Kevin Cole

Vancouver, BC band Japandroid's Brian King on touring and pleasant surprises: "We don't operate like a lot of normal bands do; we didn't even decide we were going to do a second record until the start of 2011. I mean, right before Post-Nothing came out in 2009, we decided we didn't want to be a band anymore. But when that record started gaining momentum, we thought, 'Let's see what happens.' We were just going to do the tours because we always wanted that experience, but it always seemed like we were on borrowed time." More of the interview here: pitchfork.com Plus, our coverage of performance at Sasquatch last year: blog.kexp.org

Montreal's Solids played a lively set here at our station; enjoy the performance here: kexp.org The band is also touring extensively during these next few months. Check the band's schedule, as well as hear more tunes, right here: solids.bandcamp.com

Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew has a new body butter out. Creeped out? Don't be. It's all good, and it's reportedly DELICIOUS smelling. I mean, who wouldn't want to smell lickable like Tequila Lime? www.stereogum.com

The dreamy NY indie-pop outfit is currently hitting all sorts of spots internationally, like France, Israel, and Australia, but to enjoy another treasure right here and now, go to our Song of the Day, where we featured "Go Outside": blog.kexp.org

TI's Kevin Parker, on the difference between touring in the US and Australia, in an interview conducted by our very own DJ Shannon: It couldn’t more different if we tried. In Australia there’s no point in driving between cities. So you play a show, sleep in hotel, get up next morning and fly to the next city. Or a few days later. You can do some regional shows. We did a five-week tour of Australia, something really extensive once in Australia, similar to what we’re doing now but we were driving a van with one techie. Still had to setup our own stuff. You’re in new places all the time and you forget the novelty of the new place wears off. Every time you roll in, you think 'here I am.' The more gigs you play, the more you sort of only start thinking about playing your instrument and only start thinking about playing the show moments before the show." For more fun, read on: blog.kexp.org

"Rather than try and emulate heartbreak of the past to make a sequel to one of his most dearly beloved records, Beck explores very different places of melancholy on Morning Phase... Twelve years has given Beck plenty to think about in terms of love, heartbreak, and solidarity, especially in the context of discovering new types of love and the sacrifice it takes to make life work alongside those you dedicate yourself to. Morning Phase isn’t a bummed out record – it just refuses to be naïve to the long road ahead." Read more on Beck's newest offering in our freshly-published album review: blog.kexp.org

"Opening 20 years to the day since the release of the debut Oasis single Supersonic, Chasing The Sun: Oasis 1993 – 1997 runs from April 11th – 22nd at Londonnewcastle Project Space. Entry is free. 'Chasing The Sun: Oasis 1993 – 1997,' an exhibition of rare and iconic photographs, artefacts and memorabilia from the early years of Oasis. Chasing The Sun covers the story of the band’s three landmark albums – Definitely Maybe, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, and Be Here Now – along with many legendary Oasis gigs including London’s 100 Club, Glastonbury Festival and their era-defining two night stand at Knebworth House." Find out more on this current exhibition here: www.oasisinet.com/#!/news

What is Oasis without Noel Gallagher? Beady Eye. Check out our exclusive interview and performance here: blog.kexp.org "The debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding, is chock full of all Oasis’ trademark Britpop attributes: snarky vocals, hooky guitars, and simple but addictive chord progression."

When asked what was the favourite memory of being in the Smiths, Marr replied, "Tons of them! When we gate-crashed Glastonbury festival ’84 or ’85 — I can’t remember the year, but I remember the situation. Glastonbury was very different then, of course, but it was nevertheless an alternative festival. And we were outsiders. We’d had a couple of hits by then, but just kind of stood out on our own. I felt part of something new. It’s easier to be alternative at the Grammys. But to be alternative in a field full of English snobs was quite a feat. There were many, many amazing times that filled me with pride like that." For more, check out: www.vulture.com If you're lucky, you can catch Marr out on the road again, taking his blistering shows to understandably rabid fans: www.johnny-marr.com

Irish four-piece band Strypes are currently on a rather frighteningly-extensive tour, including The Crocodile on March 27th. They hail from Cavan, began the band at ages 16 and 17, and count as fans Elton John and Noel Gallagher. Check out their tour schedule here to see if they're coming to a town near you: thestrypes.com

