If there's another performer who has received two standing ovations for a single song at the Moore, Jason Isbell should call them and see if they'll go for best two out of three, because chances are that he'll win. The revitalized Southern songwriter is at a career high at the moment, and no other …
I have a confession to make: Not unlike some KCMU DJs circa 1986, I am woefully ignorant of the career and voluminous musical output of Wanda Jackson, also known as the Queen of Rockabilly - or just the Queen of Rock. (Obviously I haven't been reading the KEXP blog enough, or this DJ El Toro review…
The innovative releases continue for Lena Simon’s band, KAIROS. Who doesn’t like it when one masterful band takes the work of another for the sake of reinterpretation and homage? And today, we have two examples of this collaboration: a Cock & Swan remix of the KAIROS track, “Can / Cannot” and a…
Of the experiences that KEXP listeners tell us they value most, the intimate, personal interactions between artists and fans always ranks the highest. In our interviews and in-studio videos, we try to get as close to the heart as possible, but occasionally we are able to dive further into the creat…
It used to be that every year about this time, KEXP would throw the Yule Benefit show, but it's been five years since our last one. This year, music fans were in for a treat as the show returned to Neumos to raise money for the station's new home, being built at the Seattle Center. The lineup inclu…
"Holy shit." That's what DJ Cheryl Waters exclaimed as Scottish hip-hop trio Young Fathers finished their KEXP session. Thanks to Cheryl's booking, KEXP gets hundreds of in-studio sessions a year, but it's rare when our entire staff is unanimously blown away like we were that day. DJ Larry Rose, a …
KEXP, STG, and Starbucks kicked off the new year with another fine edition of our benefit series, Little Big Show. On January 31st, we joined together to raise money for Reel Grrls, a program where girls ages 9-21 can learn media production skills from volunteer professionals and voice their indivi…
Each time we've gone back to Iceland over the past five years, we've been fortunate to discover and share with KEXP listeners quite a few bands who might not otherwise leave their shores. For every Sugarcubes and Sigur Rós, we found dozens of others, like Hjaltalín, Ásgeir, Of Monsters and Men (bac…
Anticipating his upcoming tour supporting Black Sabbath and his own burgeoning career, bluesy rocker Jordan Cook, a.k.a. Reignwolf, performed a handful of sold-out shows including a stop in his adopted hometown at the Neptune Theatre last week. Amazingly, Cook has yet to release an album under the …
We all knew going into the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee that it wasn't going to be a day you might forget, like so many other street festivals and and fairs, which all tend to blend together after you've been to a few. Was it the more than memorable lineup, including J. Mascis, Father John Misty, King Tu…
It seemed so daunting when Joseph Arthur first talked about The Ballad of Boogie Christ during an in-studio session two years ago. Back then, he thought it might be a potential rock musical or even a "rock opera" about a man who was either enlightened or insane, and it was either going to be about …
There is a place where the sounds and sights of summer are always abounding and where you can sing about the beach all year long. That place, according to Zach Yudin, is Cayucos, California. His project Cayucas (formerly called Oregon Bike Trails) is an unapologetic love letter to the feeling given…
Musician, songwriter, author, actor, producer... in whatever he does, country rock living legend Steve Earle is uncompromisingly in his art and an outspoken critic of what's wrong in our country. On his many albums -- fourteen, not including his many collaborations, compilations and live releases -…
Legendary Philadelphia hip hop crew The Roots threw the best party at this year's Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, performing a jaw-dropping headlining slot at the Fisher Green Stage on Saturday night. Like any good host, they kept the vibes going, flowing seamlessly from song to song, withou…
KEXP is heading back to Rennes, France, for our second year at the Trans Musicales de Rennes, December 6th through 10th! Our goal, as always when partnering with international festivals like Les Trans, is to discover and share new music from across the globe with you from artists that we may not ha…
One of the many reasons KEXP went to Montreal was at the recommendation of our friend Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Operators), so when we had our plan in place to record at Breakglass Studios during the POP Montreal Festival, naturally we asked Dan if he had any local bands that he would recommend th…
Tune-Yards have returned with a brand new song that comes alongside an announcement that they'll be following up 2014's Nikki Nack with a brand new album called I can feel you creep into my private life, due January 19th via 4AD. The LP is produced by longtime collaborator Nate Brenner, who is now …
Killer Mike, rapper and half of the duo Run the Jewels, took a stand against Mike Pence's announcement that he had left the Colts vs 49ers game because the players peacefully protested by kneeling during the national anthem. "I wonder how he feels about the constitution. The document that contains …
"How about this?" Julie Edwards screamed from the drum set halfway through Deap Vally's set, "Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and DFA 1979! This is the friggin' rock n roll circus man!". Edwards remark couldn't be more true - truly, tonight's sinfully good double feature is a match made in heaven. At f…
Back in July, Annie Mac interviewed M.I.A. to announce the official release date for delayed fifth album AIM (formerly called Matahdatah). With the announcement, Maya gave us the bass-heavy single "Go Off" to mask the pain of some bummer news: this is going to be the last M.I.A. album before she go…
