Last week, on Thursday, July 10th, music lovers from all across town poured into Seattle Center to help us celebrate All In: The Rally for KEXP’s New Home. It was our first-ever event at the site of our future station, and we were humbled by the outpouring of love and support we received that eveni…
The National frontman Matt Berninger has teamed up with singer-songwriter Andrew Bird for a rework of a classic English folk song called "A Lyke Wake Dirge." This deep, intense version was recorded for AMC's Turn, a drama about Revolutionary War spies. [Stereogum]
It turns out I have previously blogged in this space about a Dead Moon album, but I'm going to do it again, because 1) that was over four years ago, which on the Internet is like a whole nother geological age; 2) they have fourteen albums, I think I can write about two of 'em for crying out loud; 3…
Noah Gundersen is a smooth singer-songwriter from Seattle, WA. He has played with bands like Beneath Oceans and The Courage, but is poised now to release a solo album, Ledges, February 11th. KEXP had a chance to chat with Noah about what instrument (besides guitar) he would choose if alone on a des…
Right before their KEXP in-studio, DJ Cheryl Waters caught the Montreal band BRAIDS in a group hug. It was a sweet moment that defines this young group's history: vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston and drummer Austin Tufts met on the playground at the tender age of twelve; together, they met multi…
Don't let the arsenal of electronics fool you -- UK artist Jon Hopkins brings an unexpected warmth to IDM through his inventive sampling of organic sound: hands clapping, hitting things, even using his own voice to build a seductive percussion. It's no wonder his fourth album Immunity, released las…
The Men have graced us with yet another track from their upcoming acoustic EP Campfire Songs, which was literally recorded around a campfire. "Turn Your Colors" showcases the band's ability to create an emotive track that almost relies entirely on their instrumental prowess. The sweeping guitars a…
There aren't as many comments as I usually like to see on this copy of In the Hothouse, the live album by the underappreciated British band (yes, yet another one) The Sound. But reading these, and then digging a bit into The Sound online (pro tip for bands with generic names like "The Sound": searc…
Broken Social Scene’s second night at the Neptune Theatre last Monday was an absolute lovefest. The Canadian indie rock vets rocked, grooved, and, later, hugged it with a sold-out crowd during their celebratory two-hour set. Beginning the night with the driving, post-rock blast of “KC Accidental,” …
When Seattle hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces announced an album release show for their sophomore LP, Lese Majesty, there was no question that the event would be a family affair. Ishmael Butler and Tendai Maraire both have deep Seattle roots and have helped assemble a brilliant coalition of artistic min…
Northwest artist Joey Casio has been identified in the aftermath of last weekend's Oakland warehouse fire, one of the deadliest building fires in history with a total of 36 people killed. Joey (real name: Joseph Matlock) was scheduled to perform under his alias Obsidian Blade. Originally from Vanc…
Earlier this month, we announced that grunge supergroup Temple of the Dog were reuniting for the 25th anniversary of their debut, self-titled, and only LP. Well, now, according to an interview in Rolling Stone, it sounds like there might even be new music from the team of Chris Cornell of Soundgar…
Only two songs into the Long Beach rapper's performance and it was clear that the first big crowd of Sasquatch 2016 belonged to Vince Staples' ferocious sunset slot, Dressed in his usual onstage uniform of black pants and a white "Street Justice: Have A Taste", Staples breathlessly ran through cut…
The good folks over at Decibel Festival have made April of this year really special for Seattle. For those of us who are waiting on pins and needles for this year's lineup to drop, the announcement of DB Micro Fest was a wonderful surprise. All April, we've had incredible shows, from John Talabot &…
In the last few years, there’s been a slew of English, (mostly) London-based bands emerging from basement gigs with world-beating ambitions and the musical elements to make good on them: a heavy dose of pop melody, a balance of snarky storytelling and heartfelt appeal, and most of all, hooks that a…
In recent years, the Gorge has hosted some incredible singalongs: "Skinny Love", "Seven Nation Army", "Where It's At", and "Wake Up" have all been shouted by 15,000+ people in unison to make a you-had-to-be-there festival moment. As great as all of those are, there's something special about listeni…
Last year, Odd Future (a.k.a. OFWGKTA) really stepped up its game. Although it has always been more than the negative headlines that circulated around co-founder Tyler, the Creator, who nonetheless held critics' praise, the LA hip hop collective proved to be more than a gimmick with the huge succes…
It just wouldn’t be Airwaves without seeing one of Jófríður Ákadóttir’s many musical projects, and today we’re being treated to some of her new solo work, produced under the moniker JFDR, live from Kex Hostel in Reykjavík. A local songwriting prodigy, Jófríður has been playing music since she was 1…
