Okay, sure, this show was almost, like, a month ago, but I'm still reeling from seeing former Stereolab frontwoman Laetitia Sadier perform at the Vera Project. The influential artist spotlighted tracks from last year's Drag City solo full-length Something Shines, as well as her most recent single "…
The Decemberists waste no time. Earlier this year they released the LP What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World and now they're back at it. Today they've announced plans to release a 5-track EP of songs that didn't make the album, called Florasongs, on October 9. Listen to the album's opening…
My Morning Jacket return with their seventh studio album, The Waterfall, on May 4th via ATO Records/Capitol Records. It'll be the band's first release since 2011’s Circuital, and the first of two new albums planned for this year. Jim James and friends have shared a video trailer for the album, fea…
Canada’s musical climate got a couple of degrees cooler this year with the debut self titled release of Toronto’s Alvvays. During their journey through Seattle, the band turned the KEXP live room into cosmic ocean of tranquility with their gleaming melodies, luxurious tones and the haunting beauty …
No, we haven't time-warped to twenty years ago: on this holiday week, the reissues and anniversary editions dominate the new release list. One of the highlights is the reissue of Flake Music's 1997 debut (and sole release) When You Land Here, It’s Time to Return. Flake Music was an early incarnatio…
It's enough to make you curl up screaming in the fetal position – the number of amazing Icelandic releases in 2013, that is. As if 2012 wasn't already such a great year, but damn, 2013 proves there's no end to the wealth of talent on the arctic island. Since they're each so great in different ways,…
Dance label LuckyMe is releasing a new, free song a every day until Christmas as a part of their own amazing advent calendar. Today's offering (Day 17) is "Terra Star" from Scottish producer Rustie. It's a more intense version of his song "City Star" that he released last year. Download it here, a…
Brooklyn synthpop trio Au Revoir Simone are back after a four year hiatus, and we were thrilled to have them as part of our CMJ broadcast from Judson Memorial Church. After a lovely walk around Washington Square Park with their young superfan, we stopped for a chat about parenthood, '80s beats, and…
Earlier this year, post-punk legends Wire conceived of a music festival, DRILL. Frontman Colin Newman explains, "The concept is simple: it's an unpretentious city festival featuring artists from across all genres actively curated by Wire with a lot of input from local, informed media partners. The …
Some artists come out of their bedroom studios only to return to the comfort of their four-tracks, and some emerge from the loft and never go back. Stuart McLamb, the creative force behind North Carolina's The Love Language, clearly falls into the latter category. Even when he was technologically l…
Last year Frankie Rose, formerly of the dream pop bands Vivian Girls/Crystal Stilts/Dum Dum Girls, stepped into her own solo career and released her breezy debut album, Interstellar. This September she will follow it up with Herein Wild and today we have the first single to sink our teeth into. "S…
A few days after releasing their excellent debut album Amok, Atoms For Peace have revealed the first live dates behind their new LP. In addition to the DJ sets Thom York and Nigel Godrich announced for last week, the whole band has been confirmed for three European festivals in mid-July. According …
Farewell, Kevin Ayers. The co-founder of the pastoral prog-rock group The Soft Machine in the late 60s and celebrated solo artist died two days ago in his sleep. Ayers had came out of a 15-year reclusive existence in France in 2007 to release The Unfairground, on which he collaborated with member…
You won't be surprised to that members of Song Sparrow Research have roots in jazz and choir. As friends and classmates, Hamilton Boyce and David Balatero were both in school bands at Seattle's Garfield High, and now make lush folk-tinged chamber pop as together in this five member band. Equally a…
It's been a big year for Chicano Batman. The L.A. four-piece released the Freedom is Free, their third album in total and first on big-time indie label ATO Records. They made their first appearance on late night TV, performing on Conan in May, and hit the festival circuit hard, playing top slots at…
When Seattle prog-rock purveyors Merso released last year's Red World, they sought to examine what it's like to become a monster, drawing heavily from Alan Moore's iconic run of the Swamp Thing comics. Monsters can be a hard thing to define. They're not always the mythic beasts we see in literature…
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 DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Afte…
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 DJs think you should hear. This week, we are featuring songs …
Lord Huron have always resided in a cinematic world. Their debut album Lonesome Dreams transported us into a Spaghetti Western, all sprawling Americana and vast horizons. Last year, the indie folk band’s cinematic sound met real cinema when their song “The Night We Met” was used pivotally and repea…
Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole lays down fifteen of his current faves including new music from The Heavenly States, EZTV, The Space Merchants, Ezra Furman, and OCnotes. Perfect soundtrack for driving the backstreets or interstellar escapades. 1. The Cairo Gang - Be What You Are 2. EZTV - Bury Yo…
