KEXP Live Performances Podcast: Recent Episodes
KEXP
Every week KEXP hosts live performances from our studios and now you can take them with you. With roughly 200 performances each year, KEXP boasts an impressive line-up of guests. Go to KEXP.ORG for a list of upcoming performances.
Los Angeles quartet Death Valley Girls combines the volume and fury of proto-punk, desert mysticism, with a dash of spacey psych and freewheeling garage-rock fun.
The band joins Troy Nelson for a set heavy with tunes from their 2018 release, 'Darkness Rains,' with the sounds being accompanied by some live visuals courtesy of Mad Alchemy.
Recorded 11/15/2019. Abre Camino Street Justice More Dead Disaster (Is What We're After)
Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube
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One of the standouts from KEXP’s 2019 Trans Musicales broadcast, San Salvador is a six-piece vocal and percussion ensemble that sings in the Occitan language of rural Southern France. Although very few can understand the literal meaning of their words, the cascading vocal harmonies and rhythms convey a poetic message that is boundary-less.
The hypnotic performance was recorded at La Chapelle in Rennes, France.
Recorded 12/08/2019. Efans de la campagna La Grande Folie
Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube
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On their second LP, titled ‘Four of Arrows’ after an inspiring Tarot card pull, Seattle-bred Great Grandpa takes a step back from the playful grunge of their debut record in favor of a more open, introspective sound. Each song is crafted thoughtfully, leaving space for lead singer Alex Menne’s voice to fully resonate, and with perfectly placed instrumental builds that deepen the impact.
Stevie Zoom hosts this session in the KEXP Live Room.
Recorded 01/06/2020. Digger Mono no Aware Dark Green Water English Garden
Watch Great Grandpa's cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" on YouTube
Read about Great Grandpa's song "Bloom" on KEXP's Song of the Day feature
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At just 21-years-old, Paris Alexa Williams has made waves in the Seattle music scene with her R&B songwriting sensibilities, unforgettable hooks and smooth-as-honey vocals. It’s easy to imagine any of her songs becoming international hits.
This session, including unreleased tracks, was recorded in the KEXP Gathering Space as part of the first-ever Street Sounds live broadcast with DJ Stas THEE Boss.
Recorded 10/11/2019. Resist Leaves and Seasons Gardens Keep Away Deadhead Water Me Affected Ballin Like Mariah
Read KEXP's interview with Parisalexa
Read more about "Gardens" on KEXP's Song of the Day feature
Watch Parisalexa's 2018 Live on KEXP session with DJ Sharlese
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Upon hearing the sounds of DakhaBrakha (Ukrainian for “Give/Take”), it’s no surprise that the quartet was founded at a contemporary art museum by an avant-garde theater director. Between their unfamiliar harmonies and use of traditional instrumentation from three continents, the musical world DakhaBrakha creates is nothing short of transcendent.
Wo'Pop's Darek Mazzone hosts this Live on KEXP session from Seattle’s The Triple Door.
Recorded 10/15/2019. Khyma I've Boarded The Wrong Plane (Rembetika) Plyve choven Lado
Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube
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Seattle composer and celebrated jazz musician Ahamefule J. Oluo’s latest work is a musical portrait of his mother, ‘Susan.’ Through the lens of humor and optimism, he shifts the focus from the story of his absent father to a celebration of the laughter and creativity his mother used to pick up the pieces.
Leading a talented orchestra, Oluo joins John Gilbreath on KEXP’s Jazz Theater to perform four songs and discuss the trusting audience of Seattle, visiting his ancestral home in Nigeria, and where this project will take him next.
Recorded 11/25/2019. Land Called She Anybody Out There Man From Obibi End Of Courtesy
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Tijuana’s San Pedro El Cortez is known for their raw and spontaneous live performances, always interpreting and playing with their surroundings.
They bring their gritty, energy-packed garage rock to the KEXP Live Room for this session hosted by Kevin Cole on the Afternoon Show. Between performing songs from their album, ‘Un Poco Más de Luz,’ they chat about immigration, mysticism, and how their varied musical taste influences their music.
Recorded 11/15/2019. Fantasmas Asco Fukushima Delicuente Común
Read more about "Asco" on KEXP's Song of the Day feature
Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube
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Dublin’s Pillow Queens tackles topics like religion, sexuality and anxiety with precision indie rock songwriting that builds into swelling, cathartic choruses. While they certainly have their raucous and rowdy moments, the emotional core of the songs leaves the most sting.
This session comes from KEXP’s 2019 Iceland Airwaves broadcast from Kex Hostel.
Recorded 11/09/2019. How Do I Look Brothers Rats Child of Prague Gay Girls Liffey
Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube
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Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where the band originated in the early 1960s. Their latest album accompanying the documentary film, ‘A Tuba To Cuba,’ retraces the indigenous Cuban roots of New Orleans jazz.
The legendary ensemble stops by the KEXP Live Room to perform four tracks and chat with DJ Troy Nelson about the spirit of giving, being a part of Sub Pop’s creative community and the iconic Preservation Hall.
Recorded 11/18/2019. Convergence Malecon Keep Your Head Up Sugar Plum
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Haitian group Chouk Bwa dispels racist myths surrounding their Vodou (Voodoo) religion by showcasing mesmerizing rhythms and uplifting chanting focused on healing and celebration. Brussels-based electronic duo The Ångstromers adds layers of dub-style effects for a result they call “future-leaning Vodou dub.”
The group performs at La Chapelle in Rennes, France as part of KEXP's Trans Musicales broadcast.
Recorded 12/05/2019. Vodou Ale Ogou Bwe Neg Ginen Negriye
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Seattle duo NAVVI used their latest record, '2502,' as an exercise in trusting their creative instincts. Recorded in the span of one week at a remote cabin, the result is a continuous, hypnotic mix of house rhythms and ethereal vocals.
Troy Nelson hosts NAVVI's Kristin and Brad in the KEXP Live Room for a performance of four songs and a conversation about their writing and recording process, Zelda and Kristin's corgi.
Recorded 10/29/2019. Human Dopamine Sampaguita Human Highlight Reel
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On her fourth LP, 'Close It Quietly,' Greta Kline of Frankie Cosmos engages with the idea of rebirth and reimagining, never lingering too long on the past. This comes through in her lyrics as well as the swirling instrumental stylings of each brief track, most hovering around 2 minutes.
From the KEXP Live Room, Kline plays four songs off the new record and talks with DJ Troy Nelson about her prolific writing style, her growing popularity and getting star-struck.
Recorded 10/30/2019. So Blue Windows A Joke Rings (On A Tree)
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The music of Seattle-based rapper/producer Sam Brakebill-Hacke exudes Pacific Northwest with its gloomy, laid back beats, floating melodies and earnest storytelling.
Brakebill joins Stas THEE Boss on Street Sounds for an intimate performance and a discussion about developing his ambient sound, the heavy themes that inspired his latest album, 'Out The Window' and what's next.
Recorded 01/06/2020. Back Seat Two Weeks Cry Like A Boy Don't Call The Cops.
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Norwegian artist Marie Ulven, also known as girl in red, is a DIY success story. In 2015, she began releasing music on Soundcloud after writing, recording and producing everything from her bedroom. Fans quickly latched onto her unfiltered honesty about depression, queerness and teenage heartbreak, and soon her music was heard by millions.
Recorded at Kex Hostel during KEXP’s 2019 Iceland Airwaves broadcast, Ulven plays six songs and brings the crowd to laughter between each.
Recorded 11/08/2019. we fell in love in october summer depression bad idea! watch you sleep. girls i wanna be your girlfriend.
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Icelandic composer Gabríel Ólafs is a classically trained pianist who began writing melodies of his own at a young age, often creating themes for imaginary characters. His melodic storytelling is likened to film scores, bolstered by ambient strings and a thoughtful openness.
In this session from KEXP’s 2019 Iceland Airwaves broadcast, recorded at Kex Hostel, Gabriel performs six songs and tells the audience about the unexpected inspiration for his music, experimenting with sound and more.
Recorded 11/07/2019. Absent Minded Bára Cyclist Waltz Lóa (variation) Staircase Sonata Filma
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Indie folk outfit Seabear is comprised of seven musicians who, in typical Icelandic fashion, each have musical pursuits of their own. Joining KEXP at the 2019 broadcast from Kex Hostel during Iceland Airwaves, the band performs four songs to a sold-out crowd. Don't miss frontman Sindri Sigfusson's witty banter between songs, including why KEXP is better than algorithms. Recorded 11/07/2019. 4 songs - Arms, Waterphone, Leaf Mask, Wolf Boy.
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Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard made waves last year with her debut solo record, 'Jaime.' Gliding on instrumentals that blend funk, soul, psych-rock and R&B, her dynamic yet intimate vocals are what make this a powerhouse record and easily one of KEXP's favorites of 2019. Hosted by Cheryl Waters on the Midday Show, Brittany discusses gaining confidence as a songwriter and solo artist, the deeply personal album name, the themes of race and sexuality in her music and touring with her idol. Recorded 11/18/2019. 4 songs - Stay High, Georgia, He Loves Me, Presence.
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Mexico City-based project Celest gets their name from a fascination with the sky and the cosmos, and their sound fittingly blends dream pop, ambient, and alternative rock. DJ Chilly hosts the band for this ethereal performance from Panoram Studios during KEXP’s 2019 Mexico City broadcast. Recorded 02/27/2019. 4 songs - Entre Bien y Mal, Sol, Fantasmas, Hasta Que El Tiempo No Nos Separe.
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Jake Xerxes Fussell has proven himself a modern master of American folk and blues, with prodigious guitar playing and a rawness to his voice that goes straight to the heart. Hosted by Greg Vandy on KEXP's The Roadhouse, Fussell performs four songs and discusses getting his start in the folklore world, his Southern origins and how he reinterprets traditional music. Recorded 10/04/2019. 4 songs - Jubilee, Raggy Levy, The River St. John's, Have You Ever Seen Peaches Growing on a Sweet Potato Vine?
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Convention-breaking artist and activist Madame Gandhi, formerly the drummer for M.I.A., writes music that centers the female voice and experience, boldly making space for more women and femme rappers to follow. As part of KEXP's 2019 Iceland Airwaves broadcast from Kex Hostel, she performs tracks from her latest EP, Visions, skillfully jumping between a drum kit, beat pad and the mic, and taking breaks to explain her inspiration and intended impact. Recorded 11/06/2019. 6 songs - Waiting For Me, Her, Top Knot Turn Up, Young Indian, Yellow Sea, Bad Habits.
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Born out of the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, KOKOKO! inventively up-cycles various materials to create a sonically vibrant, spontaneous style of dance music. The collective joins Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room for an exhilarating performance of songs from their new record, Fongola, and a multilingual discussion about the spirit of collaboration, building instruments out of necessity and breaking away from Congolese musical traditions. Recorded 10/12/2019. 4 songs - Likolo, Tongos'a, Malembe, Azo Toke.
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Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ORUÃ brings their own brand of jazz-infused, fuzzed-out psychedelia to the KEXP Live Room. Playing mostly songs from their 2019 album, 'Romã,’ the three-piece band also speaks with Cheryl Waters about their connection with Built To Spill, the arts community in Rio de Janeiro and their many side projects. Recorded 03/27/2019. 5 songs - Volte Consciente, Malquerências, Domador, Vitin, Ilhas De Força.
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On her debut LP, 'Keepsake,' Australian artist Harriette Pilbeam, or Hatchie, delivers the electro-pop nostalgia the record's title promises. She and her band join DJ Evie in the KEXP Live Room to perform four songs and discuss influences, selling out shows and writing songs in her pajamas. Recorded 09/29/2019. 4 songs - Her Own Heart, Kiss The Stars, Obsessed, Stay With Me.
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Recorded 04/02/2019. 4 songs - Crosses, Heartbeats, The Forest, Leaf Off / The Cave.
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Recorded 09/27/2019. 4 songs - Weyu Lárigi Weyu (Day By Day), Banda, Gudemei (Poverty), Mongulu.
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Oh Sees frontman John Dwyer is known for his relentless experimentation across genres, encompassing krautrock, punk, thrash metal, no-wave, and psychedelic. The band is also prolific, with this year's 'Face Stabber' putting them at a staggering twenty-two studio albums. Hosted by Troy Nelson, the band performs three sprawling tracks from 'Face Stabber' as well as two from earlier releases, and discuss Toby Keith, mosh pits, and how Dwyer came across the album's cover art. Recorded 10/05/2019. 5 songs - Nite Expo, C, Snickersnee, Together Tomorrow, Henchlock.
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The eponymous debut record from Austin-based Black Pumas has been a KEXP favorite since its summer release. The uniquely raw and soulful delivery of singer Eric Burton paired with producer Adrian Quesada's instrumentals, which nod to 70s soul and 90s hip hop, give them a sound that's simultaneously nostalgic and of the future. DJ Cheryl Waters chats with the duo about how they formed the project, what messages they want to convey through their music, Burton's nomadic past and bringing their distinctive spirit to live shows. Recorded 10/18/2019. 4 songs - Black Moon Rising, Fire, Colors, OCT 33.
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On their sophomore LP, ‘Cry,’ Cigarettes After Sex continues delicately crafting a world that’s moody, atmospheric and cinematic. Frontman Greg Gonzalez says the sound is owed in part to the recording of the album in a remote part of the Spanish island Mallorca. DJ Morgan hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for a performance of four songs and a discussion about recording in exotic locations and how movies have affected their songwriting. Recorded 09/28/2019. 4 songs - Don't Let Me Go, Kiss It Off Me, Heavenly, Falling In Love.
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The title of Jay Som’s latest record, ‘Anak Ko,’ is a term of endearment in the Filipino language of Tagalog, and translates to “my child.” Songwriter and frontwoman Melina Duterte describes the title as “a warm blanket over the record,” which finds her rooted in the personal while maintaining a bright, dream pop punchiness. Duterte and her charismatic band join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for four songs and an interview on her approach to the record, her many collaborators and the importance of “me time.” Recorded 09/19/2019. 4 songs - Anak Ko, Peace Out, Superbike, Get Well.
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Zimbabwe's Mokoomba merges traditional Tonga rhythms with modern Afro-fusion for a brimming sound that's at once energizing and emotionally evocative. The six-piece band joins Wo'Pop's Darek Mazzone in the KEXP Live Room to perform four new songs and discuss eleven years of touring together and the meaning behind their songs. Recorded 04/26/2019. 4 songs - Nyansola, Njawane, Manina, Ndipe.
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On her dynamic debut LP, 'Miss Universe,' Nilüfer Yanya manages to exceed the hype of her alluring earlier releases. Breaking down boundaries of genre and expectation, the London artist bounces between floating falsetto, anthemic power, head-banging rock and spare jazz arrangements, all interspersed with short skits of the fictional WWAY HEALTH, a satire on self-improvement industries. She joins DJ Abbie in the KEXP Live Room for this performance of four songs followed by an interview on her early creative influences, the comfort of the unknown and more. Recorded 09/26/2019. 4 songs - Golden Cage, Paradise, The Unordained, In Your Head.
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Shana Cleveland is best known as the lead guitarist and vocalist of surfer-rock group La Luz, but her solo music stands wholly on its own. Inspired in part by Afro-futurist Sun Ra, her second solo album, 'Night of the Worm Moon,' explores UFOs, the cosmos, and alternate dimensions. With her acoustic fingerpicking and moody melodies gliding on a bed of ambient drones, the record serves as the perfect vessel for mind wanderings. Recorded 04/10/2019. 4 songs - Face of the Sun, In Another Realm, Don't Let Me Sleep, Invisible When the Sun Leaves.
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This Perth-based psychedelic rock outfit gets bigger with every release. With crunchier guitars, heavier riffs and more hypnotic melodies, their much anticipated 2019 LP, 'And Now For The Whatchamacallit,' does not disappoint. The band joins Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to perform four songs. Recorded 09/13/2019. 4 songs - Hymn For A Droid, Bill's Mandolin, Cubensis Lenses, Cornflake.
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LA-based duo Girlpool's third LP, 'What Chaos Is Imaginary,' demonstrates their continued need for expansion and experimentation. While at the heart, it's still driven by the crafty and infectious melodies characteristic of their previous releases, the record is bursting with new harmonies, instrumentation and textures. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for four new songs and a conversation on songwriting and the captivating title of their album. Recorded 04/12/2019. 4 songs - Hire, Pretty, Minute In Your Mind, What Chaos Is Imaginary.
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The five members of Portland-based No Kind of Rider have been making music together since their teen years in Oklahoma, drawing influence from jazz, post-punk, R&B, shoegaze and electronic. Their 2018 debut full-length, 'Savage Coast,' strikes an intricate balance between these varied genres, resulting in a sound that evokes no comparison. Audioasis host Eva Walker welcomes the band to the KEXP Live Room for four songs from the record and a discussion on how music heals in times of grief. Recorded 09/10/2019. 4 songs - Intermission, Dark Ice, Sophia, Autumn.
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Brooklyn-based Alsarah & The Nubatones encompasses the diverse influences of its members in what they describe as "East-African retro-pop.” With a range of backgrounds including Sudanese, Egyptian, Armenian, American, French and Togolese, this group proves that music with soul has no borders. Alsarah's calm yet vibrant vocals lead the way in four stunning songs and an enlightening interview with Wo'Pop host Darek Mazzone. Recorded 04/11/2019. 4 songs - Men Ana, Habibi, Alforag, Fulani.
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Wilco frontman and indie rock icon Jeff Tweedy stops by Rainshadow Recording on his birthday for this live session during the THING Fest 2019 broadcast. After releasing two gorgeous, stripped-down solo records and a memoir in the span of a year, Jeff is back on the road with Wilco to promote their 11th studio album, Ode To Joy. Along with playing a few songs, old and new, Tweedy talks with KEXP's DJ Morgan about grief, album titles, his memoir, and free cantaloupes. Recorded 08/25/2019. 4 songs - An Empty Corner, White Wooden Cross, Family Ghost, Impossible Germany.
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Molly Burch's sophomore LP, ‘First Flower,' is an intimate self-portrait that lays bare her insecurities alongside her triumphs. Accompanied by dreamy electric guitar, her sultry vocals take center stage to tell her story. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room as they play songs from ‘First Flower’ and the new 7” single. Recorded 08/28/2019. 4 songs - First Flower, To The Boys, Your Party, Only One.
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Iceland's Júníus Meyvant joins KEXP for another energy-packed live performance, this time from Rainshadow Recording during THING Fest 2019. Meyvant's captivating sense of melody and crooning vocals are elevated by the rich backing arrangements of his band. He plays songs from his two 2019 releases, the ‘Across The Borders’ LP and ‘Rearview Paradise’ EP in this session hosted by DJ Morgan. Recorded 08/24/2019. 4 songs - Love Child, Draw The Line, Until The Last Minute, Ain't Gonna Let You Drown.
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A staple of the 90’s indie rock scene, Versus is back after a nearly decade-long hiatus with the LP ‘Ex Voto.’ Pared down to subtly highlight the harmonies of Richard Baluyut and Fontaine Toups, the music remains tinged with nostalgia even as the songwriting continues to evolve. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room to showcase four songs from the new album. Recorded 08/29/2019. 4 songs - Gravity, Moon Palace, Baby Green, Atmosphere.
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Aussie psych-rock favorite King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard continually impresses its die-hard fanbase, from ambitiously releasing five albums in 2017 to effortlessly genre-hopping through experimentation. Most recently, the seven-piece band (which includes two drummers) has gone metal to convey a message about the human race’s hand in climate change. They join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to play five songs from the new record, ‘Infest the Rats’ Nest,’ and answer questions from fans. Recorded 08/18/2019. 5 songs - Mars For The Rich, Venusian 1, Perihelion, Venusian 2, Hell.
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First-generation Colombian-American quartet Combo Chimbita made an impression in 2017 with their debut LP, ‘Abya Yala,’ in a style they described as “tropical futurism.” Their new album, ‘Ahomale,’ borrows its name from a Yoruba term meaning ‘adorer of ancestors’ and channels the spiritual wisdom of their ancestral past through a variety of musical influences, from Afro-Latinx rhythms to metal and soul to psychedelia. They share their enlightenment on a breathtaking performance for El Sonido hosted by DJ Chilly. Recorded 05/21/2019. 5 songs - Sola, Ahomale, Testigo, Santo Fuerte, Esto Es Real (8100mg).
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Fifteen years and seven albums in, The Hold Steady (as their name suggests) remains a fan-favorite after their latest effort, ‘Thrashing Thru The Passion.’ The fresh line-up highlights frontman Craig Finn’s masterful storytelling with raw and uplifting instrumental backing. On this Midday Show session, the band performs five songs from the record and speaks with DJ Cheryl Waters about their unique new approach to touring. Recorded 08/15/2019. 5 songs - Denver Haircut, You Did Good Kid, Blackout Sam, Entitlement Crew, T-Shirt Tux.
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On their fourth album, Can't Tell Me No, Portland's Summer Cannibals get confrontational about their past. The result is chock-full of empowering anthems that are as catchy as they are punk. DJ Abbie hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for a shredding performance. Recorded 07/26/2019. 4 songs - One Of Many, Behave, Like I Used To, False Anthem.
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In her music, avant-garde artist Lido Pimienta incorporates sounds from her indigenous Wayuu culture, traditional Afro-Colombian percussion, and textured electronic soundscapes. Among these varied influences, her voice manages to continually pierce through with intensity and sincerity. Cheryl Waters hosts this session at the Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during 2017's Iceland Airwaves. Recorded 11/04/2017. 6 songs - En Un Minuto, Quiero Que Te Vaya Bien, Fornicarte Es Un Arte, La Capacidad, Para Quererte, Quiero Jardines.
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Leading with his hypnotic electric guitar and soulful vocals, Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar is a powerful force in contemporary Saharan music. Hosted by DJ Rhythma on Wo'Pop, Moctar performs 3 songs from his 2019 album Ilana (The Creator), as well as one original song from the Tuareg-language film he produced and starred in based on Prince's Purple Rain. Recorded 05/25/2018. 4 songs - Tada Dounia, Wiwasharnine, Tarhatazed, Kamane Tarhanin.
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Portland-based Katherine Paul, also known as Black Belt Eagle Scout, blends the moody atmospheres of post-rock and the power of Riot Grrrl punk with the musical and spiritual influences of her upbringing in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. On her latest record At the Party With My Brown Friends, she aims to uplift and inspire other queer and indigenous voices. DJ Morgan hosts this live performance from THING Festival in Port Townsend, Washington. Recorded 08/24/2019. 4 songs - At The Party, My Heart Dreams, Loss & Relax, You're Me and I'm You.
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The music of Sudan Archives is an ethereal blend of R&B and experimental electronic, built on a foundation of Sudanese folk. DJ Morgan hosts this exclusive session from KEXP's live broadcast of the first-ever THING Festival in Port Townsend, Washington. Recorded 08/25/2019. 4 songs - Nont For Sale, Come Meh Way, Limitless, Did You Know.
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The Nude Party fuses their own brand of psych-folk twang with classic rock and roll for an undeniably good time. Greg Vandy hosts the six-piece band in the KEXP Live Room as they perform 5 songs from their 2018 self-titled LP. Recorded 08/13/2019. 5 songs - Water on Mars, Feels Alright, Astral Man, Chevrolet Van, Records.
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Seattle quartet Versing attempts to find peace in the chaos on their latest record, 10000. The band brings their intricate guitar textures and punchy melodies to the KEXP Live Room for a session hosted by DJ Troy Nelson. Recorded 06/17/2019. 4 songs - Tethered, Offering, By Design, Renew.
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Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin brings Cheryl Waters to tears in this live session. Her deeply personal new album, Crushing, exposes both her vulnerabilities and her strengths through honest lyrical reflections and minimally produced vocals. Recorded 08/12/2019. 4 songs - Don't Know How To Keep Loving You, Head Alone, Turn Me Down, Pressure To Party.
