For Christmas, PDX-via-NZ group Unknown Mortal Orchestra gave us the gift of song: stream the track "SB-03" below, written by frontman Ruban Nielson and his brother, Kody Nielson (aka Silicon). The twelve-minute-long track was released on December 25th, following the singles "SB-01" and "SB-02," r…
KEXP made Seattle music history last weekend by featuring the first band ever to play on the roof of the historic Pike Place Market: Raw Power KEXP! The Seattle supergroup featured local legends Mike McCready, Duff McKagan, Barrett Martin and Mark Arm covering the classics of Iggy Pop and the Stoog…
Coming off a great Neumos set the night before, Tanlines arrived at the KEXP studio early the next morning to deliver a flawless live performance as a four piece. The addition of a live drummer and second guitarist to the Brooklyn duo's always refreshing version of pop filled out their live sound w…
I know, I know, didn't I just post an R.E.M. album a month or so ago? I guess I kinda did. But I have my reasons! First of all, Fables of the Reconstruction was released 30 years ago next week (and checked into KCMU 30 years ago tomorrow, as you can tell by the sticker on the bottom). Happy birthda…
Last month, we shared the first wave of bands playing the 2015 Treefort Music Fest, March 25th - 29th, 2015 in downtown Boise, Idaho. Today, we've got the next batch to share, and it's a doozy! Hometown heroes Built to Spill will take the stage, as well as Syrian artist Omar Souleyman. Both of Mont…
The lore of Seattle's Motopony begins not in a dense, leafy forest in the rainy Pacific Northwest (a scene which heavily inspires their music), but in a warehouse in Tacoma. Frontman Daniel Blue set the story of the now acclaimed band in motion when, at 27, he picked up his ten year-old guitar. Wit…
We're talking about Seattle Center today, right? Of course a bajillion huge bands have played Bumbershoot and Key Arena over the years, but the lifeblood of this area – as of the city as a whole – is the underrated local bands. Sure, you saw the Pixies on the Bumbershoot main stage in 2004 with sev…
iTunes Radio is now streaming Real Estate's brand new album Atlas a full week before its official release. This is the New Jersey outfit's first new collection in three years. Listen HERE. And don't forget: Real Estate will be the next band featured on KEXP's Live Video Stream on Thursday, March 6…
Dude York, the power trio from Seattle, play music that rocks, music that makes you move, music you've never quite heard before. They are an amalgamation of musical inspirations and this has never been more evident than on their new record, Dehumanize. KEXP caught up with drummer Andrew Hall to tal…
It’s rare that a band has three songwriters. But camaraderie oozes from the Seattle group Hounds of the Wild Hunt – and it seems each member truly appreciates when another can show his stuff on the mic. Ryan Devlin, Jonny Henningson, Nikki O Anderson and drummer Cary Davis make up the band that ca…
Wo' Pop host Darek Mazzone had a chance to spend some time in China this year and dug deep into the country's amazing indie music scene: "I was blown away by the complexity, range, and fervor of what I found. I feel that China could be one of the next hotbeds of music and culture - it's just …
DJ Alex explores an evocative nocturnal vibe over 16 dreamy tracks perfectly suited to warm up your chilly autumn nights and soundtrack your next headphone session, late-night drive, or romantic rendezvous. 01. D33J - Slow (feat. Kreyola) 02. Gold Panda - Reprise 03. Chants - RU4Real (feat. Ramzi …
Next on the KEXP live video stream from KEX Hostel at Iceland Airwaves Music Festival was brand-new band Andy Svarthol. Comprised of brothers Egill and Bjarki Hreinn Viðarsson). Andy Svarthol came together in 2015 after Egill’s other project Nóra went on hiatus. They aren’t even in the festival’s o…
Chaz Bundick is an endless whirlwind of creativity, whether recording as Toro Y Moi or as PLUM, Les Sins, or Sides of Chaz. Now he's got another project to add to the list: a collaboration with sibling duo The Mattson 2. The LP is titled (wait for it) Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2, and it hits …
Former Fiery Furnaces frontwoman Eleanor Friedberger returns next year with her third solo full-length, New View, out January 22nd on Frenchkiss Records. The album was recorded "live to tape" with her backing band, Icewater, and producer Clemens Knieper in a converted barn studio in Germantown, Ne…
Next on the Iceland Airwaves broadcast live from Kex Hostel was Icelandic indie-rock artist Júníus Meyvant. Hailing from the remote Vestmann Islands, Júníus Meyvant (the pseudonym used by Unnar Gísli Sigurmundsson) started playing music later than most, after finding a beat-up guitar at his parents…
Like fire from the bayou, word of mouth is spreading fast about Benjamin Booker. The young New Orleans based singer-songwriter hasn't even released his full-length debut (it's due next Tuesday), but he's already made appearances on Conan and Letterman and currently is touring across the country. On…
There's not much information out there about the '80s Seattle band Mondo Vita. Their leader Eric "Travis" Wilson (who has been working as a musician in Las Vegas for the past decade) claims on his own web site that the band "appeared on every TV station Seattle had to offer. They also populated th…
Last month, KEXP, STG, and Starbucks hosted the 6th edition of the Little Big Show series at the Neptune Theater, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting The Vera Project, an all-ages volunteer-fueled music and arts venue on the grounds of Seattle Center. Jim James headlined the sold-out show with his…
A catchy melody doesn't just get stuck in your head – it lives there. You sit with it, sometimes for days or even years, ruminating on it whether you want to or not. Writing just one of these songs can be an accomplishment. Portland songwriter Mo Troper does this 15 times over on his latest album, …
