Kexp Live Performances Podcast

Mexican-Panamian artist Michelle Blades brings a vast range of influences to her unique transcontinental post-psych. Born into a family of salsa musicians, Blades has a rich musical history that includes the Arizona-based noise rock band called North Dakota and the French synthpop group Fishbach. Troy Nelson journeys down “the rabbit hole of French awesome” and digs into her continent-hopping past, present, and, likely, future. Our connection with Michelle Blades has been a tale of festivals. Recorded 11/14/2019.  Politic! Mota O Perreo Ring His Man Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over 15 years, Emily King has been showcasing her gorgeously soulful vocals and prize-winning songwriting on platforms both minor and major. The daughter of two musicians kicked off her career in a major way by signing to J Records, being a featured vocalist on Nas’ 2004 album Street Disciple, and spending the next few years opening for legendary artists like Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, John Legend, and Erykah Badu.  Now on indie label ATO Records, King still has Major Label Energy which can be seen on 2019’s Grammy-nominated record Scenery and 2020’s acoustic album Sides. Troy Nelson takes us through King’s journey from Nas to Stas (Thee Boss), who hosted King’s KEXP in-studio earlier this year. As a young musician, Emily King was ambitious and eager. She was also confident...  Recorded 01/31/2020.  1. Look At Me Now2. Already There 3. Distance4. Go Back Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio

If fiery fuzzed-out riffs and tireless headbangable energy is your thing then SONS is your band. The Belgian four-piece has spent the past couple of years introducing their brand of blistering garage rock to the world via nonstop touring. This performance of SONS finds them in the wintery wonderland of Reykjavik for Iceland Airwaves, where the band turns the heat up to tropical levels to melt both faces and minds. Troy Nelson takes us through the short history of the longtime good buds and the making of their 2019 debut album Family Dinner. Sometimes a story is pretty simple. Some friends get together and start jamming. Recorded 11/07/2019.  Family Dinner  Tube Spit  Waiting On My Own Do They See Me Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palestinian-Jordanian band 47Soul are making waves around the world in a cultish way with their completely unique take on traditional Palestinian street music infused with electronic, hip hop, dancehall, and dabke that they call Shamstep. This trailblazing new genre is named after the province Bilad Al-Sham, with their lyrics focusing on themes of displacement and community. Troy Nelson takes you through a brief history of life in the Middle East before and after the Arab-Israeli War in 1948, which led to the forced displacement of 700,000 Palestinian Arabs from what became known as Israel, stripping them of their freedom and ease of movement. Egyptian feminist activist Nawal el Saadawi once said “If you are creative, you must be dissident."  Here is one such story, of the artist straining against authority. Recorded 09/23/2019. Machina Gamar Marked Safe Intro to Shamstep Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for pri

You may know composer, singer, and producer Caroline Polachek best as the frontperson of the iPod-hawking band Chairlift. But, as Troy Nelson details on this episode of Live on KEXP, the New York-based artist has long been busily churning out music for herself as well as a wide list of artists including the Queen Bee herself. Her latest record, 2019’s 'Pang,' is the first to be released under her own name and is a sweepingly bold proclamation of an artist who’s never been afraid of innovation.  For KEXP, Polachek strips down four songs from the album to just piano and heavenly vocals while Troy explains her relationship to bugs, Beyonce, and “Bruises.”  Recorded 12/18/2019. Go As a Dream Door So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings Ocean of Tears Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A prolific musical force, Georgia Anne Muldrow has released 19 albums since 2006 and has worked with everyone from Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Brittany Howard, and Blood Orange. Her latest release, 2019’s 'Black Love & War,' is a collaboration with husband Dudley Perkins that sees the poetic geniuses explore the funky depths of Afrofuturism.  Troy Nelson expands on Muldrow’s rich history while presenting a symbolic and timely analogy of the plight of a caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, in which butterflies only appear when the caterpillar looks inside and is ready to change.  