Rounding out the first night of of KEXP's Iceland Airwaves broadcast live from Kex Hostel is Icelandic punk band Fufanu. The band began life as techno outfit Captain Fufanu, but after the theft of the computer containing their record, they cut “Captain” from their name and jumped into a completely …
Even if you don’t know Mac McCaughan, you still know Mac McCaughan. Whether fronting indie-rock A-list bands like Superchunk and Portastatic, or running the wildly influential Merge records (home of recent KEXP guests Destroyer and Telekinesis), the veteran musician has had an omnipresent effect on…
Local hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis return with the sentimental track "Growing Up," dedicated to Macklemore’s baby daughter, Sloane. He says on his website, "When you try to escape yourself, life has an interesting way of creating situations that force you to come back. To look at who yo…
I love this record. Barna Howard is my new favorite artist. His previous, acoustic self-titled debut, which I played some last year, only hinted at this Missouri native, now Portland based artist's easy songwriting skills. His latest, Quite A Feelin', is already in the running for my album of the y…
San Francisco’s Moon Duo once again light up the KEXP live room as they launch into their special psychedelic blend of astronomically awesome audio that is bound to elevate your mind into an altered consciousness. Casting some light on their newly released LP, Shadow of the Sun, the duo have built …
It's not like Conor Oberst needs much help sounding great. The Omaha, NE, native has been writing and performing with various projects, most notably with Bright Eyes, since his early teens, and he is a co-founder of not one but two independent labels: Saddle Creek and Team Love. In other words, we …
With a name like King Tuff, you gotta deliver a bad-ass video, and the west coast garage-rocker does just that with his clip for "Black Moon Spell," the title track from his new Sub Pop release. Directed by Jared Eberhardt, the video has it all: snakes, witches, beer. What more could you ask for? …
Today, Bruce Springsteen turns 65 years old. SIXTY-FIVE. After a seven-year-old Bruce saw Elvis Presley performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956, he knew he wanted to be a musician. Even as a teenager, he played concerts at Jersey trailer parks and at the Elks Lodge. And, somehow, over fifty year…
You won't find a more kicked-back band than Nada Surf. Their relaxed demeanor, easy banter and effortless performances make you think they're the kind of guys you just want to hang out with. During their recent acoustic session, live on KEXP from the Bumbershoot Music Lounge, it was like the entire…
If Dean Wareham's own name isn't familiar, his previous projects most likely are. Galaxie 500 and Luna may never have quite reached the commercial success to match their critical acclaim, but both bands inspired a generation to follow of dream-pop wanderers and romantic rock dreamers. And both were…
"If you ever woke up in a bed without somebody, and you didn't know the bed or the room or the city, this song might be for you," says guitarist and vocalist Brad Barr of the new song we're premiering today by The Barr Brothers. Any discomfort, though, is less than temporary. "Even the Darkness Has…
Ain't no lie: Los Angeles trio Liars wove a captivating web over us with their dark, atmospheric in-studio session. Entwined in a colorful skein of yarn, inspired by the cover for their latest release Mess, the long-running electro-punk band strung listeners along with their dark dance pop. The col…
There are very few bands that find a way to capture the absolute euphoria of endless, boundless love and affection. Plenty manage to navigate the confusing space between love and infatuation, the infinite battle of reconciling affection and compassion, and find countless new ways to spell the woes …
Graduating high school early to pursue music, The Orwells have been rocking the Chicago suburbs since 2009. The release of Remember When on Autumn Tone Records jettisoned them into the spotlight, eventually leading to their appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. Like the many apartment c…
"It happens to be the most played album on the Afternoon Show this year", Kevin Cole gushed about Sun Structures, the shimmering debut by Temples. The young UK group has been touted by Brit pop luminaries no less than Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher, and though they may not yet be Top of the Pops, T…
Some bands are really hard to pin down, especially when they sound like they're from another world. Take The Besnard Lakes. The Montreal band's influences are so diverse that listing a few neglects a much wider range. KEXP's Music Director, Don Yates, nearly hits it by describing their latest relea…
Shearwater fans need not worry: they're "not turning into a cover band". So says principle songwriter Jonathan Meiburg, who recently performed a set of covers live in the KEXP studio. Their new album, Fellow Travelers, in fact, consists exclusively of cover songs written by tour companions of the A…
Robert Glasper was exposed to music at a young age. His mother brought him as a boy out to her jazz and blues gigs, and he also learned much about music in church, where he began to sing and mix gospel and jazz harmonies. Since those humble but enriching beginnings, Glasper has built a strong caree…
The 10th anniversary edition of Decibel Festival begins on Wednesday, September 25, and gathers the crème de la crème of the international electronic music and visual arts community. Holding their own among them are some of Northwest's best electronic artists, like Seattle duo ODESZA. These two you…
Although it began as an anonymous solo project, Arthur Ashin's Autre Ne Veut has emerged as one of the leaders of the current electronic and indie-tinged R&B explosion. Now that the project has evolved into an entity outside of his bedroom, Ashin's live takes on the songs from Anxiety, his seco…
