Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be a phenomenally awesome trend happening right now where dance bands are accompanying thumping tracks with a lyrical message of higher understanding and deeper self-knowing. Last fall, Cut Copy gave us Free Your Mind, a record musically inspired by rave cultu…
Carla dal Forno is an Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, currently based in Berlin. Beginning in underground groups F Ingers, Tarcar, and Mole House, Carla has emerged as a distinctive solo artist, releasing her critically-acclaimed solo debut album You Know What It's Like in …
On the second day of Bumbershoot, Seattle garage-rock duo Pony Time played their final show to a full house in the KEXP Gathering Space on Saturday afternoon. Luke Beetham (vocals/bass) and Stacy Peck (drums) did not disappoint, turning out their usual bass-heavy tracks, highly danceable as evidenc…
Seattle-based DJ and producer Waylon Dungan (a.k.a. WD4D) has been a staple on the local DJ scene for well over a decade now. Consistently bringing his top-notch song selection, fresh mixing skills, and positive energy to each and every party and mixtape, WD4D also brings his lively, progressive st…
Gilligan Moss is an emerging NYC-via-Chicago electronic producer that recently was invited to open up for Glass Animals on tour after the band heard his hotly-tipped remix of their track "Gooey." He just released his colorful debut EP, Ceremonial, on August 14th and he'll be playing Seattle's Decib…
Björk opens her heart to the world today... literally! Check out the video for "Lionsong," a stunning track from her latest Vulnicura. The video was created in collaboration with Björk, Inez & Vinoodh, and visual effects production house Framestore, and features the Icelandic artist dancing in…
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, featured on the Midday …
Expansions began in late 1995 as the brainchild of Riz Rollins as a response to the burgeoning acid jazz scene that was enjoying popularity in local clubs but underexposed on the local airwaves. Even at its inception, it has always been important that the show not be commanded by any monolithic sty…
Vancouver, BC-based multi-instrumentalist and electronic producer Pomo (real name David Pimentel) has skyrocketed over the past couple years to become a standout figure within a crowd of young artists adding a fresh and colorful slant to club music. Recently joining the likes of Kaytranada, Ta-Ku, …
British electronic duo Maribou State (Chris Davids & Liam Ivory) have been producing consistently high-quality deep lush house grooves over the past five years with early releases on Fat!, Southern Fried, and Anjunadeep Records. Their new album, Portraits, marked their debut for Counter/Ninja T…
Nordic Soul, the DJ and production alias of Decibel Festival founder/director Sean Horton, kicks off Midnight In A Perfect World with a brilliant mix inspired by the thrilling and mysterious roller coaster known as LOVE. Launching off with a beautiful a capella from The Beatles, Nordic Soul's mix s…
Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole soars with this mix of new power pop, hip-hop, glam infused soul, and house featuring Katie Kate, Perfect Pussy, Dum Dum Girls, Hercules & Love Affair and more. 1. The Baseball Project - From Nails To Thumbtacks 2. Cheap Star - Kelly Slayer 3. Dum Dum Girls - Ri…
A year after his debut album release, it is no doubt that Benjamin Booker is a rockstar. He's played the festival main stages, toured across the country, and even guitar dueled with Jack White. It's deserved notoriety for a man who makes such a unique blend of punk, rock, blues and folk. And even w…
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by DJ John Richards is "Heavier" by Odesza and Yellow House from the 2023 album Flaws In Our Design on Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune
San Francisco-based DJ/producer Jessica Phillippe, a.k.a. J.Phlip, has been a force in the underground club circuit for over a decade now, establishing herself as one of the savviest selectors and precise mixers behind the decks as well as a crafty technician as a producer. Ever since her debut sin…
Beacon is the project of Brooklyn-based duo Jacob Gossett and Thomas Mullarney III. The two have unveiled a top-notch brand of dark, seductive R&B-tinged electro-pop over two albums and a few EPs for stellar American electronic music label Ghostly International, most recently on their fantastic…
Kastle is the alias of Los Angeles-based DJ/producer Barrett Richards, a constantly evolving and forward-thinking artist that also runs the hotly-tipped Symbols record label. Initially emerging onto the scene with a fresh club sound that fused house, R&B, bass, and pop in a seamless fashion, hi…
Rap Class is the alias of Portland's John Kammerle, a vast resource of knowledge and skills as a DJ, a chameleonic and exploratory electronic producer, a school music teacher, and also a founding member of the beloved Dropping Gems collective. While he's offered up his own productions on releases f…
For a band celebrating The Age of Fracture, CYMBALS sure form a cohesive sound. On their debut, the UK foursome may shirk "concepts", but their songs are nevertheless about ideas – about "action and desire", "the city", "working", "love" and so much more – but they're even more about dancing and el…
It seems like forever ago that Toro Y Moi were lumped in with the chillwave movement, but across the last four years and three albums, Chaz Bundick’s music and (and it’s four person live incarnation) have gradually evolved into something bigger than a blogosphere-darling bedroom project: a fully-fl…