At around 3 o'clock, I made my way to the fairly full audience of the Bigfoot stage to catch Cole Smith's (of Beach Fossils) project DIIV. Little did I know I was in for one of the more sun drunk performances I would see - and I mean that in the best and most innocent way. At one point guitarist An…
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 …
“How much is your 15 year old self flipping out right now?” That’s the text I got from Brittany right after we saw the date go up. She Wants Revenge, celebrating the 10th birthday of their 2006 debut by playing the album in its entirety at the Showbox. Wait, 10 years? Has it already been that long?…
"Put up your fists and your guns one time right now", Killer Mike yelled over the Showbox crowd. Across the room, hands went up mimicking the cover art from the self-titled debut from Run The Jewels. Mike nodded in stoic approval. "This is hands down the best tag team the world's got going right no…
It's hard enough to make money nowadays as a musician, let alone when you have to ditch all momentum you've gained thus far and start again. But watching the bands the make the cut and bottle lightning a second time is like watching a boxer come off a loss stronger than ever. It's not just good - i…
When last we checked in with the music of Edward Ka-Spel - probably best known for his work with the Legendary Pink Dots - word was he might be touring with said Dots imminently. Well, the tour has come and gone, and it included a stop at our own Chop Suey. Ed helpfully kept a tour diary, with thi…
It's been five years since she's toured the States, but who knows how long it's been since she's been to Seattle? That all changes in 2017 as PJ Harvey embarks on a North American tour in support of The Hope Six Demolition Project. A press release states she'll be joined by an impressive 10-piece …
It's not just in name we're alike. KEXP and KEX Hostel have shared a long partnership, going back to our first Iceland Airwaves broadcast in 2011. Since then, they've been gracious hosts and champions of great music, and in the spirit of our ongoing collaboration, they've held the aptly named KEXP…
"Let's get heavy," Other Lives frontman Jesse Tabish jokes before launching into the principle dichotomies behind the creation of their latest release, Rituals. But whether they're conflating old and new styles or humanity's primal nature and our technologically isolating modern world, the surprisi…
Elliott Smith fans, rejoice! KEXP presents the Seattle premiere of Nickolas Rossi's Elliott Smith documentary, Heaven Adores You at Northwest Film Forum, Friday, May 15, with an extended run by popular demand through May 26. Heaven Adores You follows the beloved musician's musical evolution, from p…
Although he's spent the last few months contributing as a vocalist to Hercules and Love Affair, John Grant returned to his day job on Sunday afternoon, performing a stark set of wistful tunes from his two solo albums. At first glance, the massive Sasquatch stage at 1 p.m. on a sunny afternoon isn't…
"So, what did y'all motherfuckers do to get in here? What makes you VIP? Is this like one of those fucked-up... when the celebrities go play the show at the Eastern European child dictator's party?" So asked Travis Morrison, mischievous frontman for the DC post-punk veterans The Dismemberment Plan,…
KEXP is proud to sponsor Girls That Shred, a benefit concert for local grassroots organization Skate Like a Girl, on Friday, January 10th at the Vera Project with Chastity Belt, TacocaT, Atomic Bride, Summer Babes, Lures, and our own KEXP DJ Sean.Proceeds from the night will go towards the Youth Em…
On any given weekend in Seattle, there are a million amazing shows to see - from jazz sets at coffee shops and orchestras at theaters, to a grunge shows in DIY spaces and major touring acts at any of our larger venues. Maybe this weekend you want to try something new; maybe you heard one song by th…
Like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' headlining performance on Friday night, The Lumineers' Monday evening set felt like the culmination of a whirlwind year that started with a little help from Seattle. In January 2012, John Richards began playing "Ho Hey" back-to-back on the Morning Show, the song bega…
Influential British trio and longtime KEXP favorites Saint Etienne released a wonderful cover of Neil Young's song "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" as their breakout debut single nearly 30 years ago, and they're still going strong today. With each new release, they continue to find ways to tweak an…
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind. Our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News. Hey, everybody! The weekend is here and we need to get out in the sun while the sun is still out for gettin’. This week …
It’s been 50 years since the release of Marvin Gaye’s record, What’s Going On. KEXP’s Larry Mizell Jr. talks with Emily Fox about the history of the record, and more.
