Despite her delicate stature and soft-spoken voice, Malian musician Rokia Traoré is one strong artist. Since 2012, her West African home has been besieged by a military coup d'état in the capital city of Bamako. The political power struggle has created a tension that fueled her fifth and most power…
British DJ/producer Simon Green, a.k.a. Bonobo, has been known to tear up the dance floor during his regularly sold-out shows, but when he dropped by KEXP for an in-studio with Cheryl Waters recently, the vibe was breezy and chill. Accompanied by a full band, Green featured songs from his atmospher…
If Killer Mike had my favorite show at Sasquatch, Chvrches gets to take favorite pop show of the weekend. Where their albums are already pretty perfect in the realm of pop - the live performance blew them out of the water. Lauren Mayberry's vocals are so close to sweet that it's almost bitter - she…
If you missed a minute of our exclusive interview with Father John Misty, stream his hour-long intimate chat with DJ Cheryl Waters below. KEXP has had a long-standing relationship with this charismatic singer/songwriter (real name: Josh Tillman) and one-time Seattle resident. From his early days as…
"Follow me to hill country," singer-songerwriter Israel Nash invites at the outset of his recent in-studio at KEXP, and you can't help but feel immediately transported not just in place but in time. Born in Missouri, Nash sought his fortune in New York before settling in Texas hill country. In Drip…
Considering all of the terrific live sessions Cheryl Waters is witness to in the KEXP live room, it's rare she'd be knocked speechless after a first song. But clearly London Grammar has learned from the best. Through the moody atmospherics of guitarist Dan Rothman and keyboardist Dot Major and the …
The Growlers perform live on KEXP in Seattle, Washington
There's a lot of things we love about our KEXP New Home, like having the space to house a beautiful baby grand piano (on permanent loan), and then hearing the gorgeous playing of artist John Grant down the hallways, with each chord reverberating and filling our in-studio space with the purest of so…
We've got more new music to share from Return to the Moon, the highly-anticipated debut of EL VY, a collaboration between Matt Berninger of The National and Brent Knopf of Ramona Falls/Menomena, out October 30th on 4AD. Check out a lyric video, directed by Matt's brother Tom Berninger, for the sin…
Here's a killer word for your next round of Scrabble: Divisionary. You can thank delightful Portland band Ages and Ages for that knock out; it's the title of their second album. What does it mean? Splice together "division" and "visionary" and you can explain how even the best intentions sometimes …
"I'm sorry, I have to interrupt. My mind was just blown," DJ Cheryl Waters revealed after Milagres opened their recent in-studio session at KEXP with "The Letterbomb." With its funky drums and shifts between baritone and falsetto, it's easy to see why Milagres' music made her feel this way. In fac…
L.A. dance music duo Classixx is band who gets what they want: when the pair decided they wanted LCD Soundsystem vocalist Nancy Whang for their track "All You're Waiting For," they flew out to New York, and as explained to KEXP DJ Cheryl Waters during a recent session at KEXP, they had to "kidnap h…
While the angular, avant-garde sound of L.A. group No Age hardly conjures up ideas of "flower power," DJ Cheryl Waters couldn't help but notice that she's only ever seen guitarist Randy Randall in tie-dyed shirts. Apparently, Randall's had a long history with this particular shirt, just as KEXP has…
San Francisco garage rock band Weekend have been doing some serious growth over the last couple years. On their 2010 debut Sports, Weekend gave us an enjoyable, noisy introduction that put them in tune with the scene and its direction. Now, with a couple years under their belt and a fresh batch of …
KEXP's Morning Show host, John Richards, presents the first in a new series of Music That Matters podcasts, it's our Runner Powered Podcast, Volume 1. Enjoy this one hour training podcast, featuring 16 high-energy local and international artists with songs about running and songs that wi…
We couldn't be more serious: the latest from longtime singer/songwriter Andrew Bird is the artist's most intimate album yet. Not only has Bird opened his life to a wife and child, but he's opened up his music. "Most of my productions have been very autonomous," he confirms to DJ Cheryl Waters. But …
"Holy shit." That's what DJ Cheryl Waters exclaimed as Scottish hip-hop trio Young Fathers finished their KEXP session. Thanks to Cheryl's booking, KEXP gets hundreds of in-studio sessions a year, but it's rare when our entire staff is unanimously blown away like we were that day. DJ Larry Rose, a …
Earlier this month, Alice Russell graced KEXP’s studios with her breathy, soulful style. With a rhythmic push tempered like a slow-build, her set kicked off with the song “For A While.” Donning a gold heart-shaped ring on her left hand, Russell belted her heart-felt “Ooos” and “Yeahs” that clutched…
Perennially nice guy Mac DeMarco has put four test pressings of his 2012 EP Rock and Roll Night Club up for sale via Discogs. Each pressing is unique, featuring different doodles and signatures by DeMarco. And proceeds will go to benefit Waves for Water, a Caribbean hurricane relief initiative. (D…