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On his third record, Halve, Peter Michel (aka Hibou) confronts the dichotomies of being a young adult, with the backdrop of his signature ethereal indie-pop and bright melodies. Hosted by Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 08/21/2019. 4 songs - Silver, Clarity, An Hour of Vision, Inside Illumination.
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Altin Gün is the Amsterdam-based psych-folk project that crosses borders between cultures, genres and time. On their sophomore album, Gece, they infuse classic Turkish folk songs with psych-rock production and funk grooves, immediately uplifting and transporting the listener. The band gives a magnetic performance in the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/05/2019. 4 songs - Kolbasti, Leyla, Vay Dunya, Supergesi Yoncadan.
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Detroit-based artist Stef Chura teamed up with Car Seat Headrest's Will Toledo to produce her sophomore LP, Midnight. The result is full of satisfying guitar riffs, cathartic expressions of anger, and Chura's distinctive vocals front and center. Cheryl Waters hosts in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 08/01/2019. 4 songs - They'll Never, Scream, 3D Girl, Sincerely Yours.
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The Head and the Heart helped define the folk-pop genre with their self-titled debut in 2011. Now, the Seattle band returns to the KEXP Live Room in support of their first record in three years, Living Mirage. Hosted by Kevin Cole, they perform three songs from the new record and one from 2016's Signs of Light. Recorded 05/31/2019. 4 songs - Missed Connection, See You Through My Eyes, Library Magic, People Need a Melody.
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Psychedelic rock outfit Wand pares down their sound in their fifth studio album, Laughing Matter, opening up space for their hypnotic essence to truly take hold. Listen in as they join Evie in the KEXP Live Room to perform 4 new songs. Recorded 05/06/2019. 4 songs - Wonder, Thin Air, Scarecrow, Airplane.
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Indie rock icon Jenny Lewis shines brighter than ever on her latest record, On The Line. From her honest reckoning with past demons to her shimmery 70s aesthetic, the album is simultaneously introspective and vibrant. She joins DJ Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room for an electric performance of 4 songs from the album. Recorded 05/21/2019. 4 songs - Heads Gonna Roll, Wasted Youth, Party Clown, Red Bull & Hennessy.
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Cameroon-born Lætitia Tamko burst into the indie rock scene as Vagabon in 2017 with her debut album Infinite Worlds, showcasing unique guitar-driven melodies with her deeply expressive vocal stylings. She joins DJ Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to play songs from her debut as well as her highly anticipated self-titled follow up. Recorded 07/19/2019. 4 songs - Cold Apartment, Minneapolis, Flood, All the Women.
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Seattle septet The Dip skillfully blends classic soul, funk rhythms, and modern pop to produce upbeat music that’s impossible not to get up and groove with. The band joins DJ John Richards in the KEXP Live Room to perform songs from their new record, The Dip Delivers. Recorded 05/07/2019. 4 songs - Atlas, Starcastle, She Gave Me the Keys, Sure Don’t Miss You.
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On Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, Bill Callahan proves as powerful as ever. This time reflecting on his home and family life, the record is a compelling ode to contentment. Cheryl Waters hosts Callahan in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 06/23/2019. 4 songs - Writing, Son of the Sea, Camels, The Ballad of the Hulk.
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In their fourth record, This Mess Is a Place, Seattle pop-punk outfit and KEXP regulars Tacocat blend political critique with their signature sense of humor and hope. The band joins Stevie Zoom in the KEXP Live Room to showcase four new songs. Recorded 05/03/2019. 4 songs - New World, Crystal Ball, Grains of Salt, The Joke of Life.
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While writing her fifth studio album, Reward, Welsh singer Cate Le Bon retreated to a rural English town and studied the art of chairmaking. The result is electrifying. She performs 4 songs from the album in the KEXP Live Room with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 07/15/2019. 4 songs - Miami, Home To You, Mother’s Mother’s Magazines, Meet the Man.
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Seattle’s local favorite The Black Tones invigorates audiences with their original blend of blues and punk. Listen to them perform 4 songs from their debut full-length album, Cobain and Cornbread, produced by the legendary Jack Endino. Recorded 06/18/2019 in the KEXP Live Room. 4 songs - Ghetto Spaceship, The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead), Mama! There’s A Spider In My Room, Welcome Mr. Pink.
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Known for their impressive live shows, internationally beloved Mexican guitar rock duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela joins fans in the KEXP Gathering Space to perform songs from their new record, Mettavolution. Recorded 07/14/2019. 4 songs - Krotona Days, Electric Soul, Witness Tree, Mettavolution.
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Diane Coffee is the genre-defying solo project of versatile Foxygen drummer Shaun Fleming. In his latest album, Internet Arms, he insightfully tackles the subject of intimacy in the digital age. Performed in the KEXP Live Room with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 06/06/2019. 4 songs - Simulation, Stuck In Your Saturday Night, Lights Off, Internet Arms.
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Jumping between genres and regularly swapping instruments, Seattle trio Tres Leches is impossible to put labels on. One consistency is that it’s hard not to rock out along with them. Tres Leches joins Audioasis host Eva Walker in the KEXP Live Room to perform 4 songs from their debut full-length album, Amorfo. Recorded 05/18/2019. 4 songs - Doing What Are You / What Are You Doing, Nueva York, Ha-ha This Away, Despise Us.
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Everybody’s favorite masked cowboy visits Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to perform 4 songs from his breakout album, Pony. Crooning about love and loss in a way that’s entirely his own, Orville Peck can bring any listener to fall in love with country. Recorded 05/20/2019. 4 songs - Turn To Hate, Big Sky, Dead Of Night, Take You Back.
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Hailing from Budapest, Hungary, The Qualitons draw from 60s and 70s funk to showcase upbeat, psychedelic rock and a killer live performance. Hosted by DJ Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 03/22/2019. 4 songs - Zöld Sárga (Green To Yellow), Draw A Line, Doubt, All We Can Do.
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Weyes Blood's latest album Titanic Rising opens the skies to the celestial, seamlessly bouncing from folksy tracks like Andromeda to more dreamy and synth-driven songs like Movies. DJ Abbie hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 05/17/2019. 4 songs - Andromeda, Everyday, Movies, Something to Believe.
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Amanda Palmer, the songwriter, author, performance artist, and alt-rock icon formerly of the Dresden Dolls, performs 3 soul-baring, dynamic songs from her latest solo record, There Will Be No Intermission. Hosted by Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 06/04/2019. 3 songs - Drowning In The Sound, Voicemail For Jill, The Ride.
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Soulful superstars Durand Jones & The Indications join Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room to perform 4 songs from their sophomore LP, American Love Call. Recorded 04/02/2019. 4 songs - Walk Away, Morning In America, Long Way Home, Too Many Tears.
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Mexican rock band No Somos Marineros shares their trance-like tunes with KEXP in the first-ever broadcast from Mexico City at Panoram Studios. Recorded 03/01/2019. 5 songs - B.O.G., Los Bajos Fondos, Kalusha Y Biyik, Cutlass ('96), D'arcy.
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With songwriter Meg Duffy at the helm, Hand Habits' sophomore album Placeholder explores ambiguity and the undefinable on a bed of lush folk instrumentation. The band joined Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to perform 4 songs. Recorded 03/26/2019. 4 songs - Placeholder, Pacify, Are You Serious?, Jessica.
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The Budos Band's fifth album V is another solid collection of classic R&B from the Daptone Records retro heroes. The band performed 4 songs from the KEXP Live Room in this session. Recorded 04/20/2019. 4 songs - Old Engine Oil, The Enchanter, Veil of Shadows, Arcane Rambler.
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Kevin Morby's fifth album Oh My God finds the Kansas City songwriter examining mortality and the afterlife. Morby and his band play 4 songs in the KEXP Live Room with DJ Abbie. Recorded 05/14/2019. 4 songs - Congratulations, Hail Mary, Piss River, Seven Devils.
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With traces of new wave and garage rock, Hello Seahorse! have crafted kinetic, electric songs for more than a decade. The Mexico City quartet perform a career-spanning session live from Panoram Studios during KEXP’s broadcast from the Mexican capital. Recorded 03/01/2019. 4 songs - Bestia, Dónde Estabas, Son, Incendio
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Ahead of his eighth album in just over a decade (to say nothing of his soundtrack work and other releases), Ezra Furman remains a thrilling enigma ahead of his latest album, Twelve Nudes. The prolific, ever-changing songwriter joins Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for four songs and a career-spanning interview. Recorded 05/08/2019. 4 songs - Love You So Bad, Evening Prayer, Calm Down aka I Should Not Be Alone, Psalm 151
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Camilo Lara’s danceable and genre-spanning project started off KEXP’s February 2019 broadcast from Mexico off in style. The Mexico City producer and his band perform four songs live from Panoram Studios. Recorded 2/26/2019. 4 songs - Mexico, El Jefe, Se Baila Así, Mi T-Shirt De La NASA
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Ximena Sariñana’s crisp, summery tunes were a highlight of KEXP’s first-ever broadcast from Mexico. The Mexico City artist performs five songs from her new album ¿Dónde Bailarán Las Niñas?. Recorded 2/28/2019. 5 songs - Que Seas Tú, ¿Qué Tiene, No Se, Fácil De Amar Chega Pra Ca, Lo Bailado
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Seattle-based transgender bedroom pop artist Left At London performs her debut KEXP in-studio performance. Recorded 3/27/19 on the Morning Show 1. Revolution Lover 2. I-Thought-You-Said 3. I Split My Ribs Open 4. Waiting On A Ghost
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L.A. - based singer-songwriter, composer Julia Holter graced our studios with her captivating and intricate sound. Recorded live on 3/6/19 on the Midday Show 1. Les Jeux to You 2. Chaitus 3. Words I Heard 4. I Shall Love 2
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L.A.-based, singer-songwriter Miya Folick performs four diverse songs from her debut album Premonitions. Recorded at KEXP on 2/19/19 1. Premonitions 2. Cost Your Love 3. Deadbody 4. Thingamajig
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The ethereal sounds of London trio HÆLOS will transport you to another dimension. Hear the band's full performance recorded at KEXP on 3/23/19. 1. End of World Party 2. A.R.K. 3. Full Circle 4. Buried in the Sand
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"Logs, lights and tree loving" was what UK group Snapped Ankles promised to deliver ahead of their live performance from Studio 9294 in London. What they actually presented was much more! Recorded on 2/5/19 during the Midday Show. 1. Tailpipe 2. True Ecology 3. Letter from Hampi Mountain 4. Drink and Glide 5. Jonny Guitar Calling Gosta Berlin 6. I Want My Minutes Back
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When London punk-rock duo JOHN performed live on KEXP from Studio 9294 in London, you could feel their energy through the airwaves! Recorded on 2/4/19 during the Midday Show: 1. Balfron 2. Ghost Printer 3. Industrial Action 4. Future Thinker 5. Squad Vowels 6. Western Wilds 7. God Speed In the National Limit 8. High Digger
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British, female punk trio Big Joanie refer to themselves as "The Ronettes filtered through 80s DIY and riot grrrl with a sprinkling of dashikis". Their live set on 2/4/19 during The Morning Show from Studio 9294 in London included these 9 songs: 1. Token 2. Way Out 3. Used To Be Friends 4. New Year 5. Crooked Room 6. No Scrubs 7. Down Down 8. It's You 9. Fall Asleep
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On Wednesday, February 6th, London-based garage-surf act Chemtrails took the stage at Studio 9294 in London during the Midday Show and performed these rippin' tunes: 1. Watch Evil Grow 2. Headless Pin Up Girl 3. Ghosts of My Dead Cats 4. Vultures 5. Deranged 6. I'll Never Be 7. Aeons
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London-based bilingual trio Kero Kero Bonito were one of the many bands that performed at KEXP's London Broadcast from Studio 9294 in February, 2019. Here's their set: 1. Outside 2. Lipslap 3. Only Acting 4. You Know How It Is 5. Make Believe 6. Flyaway 7. If I'd Known 8. The Prisoner
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Next up in our Live from Studio 9294 in London broadcast is British art-punk trio Shopping. They performed these 9 songs on the Morning Show: 1. Shave Your Head 2. Asking for a Friend 3. The Hype 4. In Other Words 5. Straight Lines 6. Initiative 7. Take It Outside 8. Long Way Home 9. Suddenly Gone
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British electronic duo Maribou State stopped by KEXP's studio during The Afternoon Show and performed 4 songs from their 2018 album Kingdom's In Colour. 1. Feel Good 2. Nervous Ticks 3. Glasshouses 4. Vale
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KEXP's 2019 London broadcast for International Clash Day brought British experimentalists Vanishing Twin to studio 9294 where they performed 4 songs. 1. Choose Your Own Adventure, 2. Floating Heart 3. The Conservation of Energy 4. You Are Not An Island
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Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, also known as Better Oblivion Community Center stopped by KEXP's studio shortly after the release of their debut, self-titled album. Recorded 3/17/2019 on the Midday show with Cheryl Waters. 4 songs - Didn't Know What I Was In For, Dylan Thomas, Little Trouble, Easy/Lucky/Free
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For this year's International Clash Day celebration, KEXP traveled to London for our first-ever live broadcast from Studio 9294. British Band IDLES stopped by to perform songs during the Afternoon Show. Recorded 2/07/2019. 8 songs - Heel/heal, Queens, Faith in the City, 1040 Gotho, Television, Great, Danny Nedelko, Rottweiler.
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Fatima's chic modern soul effortlessly captures London's vibrancy. Performing live at Studio 9294 in London as part of KEXP's 2019 International Clash Day broadcast, the Stockholm-born singer performs five songs. Recorded 2/5/2018. 4 songs - May I, Only,
When they made their maiden voyage to the Pacific Northwest, the Brazilian psych rock outfit (and occasional Built To Spill collaborators) stopped by KEXP's Live Room to perform five songs in this session with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 3/27/2019. 5 songs -
Eno Williams' Nigeria-via-London afrobeat project moves your heart and feet at the same time. Performing songs from their 2019 album Doko Mien, the group kick off KEXP's International Clash Day 2019 broadcast live from Studio 9294 in Hackney Wick, London.
The Liverpool punk outfit are ferocious and fierce, screeching and shredding with every second. The band perform songs from their eponymous debut live from Studio 9294 in Hackney Wick in London during KEXP's International Clash Day 2019 broadcast. Recorde
The Ukranian Dakh Daughers collective spans a wide range of creative mediums, and this session finds the group performing a quixotic mix of theatre and music live at Avast! Recording Co. on Wo'Pop with Derek Mazzone. Recorded 1/14/2018. 4 songs - Rosy, Se
Pedro The Lion's return in 2019 found David Bazan revitalized and passionate, crafting one of his strongest albums in years. Backed by his band, Bazan performs a set of songs from the new album, Phoenix, along with some Pedro classics in the KEXP Gatherin
Wild Pink's second album, Yolk in the Fur, is a leap forward for the band, sharpening their take on expansive, ethereal rock. The New York band join DJ Atticus at Avast! Recording Co. for a set of four songs from the album. Recorded 12/17/2018. 4 songs -
Nabihah Iqbal's silvery electronic cuts have a futuristic allure to their popping rhythms that make for a quixotic listening experience.The razor-sharp electronic musician formerly known as Throwing Shade performs four songs from her debut album Weighing of the Heart from the Musée de la danse during Trans Musicales 2018. Recorded 12/5/2018. 4 songs - Saw U Twice, In Visions, Zone 1 to 6000, Untitled Friday
Love Is Magic, John Grant's fourth solo album, is another collection of clever and heart-wrenching songs delivered with a delectable croon and a razor-sharp wit. In this session, Grant joins Troy Nelson at Avast! Recording Co. for a session of four songs from the album. Recorded 12/18/2018. 4 songs - Touch and Go, Is He Strange, TC and Honeybear, Vietnam
Colorful and aqueous, the Rennes, France brass band whips up a rhythmic, sharp performance from the Musée de la danse in their hometown during Trans Musicales 2018. Recorded 12/8/2018. 4 songs - Harika Maru, Savana, Route 35, Monn
A Seattle staple for over a decade, Gabriel Teodros' incisive and reflective music reached a new peak with his 2018 LP History Rhymes If It Doesn't Repeat (A Southend Healing Ritual). In this session, Teodros joins Troy Nelson at Avast! Recording Co. for a session of four songs from the album. Recorded 11/28/2018. 4 songs - First Cut, Quantum Entanglement, Continuum, Around The Way
Hazy and alluring, Red Ribbon channels a smokey, Twin Peaks-esque mystique in their atmospheric rock. The Seattle outfit perform four songs from their debut album Dark Party at Avast! Recording Co. with DJ Sean Morrow. Recorded 11/28/2018. 4 songs - Seven Months, Overdrive, Your Car, Idiot Orange
Seattle veterans John Atkins (764-Hero) and James van Leuven (Plan B) joined forces for the scrappy lo-fi art punk project Sun Breaks. The Seattle duo join DJ Atticus at Avast! Recording Co. for a four-song session. Recorded 11/29/2018. 4 songs - All on Camera, Summer of Broken Bones, Heart, Moments
John Craigie imbues his songs with a wry sense of humor tempered with a deep understanding of American folk rock tradition. The San Francisco songwriter joins The Roadhouse's Greg Vandy at Avast! Recording Co. for a session of five songs. Recorded 11/29/2018. 5 songs - While I'm Down, Let's Talk This Over, When We're Sober, Don't Ask, Westbound Bart, 28
The kaleidoscopic garage pop of South London's WOOZE is both flirtily playful and endlessly beguiling. Theo Spark and Jamie She perform four songs in session with KEXP at Musée de la danse in Rennes, France, during Trans Musicales 2018. Recorded 12/9/2018. 4 songs - Hello Can You Go, Ladies Who Lunch With Me, I'll Have What She's Having, Party Without Ya
Maria Uzor and Gemma Cullingford's chrome-plated electronic music has a brilliant dance sensibility. The Norwich duo perform five tracks from their self-titled debut album live from Rennes, France as part of KEXP's sessions at Trans Musicales de Rennes 2018. Recorded 11/15/2018. 5 songs - If You See Me, Petrol Blue, Glass, Pushin', Substitutes
Seattle's Cold Soda boasts quite a bit of Pacific Northwest musical pedigree - namely the members of the Cave Singers who swap instruments for this new project. Playing four songs from their self-titled debut, the quartet join Cheryl Waters in session at Avast! Recording Co. Recorded 11/26/2018. 4 songs - Houses, Roll Up, Neon Cross, Holly Leaf
Los Mundos' rugged sound pumps up its intensity with hints of psychedelic sludge and ripping guitars at every chance it gets. The Monterrey group join DJ Chilly at Avast! Recording Co. for a four-song session. Recorded 11/15/2018. 4 songs - El Color Que Cayó Del Espacio, Amantes de la Sangre, Lenta Combustión, Rompe Tu Guitarra
The Reykjavik electronic outfit aYia's jagged electronic rhythms are fascinatingly caustic. The group perform cataclysmic songs live from KEXP's Iceland Airwaves 2018 broadcast at KEX Hostel. Recorded 11/9/2018. 5 songs - Sparkle, Crystal, Slow, New Moon, Ruins
The Reykjavik composer Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir's work is emotive and moving in its graceful poise. The composer performs two pieces as part of a tribute to Jóhann Jóhannsson live at Mengi in Reykjavik. Recorded 11/11/2018. 2 songs - Talk To Your Hands, A Miracle Is A Shift In Perception From Fear To Love
Bjarni and Sigurpáll, aka Bagdad Brothers, create dreamy, metallic guitar pop that shines with the best of Iceland's music scene. In this session from KEX Hostel in Reykjavik, the outfit perform nine songs during KEXP's broadcast from Iceland Airwaves. Recorded 11/07/2018. 9 songs - carlos í mölinni //, kamelblús, úr öskunni í elfin, góðir hálsar / góðar glósur, Brian Eno Says: Quit Your Job, sjálfbær elskhugi, Dansa, malar í kassanum, Pepperoni Project
Cumulus' five year gap between records found Alexandra Niedzialkowski's songwriting aging richly, returning with the crips and radiant Comfort World. The Seattle musician and her band join Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room for five songs and a conversation about the album. Recorded 11/20/2018. 5 songs - Sing To Me, Retreat, Stereo, Cannonball, Tough Crowd
A glammy enigma, Art D'Ecco's reverb-soaked shimmer bursts with a hazy energy. Performing four songs from his debut album Trespasser, D'ecco and his band join DJ Abbie in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 10/29/2018. 4 songs - Never Tell, Last In Line, Mary, Who Is It Now?
