Alt-J have shared an incredibly cinematic video for "Pleader," off their latest album Relaxer, released back in June. Directed by Isaiah Seret, the exact plot is difficult to derive but according to the band: "When we set out to make a video for 'Pleader,' Joe sent the following one-line brief to d…
Next on the broadcast live from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves was the genre-bending psych-pop/blues/avant-garde band Fai Baba. Based in Zurich, Fai Baba is the solo project of Fabian Sigmund, accompanied by a varied lineup of musicians over the years. Fai Baba began about 10 years ago, after Fabia…
Hibou, the moniker of Seattle songwriter Peter Michel, returns with a new LP entitled Something Familiar out March 2 via Barsuk Records. The album follows up on the project's 2015 self-titled debut, which Michel recorded in a walk-in closet. This time around he's recorded with a full-band at Chris …
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Cheryl Waters, host of the Midday Show on KEXP, is "Chasing Rainbows" by Rose City Band,from the 2023 album Garden Party on Thrill Jockey.
It's the quintessential story of grunge, or at least how we've come to know the Seattle music scene of the '80s and '90s. It involves friends, music, an isolated region, heroin, grief and rampant commercialism. It's the story of talent lost too soon before its time, and of the musicians who gathere…
Want a great example of how to get hugely popular as a band without losing your soul? Look no further than Alberta electronic duo Purity Ring. The band's 2012 debut, Shrines, was an instant classic, mixing dark Canadian electronic textures with essences of hip-hop, all graced by the soaring vocal p…
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Cheryl Waters, host of The Midday Show on KEXP, is "Only Lonely" by Rose City Band, from the 2020 album Summerlong on Thrill Jockey.
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by John Richards, host of The Morning Show on KEXP, is "Long in the Tooth" by The Budos Band, from the 2020 album Long in the Tooth on Daptone Records.
As the very first Francophone band signed to Sub Pop, Corridor prove that they’re worth their salt with their third studio album, Junior. In this episode, Troy Nelson explores the history of the Montreal band and the swift making of the 2019 record.
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Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, host of Drive Time on KEXP, is "The Best God Damn Band in Wyoming" by No-No Boy, from the 2021 album 1975 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Wow, another year of Bumbershoot action already over, and what a ride it was! This year's festival was truly a different beast. With the new overhead having a full year to strategize and plan logistics, it seemed like by day 3, a lot of these were starting to go out the window. Crowd rushing in the…
We have reached day one of Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, and the anticipation in Reykjavik is palatable. Locals and visitors alike are milling about town, getting ready for the big week to come. Here at KEX Hostel, KEXP is putting the finishing touches on preparations for an incredible week of l…
Scottish post-rock band Mogwai are releasing their 9th studio album in twenty years called Every Country's Sun next week. We got a taste of the album via previously released tracks "Coolverine" and "Party In The Dark" but today they're giving us a non-album track, the B-side to "Party In The Dark" …
Singer-songwriter Jenny Mae Leffel passed away over the weekend at the age of 49, from "complications due to alcoholism." The Columbus, Ohio-based artist started out in the band Vibralux before branching out for a solo career as "Jenny Mae." She released two albums -- her now tragically-titled 19…
The War On Drugs also have a highly-anticipated forthcoming album, A Deeper Understanding. In promotion for the album, the band has recorded a cover of Warren Zevon's "Accidentally Like A Martyr" for the Spotify Singles series. They also recorded a live version of lead single "Holding On." A Deeper…
You read that right. We're just as surprised to learn of his passing as you are. Chris Cornell, who was found dead in his Detroit hotel room late last night, has been a Seattle institution for decades, having formed Soundgarden in 1984 and predating in popularity nearly all of the so-called "grunge…
Not sure of any Seattle sightings, but mysterious posters have been popping up in cities like London, Amsterdam, and Brooklyn. Bearing statements like "Worse Politicians/More Fear" and "More Public Fear/More Private Security," the words echo the lyrics of "Fitter Happier" the opening track of Radi…
When Molly Sides takes the stage fronting her band Thunderpussy, it'd be easy to mistake her for a cybernetically enhanced superhuman. How else could anyone prowl the stage and howl so ferociously? Amazingly, Sides is human like the rest of us. However, in director/writer Robert McGinley's new film…