Moon Duo's Ripley Johnson also has another band, The Wooden Shjips. Check out Moon Duo's featured Song of the Day here: blog.kexp.org, and also enjoy photos and videos from Wooden Shjips' recent visit to our studios earlier this year: blog.kexp.org

Mikal Cronin blessed our studios last summer with a blistering set here at the studios, ringing in an electric and ultra fast performance at under 13 minutes. Enjoy the blast here: blog.kexp.org He's also playing a bunch of dates worldwide, including one at the wonderful Tractor Tavern right here in Seattle on June 7th. For more info, just click here: mikalcronin.bandcamp.com

Of their brooding first release, KEXP blogger Gerrit Feenstra writes, "When they dropped their debut LP, TRST, back in 2012, the dark, pulsing melodies and cryptic vocals drew quick comparisons to their brooding, gothic counterparts on the scene like Crystal Castles. These comparisons were, by nature, pretty lazy. I mean, it goes without saying that all of these acts pull heavily from goth and acid house greats of the past like Depeche Mode and the KLF. But from the start, TRUST have pursued a much darker angle than the witchy rave-pop that reaches further across the board. Their vision is grimy, challenging, but ultimately one that resonates well with the dark corners of your taste." blog.kexp.org

Check out our preview of The Chemical Brothers' 2012 concert film, "Don't Think," directed by Adam Smith: blog.kexp.org

Local hiphop singer, rapper, and producer, Katie Kate on her classical training, and its influence on her very different style of composition: "I think going to school for classical music is what drove me to pop. I was studying very esoteric subjects and artists and finding myself thinking “ok, so... what?” It was beautiful and interesting, but I really found myself missing the world of pop music. Whatever music I was listening to in my car in high school was easily one of the most important elements of my life. It touched me, molded me, got me through the day. I love classical music, but I am so deeply in love with pop music and the profound effect it has on society, culture, and individuals. Let’s not forget, Mozart was the new hotness at one point too." "Copenhagen" was a featured Song of the Day; read all about it, plus more from the interview above, right here: blog.kexp.org

"If Alex Turner made women from the ages of 17-25 cry, Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan was making women (and a few men) above that age bracket weep." Get more of our concert review from Austin City Limits, featuring DM, right here: blog.kexp.org

Born Charlyn Marie Marshall in Atlanta, Georgia in 1972, Cat Power is renowned for her exquisite and fragile voice. Here is a concert review from a few years back, including some really lovely photography: blog.kexp.org

If Michael Benjamin Learner has a spirit animal, it might have to be the raccoon: "I think they are the cutest, but they can also rip your head off. There’s something really intriguing to me about that!" blog.kexp.org

The Minneapolis surf-punkers played SXSW in 2012; check out our recording of their session at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop here: kexp.org Plus... show review and photos! blog.kexp.org

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Lord first gained attention by busking in and around Boston's subway stations. She also came by our station and recorded a sweet and jangly session. Relive the delicate beauty here: kexp.org

In commemoration of World Puppetry Day, which falls every March 21st; 2003 marked the first celebration. And if that wasn't enough TMBG for you, here's a live in-studio performance, recorded right here! kexp.org

The idea for World Puppetry Day originated from Iranian puppeteer Dzhivada Zolfagariho, who proposed the idea for the holiday to the XVIII Congress of UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionette) in Magdeburg in 2000; it came into official fruition in 2003. For more soulful goodness from Atmosphere, check out their live performance from our studios: kexp.org

For a fun visual and great reason to play with the magnify tool on your computer, check this out: blog.kexp.org It's a sneak peak at some internal KEXP life.

Meat Puppets came by and played a fabulous show here at our studios. Enjoy the live performance here (kexp.org), and enrich your experience with smashing photos from the session: www.flickr.com

The legendary Whigs will be playing LIVE right here on Tuesday, April 15th, at 11:00am, then later that evening at Showbox at the Market. John Curley on working with R&B hitmaker Usher on this album: "Usher actually got to rehearsals before I did! He's a cool cat — he sent me a Christmas card this year. He was playing bass when I walked in. He immediately took it off, walked over and shook my hand, and we got right down to business." www.rollingstone.com/music/news/afghan-whigs-return-on-do-to-the-beast-with-new-lineup-no-rules-20140218#ixzz2wdtU0700

Brooklyn-based Caveman played a blissful set at Iceland Airwaves 2013. Check out our full coverage, complete with photos and video, here: blog.kexp.org