Adopting a new moniker ahead of her eponymous second album, Chris took a massive leap forward with one of the most physical and kinetic pop albums of 2018. Joining DJ Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room, Chris and her band perform four songs from the new album and discuss its themes. Recorded 10/23/2018. 4 songs - Comme si, Girlfriend, 5 dollars, Doesn't matter
At the end of his previous album cycle, Matthew Houck put Phosphorescent on hold for a moment to focus on raising a family and building out a new studio. Renewed and revitalized, Houck returned with his seventh studio album C'est La Vie, highlighted with four songs in this session with DJ Troy Nelson. Recorded 11/21/2018. 4 songs - New Birth in New England, There From Here, Around the Horn, C'est La Vie No.2
Glistening, eruptive, and immense, Aurora's electronic-tinged pop is a gale of infectious melodies and propulsive rhythms. In this session, Aurora and her backing band perform five songs from her EP Infections of a Different Kind – Step 1 and an old favorite live from KEX Hostel as part of KEXP's broadcast from Iceland Airwaves 2018. Recorded 11/08/2018. 4 songs - Churchyard, Gentle Earthquakes, All Is Soft Inside, Runaway, Forgotten Love, Queendom
Sóley, Sin Fang, and Örvar Smárason (of múm) spent 2017 recording a track per month, resulting in Team Dreams, an album that captures the airy kinetics of all three musicians. The trio perform five songs from the record live from KEX Hostel during KEXP's broadcast from Iceland Airwaves 2018. Recorded 11/09/2018. 4 songs - Random Haiku Generator, Wasted, Tennis, The Sun Will Go Out, Dream Team Party Kids
Marissa Nadler's increasingly consistent and intriguing discography expands excellently with her eighth album, For My Crimes. The Boston songwriter performs four icy, intricate songs from the record in this session with DJ Kevin Cole. Recorded 10/19/2018. 4 songs - For My Crimes, I Can't Listen To Gene Clark Anymore, Blue Vapor, Said Goodbye to That Car
Boy Azooga's colorful, charismatic debut arrived in 2018 to establish the Welsh rock outfit as one of the UK's breakout artists of the year. In this session in the KEXP Live Room, the band play four songs from their debut album, 1,2, Kung Fu! Recorded 10/29/2018. 4 songs - Face Behind Her Cigarette, Walking Thompson's Park/Jerry, Breakfast Epiphany, Loner Boogie
Wrapped in echoing drums and cinematic synths, New Compassion, Nini Fabi and Benny Gebert's second album as HAERTS, is a glimmering slice of neon pop. The Munich-via-Brooklyn group highlight the new album in this KEXP VIP Concert. Recorded 10/22/2018. 7 songs - Healing, The Way, Matter, Your Love, Sign, In This Time, New Compassion
Lost Under Heaven's evolution as a thrillingly progressive outfit continues with their 2019 sophomore effort, Love Hates What You Become. Previewing the record on the Morning Show with John Richards, Ellery James Roberts and Ebony Hoorn perform five songs. Recorded 10/31/2018. 5 songs - Lost Under Heaven, Bunny's Blues, For The Wild, I and I, Post Millennial Tension
Natalie Prass's sophomore effort, The Future and the Past, is an elegant, kinetic collection of songs that finds the Virginia R+B songwriter in fine form. Joining DJ Sean Morrow in the KEXP Live Room, Prass and her band perform four songs from the album and discuss being in your twenties and dog clothing businesses. Recorded 9/24/2018. 4 songs - Never Too Late, Ship Go Down, Lost, Short Court Style
Jonathan Wilson's resume is one of the more accomplished ones of his generation, and his newest album, Rare Birds, is another left turn in a career full of them. Fresh off playing guitar on tour with Roger Waters, Wilson joins DJ Evie in the KEXP Live Room to perform five songs from Rare Birds. Recorded 09/25/2018. 5 songs - Over The Midnight, There's A Light, Trafalgar Square, Living With Myself, Loving You
More than twenty years into their career, DeVotchKa remain as beguiling and enrapturing as ever. Returning to the KEXP Live Room, the Denver outfit perform four songs from their new album This Night Falls Forever. Recorded 09/20/2018. 4 songs - Angels, Straight Shot, Break Up Song, Empty Vessels
Tacoma's Perry Porter rides crisp beats and slicky slides between verses with an effortless, magnetic confidence. Joining DJ Chilly in the KEXP Live Room, Porter performs four tracks from his excellent album Channel Surfing. Recorded 08/28/2018. 4 songs - Corners, Surf, Bling Bloaw, Bobby Rozay
Arthur Buck - the aptly-named project of Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck - finds both journeymen in fine form, with their self-titled debut an excellent addition to both artist's canons. The pair join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for a set of four songs. Recorded 09/07/2018. 4 songs - Wide Awake In November, The Wanderer, Can't Make It Without You, Fall In Love With Me
Reverting back to a solo project for her second album as IAN SWEET, Jillian Medford wrangled dissonance to create a powerful document of moving forward. Medford and her band join DJ Atticus in the KEXP Live Room for a bracing session of four songs from Crush Crusher. Recorded 10/24/2018. 4 songs - Hiding, Spit, Bug Museum, Holographic Jesus
Ten years after its release, The Helio Sequence's Keep Your Eyes Ahead remains a stark, stunning snapshot of 2000s indie rock, and on its anniversary, frontman Brandon Summers joins John Richards in the KEXP Live Room for a set of four songs from the record and to tell the story behind the . Recorded 10/26/2018. 4 songs - Lately, You Can Come To Me, Can't Say No, Hallelujah
Fifteen years into their career, We Were Promised Jetpacks sound revitalized and resolved on their fourth album, The More I Sleep, The Less I Dream. The Edinburgh rock quartet perform four songs from that album live in the KEXP Live Room with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/03/2018. 4 songs - Hanging In, Someone Else's Problem, The More I Sleep, The Less I Dream, Repeating Patterns
Harriet Pillbeam's shimmering dream pop under the moniker Hatchie emerged at the beginning of 2018 and closes out the year as one of the last twelve month's emergent artists. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Hatchie performs four songs from her debut EP Sugar & Spice. Recorded 09/18/2018. 4 songs - Sugar & Spice, Try, Bad Guy, Sure
A musician who needs no introduction, Johnny Marr is responsible for some of the most thrilling and innovative rock music of the last half century. The Mancunian guitar legend walks into the KEXP Live Room for a wide-ranging chat with Cheryl Waters and a four-song set spanning his career. Recorded 09/21/2018. 4 songs - Bug, Hi Hello, The Headmaster Ritual, Easy Money
Incisively driving and immediately arresting, Bodega's slicing post-punk doesn't pull any punches. The Brooklyn outfit join Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room (“in the internet”, as singer Ben Hozie dubs it) for four songs from their debut album Endless Scroll. Recorded 8/14/18 - 4 songs: Jack In Titanic, Name Escape, Gyrate, Truth Is Not Punishment
Somewhere between the ethereal and the emotional, Kiasmos glide with their atmospheric, stirring brand of electronic music. Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen kicked off KEXP's live broadcast from KEX Hostel during the 2017 Iceland Airwaves with a glistening set. Recorded 10/31/2017. 6 songs - Gaunt, Looped, Blurred, Thrown, Burnt, Bent
So fuzzy you can practically hear the fog leaking out of their amplifiers, Spirit Award's razor-sharp rock songs get gloriously filtered through a reverb-drenched filter as they blow through the speakers. The Seattle trio enter the KEXP Live Room with DJ Morgan to perform four songs from their debut album Muted Crowd. Recorded 09/14/2018. 4 songs - Witching Hour, Seven Sisters, Wasting Time, Supreme Truth
One of 2018's breakout bands (in either hemisphere), Auckland, New Zealand's The Beths exploded with their debut album Future Me Hates Me, a collection of clever, shimmering, and resonant rock songs. Liz Stokes and co. join DJ Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for four songs from Future Me Hates Me. 4 songs - Future Me Hates Me, Uptown Girl, Little Death, Happy Unhappy
Like a lipstick-stained group of New Romantics, Spesh's scuzzy neon blur is infectiously accessible and thrillingly dynamic. The Seattle quartet enter the KEXP Live Room with John Richards to perform four songs from their debut album Famous World. Recorded 08/29/2018. 4 songs - Counterfeit, Orange Man, Teflon, Candy Legs
Let's Eat Grandma's second album, I'm All Ears, isn't just a huge leap forward for the Norwich duo, it's one of the finest art-pop albums of the year. Joining DJ Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, the duo (outfitted with a live drummer) perform four songs from I'm All Ears. Recorded 08/29/2018. 4 songs - Hot Pink, It's Not Just Me, I Will Be Waiting
With each album, Seattle's Bad Luck become more thrillingly difficult to pin down, fusing elements of jazz, electronic, and experimental music into a bewitching tempest. The duo of Neil Welch (saxophone/electronics) and Chris Icasiano (drums) join DJ Sharlese for a session of songs from their new album Four on Audioasis. Recorded 08/3/2018. 4 songs - Four, R.G.B., Bends, Capital
Seattle's Among Authors create spacious, enrapturing rock that strikes as hard in its quiet moments as it does in its most turbulent. The quartet join DJ Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room for a set of four songs from their self-titled debut LP. Recorded 08/24/2018. 4 songs - Noble Eyes, Radio Signals, Imitation House, Lure
Although they reunited in 2016, it took another two years for Dove, the third album from Belly, to emerge. The Tanya Donnelly-fronted band enter the KEXP Live Room with John Richards to play two Dove songs and two Belly classics. Recorded 08/13/2018. 4 songs - Human Child, Gepetto, Shiny One, Super Connected
The Tokyo, Japan quintet Kikagaku Moyo (English: “geometric patterns”) paint psychedelic pictures with a deft heaviness that shines through their latest album Masana Temples. Joining DJ Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room, the band play two songs off Masana Temples and an old favorite. Recorded 08/01/2018. 3 songs - Dripping Sun, Tree Smoke, Fluffy Kosmisch
Freedom, Damon McMahon's fifth album as Amen Dunes, feels like a beautiful dream - its silvery songwriting glide across bold sonic rock landscapes. Joining Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room, McMahon and his band perform four songs from Freedom. Recorded 08/14/2018. 4 songs - Blue Rose, Calling Paul The Suffering, Believe, Miki Dora
On their third album, Garbage People, Wimps remain as raucous, sardonic, and incisive as ever. In their latest trip to the KEXP Live Room, the Seattle trio join Cheryl Waters for a quintet of songs from the decidedly not-garbage LP. Recorded 08/24/2018. 5 songs - Garbage People, Quitter, O.P.P., Mope Around, Insomnia
Razor-sharp and bristling with intent, Washington D.C.'s Flasher exude an energy that belies their relatively short lifespan as a band. The trio join John Richards in the KEXP Live Room for a session featuring songs from their debut album, Constant Image. Recorded 07/20/2018. 4 songs - Pressure, Skim Milk, Who's Got Time?, Destroy
DIY lifer Jeff Rosenstock has been shredding basements (and his vocal chords) for years, and his pointed, purposeful songwriting reflects the experience of a man who wants to change the world for the better one singalong at a time. Along with his band, Rosenstock joins Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for a set of three songs from his 2018 album POST- and an older gem. Recorded 08/20/2018. 4 songs - USA, Yr Throat, All This Useless Energy, The Trash The Trash The Trash
Vivid and direct, The Make It All Show, the fifth album from the Oklahoma outfit Skating Polly, is perhaps the band's most vibrant and incisive set of songs to date. In this session, the trio play four songs from the album in the KEXP Live Room with Troy Nelson. Recorded 08/16/2018. 4 songs - Little Girl Blue and the Battle Envy, Free Will At Ease, Hollywood Factory, They're Cheap (I'm Free)
With their 2014 sophomore effort, Painted Shut, Hop Along went from Philadelphia's best kept secret to one of the most feverishly beloved bands on their circuit. Frances Quinlan & co.'s follow up, this year's Bark Your Head Off, Dog, is just as heartfelt and brilliant, with four of its songs on display in this session with Stevie Zoom in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 08/13/2018. 4 songs - How Simple, Somewhere a Judge, What the Writer Meant, Prior Things
Comprising some of the most vital players in the last decade of the Seattle music scene, Knife Knights' astral plane-traveling hip-hop moves with a heady momentum. Making their live debut in the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters, the Ishmael Butler-fronted group perform three tracks from their debut LP, 1 Time Mirage. Recorded 07/19/2018. 3 songs - Give You Game, My Dreams Never Sleep, Seven Wheel Motion
Phoebe Bridgers' debut LP, 2017's Stranger In The Alps, is a set of affecting, intimate songs that turned into one of the year's biggest sleeper hits. A year from its release, Bridgers and her band remain the vital engine behind the Los Angeles' songwriter's work in this session with Hans in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 07/13/2018. 4 songs - Smoke Signals, Motion Sickness, Waiting Room, Scott Street
Six albums into the band's discography, Wye Oak's Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner continue to experiment with both their electronic and rock tendencies, resulting in this year's finessed The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs. The Baltimore-founded band join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for a session of four new songs. Recorded 07/16/2018. 4 songs - Lifer, It Was Not Natural, You of All People, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs
Magic Gone, Kiley Lotz's second full-length as Petal is a massive leap forward for the Scranton songwriter. Written both before and after a turbulent time in Lotz's life, this session with Troy Nelson highlights four songs capturing the struggle and the triumph that Lotz experienced in 2017. Recorded 07/02/2018. 4 songs - Tightrope, Shine, Shy, Magic Gone
Shane Butler and Caity Shaffer's collaboration as Olden Yolk is full of shimmering, crisp songs that reflect with a little bit of psychedelic shine. The NYC group make their debut in the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters and perform four songs from their self-titled debut. Recorded 06/19/2018. 4 songs - Cut to the Quick, Vital Sign, After Us, Takes One To Know One
How To Socialise & Make Friends, the brilliant sophomore album from Camp Cope, finds Georgia McDonald and co.'s sharp, incisive songs hit harder and with more aplomb than on their debut. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, the Melbourne trio perform four songs from one of the year's finest rock albums. Recorded 07/02/2018. 4 songs - UFO Lighter, How To Socialise & Make Friends, The Face of God, The Opener
The Chicago indie rock greats The Sea And Cake have had a career with a consistency that few other groups rival, as their stellar eleventh album Any Day shows. Sam Prekop and co. join Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room for a session of four Any Day songs. Recorded 06/09/2018. 4 songs - Circle, Day Moon, Any Day, These Falling Arms
Issaquah, Washington's Whitney Ballen writes quietly disarming songs that twist and crush with each new verse. Ahead of the release of her debut album, You're A Shooting Star, I'm A Sinking Ship, Ballen and her band join DJ Sharlese on Audioasis for a performance of four tracks from the record. Recorded 07/24/2018. 4 songs - Everything, Go, Rainier, Black Cloud
The Horrors' fifth LP, the aptly-titled V, is among their most immediate and bracing work. Channeling a more muscular and dynamic style of their gauzy haze, the English quartet join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for a set of four new songs. Recorded 06/27/2018. 4 songs - Machine, Weighed Down, Ghost, Something To Remember Me By
Josiah Wise's music as serpentwithfeet is rapturous and revelatory, often conjuring considerable emotional heft with the quietest sounds. Performing four tracks off his debut album, soil, Wise joins Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 06/22/2018. 4 songs - bless ur heart, messy, mourning song, waft
Sweet To Me, the Seattle artist JusMoni's latest project, is a thrilling, aqueous set of groove-inflected music, vibrant and beguiling at every turn. Joining DJ Sharlese in the KEXP Live Room, JusMoni (with DJ Stas THEE Boss) performs new music from Sweet To Me. Recorded 05/11/2018. 4 songs - Sweet To Me (Interlude) / 80 MPH, Linked In, Second Best
As sharp as ever going into their sixteenth year, the British post-punk outfit Editors' sixth studio album, Violence, finds them channeling a stark, angular darkness with magnetic aplomb. The quintet perform four Violence tracks in the KEXP Live Room with DJ Troy Nelson. Recorded 05/07/2018. 4 songs - Magazine, Darkness At The Door, Nothingness, Hallelujah (So Low)
Preoccupations' dark energy belies a desire to rise above their struggles, and on their latest album, New Material, they remain as sharp and determined as ever. Joining Stevie Zoom in the KEXP Live Room, the Calgary outfit perform four songs from New Material Recorded 05/11/2018. 4 songs - Disarray, Solace, Zodiac, Decompose
The spaced-out, desert-breathing songs on Loma's self-titled debut showcase a band whose strength lies in capturing a shadowy mystique. Playing songs from their debut, Jonathan Meiburg, Emily Cross, and Dan Duszynski join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for this session on the Midday Show. Recorded 4/16/2018. 4 songs - Who Is Speaking?, Dark Oscillations, White Glass, Relay Runner
Not many artists - if any - besides Hot Snakes can say they've blown the power during a KEXP session and the ferocious energy that both powers their latest album, Jericho Sirens, and and overloads the power infrastructure of Little London Plane is on full display in this session live with DJ Evie from the Upstream Music Fest and Summit. Recorded 06/02/2018. 5 songs - Why Don't It Sink In?, Six Wave Hold-Down, Death Doula, I Need A Doctor, Having Another?
Con Todo El Mundo, Khruangbin's dazzling second album of psychedelic grooves, has emerged as one of 2018's sleeper hits and on their debut session on KEXP, it's easy to see why so many listeners have dived into the Texas trio's cosmic rhythm. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, the band perform four tracks from Con Todo El Mundo. Recorded 4/27/2018. 4 songs - Maria Tambien, August 10, Lady and Man, Evan Finds The Third Room
Bursting with raucous energy, the Toronto outfit led by Melanie St. Pierre and Neil Bednis bring the fiery tunes from their debut album Mercy Works to life in this session on the Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 4/27/2018. 4 songs - The Science of Dichotomies, Primeval, Colour of the Outside, Lingua Franca
It might have been a five-year gap between solo records, but Dessa stayed plenty busy during that time, both in her various writing endeavors and her output with, among other collaborations, the Minnesota hip-hop collective Doomtree. The Minneapolis musician-writer-poet drops by the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole for a chat and a blistering set of four Chime songs. Recorded 04/27/2018. 4 songs - Fire Drills, Velodrome, Half of You, 5 Out Of 6
Hiss Spun, the fifth album from Chelsea Wolfe, was written as a “personal exorcism” from the events of the prior few years in the California musician's past. Filled with a cataclysmic fury, Wolfe and her band join DJ Abbie in the KEXP Live Room for a session of four howling Hiss Spun tracks. Recorded 05/05/2018. 4 songs - The Culling, Vex, 16 Psyche, Spun
To celebrate the release of longtime Morning Show favorite Damien Jurado's thirteenth album, The Horizon Just Laughed, John Richards sat down with Jurado with a live audience in the KEXP Live Room for an extended chat about the album - played here in its entirety, including three live songs. Recorded 05/04/2018. 11 songs - Allocate, Dear Thomas Wolfe, Percy Faith, Over Rainbows And Rainier, The Last Great Washington State, Cindy Lee, 1973, Marvin Kaplan, Lou-Jean, Florence-Jean, Random Fearless
Five albums into their career, Brighton's The Go! Team remain as vibrant and hard to pin down as ever. Ninja and co.'s kaleidoscopic fifth album, Kaleidoscope, weaves hip-hop beats, vivid horns, and a kinetic energy that shines through in this performance in the KEXP Gathering Space. Recorded 03/30/2018. 4 songs - Mayday, Chain Link Fence, Everyone's A V.I.P. To Someone, All The Way Live
Durand Jones and The Indications' earliest beginnings showed a band with a ragged passion for playing soul music, and with a debut album under their belt and plenty of road-tested performance experience, they're still the same hungry band. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP live room, the band discuss their formation and perform four songs from their debut album. Recorded 04/03/2018. 4 songs - Can't Keep My Cool, Make A Change, Is It Any Wonder, Smile
The Seattle folk rock band's latest LP still brims with rootsy splendor, but The Moondoggies' latest LP, A Love Sleeps Deep, also has a frustrated bite previously unseen in the band's lyrics. Kevin Murphy and co. join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for four songs from A Love Sleeps Deep and a conversation about the record's origins. Recorded 04/13/2018. 4 songs - Easy Coming, Underground (A Love Sleeps Deep), Sick In Bed, Cinders/Match
Performing one of their most beloved albums in what might be the longest session in the KEXP Live Room to date, Nada Surf run through their 2002 opus Let Go with DJ Morgan, including Nada Surf classics like Happy Kid, The Way You Wear Your Head, and Paper Boats. Recorded 05/09/2018. 12 songs - Blizzard of '77, Happy Kid, Inside of Love, Fruit Fly, Blonde on Blonde, Hi-Speed Soul, Killian's Red, The Way You Wear Your Head, Neither Heaven Nor Space, Là pour ça, Treading Water, Paper Boats
There's a precision to the songwriting of Soccer Mommy's Sophie Allison - her songs are vivid, moving snapshots executed with silvery guitar licks and deceptively brilliant choruses. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Allison and her bandmates perform four songs off her studio debut LP, Clean. Recorded 04/05/2018. 4 songs - Your Dog, Flaw, Cool, Scorpio Rising
Superorganism's brilliantly colored songs sound like the pieces of a clockwork pop song executed by a Rube Goldberg machine - it's intricate, fascinating, and loads of fun. The band perform three songs from their self-titled debut in this session with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 03/23/2018. 3 songs - It's All Good, Everybody Wants To Be Famous, Something For Your M.I.N.D.
