London's Kitchens of Distinction, like so many bands championed by KCMU, were a promising and critically acclaimed band in the late '80s and '90s that never quite broke as big as they might have hoped, but have maintained a devoted following over the years. Last year, almost two decades after break…
A while back, a producer, a DJ and an MC, each with solid careers of their own, formed a sort of hip hop supergroup to face against rising corporate interests in their fields. Like Gorillaz, Deltron 3030 was high-concept, semi-fictional, character driven project that blew the minds of music fans of…
Few bands have influenced Seattle's sound like Mudhoney. Twenty five years ago, to this month, Mark Arm and Steve Turner rejoined after leaving Green River to form a group that would weather all storms of the so-called "Grunge" scene. Their initial, poorly selling but highly influential single and …
Seattle super-group Walking Papers played a killer session in the KEXP studio for Audioasis, where they shared three songs off their Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam)-produced self-titled debut from October last year, released on Sunyata Records. Such an assured sound from a band that just released a d…
This summer, folk rockers The Lumineers played a special show at Barboza in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood as part of KEXP's VIP Club concert series. The band has gained major momentum in the current thirst for rootsy, soul-stirring music, and this year they're up for two Grammys -- for Best …
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. The weather here in Seattle is out of control super summer awesome. And what makes a sunny summer day even better? Brand…
To those of you who might not know, Nirvana will soon be inducted by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The inductees will include Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl. The latter two members will be performing with Pat Smear (who will not be inducted); however, …
Among all the new releases this week, it's hard to escape the one from Daft Punk. Their new album, Random Access Memories, is the first by the band in eight years. The 13-track record begins with a bang via its track "Give Life Back to Music", a funky, 70's-inspired song with trademark robot-style …
Capturing the energy in The Showbox SoDo is a difficult task. The venue’s high ceiling stretches for a great distance overhead, and without the proper performance, momentum can dissipate from front to back. Luckily, Run the Jewels are nothing if not seasoned performers. From El-P’s first project, C…
A warm April Thursday night brought an all-star lineup to the sold-out Moore Theatre in the form of Courtney Barnett and Alvvays. The two groups differ dramatically stylistically, but they are two of the best acts in terms of captivating and connecting with audiences both lyrically and sonically. A…
All this year, KEXP has been hosting a series of unique fun events to raise money for our New Home campaign! Back in October, we hosted a two day showcase in Portland, one at Holocene and the other at Doug Fir. While there, we were fortunate to work with Louie Herr and Aaron Colter of Banana Stand …
Holy Fuck! Noise upon noise, wires upon wires, dance beats upon dance beats - and a dinner knife traversing a slide guitar? Yep, that's how the unconventional Canadian electronica gang Holy Fuck rolls when performing songs off their new album, Congrats, which magnifies their noise-enthusiast, gear-…
What a great way to kick off 2015: our very first in-studio session of the year was with Canadian musical craftsmen Dan Mangan + Blacksmith. On his fourth album, Club Meds, out now on Arts & Crafts, the Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter expands into new sonic soundscapes with his band, Black…
Since we first heard them four years, Capsula have thrilled us with on blazing performance after another. The Argentinian, by way of Spain, band returned to Seattle his past December and since they had already previewed their stellar 2013 album, Solar Secrets, last time we had them in, this time th…
This week we celebrate the 15th year of one of Seattle’s favorite hometown labels: Barsuk Records! Since its birth in 1998, Barsuk has helped create a platform for dozens of great bands, from the Pacific northwest and otherwise, to get off the ground and put forth incredible music. Even in the deca…
Portland riff-brokers Red Fang recorded a crushing in-studio session for Seek & Destroy's four-year anniversary on October 27, playing songs in from their new album, Whales & Leeches. You can watch the full performance below, and you can also catch them live at their S&D-sponsored, all-…
Not ones to wait for official announcements, Arcade Fire let the citizens of Barcelona know that they'd be playing next year's Primavera Sound via a large format poster raised along the city's main shopping street, Portal de l'Àngel, on Monday. The festival just confirmed the resulting social medi…
Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is on a hunger strike, protesting an atmosphere of “slave labor” in her Russian prison. Today, she writes in a letter proliferated by her husband, “I am going on hunger strike and refusing to participate in colony slave labor. I will do this until the administrat…
Former Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto has shared her take on Tommy James & The Shondells' 1968 song "I'm Alive." Ditto said of the cover: "Being alive is radical right now. So let's live!" Ditto released her solo debut Fake Sugar last year. Catch Ditto at the Showbox on Thursday, March 29. [ SPIN…
In an episode of Music that Matters that doubles as a showcase for some of the region's most notable rock, electronic, and hip-hop outfits, Audioasis host Sharlese highlights thirteen of the Pacific Northwestern acts playing this year's edition of Bumbershoot, a music and arts festival that takes …
