It's been 57 years since a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa took the lives of musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, but their music and influence live on, as strong as ever. Called "The Day the Music Died," after a lyric from Don McLean's tribute single "Ameri…
Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has shared the video for her track "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Wanna Go To The Party." The visual is comprised of clips from an impromptu pop-up show in London's Crowne Plaza. Her album Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit is available…
Last Friday gave us a new LP from veteran hip-hop band A Tribe Called Quest, their first in 18 years, and their last, with the passing of founding member Phife Dawg due to complications with diabetes. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says, "It's a strong return to form of often-politically charged hip…
As we celebrated on Friday with an exclusive interview, the new Father John Misty album is out now. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it, "his finest to date, combining an orchestral folk-pop sound with self-aware, often-cutting and sometimes hilarious lyrics aimed at narcissism, hypocrisy, insta…
The Dead have come back to life with Day of the Dead. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "This mammoth 59 song, 5 and a ½ hour long tribute to the Grateful Dead was put together and produced by The National's Bryce and Aaron Dessner as a benefit for the Red Hot organization and their fight agains…
If you're hoping to spend St. Patrick's Day doing some record shopping, you are indeed in luck, as there are some great new releases at the end of the rainbow this week. Highlights include the latest from Modest Mouse. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "the latest album (and first in eight years…
It was a raucous, rollickin' way to close out the 2014 Concerts at the Mural series! Last Friday, August 22nd, hundreds of Seattleites gathered beneath the Space Needle for an evening of music curated by our specialty show DJs, Don Slack of Swingin' Doors and Greg Vandy of The Roadhouse on KEXP.
After a blistering in-studio session at KEXP, young Benjamin Booker has released his self-titled debut album, which KEXP's Music Director Don Yates calls "a powerful blend of energetic garage rock and postpunk with gritty blues and soul, featuring a variety of visceral songs with explosive guitar r…
It's been six long years, but the latest solo album from Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis is out today. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the album, The Voyager, as "a strong return to form steeped in classic West Coast ‘70s and ‘80s pop-rock with smartly crafted songs juxtaposing breezy mel…
Mary Timony is back with a new project, Ex Hex, whose debut album is appropriately titled Rips, 'cause this does. The former Helium frontwoman/Wild Flag guitarist brings her trademark shred to the single "Don’t Wanna Lose." Rips comes out 10/7 on Merge Records. [Stereogum]
What a great way to kick off June! Just look at this list of new releases. A clear highlight for KEXP has been the latest from indie rock veteran Bob Mould. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the latest from the former Husker Du/Sugar frontman as, "in the same vein as 2012’s excellent Silver A…
Swedish band Little Dragon are back with their fourth album, Nabuma Rubberband, which KEXP's Music Director Don Yates describes as their "most impressive set yet of chilly, R&B-tinged electro-pop." Why not let the downtempo electro-beats help you channel your inner eight-year-old for a chance t…
Electronic artist Will Wiesenfeld, better known by his stage name Baths, announced his new EP titled Ocean Death, which will be released on May 6, and has shared the album's title track. Don't let the first few seconds of soothing ocean sounds fool you, it quickly becomes dark and brooding. It's a…
As they say in Texas, "Fool me once, shame on... shame on you... fool me, can't get fooled again!" But you can get fooled all you want, right here with our April Fool's Day Video Roundup. It's safe, it's easy... no whoopee cushions, exploding cigars or Weasley Whiz-bangs... just good songs about be…
“Joint isn't a curse, right?” El-P always asks the important questions, both on his records and in his sessions. This was only moments before he, Killer Mike, and Trackstar the DJ rock the KEXP Live Room with an incendiary (and, impressively, profanity free) session. A quartet of Run The Jewe…
Today was spent traveling the winding road through the still snow spotted mountains, before breaking out into beautiful, cloud filled endless sky and the growing feeling of excitement. After much ado finding and pitching our tents, and a surprisingly short wait to enter into the grounds, I walked i…
After a discography of 11 full-length albums, Seattle's own Car Seat Headrest makes their label debut on Matador Records. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "The album reworks 11 songs from his extensive Bandcamp catalog with help from a new backing band (this also marks the first time he’s recor…
It's been a long wait, but last week Montreal-born, Woodstock, NY-based artist Thomas Arsenault (aka Mas Ysa) released his debut full-length. (Watch his 2014 KEXP session here.) KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the album, "a potent set of moody electro-pop with bright synths, propulsive rhythms,…
Album releases are slowing down as we approach the holidays, but there are still some standouts to be found. Actor/writer/producer/comedian/musician Donald Glover returns for his third LP under the Childish Gambino alias, an album KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls, "easily his strongest musical s…