The members of the long-running Boston outfit Buffalo Tom may have aged, but their melodic scratch still channels a vintage passion. Bill Janovitz and co. step into the KEXP Live Room with John Richards to discuss their children not noticing when they go on tour and perform a set of Buffalo Tom songs old and new. Recorded 03/01/2018. 5 songs - All Be Gone, Taillights Fade, Kitchen Door, I'm Allowed, The Least That We Can Do
Mint Field's debut album, Pasar De Las Luces, found sisters Amor Amezcua and Estrella Sánchez spending two years crafting its beautiful, gauzy shoegaze tones, and in their debut appearance in the KEXP Live Room, the Tijuana, Mexico group's shimmering tones echo with an aqueous glow. Joining DJ Chilly, the group perform four songs from the album and discuss the process of making the record. Recorded 03/25/2018. 4 songs - Quiero Otoño De Nuevo, Cambios Del Pasar, Ojos En El Carro, Boötes Void
Starting a new chapter in her career, Lee Ann Womack's The Lonely, The Lonesome, & the Gone is a stunning slice of rich country that underscores her status as one of the finest singers East Texas has produced. Joining Don Slack in the KEXP Live Room, Womack and her band run through four songs and discuss returning to country clubs and the value of making records at a slow pace. Recorded 03/08/2018. 4 songs - Someone Else's Heartache, Mama Lost Her Smile, Hollywood, All The Trouble
Twenty years into their existence, Antibalas is still a vessel for beautiful grooves and vibrant sounds, and to quote the band, a sanctuary for listeners. Performing songs from Where The Gods Are In Peace, the Brooklyn outfit join DJ Miss Ashley in the KEXP Live Room for some music and a discussion on creating music that serves as a healing space and a tool to change society. Recorded 03/16/2018. 3 songs - Tombstone Pt. 1, Hook & Crook, Gold Rush
What A Time To Be Alive, the latest album from independent stalwarts Superchunk, is easily the band's most politically-charged work, so it's no surprise it ranks among their most furious. Joining Cheryl Waters in the Live Room, Mac McCaughan and co. rip through three tunes reflecting on tumultuous times and a Superchunk classic. Recorded 02/27/2018. 4 songs - Break The Glass, Lost My Brain, What A Time To Be Alive, Throwing Things
"All the way from Seattle, Tacoma, and the Pacific Northwest,” is how DJ Troy Nelson cleverly introduces Unlikely Friends, the group of PNW musicians featuring members of Math & Physics Club and BOAT whose glimmering, powerful rock outshines the KEXP Live Room's ample lighting. The group join Nelson for this session featuring five songs from their latest LP, Crooked Numbers.. Recorded 02/08/2018. 5 songs - The Strangest Kind, Broken Again, Kool-Aid Smell, Fifteen Rounds, 39 Steps
Losing, Bully's second full-length album, is more ragged and furious than its predecessor, but the heart of the band - Alicia Bognanno's reflective lyrics and fiery howl - remain front and center despite the increase in intensity. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, the band perform four Losing songs that sound best turned up. Recorded 02/27/2018. 4 songs - Either Way, Feel The Same, Guess There, Running
Sharp, booming, and a hell of a lot of fun, 2KFG, Kung Foo Grip's aptly titled second album, is an early 2018 standout for Seattle hip-hop. Joining Stas THEE Boss on Street Sounds, the Seattle group perform four tracks from their Keyboard Kid-produced LP. Recorded 03/09/2018. 4 songs - Mic Check, Blvck Hollywood, Sposed Ta B, I Quit (feat. Misunderstood)
Roots musicians Dori Freeman's voice floats with "a certain purity”, to quote Roadhouse host Greg Vandy, that cuts through the noise and grabs the listener. Playing songs from her sophomore record, Letters Never Read, the Virginia songwriter runs through four songs and discusses her musical journey in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 02/09/2018. 5 songs - Lovers On The Run, If I Could Make You My Own, Ern and Zorry's Sneakin' Bitin' Dog, Cold Waves, Just Say It Now
The Spook School's music is certainly political - written from the crucial voice of a trans person's perspective - but its vital message has a razor-sharp catchiness and chiming dynamic that makes the Scottish group's songs soar with a stinging grace. Joining DJ Miss Ashley in the KEXP Live Room, the band play four songs from their latest album, Could It Be Different? Recorded 02/09/2018. 4 songs - Less Than Perfect, Body, Keep In Touch, Still Alive
Michelle Zauner's second album as Japanese Breakfast, 2017's Soft Sounds From Another Planet, may have a space-adjacent angle to many of its songs, but it's all a lens to an intimate, personal LP that cuts to the bone. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Zauner and her band discuss space and personal exploration alongside four Soft Sounds songs. Recorded 02/15/2018. 4 songs - Diving Woman, Road Head, The Body Is A Blade, Boyish
The origins of Johnny Goss and Ola Hungerford's latest LP as Cock & Swan, Dream Alone, lie in a live soundtrack the band created for the Nicolas Winding Refn film “Only God Forgives”. Filled the with sleek, stylish, and dark tones of the film, the Seattle duo join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for a performance of four Dream Alone tracks. Recorded 02/09/2018. 4 songs - SILM, PERG (Honing), What Was Life? (What's Your Problem?), Never Been So Lost
The Portland musician Kelli Schaefer channels a trembling thunder on her latest album, No Identity, bursting with power and control with the finesse that only a seasoned songwriter can channel. Schaefer roars into the KEXP Live Room on Audioasis with DJ Sharlese with four No Identity songs. Recorded 02/09/2018. 4 songs - Big Black Box, Underground, Machine, Shiny Black Feathers
Jen Cloher's self-titled record isn't just her most dynamic, it's likely her most self-reflective as well. Wrapped in these spiraling, sprawling songs is a top-class songwriter expanding her sound with intricate Rust Never Sleeps-esque guitar work. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Live Room, Cloher and her band run through four songs off her self-titled record. Recorded 01/27/2018. 4 songs - Analysis Paralysis, Sensory Memory, Regional Echo, Forgot Myself
After reuniting in 2015 for a series of live dates, Dean Wareham and the other members of Luna gradually worked back into a recording mindset, resulting in an instrumental EP and cover album combo, A Sentimental Education. Joining Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room, the band run through two songs from Sentimental and a pair of Luna classics, as well as a top-drawer Prince anecdote. Recorded 1/23/2018. 4 songs - GTX3, Fire In Cairo, Speedbumps, Sideshow by the Seashore
Dan Auerbach's prolific streak has run for two decades now, but after an eight-year break between solo albums, he gathered a number of top-notch musicians for the sublime Waiting on a Song. Joined by the Easy Eye Sounds Revue and Robert Finley (who sings two of his own songs), Auerbach brings a warm, intimate set of songs in this acoustic session in the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 02/12/2017. 5 songs - Waiting On A Song, Never In My Wildest Dreams, Trouble Waits For You, Medicine Woman, Get It While You Can
The London-via-Seattle duo FKL's crisp electronic sounds channel kinetic energy with silvery tones, not unlike the grey-skied cities that Sage Redman and Joe Gillick hail from. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, the pair discuss the project's inception and relocation to Seattle from London alongside a performance of songs from their debut, Out of Tune. 4 songs - Even, A Different Street, All I Got, Violence
When they first announced their reunion in 2014, Slowdive's legacy as one of the definitive shoegaze bands had long been crystallized, and when they returned in 2017 with a masterful self-titled album, their years apart felt like a footnote in a band producing some of their best work three decades in. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room for one of the most anticipated sessions of the year, Slowdive discuss their return and perform three songs from their new album and a shoe gaze classic. Recorded 10/25/2017. 4 songs - Slomo, Star Roving, Crazy For You, Sugar For The Pill
Stas THEE Boss's solo debut, S'Women (pronounced “swimming”), finds the Seattle musician sharpening her smooth, R and B-streaked hip hop while she meditates on, in her own words, "an aquatic explanation of failed female companionships”. Joined by Seattle's Jusmoni in the KEXP Live Room, Stas performs four tracks from S'women and discusses futurism, music, and the excellence of Octavia Butler with DJ Riz. Recorded 10/21/2017. 4 songs - Solo, Before Anyone Else, Sex Pack, No Service
Four years passed in between Sam Beam's previous album as Iron & Wine and his latest, 2017's Beast Epic, but stepping away from the project to work on other endeavors - duet records, starting a record label, digging into his archives - refreshed him and inspired him to craft one of his most thoughtful and sweeping records to date. Joining Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room, Beam and his band play a stripped down set of Beast Epic songs that highlights the gently powerful songwriting. Recorded 10/18/0217 - 4 songs: Call It Dreaming, About A Bruise, Summer Clouds
Ten years before this performance in the KEXP Gathering Space, the Seattle hip-hop group Common Market released Tobacco Road, a key album in the 2000s Seattle hip-hop canon. In celebration of its anniversary, Sabri and RA Scion (accompanied by a full band) reunited for a performance that shows the group hasn't lost a step since their 2009 disbandment. Recorded 12/01/2017. 5 songs - Slow Cure, 40 Acres, Re-Fresh, Trouble Is, Tobacco Road
The grimy, industrial Seattle group Haunted Horses initially broke up in 2016, but it wasn't long before they announced their revival as a “new band.” Returning to Audioasis with DJ Sharlese for the third time, the group perform five new songs from their new chapter and talk about why they came back to the project. Recorded 11/18/0217 - 4 songs: Vessel, INTO, Winkle, Pleasure, Cold Medicine
The Washington D.C.-via-Brooklyn artist Nick Hakim's spectral R and B is entrancing, a sublime mix of psychedelic tones and luscious vocals that shift around with glistening flair. Joining Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Hakim discusses his introduction to music, shifting from visual art to music, and his journey to Green Twins. Recorded 10/24/2017. 4 songs - Needy Bees, Cuffed, Roller Skates, Green Twins
ГШ (Glintshake), the Russian group fronted by Ekaterina Shilonosova, exploded onto DJ Kevin Cole's radar in 2017 with their raucous and radical take on garage rock. Performing a quartet of songs live from KEX Hostel as part of our 2017 Iceland Airwaves broadcast, the band roar through a set that could've leveled the tiny room they were playing in. Recorded 11/2/0217 - 4 songs: Симпатичный мужчина (Handsome Man), Польза (Usefulness), Без пятнадцати пять (Quarter to Five), Мой новый стиль (My New Style)
After a few years away to work on other projects, Ted Leo returned in 2017 with The Hanged Man, a personal, arresting record that ranks among his best work. Returning to the KEXP Live Room for the first time in years, Leo and the Pharmacists rip through three Hanged Man tracks and a Pharmacists classic. Recorded 11/8/2017. 4 songs - Can't Go Back, William Weld in the 21st Century, Bottled In Cork, Let's Stay On The Moon
The Paris-based Lebanese musician Yasmine Hamdan ties echoing sounds and slinky rhythms to create a danceable, ethereal haze that leaves in a trance. Joining Wo' Pop host Darek Mazzone in the KEXP Live Room, Hamdan performs four songs from her newest record, Al Jamilat. Recorded 11/14/2017 - 4 songs: Balad, Cafe, Al Jamilat, K2
While it's true that Jófríður Ákadóttir is one of the more prolific Icelandic musicians of recent memory - her projects have included Pascal Pinon, Samaris, GANGLY, and now her solo venture, JFDR - but to focus on the quantity of her output doesn't do its quality justice. Ákadóttir's solo work in this session touches on electronic, baroque, pop, and experimental tendencies, but it's easier to just listen to this session from KEX Hostel than it is to try and delineate its sounds. Recorded 11/2/2017 - 4 songs: Instant Patience, My Work, Anything Goes, White Sun
After leaving your rock band and abandoning your faith, you're bound to come back with some kind of statement or not come back at all. Mikko Joensuu chose the former path, creating an ambitious trilogy of albums with songs that often live in spiritual, transcendent moments. Performing with a full band and string section from KEX Hostel during Iceland Airwaves 2017, Joensuu performs one of the more stirring sessions in recent memory. Recorded 11/3/2017 - 4 songs: Warning Sign, Closer My God, Dream About A Miracle, Drop Me Down
Taylor McFerrin's music walks the line between jazz, electronic, and soul with a beautiful, aqueous flow that invites minds and feet alike to his songs. Joining John Gilbreath on Jazz Theatre, McFerrin plays an untitled, improvised set that twists and turns. Recorded 11/11/2017.
After a seven year break, the members of Broken Social Scene felt compelled to reunite, not just for new music, but to underscore the personal bond that runs through the Toronto collective. Performing songs from their new album, Hug Of Thunder, and a BSS classic, the band join Stevie Zoom in the KEXP Live Room for a four-song performance and a remembrance of Gord Downie. Recorded 10/04/2017 - 4 songs: Stay Happy, Skyline, Protest Song, Sweetest Kill
With Baba (Arabic for “father”), Happy Orchestra producer Tarik Abouzied created a vibrant, joyous record that doubles as a tribute to his late father. Performing on Audioasis as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival, Abouzied and the rest of sextet work through four kinetic jazz tunes and talk about how the project came to be. Recorded 10/04/2017 - 4 songs: Room 358, 55, Step How You Like, Baba
“You must set an example - to be a good person, you must be a good person.” The English translation of Ladilikan, Trio Da Kali's 2017 LP, has some weight to it, but the trio of musicians from the Mande culture of Southern Mali have so much life in their music. Joining Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop, the Malian trio perform five songs and expand on their artistic vision in conversation. Recorded 10/4/2017 - 4 songs: Dissa, Ladilikan, Kanimba, Eh Ya Ye, Guede
Caitlin De Marrais, Kaia Fischer, and William Kuehn originally stepped away from the influential emo outlet Rainer Maria in 2006, but fate led to their return nearly a decade later, first as a performing band, then as a recording one. S/T, their first record in a decade, is full of the passionate turbulence that drove their best work, and three of its songs - along with a RM classic - appear in this session with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/05/2017 - 4 songs: Suicides And Lazy Eyes, Lower Worlds, Artificial Light, Forest Mattress
To name her newest record, Halo, Argentina's Juana Molina sorted through her lyrics word by word before deciding “halo” was the correct way to describe this collection of rhythmic, kinetic electronic music. Joining Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop, Molina and her band return to KEXP to perform four songs from Halo and discuss the difficulty of naming the record and being one of a kind. Recorded 9/26/2017 - 4 songs: Cosoco, Estalacticas, Paraguaya, Sin Dones
Influenced by the year he spent on the road while writing the record, Simon Green's latest record, Migration, is Bonobo's most progressive album to date, with a wider spectrum of sounds bursting into his electronic compositions. Joined by a full band in his return to KEXP's Live Room, Green joins DJ Kevin Cole to play four Migration tracks and discuss how perpetually traveling impacted the record. Recorded 9/19/2017 - 4 songs: Migration, Break Apart, No Reason, Samurai
Benjamin Booker's second album, Witness, finds the musician rallying his blues rock sound to call for respect and justice in troubling times while retaining the sharp musicianship that made his debut stand out. On his return to the KEXP Live Room, Booker joins Troy Nelson for four Witness songs and a conversation about writing songs in Mexico and visiting Third Man Records' headquarters. Recorded 9/11/2017 - 4 songs: The Slow Drag Under, Carry, Believe, Right On You
The North Carolina musician Sarah Shook had been buzzy for the past few years, but with Sidelong, her 2017 album, her profile appropriately raised with the collection of twangy, burning country songs. In fiery form, Shook and her band the Disarmers join Don Slack on Swingin' Doors to play four songs and discuss the origins of the group, . Recorded 9/27/2017 - 4 songs: Keep the Home Fires Burnin', Dwight Yoakum, Heal Me, The Bottle Never Lets Me Down
Considering the members' other projects, Filthy Friends' collective resume is completely stacked - having Corin Tucker, Peter Buck, and Scott McCaughey in your ranks will do that - but it's remarkable how loose and low-stakes this performance of ripping guitars and pounding drums sounds. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Live Room, the Portland, Oregon group show off their chemistry as friends and musicians with four songs from their 2017 self-titled debut. Recorded 9/8/2017 - 4 songs: The Arrival, Despierta, Ides October, Brother
“I'm just writing to write and to let that be heard.” Luz Elena Mendoza says she processes events and experiences pretty quickly, and it shows in her songs, full of musical ideas with vibrant energy. The Y La Bamba leader clearly has a lot to say, and in this session with DJ Sharlese on Audioasis, she and her band play four new songs and discuss living through the darkness and the light, articulating your experiences, and striving to being nice to everyone. Recorded 8/17/2017 - 4 songs: My Death, Mujeres, 4-Loca, Soñadora
“In order to be big, we need a lot of players.” Jungle Fire guitarist bassist Joseph Reina lays it out pretty clear: to be able to create muscular afro funk workouts, the Los Angeles outfit need at least ten musicians. But even with a guitarist missing, the nonet sound bold and kinetic when they joined DJ Chilly on El Sonido for four songs and a breakdown of their story as a band. Recorded 6/23/2017 - 4 songs: Jambú, Cumbia de Sal, Lamento Momposino, Firewalker
Popular Manipulations, The Districts' followup to 2015's breakout A Flourish and a Spoil, is a massive leap forward for the mature-beyond-their-years quartet. Ragged and emotional but with plenty of songwriting sharpness, the band's newest batch of songs goes forth boldly into the KEXP Live Room in this session with Troy Nelson. Recorded 7/7/2017 - 4 songs: If Before I Wake, Violet, Fat Kiddo, Ordinary Day
Nothing Feels Natural, Priests' stunning 2017 LP, pulls no punches with its shapeshifting punk-damaged songs about fighting against the oppressive forces around you. It's the kind of record that makes the most sense in a sweaty small venue, but a small radio station studio comes pretty close to recreating that experience. The D.C. quartet join Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room for four songs and a discussion about running your own label and having Ian Mackaye as a “band dad." Recorded 8/17/2017 - 4 songs: JJ, Pink White House. Nothing Feels Natural, Suck
Doom Wop, the title of Prom Queen's latest album, is just as much of a title as it is a statement of aesthetic. Dressed to the nines and stocked with a wave of girl-group melodies, Leeni and co. joins DJ Sean on Audioasis for a set of smooth, beehive-haired Doom Wop tracks and a discussion of the best prom movies. Recorded 7/22/2017 - 4 songs: Vengeance (Will Be Mine), I Need You, Can't Seem To Cry, Blonde
Considering her earliest DIY recordings and her days in P.S. Eliot, Katie Crutchfield is practically a veteran at this point, so it's no surprise that her fourth and most recent album as Waxahatchee, Out in the Storm, is her most confident yet. In session with Stevie Zoom, the Birmingham-born songwriter and her bandmates perform four Out of the Storm tunes. Recorded 7/24/2017 - 4 songs: Recite Remorse, Silver, Hear You, Never Been Wrong
Although the musicians surrounding them aren't always the same, the couple of Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia's impeccable chemistry has kept their Malian rhythms dazzling for more than 30 years. Their first record in five years, La Confusion, is as vibrant as any of their previous work and in this session on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, their danceable songs cut straight to the point. Recorded 8/9/2017 - 4 songs: Bofou Safou, Filaou Bessame, Beaux Dimanches, La Réalité
It's an understatement to say The War On Drugs' return to KEXP was highly anticipated, but it's the best that words can do for this sublime session from Adam Granduciel and company. Featuring four songs off the band's beautiful new album A Deeper Understanding, the Philadelphia outfit join DJ Troy Nelson for a quick catch-up on the last three years, the making of their new album, and cold calling engineers through their Geocities site to come work on a record. Recorded 8/1/2017 - 4 songs: Pain, Holding On, Strangest Thing, You Don't Have To Go
“Joint isn't a curse, right?” El-P always asks the important questions, both on his records and in his sessions. This was only moments before he, Killer Mike, and Trackstar the DJ rock the KEXP Live Room with an incendiary (and, impressively, profanity free) session. A quartet of Run The Jewels tunes rocks DJ Kevin Cole and the Jewel Runners in the Live Room audience (“we can't hear you but make some noise”) before a conversation on music, life, and being too high to remember your cameo in Baby Driver. Recorded 7/21/2017 - 4 songs: Legend Has It, Don't Get Captured, Early, Down
Bringing your backup dancers to a radio session is a surefire way to know someone isn't messing around, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Lizzo's visit to the KEXP Live Room is an immensely fun twenty minutes. Performing a quartet of new cuts and discussing the role of music in activism, Lizzo joins DJ Morgan for a set of charismatic and kinetic hip-hop. Recorded 7/22/2017 - 4 songs: Good As Hell, Phone, Scuse Me, Coconut Oil
The Kentucky songwriter Joan Shelley's latest album contains some of her richest songs, highlighting Shelley's rich voice and mellifluous guitar playing. Performing four songs from the self-titled record, Shelley and guitarist Nathan Salsburg join Greg Vandy on the Roadhouse for a crisp, beautiful performance. Recorded 7/19/2017 - 4 songs: If The Storms Never Come, The Push and Pull, Where I'll Find You, Over and Even
After a few years off, Beach Fossils returned earlier this year with Somersault, the band's finest set of songs to date and also the first to be written and recorded as a band. Dustin Payseur and co. bring four new tracks to the KEXP Live Room with Kevin Cole and talk about Somersault, people actually liking authority figures, and being nervous about asking Slowdive's Rachel Goswell to sing on your song. Recorded 7/11/2017 - 4 songs: Saint Ivy, Be Nothing, Sugar. Closer Everywhere
Ten years into her career, Javiera Mena's music continues to get more colorful and vibrant while remaining introspective. The Chilean musician's latest album Otra Era is full percolating and percussive electronic sounds that are highly danceable, not least by the dancers that join her in this session on El Sonido with DJ Chilly. Recorded 7/18/2017 - 4 songs: Hasta La Verdad, Sincronía, Pegaso, Cámara Lenta, Otra Era
Dropping a pair of albums on one day is an ambitious move, but convention has never been for the inimitable Shabazz Palaces. Those records - Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star - are filled with some of the duo's most engaging work yet, and those records shine through in this session with Stas Thee Boss in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 7/14/2017 - 4 songs: Since C.A.Y.A., Welcome to Quazarz, When Cats Claw, Shine a Light
The warm, golden Finnish-style Americana of Tuomo & Markus flows with the aqueousness of jazz and bursts of a post-rock glow. Backed with a crack band, the Helsinki duo join Kevin Cole in the KEXP Live Room to play songs from their latest releases, tell the story of how they became a band, and the importance of libraries in discovering new music. Recorded 6/20/2017 - 5 songs: Over The Rooftops, Life Leaving Your Body, Land of Real Men, Don't Shut Down Your Radio, Jack Straw
Seven years is a long time between albums, but Land of Talk's Liz Powell took that time to walk away from music and recharge, returning with some of her most affecting songs yet on this year's Life After Youth. Joining John Richards in the KEXP Live Room, Powell plays four new songs and talks about leaving music behind, returning to it, and the unforgettable time she saw Fugazi in Dublin. Recorded 6/28/2017 - 4 songs: Yes You Were, Loving, Inner Lover, This Time
Eyelids' jangling guitar rock channels elements of American lo-fi and the Dunedin sound, chiming through the indie rock tradition with a DIY scrappiness that certainly comes from the band members' experiences in numerous rock groups (not least, The Decembrists and The Jicks.) Joining John Richards on the Morning Show, the Portland quintet play four songs from their latest record, Or, (and an older tune) and discuss crocheted album covers, band nicknames, and the Sounders/Timbers rivalry. Recorded 6/23/2017 - 5 songs: Falling Eyes, Camelot, My Caved In Mind, Bound To Let You Down, So It Goes
They'd previously ripped up Kex Hostel as part of the Iceland Airwaves broadcast, so it should be no surprise that the Reykjavik trio Moji & The Midnight Sons torch the KEXP Live Room in Seattle with the same potent soulful hand grenade of a sound. On the heels of their debut album, What I Saw On The Way To Myself, the trio join Stevie Zoom in the studio to play a quartet of bluesy songs from that record and tell the tale of how the cross-continental collaboration first began. Recorded 6/12/2017 - 4 songs: Keep My Memory, Ocean Hymn, If It Fits, Heat Wave
Crawlspace, the debut album from Tei Shi, is named for the space where the Buenos Aires-born singer would go as a child to confront her fear of the dark, and that bold approach carries through to her skittering, electronic compositions. Joining DJ Chilly in the KEXP Live Room, Tei Shi runs through four tracks from Crawlspace and discusses the origins of her music. Recorded 6/16/2017 - 4 songs: How Far, Year 3k, Justify, Say You Do
When Alynda Lee Segarra first thought of making a record with a concept storyline, she heard a voice in her head telling her she was too lazy to do it. Fast forward and Hurray For The Riff Raff's striking album The Navigator features a collection of vivid songs featuring a young female Puerto Rican protagonist. Performing a quartet of Navigator songs and in conversation with John Richards about growing up in New York City and traveling around the country as a musician, Segarra fills the KEXP Live Room with a raucous, inimitable energy in this session. Recorded 6/15/2017 - 4 songs: Hungry Ghost, Rican Beach, Living In The City, Pa'Lante
“If the book you want to read doesn't exist, write it.” Quoting the inimitable Toni Morrison, Jamila Woods crafts a story worth diving into on her debut album HEAVN. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Live Room, the Chicago poet and songwriter tells the tale of how she went from singing in her church choir as a child to releasing her solo debut project alongside four HEAVN tracks. Recorded 6/6/2017 - 4 songs: Heavn, LSD, Way Up, Blk Girl Soldier
The dusty desert-damaged rock of All Them Witches made its debut in the KEXP studios earlier this year, and it only underscores how the wait was too long. The long-evolving Nashville outfit's latest album. Sleeping Through The War, is a fiery, gritty LP that's highlighted in this session with Cheryl Waters, where the band discuss the roots of the project, the benefits of all the band's members not living in the same town, and playing a Rhodes strictly because they'd already paid for it. Recorded 5/5/2017 - 5 songs: Am I Going Up?, 3-5-7, Alabaster, Talisman, The Death Of Coyote Woman
Close Eyes to Exit is the title of the Klangstof's debut album, and listening to their debut session in KEXP's Live Room, it's easy to be inclined to close your eyes and dive into the Amsterdam group's expansive sound. Alternating between echoing post-punk and crashing guitars, the quartet join Larry Rose in the studio to tell their origin story and perform four Close Eyes tracks. Recorded 5/16/2017 - 4 songs: Hostage, Sleaze, Ignore Me, Island
There are moments during Valerie June's return to KEXP where she steps away from the mic and simply begins dancing to the rhythm, regardless if the song in question is a blues rocker or a sparse, country crawl. Performing four varied tracks from The Order of Time, the Tennessee songwriter and her band bring her astral Americana into the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters and discuss the process of unlocking her “bubble” to get the songs out into the universe. Recorded 6/2/2017 - 4 songs: Astral Plane, Two Hearts, Shakedown, Got Soul
