Much talk surrounding Capitol Hill Block Party's 2016 notes the intentionally electronic turn that the festival made this year with its headlining choices. Of those, the crowning evening of the weekend had to go to Saturday night, where hometown heroes ODESZA played to maybe the biggest crowd ever …
HEALTH's new record Death Magic has a pretty significant lead up to it. After working on a third album for some time, the band got an opportunity to work on the soundtrack for Rockstar's Max Payne 3, which they knocked out of the park in every plausible way. The extra time focused on production and…
It's been an interesting couple years for Henry Laufer, a.k.a. Shlohmo. Just about this time last year, we were all waiting on pins and needles for a collaborative EP to drop between Shlohmo and R&B singer Jeremih, spinning the new single "No More" to death and begging for a set in stone releas…
On stage Annie Clark, or as she's known, St. Vincent, is like an alluring, otherworldly android. She skitter steps around rapidly on high stiletto heels, staring blankly and doe-eyed, smiling at odd times while tearing through guitar lines seemingly effortlessly. Much of her show seems almost chore…
Benjamin Booker has earned himself a bit of a reputation 'round these parts for his wild music and even wilder on stage antics. Born in Tampa, Booker now lives in New Orleans, though his band is based in Nashville. His rootsy, southern-steeped sound erupts intro overdriven garage and even punk rock…
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…
For a moment there, it looked like The National's headlining set at Sasquatch – one of the band's biggest shows to date – was going to be underwhelming. For the first twenty minutes, the band felt too mellow, and frontman Matt Berninger, disinterested. And then, after "Don't Swallow The Cap", a swi…
"Stick with the old stuff, Win." That's the advice that Butler gets from Carl the roadie (Rainn Wilson) after playing a bloated, belligerent rendition of Funeral cut "Wake Up" during the fictitious Arcade Fire performance in the Reflektor accompaniment film Here Comes The Night Time. Here, Butler i…
Local Natives might as well be full-time residents at KEXP. With their sunny indie rock melodies and radiant vocal harmonies, the LA-based quintet have cranked out three amazing albums since 2009, including their joyous 2016 release, Sunlit Youth, which finds the band taking their expansive folk-po…
Here's a piece of Capitol Hill Block Party trivia for you: Diplo is the only artist on the bill this weekend who has performed for 500,000 people at one time. At a free show in Havana, Cuba, in 2016, the first by an American artist since the US and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations in 2015, …
Rejoice! Indie rock legends The National have announced a new album! Their first since 2013's excellent Trouble Will Find Me, the new album will be called Sleep Well Beast and will be released just in time for the post-summer bummers on Sept 8th via 4AD. Check out the first single "The System Only…
It's time to add another band from the KEXP stacks to the long list of fascinating artists I should really become more familiar with - and would happily read a book about. Scritti Politti began 40 years ago in Leeds, and have been intermittently making music in various lineups ever since (with the …
Seattle band Pickwick has always been a band that embraces change. In their earliest incarnations, they were an ambient-folk group before falling in love with the hypnotic grooves of R&B that would be the foundation for their 2013 full-length debut, Can't Talk Medicine. Even still, the band con…
As major labels continue to exist behind the times, artists and labels with little capital and lesser reputations are producing some of the most innovative, interesting, and inspiring music. Whether it’s creating a new niche in digital technology or looking to once obsolete formats, Agitated Atmosp…
It should never go without saying that we at KEXP are amazed by the ongoing support by our listeners and friends. This year, you've helped us maintain our fiercely independent programming and find a new home, and now you're continuing to help us fully compete it so that we can reach more of you tha…
Scott Weiland, the frontman for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, died yesterday while on tour with his new band, The Wildabouts. The dynamic singer had a much publicized tumultuous life, but as VR bandmate Duff McKagan posted on the band’s Instagram, “It’s just so sad and brutal from any p…
New Zealand-born, NYC-based artist Tamaryn has emerged as one of the most striking artists crafting atmospheric shoegaze/dream-pop over the past five years. Her third and latest album, "Cranekiss", finds her adding more electronic elements into her potent and grandiose sonic mix, yielding some of h…
For the first time ever, First Aid Kit got to perform their hit single "Emmylou" for none other than Emmylou Harris herself, and, not surprisingly, it was an emotional affair. Harris was in Sweden to accept the Polar Music Prize (described as "the Noble Prize of Music"). Klara Söderberg, half of t…
