Well, Seattle, it looks like we've corrupted Flight of the Conchords. Jemaine Clement, the gap-toothed glasses-wearing half of the New Zealand duo, confessed to the audience: he ate half a banana... and just left the other half sitting backstage! WHOA. "I'm the Iggy Pop of the band," he admitted ru…
Now in its third year in Iceland, All Tomorrow's Parties returned Thursday to the former NATO U.S. Air Base Ásbrú in Keflavík. Music lovers from around the world came for the weekend's killer lineup, including Iggy Pop, Public Enemy, Belle & Sebastian, Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and lo…
The Sasquatch mainstage in the Gorge has a way of elevating great vocal performances even further – ask Bon Iver, The Head and The Heart, or any other vocal powerhouse who's performed on it. Now, Johanna and Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit can add their names to that list after their beautiful Sat…
On a rainy Wednesday evening, Annie Clark brought wonder and beauty to Seattle and to the Moore Theater with her St. Vincent return to our fair city. Both of the last times we've had the chance to see clark, it was alongside David Byrne, playing some original material, but mostly cuts from their co…
The Triple Door was the place to be last night if you're a fan of Decibel Festival and need something to tide you over until September. The venue featured two identical back to back shows of Erased Tapes artists Nils Frahm and Douglas Dare. The two pianists made for an impressive showcase of everyt…
Yes, that is a real bill. Electronic genre-blending genius Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison) brought some of his closest associates along with him on his second trip through Seattle in support of excellent new record, Until The Quiet Comes. Thundercat has been a long time collaborator, playing all of t…
Unknown Mortal Orchestra is a bit of a conundrum, at least when it comes to classifying them. Not really a "band," UMO is really the project of Ruban Nielson, who wrote and recorded songs in his bedroom and even posted the insanely catchy "Ffunny Ffrends" first online anonymously. Not really a loca…
We like to believe Sam Beam is one of our own. Though he hails about as far away as you can get, from South Carolina and later Florida, the first three Iron & Wine albums were released on Seattle's celebrated label Sub Pop. And of course, KEXP was one of the first radio stations to get behind …
There are few moments in rock 'n' roll as iconic as the opening drum-and-breath line in "Time of the Season." Yet unlike many of their British Invasion co-horts (like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Moody Blues), The Zombies never reached the same level of success. Maybe it was tha…
Early last month, we were thrilled to present R&B musician Cody ChesnuTT at the Triple Door as part of our VIP Club Concert series. His sound is a fresh kind of soul-R&B-rock hybrid that excellently displays his raw, natural talent as an entertainer. ChesnuTT's powerful and expressive vocal…
What can I say about Slint that I didn't already say in my 2008 Spiderland post? I kept it short back then, but I pretty much covered the bases: they were an excellent band that has been very influential over the years and they were phenomenal live, even almost twenty years after anyone thought the…
Yep, it's that time again! The time when Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich drop another album and blow any lingering competition out of the water. Together with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, as well as Ultraísta (and plenty more) drummer Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco, we get Atoms …
Aminéisn't just up-and-coming anymore -- he's arrived. The Portland rapper made his Seattle debut in probably the biggest way possible -- playing to a packed out crowd at Key Arena at the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival. Walking on to the beastly, hyphy-like beat of "Red Mercedes," Aminé kept…
Another day, another dollar (or is it another krona?). While I'm not quite sure what the conversion rate is for days and poorly-executed metaphors here in Iceland, one thing I am sure of is that we are bringing you another incredible day of live music here at Kex Hostel during Iceland Airwaves Musi…
Bon Dimanche! It’s written in graffiti on several buildings all over Rennes. Happy Sunday! Sunday is the day of rest for the French people and even our crew got to take a small break on the final day of filming during the Trans Musicales festival. Normally, we’re up by 6am, breakfast at 7, out the …
That David Byrne is unstoppable. The influential icon was just in town, launching a run of his musical Here Lies Love at the Seattle Repertory Theater (watch an exclusive KEXP interview about it here). And now, upon his return home, he's announced a "music-related variety show" to held for one nig…
One stage over from the Bigfoot stage at Sasquatch! Music Festival, where the perpetually-relaxed Kurt Vile was leading the Violators through a set that "languid" doesn't even begin to describe, the dance tent was bursting with bass and a flood of seizure-inducing strobe lights. Naturally, Vile did…
From the second Claire Boucher steps on the main stage at Sasquatch! Music Festival, it seems as if there are two versions of Grimes present during her shows. One, perhaps more reflective of the artist than her art, is the sincere, enthusiastic, slightly awkward person that speaks on the mic in bet…