The jazz-inflicted, inspirational dub of Jah9 fills the KEXP Live Room with positive energy in this session. The Jamaican singer leads her band, The Dub Treatment, through songs on her new album, 9, and discusses doing improvisational dub soundtracks to yoga class and linking up with Mad Professor to do a dub version of the record in this session with DJ Miss Ashley. Recorded 6/12/2017 - 4 songs: In The Midst, Greatest Threat to the Status Quo, Unafraid, Steamers A Bubble
Vieux Farka Touré's latest record, Samba, may mean “second boy” in Songhai, but the dazzling guitar work he displays in this session on Wo' Pop is second to none. Playing songs from Samba and paying tribute to his family with his music, Touré brings a snapshot of Mali's rich musical history into the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 5/2/2017 - 4 songs: Ni Negaba, Missing, Samba Si Kairi, Ba Kaitere
During her latest session in the KEXP Live Room, Laura Marling speaks of her music in film metaphors when describing her new record, Semper Femina, to Cheryl Waters. The London songwriter's sixth LP has all the touches of a classic film, filed in with rich scenery (a tight, expansive band) and a thick plot (some of her best songs to date) in this exquisite session. Recorded 4/28/2017 - 4 songs: Nothing, Not Nearly, Wild Fire, Next Time, Daisy
One of the most gorgeous and sweeping sessions recorded in the KEXP Live Room to date, Jóhann Jóhannsson - best known as the soundtrack composer for Arrival, Sicario, and Blade Runner 2049, among others - leads the American Contemporary Music Ensemble through songs from his latest album, Orphée, and discusses the value of music as a communicative tool in film with Kevin Cole on the Afternoon Show. Recorded 4/20/2017 - 4 songs: A Song for Europa, De Luce Et Umbra, A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder, The Drowned World
“That's all I got,” chuckles Marty Stuart after gliding through a gorgeous, breakneck rendition of “Mississippi Railroad Blues” with His Fabulous Superlatives. Notably affable and even more instrumentally impressive, Stuart runs through cuts from his latest album, Way Out West, and trades stories with Don Slack on a relaxed and dazzling set on Swingin' Doors. Recorded 5/22/2017 - 4 songs: Mississippi Railroad Blues, Whole Lotta Highway (With a Million Miles To Go), Old Mexico, Time Don't Wait
Twenty two years after its release, Jeremy Enigk's Return of the Frog Queen continues to enrapture with its baroque arrangements and Enigk's inimitable songwriting. Performing four cuts from the album alongside a new song on KEXP's broadcast from the Upstream Music Festival with a full band (including a string quartet), the return of Jeremy Enigk sounds as vibrant as ever. Recorded 5/11/2017 - 4 songs: Abigail Anne, Return Of The Frog Queen, Carnival, Fallen Heart, Ancient Road
The Seattle soul trio Delvon Lamar Organ Trio (a.k.a. DLO3) speaks volumes without a singer. The warm chemistry of Lamarr's organ, Jimmy James' slick guitar, and David McGraw's tight, reflexive drumming is a joy to behold on this session from the Upstream Music Fest + Summit featuring tracks from their latest LP, Close But No Cigar. Recorded 5/13/2017 - 7 songs: Move On Up, Memphis, Untitled. Concussion, I Don't Want To Play That, Tacoma Black Party, Top Going Down, Bottom Going Up
The Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi breaks cultural and musical boundaries on her own terms, bringing in traditional Tunisian sounds with modern production and protest themes on her latest album, Ensen (English: Human.) Joining Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop, Mathlouthi performs four songs from Ensen and discusses her music during the Arab Spring and breaking down Tunisian identity as a person and as an artist. Recorded 5/15/2017 - 4 songs: Dfina (Burial), Lost, Thamlaton (Drunkeness), Kelmti Horra (My Word Is Free)
A trio of Pacific Northwestern veterans gathered together to give thanks for angular rhythms and chrome-streaked guitars, The Gods Themselves' ineffable cool is only matched by their space-smart songwriting. Joining Sean Nelson on Audioasis, the band run through four cuts from their latest LP, Be My Animal with stylish, kinetic aplomb. Recorded 3/25/2017 - 4 songs: Be My Animal, Tech Boys, Dance With Me, Love
For their fifth session (and first in KEXP's new Live Room), longtime station favorites Alt-J went intimate to match the insular tone of their latest LP, Relaxer. With a pared-down semi-acoustic setup, the English trio play a pair of new tracks and a trio of old favorites in reworked fashions on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 4/28/2017 - 5 songs: 3WW, Tessellate, Warm Foothills, Dissolve Me, In Cold Blood
One of Wo'Pop host Darek Mazzone's most anticipated sessions in recent memory, Le Mystery des Voix Bulgares fill the KEXP Live Room with the power of a 23-person choir using open-throat singing to perform traditional Bulgarian music with contemporary arrangements. Running through a half hour of intricate and mellifluous vocal arrangements, the Prof. Dora Hristova-led ensemble perform a stunningly beautiful set alongside an interview between Hristova, Mazzone, and Jazz Theater's John Gilbreath. Recorded 4/21/2017 - 12 songs: Moma Houbava, Sama Li Si Den Zhanala, Horo. Shops Napevi, Izlel E Delyo Haidutin, Mehmetyo, Dai Mi Bothe, Yova, Vito Horo, Douda E Bolna, Dilmano Dilbero, Ergen Deda
Even if the definition of "Northwestern band” has to be stretched a little to include the Alaskan outfit Portugal. The Man, they have plenty of Northwest ties. Returning to the KEXP studios for a session featuring songs from their last three albums (all of which had a portion recorded in Seattle), they join Cheryl Waters for a recap of their last few years, including stories from working with Danger Mouse and Mike D. Recorded 3/6/2017 - 4 songs: Purple Yellow Red and Blue, So American, Modern Jesus, Feel It Still
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best and Seattle's Bread & Butter like to keep it free and easy with big, crunchy chords and juicy power pop hooks. The quartet are no joke though - the crashes and choruses on their debut album are plenty effective and sound best turned up loud. Palling around with DJ Kevin Cole on the Afternoon Show, the group discuss making their debut LP, pressing “butter” colored vinyl, and post-practice Youtube parties. Recorded 4/14/2017 - 5 songs: Worst Of Times, Cool In The Water, Shoot My Mouth Off, Keys To The City, Desperation
Loud and proud, Seattle queer punk band waste no time with introductions, blasting out hardcore tales of love, loss, and queer life in Seattle at a hundred miles a minute. Joining DJ Larry Rose in the KEXP Live Room, the Seattle quartet thrash through four songs from their forthcoming debut with equal parts speed and style. Recorded 6/9/2017 - 4 songs: Call Me Tania, Rainbow Crosswalks, Brosexual, Skinny
The compositions of the Iraqi oud composer and performer Rahim AlHaj do not have lyrics, but the tension, force, and vitality of his songs speak volumes about the power of music in the face of terrible strife. Backed by a string quartet and bassist on Wo' Pop, AlHaj speaks boldly about valuing different cultures and keeping an empathetic, open mind towards them in the face of challenges, both in conversation with Darek Mazzone and through songs from his latest collection, Letters From Iraq.Recorded 3/17/2017 - 3 songs: Letter 5. Going Home, Letter 6. Unspoken Word, Letter 4. The Last Time We Will Fly Birds
Louder, Faster, Better, and More Romantic, Cataldo leader Eric Anderson took a few cues from the bliss of his long-term relationship on his new album Keepers, and the LP's rich, buoyant tone both embodies the satisfaction Anderson has in his own life while carrying the torch of Pacific Northwestern indie rock. Returning to the KEXP studios, Anderson joins Sean Nelson on Audioasis for four Keepers tracks with a full band. Recorded 4/8/2017 - 4 songs: Photograph, Person You'd Be Proud Of, Little Heartbeat, Straight Up Western (White Noise)
“This is my work. This is what I do.” Mitski Miyazaki lays her manifesto out early on in her return trip to the KEXP Live Room with a full band to follow up the solo session she performed shortly after the release of 2016's masterful Puberty 2. A year on the road has only made her sharper, and the results of her touring show in this session with DJ Morgan where Mitski plays three Puberty 2 tunes, an old favorite and discusses the advantages of playing a portable instrument. Recorded 4/8/2017 - 4 songs: I Bet on Losing Dogs, Francis Forever, Your Best American Girl, Happy
The Kyiv folk quartet DakhaBrakha created their latest album Шлях (English: The Road) as a tribute to their Motherland, and in this vital session, it's easy to hear the multitude of voices both figurative and literal that make up a stirring snapshot of a people pushing forward during a difficult time in their country's history. The Ukrainian folk outfit return to KEXP's Live Room for a moving set of kinetic songs on Wo' Pop with Darek Mazzone. Recorded 4/23/2017 - 4 songs: Vesna, Carpathian Rap, Monakh, Baby
It's impossible to say the name of the Melbourne sextet King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard without conjuring images of fantastical garage fury and on each of their records, the prolific group have only further honed their scuzzy, slashing rock with tones both spacious and slaying. The band with the best name in the world returns to KEXP's live room to play four songs from their new (also well-named) album Flying Microtonal Banana and talk about the pronunciation of the word “banana” with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 4/10/2017 - 4 songs: Doom City, Sleep Drifter, Billabong Valley, Nuclear Fusion
The long-running group Tinariwen hail from Mail, but there's nothing lost in translation with the collective's spiraling, sprawling guitar visions that glide across headphones with as much richness as the languid works of Kurt Vile or Alain Johannes (who also guest on the group's latest album, Elwan.) The desert guitar masters return to the KEXP Live Room for a striking set of tunes from Elwan and an interview between Wo' Pop host Darek Mazzone and bassist Eyadou Ag Leche. Recorded 4/04/2017 - 4 songs: Talyat Girl, Assàwt (The Voice of Tamashek Women), Sastanàqqàm (I Question You), Nànnuflày (Fulfilled)
When Sera Cahoone moved to Seattle, forcing herself to play open mic nights at the (now-defunct venue) OK Hotel was only the beginning of a career that would lead her to literally play on top of the Space Needle. In her far-closer-to-the-ground return to the KEXP Live Room, Cahoone joins John Richards to talk about her new record From Where I Started, talk about where she literally started, and writing tributes to loved ones passed on. Recorded 3/30/2017 - 4 songs: Better Woman, Ladybug, Up To Me, Time To Give
Although they've been constant staples in Seattle venues, it had been more than four years since Dude York's last KEXP session, but with the release of their sophomore LP Sincerely, the self-styled “America's Band” have triumphantly returned with a new set of catchy garage jams. Joining Sharlese on Audioasis, the group play four Sincerely tracks and tell the process of writing their latest “hits” with the help of Netflix and the value of eschewing DMs to praise bands publicly on Twitter. Recorded 2/22/2017 - 4 songs: Black Jack, Tonight, The Way I Feel, Love Is
Kate Tempest's performance of the first half of her 2016 opus Let Them Eat Chaos at KEXP's broadcast from Iceland Airwaves 2016 was a highlight of both the festival and the whole year, so it's no surprise that her return trip to KEXP's Seattle studio is yet another furious rapture of a session. Joining Cheryl Waters in the Live Room, Tempest lives up to her namesake with four more rapid-fire Chaos songs that demand to be heard. Recorded 3/28/2017 - 4 songs: Pictures on a Screen, Perfect Coffee, Grubby, Breaks Tunnel Vision
With his previous record, Timothy Showalter sought to look inward. On his latest LP as Strand of Oaks, Hard Love, Showalter is looking outward with his most expansive and expressive songs to date. Opening with the crushing, lengthy, and affecting “Taking Acid and Talking To My Brother”, the Philadelphia group's latest session is a stunning performance of four Hard Love tracks and a discussion between Kevin Cole and Showalter on how making shows sacred led Strand of Oaks to its next chapter. Recorded 3/1/2017 - 4 songs: Taking Acid and Talking To My Brother, Radio Kids, Rest Of It, Everything
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 meditating on his life in Seattle and the death of his brother with poignance and incision laid across smoky, almost-levitating beats. In this session on Street Sounds with Stas THEE Boss, Porter Ray tells his story up to Watercolor and highlights five tracks from the album. Recorded 3/14/2017 - 5 songs: Waves, East Seattle, Sacred Geometry, Navi Truck, Beautiful
There's a low-key nuance to Haley Heynderickx's silvery guitar-based songs, but their brilliance radiates through stronger at a quieter level. That's to say nothing of the Portland-based artist's positivity-seeking outlook (“We saw a bald eagle and five rainbows on the way up here!”) and the colorful additions of the brass and horn arrangements she brings to this session on Audioasis with DJ Sharlese. Recorded 3/1/2017 - 4 songs: The Bug Collector, Fish Eyes, Untitled God Song, Ride a Pack of Bees
Tommy Stinson put Bash & Pop on hold for just over two decades before reviving it last year, but the Minneapolis group's raucous, delightfully unhinged energy remains intact because, as the onetime Replacement says, “I'm not pretending to be anything other than what I am.” Stinson and the band run through five cuts from their 2017 LP Anything Could Happen and tell the story of why the band came back together after the Replacements' brief reunion to DJ Kevin Cole in this session where, at moments, it really feels like anything could happen. Recorded 2/28/2017 - 5 songs: Not This Time, On The Rocks, Bad News, Anything Can Happen, Anybody Else
After taking time to do projects that allowed him to, in his own words, “take some time off from being Jens Lekman,” the Swedish musician has returned to his day job of being himself with his latest LP, the cleverly-titled Life Will See You Now. Returning to the KEXP Live Room with DJ Stevie Zoom, Lekman and his band play a quartet of dance-friendly tunes from Life and discuss how interviewing others led Jekman back to his own artistic vision. Recorded 3/05/2017 - 4 songs: What's That Perfume That You Wear?, Hotwire The Ferris Wheel, Our First Fight, How We Met, the Long Version
With their latest album HeartTones, Julia Massey and the Five Finger Discount have sharpened their kinetic pop-rock more than ever before, building their latest batch of songs with an agile energy that belies their emotional resonance. The Seattle trio return to KEXP on a cold February day for a session on Audioasis featuring four songs from HeartTones. Recorded 2/4/2017 - 4 songs: A Bit Of Hard Time, Wrapped, This is How We're Gonna Say Goodbye (feat. Chris Blount), Wish You Well
Ranging from searing heat to sludgy gravel, Meatbodies' powerful, muscular, and meaty (of course) garage rock is an immediate rush of blood to the head, more than ever on their latest album, Alice. Joining DJ Morgan in studio, the band runs through six Alice tracks, discusses their guilty pleasures, and helps Morgan name her potential Meatbodies cover band. Recorded 2/23/2017 - 6 songs: Kings, Creature Feature, Disciples, Alice, Gyre, Haunted History
Paris Combo's most recent album, this year's Tako Tsubo, is named for the Japanese-named condition of what's commonly known as “broken heart syndrome”, but it's hardly morose. If anything, the colorful, flowing sounds of this session imply that there's anything but sadness in the multinational group's spirit. The vibrant, jazz-influenced outfit join Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop in a long-awaited session featuring three songs from Tako Tsubo and an old favorite. Recorded 2/16/2017 - 4 songs: Anémiques Maracas, Tako Tsubo, Living Room, Je suis partie
“Well, we couldn't get faster.” That's how Cloud Nothings frontman Dylan Baldi explains the (relatively) slower tunes on their latest album Life Without Sound, but the Ohio crew has hardly slowed down. The quartet join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room to play four searing songs and talk about the process of making Life Without Sound, as well as why bands should stop in for the green room cold brew when at KEXP. Recorded 2/17/2017 - 4 songs: Modern Act, Sight Unseen, Enter Entirely, Darkened Rings
Cherry Glazerr's rip-roaring rock and roll documents, to paraphrase band leader Clementine Creevy, “the struggles of a 17 year-old”, at the only volume that makes sense for that age - loud. Cherry Glazerr's latest album, 2017's perfectly-named Apocalipstick, is loaded with guitar-heavy jams that channel that youthful energy with a barely-contained chaos that shines through in this frenetic session in the KEXP Live Room with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 2/08/2017 - 4 songs: Told You I'd Be With The Guys, Only Kid On The Block, Trick or Treat Dance Floor, Chewing Cud
The last time Ty Segall was in KEXP's studio, he ripped off a baby mask and squealed into the mic before he'd even played a single song. About a year later, he's definitely more coherent in his interview - he doesn't ask Cheryl Waters to be his mommy this time around - but he's still anything but boring in this explosive session. Joining his “surrogate mommy” Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Live Room, Segall and The Freedom Band rip through three songs, the lessons a musician can learn from Steve Albini, and why EQs are not your friend. Recorded 3/2/2017 - 3 songs: Break a Guitar, Freedom, Warm Hands (Freedom Returned)
There's a wave of fantastic music coming out of Sydney at the moment, but Australia's Middle Kids never get overshadowed by their scene siblings. The silvery rock trio's knack for steely hooks and gleaming tones made them a breakout artist in summer 2016, and nine months later, they're continuing to realize their potential. Joining DJ Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room, the youthful Aussie trio show off how much they've grown since their debut single and hint at things yet to come. Recorded 2/21/2017 - 4 songs: Edge of Town, Your Love, Fire In Your Eyes, Old River
The first thing that jumps out listening to Seattle's Maiah Manser is her loping, almost acrobatic vocals. But as the session goes on, it's just as impressive to see how her electronic compositions work themselves around her evocative voice to create swirling, hypnotic sounds. Joining DJ Sharlese on Audioasis, Manser displays the enrapturing characteristics that have made her debut EP such an anticipated release. Recorded 2/3/2017 - 4 songs: Sweet Hell, Top of My Lungs, I Put A Spell On You, Second Skin
Howe Gelb's multiple-decade catalog is hard to pin down, but the one current that runs through it all is the Tucson, Arizona musician's warm-burning songwriting. The sometime Giant Sand leader pares down to a piano for his latest record, Future Standards, and accompanied only by a bassist, Gelb doubles down on the songwriting skills he's honed over his decades in this incandescent session with DJ Morgan. Recorded 2/4/2017 - 4 songs: Irresponsible Lovers, Sweet Confusion, A Book You've Read Before, Impossible Thing
There's a reason Seattle's Nail Polish called their most recent release Authentic Living. The trio's rapid-fire punk pulls no punches when it comes to documenting the struggle for finding authenticity in an ever-evolving Emerald City. Joining DJ Sharlese on Audioasis, the band cuts straight to the point with their ferocious six-song set and an interview where they expand on their observations of the changing Capitol Hill neighborhood that formed the record. Recorded 1/18/2017 - 6 songs: Selected Comments, Visual Presence, Chromophobia, Body Double, Paper Houses, Authentic Living
Greta Morgan went into an “intense headspace” for her latest album as Springtime Carnivore, and the result was Midnight Room, her most finessed and melodic set of songs to date. Morgan returns to the KEXP studios for a semi-acoustic session featuring four Midnight Room tracks and a conversation with Cheryl Waters about the process of working with producer Chris Coady to make a song “sound like cobalt blue". Recorded 1/12/2017 - 4 songs: Raised By Wolves, Double Infinity, Midnight Room, Nude Polaroids
Including her rich new album Impossible Dream, Haley Bonar has released seven albums of resonant, roots-refined rock and in her debut session in the KEXP studios with fellow Minnesotan DJ Kevin Cole, her experience as a songwriter and performer shines through. Playing four Impossible Dream tunes, Haley and her band tell the story of her songwriting evolution from a high schooler putting out an album with graduation money to the journeywoman she is today. Recorded 12/8/2016 - 4 songs: Hometown, Your Mom Is Right, Skynz, Kismet Kill
For their fourth album, Amen and Goodbye, Yeasayer spent the longest time they've spent to date working on writing songs, and the end result contains some of their richest, most nuanced music yet. The Brooklyn outfit brings four Amen and Goodbye tracks into this session with Troy Nelson and discuss what goes into a Yeasayer record, working with Joey Waronker, and making an effort to play the Dakotas. Recorded 10/24/16 - 4 songs: Cold Night, Silly Me, Sunrise, I Am Chemistry
Hamilton Leithauser is a veteran of the KEXP studios by this point in his career, but his rough and tumble brand of doo wop-damaged rock has never sounded as rich as it has on his 2016 collaborative album with Rostam, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine. The New York City songwriter is in fine form as he and a three-piece band run through four tracks from the album in this session with DJ Morgan. Recorded 1/21/2017 - 4 songs: You Ain't That Young Kid, A 1000 Times, In A Black Out, Sick as a Dog
"This is the music of the spirit," proclaims host John Gilbreath ahead of Jaimeo Brown's Transcendence's majestic set. It's high praise, certainly, but the trio of percussionist Jaimeo Brown, guitarist Chris Sholar, and saxophonist Jaleel Shaw create music that is truly impossible to box into any one category. Dive into this three-song performance transcendent performance on Jazz Theatre. Recorded 10/28/2016 - 3 songs: Happy Serving, For Mama Lucy, Power of God
With three songwriters and a wave of melodic guitars behind them, LVL UP have more depth and nuance than most of their peers, but their music is never ostentatious about its DIY majesty. The Brooklyn quartet join Cheryl Waters in the KEXP studio to tell the story of how they went from being three musicians' side project to a unified band and to play a vibrant, expressive set of indie rock on the Midday Show. Recorded 10/17/2016 - 4 songs: Spirit Was, Pain, The Closing Door, Five Men On The Ridge
They're wearing clothes and are normally sized (at least in this session), but make no mistake - Naked Giants rip and roar as powerfully as they would even if they were the unclothed titans their name implies. The Seattle trio enter the KEXP studio, plug in, and charge ahead so hard that two out of the three members don't finish the session with their headphones on (only because the third member taped his to his head) in this session featuring out a pair of tunes from their debut EP R.I.P. and two as-yet-unreleased ones on the Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 01/11/2017 - 4 songs: Twist, Dead/Alien, Slow Dance II, Ya Ya
The Moscow-via-New York songwriter Regina Spektor has been writing songs to capture a wide spectrum of vivid anecdotes, observations, and narratives for more than 15 years now, but for her latest record, 2016's Remember Us to Life, she atypically anchored herself to one inspiration: her pregnancy and the subsequent birth of her son. Performing solo on a grand piano, Spektor joins Larry Rose in the KEXP studio for a four-song set of songs from Remember Us to Life and a conversation about writing songs with “imaginary production” in mind. Recorded 01/6/2017 - 5 songs: The Grand Hotel, Older and Taller, Black and White, Bleeding Heart, The Trapper and the Furrier
It's always a special night (or day) when the soul journeymen Lee Fields enters KEXP's studios. Fields' energy is as infectious as that of any frontman half his age, to say nothing of the explosive, colorful sounds of his backing band the Expressions. Joining Larry Rose in the KEXP studio, Fields walks in and conquers the room moments after starting his first song with a confidence that only a man who's been doing it for decades has. Recorded 12/6/2016 - 4 songs: Special Night, I'm Coming Home, Let Him In, Make The World
Their name implies that they have bad posture, but Sloucher are definitely not slackers leaning back in their desks at the back of the classroom. The Seattle outfit's locktight songwriting shows they've been paying attention to their Pacific Northwest indie rock predecessors in this brilliant session on Audioasis with Sean Nelson. Recorded 10/2/2016 - 6 songs: Flower Girl, Constant Questions, Dreams, Certainly, Dear, Waiting To Start
When Finn Andrews first entered the KEXP studios in 2004, he was barely 20 years of age, but his evocative songwriting was already fully-formed. Returning in 2017, The Veils leader is more refined and potent than ever on the Auckland-via-London group's fifth album Total Depravity. Embracing "the chaos of not knowing what going on", Andrews shines through the dark in his return to the KEXP studios with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 11/14/2016 - 4 songs: Swimming With The Crocodiles, Low Lays The Devil, Do Your Bones Glow At Night?, Axolotl
"With the challenges in our lives, sometimes you have to go in order to truly blossom." That's the theme behind Industrial Revelation's "No Way Out But In", but it could really apply to the musically adventurous Seattle jazz outfit's entire ethos. Their energetic, unpredictable, and beautiful performances have only sharpened over their decade-plus as a group, which is on full display in this session on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 11/23/2016 - 4 songs: Wait. No. Sound., No Way Out But In, Lord, Let This Be the Last Time, PopKing
Ragged, scrappy, and gloriously unfiltered, Tucson, Arizona's Foxx Bodies only play one kind of music: loud. Leading with the dual-pronged attack of guitarist Bailey Moses and singer Bella Vanek, the punk quartet conjure a magnetically-jagged riot in this eruptive set with Troy Nelson in the KEXP Studio. Recorded 12/1/16 - 4 songs: The Walk, New Recording 25, Annie, Haunting
Grant Eadie's loping, colorful electronic compositions have been bubbling on tastemaker radars for some time now, but with his self-titled debut LP, the Bellingham-via-Seattle musician has crafted his most kinetic set of songs to date. Accompanied by vocalist Moorea Masa, Eadie joins Cheryl Waters in the KEXP Studio to perform a flowing, aqueous set. Recorded 12/9/2016 - 4 songs: What We've Got, Clay, The Garden Song, Pull Me In, Pts. 1 & 2
You may not be able to expect how little time the prolific Californian garage rock luminaries will take between albums or what their lineup will look like, but you can always be sure that you'll end up feeling like frontman John Dwyer looks: frenzied, smiling, and seemingly perpetually covered in sweat. Setting up as a trio for a rip-roaring, career-spanning set in the KEXP Gathering Space, Thee Oh Sees burn with so much scrappy energy you can practically hear the mosh pit before it begins. Recorded 11/25/16 - 6 songs: I Come From The Mountain, Tidal Wave, The Dream, Sticky Hulks, Gelatinous Cube, Encrypted Bounce
To name your debut LP The Epic takes quite a bit of confidence, but in the case of Kamasi Washington, it's the only title that would make sense. The Californian saxophonist, composer, and bandleader's sweeping style of jazz is nearly overwhelming in its scope and scale, but Washington's virtuoustic performance (and those of his impeccable band) captures its stirring energy with aplomb in this two song (but 20+ minute) set from the KEXP studios with DJ Larry Rose. Recorded 12/2/2016 - 2 songs: Re Run, The Rhythm Changes
Angel Olsen excels in hitting those long, sustained notes that speak volumes, and her songwriting pairs perfectly with her rich vocals, unwinding slowly to unfurl affecting, personal narratives. Her 2016 album MY WOMAN is full of those stories - accented by plenty of those heart-shattering vocal lines - many of which are on display in this stellar session from the Cutting Room Studios in New York City. Recorded 08/30/2016 - 4 songs: Heart Shaped Face, Those Were The Days, Give It Up, Shut Up Kiss Me
Against Me! have always operated with as much self-awareness as they have articulate, external fury, and their latest album, 2016's Shape Shift With Me, continues the more introspective-leaning trend that Laura Jane Grace began on her 2014 opus Transgender Dysphoria Blues. But that hardly means their music is any less blisteringly anthemic, so it's easy to shape shift with Laura Jane Grace and co. on this incendiary session on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/26/2016 - 4 songs: 333, Crash, Delicate, Petite, and Other Things I'll Never Be, Suicide Bomber
The Drive-By Truckers have never shied away from writing about social themes, but in the light of recent events, the long running Georgia outfit recorded one of their most striking and overtly political records to date in 2016's American Band. Joining Greg Vandy in the Roadhouse, the band play four incisive and honest tunes from the record and Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley discuss the events and tensions that led “the record to write itself”. Recorded 09/29/2016 - 4 songs: Ramon Casiano, Ever South, What It Means, Once They Banned Imagine
