Composing great dance music is more than just choosing the right beats per minute and finding a catchy synth patch. It's about capturing an emotional impulse in the groove – that indescribable, wordless "something" that resonates beyond how it booms out the speakers. It's an idea that Seattle produ…
I'm actually feeling like a pretty bad music nerd right now, because somehow I've never heard The Dream Syndicate's debut album, The Days of Wine and Roses, which the Internet seems to agree is one of the most important albums of the 1980s (and when the Internet agrees on something, you really shou…
Join KEXP on Tuesday, May 25th as we play songs of hope, justice, and change, songs that affirm Black humanity.
Seattle's own experimental hip hop outfit, Shabazz Palaces take on a dark, post-apocalyptic wasteland in their new "#Cake" video. There's an intense game of chase going on while beautiful, yet terrifying, giants roam the city. Check it out below. [Pitchfork]
Pieces of Sky, Tomo Nakayama's latest record, is one of the Seattle veteran's most delicate and powerful works, reflecting on the nature of traveling and going through life during chaotic times. Backed by a full band in this session on the Morning Show with John Richards, Nakayama and hi…
The Grand Theft Auto video game series has never been a stranger to good music. Old school fans still cling to the 2002 Vice City entry for the precious Wave 103 radio station, where you can listen to Psychedelic Furs, Gary Numan, and Human League while running from the cops down a neon Miami-esque…
Influential artist Phil Everly, who formed The Everly Brothers with his sibling Don, passed away last Friday, at the age of 74. Everly's son Jason cites the cause of death as complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Since forming in the 1950s, The Everly Brothers racked up an unprec…
KEXP Variety Mix host Reeves does his first ever Music That Matters podcast, featuring tracks from the end of 2015 and from anticipated releases of 2016. 1. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Aerobed 2. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - I Can Be Afraid of Anything 3. DIIV - …
Our thoughts go out to members of the band and crew of Twin Shadow, who were injured this morning as their tour bus was part of a multi-vehicle crash in Aurora, Colorado, with heavy fog to blame. Rescuers have brought a dozen individuals to a local hospital to treat minor to severe injuries. [The …
Finally! A reason to go to Spokane! This weekend, September 5th through 7th, launches the First Annual Bartfest, a music festival organized by a new all-ages venue in the small Washington town, The Bartlett. Together, with Nyne Bar located next door, they'll host a three-day indoor festival smack-d…
As major labels continue to exist behind the times, artists and labels with little capital and lesser reputations are producing some of the most innovative, interesting, and inspiring music. Whether it’s creating a new niche in digital technology or looking to once obsolete formats, Agitated Atmosp…
Morning Show host John Richards presents the 6th installment of KEXP's Runner Powered Podcast. 1. LUH - I&I 2. onDeadWaves - Blue Inside 3. Hammock - Everything and Nothing 4. School of Seven Bells - Ablaze 5. Fly Moon Royalty - Grown Man 6. Cullen Omori - Cinnamon 7. Minor Victories - Folk …
His new album Pure Comedy may be in stores now, but Father John Misty hasn't stopped sharing new music. FJM (real name: Josh Tillman) covers the Velvet Underground classic "Who Loves the Sun" off their 1970 LP Loaded for the Mondo Boys score to Shangri-La Suite, a feature-length film from Los Ange…
Siouxsie Sioux, legendary lady of goth, has re-emerged after eight years of musical silence to provide her distinctive vocals to the eerie ballad "Love Crime." Listen below. The track was composed by Brian Reitzell for the series finale of the TV show Hannibal. Reitzell told TV Guide, "We knew tha…
Black Lips are teaming up with Patrick Carney of the Black Keys for their ironically-titled seventh studio album Underneath the Rainbow, out March 18, 2014. The album features guest appearances from Mastodon's Brent Hinds, plus some Daptone horn players, however, no word if Black Moth Super Rainbo…
2013 is going to be a great year for Seattle music, with so many new bands on the verge of blowing up. Seattle trio Dude York stands out among them with a promising 5-song EP released last June. Though band founders Peter Richards and Andrew Hall are such fans of their male moniker as to label thei…
The 2013 Coachella lineup has been officially shared with public. It's a pretty astounding group -- a mix of resurgent bands like Blur or The Postal Service along with tons of others who are at the top of their game. According to the timer on the website, it looks like tickets will go on sale at …
Larry Rose brings you a fun, genre-hopping mix that is the perfect soundtrack for enjoying warm summer days or heading out on your latest Pokemon Go adventure. 1. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – First World Problem 2. Alice Bag – He's So Sorry3. Blood Orange – Augustine4. The Amazing – Ambulance5. Croc…
Last year's Six Degrees honoree Robyn Hitchcock releases his 21st album this Spring. Check out the first single below, titled "I Want To Tell You About What I Want." In an interview with NPR, Hitchcock explains, "The original title of the song was 'My Vision Of World Empathy.' Either we will event…
