Soul legend Mavis Staples has announced a new album called If All I Was Was Black. The album was produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, a regular collaborator with Staples since 2010. The title track has been shared, as well as the cover art and tracklist. Tweedy said of the political messages within the…
Elvis Costello was in fine form at his solo show at The Paramount Theatre on Sunday night. The very nearly sold-out crowd was abuzz with anticipation, and there was a palpable sense that this was going to be a special event. The stage was dressed with several guitars, a piano, a high backed chair o…
Maybe its circumstantial that one well-attended set from a guitar-wielding songwriter was followed by another well-attended set from a guitar-wielding songwriter, but the Yeti Stage at Sasquatch was on fire on late Friday afternoon between Hozier and Austin's Shakey Graves. The musician (and former…
Chick Corea, the influential jazz keyboardist and composer, has died. The news was confirmed by Dan Muse, Corea’s web and marketing manager, who confirmed the cause of death as “a rare form of cancer which was only discovered very recently.” Corea was 79.
In May 2010 Eric Satie's Vexations was performed at Jack Straw Productions. This continuous 18 hour performance was made possible with the skill of numerous Seattle pianists. Roger Nelson's hour long shift was beautiful and a great way to close 2010.
The sun was beating down on the Gorge and the wind was sweeping dangerously through the canyon- but walking into the Sasquatch! Music Festival this year was magical to say the very least. It was apparent that things were going to get crazy with this year's genre spanning lineup - including everybod…
I’m stunned and shocked at Prince’s passing. I wish I was in Seattle to do my show today, but I’m out of the country traveling, lucky to be with a small group of friends and loved ones from Minneapolis from back in the day, several of whom worked with me at First Avenue, and worked on Purple Rain, …
Day 2 of Capitol Hill Block Party 2013 was flurry from beginning to end. Pike street was flooded like never before with ridiculous numbers pushing this way and that to every stage. Capitol Hill Block Party gives great exposure to small bands that deserve a bigger setup, and today’s action was no ex…
The band was currently on tour in South America. Hawkins was 50.
Sunflower Bean - I Was Home - from the 2016 album Human Ceremony on Fat Possum Records.
There's not a lot out there in Internet-land about Third Circle - or even about their label, Rouska - despite the fact that pretty much everybody at KCMU in 1986 seemed to agree that their debut release was some version of "good." Discogs and this one other blog post agree that Third Circle was mos…
The Pittsburgh rapper and producer was found in his San Fernando Valley home after an apparent drug overdose. He was 26.
Next on the KEXP broadcast live from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves 2016 was incredibly talented American singer Adia Victoria. Hailing from South Carolina, Adia was raised by a devout seventh-day-adventist family, and was isolated from much of popular culture for most of her childhood. In high sch…
After reports of being missing, the Scottish songwriter’s body was found last night in Port Edgar. He was 36.
Acid Arab - Gul l'Abi (feat. A-WA) - from the 2016 album Musique de France on Crammed Discs.
Chalk it up to: You'll never see that again. Last week, Mercury Prize winners and KEXP fan-favorites Alt-J performed their headlining Seattle debut at the Crocodile, a venue whose size they've long outgrown. While previously they opened for Grouplove at the Moore (and I'd say at least half the full…
Yesterday, M.I.A. teased a new song, and today we get the whole dang thing: hear the single "P.O.W.A." below via a video directed by Maya Arulpragasam (aka M.I.A.) herself. She also tweeted a lyric sheet if you'd like to sing along with the "wa wa wa wa / pa pa pa pa" chorus. [ Stereogum ]
Dave Grohl was born to be a performer. From the applause of his first cries, which you'll hear about below, he has proven himself an accomplished rock star (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), documentary director (Sound City: Real to Reel), and now engaging public speaker. This year, Grohl was honored as the …
The news comes after it was reported earlier this week that the songwriter had gone missing. Jayne was 46 years old.
