You can't live in Seattle and not have heard of the O.K. Hotel. In the late '80s, Steve Freeborn and Tia Mathies transformed the now-legendary building, located under the viaduct in Pioneer Square, into a music venue, fine arts gallery, and cafe. In fact, in the 1992 Cameron Crowe film Singles, it'…
Niña Mendoza is a Vancouver, BC-based DJ renowned for her exquisite taste and deep knowledge of soul, R&B, hip-hop, boogie, and funk that spans everything from the deep cuts of past decades to breaking the latest jams from new underground artists. A trusted staple in the nightlife scene of her …
This week, as we continue to post KEXP DJs’ Top 10 Albums of 2015 lists, we also want to share the favorites of KEXP's extremely talented and dedicated volunteer photographers, who generously donate so much of their time and talent to give everyone direct access to the hundreds of live sessions, co…
Vancouver, BC-based multi-instrumentalist and electronic producer Pomo (real name David Pimentel) has skyrocketed over the past couple years to become a standout figure within a crowd of young artists adding a fresh and colorful slant to club music. Recently joining the likes of Kaytranada, Ta-Ku, …
It's time get out of bed and work off those Turkey Day tummies - today, Friday, November 27th is Record Store Day Black Friday, and just like the usual annual Record Store Day in April, it's your chance to score some exclusive, limited-edition releases at independent retailers! KEXP spotlights some…
This week in El Sonido we're going to focus on Colombia. I just visited the country for my second time, spending a week in Bogotá to attend a great music conference Resonancia Colombia, which is part of a bigger technology event Colombia 3.0. I spoke on a handful of music business panels, met a bun…
American treasure Willie Dixon would have turned 100 this year. As it seems must be the case with even the most revered and successful blues musicians, his life had its highs and lows; sometimes those were two sides of the same coin, from having his songs covered by some of the most popular bands i…
As lighthearted as they are lethal, Seattle’s Mommy Long Legs stepped into our live room to rock out a handful of tracks from their debut release, Life Rips, comprised of clever, hooky punk rock that mixed furious righteousness with a wicked sense of humor. Songs like "Horrorscope" and the title tr…
Florence & the Machine have announced their new summer and fall tour schedule for How Big How Blue How Beautiful. They will hit several festivals like Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits, before their final stop brings them here to Seattle. Key Arena will host Florence Welch and company on October…
Describing the appeal of Mac DeMarco is like trying to explain the funniest joke you've ever heard to someone half your age. Words will only make you seem hopelessly out of touch. For all his goofball antics, the New York based, Canadian born singer-songwriter writes some catchy and melodious tunes…
Last week, three generations of Northwest rock converged to shake the dust off the walls of Seattle's venerable Moore Theatre. Headlining the night, Tacoma band The Sonics, celebrated the release of their first album in 48 years, which, if you've been hearing us spin it regularly on KEXP, sounds li…
To call a band brimming such powerful emotion Holy Esque is like calling Scottish indie music in general "kind of sad". The Glasgow quartet has already built a ton of buzz with their 2012 EP while touring with the equally impassioned (but sadly defunct) Wu Lyf, but they took time since then to deve…
Even after releasing a pair of EP's, Wolf Alice has yet to show their teeth. The young London four-piece have grown from a folky duo into a gnashing, shoegazy, guitar-heavy band steeped in 90's alternative rock but with a freshly energized take. But their past singles “Fluffy” and “Moaning Lisa Smi…
Caught in a spin cycle of updated 70s punk and hard rock aesthetics, LA’s Meatbodies drop by KEXP shred out a hot plate of marinated melodies from their self-titled release on In the Red Records. Cooking up a rich mixture of fuzzed out genre-blurring jams and high strung vocals, this is a band that…
Don't think Pond a lesser Tame Impala. Though they drink from the same cosmic pool as their fellow Perthians (and share members, past and current), the Australian five-piece ride a heavier wavelength. Friends Nick Allbrook, Jay Watson and Joseph Ryan formed the band originally to play whatever the …
One of Iceland's most popular musical exports, after Björk and Sigur Rós, has to be Of Monsters & Men. We were fortunate to discover this talented young band early and capture them on video as they practiced for their first ever performance at Icelandic Airwaves Festival back in 2010. They've s…
For years, Phillip Peterson has been around Seattle composing music, producing music and mixing for bands like the Seattle Symphony and, recently, Shaprece. Now, his band, Tennis Pro, is screening a movie at SIFF, Big in Japan, about touring Japan, and is preparing to play Capitol Hill Block Party.…
For as good natured a duo as you're like to find, Cary Ann Heart and Michael Trent can get darker and more dangerous than you can imagine. As Shovels & Rope, they play gritty boot-stompin' roots-rock that spans between rousing sing-alongs, heartwarming ballads and harrowing tales of vengeance. …
“Buffalo Stance” isn’t the alpha and omega of Neneh Cherry’s career. Before that 1988 international smash she made music with the Slits, The The, and Rip Rip + Panic, and her resume has only grown more eclectic in the years since then. In tonight’s exclusive KEXP session with Neneh at 9pm PST, I’ll…
I never thought the day would come that Miley Cyrus would make the KEXP Blog, but I also never thought she'd perform with The Flaming Lips, like she did this past weekend at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Apparently, Cyrus told the crowd, "I hope I can inspire you guys as much as The Flaming L…
