The DJ comments on this LP call us back to a dark time when not every album was available everywhere in the world instantly upon its release. Many well-loved bands could only be heard by spending way too much money on physical objects that had been transported in small batches from another country …
In addition to the wealth of artists imported into Seattle to work with the city's legendary label, Sub Pop Records highlighted the best of the Northwest's seemingly endless talent, from Mudhoney to Rose Windows, during their Silver Jubilee. Before Seattle's The Moondoggies ended the night with the…
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 Morning…
Charley Pride was the first Black country music singer to sign to a major record label (RCA) back in 1965.
Inspiration can come anytime; Montreal experimental trio Big Brave can attest to that. Guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie and guitarist Mathieu Bernard Ball began playing together in 2012 when they were roommates, Robin told us after their set. She played acoustic guitar and was working on writing son…
The first-ever Upstream Music Fest + Summit is just around the corner, on Thursday, May 11th through Saturday, May 13th, in locations all over Pioneer Square. Earlier this year, the first wave of artists were announced (see here), as well as this year's keynote speakers: Quincy Jones, Macklemore, a…
The alias of Portland-based musician Douglas Appling, Emancipator has become well-known for his blissful, lush, and cinematic style of music that organically fuses downtempo, trip-hop, and instrumental hip-hop elements into his own enveloping style. A stellar live performer that's a staple on the f…
Anxiety, nausea, discord - they're not just the frequent subjects of Parquet Courts' songs, but the feelings their fans get while waiting between albums. Usually, the wait's never too long, as the Brooklyn group eases jitters by alternating albums and EP's in quick succession. The extra months it t…
Despite keeping busy with his Run the Jewels project, Atlanta MC Killer Mike shares a previously unreleased track "Saks Fifth" which you can stream below. Stereogum points out, it's mostly likely an older track as Mike shouts out his old Grind Time Rap Gang crew and his short-lived Grand Hustle la…
Has it really been 23 years since the last Pixies album? On April 29th, the influential band end the streak with the release of Indie Cindy via their own Pixiesmusic label. The full-length compiles the previously-released EP-1, EP-2, and EP-3, all recorded without founding member Kim Deal. Stream …
It's only the end of July, but it's already been an eventful year for Heems. The New York rapper dropped his first proper solo LP, Eat Pray Thug back in March, an excellent record that tells a heavy-handed story of what it's like to like in a perpetually post-9/11 New York as a person of Indian des…
Toronto production duo Southern Shores stepped up as one of Cascine Records' earliest acts, helping establish the NYC label's affinity for a dreamy, summery aesthetic with a pair of EPs at the turn of the decade. Four years since their latest release, they've recently resurfaced to unleash their de…
Word of Chris Cornell's death late Wednesday night was a blow to the music community, but for Seattle it feels even more personal. Cornell was a cornerstone artist for the Northwest. From Soundgarden to Temple of the Dog and Audioslave to his solo work, Cornell helped define the "Seattle sound" wit…
Hamilton, Ontario vocalist and electronic producer Jessy Lanza has emerged as a thrilling contemporary artist with her cutting-edge fusion of progressive electronic rhythms, ethereal R&B vibes, and experimental synth-pop sensibilities. Her new sophomore album, Oh No, recently released on the la…
Currently based in Los Angeles, San Diego native and emerging electronic producer Rafa Lavarez (a.k.a. Different Sleep) has been steadily evolving his underground style over the past 5 years, adding upon his early lush downtempo aesthetic to incorporate a more physical and abstract sound that adven…
Seattle's Dave Pezzner, or just Pezzner, has been one of the most respected figures in the local underground electronic music and dance community for the past decade. Beginning as one-half of the beloved duo Jacob London alongside fellow Seattle artist Bob Hansen, Pezzner has forged an exciting sol…
As we announced earlier this year, Sam Beam (better known as Iron & Wine) is digging through his archives and releasing the findings on his own Black Cricket Recording Company label. Archive Series Volume No. 1 is out now, featuring demos and unreleased material recorded around the same time a…
Amazingly, Bear Hands have been around since 2006, but haven't gained the recognition they deserve until relatively recently. Before re-locating to Brooklyn's lush music scene, the band suffered through a falling-out and the loss of their first manager. But, despite their ups and downs, their singl…
DJ NHK Guy is the alias of Seattle-via-Fukuoka electronic producer Jesse Lopez, creator of some of the finest juke/footwork rhythms to emerge locally as well as internationally in the last few years. Fusing a love for disco, J-pop, vaporwave, R&B, and video game soundtracks through frenetic and…
Raised in Singapore and currently based in London, et aliae is a talented pianist, electronic producer and composer who makes refined and progressive electronic pop. Her debut song came out in 2014 as part of Ryan Hemsworth's initial Secret Songs compilation, leading to a significant rise in her pr…