"The Men are why ear plugs were created. While setting up, they looked innocuous enough; four normal looking guys, a little long hair, but nothing indicative of the relentless maelstrom of shredding guitar rock they were about to unleash on an unsuspecting Mellow Johnny’s crowd." For more coverage of their inner ear-bleeding set at SXSW 2012, plus some shots of real human blood on the bassist's head, click here: blog.kexp.org

Notes station tastemaker Don Yates about this album, "The debut full-length from this Seattle band led by former Black Nite Crash guitarist Joel Bergstrom is a promising set of shoegazer psych-rock with waves of distortion-drenched guitars, atmospheric keyboards, prominent drums and bright pop melodies." Listen to more tracks here, on the group's Bandcamp page: vibragun.bandcamp.com

Check out Parisienne Melody Prochet's psychedelic dreamfest of a video here: blog.kexp.org

Prodigy founder Liam Howlett: "We had to really fight to get respect. The dance scene in particular has always been quite snobby against us. I don't listen to much dance music. That kind of Ibiza music, that shit that Pete Tong plays, I hate that shit. I sound like my dad, but it's fucking music by numbers. The lack of imagination does my brain in. Like, if I'm in a petrol station and the dude pulls in with his fucking shades and his nice shirt and his car stereo playing his Ibiza music, it just fucking irritates me. They're so fucking annoying. It's so stale, something needs to poke out. It would be cool to have bands that are like, electronic bands with leather jackets on, but with no guitars, no drum-kits, just raw electronics. If there's any fucking kids out there, I'm up for producing you, because I'm into the idea of creating an army against the DJs." www.theguardian.com

Former frontman of The Walkmen, Leithauser is taking his solo show on the road and playing the lovely Triple Door in Seattle on May 9th. For more ticket info, click here: www.tripledoor.com/Calendar/Events/May-2014/Hamilton-Leithauser.aspx?date=2014-05-09 The Walkmen also played "The Little Big Show #5," a co-production by KEXP, STG, and Starbucks, with this particular concert benefiting Youth In Focus, an after-school program that gives students an opportunity to develop positive identity, social skills, and voice through intensive photography training. Check out our video-rich coverage here: http://blog.kexp.org/2013/03/01/live-video-little-big-show-5/

"If you happen to break up with someone, don’t go on a drinking binge and record emotional songs with the hopes of playing them for your ex. Right? Well, usually. This equation actually worked for Stuart McLamb, however, frontman for the North Carolina-based group The Love Language." For more fun, plus KEXP broadcast of their performance from the Doug Fir Lounge during MusicFest NW 2013, head on over here: blog.kexp.org

At Christmastime on Dublin's Grafton Street in 2012, Sinéad O’Connor, along with other Irish musical luminaries including Bono, Glen Hansard, Lisa Hannigan, and Hothouse Flowers' Liam Ó Maonlaí, performed the ultimate busk, inviting holiday shoppers to sing carols both traditional and new and donate to some local homeless charities. arbutusyarns.net Prepare for your heart to burst with inspiration, sadness for the human condition, and joy in knowing there are souls who care enough to try to do something about it.

Earlier last year, Legacy Recordings reissued Uncle Tupelo's "No Depression," a two-disc expanded edition with rare and previously unreleased material. Click here to enjoy one of those bonus tracks, a recently unearthed demo, recorded by the original trio of Jeff Tweedy, Jay Farrar, and Mike Heidorn in 1989. blog.kexp.org

"Everybody Needs Love." That's what the Truckers believed, and was a featured Song of the Day back in yonder yore. Enjoy, and download it right to your computer here: blog.kexp.org

"Craig Finn is the real deal, folks. All those stories you have heard him tell out about bar fights and stumbling across the streets of New York City really did happen and if you are lucky enough to hear the band, he will share all those special moments with you." Download their entire performance from CMJ 2007: blog.kexp.org

Jimmy Page on his early vision for Led Zeppelin albums, based on what he'd learned from touring America with the Yardbirds: "The FM stations were playing full sides of albums. Plus I'd been playing what were called the underground clubs – the Fillmores and places like that – with the Yardbirds. I could see the way it could go. One of the things we didn't adhere to was the singles market. We didn't have to do that because we had the mindset of these stations. It made a difference to how you would sequence the numbers and how one thing would roll into another – the cascading hills and valleys within the music." www.theguardian.com

