A lot has happened in the five years since Yoni Wolf (of WHY? fame) and Chicago rapper Serengeti last collaborated. That last time was on Serengeti's statement of an LP Family & Friends, produced entirely by Wolf and Owen Ashworth (of Advance Base and Casiotune for the Painfully Alone). Between…
Dan Boeckner is far from new to Iceland Airwaves, having played in 2006 as Wolf Parade and in 2008 as Handsome Furs. With his most recent project Operators, Boeckner brought in a packed crowd to KEXP's stage at KEX hostel and an energy that made the normally reserved Airwaves crowd dance so hard it…
When attempting to describe electronic music, natural and organic are usually quite far down on the list of adjectives used. But Saturday's Decibel Fest 2015 Sublime Showcase showed Seattle how the natural and organic can be beautifully integrated into cold and computing machines to make captivati…
Playing while it's raining at a festival is always a gamble. Lots of people who would have otherwise wandered over out of curiosity are hiding out in every covered nook and cranny imaginable, so it was only the diehards waiting in the drizzle for The Julie Ruin's mid-afternoon set. But, to be hones…
This year, !K7 Records celebrates a massive milestone, entering the twentieth year of their ongoing DJ-Kicks series and releasing the fiftieth entry in the series. Over its fifty entry catalogue, DJ-Kicks has carved a niche that no other electronic serial really taps into. For Fabric, it's the club…
Decibel Festival is really just getting started. On Monday, you could catch the pop up art show - with posters designed by some of Seattle's finest - and on Wednesday there was the awesome kick off party at the Chiluly Garden, the glorious Space Needle presiding over the holy event. Though almost t…
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. As you’ve probably already heard, 2013 marks the 25th Anniversary of Seattle’s Sub Pop Records, and we've been celebrati…
To look at Jonathan Wilson, you know where he's coming from, or more likely when. His long straight hair tied back, his well but not too neatly kept beard, the worn army green coat over a very well-worn low neck DIY band t-shirt, the beaded jewelry, the knit hat -- it all evokes a 70's hippy chic t…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Aft…
The POP Montreal Festival celebrates the wide variety of artists coming out of the Montreal music scene, but also features a ton of bands from across Canada as well. Releasing records since 2009, Vancouver, BC 4-piece Woolworm played a killer set of straightforward solid rock. With catchy hooks and…
Minneapolis MC, community activist, and KEXP favorite Brother Ali has been a fixture within the hip-hop community for the past 17 years. He debuted on his long-time label Rhymesayers in the year 2000 with Rites Of Passage, the first of six studio albums that have showcased his deeply personal, soci…
Fresh off the Spaceship tells the story of the Black Constellation, an artist collective (Shabazz Palaces, THEESatisfaction, Ya Tseen) with Seattle roots and cosmic reach. Hosted by KEXP’s Larry Mizell Jr. and Martin Douglas, each of the 10 episodes takes listeners on a musical journey connecting t…
Starbucks, KEXP & Friends Of Waterfront Seattle bring you SEAchanger, a waterfront concert to raise awareness around issues facing unsheltered families.
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unrealeased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Mi…
Thanks to everyone who came out last week for our reading and signing of Trouble Boys: the True Story of The Replacements! We will thrilled to be joined by author Bob Mehr, and former Replacements manager and co-founder of Twin/Tone Records, Peter Jesperson. After Mehr shared the story of how the b…
Most bands start by writing songs at home and recording in their basements. For David Bazan, it took nearly two decades to get there. The former Pedro the Lion bandleader and subsequent solo artist has long been a local treasure, appealing to a generation of Northwest indie kids in the 90s and 2000…
Loyal listeners of The Roadhouse on KEXP may have noticed host Greg Vandy was absent a bit last year... well, now you can hold in your hand the reason why: 26 Songs in 30 Days: Woody Guthrie's Columbia River Songs and the Planned Promised Land in the Pacific Northwest, out now via Sasquatch Books. …
When I’ve seen Nils Frahm in the past, it’s been during Decibel Festival, an annual electronic music and visuals festival in Seattle which KEXP covers every year. Because of the event’s interest in creative collaborations, Frahm has been given ample attention to look and sound his best, often paire…
It's one of those touchstones of rock that if you don't have in your collection, you're likely to add immediately on first hearing. Big Star's Third never reached the commercial success it deserved upon its release, but over the years it grew into a cult favorite frequently name-checked (and cribbe…
If solo records are truly artists giving in fully to self-indulgence, Julian Casablancas has a pretty bizarre way of indulging. Some chose to pack on a slough of bloated guest appearances that ended up making it even less of a solo record than their normal band's material. Others have created a who…
