intense 14-minute mini-movie with a mix of the tracks from his recently released album, Emotional Mugger. In the video Segall walks the streets of LA and encounters prostitution, drug use, and police brutality. Did I mention it was intense? [CoS]
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]
It's often been said that Seattle has the best summers. Not only is that true for the perfectly-mild temperatures, but it's also true for our awesome FREE outdoor concerts! Along with KEXP's own Concerts at the Mural series, you can also spend the summer at the 37th Annual Out to Lunch Concert Seri…
President Bongo, The cheeky alias of Reykjavik-based DJ/producer Stephan Stephensen, is one of the founding members of veteran electronic group GusGus. With nine studio albums to date, GusGus' iconic sound has shifted from the influential 4AD label and now finds a home on revered German label Kompa…
As we mentioned in today's Music News round-up, Prince has returned with not one, but two new albums this week: a solo album titled Art Official Age, and one with his band 3rdEyeGirl called PlectrumElectrum.
