Swedish singer-songwriter Alice Boman's subtle vocals and delicate instrumentals could get a response from even the chilliest of hearts. The minimalist musician, who released her second EP, EP II, this year, creates such an uncluttered sound that it disguises the fact that she is accompanied by thr…
Get drunk in tribute to those who aren't old enough to do so! This week, our friends at the Vera Project kick off the 12th Annual A Drink for the Kids, a lost-weekend-long fundraiser for 21+ music lovers to support the beloved all-ages venue, just by drinking at their favorite bar.The opening night…
Arcade Fire have launched an emotional video for the track "Afterlife" off their latest Reflektor. Directed by Emily Kai Bock (who's previously worked with Grimes and Grizzly Bear), it's a touching portrait of family. Be sure to tune in to The Morning Show on KEXP tomorrow from 6-10 AM for your ch…
The Head & The Heart have experienced one of the greatest Seattle success stories we've seen in recent years. Selling over 10,000 copies of their self-released self-titled debut LP by word of mouth before signing to Sub Pop to re-release it nationally in 2011, the band saw their homespun batch …
Born in Zimbabwe, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi came to Seattle for two shows at Jazz Alley, but before those performances, the songwriter stopped by KEXP for a live in-studio with DJ Darek Mazzone. Accompanied by backup singers and an electric bass, Tuku, who also works with Mahube, Southern Africa’s sup…
More than any other day, Saturday at Bonnaroo was filled with things that could only really happen at the Farm, among them, Björk's jellyfish facemask thing, R. Kelly entering on a boom crane, a 5k at 9 in the morning (in 80 degree heat), and a moment where Jim James, R. Kelly, Billy Idol, and John…
You won't find many wallflowers growing among the hills and dales of Scotland. Even in their quieter moments, Scots tend to go big. Witness Glasgow band Frightened Rabbit, who on their latest album, Pedestrian Verse, play "folk rock" at its most anthemic. The impassioned lads are no strangers to KE…
After spending days in a hundred year old barn in upstate New York Widowspeak is back with a new album Almanac - and now we can listen to "The Dark Age" from said album. Helped by Kevin McMahon who has worked with Real Estate and Swans, the new songs from the album feature stronger guitar riffs whi…
There's not a lot out there in Internet-land about Third Circle - or even about their label, Rouska - despite the fact that pretty much everybody at KCMU in 1986 seemed to agree that their debut release was some version of "good." Discogs and this one other blog post agree that Third Circle was mos…
Back in 1989, The Replacements covered the song "Another Girl Another Planet," originally by late '70s UK power-punk band The Only Ones, and it never would've happened if not for their former manager Peter Jesperson, who put the song on a mix tape for the tour van. Jesperson will be familiar to KEX…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Mor…
Each Tuesday for the next two months, KEXP will present recordings we captured during the OFF Festival in Katowice, Poland. Our excursion there in the hot days of August - made possible by the festival and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute's Don’t Panic! We’re from Poland! initiative - introduced us to…
This week Variety Mix host DJ El Toro compiles sixteen of his favorite new songs, a mix of the melancholy, moody, and melodramatic—plus a couple eleventh-hour barnstormers to make you tap your toes. The legendary chef Julia Child, who praised iceberg lettuce in her essential 1989 book The Way to C…
Joining us in the studio for this year’s final Bumbershoot Secret Stage show is rising Nashville rising star Margo Price, who released her debut record A Midwest Farmer’s Daughter on Third Man Records earlier this year. Hers is an archetypal country star story: Price grew up in a small midwest town…
I am learning so much today! For starters, I've found out about Rank and File, a band I was previously unaware of. They're often described as a founding band of the country-punk hybrid cowpunk genre, but with my 2017 ears they sound more like "cow-new-wave" or "cow-'80s-college-rock" - but I see ho…
It's been over three years since Annie Clark released the last St. Vincent album but it looks like good news is on the horizon. Today she shared a new song called "New York" that many are hoping is a precursor to a new album. The song itself is far more stripped back than Clark's previous work and …
Holy shit. St. Vincent played a show last night at Le Poisson Rouge in New York, dressed as toilet. The evening also included performances from Father John Misty and Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Joan As Police Woman, and more, although none of them dressed as a sanitation fixture. Proceeds…
When it comes to Britpop, Super Furry Animals are truly a whole 'nother beast. Though they tend to get lumped in with bands like Pulp (who were an early champion of SFA) and Blur, the Furries are a unique animal, bending genres and breaking boundaries throughout their 20 year career. The band went …
Late last year, Wavves frontman Nathan Williams launched a label, Ghost Ramp, and for 2016, their kicking off their subscription series in an awesome way: a split 7" single featuring his band on one side, and Best Coast on the other side, covering the Nirvana track "Dumb." Listen to a vinyl rip be…
Local duo Chimurenga Renaissance (aka Tendai Maraire of Shabazz Palaces and Hussein Kalonji) debut a new track today titled "Girls With Gunz," a song they say was inspired by African assassin Grace Maseva, a woman who fought in the Second Chimurenga, the war that ended white rule in Zimbabwe. Loca…