Since their formation in 1979, Fishbone's kinetic, funky mixture of rock and ska has remained a singular sound, not least because of Angelo Moore and company's blend of social commentary and clever humor that, thirty years on, seems more incisive than ever. Still vibrant, still relevant, and still stuck in your throat, the Los Angeles group performs four songs from their catalog on the Afternoon Show. Recorded 11/10/2016 - 4 songs: Forever Moore, The Suffering, Chim Chim's Badass Revenge, Kung Fu Grip
Just over twenty years after their initial dissolution, Digable Planets took the stage for their longest reunion to date in 2016 and it's not only remarkable how in step with each other Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca, and Doodlebug are, but also how prescient their astute, complex lyrics and aqueous, groove-laden production would turn out to be twenty years later. Backed by a full band, the Brooklyn trio are in full force in this session from Kex Hostel during KEXP's Iceland Airwaves 2016 broadcast. Recorded 11/4/2016 - 5 songs: The May 4th Movement, Black Ego, Pacifics, What Cool Breezes Do, Jettin'
Only a little over a year before the release of their debut full-length, What I Saw On The Way To Myself, Moji Abiola and Frosti Jón Runolfsson had met on an otherwise unnoteworthy night in a Reykjavik whiskey bar. The result of that chance meeting, however, was a powerful, stirring group whose blues-streaked rock music feels far more lived in than the songs' actual age. Performing live from the Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during KEXP's Iceland Airwaves 2016, Moji and the Midnight Sons' session is one for nights both fueled and untouched by whiskey. Recorded 11/4/2016 - 5 songs: Another Mile, Keep My Memory, Carmen's Lament, Island, Cut Me Down
Fufanu's electrifying live performances are what the Reykjavík outfit's sterling reputation is built on. After previously displaying it during a remote broadcast from Iceland Airwaves, the group finally made their long awaited debut in the KEXP studio in Seattle this fall, joining Cheryl Waters to rip through a whirlwind set (featuring songs from their as-yet-unreleased album) and discuss their creative process. Recorded 10/14/2016 - 4 songs: Sports, Circus Life, Bad Rockets, Now
Fémina's take on acoustic rock music has plenty of melody, but the San Martin de los Andes, Argentina trio don't ever let their harmonious voices take the backseat to their hip-hop influenced rhythms and almost percussive vocal arrangements. Clara Miglioli and sisters Sofia and Clara Trucco join Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop to share four songs, the story of the band's beginning, and the state of being an independent artist in Argentina today. Recorded 10/11/2016 - 4 songs: Brillando, Mi Eje, Arriba, Palpita y Goza
At the end of the band's previous tour, Okkervil River leader Will Sheff returned to a Bob Dylan lyric that he's always circled back to: "He not busy being born is busy dying". With rebirth in mind, Sheff gathered a new group of musicians and created a new musical mindset that eventually evolved into the Austin, Texas band's eighth album, Away. Joining Troy Nelson in the KEXP studios, Sheff and his bandmates display a band that sounds intriguingly reborn and hungry for adventure once more. Recorded 10/8/2016 - 4 songs: Okkervil River R.I.P., The Industry, Judey On A Street, Unless It's Kicks
From trip-hop to R%26B to bossa nova - to name only a few styles incorporated in the Washington D.C. collective's music - Thievery Corporation's diverse rhythms and textures remain a vibrant touchstone to numerous styles of music 20 years after the band's formation In a career-spanning session on Wo' Pop, Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and co. flow through five songs from their catalog and discuss the band's origins, initiative to stay independent of major labels, and the secret of keeping a band together for two decades. Recorded 11/10/2016 - 5 songs: Forgotten People, Le Monde, All That We Perceive, Amerimacka, Culture Of Fear
On their third LP, Sunlit Youth, Local Natives created their darkest and densest record to date, but in this pared-down performance in the KEXP Gathering Space, they're anything but that. Agile and direct, the quintet's performance shows that the festival anthems that built their reputation outside of their native Los Angeles work just as well in an intimate setting as they do in an open-air park in this session with four Sunlit Youth cuts and an old favorite. Recorded 09/20/2016 - 5 songs: Past Lives, Coins, Wide Eyes, Dark Days, Fountain of Youth
When the legendary dub musician starts this session with a spiritual thesis statement ("Let Scratch arise... let Scratch enemies be scattered"), it's only the first sign that the vibe of the room is about to be elevated. Lee "Scratch" Perry may be 80 years old, but his ability to conjure otherworldly, reverb-drenched atmosphere is still inimitable. Backed by Subatomic Sound System, the Jamaican pioneer's potent energy shines through in this four-song session and wide-ranging interview on Wo' Pop with Darek Mazzone. Recorded 09/18/2016 - 4 songs: Happy Birthday, I Am A Madman, Black Ark Vampires, Dread Lion
"When I was a kid, they didn't allow rappers to reach 44 years old." Atmosphere MC Slug may joke about his middle age ("dad rap - it's what I do now!"), but it belies his sense of pride in the Minneapolis group's two decade career. Joining Kevin Cole in the KEXP studio, Slug and his partner in crime Ant discuss the experience of having a two decade hip-hop career and rock four tunes that show that the pair haven't lost a step as they enter their "brush your teeth, wear your seatbelt" phase. Recorded 09/15/2016 - 4 songs: Seismic Waves, Pure Evil, Perfect, Happymess
Much was made of Nao's jazz backgroud when she was a buzzy artist in 2015, but the London musician's debut full length, this year's For All We Know (named for a jazz standard) displays a singer with significant funk credentials and forward-thinking, electronic-tinged production. In this kinetic session, Nao joins Larry Rose to play four songs and discuss growing up in a music-centric household, the original name for her record label, and singing backing vocals for Pulp at Glastonbury. Recorded 09/23/16 - 4 songs: Happy, DYWM, Apple Cherry, Bad Blood
When DJ Sharlese asks MASZER frontman STITCX about growing up in Tel Aviv, he immediately, enthusiastically replies "Born and raised!" As the Israeli musician points out, however, there's musical influences from all over the globe that go into the Seattle-based group's roaring, percussive rock. Even if you don't speak Hebrew (which some of these songs are sung in), there's plenty of rich musical landscape to dig into during this session on Audioasis. Recorded 09/30/16 - 4 songs: California Sees You, Ma Nia, Dancing Mice, Decisions
The Michigan outfit Heaters took the “space rock” tags that were put on the band after their debut to heart, naming their sophomore outing, Baptistina, after the asteroid that was once presumed to have ended the dinosaur. Doubling down on the heavier, more gauzy elements of their music for their second album, Heaters expand the KEXP studio a swirling, acid-lined universe in session with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 09/09/2016 - 4 songs: Dali, Elephant Turner, Centennial, Ara Pacis
Courtney Marie Andrews isn't out of her twenties yet, but she's spent more time on the road than most musicians ever will. Yet the inspiration from her newest album, Honest Life, came from her experience getting off the touring circuit and bartending in a small town, and the results are some of her most affecting songs to date. Courtney joins Greg Vandy in the Roadhouse to discuss the characters that inspired the songs and learning how to live on and off the road. Recorded 09/07/2016 - 4 songs: How Quickly Your Heart Mends, Irene, Table For One, Rookie Dreaming
When My Bubba entered the studio for their third LP, this year's Big Bad Good, they didn't have any songs, but the Swedish-Icelandic duo didn't take that as a reason to not craft a new set of tunes on the spot. Joining DJ Morgan in the KEXP Studio, Guðbjörg Tómasdóttir and My Larsdotter share four songs from Big Bad Good and a short history of the perpetually-traveling group. Recorded 07/30/2016 - 4 songs: Big Bad Good, Charm, Carolina / Going Home, Ghost Sweat
Michael Franti will, without hesitation, say that his 20-plus year career was built on one thing: tenacious optimism. And even if you can't see it in the room, Franti's optimism radiates just as brilliantly through the songs of his new album Soul Rocker as anything else in his catalog. Franti, along with his band Spearhead, join Kevin Cole for a semi-acoustic session of songs and emotional stories from both the artist and the host. Recorded 09/02/2016 - 5 songs:Get Myself To Saturday, Good To Be Alive Today, I Got Love For Ya, Crazy For You, My Lord
Xenia Rubinos' evocative, electrifying voice is a singular one to say the least, and in her sophomore album, this year's Black Terry Cat, she has a set of songs that have just as broad of a musical spectrum. Painting with a hard-to-categorize set of sounds drawing from R&B to punk, Rubinos' return to KEXP is an engaging and rhythmic gem that vividly captures the musical and social experiences of the Brooklyn songwriter's Afro-Caribbean heritage. Recorded 09/15/2016 - 4 songs: Lonely Lover, Black Stars, Mexican Chef, Don't Wanna Be
One of 2016's breakout artists, Margo Price has been hailed as a champion for traditionalist country, but that tag doesn't do her justice. The songs on the Illinois-via-Nashville songwriter's 2016 album Midwest Farmer's Daughter certainly have echoes of her predecessors, but the songwriting is too affecting and the performances too sharp to try and box Price in with the past. Joining Greg Vandy in the KEXP studio, Price isn't afraid to look back, but she's clearly set on moving forward. Recorded 09/04/16 - 5 songs: Tennessee Song, Hands of Time, This Town Gets Around, Four Years of Chances, No Expectations
The music of Explosions in the Sky has always lived up to the expectations set by the band's evocative name, and on their seventh studio album, The Wilderness, the Austin, Texas outfit continues to create singular, cathartic, and often breathtaking instrumental compositions. Joining host Troy Nelson during Bumbershoot 2016, the post-rock titans play five of the most expansive and, in every meaning of the word, epic songs that the KEXP studio has seen to date. Recorded 09/03/16 - 5 songs: Wilderness, Infinite Orbit, The Ecstatics, Colors In Space, Disintegration Anxiety
Brooklyn band Caveman continues to evolve on their third album, updating the harmonic indie-folk of 2011's CoCo Beware and the expansive space-prog of their 2013 self-titled LP for a larger, more atmospheric, '80s-steeped pop-rock sound. While the concept story behind Otero War is vaguely sci-fi, the songs traverse more human terrain lyrically, focusing on existential topics like relationships and personal satisfaction. Whatever you take from them, there's no doubt that Caveman, in-studio at KEXP, sounds all too real. Recorded August 12, 2016 - 4 songs: Lean On You, Never Going Back, Life Or Just Living, All My Life
Those Pretty Wrongs frontman Jody Stephens was a key member of the seminal Memphis band Big Star, but while he was behind the drum kit in that outfit, he's front and center on his new project with Luther Russell (The Freewheelers). In this acoustic performance, Stephens and Russell's songwriting takes center stage, riding the line between intimate and expansive with its rich melodiousness. The band performs four songs from their self-titled debut album and discusses the virtues of starting band practice early in the day in this session with DJ Troy Nelson. Recorded 07/09/16 - 4 songs: Ordinary, Lucky Guy, Thrown Away, Never Goodbye
If Thao and the Get Down Stay Down and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were related and they had a uniquely uncompromising third sibling it would be vocal-and-guitar-wailing Weaves. The Toronto four-piece isn't afraid to push the envelop in an free form, experimental effort to expand their own style of indie rock. Having been a band for two years and just released their self-titled debut album this summer, Weaves have already struck it rich in music scenes around the world with their mercurial song arcs, devious display of offbeat distortions, and playful panache. Watch as they play it up, live in-studio at KEXP with DJ Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/16/16 - 4 songs: Birds & Bees, Sentence, Hulahoop, One More
Swedish rockers Peter Bjorn and John have been proselytizing their pro-60s pop prowess since 1999, but the trio really took the indie world by storm back in 2006 with their dance-floor hit “Young Folks.” Ten years later, they're still artfully writing their whistle-catchy songs like the title track to their latest album, Breakin' Point. Live in the KEXP studio, Peter, Bjorn, and John hammer out four bright, upbeat songs and chat gregariously with DJ Cheryl Waters about a “secret society of Swedish pop” and the four years of trials and tribulations in making it to Breakin' Point. Recorded 08/31/16 - 4 songs: Breakin' Point, Do Si Do, In This Town, Dominos
CHVRCHES' synth-powered anthems took the Glaswegian trio from basement Soundcloud phenoms to festival-conquering stars in the span of about 18 months, so it's to their credit that they withstood that rapid rise and channeled that velocity into their catchier, denser, and overall sharper sophomore effort Every Open Eye. More dynamic than ever as an onstage unit, the group join Stevie Zoom in the KEXP studio for a set of reworked tracks from Every Open Eye and the single that started their meteoric climb. Recorded 07/24/2016 - 4 songs: Never Ending Circles, Leave a Trace, Afterglow, The Mother We Share
Montreal-formed band Wolf Parade, now mostly based in Vancouver, make up for 13 years of not performing live on KEXP with an extra-long set in our new studio, covering their entire 2016 EP plus two classics harking back to their very first recording. Co-songwriters Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner, drummer Arlen Thompson and multi-instrumentalist Dante DeCaro have never sounded better than they do in this howlingly great performance. Recorded August 8, 2016 - 6 songs: Floating World, C'est La Vie Way, Automatic, Mr. Startup, Modern World, Dinner Bells
If the Rolling Stones had started their career in 2014 Chicago, they might have been called Twin Peaks. The warm, laid-back chemistry exuded by this crew of bluesy rockers is so over-the-top fun to watch that it's almost hard to not want to just shoot the breeze with them all night over drinks instead – almost! Recorded 06/16/2016 - 4 songs: Butterfly, Getting Better, Walk To The One You Love, Wanted You
During the Norwich songwriter's four-year gap between releases, Beth Orton took the biggest stylistic leap of her career, springing from her most traditional folk album to her most electronic LP, 2016's Kidsticks, with seamless, deft splendor. Orton and her band join Cheryl Waters in this session highlighting two tracks from Kidsticks and two Orton classics. Recorded 06/23/2016 - 4 songs: Moon, She Cries Your Name, Wave, Stolen Car
For a glorious sixteen minutes, Boss Hog's garage rock fever barely stays on its rails, with Jon Spencer's guitar twisting and turning at every whiplashed step. Touring behind their first music in 16 years (this year's Brood Star EP), Spencer, frontwoman Cristina Martinez, and the rest of the band enter KEXP's studios for a wild, frenetic session that features an impromptu solo from DJ Troy Nelson as a result of Spencer leaving the room and handing off his guitar to the unsuspecting host. Recorded 07/12/2016 - 4 songs: Wichita Grey, Winn Coma, Fix Me, Disgrace
Without even an album under their earth-shaking name, Thunderpussy shred like no other outfit... and outfits they have aplenty. The Seattle four-piece bring their theatrical, sex-fueled, high-octane, bluesy rock show to the KEXP studio for an extended session, complete with "pussyfooting" dancers, live on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 07/22/2016 - 5 songs: Speed Queen, Fever, The Cloud, Welcome To The Disco, Thunderpussy
A native of Red Bluff, California, Margaret Glaspy moved across the country to Boston, where she cut her teeth with master classes at Berklee (regardless of whether or not she was a student at the time) and local gigs. A few years – and one set of studio sessions redoing her original, iPad-recorded version of the album – after her cross-coastal move, Glaspy's ragged, blues-affected guitar playing and sharp, watertight songwriting is at the forefront of her debut LP, this year's Emotions and Math. Joined by a two-piece band, Glaspy joins Cheryl Waters in KEXP's studios to play songs from her debut and tell the story of how her songs went from bedroom sketches to full band recordings. Recorded 07/13/16 - 4 songs: Emotions and Math, You and I, No Matter Who, Memory Street
"It was like being in a car that hit the brakes and suddenly we had all this stuff to say." After spending nearly two years on the road behind their 2013 debut Wildewoman, Lucius had plenty of stories to tell on what would become their 2016 sophomore effort Good Grief, resulting in their most expansive and vivid songs to date. The quintet make their second appearance in the KEXP studios to join Cheryl Waters and tell the tale of how they wrote outside of the figurative box with the help of a literal shoebox. Recorded 05/11/16 - 4 songs: Madness, Gone Insane, Dusty Trails, Better Look Back
It almost goes without saying that anything that Marc Ribot touches turns to gold, and Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog is no exception. Aside from his own prolific solo career, Ribot has worked with captains of industry like Elvis Costello, John Zorn, The Black Keys, plus goes back thirty years and seven records deep with Tom Waits. He's been lauded as one of the best living guitar players and is now trying his hand at a new project pregnant with absurdist jazz, free form punk, and garage-y overtones. As Ceramic Dog, Marc Ribot is joined in-studio at KEXP with bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith. Check out their unbelievably raw session hosted by Jazz Theater's John Gilbreath. Recorded 06/22/2016 - 4 songs: Red Bully, Lies My Body Told Me, Your Turn, You're My Personal Nancy Spungen
Maria-Elena Juarez, Christopher Garland, and Jordan Adams have been slaying Seattle clubs as Acapulco Lips with their cataclysmic six-string hurricane of a sound for a few years now, but with the release of their self-titled debut this year, they're loaded with even more tunes that highlight their kinetic, explosive sound. In this session, the trio surf through a massive, reverb-soaked wave of garage rock with Kevin Cole on the Afternoon Show. Recorded 07/01/2016 - 4 songs: Shoes On, Gotta Know, Awkward Waltz, My Time
When Omara Moctar first started picked up a guitar, he was merely having fun with his friends. Fast forward to 2016, and the musician better known as Bombino has made albums with The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth, who produced his reggae-influenced 2016 album, Azel. The dazzlingly talented Tuareg guitarist returns to KEXP's studios for an electric and joyous session on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 04/29/2016 - 5 songs: Akhar Zaman, Timidiwa, Iwaranagh, Tar Hani, Timtar
London-via-Köln psychedelic outfit Desert Mountain Tribe were a lock-tight live unit well before they started work on their first album, so when they entered the studio for what would become 2016's Either That or the Moon, they sought to capture the sprawling, resonant feel of their live performances. Recorded during their first US tour, the Anglo-Germanic trio tapped into a spacious, hazy tone for twenty minutes of psychedelic bliss when they joined Cheryl Waters in the KEXP studios to perform four cuts from Either That or the Moon. Recorded 04/21/2016 - 4 songs: Coming Down, Take a Ride, Heaven and Hell, Way Down
Representing his experience as the son of Zimbabwean musicians, a father, a soon-to-be husband, and a man from Seattle's South End, Draze poured himself into Seattle's Own, the Emerald City MC's proper debut that finds him reflecting on his changing life and his changing hometown. Joining Larry Mizell, Jr. on a special Juneteenth edition of Street Sounds, Draze shares four tracks from Seattle's Own and shares his thoughts on the changing landscape of Seattle. Recorded 06/19/2016 - 4 songs: The Hood Ain't The Same, Seattle Sweeties, Irony on 23rd, Children of the Light
Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchinson's move from his native Scotland to Los Angeles forced both the songwriter and his bandmates to rethink their work process, but their email-driven writing process led the Glasgow quintet to refine their penchant for anthemic choruses and evocative lyrics with an electronic edge on their fifth LP, Painting of a Panic Attack. In this session, Hutchinson and co. play four songs from the album to KEXP's studios and tell Cheryl Waters about recording the album with The National's Aaron Dessner. Recorded 04/19/2016 - 4 songs: Get Out, Woke Up Hurting, I Wish I Was Sober, Break
From his first appearance with the station during SXSW 2011, Charles Bradley has been a longtime KEXP favorite, and it's easy to see why. Talking love, loss, and style with Cheryl Waters in this stunning performance in the KEXP Gathering Space, The Screaming Eagle of Soul shows that only thing bigger than his voice is his heart as he leads his Extraordinaires through three soul-stirring R&B workouts and an emotional cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes". Recorded 5/23/2016 - 4 songs: Nobody But You, Things We Do For Love, Ain't It A Sin, Changes
The psych- and Tropicalia-inflected rock of Boogarins is so intriguing that when their earliest recordings had been picked up by music fans all over the globe, the band hadn't even played any gigs. Only becoming a live band shortly afterwards in early 2013 hasn't prevented the Goiânia, Brazil quartet from quickly adapting to an onstage unit, however, which is showcased in this session on El Sonido with DJ Chilly. Recorded during the band's first trip to Seattle, the band play songs from their 2015 sophomore effort Manual and discuss what it's like to leave Brazil for the first time to play 11 shows at SXSW. Recorded 05/10/2016 - 4 songs: Falsa Folhade Rosto, Tempo, Cuerdo, Auchma
With literally hundreds of songs filling her numerous self-released albums, it could be somewhat intimidating to jump into Greta Kiline's catalog if it weren't for the New York City songwriter's clever wordplay and instantly accessible twinkling melodies. Pulling from her two most recent releases, 2016's Next Thing and 2015's Fit Me In EP, the songwriter now known as Frankie Cosmos and her band stop by KEXP's studios to share the story of how Kiine went from making songs in her bedroom to managing a tour with a full band. Recorded 04/20/2016 - 5 songs: Fool, Outside with the Cuties, Korean Food, O Contest Winner, Sinister
"Bedrooms and bars... and the road" – that's where the stories that make up Kyle Craft's debut album come from, to quote the Louisiana-born, Portland, Oregon-based musician. With the help of his five-piece band, Craft's singular wail underscores the glammy, melodic edges of the songs on his debut full-length, Dolls of Highland, in this session with Cheryl Waters where he tells the story of how he went from tracking the album in a Shreveport laundry room to where he is today. Recorded 04/28/2016 - 4 songs: Pentecost, Future Midcity Massacre, Eye of a Hurricane, Lady of the Ark
With a laid-back, poetic cadence and a bevy of hazy hip-hop beats, Seattle's DoNormaal – the stage name of Christianne Karefa-Johnson and a play on a Dutch phrase that means "stop acting weird" - creates music that has a futuristic quality to its adventurous sound. Recorded during a special, DJ El Toro-hosted Pride edition of Audioasis, DoNormaal discusses the genesis of her musical endeavors and airs two unreleased tracks alongside a pair of songs from her 2015 debut LP, Jump or Die. Recorded 04/16/16 - 4 songs: Dodo Call, Wide Awake, Adja, Standing
After pointing her songwriting perspective inward for two albums, spending some time at home in Minneapolis while pregnant caused Poliça frontwoman Channy Leaneagh to start looking outward while composing the group's third album, United Crushers. In the Minneapolis outfit's third session on KEXP, the quartet perform a set of United Crushers tracks that showcases Leaneagh's personal and lyrical progression over some of the most kinetic music the mellifluous electronic group have ever written. Recorded 3/31/16 - 4 songs: Lime Habit, Someway, Lose You, Baby Sucks
There is only one band in the world that would write a song about racing motorcycles with the infant Jesus in heaven and that band is named Diarrhea Planet. The band's third album, Turn to Gold, turns up the volume on both the Nashville sextet's guitar solos and their humor, and on their second trip to KEXP's studios, they join Cheryl Waters to deliver some of the year's best air guitar-worthy anthems. Recorded 04/06/2016 - 4 songs: Ain't a Sin to Win, Bob Dylan's Grandma, Life Pass, Heat Wave
Reflecting on American pathologies during the creation of the band's eighth album, Shearwater leader Jonathan Meiburg sought to make what David Bowie once called an oblique protest record. The result, this year's Jet Plane and Oxbow, is some of the Austin, Texas group's most expansive and impactful music to date. Meiburg and his bandmates join Cheryl Waters to play and discuss songs about "being against something that you're for at the same time" and finding solace in Bowie's 1979 album, Lodger. Recorded 03/25/16 - 4 songs: Pale Kings, Wildlife in America, Backchannels, Boys Keep Swinging
Splitting the difference between bursts of lo-fi energy and ragged psychedelia, the Brooklyn trio Sunflower Bean channel a number of sounds from the storied lineage of their home city into their 2016 debut album, "Human Ceremony". Drawing equally from their pair of lead singers, the group join Troy Nelson in the KEXP studio for a set of tunes that highlight Nick Kivlen's rapturous howl and Julia Cumming's kinetic punch. Recorded 03/29/2016 - 4 songs: Come On, I Was Home, Easier Said, Space Exploration Disaster
Four years after the Denver, Colorado trio made the leap from small, sweaty clubs to massive outdoor stages, the Lumineers have retained their breezy, rustic charm on their sophomore effort, "Ophelia". Returning to an intimate venue not unlike the ones they cut their teeth on, the folk rock unit perform new tunes and old favorites during a special hour-long set at the Columbia City Theater in Seattle, WA. Recorded 04/01/2016 - 15 songs: Sleep On The Floor, Ophelia, Flowers In Your Hair, Ho Hey, Cleopatra, Slow It Down, Dead Sea, Angela, Big Parade, Submarines, Scotland, Gun Song, My Eyes, Charlie Boy, Stubborn Love
After spending some time apart to work on other projects, Black Mountain eased back into the void between heavy and haunting that they've long occupied for their fourth LP, 2016's "IV". Their crunchy sludge now a potent force for over a decade, the Vancouver quintet join Cheryl Waters for a heady half-hour of tunes from "IV" that bask in acid-soaked riffs, copious guitar solos, and Amber Webber's otherworldly voice. Recorded 04/22/2016 - 4 songs: Mothers of the Sun, Defector, Line Them All Up, Space To Bakersfield
One of the most prominent Romani language singers of all time, Esma Redžepova's half century-plus career has seen the Skopje, Macedonia singer preserve and promote Roma culture to a global audience with her music and humanitarian efforts. Backed by the colorful rhythms of Folk Masters, "The Queen of Romani Songs" joins Darek Mazzone on Wo' Pop for a career-spanning set that highlights her singular, vibrant voice. Recorded 04/26/2016 - 4 songs: 1001 Nights, Rushly Game, Zošto Si Me Majko Rodila, Čaje Šukarije
Twelve solo albums into his career, Bob Mould's "Patch The Sky" captures the Minnesota songwriter at his darkest and most reflective. His emotional and sonic fury remains just as impactful – and loud – in this blistering live session where Mould discusses "the darkness behind the sunshine" of his new album and his reaction to the death of fellow Minnesotan Prince with DJ Kevin Cole. Recorded 05/10/2016 - 5 songs: The End of Things, Losing Time, You Say You, The Descent, Black Confetti
Peaches stepped away from making albums for a few years to "get her ya-ya's out" – specifically a documentary, a role in an opera, and a one-woman version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" – but she returned in 2015 as vital as ever. After spending a year crafting her sixth LP "Rub" in her garage, the patriarchy-challenging performer takes no prisoners during her fiery return in this session with DJ El Toro. Recorded 10/07/2015 - 3 songs: Dick In The Air, Vaginaplasty, Boys Wanna Be Her
New York duo PWR BTTM visit KEXP to perform a strong set of punkish garage-pop. Recorded 01/22/2016 - 4 songs: West Texas, Ugly Cherries, I Wanna Boy, 1994.
