As major labels continue to exist behind the times, artists and labels with little capital and lesser reputations are producing some of the most innovative, interesting, and inspiring music. Whether it’s creating a new niche in digital technology or looking to once obsolete formats, Agitated Atmosp…
Here's another one: How is this the first time I've covered a Ramones album in this almost decade-long series of blog posts? I mean, the Ramones! Come on! Is there a more influential band with a deeper catalog more filled with albums that college radio DJs are likely to have intensely critical and …
Can you believe there was once a time where Reggae wasn’t a word everyone recognized? In the musical world you have to really be in awe of how a sound from a tiny island in the Caribbean has propelled itself into the Global Consciousness. The legendary Reggae singer Winston Jarrett can clearly reme…
This Thursday, January 21st, join us in beautiful Ballard for the 4th Annual Benefit for MusiCares at the Tractor Tavern. A cavalcade of local musicians will perform the songs of beloved alt-country artists Uncle Tupelo and Jason Molina, with proceeds going to benefit this great non-profit which pr…
There are many paths that lead one to emigrate and there are many roads to becoming a musician. When you combine the two, you often find a unique beast that exists in between dimensions. The legendary Balkan band Kultur Shock is such a beast. Sometimes a musician or band creates a persona to sell t…
It was a pact Vic Chesnutt held with Kristin Hersh, his long-time friend and frequent tourmate: "Don’t suck, don’t die." The two prolific songwriters shared not only the stage, but struggles with major labels and with mental health. But, sadly, Chesnutt did die, from an overdose on Christmas 2009 a…
Lots of great local releases this week, including the sophomore full-length from Seattle supergroup Childbirth, featuring members of Chastity Belt, TacocaT and Pony Time. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it, "a strong set of snarky garage-punk with primal, grungy guitar lines and pounding rhythm…
It's hard to believe it's already August, but that just means it's time for our Concerts at the Mural series! Every Friday in August, KEXP teams up with Seattle Center to bring you FREE, all ages entertainment on the Mural Amphitheater lawn.
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. Today, Mick Jagger celebrates his 70th birthday, so we’re looking at our favorite videos from The Rolling Stones.
LCD Soundsystem is back! James Murphy and company emerge from early retirement with their fourth studio album (and first in seven years). KEXP Music Director Don Yates declares it "a powerful return to form featuring some of Murphy's finest, most deeply felt songwriting with anxiety-fueled lyrics r…
If you’ve spent any time on social media lately or keep up with music news in general, you’ve probably heard people talk about NFTs. Non-fungible tokens, they’re called, and their rise is linked to the world of cryptocurrency. While they’re not an entirely new phenomenon, as digital artists and eve…
The Afternoon Show's Larry Mizell Jr. hosts a panel alongside some of his daytime DJ colleagues – The Morning Show's John Richards, The Midday Show's Cheryl Waters, and Drive Time's Kevin Cole and Riz Rollins. Throughout their conversation, the DJs reminiscence about the station's early days as KCM…
During her latest session in the KEXP Live Room, Laura Marling speaks of her music in film metaphors when describing her new record, Semper Femina, to Cheryl Waters. The London songwriter's sixth LP has all the touches of a classic film, filed in with rich scenery (a tight, expansive band) an…
For their fourth album, Amen and Goodbye, Yeasayer spent the longest time they've spent to date working on writing songs, and the end result contains some of their richest, most nuanced music yet. The Brooklyn outfit brings four Amen and Goodbye tracks into this session with Troy Nelson and discus…
Straight from the home of Cheryl Waters, this edition of The Weekly Mix brings songs to keep you company in times of isolation. What comes as no surprise is the eclectic array of featured artists, including Phoebe Bridgers, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Kevin Krauter, and DRAMA.
Com Truise gave Seattle exactly one week with his interstellar new record Wave 1 before his show here Tuesday night. This is producer Seth Haley's first Seattle stop since Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2012, where he rocked the roof off the dance tent in middle of the day. If Tuesday night's sold ou…
There's been a lot of speculation about Amber Coffman's departure from Dirty Projectors. The lead single from her solo debut City Of No Reply is defiantly titled "All To Myself," yet the album was produced by her former bandmate David Longstreth. On the latest and seventh Dirty Projectors album, L…
The world is never ready for a new Jamie Lidell album. Jamie Lidell is his fourth record following his work as Super Collider with Cristian Vogel, and ever since Multiply, his 2005 return to solo work, Lidell has been pushing the envelope of his music landscape further and further into oblivion. At…
