Last night Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with enthusiasm and fanfare fit for one of the most influential bands of our time. With the 20th anniversary of frontman Kurt Cobain's death barely behind us, there was the question of who would fill in for him at the induction ce…
Seattle continues to prove how rich a music scene it really has. Sam Anderson, who plays in the popular Hey Marseilles, is continuing the trend of band members in well-established groups putting out solo projects that blow people’s minds. Before him just a few months ago, Benjamin Verdoes of Iska D…
Happy Boxing Day! Even if you are not particularly familiar with the catalog of the Pogues (and if you aren't, what is wrong with you?) you have most likely heard their song "Fairytale of New York" - in fact, you've probably heard it in the past month or so, as over the past twenty-five years it ha…
Considering all of the terrific live sessions Cheryl Waters is witness to in the KEXP live room, it's rare she'd be knocked speechless after a first song. But clearly London Grammar has learned from the best. Through the moody atmospherics of guitarist Dan Rothman and keyboardist Dot Major and the …
This weekend, the streets will be alive with the sound of music – the Seattle way! There are a ton of terrific bands to see and hear this year at the Capitol Hill Block Party, from The Flaming Lips and Dirty Projectors to La Luz to Pickwick. Whole areas of Capitol Hill will be blocked off from traf…
There's been one name on the lips of every credible music news source for the last two weeks: Disclosure. The band has been gaining buzz with excellent singles and some great international dance chart action in the six months, but two weeks out from their album's release, the duo - Surrey brothers …
Like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' headlining performance on Friday night, The Lumineers' Monday evening set felt like the culmination of a whirlwind year that started with a little help from Seattle. In January 2012, John Richards began playing "Ho Hey" back-to-back on the Morning Show, the song bega…
Fans of The Joy Formidable are used to seeing guitarist and vocalist Ritzy Bryan thrashing about wild-eyed on stage, practically destroying her guitar, her amps and the audience's ears. She and bassist/vocalist Rhydian Dafydd and percussionist Matthew James Thomas always seem to keep it together, …
There are a lot of great showcases happening around the SXSW this year, but one the most anticipated events kicking off the music portion of the conference on Wednesday, March 13, is NPR Music's Showcase at Stubb's with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cafe Tacvba, Alt-J, Youth Lagoon,…
Deep Sea Diver have been kicking around in one form or another since 2007, but last year, the Jessica Dobson-led group spent a fair amount of time outside of the studio, taking the kinetic pop songs from their album History Speaks on the road while Dobson wasn't playing with another guitar-centric …
KEXP seems to get gayer every year, and this year's Big Gay Podcast, featuring twenty tracks spanning more than 40 years, is no exception. With everything from vintage queer country to an electronic interpretation of a black metal classic, El Toro's 2014 roundup of songs by, for, and about the LGB…
These are a few of Greg Vandy's favorite things in The Roadhouse and out. Most of his Top 10 LPs are represented here, but also his favorite songs of the year. It was a great year in music! Download, share, and tune into The Roadhouse on Wednesdays from 6-9pm for what's hot in the new year. 1. Pr…
KEXP presents rotating art shows in its public Gathering Space.
Every year, Seattle gets a small taste of Sasquatch! Music Festival at home four months before the festival takes place. Sasquatch! Launch Party is a great event every single year, both with or without context. As the rain beats down on the dreariest months of the Seattle year, we all dream of Memo…
In this conversation between Kassa Overall and his former teacher, we hear how Mr. Robert Knatt learned aspects of his teaching philosophy from his own high school band teacher.
This week in El Sonido, I’ve got a video round-up and mixtape preview of Primavera Sound 2017.First though, a quick recap of my favorite things from last year. Hands down I have to say my favorite performance from 2016's edition of Primavera was PJ Harvey. I've been a super fan since the early 90s,…
The Growlers perform live on KEXP in Seattle, Washington
Legendary '90s dream pop band Luna have reunited and are releasing two new albums on September 22 via Double Feature. One is a covers album called A Sentimental Education and the other is an instrumental EP entitled A Place of Greater Safety. They've previously shared a few songs off A Sentimental …
Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard announced in December that he was covering Teenage Fanclub's 1991 album Bandwagonesque in its entirety. Today, he released his version of "The Concept." Gibbard explained why he was covering that particular album: “Bandwagonesque is my favorite record by my favorit…
