It's hard to think of a local band that's emerged as explosively this year on KEXP as Great Grandpa, but it's not hard to see why. The quintet write crunchy, catchy, and thoughtful songs, of which there are 10 on their stellar debut Plastic Cough. Four of those air during this sessi…
There's some pretty great releases for a holiday weekend, like the third LP from Dev Hynes — a.k.a. Blood Orange. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the album "another masterful set of expansive, moody R&B blended with funk, synth-pop and other styles, combining a diverse sound and a variety o…
While Cullen Omori pursues a solo career with Sub Pop Records, two of his former bandmates in Smith Westerns have formed the group Whitney. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the Chicago band's debut "an excellent set of '70s-influenced folk-pop featuring a consistently strong set of beautifully a…
Get ready to wrap yourself in Big Black Coat, the fifth album (and first in five years) from Canadian duo Junior Boys. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the release, "a more forceful, rhythm-driven take on their spacious electro-pop, masterfully blending house, techno and disco grooves with R&…
New releases are slowing down as we get closer to the end of the year, but there's still some gems to be found, like the debut full-length from young New Zealand artist Nadia Reid. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the release a "promising set of mostly acoustic-oriented folk-pop reminiscent at t…
The compositions of the Iraqi oud composer and performer Rahim AlHaj do not have lyrics, but the tension, force, and vitality of his songs speak volumes about the power of music in the face of terrible strife. Backed by a string quartet and bassist on Wo' Pop, AlHaj speaks boldly about valuin…
September continues to be strong for new releases. Highlights include the latest from Staten Island, NY band Cymbals Eat Guitars. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says their fourth album, "brings a bit more of an expansive and energetic sound to their anthemic indie-rock. Produced by John Congleton, t…
It may be the shortest month, but February has had no shortage of great new releases. Highlights this week include the latest from Dirty Projectors. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "the eighth album from the now LA-based solo project of band leader David Longstreth is a powerful set of avant e…
This week, you can finally get your hands on the debut from London trio HÆLOS. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it "an excellent set of moody electro-pop with a dark, haunting sound featuring atmospheric synths, hypnotic hip hop and electronic beats, ethereal vocals, melancholy lyrics and anthem…
Acclaimed Canadian artist Grimes returns with her highly-anticipated album, Art Angels. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls her fourth full-length, "her most brightly melodic and also her most aggressive-sounding release, featuring a cleaner, more luminous sound for her adventurous dance-pop while …
August is off to a great start with these excellent new releases, including the sophomore smash from Seattle's own La Luz. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it, "another impressive blend of noirish surf-rock and ‘60s girl-group pop. Produced by Ty Segall, the album’s sound is a bit more raw than …
Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst returns with his latest solo release, Upside Down Mountain. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says the new album, "features a warm, rich sound with acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards along with occasional horns, pedal steel, woodwinds and gorgeous harmonies co…
It's a strong week for new albums, including the long-awaited solo debut from Blur frontman (and Gorillaz leader) Damon Albarn. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the release as "a mostly dark, brooding set of eclectic, beat-driven pop with a stripped-down, dub-influenced sound combining haunt…
There's a moment on "Every Time the Sun Comes Up", the closing track on Are We There, the fourth studio album by Sharon Van Etten, when the New Jersey songwriter nonchalantly declares "I wash your dishes, but I still shit in your bathroom". For obvious reasons, it's a line that immediately stands o…
Split Single, the music project of Jason Narducy (Superchunk, Verbow), will release their sophomore album, Metal Frames, on November 18. Today they've shared the album track "Leave My Mind." The beautiful harmonies, haunting lyrics, and bad ass guitar rifts really knock this one out of the park. […
The Strokes have shared a trippy, animated lyric video for "Drag Queen" off of their new release, Future Present Past. The four-track EP is out now via Julian Casablanca's own label, Cult Records. As an added bonus, the band and label will open a pop-up shop in New York City on Sunday. [Pitchfork]
New Radiohead! The idiosyncratic UK band sneakily released a new album online this past weekend. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says, "This British band's ninth album is a transportive blend of brooding avant-pop, spacy prog-rock and psych-folk, with an intricately textured, tension-filled sound com…
It's unquestionably the strongest week of new releases this year (especially since it's only the third week of new releases). Leading the pack is the highly-anticipated sophomore releases from UK group Savages. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says, "this British band's excellent second album features…
Holiday weekends are never the most robust for new releases, but some exciting albums did make the schedule this week. KEXP's Music Director Don Yates points out the third release from Sinkane, a project of Sudanese-born, Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist/vocalist (and former Yeasayer/Caribou/Of…
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…
