Saturday night in West Seattle, history was made... or remade... when Northwest legends The Sonics performed a special set at Easy Street Records on Record Store Day to benefit KEXP's New Home. The iconic Tacoma band alone were a huge draw to the legion of fans inside and surrounding the store, but…
It's going to take a little practice, but you'll be saying the name Ásgeir like a true Icelander soon enough. When we first introduced the young singer-songwriter to Seattle audiences two years ago, we knew his ethereal falsetto and captivating songs would appeal to KEXP listeners even if his songs…
One of the few bands promoting a soon-to-be-released album, Parquet Courts' Sunday night set at Sasquatch was a partially a showcase for their forthcoming second album, Sunbathing Animal. (Interestingly enough, the album went up for streaming just as their set started.) Their debut, 2013's Light Up…
Even though he's not on a proper tour at the moment, Bob Mould (and his partners in crime drummer Jon Wurster and bassist Jason Narducy) can pump out a set of punk rock seemingly on a moment's notice. Right as Mould's set at Sasquatch was starting, black sheets of rain started to drizzle down, but …
After hours of overcast weather, the sun finally came out for Hozier's afternoon set at Sasquatch, which is ironic, considering that the musician also known as Andrew Hozier-Byrne is from Ireland, a country hardly known for its sunshine. But by the end of his set, it might have seemed that the sun'…
London's Kitchens of Distinction, like so many bands championed by KCMU, were a promising and critically acclaimed band in the late '80s and '90s that never quite broke as big as they might have hoped, but have maintained a devoted following over the years. Last year, almost two decades after break…
Not surprisingly, Valerie June's childhood was steeped in spiritual music at church and R&B and soul music at home. Between her time spent singing with choruses consisting of sometimes hundreds of parishioners and the influence of her father, who booked and promoted concerts near her hometown o…
29-year old Gary Clark Jr. may seem young to be a Grammy-nominated blues artist – and he is – but the Austin, Texas, native has been winning awards for his stellar blues guitar playing for most of his life. After all, how many teenagers have a day named after them by their city's mayor? (May 3, 200…
Next on the KEXP Iceland Airwaves broadcast live from KEX Hostel in Reykjavik was spectacular Icelandic singer Emilíana Torrini. Even if you do not know her name, you are still very likely familiar with some of her work. Torrini has participated in a wide variety of projects, including writing and …
A while back, a producer, a DJ and an MC, each with solid careers of their own, formed a sort of hip hop supergroup to face against rising corporate interests in their fields. Like Gorillaz, Deltron 3030 was high-concept, semi-fictional, character driven project that blew the minds of music fans of…
Beach Fossils have done a lot of growing in the past couple years. Their 2010 self-titled debut was pleasing to the ear and to the heart with it's quiet, introverted finesse. But in 2011, by trimming some lo-fi fat off their tracks, they created a timeless experience with the What A Pleasure EP. Su…
Before they headlined our fourth Little Big Show at the Neptune, Swedish duo First Aid Kit stopped by our studio to chat with Stevie Zoom about Bright Eyes, the Polar Music Prize, and their remarkable harmonies. Klara and Johanna Söderberg made a great first impression with their cover of Fleet Fox…
Irish songwriter Dolores O'Riordan, most famously of The Cranberries, has passed away at the age of 46. A statement from her publicist says that O'Riordan was in London for a recording session, but not further details are available at this time. O'Riordan was born and raised in Limerick, Ireland, a…
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and we choo-choo-choose Dancing on the Valentine! Now in its twelfth year, this annual event was launched by leukemia survivor Jenny George as a celebration of life and her birthday. All proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Since its launch in…
As part of KEXP's remembrance of Chris Cornell on what would have been his 53rd birthday, The Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole will broadcast an alternate final setlist at 4:00 PM (PST), which was graciously provided to KEXP by Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer and local music fixture Matt Cameron. Below…
Quick, imagine there's a band that formed in Berlin in the mid-'80s and named themselves after an instrumental song by Tom Waits. What do you think they sound like? Guess again. Rainbirds' hooky New Wave sound, at least on their 1987 debut album, was decidedly more conventional than their name's or…
We are heartbroken to report on the passing of Kevin Garcia, founding member and bassist for Grandaddy. Garcia suffered a massive stroke on Monday, leaving him with a brain injury described by doctors as "catastrophic." Sadly, he died from complications of his stroke on Tuesday afternoon. He was on…
New York synthpop duo Chairlift have shared a surprise, new track called "Get Real" on Spotify. They first mentioned the song on twitter 3 years ago, but it was never officially released, until now. It's a smooth, soulful number that showcases Caroline Polachek's amazing vocals. [SPIN]
Wilco's upcoming, and tenth, studio album, Schmilco, drops on September 9. They're latest song "If I Ever Was a Child" and is available for immediate download if you pre-order the album on iTunes. Thanks to Spotify, you can check out the track below. [Pitchfork]