Baltimore experimental indie-dream-pop group Lower Dens stop by the KEXP studio and play songs from their haunting new record "Escape from Evil" live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 07/27/2015 - 4 songs: To Die In L.A., Ondine, Sucker's Shangri-La, Société Anonyme.
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down visit KEXP to play songs from their fourth LP, "A Man Alive". Recorded 03/03/2016 - 4 songs: Hand To God, Astonished Man, Guts, Nobody Dies.
Malian four-piece Songhoy Blues join Cheryl Waters on the Midday Show to perform their inventive desert rock live on KEXP. Recorded 04/05/2016 - 4 songs: Al Hassidi Terei, Sekou Oumarou, Petit Metier, Soubour.
London-based artist Floating Points (aka Sam Shepherd) performs a set of intricate textured electronic blends live on KEXP. Recorded 05/03/2016 - 3 songs: Silhouettes, Argenté, Kuiper.
Portland band STRFKR perform a dance-y set live on KEXP. Recorded 02/18/2016 - 4 songs: YAYAYA, Pop Song, Open Your Eyes, Never Ever.
Eight-piece Seattle band Polyrhythmics perform a tight set of funk instrumentals live on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 03/24/2016 - 4 songs: Maruken, Fairweather Fiends, Chingador, Lord Of The Fries.
North London trio Daughter perform brooding, folk-tinged dream-pop live on KEXP. Recorded 03/19/2016 - 4 songs: New Ways, How, Numbers, Doing The Right Thing.
Noura Mint Seymali brings Mauritanian music to the KEXP studio with a live performance on Wo' Pop with Darek Mazzone. Recorded 03/01/2016 - 4 songs: Mohammedoun, Richa, Hebebe (Zrag), Ghizlane.
Everett, Washington, band Fauna Shade visit KEXP to perform a set of vintage sounding psychedelic rock. Recorded 02/17/2016 - 4 songs: No Nostalgia, Marzipan, Delirium, Bazzle Shabbazz.
Seattle soul singer-songwriter Allen Stone performs songs from his third album, Radius on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 01/20/2016 - 5 songs: Upside, American Privilege, Million, Voo Doo, Perfect World.
New York-based songwriter Eleanor Friedberger stops by the new KEXP Studio to play 4 songs off the album "New View". Recorded 03/05/2016 - 4 songs: He Didn't Mention His Mother, Sweetest Girl, Cathy With The Curly Hair, Does Turquoise Work?.
Wussy, "The best band in America", as coined by Robert Christgau, performs songs from their sixth full-length, "Forever Sounds," live on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 02/29/2016 - 5 songs: Pretty As You Please; Hello, I'm A Ghost; In The Tall Weeds; My Parade; Muscle Cars.
Veteran singer-songwriter Ben Harper stops by the new KEXP studio to perform songs from his new album, "Call It What It Is", in an intimate solo acoustic set. Recorded 03/08/2016 - 4 songs: Call It What It Is, All That Has Grown, Deeper And Deeper, Goodbye To You.
Canadian indie legends Metric deliver a somber acoustic set on the Midday Show with Stevie Zoom. Recorded 02/21/2016 - 4 songs: Lie Lie Lie, Cascades, Dreams So Real, Breathing Underwater.
Underground hip hop artist P.O.S stops by KEXP to perform on Street Sounds with Larry Mizell Jr. Recorded 02/13/2016 - 3 songs: Lock Picks, All Of It, Sleepdrone.
Houston neo-soul ten-piece The Suffers visit KEXP to perform a fiery set of songs from their eponymous debut. Recorded 03/02/2016 - 4 songs: Make Some Room, Midtown, Giver, Peanuts
Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band perform songs on KEXP's Jazz Theater with John Gilbreath. Recorded 02/26/2016 - 4 songs: Stoner Hill, Landmarks, Shenandoah, Farewell Bluebird.
Portland band Battleme bring their '70s-inspired gritty rock sound to KEXP. Recorded 02/12/2016 - 4 songs: The Post Is Dead; All Night, All Night; Pete's Song; Shake Shake.
Denver three-piece The Yawpers stop by KEXP to sound their barbaric yawp live on Swingin' Doors with Don Slack. Recorded 02/26/2016 - 4 songs: Tied, Savage Blue, 3 Days Sober, Walter.
Reggae revivalist Protoje stops by KEXP and pays respect to those who came before with songs from his 2015 album, "Ancient Future". Recorded 03/07/2016 - 4 songs: Criminal, Stylin', Protection, Who Knows.
D.C. duo GEMS stop by KEXP to perform songs from their debut LP, "Kill the One You Love". Recorded 01/18/2016 - 4 songs: w/o U, Medusa, Scars, Heartbreaker.
Portland-based folk-monster M. Ward brings an all-star cast to the KEXP studio to perform songs from his doo-wop influenced eighth album, "More Rain". Recorded 01/12/2016 - 5 songs: I'm Listening, Girl From Conejo Valley, Little Baby, Confession, Michelle.
Seattle electro pop duo Crater perform songs from their full length debut, "Talk To Me So I Can Fall Asleep". Recorded 01/29/2016 - 4 songs: Ain't Right, Crater Head, Hardly At All, Summer Skin.
Los Angeles based, Grammy Award winning Latin rock group La Santa Cecilia perform songs from their 2015 record, "I Won't Cry For You", live on KEXP's El Sonido with DJ Miss Ashley. Recorded 09/17/2015 - 4 songs: I Won't Cry For You, Nunca Mas, Como Dios Manda, Calaverita
Warsaw-based avant-garde folk group Sutari performs songs from their 2015 record, "Wiano", in Katowice, Poland, during the OFF Festival. Recorded 09/01/2015 - 5 songs: Kupalnocka, Konik morski, Chłopacy, Siostra, Lincbery
New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams and his band play a live set in the KEXP studio. Recorded 02/01/2016 - 4 songs: Strange Things, Dark Child, Hello Miss Lonesome, When I Was A Young Girl.
Canadian electro indie synth group Operators perform new never before heard songs live from The KEX Hostel for Iceland Airwaves Music Festival on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 11/04/2016 - 5 songs: Elliptical, Mission Creep, Space Needle, Evil, Remote Kontrol.
Seattle's Grace Love & The True Loves perform live on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 02/17/2016 - 5 songs: Nobody Sweeter, Shake It Out, Mean to Me, Fire, Let You Go.
KEXP presents legendary Reggae singer Winston Jarrett performing live on Wo' Pop with Darek Mazzone. Recorded 01/19/2016 - 4 songs: Rocksteady (Better Get Ready), Come Down Zacchius, Breaking Up, Why Fighting (Why Is It).
Seattle's Deep Sea Diver stop by KEXP's Afternoon Show to perform songs from their 2016 album, "Secrets". Recorded 02/11/2016 - 4 songs: See These Eyes, Creatures Of Comfort, Secrets, Great Light.
Ty Segall & The Muggers (featuring Kyle Thomas of King Tuff, Mikal Cronin, Wand's Cory Hanson and Evan Burrows, and Emmet Kelly of The Cairo Gang) stop by KEXP for the first ever live broadcast session from our new live room. Recorded 01/21/2016 - 5 songs: Squealer, Emotional Mugger / Leopard Priestess, Baby Big Man (I Want a Mommy), Breakfast Eggs, Candy Sam / Squealer Two.
Nashville, Tennessee based Americana roots-pop group Dave Rawlings Machine performs songs from their brand new record, "Nashville Obsolete", live on KEXP with Stevie Zoom. Recorded 10/24/2015 - 4 songs Short Haired Women Blues, The Last Pharaoh, The Weekend, Sweet Tooth.
It is an end of an era… Oxford, England based influential shoegaze rockers Ride deliver a fantastic performance of songs from their classic record "Nowhere". Recorded 11/16/2015 - 6 songs: Kaleidoscope, Polar Bear, In A Different Place, Decay, Dreams Burn Down, Seagull.
KEXP presents Icelandic electronic composer Úlfur Eldjárn performing live at Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2015. Recorded 11/05/2015 - 4 songs: Dagsbrún, Hands Up In The Air, Poyekhali!, History Of Science.
London based neo-psychedelic art rock group Django Django perform songs from their 2015 record, "Born Under Saturn", live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/20/2015 - 4 songs: First Light, Shake & Tremble, Love's Dart, Slow West.
Seattle based dark electro dream-pop group Youryoungbody perform songs from their recent EP, "Betrayer", live on KEXP's Audioasis with DJ Sharlese. Recorded 10/29/2015 - 4 songs: January, Flay, The Garden, Smuther.
Toronto, Canada based soft-grunge group Dilly Dally drops into the KEXP studio and delivers a fantastic performance of songs from their new record ‘Sore' live on KEXP's The Morning Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 10/28/2015 - 4 songs: Ballin Chain, Next Gold, The Touch, Desire.
New York based indie singer-songwriter and guitarist of The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. and his band perform songs from his newest solo record, "Momentary Masters", live on KEXP with Troy Nelson. Recorded 10/26/2015 - 5 songs: Spooky Church, Side Boob, Cooker Ship, Everyone Gets A Star, Razor's Edge.
KEXP presents Vök performing live at Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves. Recorded 11/06/2015 - 7 songs: Waterfall, Við Vökum, If I Was, Adrift, Circles, Before, Night And Day.
Real Estate's Martin Courtney performs songs from his debut solo album, "Many Moons", live from The Cutting Room Studios in New York City. Recorded 10/16/2015 - 4 songs: Northern Highway, Vestiges, Airport Bar, Awake.
Madrid, Spain based Hinds perform songs from their 2016 album "Leave Me Alone" live on KEXP's El Sonido with DJ Chilly. Recorded 10/12/2015 - 4 songs: Garden, Fat Calmed Kiddos, Bamboo, San Diego.
London, England based indie-pop singer songwriter Oscar and his band perform songs from his new EP, "Forget Me Not," live on KEXP's The Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 10/05/2015 - 4 songs: Beautiful Words, Daffodil Days, Stay, Breaking My Phone.
Seattle based dream-pop group Lemolo perform songs from their brand new record, "Red Right Return" live on KEXP. Recorded 10/28/2015 - 4 songs: Low Halo, Fuel, Watch The Moon, Casting Call.
Seattle-based crushing, atmospheric black-metal group Addaura perform songs from their new record, "...And The Lamps Expire", and also from their first record, "Burning For The Ancient", live on KEXP's Seek and Destroy with Tanner Ellison. Recorded 09/11/2015 - 2 songs: Amid The Tumult and Clamor (I Look for the Light Through the Pouring Rain), City Light (In Still Dark Forenoon Silence).
Veteran LA-based alt/indie rockers Failure perform songs from their killer new record, "The Heart Is a Monster" and their amazing 1996 album "Fantastic Planet" live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/28/2015 - 4 songs: Hot Traveler, Another Space Song, Atom City Queen, The Nurse Who Loved Me.
Pacific Northwest based indie rock trio The Ghost Ease perform songs from their incredible new record, "Raw" live on KEXP's Audioasis with Sharlese Metcalf. Recorded 10/07/2015 - 4 songs: XV, Pareidolia, Gemini Rise, Struck.
New Zealand-based alt/indie-pop group Salad Boys perform songs from their new record, "Metalmania", live on KEXP's The Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 10/16/2015 - 5 songs: Bow To Your New Sensation, No Taste Bomber, Daytime Television, I'm A Mountain, Dream Date.
Neo psychedelic-pop group Mercury Rev perform songs from their beautiful record "The Light in You" live on KEXP's The Morning Show with John Richards from The Cutting Room Studios in New York City. Recorded 10/15/2015 - 4 songs: Autunm's In The Air, Endlessly, Central Park East, Holes.
Montreal, Canada-based indie, post-punk group Ought perform songs from their new record, "Sun Coming Down", live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/15/2015 - 4 songs: Men For Miles, Beautiful Blue Sky, The Weather Song, Passionate Turn.
Seattle group Midday Veil perform live on The Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole. Recorded 10/09/2015 - 4 songs: Babel, Cages, Empire Is No More, Circle.
Austin, Texas-based ameripolitan, honky-tonk country performer Dale Watson and his amazing band perform songs from their new record, "Call Me Insane", live on KEXP's Shake The Shack with Leon Berman. Recorded 10/09/2015 - 4 songs: Jonesin' For Jones, Everybody's Somebody In Luchenbach Texas, Call Me Insane, A Day At A Time, Birmingham Breakdown.
Vancouver, B.C based indie group Destroyer perform songs from their brilliant new record, "Poison Season", live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/16/2015 - 4 songs: Hell, Times Square, Bangkok, European Oils.
Punk Icon and founding member of The Jam and The Style Council Paul Weller and his band perform songs from his brilliant album "Saturns Pattern" live on KEXP with Stevie Zoom. Recorded 09/30/2015 - 4 songs: Have You Ever Had It So Blue?, I'm Where I Should Be, These City Streets, Ghosts.
Seattle based punky power-pop group The Heels perform songs from their rockin' album, "Fetish" live on KEXP's Sonic Reducer with Brian Foss. Recorded 09/05/2015 - 4 songs: Pink Eye, Fetish, All Or Nothing, Lick It.
Denver, Colorado based baroque pop group Devotchka perform a collection of songs from their incredible albums live on KEXP's Variety Mix with Morgan. Recorded 09/06/2015 - 4 songs: The Alley, All The Sand In All The Sea, 100 Other Lovers, The Clockwise Witness.
Seattle based indie electronic group Beat Connection perform songs from their upcoming new record, "Product 3" live on KEXP's The Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 09/14/2015 - 4 songs: Another Go Round, Hesitation, Illusion, So Good.
Gilwice, Poland based folk, atmospheric dream-pop group Coals perform from Katowice, Poland at the OFF Festival live on KEXP. Recorded 08/06/2015 - 3 songs: Shattered Mirrors, November, Weightless.
Fort-Lauderdale, Florida-based indie singer-songwriter and also founder of Superchunk and Portastatic, Mac McCaughan and his band The Non-Believers perform songs from their new record ‘Non-Believers' live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 09/15/2015 - 4 songs: Your Hologram, Lost Again, San Andreas, Come Upstairs.
The Hold Steady's frontman Craig Finn stops by the KEXP studio and performs songs from his new solo record, "Faith In The Future", live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/20/2015 - 4 songs: Maggie I've Been Searching For Our Son, Newmyer's Roof, Christine, Dennis And Billy.
La-based, psychedelic-shoegaze group Froth deliver a super-brilliant performance of songs from their new record "Bleak" live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/14/2015 - 4 songs: Afternoon, Postcard Radio, On My Chest, Turn it Off.
Dalarna, Sweden-based indie-folk singer-songwriter The Tallest Man On Earth stops by the KEXP studio and performs a couple of songs from his magnificent new record "Dark Bird Is Home" live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 08/21/2015 - 2 songs: Darkness of the Dream, Fields of Our Home.
Seattle-based indie rock group Telekinesis drops into the KEXP studio and delivers a wonderful performance of songs from their new album, "Ad Infinitum”, live on the Midday Show with Troy Nelson. Recorded 09/21/2015 - 4 songs: Falling (In Dreams), Sylvia, In A Future World, Ad Infinitum Pt. 2.
Los Angeles, California-based indie-pop group The Mynabirds perform songs from their new album, "Lovers Know”, live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 09/10/2015 - 4 songs: Velveteen, One Foot, All My Heart, Wildfire.
Los Angeles psychedelic tropical-soul group Chicano Batman deliver a wild live studio session of songs from their new record "Cycles of Existential Rhyme" on KEXP's El Sonido with DJ Chilly. Recorded 08/07/2015 - 4 songs: Magma, Cycles of Existential Rhyme, Black Lipstick, Soniatl.
Five-piece livetronica band Theoretics perform an energetic set of songs on The Morning Show. Recorded 07/17/2015 - 4 songs: Exit Signs, Without A View, New Svalbard, Passionate Paradise.
Icelandic Baroque pop group Arstidir (Árstíðir) performs a gorgeous session full of rich harmonies, showcasing their 2015 release, Hvel, live in the KEXP studio. Recorded 07/23/2015 - 4 songs: Ljóð í sand, Shine, Himinhvel, Things You Said.
Stockholm, Sweden based indie singer-songwriter Simon Stålhamre of the band Small Feet stops by the KEXP studio and performs an intimate and very special performance of songs from their new record "From Far Enough Away Everything Sounds Like The Ocean" live on KEXP's The Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 07/13/2015 - 4 songs: Lead Us Through The Night, Rivers, Gold, Ice Storm.
Toronto noise-grunge rockers METZ perform songs from their outstanding new record "II" live on KEXP's The Afternoon Show with Troy Nelson. Recorded 08/04/2015 - 4 songs: Wait in Line, The Swimmer, Spit You Out, Acetate.
Seattle surf-rock quartet La Luz drops into the KEXP studio to perform songs from their brilliant brand new record "Weirdo Shrine" live on KEXP. Recorded 08/06/2015 - 4 songs: Sleep Till They Die, With Davey, Don't Wanna Be Anywhere, You Disappear.
Horn, Netherlands based neo-psych, baroque pop singer Jacco Gardner and his band perform songs from his new record "Hypnophobia," live on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 06/25/2015 - 4 songs: Hypnophobia, Clear The Air, Face to Face, Find Yourself.
Birmingham, Alabama based honky-tonk, rock 'n' roll group Banditos deliver an outstanding performance of songs from their new self-titled record live in the KEXP studio on The Roadhouse with Greg Vandy. Recorded 07/14/2015 - 4 songs: Still Sober (After All These Beers), Waitin', Long Gone, Anyway, No Good.
São Paulo, Brazil based psychedelic synth-rock band Quarto Negro perform songs from their strong new record "Amor Violento" live on KEXP. Recorded 07/10/2015 - 4 songs: Filhos Do Frio, Mala Mujer, Há Um Oceano Entre Nós, 3012.
Seattle based singer-songwriter Briana Marela delivers a mind-blowing performance of songs from her soon to be released debut album "All Around Us" live on KEXP's Audioasis with DJ Sharlese. Recorded 07/09/2015 - 4 songs: Surrender, Dani, Take Care of Me, Further.
Mali-based world, afro-pop, ngoni performer Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba performs songs from their hypnotically mesmerizing new record "Ba Power" live on KEXP's Wo' Pop hosted by DJ Rhythma. Recorded 07/14/2015 - 4 songs: Musow Fanga, Jama ko, Abé Sumaya, Siran Fen.
Oxnard, California-based power-pop singer-songwriter Nic Hessler and his band perform songs from his brand new record ‘Soft Connections' live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 07/13/2015 - 5 songs: Intro/Expel Me, (Please) Don't Break Me, Soon You'll See, Kristine, Do You Ever?, All In The Night.
Olympia, Washington-based indie-hardcore-grungers Strange Wilds perform songs from their super-incredible new record "Subjective Concepts" live on KEXP's Audioasis with DJ Sharlese. Recorded 07/29/2015 - 4 songs: Disdain, Starved For, Pronoia, Outercourse.
