Originally, he didn't want to do it, but Joseph Arthur was eventually convinced to record Lou, a full album of songs by his friend and mentor, the late Lou Reed. Reluctant to turn the modern legend's memory into "an opportunity", Joseph Arthur approached the songs cautiously, simply, and unplugged …
Saturday's Bumbershoot festivities got the 2013 season off to a great start. With the turnout highlight of the day going to rising Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, and with a three way tie for most dancing going to !!!, Charles Bradley, and Crystal Castles, the day was an eclectic bunch of gems. Bein…
It's hard being The Strokes. After setting the template for the next ten years of guitar-based rock with their 2001 debut, Is This It, it wasn't long before the NYC quintet was being outpaced by the bands they paved the way for. After some time apart, Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Nick Vale…
As was made our way to the mainstage for Built to Spill, slow drops of rain began to fall. The rain would never become hard or steady, instead lending the stage a golden glitter - the sun setting came in beams across the stage as Doug Martsch carefully but effortlessly lead the way through classic …
Fresh from her feature on this week's episode of "Twin Peaks," Sharon Van Etten has shared a remix to a track she wrote and released last year in honor of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, which happened one year ago yesterday. Titled "Not Myself," Etten explained the reasoning for its r…
True to style, every year, there are one or two bands that manage to navigate the Sasquatch! Music Festival contracts and squeeze in a Seattle date right before they head east. For 2015, that band was UK electronic showcase Jungle. While they absolutely wowed crowds with their Sasquatch! set on Day…
One surefire way to break through the gloomy weather of Seattle is with some sunny rock and roll. Lucky for us and all those at our Occidental Stage yesterday, local the Killroom Records power-pop rockers Bread and Butter came to the rescue! The rain that struck Upstream was long-forgotten once the…
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. It’s Halloween season again. Time for all things spooky like witches, spiders, and bats which all tie in together. The i…
K-vicker? No, K-vaker! Today's release of Sigur Rós' 2013 album, Kveikur, may seem like a speedy turn-around on the heels of their 2012 LP, Valtari, but the ground-shaking sound on the new LP is what the Icelandic band has been building toward over the past few years. While the relatively placid Va…
Chris Staples has a way of turning the simplest of ideas into affecting, serene poetry. It's something he's fine tuned over his career, from his days fronting Florida indie rock outfit Twothirtyeight and throughout his solo work crafted here in Seattle. His latest song, "Spinning Wheel," may be one…
For a band that's distinctly Scottish, The Vaselines couldn't be more "Northwest", and now more so than ever. Formed by current members, Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, the Glasgow group released only one album before breaking up in 1989. That might have been the end for their catchy, quirky, charm…
"Are you digging our laid-back vibe?" Band of Horses band leader Ben Bridwell asked the audience during their recent concert at Seattle's Moore Theatre. Following their recently released live recording, Acoustic at the Ryman, Bridwell and co. chose to perform very loose, rootsy interpretations from…
Pickathon's 2015 Fall Season continues. Each week, the rustically set, Portland-area festival is running an ambitious program of four new episodes every week through February 2016. Through twelve individual channels of content, you can experience this one-of-a-kind festival in the most intimate of …
Pickathon's 2015 Fall Season is in full steam. Each week, they're running an ambitious program of four new episodes every week through February 2016. Through twelve individual channels of content, you'll be able to experience this one of a kind festival in the most intimate of ways... you'll go, On…
Pickathon's 2015 Fall Season has just begun. This week, they're kicking off an ambitious run of four new episodes every week through February 2016. Through twelve individual channels of content, you'll be able to experience this one of a kind festival in the most intimate of ways... you'll go, On t…
Gabriel Teodros is the smooth, uber-thoughtful Seattle rapper. He has come a long way from being one of the early cats on the Seattle hip-hop scene – and he recently completed a North American tour to share his music. Gabriel's next album, Evidence Of Things Not Seen, features SoulChef on productio…
KEXP returned to the Bunny Glade at Pickathon this year to capture more magical sessions in this forest oasis. Each of the 16 exclusive performances stood out in its own way, but certainly two of the most anticipated ones came from beloved KEXP favorites Andrew Bird and Sharon Van Etten.
Following their 1995 debut, Memphis garage punk band Oblivians released two more albums in quick succession and then practically disappeared for the next twelve years. But they didn't quite slip into, well, oblivion. Band members Greg Oblivian, Jack Oblivian and Eric Oblivian -- a.k.a. Greg Cartwri…
There was a palpable moment of anticipation in the crowd right before Mitski Miyawaki hit the most pivotal D chord in the evening, the one that kickstarts the massive chorus of "Your Best American Girl", song-of-the-year candidate and the track pushed the Brooklyn musician's buzz from slight rumbli…
If KEXP had a Five-Timers Club, Low would now be one of its key members. The long-running Duluth, Minnesota trio has been a KEXP favorite for the better part of the last 15 years, and while the trio was out in the Northwest promoting their tenth (!) full-length, The Invisible Way, they stopped by …
