Day 2 of Capitol Hill Block Party started with more gray clouds and drizzling rain. But a packed lineup full of variety kept all gloomy feelings at bay. Local band Kinski kicked off the day with a birthday celebration and beat smiths Giraffage and Zoolab upped the energy in the late afternoon befo…
Swedish band Little Dragon are back with their fourth album, Nabuma Rubberband, which KEXP's Music Director Don Yates describes as their "most impressive set yet of chilly, R&B-tinged electro-pop." Why not let the downtempo electro-beats help you channel your inner eight-year-old for a chance t…
From the dance clubs of São Paulo to the Kent Avenue scene in Brooklyn, Montreal-native Thomas Arsenault, a.k.a. Mas Ysa, has found inspiration across the globe to create his rich, beat-driven songs. After discovering techno while in high school in Brazil, Arsenault went on to study Modern Composit…
As we're sure everyone in Seattle knows by now, the Seattle Seahawks are heading to the Super Bowl! Yesterday's halftime show was provided by none other than Macklemore x Ryan Lewis, and while we haven't been able to locate video of the performance (aside from shaky fan-made smartphone videos), yo…
September closed out with a really strong week of new releases, including the long-awaited new album from Bon Iver. KEXP Music Director Don Yates calls it, "his most adventurous, forward-looking recording to date, combining spacy, digitally warped electro-pop with folk, gospel and other styles on s…
Since the release of his debut 7" single in 2010, this project spearheaded by Seattle native Justin Vallesteros has steadily won over fans with a lush and bittersweet style of dream-pop that has shone brightly on two albums released via premiere NYC-based indie label Captured Tracks. Craft Spells' …
From J Dilla to J Mascis, there is something for everyone this week in new releases! While the Dilla self-releases his 40-track The King of Beats’ Ma Dukes Yancey Collector’s Edition Box Set, Mascis shares his latest solo release, which KEXP's Music Director Don Yates describes as "another strong a…
Super-group Divine Fits have somehow released two new tracks almost as one — on Conan, they played "Chained to Love" and "Ain't That the Way" and it worked. Both tracks showcase the Spoon/Wolf Parade vibes as one, while also just totally rocking the way a super-group should. Never ones to miss a be…
From his beginning with a pen and paper in 2009 to the release of his 2017 full-length debut Watercolor, Porter Ray has been one of the increasingly prominent, hardest-working talents in Seattle for some time. His art has never been more fully realized than it is on Watercolor, which finds him med…
Florida band Surfer Blood couldn't wait until summer to release their anticipated sophomore album of poppy, surf-influenced indie rock, but that's just as well, as Pythons takes a relatively darker turn. Our Music Director, Don Yates, praises the new album for its "more polished and streamlined sou…
Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring has released a new song called "Asido" today, on the five year anniversary of their debut LP Shrines. It premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 and comes with a lyric video that was written and directed by frontwoman Megan James. In a statement, James said of the track…
KEXP Music Director Don Yates has declared the debut release from Ibeyi as his "Pick of the Week." He notes, "the debut album from the young Paris-based French-Cuban twin-sister duo of Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz (who are also both daughters of the acclaimed Cuban percussionist Miguel “Anga” Diaz) i…
Like their oddly elastic new album title, Nabuma Rubberband, Little Dragon continues to stretch the limits of electronic music with their eclectic influences. This time, the Swedish group trades the pumping beats of their earlier LPs for glimmering Janet Jackson-inspired slow jams. But even their m…
Variety mix host Morgan curates a mix of exciting new singles from upcoming releases in the new year. Cool female vocals, warm rock and plenty of amazingly varied Seattle sounds to help the short, dark days feel a little longer. 1. A Place to Bury Strangers - Straight 2. Meatbodies - Mountain 3. …
Italian electronic producer Andrea Mangia has been creating boundary-pushing electronic beats under the Populous alias since his debut album in 2002. Influenced by his extended travels around the globe, his latest releases explore an immersive, bass-heavy, intricately-layered sonic world that's enh…
After three days of drunken fun in the streets and more tank tops than you've ever seen in one place, Capitol Hill Block Party came through with one last hurrah. Sunday was non-stop for exceptional local music from the opening sets to the last minutes of Perfume Genius' set on the Vera stage. From …
It's been four years since we last had a full-length from Philly-based dynamo Santigold, but the eclectic artist announced her third album, 99¢, will be out in early 2016. Check out the first single "Can’t Get Enough Of Myself" below, via Zane Lowe's Beats 1. In an interview with Lowe, Santigold e…
We love music. We love books about music. And we love parties with music, which makes this Saturday, November 29th kind of a dream come true. Celebrate the recent publication of Bruce Pavitt's SUB POP USA: The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980-1988, at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery wit…
Brooklyn synthpop trio Au Revoir Simone are back after a four year hiatus, and we were thrilled to have them as part of our CMJ broadcast from Judson Memorial Church. After a lovely walk around Washington Square Park with their young superfan, we stopped for a chat about parenthood, '80s beats, and…
Sleigh Bells new album won't be out for a few more days, but today you can stream the entire 10-song collection on Rolling Stone. Bitter Rivals has a beat-heavy and polished sound that really makes this album a standout. [Pitchfork]
