Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, selected by Afternoon S…
Those Pretty Wrongs frontman Jody Stephens was a key member of the seminal Memphis band Big Star, but while he was behind the drum kit in that outfit, he's front and center on his new project with Luther Russell (The Freewheelers). In this acoustic performance, Stephens and Russell's so…
Love & Hate, the sophomore release from soulful UK artist Michael Kiwanuka was a fave for many KEXP DJs last year. (It was even a nominee for the prestigious Mercury Award in 2016.) Kiwanuka revisits the release with a video for the track "Cold Little Heart" -- watch below. The video was direc…
There was a palpable moment of anticipation in the crowd right before Mitski Miyawaki hit the most pivotal D chord in the evening, the one that kickstarts the massive chorus of "Your Best American Girl", song-of-the-year candidate and the track pushed the Brooklyn musician's buzz from slight rumbli…
If Killer Mike had my favorite show at Sasquatch, Chvrches gets to take favorite pop show of the weekend. Where their albums are already pretty perfect in the realm of pop - the live performance blew them out of the water. Lauren Mayberry's vocals are so close to sweet that it's almost bitter - she…
Alejandro Escovedo - that's all I knew about the True Believers when KEXP's lineup for SXSW at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop was first announced. OK, then someone mentioned it was his mid 80's band, a crew that had a brush with fame, but never quite broke through. They had label issues, personnel cha…
Com Truise gave Seattle exactly one week with his interstellar new record Wave 1 before his show here Tuesday night. This is producer Seth Haley's first Seattle stop since Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2012, where he rocked the roof off the dance tent in middle of the day. If Tuesday night's sold ou…
I remember the first time I heard "Swim" by Surfer Blood - it was summer, I was looking for the kind of joyous surf rock that would reflect the hot/cold feelings of a northern summer. They might be from Florida, but their music has the touch of the East Coast that I needed that summer, and apparent…
Last night, during a performance at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, The National debuted a new song called "Prom Song 13th Century (Frankie and Johnny)". Joining them onstage was Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, who added a unique element to the moody track. They ended the performance with an im…
It was the perfect way to celebrate Donor Appreciation Night: last Friday, August 1st, the 2014 Concerts at the Mural series kicked off in a BIG way, with record-breaking attendance at the Seattle Center's Mural Amphitheatre lawn. Donors were invited to wear their KEXP t-shirts, and it was absolute…
On January 13, 1968, Johnny Cash walked through the gates of Folsom State Prison in California. He had written the track "Folsom Prison Blues" after watching the movie Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, and had always wanted to perform the song, well, inside the walls. He performed two shows for th…
Writing these pieces often causes me to reflect on how lucky I am to have grown up in a town with multiple college radio stations playing obscure, often difficult, music. It didn't hurt that it was also a town that produced brilliant bands such as Mission of Burma, Morphine, and today's subject, Bi…
RNDM - the side project of Joseph Arthur, Richard Stuverud, and Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament - performed their song "Disappearing Acts" on Conan last night. Their performance felt like it was straight out of the 50s, complete with doowop hairstyles (wigs?) and very dapper suits. It was even filmed…
Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg is known for never shying away from political content in his songs. (As he sings on the track "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards", musing about music journalists who ask, "Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is / I offer him embarrassment and my usual ex…
On November 5, we learned the horrible news that Mimi Parker of the band Low had lost her battle to ovarian cancer. Mimi was only 55 when she passed, but had done so much in her life as a mother, as a musician, and as a human. She was married to Alan Sparhawk, her bandmate. They met in grade school…
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind. Our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News. So there is this band that is going to be stopping by my show next Tuesday. Maybe you’ve heard of them - Pixies? Yeah. T…
Review by Clare McGrane, DJ assistant for Wo'Pop on KEXP
The new song was initially inspired by the Cars' track "Drive" and comes about after years of tinkering
Meklit and Diana Gameros bring a powerful night of music to Seattle and Wo Pop DJ Assistant Emily Slider was on the scene.
The song was initially intended to be included on last year's Indigo.
