After 14 years together, San Fransisco band Thee Oh Sees have announced an "indefinite hiatus." They've been consistently turning out loads of fresh material over the last five years, but things recently got hectic when frontman John Dwyer decided to move from San Fan to Los Angeles. Their manager…
Midday Show host Cheryl Waters recently discovered a slew of great bands that she loves -- Coals, Maszer, Plastic Pinks and more. Enjoy these discoveries along with a heavy helping of fantastic local bands. 1. Coals - Weightless 2. New Order - Restless 3. Gwenno - Patriarchaeth 4. MASZER - Fata …
One prominent feature of Decibel Festival is the way its schedule breaks down into rather meticulously set showcases. Unlike most other festivals, in which entry to one location likely grants access to every stage, Decibel also sells individual tickets to each show as an alternative to more expensi…
Time to break out the AquaNet, blue eyeshadow, and leg warmers. Today, we take a trip back in time on KEXP. From 6AM to 6PM, DJs John Richards, Cheryl Waters, and Kevin Cole celebrate '80s Ladies Night, a benefit for KEXP's New Home, with 12 hours of music solely from the '80s. Although the show to…
Despite the recent years of turmoil that almost resulted in a break-up, the beat goes on for Brooklyn band The Drums. Now stripped down to founding members Jonny Pierce and Jacob Graham, it's been a three-year wait for their latest album, Encyclopedia, out now on Minor Records. As Pierce notes hims…
It's winter in Seattle and although the sun is scarce, the music continues to shine at KEXP. Midday Show host Cheryl Waters brings you a new mix with some early 2015 tracks along with a handful of faves from last year. Dig in and enjoy! 1. Low Roar - Easy Way Out 2. Wye Oak - The Tower 3. Dam Gi…
In all the press shots for their new album, Swedish indie rock veterans Peter Bjorn and John are decked out in custom jumpsuits and armed with cartoon tools. They look like they are ready for a day of work at the zaniest garage or gear shop that you've ever seen. And yet, the imagery is fitting, pe…
"Discover new music". In all we do, KEXP seeks to fulfill that mission and share with you the best new music we can find. But it's a big world! We're fortunate to have many resources at our fingertips, and a lot of great artists come directly to us, yet sometimes we rely on fellow curators whose pa…
When it comes to Britpop, Super Furry Animals are truly a whole 'nother beast. Though they tend to get lumped in with bands like Pulp (who were an early champion of SFA) and Blur, the Furries are a unique animal, bending genres and breaking boundaries throughout their 20 year career. The band went …
If you happen to break up with someone don’t go on a drinking binge and record emotional songs with the hopes of playing them for your ex. Right? Well, usually. This equation actually worked for Stuart McLamb, however, frontman for the North Carolina-based group The Love Language. McLamb originally…
Well, now I'm depressed. I just did some math, and it turns out that in 1990, when John Doe took a break after having released six albums as a member of the legendary punk rock band X (see here for #6) and released his first solo album - as practically an elder statesman of punk rock - he was 3 yea…
On Sprinter, the latest album by TORRES, Mackenzie Scott does not run away from the big issues. The 24-year old Brooklyn-based artist has clearly grown from her Southern Baptist upbringing, outpacing the usual "country girl meets big city" timeline but not so quickly that she dodges heavy themes of…
Vikesh Kapoor is chasing the American Dream. Born to immigrant parents in rural Pennsylvania, he traveled cross-country going west, where he started work on his new album, The Ballad Of Willy Robbins, influenced by newspaper headlines, stories of the working class and ideas of loss. It’s nearly imp…
Sunscreen for the Eastern Washington sun? Check. Sleeping bag for the few moments you'll be able to sleep? Check? Earplugs for when your 'drums need a break? Check. Booty shorts for dancin'? Check. High energy bars for, uh... energy? Check. Roadtrip music for the journey out to The Gorge? Double an…
Few artists resonate so strongly with KEXP listeners and all Seattle music fans as Kurt Cobain. His band, Nirvana, wasn't the first to break out of the Northwest nor did their groundbreaking breakthrough, Nevermind, sell the most among their contemporaries, but Cobain probably represented more of t…
Draped in a cape and fringed cowboy gear, Ty Segall took the stage on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night in support of his new self-titled solo release, out now on Drag City Records. Watch Ty and the guys perform "Break a Guitar" (though they don't actually do it). KEXP presents three nights o…
This summer, Florence and the Machine will release their long-awaited third full-length How Big How Blue How Beautiful, and today they share the truly beautiful track "Ship to Wreck." In a press release, Florence Welch states, "I was thinking about my own self destructive side, and how you can mak…
Seattle. 1998. The Murder City Devils, a band of Seattle's top garage punks, is playing shows with Pacific Northwestern 90s greats Pearl Jam, Built to Spill, and The Black Halos. Flash forward to 2014, and the band has gone through three albums, a deficit of one member, and most importantly, one br…
Throughout Okkervil River's in-studio session, frontman Will Sheff keeps breaking into giggles. And if you look closely around the room, you'll see plastic action figures perched on the keyboard or suspended from the mic stand. It's that sense of childlike wonder that Sheff taps into for the band's…
For generations of music fans, the invention of the music video was a landmark moment. Being able to associate your favorite songs with equally exciting visuals was such an obvious combination, it's a wonder it didn't break through earlier. Whether it's gluing your eyes to old-school MTV or getting…
