Timely does not even begin to describe the new record from NYC rappers Heems and Riz MC, a.k.a. Swet Shop Boys. While it's depressing as hell, these two dudes seriously could not have picked a better week to drop an album about basic human rights being put up into contention. As the race towards Vo…
Back in 1989, The Replacements covered the song "Another Girl Another Planet," originally by late '70s UK power-punk band The Only Ones, and it never would've happened if not for their former manager Peter Jesperson, who put the song on a mix tape for the tour van. Jesperson will be familiar to KEX…
There are few producers on the scene today with as much silent sway as Clams Casino. Over the last six years especially, the New Jersey beat-maker has completely changed the approach to emotion and empathy in beat-making. Artists like A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller, and Vince Staples have been able to thri…
If you call yourself an Arcade Fire fan and have seen the band at least once in the live setting, there's a good chance that you need absolutely no introduction to Will Butler. When Arcade Fire skyrocketed to the moon amongst the Reflektor hype of 2013, it was clear that the one facet of their musi…
Tegan and Sara have been writing beautiful, heart-breaking music for quite a few years now. Different fans swear by them for different reasons, but a common thread runs through them all: Tegan and Sara evoke the dynamic emotion of real relationship better than nearly any other band. Ever. Fans used…
Each week, The Cobain 50 will dig into Kurt Cobain's famous list of his top 50 albums and how those artists influenced the sound of Nirvana.
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Martin Douglas dives into Rock for Light by Bad Brains. It's a story of how Black punks from one Washington (D.C.) influenced punk in the other Washington (state).
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Dusty Henry dives into It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, the voice of what was really happening in America, particularly within Black communities.
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Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas dive into the three albums by the Portland band Wipers, the band with the most entries on Kurt's list (unless you count "anything by Kleenex").
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In all the press shots for their new album, Swedish indie rock veterans Peter Bjorn and John are decked out in custom jumpsuits and armed with cartoon tools. They look like they are ready for a day of work at the zaniest garage or gear shop that you've ever seen. And yet, the imagery is fitting, pe…
If there's a band member sweating on stage during Philip Selway's sets, how is it not going to be the drummer? Selway's work with Radiohead through the late 90s, 2000s, and even the 2010s continuously reinvents how we see and hear the art of drumming in the modern rock and electronic atmosphere. Th…
Join KEXP on Monday, September 16th as we celebrate the music of Mexico to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month and commemorate Mexican Independence Day.
From September 15 to October 15, KEXP will center voices from some of our favorite Latinx and Latinx-American artists.
The title says it all: Animal Collective have released a new single titled "Kinda Bonkers." Listen below, via a lyric video by animator/director Jack Kubizne. The track will be included on their upcoming EP, The Painters, a companion to last year's full-length Painting With. It'll feature three ne…
It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since beloved Northwest singer/songwriter Elliott Smith released his now-classic LP Either/Or. For its anniversary, Kill Rock Stars is releasing an expanded reissue with live tracks from the 1997 Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia, WA, as well as previously u…
Earlier this year, everyone's favorite bald vegan returned with a new project, Moby & the Pacific Void Orchestra. A track from their debut LP These Systems Are Failing was already a KEXP Song of the Day pick (listen here), and today, we've got a video for the track "Break. Doubt." Watch below.…
It's the end of the year, alright, but I don't know how fine you're feeling. R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe joined Stephen Colbert and actor James Franco for a spirited, updated rendition of the 1987 single "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" last night on CBS' The Late Show with S…
The collaboration between Hamilton, Ontario musicians Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, Junior Boys have been KEXP favorites for over a decade now with their sophisticated spin on slinky, emotional synth-pop. Showing no signs of slowing down, the duo have had a productive and successful 2016, rele…
In its 21st year, Capitol Hill Block Party feels more like a party than ever. The first day alone proved that people were willing to forgo their post-work tiredness and rage in the streets to Run The Jewels, Wolf Parade, and Mura Masa. CHBP may have the budget to keep bringing in larger and larger …
Earlier this year, we got a sneak peek at the new alt-J album as the UK trio stopped by KEXP for an in-studio session. Now, the entire LP is out -- a release KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls, "their most adventurous, ranging from catchy prog-pop and solemn atmospheric folk ballads to decidedly o…
