Sound & Vision breaks down the stories and songs behind the top three most played women artists on KEXP during March: Arlo Parks, Japanese Breakfast, and Noname.
2016 was an especially brutal year: we lost David Bowie, Prince, Sharon Jones, Leonard Cohen, Lemmy Kilmister, Phife Dawg, and that's just to mention a few. (You can see part one of our list here.) KEXP is celebrating the lives of all these artists on the air, today, Thursday, December 15th from 6:…
2016 was an especially brutal year: we lost David Bowie, Prince, Sharon Jones, Leonard Cohen, Lemmy Kilmister, Phife Dawg, and that's just to mention a few. (In fact, part two of the list can be found here.) KEXP will celebrate the lives of all these artists on the air, tomorrow, Thursday, December…
The White Stripes, Dead Weather, The Raconteurs... that Jack White has been recording music with lots of different projects over the years. And, you can check out unplugged versions of his songs on the career-spanning collection Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016, out later this month. As an example, c…
Following a carefree, celebratory set at the Sasquatch! Music Festival as Big Grams, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter strip back down to Phantogram for their forthcoming full-length, Three. Get a taste with a video for the first single "You Don’t Get Me High Anymore," directed by Grant Singer (the We…
The range of Major Lazer is vast and extensive. From an Adult Swim TV show, to the radio, to festivals worldwide, the group is quickly becoming a household name. Now a DJ Switch-less trio, the group has offered production to many of the radio’s top played songs (see “Lean On Me,” “Get Free”) yet th…
Ty Segall is a master of dissonance. He proved as much Saturday at Sasquatch! Music Festival, where discord was found everywhere. From the harsh chords of The Muggers (which include the likes of King Tuff and Mikal Kronin), to the fact that Ty Segall and his drummer donned Grateful Dead shirts whil…
At first I thought it was an piece in The Onion, but no, Seattle rapper Macklemore really did appear with President Barack Obama this past Saturday morning for the weekly White House Address. (Did you catch Obama's sly "same love" pun?) And the topic is certainly no joke: the two addressed opioid …
Even as it feels like rock 'n' roll is losing too many of its heroes lately, we should also remember those who continue to carry the flame. Among them, KEXP favorites Capsula, who exalt the rock gods of yore with a fiery passion. On eight kinetic LPs, plus a handful of collaborations, compilations …
Though they hail from Los Angeles, Dengue Fever are like Cambodian ambassadors to the Pacific Northwest. On their recent return to the KEXP airwaves, the six-piece seemed right at home, even in our new studio. The band's instrumentation is uniquely cinematic, a multicultural modernization of the ps…
Could there be a better symbol of KEXP's rebirthing in our new home than the "Baby Big Man" that is Ty Segall? Donning a creepy torn-up baby mask and wielding an adult-sized umbilical chord, the KEXP listener- and DJ-favorite artist christened the new KEXP live room with our first ever live broadca…
"Music" and "space" form an undeniable symbiosis. We use each word to describe the other all the time, yet in truth, the one cannot exist in the other. The only sound of the spheres is in our minds. But what great imaginations we have. Over the years, many sonic explorers have reached far into the …
Just about the only thing better then sitting down for some pizza and beer to help KEXP's New Home Campaign is doing all that with Rhett Miller performing live. This was the case last month at Ballard Pizza Co., where the always humble Dallas sweetheart Rhett Miller deflected all compliments KEXP t…
Of the experiences that KEXP listeners tell us they value most, the intimate, personal interactions between artists and fans always ranks the highest. In our interviews and in-studio videos, we try to get as close to the heart as possible, but occasionally we are able to dive further into the creat…
Today marks the birthday of James Yancey, better known as J Dilla, one of the most influential hip-hop artists of this century. Just days after his 32nd birthday, back in 2006, the Detroit-based DJ and producer passed away, leaving an enduring legacy for others to follow. Above the nine albums he p…
KEXP, STG, and Starbucks kicked off the new year with another fine edition of our benefit series, Little Big Show. On January 31st, we joined together to raise money for Reel Grrls, a program where girls ages 9-21 can learn media production skills from volunteer professionals and voice their indivi…
It's not easy for bands to pull of a daytime performance in bright sunlight. Most are used to dark clubs and nocturnal crowds, but the warm desert tones of LA's Allah-Las made for a perfect Austin afternoon on the first day of our broadcast this year from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop during SXSW. Thou…
One of the many reasons KEXP went to Montreal was at the recommendation of our friend Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Operators), so when we had our plan in place to record at Breakglass Studios during the POP Montreal Festival, naturally we asked Dan if he had any local bands that he would recommend th…
