Bamboo is known for its uncanny ability to spring up from the ground, growing tall against all odds while covering everything in its path. With each sprout though, the stalks' compositions change, and an altogether different group of shoots emerge. Like the plants themselves, The Bamboos, a resilient Australian soul/funk band, since their inception in the early 2000's, have undergone many changes over the years from an instrumental funk outfit to a faster-paced blues-influenced pop group. After producing Fever in the Road, band mastermind Lance Ferguson brought vocalists Kylie Auldist and Ella Thompson on a brief stint along the West Coast, making appearances at various radio stations along the way. Luckily, the trio stopped by KEXP to perform some of their songs off the new album, and you can listen here to their stripped-down live set, including killer versions of "Avenger" and "Helpless Blues", here now:
After pumping out five albums in seven years, The Hold Steady were due for a break. But during the time between albums, the Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis band just couldn't keep from working. While vocalist Craig Finn released and toured a solo album of his own, guitarist Tad Kubler got the guys togethe…
Already, between the blazing Seattle sunlight and constant music he's been cranking out, it's been a solid summer for Chimurenga Renaissance's front-man and activist Tendai Maraire. After having released his album riZe vadZimu riZe in March, an ambitious collage of contemporary rap and traditional …