Recorded 11/19/2019. Run It Down Flowers Change Overload Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTube Check out an exclusive mix the duo crafted for KEXP's 'Midnight in a Perfect World' seriesSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instead of releasing a new session today, we are continuing our station-wide pause on new content to hold space for anti-racist education and action. Meanwhile, we are using our platform to amplify Black voices in music. Today, we revisit one of our favorite KEXP sessions by Seattle group, The Black Tones. Their 2019 debut full-length album, 'Cobain and Cornbread,' is an invigorating blend of blues and punk, produced by Jack Endino of Seattle grunge fame. Their song, "The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead)," speaks to the ongoing fight against police brutality and the violent realities of systemic racism. Cheryl Waters hosts the band in the KEXP Live Room for four songs from the new album. Recorded 06/18/2019. Ghetto Spaceship The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead) Mama! There’s A Spider In My Room Welcome Mr. Pink Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailing from Portland, The Shivas make surfy psychedelic that takes a massive amount of inspiration from the 1960s. For this episode of Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson draws parallels from artists of that era like the Beatles, Little Richard, and The Kingsmen to the explosive shake-n-shimmy of The Shivas. For the past 14 years, the quartet has charmed audiences with their bombastic live performances and this one is no different. Performing the first four songs off their latest record, Dark Thoughts, the band proves why they continue to shine after all this time. Recorded 11/13/2019. Gloria Turn Me On Playing On The Radio If You See Me Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formed by brother/sister duo Jack and Lily Wolter on a small island called Isle of Man, Penelope Isles channels salty seas and flowing currents for their eclectic and lustrous style of fuzzy dream pop. Now Brighton-based, the band is rounded out by Brighton locals Becky Redford on bass and Jack Sowton on drums. For this Live On KEXP session, Troy Nelson gives some background on the Isle of Man, which Jack Wolter calls a “special” and “safe” place where “80,000 alcoholics are clinging to a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea,” before the band breaks into a dazzling set of songs from their 2019 debut record, 'Until the Tide Creeps In.’ Recorded 10/30/2019. Leipzig Not Talking Gnarbone Cut Your Hair Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fourteen years ago, Latin-infused Americana band Calexico teamed up with folk singer-songwriter Sam Beam, better known as Iron & Wine, for an EP called In the Reins. After much delay, the old friends reunited in 2018 to work on their debut full-length, Years to Burn, which was unveiled last year. The chemistry between the good chums is unmistakable during this KEXP performance, recorded at 2019’s inaugural Thing Fest at Fort Worden.  DJ Troy Nelson takes us through the history of the band and introduces us to the people responsible for the quick and collaborative making of Years to Burn. Recorded 08/25/2019. Father Mountain Midnight Sun He Lays In The Reins Bring On The Dancing Horses Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For his third KEXP in-studio performance as Hiss Golden Messenger, folk-rocker M.C. Taylor brought a whole gang of talented musicians to join him. Flanked by Phil Cook, Chris Boerner, Erin Rae, Alex Bingham, and Al Smith, the sextet played a stunning set of songs off Hiss Golden Messenger’s latest record, 'Terms of Surrender.’  Recorded 10/11/2019. I Need A Teacher Down At The Uptown Bright Direction (You’re a Dark Star Now) Terms Of Surrender Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greek-Sudanese musician Marina Satti and her ever-present all-female polyhphonic vocal group Fonέs wowed the audience at the La Chapelle by le Studio in Rennes, France during Trans Musicales this past December with their modern take on Greek, Balkan, Arabic, and Middle-Eastern sounds. After having gone viral in 2017 with her single-shot video for “Mantissa,” Satti has become a beloved figure and inspiration to young people across Greece. Recorded 12/04/2019. Koupes (Cups) Chichovite Konye Mantissa (Fortune Teller) Savvato Vradi (Saturday Night) Hilii Mastori (One Thousand Craftsmen) Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Burien’s biggest musical export Travis Thompson has been building buzz since signing a record deal with major label Epic last year to release his latest album Reckless Endangerment. Filling the KEXP stage with a full band, the young rapper spits his flows gracefully and effortlessly like a seasoned pro. Thompson and Audioasis host Eva Walker chat about their common history of starting out in local arts program Youth Speaks, the joy of making music videos, and working with Macklemore. Recorded 01/07/2020. The Move Malice Mad Mad World Don't Run Read KEXP's interview with Travis ThompsonSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you wondering about changes you've noticed to the KEXP podcasts lately? In addition to the name change (from "Live Performances" to simply "Live on KEXP") and the new graphic that nods to KEXP's iconic Live Room lights, we've got some more exciting updates in store...  