Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings recorded one last album before Jones passed away due to pancreatic cancer last year. Entitled Soul Of A Woman, the album will be released November 17. Today the Dap-Kings shared the track "Call on God," a song Jones wrote in the '70s for E.I. Fields' Gospel Wonders an…
Seattle art-rap duo Shabazz Palaces released two albums, Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star and Quazarz Vs. The Jealous Machines, on the same day earlier this year. Today they've shared the video for "Since C.A.Y.A.," the Thundercat-featuring opening track off of Born on a Gangster Star. The clip wa…
Through in-studio performances, interviews with local and national artists, co-curators and DJs Darek Mazzone and Chilly explore the immigrant experience.
If there was one Prince tribute to catch at Coachella last weekend, it was "Purple Rain" as done by indie rock god Sufjan Stevens, featuring lead vocals from a mysterious and absolutely wondrous new voice, Gallant. This isn't the first time Sufjan has teamed up with Gallant. At the turn of the new …
Hazel Scott was a Black pianist who was classically trained at Juilliard at the age of eight and started making a name for herself while still in high school.
As the sun set behind the main stage at Sasquatch Festival, global gypsy dub punk rockers Gogol Bordello played an uptempo set that kept crowd energy high. Formed in New York in 1999, this group has always drawn upon a wide palate of sonic influences. The eight-piece band's unique instrumentation i…
When Rose Windows released their debut album last year, it was obvious that the Seattle music scene was in for something special. Founded by songwriter Chris Cheveyo in 2010, Rose Windows has become a band that delivers the perfect amount of '60s nostalgia while still sounding unlike anyone else. W…
Jim James picked a pretty lofty title for his first solo LP. But after a dozen listens or so, I can say in confidence that he has every reason to do so. He's led Kentucky psych-rock band My Morning Jacket for almost 15 years, releasing six studio albums and a dozen or so EPs (their 2005 LP Z and 20…
Through 2023, KEXP is celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop. Each week, we'll celebrate a different year in hip-hop with a deep dive into a particular song released that year.
Taking us into the rainy Reykjavik night is a hard-hitting set live at KEX Hostel from Icelandic psych-rockers Singapore Sling. Though the band was formed in 2000, founder Henrik Björnsson had been writing their songs for years before. He made some 8-track demos on his own, and then put the band to…
See that sweater Robin Pecknold is wearing? Apparently, the Fleet Foxes frontman took to wearing it so often that a fan created the Tumblr, "Fuck Yeah Robin Pecknold’s Sweater." This past Spring, during a Reddit AMA, he mentioned he'd been trying to get in touch with the site's "editor in chief"..…
Beck continues to surprise us as he slowly unveils tracks from his new album, the long-awaited follow-up to 2014's Morning Phase. In addition to the groove of "Wow," today we get the radio-friendly pop song "Up All Night." The track also appears in the new FIFA ’17 video game, hence the YouTube im…
You know a musician is beloved at your local college radio station (circa 1990) when they release a 12" single within months of a full-length LP, and both end up covered in laudatory comments. Such was the case with the "Bomba" record, coming hot on the heels of Without Judgement but no less celebr…
Grizzly Bear will be releasing their new album Painted Ruins next month. Last night, they shared their fourth single, "Neighbors," and soon after a video for the single was launched. "Neighbors" follows "Three Rings," "Mourning Sound," and "Four Cypresses." The strange video features two people who…
For Bombino, making music is not only a form of expression - it is also a political statement. Born in Agadez, Niger, a small desert town in the Tuareg region of Africa, Omara Moctar creates music under the name Bombino despite the near deadly dangers posed by strict government rule. After having t…
I love it when I stumble across an album that got regular play in my house growing up in the KEXP stacks - especially when the super-cool college DJs of yore actually thought it was pretty good! I'm certain that by the time my parents were buying records by The Human League they were getting plent…
You've got to admire the chutzpah of a British singer-songwriter who names himself after a song and album by one of the most revered American singer-songwriters of the 20th century. (And I suppose you have to admire the chutzpah of an American singer-songwriter who names his song and album after a …
Seattle's Supreme La Rock (a.k.a. Danny Clavesilla) is a local legend and internationally respected DJ that continues to bring authentic DJ culture to the forefront every time he steps up to the decks. Also a renowned crate digger and vinyl enthusiast who was instrumental in placing a contemporary …
Like most of you, we can't wait for the debut full-length from UK trio Hælos to hit the streets. Get a sneak peek with the video for "Separate Lives," a track the band describe as "a reflection on the moment when you are choosing between staying or leaving and the underlying love that keeps you th…