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Later this month, when Ryan Adams takes the stage at Benaroya Hall for City Arts Fest, he will be doing so as a solitary artist coming off a two-year respite from performing that ended earlier this summer when he took a brief tour of the...
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The hype surrounding Amon Tobin, the true headliner and centerpiece of Decibel Festival (sorry Moby, and it was never going to be Ladytron, despite the large font size on the posters), was akin to 14th-century village rumors of an famed...
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Zomby does not give a fook about you, me, or anyone else.
Despite having his face carefully concealed throughout his set with his trademark customized Guy Fawkes theatrical false face (think the pearly “V for Vendetta” disguise with splashes...
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Another Bumbershoot weekend has finally passed. As usual, there were the expected, the unexpected, the highly anticipated, and the most talked about. With so much going on, we did our best to capture them all.
1. Hall and...
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Blue lazers and giant visuals collided as highly-acclaimed boogie-funk evangelist Dam-Funk wailed on a red keytar (it was awesome) in a DJ-booth window cut out of the center of a large video wall. Singing, exhorting the crowd, and...
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Bumbershoot is a functional festival, from the line-up to the location. There's no really big, must-see names; no Jay-Z, U2, or Arcade Fire. There's also no remote setting; no stunning vistas of the Gorge or the seclusion of Doe Bay. And...
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Rapping in Swahili, French, and Tshiluba (an official tongue of his native Congo)—often in the same sentence—Baloji is not just one fresh voice but many. Declarative, punchy statements form the backbone of his verses as he seeks not to rhyme...
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Since 2003, the Mayor's Arts Awards have celebrated the creative impact of artists and organizations in Seattle. This Thursday afternoon, the Mayor, the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and members of the arts community will gather...
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The Hop are a 12-piece live hip-hop band from Paris that formed a little over a year ago, take their name from a Tribe Called Quest song, have performed backing band duties for Dead Prez, and play with a talent and schooling that would give...
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Mali folk hip-hop trio SMOD craft soothing, effervescent rap music that is as simple and straight-forward as the meaning behind their seemingly cryptic band name. (The meaning: It's the initials of each of SMOD's original members, Sam, Mouzy...
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“Hello!!”
Instantly cheery and friendly, the biggest surprise about seeing Adele off record and in person is that she's not in fact the moody cow her songs would have you believe.
“Sorry for canceling before!” Adele said with breezy candor,...
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Detroit rapper Invincible is as notable for her uncompromising, talk-the-talk rhyming as she is for her uncompromising, walk-the-walk community activism.
Unlike other artists who keep their music front and center while engaging in token...
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Nine things to love about Japanese hip-hop crew GAGLE and their video for “Rap Wonder DX”:
1. GAGLE (pronounced “Gaggle”) are a trio of devout hip-hop heads from Sendai in northern Japan whose names are DJ Mitsu The Beats, MC Hunger, and DJ...
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One of Ghana's more playful poets, Wanlov the Kubolor's head may be in the clouds but his feet are planted on the dusty African road.
Staunchly committed to walking barefoot, eschewing trousers and life's other non-essentials—the rapper...
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Ana Tijoux is Chile's fastest rising hip-hop star.
Born in France to Chilean parents living in political exile during Pinochet's dictatorship, Tijoux returned to Santiago as a teenager in the early '90s. She started rapping in French and...
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Thursday night at the Moore, Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings took their audience on a stirring and political road trip through Dixieland with the windows down, summer country air rustling through the fields....
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It's been a while since a rapper who sounds so tired sounded so exciting.
Ghostpoet, the 24-year-old MC from Islington, North London, via the concrete-clad environs of Coventry in the UK's Midlands, rhymes with a lethargy usually more...
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Local filmmaker Bobby McHugh recently directed a music video for Seattle band, Black Whales, whose latest album, Shangri La Indeed, was released earlier this month. Backed by a nearly nonexistent budget and plenty of friends eager to help...
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City Arts recently highlighted Macklemore and Shabazz Palaces, two Seattle musicians pushing hip-hop forward in 2011. Both bring to the genre a calm and confident blast of Pacific Northwest air.
Macklemore's earnest flow is excited and...
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Two Gallants laid waste to Neumos Monday night. An enthusiastic crowd of about 400 was treated to an hour-long set of old favorites, several new songs, a couple covers, and one ages-old 2Gs favorite recently unearthed. Adam Stephens'...