Sit back and let your new host, KEXP's own DJ Troy Nelson, tell you all about the changes that will go into effect starting Tuesday, April 28th. Here's a summary: The publishing schedule will move to once per week New episodes will be published on Tuesdays We'll feature a short "story-time" before each session to give you some background on the music, including anything from interviews with the artists to band origin stories to drummer jokes You'll still hear a carefully curated selection of KEXP's one-of-a-kind, world-renowned live sessions. So stay tuned and enjoy!Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bandcamp page housing Kikagaku Moyo’s discography simply describes the band as “feeling good music.” It’s succinct and perhaps reductive to the intricate tapestry of sounds the Japanese band weaves but nonetheless completely accurate. In November, they made a crowd of VIP donors at The Triple Door feel very good while basking in the haze of Kikagaku Moyo’s free flowing psychedelic folk for KEXP’s VIP Club Concert series. Recorded 11/29/2019. Old Snow, White Sun Cardigan Song Green Sugar Nazo Nazo Kodama Gatherings Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This past fall, beloved KEXP show Street Sounds went live with a performance in the Gathering Space from notable hip hop and R&B artists. The first to take the stage was electro-soul duo Soultanz. A collaboration between producer Jared Rubens and singer/producer Shayhan Mashayekh, the two mix samples of samba, bossa nova, soul, classical, and classic rock with Mashayekh’s smooth vocals to make slick, funky, and original grooves. Hosted by DJ Stas THEE Boss. Recorded 10/11/2019. Give Patience Cherish Serenity Afterthot Bad Theory Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s only been two years since Los Bitchos uploaded their first bedroom recordings onto Bandcamp but they’ve quickly won hearts with their flavorful take on psychedelic cumbia. Currently London-based, the five talented musicians hail from Uruguay, Sweden, Australia, and England. For this breakout performance at Trans Musicales 2019, the band brings their sun-soaked rhythms indoors to La Chapelle by le Studio in Rennes, France for a blistering set of heavy grooves. Recorded 12/6/2019. The Link is About to Die 5 Years, 2 Years, 1 Year Pista Bugs Bunny Tripping Party Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Icelandic group Hatari are an experience unlike any other. Almost more performance art than anything else, their music lies somewhere between techno and metal with a sprinkling of pop while their stage show is an artfully curated futuristic BDSM anti-capitalist daydream. After a big year, where the band sparked controversy with their comments about Palestine before and during their performance in the Eurovision Song Contest, the band returns to Kex Hostel for a one-of-a-kind performance at Iceland Airwaves. Three years after their debut breakout performance at Kex, the band has pulled out all the stops, turning the hostel into a basement warehouse party set in 2054. Recorded 11/10/2019. Spillingardans Klámstrákur Biðröð Mistaka Klefi / Samed feat. Bashar Murad Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle-based Terror/Cactus bring their distinctive take on psychedelic electro cumbia to the KEXP live stage for this unique performance. As always, the band is donned in masks while showcasing instrumental songs from their 2018 sophomore full-length Impulsos as well as 2019’s Corriente EP. The band takes DJ Chilly through the decade-long history and formation of the band, which started as Buenos Aires-born musician Martín Selasco’s solo bedroom project and expanded in just the past few years into a full band, as well as Selasco’s collection of new instruments he acquired while traveling through South America that inspired the new EP. Recorded 11/26/2019. Sapo Enamorado La Quebrada Tambor del Monte La Corriente Watch the full Live on KEXP session on YouTubeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last fall, indie chanteuse Angel Olsen unveiled her fourth studio album, All Mirrors. An exercise in grandeur, Olsen is backed by a cinematic orchestra that takes her skilled vocals and introspective lyrics to new heights. While many artists could get lost behind a screen of smoke and satin, Olsen is simply strengthened by her transformation into an old-Hollywood protagonist starring in a movie of her own making. Olsen brings the string-filled spectacle of All Mirrors to KEXP for this in-studio, hosted by Troy Nelson in the KEXP Live Room. Recorded 12/11/2019 All Mirrors Spring Lark Chance Read KEXP's interview with Angel Olsen about 'All Mirrors'Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.