One of KEXP's favorite bands of all-time, Built to Spill stops by the studio to lay down a stellar set of songs from their incredible new record "Untethered Moon" live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 07/24/2015 - 4 songs: So, Never Be The Same, Living Zoo, Stab.
French/Finnish indie electronic duo The Dø stop by the KEXP studio and perform songs from their sparkly new record "Shake Shook Shaken" live on KEXP. Recorded 05/31/2015 - 4 songs: Keep Your Lips Sealed, Miracles (Back In Time), Anita No!, Despair, Hangover & Ecstasy.
Folk singer-songwriter Ryley Walker performs songs from his beautifully complex new record "Primrose Green" live on his "favorite show in the world," The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 06/08/2015 - 4 songs: Sullen Mind, Funny Thing She Said, On The Banks Of The Old Kishwaukee, Primrose Green.
Castillos, Uruguay based indie-folk group Molina y Los Cósmicos perform songs from their debut record, "El Desencanto", live on KEXP's El Sonido. Recorded 06/22/2015 - 4 songs: En El Camino Del Sol, Pequeñas Cosas (Que Jamás Te Contaré), Y.T.C. En El Fin Del Mundo, Gallos De Kentucky.
Shana Cleveland (La Luz frontwoman) & The Sandcastles stop by the KEXP studio to perform a dreamy set of psych-tinged folk-pop. Recorded 06/26/2015 - 4 songs: Butter & Eggs, Itching Around, Holy Rollers, Golden Days.
Ghanaian-American Hip Hop artist Blitz the Ambassador performs live with a full band on KEXP's Wo'Pop. Recorded 05/31/2015 - 4 songs: Wahala, Africa Is The Future, Success, Best I Can.
Tel Aviv's mind-blowing Hebrew shoegaze trio Vaadat Charigim (ועדת חריגים) perform songs from their new record ‘Sinking As A Stone' live in the KEXP studio on The Midday with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 05/20/2015 - 4 songs: Neshel, Hadahvar Haamiti, Klum, Odisea.
Beloved indie-rockers, Polaris are best known for providing music from the classic 1990's Nickelodeon television show ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete'. While embarking on their first tour ever, they stopped by the KEXP studios and performed a fantastically killer live set on The Midday show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 04/22/2015 - 5 songs: Great Big Happy Green Moonface, Everywhere, Saturnine, Out To Play, Hey Sandy.
Portland based psych-folk singer-songwriter Jackson Boone delivers a fantastic performance from his cosmic new record "Natural Changes" live from the KEXP studio on Audioasis with DJ Sharlese. Recorded 06/15/2015 - 4 songs: Dolphin Turned Into A Cat, Moonbeam, Runaway, Open.
Speedy Ortiz describes their music as ‘Snack Rock' and ‘Illegally Loud'. Check their brilliant live performance featuring songs from their new record ‘Foil Deer' live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 5/27/2015 - 4 songs: The Graduates, Raising the Skate, Puffer, Ginger.
Indie-folk singer-songwriter and producer Elvis Perkins performs songs from his incredible new release ‘i aubade' live on KEXP's The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 5/20/2015 - 4 songs: I Came For Fire, The Passage Of The Black Gene, My 2$, Hogus Pogus.
Icelandic downtempo electronic group Samaris perform a moody and brilliant set live on KEXP. Recorded 04/07/2015 - 4 songs: Intro + Nótt, Ég Vildi Fegin Verða, Sólhvörf ii, Góða tungl.
Hailing from Niamey, Niger the amazing world-renowned West African group Tal National perform their crisp, complex and hypnotic rhythms live on KEXP's Wo' Pop with Darek Mazzone. Recorded 05/10/2015 - 4 songs: Farila, Zoy Zoy, Liba, AA.
Seattle indie-pop group Ivan & Alyosha drop into the KEXP studios to perform an enthusiastic set of songs from their new record "It's All Just Pretend," live on KEXP. Recorded 05/04/2015 - 4 songs: Bury Me Deep, All This Wandering Around, Tears In Your Eyes, It's All Just Pretend.
Psychedelic, experimental electronic composer Dan Deacon delivers an out-of-this-world performance of songs from his 2015 record, "Gliss Riffer", live from the past in the 4th-dimensional confines of the KEXP studio. Recorded 05/08/2015 - 4 songs: When I Was Done Dying, Feel the Lightning, improvisation, Learning To Relax.
TORRES, aka Brooklyn-via-Nashville singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott, performs songs from her fantastic new album "Sprinter" live on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 05/18/2015 - 4 songs: A Proper Polish Welcome, New Skin, Sprinter, Cowboy Guilt.
PNW-based indie power-pop band Sick Sad World perform songs from their brilliantly smart new record "Fear and Lies" live on KEXP's Audioasis with DJ Sharlese. Recorded 05/23/2015 - 4 songs: Alone All The Time, Skateboarding Girl, Orange Lazarus, Barely Hanging On.
Northwest roots rock troubadour Brandi Carlile and band stop by the KEXP studio and deliver a breathtaking performance of songs from her new album "The Firewatcher's Daughter" live on the Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 05/07/2015 - 4 songs: Mainstream Kid, Wherever Is Your Heart, The Eye, The Things I Regret.
Seattle-based producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Erik Blood stops by the KEXP Studio and performs live on Audioasis. Recorded 02/06/2015 - 4 songs: Ostrich, Chase The Clouds, Covered In Color, Quiet.
2014 Mercury-Prize-award-winning indie hip-hop group Young Fathers pay a visit to the studio and perform songs from their blazing new album "White Men Are Black Men Too" live on KEXP's Morning Show with John Richards. Recorded 05/04/2015 - 4 songs: Nest, Rain or Shine, Old Rock n Roll, Shame.
From Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Portland, Oregon, Other Lives may have changed their scenery but not their beautifully orchestrated songs, which they share from their latest LP, "Rituals", live on KEXP. Recorded 05/12/2015 - 4 songs: Reconfiguration, Easy Way Out, 2 Pyramids, English Summer
Lord Huron perform a very special concert for KEXP's VIP donors live at The Triple Door in Seattle. Recorded 04/18/2015 - 7 songs: Until The Night Turns, Dead Man's Hand, Meet Me In The Woods, Fool For Love, The World Ender, The Night We Met, Cursed.
Seattle based feminist punk-supergroup Childbirth features members of Pony Time, Chastity Belt and Tacocat. Listen to them perform an album perfect live set on KEXP's Audioasis. Recorded 02/14/2015 - 8 songs: Childbirth, I'm More Fertile Than You, How Do Girls Even Do It?, I Only "Hugged" You As A Joke, Cowling At The Moon, Breast Coast, Will You Be My Mom?, Sweet Pea.
Psychedelic noise-rock band A Place To Bury Strangers stop by KEXP and perform an extremely gritty live performance. Recorded 03/18/2015 - 4 songs: Supermaster, We've Come So Far, Now It's Over, Death In Seattle.
Belgian, French dance-pop singer-songwriter Stromae stops by Wo' Pop and performs songs from his fantastic album "Racine Carrée" live on KEXP. Recorded 04/06/2015 - 4 songs: Papaoutai, Ave Cesaria, Formidable, Tous les mêmes.
Hailed as 'one of the greatest live party bands playing in the world', Red Baraat combine Bhangra music with D.C. go-go and a dash of hip-hop. Check out this live performance on KEXP's Wo' Pop in support of their recent album "Gaadi Of Truth". Recorded 03/24/2015 - 4 songs: Horizon Line, Zindabad, Gaadi of Truth, Tunak Tunak Tan.
Polyvinyl Records indie-rock duo The Dodos perform live on KEXP in support of their excellent new album ‘Individ'. Recorded 03/11/2015 - 4 songs: Goodbyes and Endings, Competition, Retriever, The Tide.
Glasgow based Holy Esque performs their ferocious post-punk filled with atmospheric textures, musical tension and cryptically-dramatic lyrics live on KEXP's Morning Show. Recorded 03/13/2015 - 4 songs: Silences, Fade, Thrones, Sovereign.
Jessica Pratt performs her richly melodic and raw acoustic-folk live on KEXP. Recorded 02/20/2015 - 4 songs: Wrong Hand, Game That I Play, Moon Dude, Strange Melody.
Montreal band Stars stop by the Midday Show in support of their recently released album, "No One Is Lost". Recorded 03/02/2015 - 4 songs: This Is The Last Time, Trap Door, Look Away, Elevator Love Letter.
Los Angeles based Cambodian Psych-Pop band Dengue Fever perform a tight live set on Wo' Pop in the KEXP studio. Recorded 02/10/2015 - 4 songs: Ghost Voice, Tokay, Girl From The North, No Sudden Moves.
Seattle 5-piece Smokey Brights plays new songs off their debut album, "Taste For Blood" in the KEXP Studio. Recorded 02/04/2015 - 4 songs: If I Can't Change Your Mind, Catacomb, Baby Marmalade, Monster House.
Highly revered U.K. indie-shoegaze band Swervedriver stop by KEXP and perform an energetically-driving set live on KEXP. Recorded 03/08/2015 - 4 songs: Autodidact, Setting Sun, Last Rites, I Wonder?
Minneapolis indie hip-hop collective Doomtree stop by the Afternoon Show and perform a captivating set live on KEXP. Recorded 03/09/2015 - 4 songs: The Bends, Cabin Killer, Heavy Rescue, Final Boss.
In the words of Cheryl Waters “Oh My God..That Was Nuts!!!” This is Viet Cong, a blindingly-tight post-punk four piece from Alberta, Canada. Hear them as they deliver an unforgettable performance live in the KEXP Studio. Recorded 03/03/2015 - 3 songs: Silhouettes, Bunker Buster, Death.
Tweedy is the latest project from Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, his son Spencer and a group of their close friends. Listen to them perform a magnificent set of tunes from their recent album Sukierae live on KEXP. Recorded 03/12/2015 - 4 songs: World Away, Summer Noon, Losing End, Low Key.
Northwest band Chastity Belt stops by the KEXP studio to deliver a strong set of guitar-heavy songs from their latest release, "Time To Go Home", plus an unreleased song called "Dull". Recorded 03/28/2015 - 4 songs: Dull, Time to Go Home, Drone, Joke.
London band Wolf Alice bring their dark, psych-tinged folk-pop to the KEXP studio for this live session. Recorded 03/10/2015 - 4 songs: Moaning Lisa Smile, Your Love's Whore, Fluffy, Giant Peach.
Dripping Springs, TX singer-songwriter Israel Nash drops by the KEXP studio for a set full of gritty neo-psychedelic songs from his stellar 2014 release, "Rain Plans." Recorded 02/14/2015 - 4 songs: Woman At The Well, Mansions, Rain Plans, Rexanimarum.
Chimurenga Renaissance explores the melody of jazz, the synthesis of electronic music and the soul of dub to create their fantastic world hip-hop. Listen to their dazzling performance live on KEXP's Wo' Pop. Recorded 02/26/2015 - 4 songs: Proud To Be Afrikan, Imi Vechidiki Zivai, The Taste of Her Lips, Pop Killer.
Father John Misty stops by The Cutting Room Studios in New York City to perform songs from his recent album "I Love You, Honeybear." Recorded 01/29/2015 - 4 songs: Strange Encounter; I Love You, Honeybear; Holy Shit; Chateau Lobby #4 (In C for Two Virgins).
Veteran Texas troubadour Steve Earle drops by the KEXP studio for a fabulous live set featuring songs from his 16th studio album, "Terraplane" and more. Recorded 02/27/2015 - 4 songs: Ain't Nobody's Daddy Now, You're the Best Lover That I Ever Had, King of the Blues, Copperhead Road.
Bilbao by way of Buenos Aires guitar rock trio Capsula perform a set of hyper-raw, psych and glam inspired songs live on KEXP. Recorded 02/13/2015 - 3 songs: Candle, Candle; El Infierno; Dead or Alive.
Celebrating the release of their sophomore album, "EarthEE," Seattle's THEESatisfaction stop by to perform addictive, otherworldly, Afro-centric hip-hop live on KEXP. Recorded 2/23/2015 - 4 songs: Recognition, Fetch/Catch, Planet For Sale, Sir Come Navigate.
Multi-instrumentalist Hanni El-Khatib performs tracks from his 2015 album "Moonlight" live in the KEXP Studios. Recorded 02/09/2015 - 4 songs: Melt Me, The Teeth, Moonlight, Two Brothers.
Legendary Louisiana country singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams stops by The Afternoon Show for a set of tunes from her 2015 album "Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone" live in the KEXP studio. Recorded 02/11/2015 - 4 songs: East Side of Town, West Memphis, Protection, It's Gonna Rain.
The Nile Project, a group of forward-thinking musicians that channel the unsung beauty of East African traditions, stop by KEXP and perform live on Wo'Pop. Recorded 01/31/2015 - 4 songs: Gharib Ley, Ya Abay Weha, Uruzi Nil, Ya Ganouby.
Portland-based singer and electronic-dance producer Natasha Kmeto performs a live set on KEXP's Audioasis. Recorded 01/09/2015 - 4 songs: Inevitable, On A String, Take Out, The Only Time.
Guitar gods Nels Cline and Julian Lage visit the KEXP Studio to perform an adventurous set of guitar duets on Jazz Theater. Recorded 01/13/2015 - 4 songs: Racy; Blues, Too; Calder; Odd End.
Detroit gritty rockers Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas perform a live set of their unique soulful pop and blues'd out rock at KEXP. Recorded 12/17/2014 - 4 songs: Caught Up, Dead Brains, Sorry I Stole Your Man, No Place Left To Hide.
As Museum Of Love, Pat Mahoney (former drummer for LCD Soundsystem) and producer Dennis McNany, perform a set of infectious electro-pop on KEXP. Recorded 12/07/2014 - 4 songs: Down South, Monotronic, In Infancy, And All The Winners.
Zola Jesus treats KEXP listeners to a powerful live performance of dark-wave electronic music. Recorded 01/09/2015 - 4 songs: Dangerous Days, Dust, Lawless, Hunger.
L.A. based indie-rock outfit Francisco The Man visit the KEXP Studio and perform songs from their 2014 album, "Loose Ends." Recorded 12/07/2014 - 4 songs: You & I, It's Not Your Fault, Progress, Big Ideas.
Charleston, SC-based indie-folk duo Shovels & Rope delights KEXP listeners with a live in-studio set, featuring songs from 2014's, "Swimmin' Time." Recorded 11/10/2014 - 4 songs: Coping Mechanism, The Devil Is All Around, Mary Ann & One Eyed Dan, Evil.
Duluth, MN, bluegrass vets Trampled By Turtles return to KEXP and deliver a beautiful set of folk ballads and roots jams from their 2014 album, "Wild Animals." Recorded 10/18/2014 - 4 songs: Ghosts, Repetition, Nobody Knows, Wild Animals.
Tomo Nakayama kicks off his 14-show release-day marathon with Troy Nelson on The Morning Show. Nakayama (Grand Hallway, Asahi) is joined by Yuuki Matthews (The Shins) for a stripped-down set of material from his latest album, “Fog On The Lens.” Recorded 11/04/2014 - 4 songs: Cold Clear Moon, Magnolias (for Philip), Fallen Cedar, Darkest of Seasons.
Drawing from the Garifuna community of Honduras, Aurelio's rich, vibrant music embodies this culture and carries Latin and Afro-Caribbean influences woven into a unique, complex sound. This session features songs from the 2014 album, “Lándini”. Recorded 12/30/2014 - 4 songs: Nari Golu, Landini, Funa Tugudirugu, Nando.
Montreal-based band The Barr Brothers return to the KEXP studio for a live set of folk-pop. Recorded 12/05/2014 - 4 songs: Love Ain't Enough, Even the Darkness Has Arms, Half Crazy, Come in the Water.
Born in Ethiopia but raised in Espoo Finland, Mirel Wagner and her acoustic guitar treat the Midday Show to a sparse set of quiet songs from the album, "When The Cellar Children See the Light of Day." Recorded 11/20/2014 - 4 songs: 1 2 3 4, What Love Looks Like, The Dirt, Taller Than Tall Trees.
Minneapolis veterans The Jayhawks visit the KEXP studio, performing a set that swings from moody to groovy, from country rock to post-punk, and everything in between. Recorded 01/06/2015 - 5 songs: Tailspin, Sound Of Lies, Somewhere In Ohio, Save It For A Rainy Day, Ain't No End.
Following their 2014 release of "Animals With Religion" Bee Caves perform live from The Cutting Room Studios in New York City. Recorded 10/23/2014 - 4 songs: Orion, Running Home To You, Black Mason Hills, Animals With Religion.
Seattle indie-rockers Cabana make their KEXP Studio debut with an excellent set of shoegazey, psychedelic pop on Audioasis. Recorded 10/25/2014 - 4 songs: Vine Portal, Wet Brick, Cell Dream, What I Seen.
Former Seabear member and acclaimed songwriter in her own right, Sóley performs a tight set of electro-pop from Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2014. Recorded 11/05/2014 - 4 songs: Ævintýr, Deeper, One Eyed Lady, Halloween.
Berlin-based indie pop trio Ballet School perform essential tracks from their 2014 release, "The Dew Lasts an Hour," on KEXP. Recorded 10/27/2014 - 4 songs: Heartbeat Overdrive, Ghost, Gray, Cherish.
Toronto-based indie rock outfit The Rural Alberta Advantage perform live in the KEXP Studio, with a set of tunes from their 2014 album, "Mended With Gold." Recorded 10/24/2014 - 4 songs: On the Rocks, Runners in the Night, The Build, Terrified.
Toronto group Alvvays perform their surf-inflected dream-pop live from the KEXP studio. Recorded 12/2/2014 - 4 songs: Ones Who Love You; Dives; Archie, Marry Me; Party Police
Seattle songwriter Jen Wood returns to KEXP to deliver a dreamy set of tunes from her 2014 LP, “Wilderness”. Wood is backed by an excellent cast of Seattle musicians including Carissa's Wierd guitarist Jenn Ghetto and bassist Lesli Wood for this electrified in-studio performance. Recorded 11/1/2014 - 4 songs: Fell In Love, Run With The Wild Ones, No Way Out, Run To Me.
Icelandic heavy rockers HAM perform “a few songs about friendship and love… and hate!” from Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2014. Recorded 11/7/2014 - 8 songs: Brekka, Ingimar, Þú lýgur, Tveir Dalir, Morðingjar, Sviksemi, Dauð hóra, Partýbær.
Indie-folk group Árstíðir perform live from Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2014, including songs from their upcoming album, "Hvel". Recorded 11/6/2014 - 5 songs: Someone Who Cares, Nú gleymist ég, Moonlight, Things You Said, You Again, Shades.
KEXP presents a stirring, cinematic set from Icelandic avant jazz super-ensemble ADHD, live from the Free Church in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, just before Iceland Airwaves 2014. Recorded 11/03/2014 - 5 songs: Á Sama Stad, Vog, London Út, Merkilegt, Endaleysa.
British-born Americana singer-songwriter Pete Molinari performs a live set in the KEXP Studio, featuring songs from 2014's "Theosophy" and a Billy Childish cover to close out the set. Recorded 09/24/2014 - 4 songs: Evangeline, You Will Be Mine, What I Am I Am, I Don't Like The Man I Am.
Reykjavík-based dreamy folk outfit Low Roar performs an exclusive live set in the KEXP Studio, featuring songs from 2014's "0". - Recorded 10/22/2014 - 5 songs: Easy Way Out, I'll Keep Coming, Anything You Need, Vampire on My Fridge, Dreamer.
Portland punks The Shivas channel vintage 1960's Northwest rock 'n' roll in this bouncy set for Audioasis. Check out this set of tunes from their 2014 K Records LP, "You Know What to Do." Recorded 11/13/2014 - 4 songs: You Know What to Do, Ride On, You Make Me Wanna Die, Stalking Legs.
Rubblebucket from Brooklyn, NY bring their fun, horn-infused pop music to the KEXP studio. Recorded 10/10/2014 - 4 songs: My Life, On The Ground, Hey Everybody, Carousel Ride.
Australian psych-rock band Pond blow the doors off the KEXP studio in this heavy performance on The Midday Show. Pond sound simultaneously out-of-control and perfectly tight in this performance including a debut song from their forthcoming 2015 release “Man, It Feels Like Space Again.” Recorded 10/28/2014 - 3 songs: Elvis' Flaming Star, Don't Look At the Sun or You'll Go Blind, Midnight Mass.
Shoegaze rock outfit Oyama deliver an entrancing live performance from Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2014. At times ambient, at others pure noise rock, they perform songs from their 2014 LP, “Coolboy”. Recorded 11/05/2014 – 5 songs: Old Snow, Siblings, The Cat Has Thirst, Lung Breathers, Sweet Ride.
KEXP presents Icelandic group Mammút live from Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2014, featuring a breathless set of dark, energized songs from their 2014 release, "Komdu til mín svarta systir" (Come to Me, My Dark Sister). Recorded 11/06/2014 - 6 songs: (new song), Tungan, Þau svæfa, Ströndin, Glæður, Salt.
Surf-influenced post-punk duo The Drums performs songs from their first record in three years, 2014's "Encyclopedia". Recorded 10/09/2014 - 4 songs: I Can't Pretend, U.S. National Park, Kiss Me Again, I Hope Time Doesn't Change Him.
Seminal alternative rock band The Dream Syndicate delight listeners with a special set from the KEXP Lounge at Bumbershoot. The Los Angeles-based group fronted by Steve Wynn, reformed in 2012 after going on hiatus in 1989. Recorded 08/31/2014 - 4 songs: Tell Me When It's Over, That's What You Always Say, John Coltrane Stereo Blues, The Days of Wine and Roses.
Any major dude will tell you that Canadian crooner Mac DeMarco knows how to get a laugh, but don't let the oversized t-shirts and backwards-facing baseball caps fool you - behind the humorous antics and normcore fashion, Mac delivers an impressive blend of dynamic pop melodies and smartly crafted, memorable songs. Live from the KEXP Lounge at Bumbershoot. Recorded 08/30/2014 - 8 songs: Salad Days, The Stars Keep On Calling My Name, Blue Boy, Cooking Up Something Good, Let Her Go, Ode To Viceroy, Brother, Still Together.
Swedish singer-songwriter Alice Boman shares songs from 2014's “EP II” in her first KEXP performance. This delicate, rhythmic set features Boman's long, whispering melodies. Recorded 09/25/2014 - 4 songs: Waiting, Over, Burns, What.
Seattle worldbeat supergroup Tuatara, delivers a funky free-jazz set, live at KEXP featuring songs from 2014's, "Underworld." Recorded 09/08/2014 - 4 songs: The Skeleton Getdown, Dueling Shamans, Snakecharmer, Gremlin Chain Gang.
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst gives listeners a taste of his classic, wavering vocals in his first solo KEXP performance. Featuring his full band playing songs from 2014's “Upside Down Mountain” and one from the Bright Eyes release, “I'm Wide Awake It's Morning.” Recorded 09/29/2014 - 5 songs: Hundreds Of Ways, Zigzagging Toward The Light, Double Life, We Are Nowhere And It's Now, Common Knowledge.
Philadelphia group Strand of Oaks rocks out with songs from their 2014 album, "Heal," featuring Tim Showalter's deeply personal lyrics. Recorded 08/26/2014 - 4 songs: Goshen '97, Heal, For Me, Shut In.
Montreal trio Braids perform a sparse and dreamy set live on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Recorded 10/23/2013 - 4 songs: Hossak, 13, Victoria, In Kind.
Seattle's The Cave Singers play a set live on KEXP from the Triple Door. Recorded 6/5/2013 - 8 songs: No Tomorrows, Shine, Swim Club, Haller Lake, Evergreens, Easy Way, At The Cut, Shrine