Composing great dance music is more than just choosing the right beats per minute and finding a catchy synth patch. It's about capturing an emotional impulse in the groove – that indescribable, wordless "something" that resonates beyond how it booms out the speakers. It's an idea that Seattle produ…
Fresh from her feature on this week's episode of "Twin Peaks," Sharon Van Etten has shared a remix to a track she wrote and released last year in honor of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, which happened one year ago yesterday. Titled "Not Myself," Etten explained the reasoning for its r…
I assumed when I pulled out this record by 17 Pygmies that this would be one of those bands who released a DJ-beloved album or two in the '80s and then quietly dissolved, leaving almost no trace to survive into this Internet age of ours. How wrong I was! It turns out this band - originally a Savage…
They say there's a day for everything, and maybe they're right, because today happens to be National French Fry Day. It's been said that french fries date back to the 1600s, when the residents of a region formerly known as the "Spanish Netherlands" (currently: Belgium) had the custom of accompanyin…
Rounding out the first night of of KEXP's Iceland Airwaves broadcast live from Kex Hostel is Icelandic punk band Fufanu. The band began life as techno outfit Captain Fufanu, but after the theft of the computer containing their record, they cut “Captain” from their name and jumped into a completely …
Self discovery can be euphoric. Finding yourself can lead to a tidal wave of confidence, and that confidence is infectious. This confidence isn't based in complete knowledge of the future or perfect success without any mistakes - rather, it stems from an overpowering believe that whatever happens, …
As DJ Cheryl Waters points out, Surfer Blood may not be the same "pen of puppies" they were in 2009, but on their newest release, 1000 Palms, they go back to their DIY roots. No longer with a major label looking over their shoulder and now with years of touring experience under their belt, the Flor…
White Lung's frontwoman Mish Way is nothing less than a singular, commanding singer, but the ferocious spirit that fuels her performances is empowering, not intimidating. On the band's latest album, Deep Fantasy, Way and guitarist Kenneth William, drummer Anne-Marie Vassiliou, and bassist Hether Fo…
Augustines's new album is cause to rejoice -- as much for the band as for fans. From the ashes Pela, the Brooklyn band beloved by KEXP listeners but embattled by a disinterested music industry, songwriters Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson formed this new band named after their shared birth month, …
<pOn any given weekend in Seattle, there are a million amazing shows to see - from jazz at a coffee shop or theater, to a grunge show at a DIY space, to a major act at any one of our large venues. Maybe this weekend you want to try something new, maybe you heard one song by this small electronic…
After selling out their first show (Dec. 12) at Key Arena in just 15 minutes, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis decided to add a second performance on December 11. That one sold out in two hours. The guys have so much love for their hometown that they've now added a third show, this one is set for Decem…
If you saw them on the street, it's very possible that you'd mistake Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for, well, members of an actual motorcycle gang. Bassist Robert Levon Been and guitarist Peter Hayes have been playing together since high school (drummer Leah Shapiro has been with them since 2007), an…
Divine Fits, a super-group of sorts featuring Britt Daniel from Spoon, New Bomb Turk's Sam Brown, and Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner, played their first show together in Austin last year before going on to release one of the best LPs of 2012 with A Thing Called Divine Fits. The came full circle last n…
"Only 340 more songs to go," said Icelandic soul singer Júníus Meyvant, hiding a sly grin under a thick red beard at the start of his set at the KEXP Gathering Space Stage on Saturday evening. Fans on the concrete floor in front of him, sitting like children arranged around a teacher, chuckled. Tho…
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "Let It Go (feat. Dave B)" by Livt,from the 2022 album Pink and Orange on LIV Free Media / DAY ONE ENT.
UK post-punk legends Modern English have truly figured out the perfect way to retain their punk roots 35 years on from their biggest hit. What's the most punk way to fund a new album from the original lineup of the band that gave you timeless new wave classic "I Melt With You"? Probably go on tour …
Billy Corgan is a man of extreme dichotomy. It's this gleefully dynamic binary that has made him one of the most interesting artists of the last three decades. And really, you don't have to go back that far into the throws of The Smashing Pumpkins history to get there. Take just the last couple yea…
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of EARLY on KEXP, is "Go Far (feat. Bigmouf’ Bo)" by Lorine Chia & D*L*P, a 2021 self-released single.
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Cheryl Waters, host of The Midday Show on KEXP, is "Don't Go Puttin Wishes in My Head" by TORRES, from the 2021 album Thirstier on Merge Records.
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Cleo Sol, from the 2021 album Mother on Forever Living Originals.
