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How the 90s Changed Hip Hop Jan 05, 2021

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DJ and professor Davey D along with KEXP’s Gabriel Teodros discuss how consolidation and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 drove out small, independent and Black-owned radio stations. The resulting centralized playlists hid more independent and socially conscious hip hop artists from the mainstream eye.

“It’s the same five artists over and over again. What do they talk about? They talk about money, sex and things that are dehumanizing. What does that mean when white America is learning about Black humanity through this very narrow lens that only a few executives that are not from the culture are painting? It becomes an attack,” Teodros says.

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Music Deaths 2020: Deeper Cuts Dec 31, 2020

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As 2020 lurches towards a close, KEXP has been looking back at, and honoring, many of the music figures we lost in the last year. On Thursday, December 17th, KEXP DJs paid tribute all day long on the "People Who Died" show. But inevitably, there are more people to remember than there are hours in the day.

Sound & Vision’s Isaac Kaplan-Woolner brings a segment exploring some of the lesser known musicians, songwriters, and producers who passed away in 2020.

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KEXP's Favorite Songs of 2020 Dec 29, 2020

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Emily Fox and Larry Mizell, Jr. discuss KEXP's top played album and top played songs from 2020. Plus, KEXP DJs talk about their personal favorite tracks of the year.

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Reflecting on Race, Identity and Music in 2020 Dec 24, 2020

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2020 brought a national conversation around race in America. It’s a subject musician and KEXP Audioasis host Eva Walker has been talking about with her friend and fellow musician Rani Weatherby of the band Champagne Honeybee. Weatherby was adopted as a child from India by a white single mother who lived in the largely white Seattle suburb of Snohomish. Walker says this year’s conversation around race has been largely black and white, justifiably so, but she wanted to hear the perspective from a brown, female adoptee. Weatherby talks with Walker about how her race, background and upbringing has impacted her music.

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Calexico Christmas Dec 22, 2020

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Calexico released a Christmas album for 2020 called 'Seasonal Shift.' But rather than the typical holiday songs about good tidings and cheer, Calexico paints a more realistic picture of dysfunctional families, crying over a drink of Mezcal, and holiday meals ruined.

Vocalist and guitarist Joey Burns talks about the record and how it came together through collaborations with musicians from around the world.

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Bartees Strange Synthesizes Genres and Reclaims Space Dec 17, 2020

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Bartees Cox Jr., AKA Bartees Strange, released his debut album this year, entitled 'Live Forever.' His sound traverses art-rock, emo, folk, R&B and even trap rap. Though many are surprised by the effortlessness with which Bartees Strange synthesizes these genres, to him it’s all at its root Black music, and as such, he wants more kids of color to see themselves on that same stage.

“I want to reclaim that space,” Strange says. “That's kind of what the record's all about. People think it's weird to see me do this, but it's not.”

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Sigur Rós Goes Medieval Dec 15, 2020

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Iceland’s Sigur Rós recently released their first album in seven years, titled 'Odin’s Raven Magic.' It’s an orchestral album featuring a Paris-based orchestra and an Icelandic chamber choir. While you can hear glimmers of Sigur Rós’ signature ambient rock style and distinct vocals, much of this project sounds like something out of Medieval times.

“It sounds completely different from anything that we have done, [or] anything we will ever do again. At the same time it’s also completely different from anything I’ve heard before,” says Sigur Rós bassist Georg Holm.

Holm talks about the apocalyptic story behind the Norse Mythology poem, “Odin’s Raven Magic,” that inspired the project, and how it resonates today.

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Better Off Staying Independent Dec 10, 2020

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Seattle independent artist Mark Diamond was surprised when he was able to pay his rent through song streams on Spotify. By persistence in reaching out to individual playlisters on the platform, he eventually gained a million streams per month. He later got picked up by a subsidiary label of Universal Music, only to realize he was making less money with the support of a label. He tells this story in his latest (independently released) single, “The Ride.”

Diamond discusses his life before streaming success, coming up in the scene while self-promoting and holding a day job, his emphasis on connecting directly with fans, and his illuminating journey through the music industry during his time in LA.

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Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard on New Side Project, Painted Shield Dec 08, 2020

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Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard talks about his new side project, Painted Shield, with singer/songwriter Mason Jennings. Gossard elaborates on the fruitful collaboration and dives into the background of some songs from their eponymous debut. He also discusses how the relaunch of his label, Loosegroove Records, happened in part in response to the death of former band member, Shawn Smith.

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One Label's Mission to Support Artists' Mental Health Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Nearly two years ago, Toronto’s Royal Mountain Records became what might be the first label to offer a mental health fund for its artists. It pledged that any artist on the label could anonymously access $1,500 in funds to go towards mental health services.

Label founder Menno Versteeg discusses why musicians may be more likely to struggle with mental health, why the industry should support them, and ultimately why he stands by the fund despite it digging into the label’s bottom line.

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