It took losing her voice for Wye Oak to rediscover theirs. On the heels of their successful previous album, Civilian, the Baltimore duo were playing arenas, opening for acts like The National and The Decemberists. And then, sadly, frontwoman Jenn Wasner developed vocal-cord nodules, and under docto…
Leeds band Eagulls know how to incorporate punk fuzz and poppy hooks into a hard-hitting blend of speedy percussion, chainsaw reverb, and, well, demonic possession. Notorious for their thoughts on the so-called 'beach-bands' out right now, Eagulls aren't looking to make any long-time friends with a…
Where does a young band go after making a name for themselves with a gorgeous album like Dye It Blonde, of Nuggets-mining jangly psych pop? They dig deeper. At least, that's what Smith Westerns did on their followup, Soft Will, as they dig deeper both into the history of rock and their own songwrit…
Hot on the heels of the release of excellent new album Avalanche, Danish soul duo Quadron are touring the states and bringing the marvelous combination of Robin Hannibal's production and Coco O's angelic voice to the stage. While Hannibal was not on stage with Coco and the band, their tunes still c…
Back in October, we took the first opportunity we had to bring Scottish group Django Django live on air. Their self-titled debut, soon to be nominated for a Mercury Prize, had been released just the day before, and a full U.S. tour was still a dream, but the band was able to drop by the Cutting Roo…
Even with the most voracious of music fans, there's still likely a certain feel or sound that comes to mind when you see the word "jazz." Maybe it's the swing of the music or that magical feeling of seventh chords walking down a piano. For others, it might be the drone of smooth jazz or the coolnes…
It's looking like we'll have a new Arcade Fire album in 2017! Drummer Jeremy Gara confirmed to Red Bull Poland that they've finished recording all the tracks for the new LP, and it "should come out this year." He adds, the band are "still mixing and trying to decide which songs will end up on the …
If your first impression of Cherry Glazerr is that they don’t take themselves too seriously, you’re probably right. The L.A. band’s new album, Apocalipstick, includes songs like "Trick or Treat Dance Floor", their twitter account features occasional updates on the band members' bowels, and, well, i…
Wolf Parade were always going to be a band that would age well. With all of the members having hands in other projects at any given time, it wasn't ever that farfetched of a concept to see them moving away from Wolf Parade, so when it happened in 2011, they did the opposite of what James Murphy did…
For the better part of a year, Thunderpussy has been going through a list of local Seattle clubs and conquering them one by one. For their second Sasquatch consecutive appearance (they explosively opened the small Yeti stage at last year's fest), the quartet roared the main stage open on Monday aft…
Wolf Alice closed out their American tour at Sasquatch! Music Festival Friday night, leaving all venues in their rear-view in flames. The Yeti Stage was no different, as the group alternated between the heavy dissonance of their squealing guitars and the angelic pop-hooks of lead woman Ellie Roswel…
Anticipation for physical copies of the new album by Car Seat Headrest will have to last a bit longer. The CDs and LPs of Teens Of Denial, originally due in stores on May 20, were recalled due to a misunderstanding, of sorts. The track "Just What I Needed / Not Just What I Needed", containing parts…
"Voodoo in my blood is living" - that's how Young Fathers kick off the third track on Massive Attack's return to the scene after nearly six years away. And after all that time, Young Fathers aren't lying - the voodoo is still strong. Last time we saw them was 2010's fantastic Heligoland, their firs…
"We could be in an igloo inside of a cave of ice," gasped a sweaty Dan Deacon. "And I would still be a puddle." To be fair, the KEXP studio's ventilation was only partially the reason why the Baltimore-based musician was drenched in sweat. The other reason was that he was two songs into a breakneck…
If you, like myself, live in 2014 but still can't get over 80s new wave, you can't get much better than Berlin band Ballet School. The band is a godsend for new wave diehards and make some of the most incredible synth pop around. But tribute isn't Ballet School's only trick in the cards - the band …
Despite her delicate stature and soft-spoken voice, Malian musician Rokia Traoré is one strong artist. Since 2012, her West African home has been besieged by a military coup d'état in the capital city of Bamako. The political power struggle has created a tension that fueled her fifth and most power…
Another light summer week of new releases, but there's a handful hitting shelves today that you'll definitely want to check out. Portland singer-songwriter Alela Diane tops the list with her fourth album of heartbreaking (and broken) folk-pop, highlighting her rich voice and often personal lyrics. …
At around 3 o'clock, I made my way to the fairly full audience of the Bigfoot stage to catch Cole Smith's (of Beach Fossils) project DIIV. Little did I know I was in for one of the more sun drunk performances I would see - and I mean that in the best and most innocent way. At one point guitarist An…
Can you believe it's been over a year since our last David Sylvian post? My, how time flies. Back in 2012, we looked at his 1986 album, Gone to Earth, so it seems only fitting to move forward in time by another year and see how KCMU reacted to its followup, 1987's Secrets of the Beehive, his last s…
San Diego-based surf rockers Wavves have announced the release of their fourth album this spring. The LP, tentatively titled Afraid of Heights, will be out March 26 on Mom + Pop, and fellow California crooner Jenny Lewis is slated to make an appearance. "You know the tone of King of the Beach and t…
