On her fifth full-length, Dallas-bred, New York-based artist St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) "successfully combines bigger production with some of her most personal songs to date," notes KEXP Music Director Don Yates. "The album's diverse sound ranges from frenetic New Wave and slinky funk-pop to lus…
Former Bomb The Music Industry frontman Jeff Rosenstock returns with his sixth solo LP, Post-, and maybe the first major album to come out in 2018 with a New Year's Day release. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the record as "ranging from soaring, anthemic punk-pop to wistful indie-rock and …
Great Grandpa, Joy Formidable, Cartalk, and Pink Lotion cover eco-themed songs for our Clash For Climate event
Chris Staples has a way of turning the simplest of ideas into affecting, serene poetry. It's something he's fine tuned over his career, from his days fronting Florida indie rock outfit Twothirtyeight and throughout his solo work crafted here in Seattle. His latest song, "Spinning Wheel," may be one…
As we celebrated on Friday with an exclusive interview, the new Father John Misty album is out now. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it, "his finest to date, combining an orchestral folk-pop sound with self-aware, often-cutting and sometimes hilarious lyrics aimed at narcissism, hypocrisy, insta…
It's been 57 years since a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa took the lives of musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, but their music and influence live on, as strong as ever. Called "The Day the Music Died," after a lyric from Don McLean's tribute single "Ameri…
Dan Deacon has shard a psychedelic music video for his Gliss River track "When I Was Done Dying." The wild animation, created by Jake Fried, Caleb Wood, Anthony Fransisco Shepherd, and many more, follows the lyrics pretty literally. I still have no idea what's going on, but I bet that's the point.…
If you're hoping to spend St. Patrick's Day doing some record shopping, you are indeed in luck, as there are some great new releases at the end of the rainbow this week. Highlights include the latest from Modest Mouse. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "the latest album (and first in eight years…
After a blistering in-studio session at KEXP, young Benjamin Booker has released his self-titled debut album, which KEXP's Music Director Don Yates calls "a powerful blend of energetic garage rock and postpunk with gritty blues and soul, featuring a variety of visceral songs with explosive guitar r…
It's been six long years, but the latest solo album from Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis is out today. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the album, The Voyager, as "a strong return to form steeped in classic West Coast ‘70s and ‘80s pop-rock with smartly crafted songs juxtaposing breezy mel…
Just over twenty years after their initial dissolution, Digable Planets took the stage for their longest reunion to date in 2016 and it's not only remarkable how in step with each other Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug are, but also how prescient their astute, complex lyrics and aqueous, gr…
At the end of the band's previous tour, Okkervil River leader Will Sheff returned to a Bob Dylan lyric that he's always circled back to: "He not busy being born is busy dying". With rebirth in mind, Sheff gathered a new group of musicians and created a new musical mindset that eventually…
Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchinson's move from his native Scotland to Los Angeles forced both the songwriter and his bandmates to rethink their work process, but their email-driven writing process led the Glasgow quintet to refine their penchant for anthemic choruses and evocative lyrics …
Yesterday, M.I.A. teased a new song, and today we get the whole dang thing: hear the single "P.O.W.A." below via a video directed by Maya Arulpragasam (aka M.I.A.) herself. She also tweeted a lyric sheet if you'd like to sing along with the "wa wa wa wa / pa pa pa pa" chorus. [ Stereogum ]
Today is May 4th, or as its known in the pop culture world, Star Wars Day. This year's "holiday" is significant for two reasons: it's our first without actress Carrie Fisher, aka Princess Leia, who passed away late last year, and secondly, May 25th marks the 40th anniversary of the first film, Star…
That Father John Misty is always up to something. From fake rejected Pandora promos to rogue House of Cards lyrics, and now composing a car commercial jingle. Check out "Prius Commercial Demo 1" below. Mr. Misty (or, y'know, "Josh Tillman") hits all the crowd-pleasing elements, adding rousing Hey!…
It's true: KEXP is playing the new Beyoncé. Don't be too surprised, though -- KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the release, "a powerful set of expansive R&B blended with hip hop, electro-pop, reggae, blues-rock, gospel, New Orleans brass band music and more, combining a dark, decidedly non-g…
Record Store Day is this coming Saturday, April 16th, but you should head to your favorite independent record stores early to scoop up some of these great new releases, like the latest from Parquet Courts. KEXP Music Director Don Yates says "this Brooklyn band's latest album is another smartly craf…
After a discography of 11 full-length albums, Seattle's own Car Seat Headrest makes their label debut on Matador Records. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "The album reworks 11 songs from his extensive Bandcamp catalog with help from a new backing band (this also marks the first time he’s recor…
It's been a long wait, but last week Montreal-born, Woodstock, NY-based artist Thomas Arsenault (aka Mas Ysa) released his debut full-length. (Watch his 2014 KEXP session here.) KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the album, "a potent set of moody electro-pop with bright synths, propulsive rhythms,…
