Original music with elements of psychedelic rock, jazz and funk, featuring Brad Gibson (drums and composition), Bryan Smith (alto sax), Scott Morning (trumpet), Ari Joshua (guitar), Gregg Belisle (guitar), and Jason Gray (bass).
Two bands that probably sit close to each other on your record shelf: The Shins performed a session for Spotify where they covered The Smiths 1986 single "Panic." Listen below. James Mercer and friends also performed their own track "Name For You" off their latest full-length, Heartworms, out now …
Fansite Morrissey-solo.com has unearthed some rare demos from The Smiths' early days. One recording is a no-frills version of "Never Had No One Ever" which seems to be from a 1986 recording session for The Queen is Dead. There's also alternate versions of Morrissey's "Bengali in Platforms" and "He…
There's a new pop-savvy sheriff in Sub Pop town, and he goes by the name of Cullen Omori, and instead of having to wield a Smith Western to corral a crowd's attention, all he has to do is coo his name. Omori quickly became a wunderkind as one of the instrumental brains of the Chicagoan outfit Smith…
In separate interviews, Martin Douglas speaks to Jean Smith and David Lester of the Vancouver-based band about their influence on a generation of musicians, the K Records reissues of two of their classic albums, and much more.
It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since beloved Northwest singer/songwriter Elliott Smith released his now-classic LP Either/Or. For its anniversary, Kill Rock Stars is releasing an expanded reissue with live tracks from the 1997 Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia, WA, as well as previously u…
It's pretty perfect that the frontman of Ski Lodge shares a surname with the guitarist for The Smiths since their sound is totally reminiscent of those Manchester legends.
Flanked by Phil Cook, Chris Boerner, Erin Rae, Alex Bingham, and Al Smith, Hiss Golden Messenger played a stunning set of songs off Hiss Golden Messenger’s latest record, Terms of Surrender.
The penultimate act of the KEXP broadcast live from KEX Hostel at Iceland Airwaves was Icelandic yacht rock band Moses Hightower. Named for the character played by the late Bubba Smith in the Police Academy movie series, the band draws from a lot of influences, including funk, jazz, and psych.
Where does a young band go after making a name for themselves with a gorgeous album like Dye It Blonde, of Nuggets-mining jangly psych pop? They dig deeper. At least, that's what Smith Westerns did on their followup, Soft Will, as they dig deeper both into the history of rock and their own songwrit…
Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder share brief insights on new and upcoming releases for KEXP's rotation, including this week's new releases from Blonde Redhead, Jorja Smith, Say She She, and more.
Seattle's Car Seat Headrest is no stranger to covers: founder/frontman Will Toledo has previously taken on tracks by Radiohead and Bowie. Today, they add another musical icon to the list: The Smiths. Listen to his lovely, acoustic cover of "That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore" below. Car Seat Headrest p…
Each week, Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder share brief insights on new and upcoming releases for KEXP's rotation. See what we added this week, including new releases from Childish Gambino, Denzel Curry, GUM & Ambrose Kenny-Smith, and more.
Brooklyn dream-rockers DIIV made their network television debut on Letterman last night. Zachary Cole Smith & Co. played a frantic rendition of "Doused," the penultimate track on their outstanding debut album, Oshin. Watch the "fantastic" Letterman performance below.
Midday Show host Cheryl Waters presents the latest Music That Matters podcast featuring a mix of new songs from Mono Town, Pixies, Summer Aviation and more! 1. Grizzly Bear - Listen and Wait 2. The Besnard Lakes - People of the Sticks 3. Holograms - Meditations 4. Mono Town - Jackie O 5. Ásgeir -…
While Cullen Omori pursues a solo career with Sub Pop Records, two of his former bandmates in Smith Westerns have formed the group Whitney. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the Chicago band's debut "an excellent set of '70s-influenced folk-pop featuring a consistently strong set of beautifully a…
On September 25, Disclosure will release their long-awaited sophomore album Caracal. Today they've shared a new called "Jaded" along with it's accompanying video. Sam Smith makes a cameo appearance, but this song is vocally and visually all about the Lawrence brothers. [CoS]
Right before their KEXP in-studio, DJ Cheryl Waters caught the Montreal band BRAIDS in a group hug. It was a sweet moment that defines this young group's history: vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston and drummer Austin Tufts met on the playground at the tender age of twelve; together, they met multi…
Day 2 of Capitol Hill Block Party started with more gray clouds and drizzling rain. But a packed lineup full of variety kept all gloomy feelings at bay. Local band Kinski kicked off the day with a birthday celebration and beat smiths Giraffage and Zoolab upped the energy in the late afternoon befo…