"Playing electric guitar your whole life does something to you. I'm convinced all that electricity racing through my body made me keep my hair." ~ Prince www.mirror.co.uk

The newest project of Scott Reitherman, of Throw Me The Statue, this time experimenting with dance grooves and moody, delicate structures. Check out live video from their very recent visit to our studios: blog.kexp.org

"Formed by singer/guitarist James Edward Bagshaw and bassist Thomas Edison Warmsley in the summer of 2012 as a home studio project, the duo quickly discovered an ability to write songs that, while based in the first wave of British psychedelia, certainly falls closer to 'homage' than 'imitation.' By the end of the year, the pair had released four songs onto YouTube, one of which ('Shelter Song') was picked up by Heavenly as their debut single. Download your own copy of "Shelter Song," a featured Song of the Day, right here: blog.kexp.org

According to Beatles Bible, "While Lennon never revealed the inspiration behind the song, it is believed to refer to the rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Although the two groups were friends, Lennon saw the Stones as Beatles copyists, and the titular 'bird' may have been Marianne Faithfull." Is that true? Well, at the very least, Paul McCartney asserted, "'And Your Bird Can Sing' was John's song. I suspect that I helped with the verses because the songs were nearly always written without second and third verses. I seem to remember working on that middle eight with him but it's John's song, 80-20 to John." For more thoughts on this fascinating song: www.beatlesbible.com

Originally of Alaska, Portugal. The Man is now based out of Portland, and performed an emotional show for KEXP's Amplifiers Club last summer. For video and photos, check out our coverage of the show: blog.kexp.org If you'd like to receive personal invitations to these intimate and wonderful shows at the lovely Triple Door, simply follow this link: www.kexp.org

"Songs on 'Lost In The Dream' take their time to stew and spiral. Only two tracks on the record are under five minutes – most are up and above six. But The War on Drugs do it all without the verse and hook and verse and hook formula. Rather, each song is a circle that just gets wider and brighter and more intense with each revolution." Enjoy our just-posted review of this glorious new album here: blog.kexp.org

Yet another amusing lil' Review Revue on Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers' "Back in Your Life": blog.kexp.org

John Richards paid tribute to "The Day the Music Died" ~ February 3rd, 1959 ~ in a touching post in his Friday on My Mind: blog.kexp.org

A guest who performed on the Afternoon Show in 2009, Kevin Cole remembers of Dick, "When it came time for Dale to play, nearly every desk at KEXP was empty, as our staff squeezed into our engineering booth and nearby production room, angling for a glimpse at the king of surf guitar. With his long gray hair pulled back in a ponytail, Dale proceeded to absolutely shred on his Fender, displaying the inventive playing style that even influenced Jimi Hendrix. He soared through rip-roaring renditions of 'Nitro' and his signature track 'Miserlou,' and concluded with a soul-stirring take on 'Amazing Grace,' which left everyone in the studio awestruck." To relive this legendary performance, check out our video coverage here: blog.kexp.org

Perhaps more infamously known as the opening theme music for TV (and "documentary film") series, "Jackass." Also, these are always fun; check out our Review Revue of Minutemen's "Project: Mersh" here: blog.kexp.org

This song also served as the title for a documentary about the Seattle legend, premiering at the EMP on Saturday, September 18, 2010. "Drawing upon interviews granted by Hendrix, coupled with letters, writings and recordings, 'Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child' provides new insight into one of the most enduring icons of popular culture. The special is filled with never before seen photographs and film footage from the Hendrix family archive and features a soundtrack that includes such legendary Hendrix recordings as 'Purple Haze,' 'Hey Joe,' 'Fire,' 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' together with never before heard live performances. Funk legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic renown, is featured as the voice of Jimi Hendrix." www.jimihendrix.com

The always-sweet Phantogram recently played a entrancing show at the intimate Triple Door in Seattle for KEXP's Amplifier Club members. Check out videos from the performance here: blog.kexp.org To find out how you can receive exclusive invitations to these private "Thank You" shows for our supporters, take a gander over here: www.kexp.org

The Notwist performed an intimate set for KEXP Amplifiers Club members at the Triple Door back in 2009, at one point inciting an enthusiastic audience member to yell, "You guys are crazy!" Find out what he might've been referring to in our video coverage of the show: blog.kexp.org To find out how you can receive invitations to these events, simply follow this link: www.kexp.org