HEALTH's new record Death Magic has a pretty significant lead up to it. After working on a third album for some time, the band got an opportunity to work on the soundtrack for Rockstar's Max Payne 3, which they knocked out of the park in every plausible way. The extra time focused on production and…
The past half-decade has seen Jessica Dobson powering through an alt-rock dream career: touring with and joining The Shins, touring with Beck, Spoon, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and starting local cult favorite Deep Sea Diver with her husband Peter Mansen on drums. The first DSD release was the '09 EP…
We couldn't be more excited for Seattle electronic group Beat Connection, who've seen nothing but forward, progressive growth over the six years of their existence. From the nu-house leanings of their debut EP, Surf Noir, and the massive pop thresholds of Palace Garden, the band has reached a focal…
Part fresh-faced punks, part wise songwriters, Fox and the Law seem to always be creating expectations and then immediately defying them, dashing preconceptions as soon as their rich guitar riffs and vocals rife with sonic time bombs hit listeners' ears. This Seattle four-piece, not even two years …
DJ Cheryl Waters was infamously speechless after UK trio London Grammar performed live in the KEXP studios (watch that session here). We can't wait to hear what she thinks of the band's latest video for the track "Hey Now," filmed in stop-motion animation. Watch the breathtaking clip from their de…
Cock & Swan members Johnny Goss and Ola Hungerford make beautiful, yet mysteriously herky-jerky music. They compose songs in a dazey space and admit that's the realm in which they like to inhabit. Along with their own music, they've recorded and helped to produce albums for many Seattle bands, …
The bouncy garage rock of PAWS brings together a pleasant combination of the innocent music one starts to play when one first joins a band and the subtle, nuanced songwriting of seasoned veterans. The Edinburgh three-piece pack in the noise – punching out songs like a heavyweight contender. And the…
Formed in the span of a single weekend – after playing and writing seven songs without leaving a New Jersey house due to a flash flood – the members of Saint Rich play pop music in the vein of Franz Ferdinand and The Stokes. There is something spritely and up about the group's music, the snare alwa…
KEXP is back in Iceland this week, broadcasting live during Iceland Airwaves KEX Hostel in Reykjavik. On Wednesday, October 30, through Friday, November 1, we present 15 bands live on air, including Moses Hightower, Emilíana Torrini, Ásgeir, John Grant, Pétur Ben, Mono Town and many others. (See th…
What would a broadcast in Portland be without the city's most rocking political punk-pop band, The Thermals? Guitarist/vocalist Hutch Harris and bassist Kathy Foster have been pumping PDX audiences and fans all over the world for more than a decade with their high energy shows and thought-provoking…
Do you like dancing in your underwear? Yeah? Do you like dancing in public in your underwear? Well, !!!'s Nic Offer sure does. For their performance at KEXP's broadcast from Doug Fir Lounge during Musicfest NW, the frenetic frontman stripped down to his Some Girls-inspired skivvies before thrusting…
Formed on the campus of the University of Washington, the young men of Beat Connection play dance music infused with a bit of magical realism. With digital production, live guitar and drums, their songs slink, jump and dive. Accompanied on Portland’s MusicFest Northwest stage for a few songs by the…
With 9 LPs under his belt as part of the group Matt Pond PA, Matt Pond has dropped the "PA" to undertake a solo career. This East Coast born-and-raised singer/songwriter began playing music during college and eventually scored gigs opening for bands like Bikini Kill and Superchunk. While his debut …
When we last left off, the crew and I were on our way to the Parc Expo where a majority of the Trans Musicales shows are held. It’s a 15 minute shuttle ride from the neighborhood where we are staying. The Parc Expo is a large compound of warehouses the size of airline hangers to accommodate the app…
Local Natives might as well be full-time residents at KEXP. With their sunny indie rock melodies and radiant vocal harmonies, the LA-based quintet have cranked out three amazing albums since 2009, including their joyous 2016 release, Sunlit Youth, which finds the band taking their expansive folk-po…
KEXP is excited to be heading back to Katowice, Poland for our third year at the OFF Festival, this Friday, August 4th through Sunday, August 6th! (See our coverage from years past here.) Our goal, as always when partnering with amazing festivals like OFF, is to discover and share new music from ac…
The Radio Dept. don't seem like your typical "summer festival" style band. On their most recent album, 2016's Running Out of Love, the Swedish duo paired their dreamy '80s-influenced synthpop with fierce, biting lyrics towards their homeland's government. But, somehow, the group got the bros and te…
It's difficult to figure out which part of singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews' music is most appealing. Her Saturday afternoon set at the Yeti Stage brought it all: timeless country-folk songwriting, warm melodies, and strong, but understated support from her backing band. Her song selection …
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…
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 Mid…
