For creators and fans alike, music has always provided catharsis, relief and healing. But Few artists tap so directly into that power as Tim Showalter, whose project Strand of Oaks goes so far as to name its most recent album Heal. Like pages from a diary, the Philly-based songwriter's lyrics delve…
If, after hearing Juana Molina's surreal yet powerful music, we were to tell you that that the Latin American legend has also voice-acted as Elastagirl for the Argentine dub of The Incredibles, would you believe us? Would you trust us if we told you that she began her career in show business in ord…
Unless you've got a bad case of phonophobia, Big Scary isn't too terrifying. Featuring Joanna Syme on percussion and heavenly-voiced Tom Iansek on guitar and keyboards, the Melbourne-based duo has broken the mold for Australian music. Their 2013 album, Not Art, was nominated for the triple j Austra…
Swedish singer-songwriter Anna von Hausswolff's experimental performances continually captivate audiences and listeners alike, offering them extraordinary and sophisticated forms of aural solace. Her newest album, Ceremony, is an ominous yet poignant journey into grief and darkness. Von Hausswolff'…
Longtime KEXP faves The Walkmen have announced they'll be going on "a pretty extreme hiatus" after a "final" December 4th show at Philadelphia's Union Transfer. Bassist/organist Peter Bauer told The Washington Post, "It’s been almost 14 years now. I think that’s enough, you know?” Bauer is current…
On Wednesday, I was excited to begin my fifth time attending Decibel Festival with the Abstract Earth Project showcase at the Showbox at the Market. This showcase featured Wax Tailor, an artist whose work I'd never yet picked up, but hearing some of it recently on KEXP had me saying "oh yeah, this …
Right around the time they were selling out two shows at Seattle's Neptune Theatre, Local Natives took an afternoon to treat KEXP VIP Club members to a special, stripped down show at The Triple Door. Though it's hard to call anything these Californians do "stripped down", they at least stuck to mai…
The moment we all waited for finally came at the very end of Sasquatch - The Postal Service took the mainstage to uproar from a massive audience. Lights erupted, everyone infamous entered the stage, and they started off with "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight". Every song was greeted with audience …
British DJ/producer Simon Green, a.k.a. Bonobo, has been known to tear up the dance floor during his regularly sold-out shows, but when he dropped by KEXP for an in-studio with Cheryl Waters recently, the vibe was breezy and chill. Accompanied by a full band, Green featured songs from his atmospher…
If KEXP had a Five-Timers Club, Low would now be one of its key members. The long-running Duluth, Minnesota trio has been a KEXP favorite for the better part of the last 15 years, and while the trio was out in the Northwest promoting their tenth (!) full-length, The Invisible Way, they stopped by …
With a list of influences that including Dire Straits, Napalm Death, Beat Happening and Ol' Dirty Bastard, it's not an easy task to define the straightforward and honest sound of indie rock four-piece Parquet Courts. Their clean and simple guitars accompanied with in-your-face and incredibly smart …
Now in its 15th year, Oregon music festival Pickathon has announced its lineup, dates and location for 2013 -- and it's one of their best lineups yet! On August 2-4 at the Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, OR, the festival will host Feist, Andrew Bird, Divine Fits, The Devil Makes Three, Sharon Van …
Who would be in your dream band? If you could put together some of your favorite musicians into a fantasy project, you might very well have come up with Divine Fits. Britt Daniel of Spoon and Dan Boeckner of Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade have teamed up up with powerhouse drummer Sam Brown of New Bo…
Just off of the 99 overpass, Feed stowed themselves away in their practice space affectionately referred to as the Dank Dungeon. Armed with a Tascam 488 tape recorder, the trio of guitarist Chase Hoyt, bassist Matt Kolhede, and drummer Pat Schowe spent months crafting their self-titled debut album,…
With Oh My Virgin Ears!, KEXP's (young) intern Gabe Pollak takes a first listen at iconic albums in music history. With singer/songwriter and author Billy Bragg visiting KEXP's Gathering Space tonight as part of of Songbook: KEXP’s Music & Literature Series, we had Gabe reflect on his first tim…
"Put up your fists and your guns one time right now", Killer Mike yelled over the Showbox crowd. Across the room, hands went up mimicking the cover art from the self-titled debut from Run The Jewels. Mike nodded in stoic approval. "This is hands down the best tag team the world's got going right no…
KEXP’s web team got together, and each wrote an essay on Black artists they are gravitating to now. Today’s podcast presents that article in audio form.
Tuxedo is the collaborative project between Michigan-raised, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/producer Mayer Hawthorne and veteran Seattle-based producer Jake One. Bonding over a shared love of early 1980s boogie, disco, funk, and R&B, the pair soon connected to create modern-day jams steepe…
April ended strong with new releases from some of our favorite artists. It's been five years since the last album from Feist, and the Canadian songstress returns with what KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls "a powerful set of dark, intimate folk-rock. Recorded mostly live, the album features a sta…
