Another year, and another amazing analysis by KEXP volunteer and Tableau product manager Jewel Loree! Below, you can explore and discover the artists, albums, and songs that mattered most to KEXP DJs in 2016 with this interactive data visualization. Sadly, in a year of so much loss, it's no surpris…
Earlier this summer, Zen Mother released their experimental psych opus I Was Made To Be Like Her. Across 48-minutes, the record traverses vast sonic territory. It's a challenging work built upon intention, distorting the listener's perception with each track and creating a vivid and immersive world…
When I first ever heard of Steve Albini's provocatively-named band between Big Black and Shellac (after they'd ceased operations) I was already a fan of his, so I just kinda rolled my eyes and thought "ah, there goes ol' Steve again, ruffling feathers and pushing buttons." Being a fairly sheltered …
Over the weekend we got the unfortunate news that Greg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band died at 69. A number of artists have been paying their respects via covers of Allman Brothers Band tracks and Scottish band the Afghan Whigs did just that on Sunday night at a show in Dublin, with the track "M…
It's been close to six months since La Luz left Seattle for Los Angeles, so Sasquatch served as a sort of homecoming for the surf rock quartet. (Notably, they were met with weather that was far more Californian than Northwestern.) The move hasn't dulled their reverb-drenched edge one bit however, a…
Wolf Alice closed out their American tour at Sasquatch! Music Festival Friday night, leaving all venues in their rear-view in flames. The Yeti Stage was no different, as the group alternated between the heavy dissonance of their squealing guitars and the angelic pop-hooks of lead woman Ellie Roswel…
Over the weekend, The Posies announced that bass player Joe Skyward, aka Joe Bass, sadly passed away. In 2014, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer that, according to the L.A. Weekly, had metastasized and spread to his skeletal and lymphatic systems. Though Skyward left Seattle for the clear Cali…
Elia is the most recent project of Seattle-based singer, musician and producer Ignacio Izquierdo. The name comes from Elia Liut, an Italian aviator, who was the first person to fly over Ecuadorian territory. This reflects both Ignacio's home city of Quito and his life of movement. A son of a diplom…
Like many of the buzzy debut albums in a post-xx world, Wet's Don't You lives in a quiet, emotionally-focused space, so it was fitting that they played in one of the city's more intimate rooms for their debut headline gig in Seattle. But as far as debut gigs go, Wet's was anything but a small affai…
It goes without saying that Elliott Smith cannot be replaced. He was a one of a kind talent, a songwriter whose gift for melody often served as the vessel for his often harrowing narratives and disclosures. In the wake of his tragic death at 34, his reputation for intimately capturing deathly stark…
Both Friday and Saturday's Decibel Festival festivities were stacked top to bottom with incredibly good sets, at pretty much every venue in the greater Seattle area. And somehow this year, the festival organizers have done an incredible job at giving each set an incredible sense of creative continu…
Steve Fisk, not unlike Jack Endino, is a figure in the Seattle rock universe who has had an enormous influence on the sounds coming out of this city, despite not being a household name to those who don't often peruse album credits. As a producer and engineer he's worked with everyone from Screaming…
It was Lucius co-lead singer's Holly Laessig's birthday on Sunday, as her partner in crime Jess Wolfe so enthusiastically pointed out, and what better present than to have a sizeable crowd of adoring fans at Sasquatch sing to you? That's what happened, of course, but in addition to being a kind ges…
After wrapping up Saturday brunch Capitol Hill was again swarmed for the Capitol Hill Block Party. Luckily, the line-up was jam packed with great music. Taking full advantage of the easy-going mid-afternoon crowds that make early time slots so enjoyable for fans, we were able to get right in front …
Right around the time they were selling out two shows at Seattle's Neptune Theatre, Local Natives took an afternoon to treat KEXP VIP Club members to a special, stripped down show at The Triple Door. Though it's hard to call anything these Californians do "stripped down", they at least stuck to mai…
Recently, David Schelzel of The Ocean Blue stopped by the KEXP studios to play a live acoustic set, which included a cover of Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without A Face.” Stripped down – accompanied only by one other guitarist for the final tune (Schelzel’s friend Michael Morris) – and in preparation for a …
British DJ/producer Simon Green, a.k.a. Bonobo, has been known to tear up the dance floor during his regularly sold-out shows, but when he dropped by KEXP for an in-studio with Cheryl Waters recently, the vibe was breezy and chill. Accompanied by a full band, Green featured songs from his atmospher…
