Where Brooklyn at? No, really. Where is Brooklyn, PA? Because that's where the band Hunters calls home (not the more famous borough of New York City). Nevertheless, the four-piece Hunters incorporates many different influences in their music, from straight up rock and roll to a pinch of metal to a …
Visually, Wampire are a throwback to the 70’s: button-downs with big collars opened at the top, sunglasses, long and wavy hair. If you didn’t know what year it was, you might think the Doobie Brothers just stepped out of the Mystery Mobile. Musically, Wampire proves worthy of their indie buzz. The …
It’s a long way from Toronto, Ontario, to the Doug Fir lounge in Portland, Oregon, but any travel issues the critically-acclaimed Canadian band Austra had to endure didn’t show at their MusicFest NW performance on KEXP. The band, as usual, was composed, in control, and luminous. Throughout their em…
Side by side, Trampled By Turtles took the stage during KEXP's broadcast from the Bumbershoot Music Lounge. One can only imagine the roller coaster ride it’s been from the band’s first days to their recent Bumbershoot performance. “The first year of existence of this band was also the last year of …
With a song titled "Live Alone" and a brand new album titled The Jackals, it's clear something is dark and foreboding in Ravenna Woods these days. The Seattle quartet admits: "This album has an underlying current of fear, greed, distrust and malevolence. It's someone talking in their sleep about ra…
Opening our three-day broadcast during Bumbershoot this past Labor Day weekend, Thao and The Get Down Stay Down brought their brand of entertaining indie folk populism to the Music Lounge. On stage, Thao Nguyen and her bandmates alternate their fairly serious, socially minded songs with an easy and…
Next on the KEXP video stream live from KEX Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival were genre-bending Icelandic post-punk band Mammút. Formed as a trio called ROK in 2003, the band expanded in 2004 and changed their name before winning Iceland’s Músiktilraunir (a battle of the bands similar to S…
Just about the last thing we'd ever ask for in Seattle is "more rain" - unless of course that's the name of the latest album by M. Ward. On his eight studio LP, the Portland based musician doesn't let the Pacific Northwest's soggy gloom get him down, and dares the clouds away with his initially doo…
Captivating our ears and showcasing why he is a global superstar, Belgian singer, rapper and songwriter Paul Van Haver, better known by his stage name Stromae, stormed into KEXP to spread his infectious grooves in this stunning live session. Laced with pop hooks, nineties electronics and Afro-tinge…
Over 10 years as an artist, Honduras' Aurelio Martinez again graced the KEXP live room to share his unique blend of Caribbean folk pop and cultural activism and showcase tracks from his recently released album, Lándini. Aurelio’s musical heart beats with very personal, complexly simple tales that d…
Portland composer and vocalist Natasha Kmeto dropped by and dropped jaws with her magnificent multitasking performance for KEXP's Audioasis. Surreal and vocally symphonic, Kmeto's songs stretch the boundaries of both contemporary pop, IDM and EDM with percussively intriguing compositions that slide…
Showcasing tracks from their recently released LP, Worship the Sun, Allah-Las pick up the melodic strains of yesteryear and drop them into the comfy confines of the KEXP live room. The Los Angeles four-piece wrap intricate harmonies, complex chord progressions, melodic bass and vintage percussion u…
The swagger that often accompanies natural talent was on full display as Seattle’s Shaprece dropped by KEXP to showcase a handful of heartfelt tunes from her new Molting EP. Juxtaposed between the electronic and the organic, Shaprece’s silky, soulful vocals paint alluring visuals over a minimal but…
Sounds like nowhere you'd want to be, and as far a band names go, maybe not something you'd want to hear, but believe us when we tell you, Diarrhea Planet rules! Six guys from Nashville – four of them playing guitar! – live the credo of "Shred 'Til You're Dead" by blasting a fiery torrent of riff-h…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afterno…
Close your eyes. Recall that garage with cardboard boxes in the corner, shelves stacked with hammers, duct tape and screwdrivers, and the faint aroma of fresh paint? You’re laying on your back, daydreaming, and you hear rock and roll music playing somewhere. This is the sound of Beach Fossils. The …
On January 18, Seattle lost one of its valued treasures: Easy Street Records Queen Anne. Although vinyl sales continued to increase, they couldn't forestall rising rents, and so one of the city's small handful of excellent record stores closed its doors. Since the Queen Anne location was more than …
Vampire Weekend have officially announced their third LP will be released in early May on XL. A new live song has surfaced online called Arms, which you can stream below. There's no confirmation, but it's likey that "Arms" and the new song "Unbelievers" they played live on Kimmel, will be on the …
