Say what you will about the Internet age, but this whole "global flow of instantly accessible information" thing definitely has its uses. A couple of which are pointed out by the conversation on the album cover for Hallelujah All the Way Home, the debut album by New Zealand band The Verlaines. For …
Back in April, Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) had an in-depth, intimate chat with DJ Cheryl Waters before his latest LP, Pure Comedy, had even arrived via Sub Pop Records. (You can listen to that here.) A month later, he reunited with Cheryl for this unique live in-studio session, performing …
In typical Arcade Fire fashion, the band has been teasing and hinting about their new album, Infinite Content, lately without flat out telling us what's up. It now appears the first single is "Everything Now" and some lucky fans have been able to get their hands on a 12" of the track at the band's …
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…
Sharon Van Etten wrote and recorded a new song inspired by the horrible events of the Pulse Club shooting in Orlando back in June. "Not Myself" is a beautiful and haunting tribute to the victims. Proceeds will go to the gun control nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. [Pitchfork]In her statement, V…
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…
It's been a few years since we last heard from The Strokes, but today they triumphantly return with not one, not two, but three new tracks! All of 'em will appear on their upcoming EP Future Present Past, out June 3rd via Cult Records. Check out the singles "OBLIVIUS," "The Threat Of Joy," and "Dr…
We've got new music to share from Seattle's own Car Seat Headrest (aka Will Toledo): check out the single "Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales" from their upcoming release Teens of Denial, out May 20th on Matador. It's the first CSH album recorded in a studio with a full-band, and Toledo lucked out to get…
Following a sold out show at The Moore Theatre last week, and a stunning benefit show for KEXP's New Home, José González shares a video for the single "With the Ink of a Ghost" off his most recent Mute Records release, Vestiges & Claws. The stunning clip, directed by Malin Ingrid Johansson, st…
When Courtney Barnett sings about "Three Packs a Day," she's not talking about smoking. (I mean, c'mon. Haven't you listened to the lyrics of "Avant Gardener"? She's not that good at breathing in.) Instead, the brand-new single from the Australian singer/songwriter is an ode to ramen. While dietit…
Closing out our live video broadcast from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves 2015 was a crazy set from Icelandic post-punk band Æla. Icelandic for "Puke," Æla is known for a raucous live show, with costumes, glitter, and wild antics. Their debut album Synið tillitssemi, eg er fravik was released in 200…
Die Kreuzen is one of the many bands of the '80s and '90s about whom my principal awareness derives from having seen their records in the bins at my usual Harvard Square haunts (I've always been much more of a browser than a buyer, alas). Since I studied German for all four years of high school, I …
After their blazing performance in the KEXP studio, DJ Troy Nelson quips, "Is the room still intact?" We're not sure about that, but now we do know that METZ is in all caps for a reason. Known for a ferocious, raw energy that funnels directly into their terrifyingly primal performances, METZ does n…
Veteran Tucson-based band Calexico share a video for the track "Tapping on the Line," featuring none other than beloved chanteuse Neko Case on guest vocals. The clip, directed by Jason Roark, was filmed at Portland's Flora Recording & Playback studios during the band's recent tour with The Dec…
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…
There's nothing queasy about the latest from west coast dream-pop band Craft Spells. It's been almost a year since their sophomore full-length, Nausea, came out on Captured Tracks; since then, songwriter Justin Paul Vallesteros has relocated back to Seattle and overcome a depression that influenced…
Veteran indie rock trio Yo La Tengo tackle iconic goth-poppers The Cure on their forthcoming covers album Stuff Like That There, out August 28th on Matador Records. Check out their rendition of the 1990 hit "Friday, I'm in Love" in this video directed by Jason Woliner. As drummer/vocalist Georgia …
Merge Records rocker Mikal Cronin continues to kill it in the music video realm. Earlier this month, he enlisted comedians Kristen Schaal, Paul Scheer, and Kurt Braunohler to remake a Natalie Imbruglia video (watch here). Today, he tackles the clip for Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” for his own…
When a band self-titles an album midway through their career, it's usually for one of two reasons: they've either run out of ideas or they've taken a significantly new tact. For Portland duo The Helio Sequence, the reason is obvious. Rather than mull over songs in their usual slow-going and contemp…
It's another jam-packed week of great releases! San Diego duo Crocodiles return with their fifth album, which KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "was recorded in Mexico City with production by Martin Thulin (lead singer of Mexican band Los Fancy-Free), and he brings some occasional Latin rhythms …
