Originally, he didn't want to do it, but Joseph Arthur was eventually convinced to record Lou, a full album of songs by his friend and mentor, the late Lou Reed. Reluctant to turn the modern legend's memory into "an opportunity", Joseph Arthur approached the songs cautiously, simply, and unplugged …
atTentIoN, huManS of eArtH. Hightek Lowlives bring greetings and great sounds from the distant future. The Seattle duo of Otieno Terry and Kjell Nelson toss everything you know about R&B, beat-making, hip-hop and rap, throw it into a time-machine, and send it careening like a bizarre blast from…
It would be great to construct this write-up as a complete palindrome, but probably only Tacocat could pull that off! Instead, let it suffice that this Seattle four-piece is hella charming — from the new ice cream flavor coming out under their name all the way down to their latest album title, NVM,…
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…
A lot has been said of how the latest album from Jersey quintet Real Estate is "their most mature to date," but when the boys showed up to their in-studio session carrying a large framed poster of Bob Marley, and then began sound-checking with Nirvana's "Come As You Are," it was apparent they're th…
A Child's Adventure appears almost exactly in the middle of Marianne Faithfull's long and varied discography, which itself is a product of her challenging and fascinating life. The late '60s and '70s appear to have been a particularly hard time for Faithfull, but in 1979 she released Broken English…
Brooklyn-based (formerly San Francisco) shoegaze band Weekend came into the picture at the turn of the decade with Sports, a strong introductory statement that could have seen the band go in plenty of different directions in the future. But in the form of Jinx, their sophomore step mixes dense text…
The debut album, I Never Meant It To Be Like This, from Seattle's Cumulus has been a long time coming. After establishing themselves in the local music scene playing alongside fellow Northwest artists like Wild Flag, Gold Leaves and Pickwick, honing their sound and piquing fan interest, the trio la…
Oneohtrix Point Never and Shabazz Palaces' Ishmael Butler have teamed up to form a new project called 319. Shared via the Adult Swim Singles Series, "The Rapture" is the first taste we've gotten of the collaboration. It's an unsurprisngly glitchy, experimental track that holds promise. In the past …
Arcade Fire have shared a remix of the title track of this summer's Everything Now from their tourmates from the European leg of their recent tour, Colombian psychedelic cumbia band Bomba Estéreo. Simón Mejía of Bomba Estereo said that Win Butler approached the band with a couple of song possibili…
DJ Alex shines a spotlight on 14 artists performing at this year's 10th annual Decibel Festival, Seattle's premier electronic music and arts event, happening all over the city from September 25th to September 29th! As with years past, tune in to get a taste of this year's massive, diverse internat…
It’s Friday again so it’s time for Friday on My Mind, our weekly blog post we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News. With a sound more accessible than, but derived from metal and punk, grunge took the world by storm during the e…
Timely does not even begin to describe the new record from NYC rappers Heems and Riz MC, a.k.a. Swet Shop Boys. While it's depressing as hell, these two dudes seriously could not have picked a better week to drop an album about basic human rights being put up into contention. As the race towards Vo…
Through years of hard work and countless projects, producer Kurt Feldman has made a name for himself as one of the greatest auteurs of the 80s who was also born in the 80s. Earlier this year, Feldman brought this knack for timeless synth pop to Kristin Welchez for her debut as Kristin Kontrol. Else…
Each Tuesday for the next two months, KEXP will present recordings we captured during the OFF Festival in Katowice, Poland. Our excursion there in the hot days of August - made possible by the festival and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute's Don’t Panic! We’re from Poland! initiative - introduced us to…
Don't be fooled by the inflatable tube dancer guy on the front cover – behind that hapless smile is a maniacal, beastly force waiting to be unleashed. Chaz Bundick continues to prove himself as one of the most capable, surprising, and provocative producers on the scene today. Last year, he dropped …
Sufjan Stevens is an artist who doesn't make many whimsical steps. Whether it be a proper record or a side project or a live tour or a Christmas album, each time Sufjan steps into the spotlight, you are almost guaranteed a proper glance at the current state of the artist. When we last saw Sufjan at…
When England's Lucy Rose came in to KEXP's studios, the friendly, unassuming songwriter didn't give much of a hint of the powerhouse performance that was about to come out. When she began singing a set of songs from her 2012 debut, Like I Used To, the Surrey chanteuse released a For Emma-level emot…
Following in the wake of their reunion-EP-of-sorts Songs for Slim, which benefited guitarist Slim Dunlap's recovery from a stroke, The Replacements have announced they will be performing together again as The Replacements for the first time since 1991's infamous "It Ain't Over 'Til The Fat Roadie P…
