Most of the bands playing SXSW 2013 are probably going to play about five shows during their time in Austin. Ozomatli are playing five in one day. Founded in 1995, Ozomatli’s multicultural blend of Latin, funk, reggae, and hip hop (among other things) has made them cultural ambassadors on a number …
Animal Collective’s Josh Dibb aka Deakin talks about the various inspirations for the band's latest record, Time Skiffs.
If you missed a minute of our exclusive interview with Father John Misty, stream his hour-long intimate chat with DJ Cheryl Waters below. KEXP has had a long-standing relationship with this charismatic singer/songwriter (real name: Josh Tillman) and one-time Seattle resident. From his early days as…
It's hard to believe that That's It!, the new album by Preservation Hall Jazz Band, is their first record of all new material, not just because they've had a prolific 50 year history already, but also because the songs fit so seamlessly into the rest of the New Orleans traditionalists' catalog. Ban…
The music of Duluth, MN-based trio Low has always evoked great emotion, so it's no surprise their videos do, too (except for that one with John Stamos; we don't talk about that). For the track "Lies," off their latest Sub Pop full-length Ones And Sixes, the band turned to Spanish film director Man…
Last night at Chop Suey, the full lineup for the third annual Macefield Music Festival was announced. The 2015 lineup is the best yet, featuring a deep roster of NW artists including Mark Lanegan, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, Grace Love & the True Loves, Thunderpussy, Fox & the La…
Talk about "a movie script ending": in the brand new music video from Death Cab for Cutie, frontman (and future KEXP guest DJ) Ben Gibbard stars as a film director, shooting an action movie. Watch the brutal slow-motion footage for the track "Black Sun" below. Their forthcoming release Kintsugi hi…
Grammy-nominated singer Mary Lambert has been doing things for herself lately. And, she says, it feels exhilarating. But between performances and business moves – like signing her own distribution deal and releasing her latest EP, Bold, in May – she’s been playing a lot of The Sims computer game, c…
This morning, it was reported that Oscar-winning film director Jonathan Demme had passed away at the age of 73, due to complications from esophageal cancer. His lengthy filmology includes blockbusters like Philadelphia and The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Direct…
A far cry from the "bedroom setup" they used to record their debut album, which took the world by storm in 2011, Django Django recently released the studio recorded Born Under Saturn, with a more confident and much bigger sound. The London four-piece didn't let fame or external pressures influence …
I have a confession to make: Not unlike some KCMU DJs circa 1986, I am woefully ignorant of the career and voluminous musical output of Wanda Jackson, also known as the Queen of Rockabilly - or just the Queen of Rock. (Obviously I haven't been reading the KEXP blog enough, or this DJ El Toro review…
It didn't take long for Merchandise frontman Carson Cox's dry sense of humor to set in with his band's Saturday afternoon crowd. "So we're from Florida," he deadpanned. "Can you believe it?" On a hot afternoon, the hazy qualities of Merchandise's music were brought to the forefront, an effect that …
"Holy shit." That's what DJ Cheryl Waters exclaimed as Scottish hip-hop trio Young Fathers finished their KEXP session. Thanks to Cheryl's booking, KEXP gets hundreds of in-studio sessions a year, but it's rare when our entire staff is unanimously blown away like we were that day. DJ Larry Rose, a …
It seemed so daunting when Joseph Arthur first talked about The Ballad of Boogie Christ during an in-studio session two years ago. Back then, he thought it might be a potential rock musical or even a "rock opera" about a man who was either enlightened or insane, and it was either going to be about …
Musician, songwriter, author, actor, producer... in whatever he does, country rock living legend Steve Earle is uncompromisingly in his art and an outspoken critic of what's wrong in our country. On his many albums -- fourteen, not including his many collaborations, compilations and live releases -…
Honestly, I don't have much to contribute to the Firehose discussion that you don't already know or couldn't figure out by visiting their Wikipedia page, which is one of the most anecdotal I've ever seen; it pretty much just reads like a barroom conversation with a dude who's super into Firehose. I…
John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats is on a creative streak. His second novel Universal Harvester just placed on the New York Times Bestseller List, and now we have news about a new album, the fantastically-titled Goths, out May 19th via Merge. The band will be talking more about the album at 1:0…
Talk about a storied past. The Jayhawks rose from the fertile era of Twin Cities rock that also produced such contemporaries as The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum and Prince. Though they often get tagged as "country rock revivalists" or "alt-country icons", the band's sound and personnel shif…
With a career spanning over three decades Billy Bragg has acquired both a massive catalog and fanbase. His engaging stage presence and brilliant songwriting have cemented him as one of the most successful folk rock singers in the world. In fact, this past January he was honored for lifetime achieve…
