Having just played an exquisite showcase for the Ballard Day Hood-to-Hood Celebration, Nila Leigh and Sam Ford of Goodbye Heart are ready to take over Seattle and its surrounding areas, provided you let them. Well-versed musicians, the outfit has been making music since 2007, back when they lived i…
Our broadcast during Iceland Airwaves isn't always about the Iceland bands. While we do enjoy spotlighting groups that KEXP listeners might not otherwise hear, we also love to share with our Nordic friends some of our own favorites, like NYC's Caveman, whose lush, dreamy indie pop sound translates …
Easily one of the best albums of the year so far, Muchacho most fully realizes the ideas, sound and aesthetic that Brooklyn (by way of Alabama)'s Matthew Houck has been developing for the past decade as Phosphorescent. Whether spare, lush, atmospheric or raucously barn-burning, the songs on Muchach…
He might look like a tough guy in the photo above, but 28 year old Swedish singer-songwriter Linus Lutti performs under the disarming moniker Little Children and creates lush, calming pop in the vein of Junip and Nick Drake. The songs on his recently released EP, In Hau, tend to be somber without s…
Two Seattle bands top this week's list of new releases. Since 2011's full-length No Witch, The Cave Singers added Blood Brothers/Past Lives/Fleet Foxes (among others) member Morgan Henderson to their lineup and teamed up with Fleet Foxes producer Phil Ek for their fourth LP Naomi out on Jagjaguwar.…
Originally from Toronto now based in Montreal, musician and photographer Tess Roby is a true talent. At just 24 years old, she has a mature voice reminiscent of Nico, but truly her own. With gorgeous, lush songwriting, Tess on keyboards and vocals accompanied by her brother Eliot Roby on guitar, in…
They don't call it the land of fire and ice for nothing. Geographically, Iceland is a land of extremes, from its vast glaciers to its active volcanos. But there must be some space in the middle where the two meet. In Norse mythology, that space, between fiery Muspelheim and icy Niflheim, is where l…
As we reported last month, Scottish siblings The Jesus & Mary Chain are releasing their first new album in eighteen years, Damage and Joy, out March 24th via ADA/Warner Music. (The album title is apparently "a reference to the English translation of schadenfreude." Interpret that as you will!)…
Sam O.B. is the latest alias of Brooklyn-based musician Samuel Obey, formerly known as Obey City, also the co-founder of the stellar Astro Nautico label. A constantly evolving musician and in-demand collaborator who's well-known for his versatile talents in the studio, Sam O.B. recently released hi…
Oh man, oh man. Last week, Sub Pop released the deluxe 10th anniversary edition of the full-length debut of Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary, on lush triple disc vinyl, pulling together all three of Wolf Parade's lead-up EPs and packaging it all in a glorious tri-fold of awesome. The same w…
On their dreamy fifth album, Scottish band Camera Obscura adds a local flavor by recording with Portland based producer (and former Seattleite) Tucker Martine. Our Music Director, Don Yates, calls Desire Lines "a beautifully crafted set of bittersweet, soul-tinged indie-pop, featuring a warm, lush …
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 …
As Lord Huron, singer-songwriter Ben Schneider has always been influenced by the out-of-doors. Whether his inspiration comes from the rugged woods and Great Lakes of his origin state of Michigan or the dusty Mojave Desert closer to his adopted LA home, themes of exploration and adventure pervade hi…
It's an eclectic mix of new releases this week, including some moody music out of the UK, led by trip-hop pioneer Tricky, whose latest album is, according to our Music Director, Don Yates, "his most focused effort in years" featuring the sounds he's most known for, i.e. "gloomy, mostly downtempo be…
As the first day of Treefort Music Fest got underway, many of the Thursday bands were stuck in Denver battling a snow storm. It was a theme that resonated as Day 2 of Treefort came around, with cancellations and delays peppered throughout the schedule as a result. But the unfortunate circumstances …
As the days get shorter, so do our lists of new releases, but don't give up on 2013 just yet. You may need to revise your own Top Ten list of 2013 after you consider some of the new releases hitting record store shelves today. A definite contender: Purgatory/Paradise by Throwing Muses, their first …
We couldn't be more excited for Seattle electronic group Beat Connection, who've seen nothing but forward, progressive growth over the six years of their existence. From the nu-house leanings of their debut EP, Surf Noir, and the massive pop thresholds of Palace Garden, the band has reached a focal…
Determined and unwavering Brooklyn-based folk rock band WOODS have released over six albums since their inception in 2005, distinguishing them as some of the hardest-working indie rockers. Singer-guitarist and founder Jeremy Earl even runs the record label Woodsist, from which WOODS release their a…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Mid…
It's been five years since Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have toured America, and in the unique and never-predictable story of Nick Cave, five years is a long time. After the release of 2008's Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, Nick has authored the screenplay for a major motion picture, published his second nove…
