Our second live Iceland Airwaves show of the day at Kex Hostel was friend of the station and amiable funny man Júníus Meyvant. This lanky ginger haired songster is a bit of an enigma, with no album and scant online presence. Unnar Gísli Sigurmundsson, his given name, began performing music a bit la…
Since its formation in 2008, Bleeding Rainbow has evolved into the kick-ass psychedelic rock band that you will have the pleasure to jamming to today. Although every young band goes through some growing pains, most don't have to deal with cease-and-desist letters over their chosen name. Philadelphi…
For Thurston Moore fans, it truly is the "best day" as the former Sonic Youth frontman shares the title track from his forthcoming solo album, The Best Day, out October 21st via Matador Records. As we mentioned earlier this month, Moore's supporting band consists of longtime collaborator Steve She…
On September 9, Local Natives will drop their third album, Sunlit Youth. Today, they've shared a dreamy lyric video for their new album track called "Coins." It's a bright and lively look at relationship struggles. There's no wonder why the band describes it as "one of their favorite songs to play…
Every year, EMP's Sound Off! competition showcases emerging stars in the all-ages music scene. Previous winners have included The Lonely Forest, Dyme Def, Sol, Kithkin, Brothers from Another, Manatee Commune, Fauna Shade, Schoolyard Heroes, Tomten, and Brite Futures, just to name a few. This Saturd…
If our recent in-studio session with Thurston Moore was too much of a tease, you can now stream his forthcoming full-length album, The Best Day, below. His fourth solo album finds the former Sonic Youth frontman backed by longtime drummer Steve Shelley, My Bloody Valentine bassist Deb Googe, and U…
Join Midday Show host Cheryl Waters for a new podcast featuring songs that will stick in your mind and hopefully get you singing along as you while away your days. 1. Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear 2. The Amazing - Picture You 3. Yellerkin - Tools 4. Django Django - First Light 5. Mat…
When it comes to young bands making self-assured, thoughtful and influence-referencing music, Ought already do. The Montreal-based four-piece formed just three years ago amid a burgeoning DIY scene in the city's Mile End district and, while drawing heavily from sonic inspirations like Talking Heads…
Armed with a fine assortment of tracks from their new Seattle-recorded release, Ohio band The Sidekicks unleash their brand of hooky rock in the KEXP live room. On Runners in the Nerved World, they've branched out from their punkish roots and now take pleasure in crafting out songs that are invigor…
There's lots to love in the record stores this Valentine's Day week, like the aptly titled Hotel Valentine, the first release in fifteen years from New York City duo Cibo Matto. If you're in a more somber mood, check out the album Benji from Sun Kil Moon aka Mark Kozelek (ex-Red House Painters), fe…
Each week, The Cobain 50 podcast digs into albums Kurt Cobain listed in his journal as his "Top 50" and how they may have influenced him and Nirvana.
If you were to define a sub-genre for Julianna Barwick's ambient music, it might be something like "polar pastoralism" as the young church-raised singer and composer evokes both the southern straw dust farmland of her youth and the glacial fields that surrounded the recording of her latest release.…
Matt Johnson's The The is yet another band (or musical project, if you prefer, since it seems to have been Johnson and whatever troupe of brilliant musicians he could round up when it came time to make a record) that I never listened to in their heyday/my youth, and I can't quite figure out why. Ma…
Local Natives have released a new single with the help of Nico Segal, a.k.a. Donnie Trumpet, from Chance the Rapper associates The Social Experiment. Entitled "The Only Heirs", it follows the previously released track "I Saw You Close Your Eyes", which (rather creepily) forced listeners to physical…
As the sun set on KEXP's 2016 Hood to Hood broadcast from the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the party headed a few miles away to the Skylark Cafe where DJ Troy Nelson was hosting an evening of local music. It's a good thing the show was All Ages, because we had the winners of this year's youth-o…
Today, legendary singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen celebrates his 82nd birthday, and we're the ones who get a present. Check out the title track from his upcoming release, You Want It Darker, out October 21st via Sony. A press release explains, "Cohen created this hypnotic groove with the addition o…
In Portland, it takes a village. Or nearly that, at least, to bring to life the songs of Kyle Morton. Over three albums and a handful of EPs, the 11-member group Typhoon build gorgeously orchestrated folk pop around Morton's uniquely intimate and personal lyrics. Morton, who nearly died of Lyme Dis…
For Seattle garage rock fans, Friday night's bill at Tractor Tavern was a dream come true. San Francisco's Mikal Cronin made his way up the coast in support of his highly acclaimed new record MKII and brought along Oakland friends Shannon & The Clams and rising local three-piece Dude York. Each…
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba are set on changing the way we think about world music. Pushing the limits of traditional West African instruments themselves to embrace western styles and a more versatile melodic range, Bassekou Kouyate is proud of the modern innovations he's made with the ngoni, a…
