It's been, like, eleven months -- we're overdue for a new Ty Segall album! All kidding aside, the prolific artist has announced a new self-titled LP coming out January 27th via Drag City. Check out the first single, "Orange Color Queen," below. The track is quite a departure from January's Emotion…
The acoustic, rainy-day ballads of Ghosts I've Met, fronted by Seattle's Sam Watts, are minimal in structure, soothing in spirit, sotto voce in tone, and come with a heavy sense of hope and fleeting moments. Having just released a new body of songs for his 2016 album, Night Repairs, Watts continues…
Composing great dance music is more than just choosing the right beats per minute and finding a catchy synth patch. It's about capturing an emotional impulse in the groove – that indescribable, wordless "something" that resonates beyond how it booms out the speakers. It's an idea that Seattle produ…
Are you a fan of breezy, lush symphonic indie rock? What about high-end modern furniture? Then boy do we have a show for you! In conjunction with VuHaus, a non-profit digital video service, West Elm in Westlake will host a FREE performance by Hey Marseilles on June 15 at 7PM. It's a great chance to…
I assumed when I pulled out this record by 17 Pygmies that this would be one of those bands who released a DJ-beloved album or two in the '80s and then quietly dissolved, leaving almost no trace to survive into this Internet age of ours. How wrong I was! It turns out this band - originally a Savage…
It's morbid, but you're probably thinking it, too: after losing so many musical icons in 2016 (see here and here), I felt it was important to see Brian Wilson in concert. Now 74 years old, the brilliant but troubled songwriter celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Beach Boys' landmark album Pet So…
While local dream-pop project Lemolo is often talked about as a Seattle band, its roots stretch across Elliott Bay to Poulsbo, WA. Songwriter Meagan Grandall's affection for her hometown is on full display in Lemolo's new video for "One to Love", the opening track to her 2015 LP, Red Right Return. …
As DJ Cheryl Waters points out, Surfer Blood may not be the same "pen of puppies" they were in 2009, but on their newest release, 1000 Palms, they go back to their DIY roots. No longer with a major label looking over their shoulder and now with years of touring experience under their belt, the Flor…
Little Big Show was back in full force last week, with Cloud Nothings, Tacocat and Chastity Belt all delivering stellar sets. Best of all, Little Big Show #12 raised $11,000 for Teen Tix, a local non-profit empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience m…
Legendary blues musician B.B. King has passed away at age 89. Late last year, King has to cancel several tour dates due to dehydration, and was receiving hospice care for the condition at the time of his death. After serving in World War II, King started his music career as a Memphis disc jockey a…
I love this record. Barna Howard is my new favorite artist. His previous, acoustic self-titled debut, which I played some last year, only hinted at this Missouri native, now Portland based artist's easy songwriting skills. His latest, Quite A Feelin', is already in the running for my album of the y…
If you weren't one of the lucky few to get into Tuesday's Death Cab for Cutie show, you can now watch videos of the legendary locals performing three new tracks below, via Revolt.tv. The not-so-secret show at The Crocodile sold out in 15 seconds, and was the band's first public performance without…
Not surprisingly, a country known for its epic landscapes like Iceland also produces similarly cinematic music, like that of Kiasmos. The breathtaking sound of this new duo, featuring composer Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen (also of Bloodgroup), was the perfect intro for the first day of KEXP's…
Holy hell, what an epic finish! Legendary Icelandic band HAM took over Kex Hostel for our final show of the day from Iceland Airwaves. And when we say took over, we really mean it. These heavy rockers formed in 1984, but it was a series of opening gigs for The Sugarcubes in 1988 that began to garne…
Pinch yourself, because this is really happening. Not only are The Dream Syndicate back in Seattle for the first time in 25 years - they also are playing an additional set for the KEXP Music Lounge to bring us as close as possible to this timeless and influential act. From their debut EP through fo…
In an industry where auto-tune is often synonymous with lack of talent, the vocals of Channy Leaneagh, frontwoman of Minneapolis electro-pop group Poliça, are boldly filtered through reverb and auto-tune on each of their albums. But the use of these tools is an overt stylistic choice for Leaneagh a…
It had been almost a year to the day when Sam France of Foxygen fell off stage, canceling their 2013 tour just as it was getting started, but now he and songwriting partner Jonathan Rado are back with a vengeance... a glittery, glammy vengeance. The duo just announced the followup to their epic We …
Sometimes life's journeys lead us back home matter how far away we travel. It's been nearly eight years since U.K. born producer Will Holland released a solo album as Quantic. He was certainly busy the whole time, producing records, collaborating with Alice Russell, and most significantly, moving t…
It's been three long years, but Bon Iver is back with a single for the new Zach Braff film, Wish I Was Here. (The soundtrack also boasts a new song from The Shins, as reported on last month.) You can stream the haunting track "Heavenly Father" via NPR Music. The soundtrack will be out digitally an…
The boozy blues of obsession and regret never sounded so good... at least not in the last 16 years. It's been that long since The Afghan Whigs released an album and its members turned their attention elsewhere. Yet, while other 90's bands are now cashing in on their notoriety with 20- and 25-year a…
