When a band self-titles an album midway through their career, it's usually for one of two reasons: they've either run out of ideas or they've taken a significantly new tact. For Portland duo The Helio Sequence, the reason is obvious. Rather than mull over songs in their usual slow-going and contemplative process, they took inspiration from participating in a "20-Song Game" and recorded the new album in a burst of time. One month led to 26 songs, refined down to 10 glimmering tracks of effervescent pop-rock. Thanks to this quick and uncharacteristic process, The Helio Sequence have breathed new life into their sound, reinventing themselves, now 15 years into their career. On the day of the album's release, vocalist/guitarist Brandon Summers and drummer Benjamin Weikel dazzled us with an impeccable in-studio performance in the KEXP studio. Watch the full set here:
"I just wanna keep very, very quiet," admits Aly Spaltro (a.k.a Lady Lamb) at the end of the fourth verse of "Billions of Eyes". It's not an inaccurate statement, but it also doesn't mean she won't get loud when she needs to. Spaltro builds intricate songs that move through dynamics and lyrics more…
Staying in town this Memorial Day weekend? You can at least take a cultural trip around the world with the 44th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival, running May 22nd through 25th on Seattle Center grounds. You'll get to enjoy over 5,000 performers from over 65 different cultural communities, all for…
Showcasing tracks from his recently released MCIII on Merge Records, Californian singer-songwriter Mikal Cronin fills the KEXP live room with his most realized, beautifully arranged, and well-crafted works to date. With an ear for melody and and a knack for emotional resonance, tracks like the open…
This is a big summer for Fauna Shade. They have a new singles premiering, a showcase with KEXP, gigs at summer music festivals and features on Seattle radio stations. For singer Scotty Smith, it's the dream life. We got a chance to catch up with Smith during this whirlwind experience and ask him a …
