Usually, you'd want to hustle the riff raff out, but when it comes to the New Orleans band Hurray for the Riff Raff, you want them to stick around. That's why we featured them three times this year: in our studio, at our SXSW showcase at Mellow Johnny's, and during our broadcast over Labor Day week…
Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Cheryl Waters, host of the Midday Show on KEXP, is "Be Sweet" by Japanese Breakfast, from the 2021 album Jubilee on Dead Oceans.
When Sweden's Shout Out Louds came onstage for their 6:50 p.m. show at Sasquatch Music Festival this year, the weather started to shift from sunny skies to cloudy weather, but where most bands would thrive in a warm-natured festival environment, Shout Out Louds' melancholy pop benefitted from the o…
It's been four years since Coexist, but London trio The xx re-emerge with a new song today, and lots of good news. Stream the single "On Hold" below, which features a pretty sweet sample of the 1981 Hall & Oates hit "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)." It's just a taste of their highly-anticipat…
Today, legendary singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen celebrates his 82nd birthday, and we're the ones who get a present. Check out the title track from his upcoming release, You Want It Darker, out October 21st via Sony. A press release explains, "Cohen created this hypnotic groove with the addition o…
Step aside, Beyonce. Sure, the pop diva may have self-released her own album last year, but as DJ Sharlese points out, Washington's own LAKE have been DIY'ing it since 2006. In fact, last year, the quirky locals released two albums -- The World is Real, on K Records, and their self-released album, …
For the third Friday evening in our free Concerts at the Mural series, on Donor Appreciation Night, clear sunny skies and sweet tunes beckoned fans to fill the Seattle Center lawn. KEXP truly is a community effort, and Friday night showed what the community is all about. Justin Chan won a chance to…
Both Friday and Saturday's Decibel Festival festivities were stacked top to bottom with incredibly good sets, at pretty much every venue in the greater Seattle area. And somehow this year, the festival organizers have done an incredible job at giving each set an incredible sense of creative continu…
Earlier this month, KEXP returned to the magical space of the Bunny Glade during Pickathon 2014 to capture intimate acoustic sessions in this wooded oasis. Each of the 17 exclusive performances were special, but one of the most endearing moments for sure took place during Valerie June's set when a …
The moment we all waited for finally came at the very end of Sasquatch - The Postal Service took the mainstage to uproar from a massive audience. Lights erupted, everyone infamous entered the stage, and they started off with "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight". Every song was greeted with audience …
Last night at Chop Suey, the full lineup for the third annual Macefield Music Festival was announced. The 2015 lineup is the best yet, featuring a deep roster of NW artists including Mark Lanegan, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, Grace Love & the True Loves, Thunderpussy, Fox & the La…
It's been a few years since Black Joe Lewis has visited the KEXP studios, and during that time, the Austin, TX musician has changed his line-up and dropped "the Honeybears" from the band name. "We never liked the name," Lewis explained to DJ Shannon. "We booked a couple of gigs when we first starte…
Rest in peace, Thomas Fekete. The Surfer Blood guitarist passed away last night after a long battle with a rare form of cancer. His wife released this statement:
Our sweet Thomas passed on last night, peacefully in his sleep, holding my hand. With one last sigh, he let go of the burden of pain and…
On the 20th anniversary of his death, KEXP is celebrating the life of one of Seattle's greatest musicians. On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain took his own life but left an indelible legacy for musicians and fans across the world. Throughout the day on Friday, April 4, KEXP DJs are playing a variety of s…
KEXP, STG, and Starbucks kicked off the new year with another fine edition of our benefit series, Little Big Show. On January 31st, we joined together to raise money for Reel Grrls, a program where girls ages 9-21 can learn media production skills from volunteer professionals and voice their indivi…
Legendary Philadelphia hip hop crew The Roots threw the best party at this year's Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, performing a jaw-dropping headlining slot at the Fisher Green Stage on Saturday night. Like any good host, they kept the vibes going, flowing seamlessly from song to song, withou…
Something new's going on in Seattle. Well, something new and something old. This city's musical past is already peppered with its fair share of country rock, folk, psychedelic and metal bands, but several up and coming bands are tapping into those genres and styles with renewed vigor. Ballard was a…
The alias of Georgia native Ernest Greene, Washed Out burst on to the music scene in 2009 with his defining and refreshing chillwave sound, and he's been a staple on KEXP's airwaves ever since. His style has evolved over the years, exploring various shades of dreamy and psychedelic electronic pop. …
Ben Harper has defined the sweet spot between reggae and American folk for over two decades now. It's hard for an artist to survive that long while maintaining relevance and staying true to the original sound that hooked listeners long ago while evolving and while shifting and growing - but after r…
When we were spinning Rapprocher back in 2011, we knew it was only a matter of time before Class Actress became a full-fledged pop star. There's just something magical about the high tension melancholy Elizabeth Harper has on her records. It's a very "this is where I find myself for better or worse…
