This fall, Cults will release their first new record in four years, Offering. "I Took Your Picture" is the second single shared from the forthcoming LP, after the title track. The band says they were inspired by the Motels and the Cars for the track. “It’s a song about fleeting moments and how we l…
Wolf Parade are releasing their first album in seven years, Cry Cry Cry, on October 6 via Sub Pop. Today they've unveiled the album's second single "You're Dreaming" which was inspired by the shock and confusion following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It's accompanied by a cut-out visual mad…
As the sun began to set on The Gorge Amphitheater, The Head and the Heart played a memorable set at Day 1 of Sasquatch Music Festival, representing Seattle in the Eastern Washington Sasquatch setting. Despite Josiah Johnson still being absent from the band, the band still demonstrated their ability…
Australia's golden child of the past couple years, Courtney Barnett, has released a brand new old song, a track she used to perform often at open mics when she was just starting out. Titled "How To Boil An Egg," it has finally been recorded and released for our listening pleasure. The single is bei…
The pioneering British project fronted by Alison Goldfrapp and accompanied by producer Will Gregory, Goldfrapp debuted in 2000 with their landmark trip-hop album Felt Mountain and have steadily evolved their cinematic blend of propulsive electro-pop and sophisticated ambient-pop over the past 17 ye…
I was flipping through the R section in KEXP's vinyl library the other day when I stumbled across several records by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (which is exactly what should happen when you're flipping through the R section in any radio station worth its salt). It occurred to me at the moment - as h…
Holy Fuck! Noise upon noise, wires upon wires, dance beats upon dance beats - and a dinner knife traversing a slide guitar? Yep, that's how the unconventional Canadian electronica gang Holy Fuck rolls when performing songs off their new album, Congrats, which magnifies their noise-enthusiast, gear-…
In what's easily become a summer tradition for many KEXP listeners, the 4th Annual Timber! Outdoor Music Festival kicks off tonight in beautiful Carnation, WA. It's more than just a music festival: it's a beautiful escape to Tolt-Macdonald Park with recreation tree climbing, swimming, kayaking, an…
Seattle's Joe Martinez brings old-school skills into a contemporary world every time he gets behind his beloved turntables as Scratchmaster Joe to unleash his wildly unpredictable sets. The renowned turntablist has competed in DJ battles all over the world, and his workmanlike philosophy towards DJ…
"Cheers to evolution, cheers to knowing where you are going, cheers to the future.” Those were Trevor Power's parting words as Boise and the U.S. said goodbye to Youth Lagoon on the final night of Treefort Music Fest. It was a moment Boise was surely dreading, but after a fun day with acts such as …
Every year, EMP's Sound Off! competition showcases emerging stars in the all-ages music scene. Previous winners have included The Lonely Forest, Dyme Def, Sol, Kithkin, Brothers from Another, Manatee Commune, Fauna Shade, Schoolyard Heroes, Tomten, and Brite Futures, just to name a few. This Saturd…
All this year, KEXP has been hosting a series of unique fun events to raise money for our New Home campaign! Back in October, we hosted a two day showcase in Portland, one at Holocene and the other at Doug Fir. While there, we were fortunate to work with Louie Herr and Aaron Colter of Banana Stand …
Rap Class is the alias of Portland's John Kammerle, a vast resource of knowledge and skills as a DJ, a chameleonic and exploratory electronic producer, a school music teacher, and also a founding member of the beloved Dropping Gems collective. While he's offered up his own productions on releases f…
Indie rockers Ra Ra Riot will release their fourth studio album Need Your Light on February 19. Today, the band has shared the video for the album track "Water," which was directed by Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij. They have an extensive promotional tour planned for early next year, and on M…
Danish psych-rock band Mew returned to the KEXP studios in support of their first album in six years, + - (pronounced "plus minus"). It ended up being quite an appropriate title. Plus: the return of founding bassist Johan Wohlert, who left the band in 2006 before the birth of his first child. Minus…
Next on the live video broadcast from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival was popular Icelandic rap group Úlfur Úlfur. Comprised of rappers Arnar Freyr and Helgi Sæmundur with a rotating group of musicians, they combine hard rock, post rock, melodic choruses and hard rap. They debuted wit…
It's been a few years since we've heard from Denver band DeVotchKa, and in that time they've been doing the usual - you know, gardening, making babies, growing beards, writing ballets - just not releasing new material... at least not yet. Between occasional shows and a handful of concerts with the …
Joe Jackson has never been an easy artist to pin down. His first album's lean, edgy, punk-leaning pop sound has aged incredibly well and influenced a thousand bands (without Look Sharp!, I maintain, there is no Spoon), but over the 35-plus years since then he has constantly played with different fo…
What a great way to kick off 2015: our very first in-studio session of the year was with Canadian musical craftsmen Dan Mangan + Blacksmith. On his fourth album, Club Meds, out now on Arts & Crafts, the Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter expands into new sonic soundscapes with his band, Black…
The guys from ADHD keep busy with a multitude of projects, but that's not to say they distract easily. In fact, since forming on a whim in 2008, this award-winning Icelandic super-group of sorts has produced five albums of expressive avant jazz. But still, bringing brothers Óskar and Ómar Guðjónsso…