Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Mid…
Quick, imagine there's a band that formed in Berlin in the mid-'80s and named themselves after an instrumental song by Tom Waits. What do you think they sound like? Guess again. Rainbirds' hooky New Wave sound, at least on their 1987 debut album, was decidedly more conventional than their name's or…
We are heartbroken to report on the passing of Kevin Garcia, founding member and bassist for Grandaddy. Garcia suffered a massive stroke on Monday, leaving him with a brain injury described by doctors as "catastrophic." Sadly, he died from complications of his stroke on Tuesday afternoon. He was on…
On Saturday, July 16, our friends at KEX Hostel in Reykjavik are throwing the 5th annual KEXPort, a one-day festival of great Icelandic music in collaboration with KEXP. From noon until midnight, 12 bands will perform in 12 hours, proving once again that Iceland is one of the most creative and musi…
While Cullen Omori pursues a solo career with Sub Pop Records, two of his former bandmates in Smith Westerns have formed the group Whitney. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls the Chicago band's debut "an excellent set of '70s-influenced folk-pop featuring a consistently strong set of beautifully a…
You'll want to "march" yourself into the record store for this month's first batch of new releases. Highlights include the latest from Wussy. KEXP Music Director Don Yates notes, "the seventh album from this Cincinnati band led by former Ass Ponys frontman Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker is another f…
Over the years, KEXP has been watching local trio Posse evolve, from their 2012 performance at our Concerts at the Mural series to their 2014 Audioasis session in support of their self-released album Soft Opening. Today, we present the latest chapter in the young Seattle band's story as we premiere…
Seattle's own indie rockers The Cave Singers have shared "That's Why," the lead single from their upcoming album, Banshee. Thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, which landed the band $20,000 in one month, they will self-release the album on February 19. [Stereogum]
Next on KEXP live from Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival was the first non-Icelandic band of this year's broadcast. Operators is the new synth-pop project from Canadian musician Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade/Divine Fits/Handsome Furs). A ray of sun after the bright but melancholy cloud of D…
This weekend, "R" stands for "rock," "roll," and Rainier Beer! Join KEXP this Saturday, October 24th for "R Day," a fundraiser for KEXP's New Home. We'll be celebrating in the Old Rainier Brewery with special musical guests, Beat Connection and The Helio Sequence. KEXP DJ Sharlese will be spinning …
KEXP is proud to sponsor the second annual Bartfest, this weekend, Friday, October 9th through Saturday, October 10th, in Spokane, Washington. Spearheaded by all-ages venue The Bartlett, partnering with their neighbors at Nyne Bar, the eastern Washington city will host 18 bands across the venues.
The Mountain Goats are one of those bands we've been championing since back when we were known as KCMU, so we were especially honored when frontman John Darnielle flew into town a day early just to play our KEXP Hood-to-Hood broadcast. (KEXP presents The Mountain Goats at a sold out show tonight at…
Seattle's Dreamsalon gets you right away with their tight rhythms, deep bass and quick, quirky melodies. Ever since 2011, they've been rocking as a cohesive unit spilling out songs with high energy. We wanted to catch up with bass player Min Yee to get his thoughts on the project, how the band memb…
Georgia rock band Of Montreal will drop a brand new album called Aureate Gloom on March 3. The opening track "Bassem Sabry," named after the late Egyptian journalist, serves as a perfectly funky jumping off point for the album. [Pitchfork]
YACHT's latest EP Where Does the Disco? drops today. Previously, they've shared a few of the album's tracks and now we have the closing number. "Terminal Beach" describes a technological wasteland and serves as a shoutout to the band's favorite science fiction writer J. G. Ballard. [Stereogum]
Here’s a little pre-weekend of adorableness courtesy of Belle and Sebastian. The Scottish indie-pop band performed for a group of sick children with the Song for Kids Foundation at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Their carefree rendition of Journey’s smash hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” was a perfec…
KEXP DJs have had nothing but soaring praise for the latest from British band Elbow, titled The Take Off and Landing of Everything. Music Director Don Yates notes their sixth album "continues in the vein of 2011’s Build A Rocket Boys! with a subdued, downbeat set of atmospheric prog-pop featuring m…
Everyone knows the Seattle music scene is thriving. With amazing music festivals like Timber, Sasquatch, Bumbershoot and Block Party, as well as hundreds of venues and places to track records, there is no shortage of music making in the Emerald City. What you might not have known – until now – are …
When you're a band as big as Pearl Jam, do you really need to do interviews? Nah, probably not. What if you've got a new album titled Lightning Bolt, due out October 14th on their own label Monkeywrench? Well, okay, fine then.
Day 2 of Capitol Hill Block Party 2013 was flurry from beginning to end. Pike street was flooded like never before with ridiculous numbers pushing this way and that to every stage. Capitol Hill Block Party gives great exposure to small bands that deserve a bigger setup, and today’s action was no ex…
