Aw man, not again! On Friday night, after The Replacements' performance at Primavera Porto in Barcelona, Spain, frontman Paul Westerberg said it would be the last time they'd play together. (The band first formed in 1979, and first broke up in 1991, before their 2012 reunion.) Westerberg told the …
Yoni & Geti's Testarossa project is one of the most refreshing albums of the year, full stop. It brings two repeat collaborators together for a project that plays into each of their strengths with twice the strength and precision of any previous joint efforts by a mile. Furthermore, it's a larg…
You may remember way back in December when we all were treated to the news that Bonnie "Prince" Billy was releasing his own fragrance (a mix of tobacco and Egyptian Jasmine, combined with the ancient wood of the Assam oud) -- and Sanae Intoxicants, the company releasing it, encouraged fans and cust…
It's difficult to imagine Iska Dhaaf as only a two-piece, even when they're right in front of you. The sound of their full-bodied post-punk is supported by Benjamin Verdoes' (Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band) unique ability to simultaneously play the keyboard and drums. It takes a talented musician to …
Next on KEXP live from KEX Hostel at Iceland Airwaves was an insane set from Icelandic band Grísalappalísa. The band, whose name means "pig-legged Lisa," plays raucus music that genre-jumps like nothing I've ever seen before. Vocalists Gunnar Ragnarsson and Baldur Baldursson scream and grunt, with …
To say that fans of Nick Cave have mixed feelings this week is an understatement. Tomorrow, the sixteenth studio album by the much-revered Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds will be released, accompanied by a feature-length film of performance and conversation, shot in both black-and-white and colour, a…
Church took place on Sunday at Sasquatch, and Paul Janeway was the officiant, worship leader, and pastor. St. Paul, as he's otherwise known, was a man possessed led by the Spirit from the second he set on stage with his equally as fiery bandmates in St. Paul & The Broken Bones. From The City, t…
The most anticipated performance of the weekend was also the most divisive, and as the biggest audience of the weekend walked away from the Gorge one last time, everyone had something to say about Kendrick Lamar's closing set. As the first show played since the release of his instant classic To Pim…
It should be no surprise that several of the artists topping this week's list of new releases were making appearances at SXSW last week, but two of them were also previewing their new songs live on KEXP during our broadcast from Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop. Billy Bragg and Palma Violets both gave mem…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Mor…
Among other things, Matt Berninger is known for making a live show count. Whether it's embodying the introverted distance of his work with The National in straightjacket contortions or diving into furious anger, throwing wine glasses into the air and crushing them under his feet, in all things, Ber…
Today would have been David Bowie's 71st birthday and in honor of that, a previously unreleased demo of his 1983 hit "Let's Dance" has been unearthed by producer Nile Rodgers. The song was recorded in 1982 in Montreux, Switzerland and included a group of local musicians whose identities are unknown…
British psych pop four-piece Temples have garnered a lot of attention in the short time since their formation in 2012. Their 2014 debut, Sun Structures, made its way onto lots of best-of lists. Consequently, the Bigfoot stage was considerably crowded as they launched into the single "Shelter Song".…
Fisherman's Village Music Festival — you had us at The Helio Sequence, hook, line, and sinker. The Helio Sequence always deliver an amazing show, and this one promises to be extra special, as it's days before the Portland duo release a new record and hit the road for a national tour. New music abou…
Leave it to the musical pranksters at Shimmy Disc (Review Revue all-stars, to say the least) to release a tribute compilation to a joke band. The Rutles (note the pronunciation lesson below) were a Beatles-mocking vehicle created in the '70s by Monty Python's Eric Idle and Neil Innes, which ended u…
Foals frontman Yannis Phillipakis has 5+ water bottles put out for him every set, and he drinks maybe one of them during the Oxford quintet's set. That's because he kicks or sprays them on the audience, typically while taking a brief break from wailing on guitar or crowdsurfing in the audience. It …
Considering the early 80's were the heyday of The Dream Syndicate, you're forgiven if, like the song says, you're "just trying to remember the days of wine and roses". As leaders of the so-called Paisley Underground, the LA band carried the sounds of the previous decade, particularly of The Velvet …
Shabazz Palaces sound like no one else. Whether you call it "sci-fi", "way-out", "weirdo" or even "planetarium" rap, the Seattle duo's music might as well be in outer space considering how far off they sound from their contemporaries. But it's not like they don't want anyone else to follow. In its …
Looks like the Christmas spirit has nabbed even tortured ol' Trent Reznor! Late last week, he announced Nine Inch Nails will self-release a new EP on December 23 via the NIN website. Titled Not the Actual Events, a press release illuminates it's a collaboration between Reznor and his longtime coll…
