UK post-punk legends Modern English have truly figured out the perfect way to retain their punk roots 35 years on from their biggest hit. What's the most punk way to fund a new album from the original lineup of the band that gave you timeless new wave classic "I Melt With You"? Probably go on tour …
Billy Corgan is a man of extreme dichotomy. It's this gleefully dynamic binary that has made him one of the most interesting artists of the last three decades. And really, you don't have to go back that far into the throws of The Smashing Pumpkins history to get there. Take just the last couple yea…
Writer, actor, director, songwriter, rapper, and all around entertainment superman, Donald Glover is a man who wears many hats. His hip-hop career under the moniker Childish Gambino hit full stride in back in 2011 with his Glassnote debut, Camp, which took his general awareness from niche rapper to…
Topping this week's list of new releases is the third album by Chicago band Smith Westerns. While the band's 2011 release, Dye It Blonde, drew tons of comparisons (and a tiny bit of flak) for its fuzzy glam nods to Nuggets-era gems, their new release finds the band aiming for what our Music Directo…
It's that magical time of year again -- Sufjan Stevens has been releasing and presenting his usual barrage of bizarrely sweet Christmas cheer, and there have been plenty of other excellent holidays-themed releases and performances. For your holiday listening pleasure, we've compiled a list of the b…
From the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish and Suheir Hammad, to the idea that "Hip Hop Never Died, It Lives In Palestine", this week's mix is a time-traveling exploration of resistance music and global solidarity, with the people of Palestine on our hearts and minds.
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Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Cleo Sol, from the 2021 album Mother on Forever Living Originals.
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, host of Drive Time on KEXP, is "Where Were You..." by Manny Noir & Psychedelic Ensemble, from the 2022 album Nocturne on Everything Is Perfect / LIVE AT THE CLINIC.
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "Angel" by Little Simz, from the 2022 album NO THANK YOU on Forever Living Originals.
Great Grandpa, Joy Formidable, Cartalk, and Pink Lotion cover eco-themed songs for our Clash For Climate event
If Brooklyn producer The Range and Atlanta rapper Rome Fortune have any one thing in common, it's an unfettered line of sight towards a marvelous horizon. Both artists make music that is wrought with present-tense turmoil, but the future always looks brighter - and not only that, it looks magnanimo…
The New Year has its own special meaning in the world of music. While most of the world is looking forward, it's a time for many audiophiles to luxuriously look back as they compile lists of their favorite records, concerts and memorable moments from the year past. In this sense, Shabazz Palaces ma…
Capitol Hill Block Party 2015 Sunday brought two things: rain and totally incredible music, and both in plentiful volume. But hey, this is Seattle right? Naturally, everyone has a jacket in their back seat/pocket and nothing about the festival seems to be missed under grey skies. The drop in temper…
Last Thursday, Best Coast blasted the Showbox with that effortless cool and garage aesthetic that they have championed throughout the years, giving the audience the best of both worlds. With their latest album, California Nights, the California band marks their third release, but first on a major l…
Two and a half years have passed since Purity Ring dropped their debut LP Shrines on 4AD. Every time I hear that, I'm totally baffled. How has it only been two and a half years? It feels like Purity Ring have been a household indie pop name for an eternity. After a handful of one off singles over t…
Holy shit, Say Hi knows how to get the party started on a Friday night at 9PM! I honestly think I saw more empty drink cups and shot glasses lining the Barboza shelf of subwoofers tonight than I’ve ever seen at their weekly Saturday night dance gigs. In a city on a hill where we show the Rocky Horr…
As the business model for the 21st music industry continues to shift and evolve, more and more artists are forming small, independent collectives, compiling funds between the group to make distribution easier to take on financially, but keeping ownership and obligations independent. One of the best…
At this pace, 2014 is well on its way to outdoing 2013 in new releases. The streak continues this week, topped by a terrific new album by Future Islands, which our Music Director, Don Yates, calls "a masterful set of impassioned, ‘80s-steeped electro-pop with glittering synths, streamlined guitars …
New York duo Phantogram release their sophomore album, Voices, today, which KEXP Music Director Don Yates claims is a, "sleek set of moody electro-pop with a dark, atmospheric sound featuring buzzing synths, spiky guitars, hip hop-influenced beats, breathy vocals and catchy pop hooks." Another high…
