John Richards

Good morning, happy Friday, and welcome to The Morning Show with John Richards. It's KEXP's Local Music Day (and there's lots of music to select from)! --- "River of Deceit" was the the first single from Mad Season's only studio album, "Above." The lyrics were inspired by Layne Staley's reading of 'The Prophet' by Khalil Gibran. --- Watch video of this performance where Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) stepped in for Layne Staley's vocals here: www.youtube.com

Chris Cornell wrote "Say Hello 2 Heaven" as a tribute to his roommate, Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood, who at the time had recently died of a heroin overdose. -- Listen to this incredible voice live when Temple of the Dog performed it in 2011 (That's Eddie Vedder doing backup vocals.): www.youtube.com

"Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" tells the story of Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood, his heroin addiction, and his fiancé, Xana La Fuente. La Fuente danced in a strip club to support the pair as Wood tried to break through in the music industry, hence the "dancer" in the title. She only lasted one hour before deciding it wasn't for her. --- Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, who later formed Pearl Jam, were in Mother Love Bone along with Wood, Bruce Fairweather and Greg Gilmore. The entire band is credited as writers on this track. Pearl Jam has played this song live many times over their career. --- See a hand-held film of a live performance at Bumbershoot in 1989: www.youtube.com

Jimi wrote this in 1967 for "Are You Experienced?"; it was inspired by his girlfriend at the time, Kathy Mary Etchingham. He'd gotten into an argument with her about her cooking. She got very angry and started throwing pots and pans and finally stormed out to stay at a friend's home for a day or so. When she came back, Jimi had written "The Wind Cries Mary" for her. Kathy Mary recalled, "We'd had a row over food. Jimi didn't like lumpy mashed potato. There were thrown plates and I ran off. When I came back the next day, he'd written that song about me. It's incredibly flattering." ---- Watch Jimi Hendrix performing this one live in Stockholm, Sweden in 1967 here: www.youtube.com

Go back in time to 2012 when John welcomed Damien Jurado to the KEXP studio for a live performance: www.youtube.com

Our hearts were broken when Brad's Shawn Smith died last year.: www.nme.com --- Read a KEXP tribute to this much-loved artist: www.kexp.org

I agree, Shawn was the best. Of all the people we lost his probably hit hardest. It was so surprising. He was the gentle giant. Great music and good times. Thanks for this show. I moved to Seattle in 92 because of music also. It was a great time. 💜 Erik in Portland. --- www.youtube.com -- Here's The Stranger's article about Shawn Smith: www.thestranger.com

"And when you dream...You dream of a day...When you find something you could love half as much...As you love all your little round mirrors..." Was this song about those shiny CD's?: songmeanings.com --- That's our own Sean Nelson on vocals in this live video: www.youtube.com

"Hammerbox was one of the few Seattle grunge bands fronted by a woman in the early '90s. Led by fiery vocalist Carrie Akre, Hammerbox equaled the untrammeled rage of their Emerald City peers but also inserted new wave energy in their typical Seattle blend of heavy metal and punk." Read a biography of this band: www.allmusic.com

Speaking of Carrie Akre....Seattle's Goodness was led by Carrie Akre, formerly of Hammerbox and also a solo artist. Goodness features Akre (vocals), Danny Newcomb (lead guitar), Garth Reeves (guitar), Fiia McGann (bass), and Chris Friel (drums). Akre, Friel, and Newcomb later joined Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Rick Friel to form the rock band The Rockfords. --- Goodness performed "Superwise" at Neumos/Moes 10/20 year celebration in 2014: www.youtube.com

Seattle's Visqueen was named after a brand of polyethylene film that United States Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge once recommended as a defense against bioterrorism. Here's an interview with Visqueen's Rachel Flotard: blogcritics.org

Shelby Earl performed this beautiful song in our Gathering Space in 2018 during our Music Heals: Mental Health show.: www.kexp.org

"Fleet Foxes officially formed in 2006 in Seattle, Washington but the seeds of the band were sown long before that. Robin Pecknold and Skye Skjelset, both skilled guitarists, attended the same high school. Eventually, they became best friends and began writing songs together in their basements. After playing live as a duo named Pineapple, Pecknold decided to change the band’s name to Fleet Foxes. The duo ultimately expanded its personnel to five members. Ex-Pedro the Lion drummer Nicholas Peterson joined them on drums, as did bassist Craig Curran. Bryn Lumsden replaced Curran, who had departed due to medical concerns. Subsequently, Lumsden was replaced by local Crystal Skulls bassist Christian Wargo. Another member of Crystal Skulls, keyboardist Casey Wescott, was welcomed into the fold as well.": www.amoeba.com

Want to know more about this important local band? Read about John Roderick, Eric Corson, and all the "members emeriti": www.thelongwinters.com

Fastbacks were a local punk rock band, formed in 1979 by Kurt Bloch, Lulu Gargiulo, and Kim Warnick. Check out a KEXP article about Kurt Bloch here: bit.ly

See the fan-made video for "Dancin' Shoes": www.youtube.com

Don't miss the opportunity to see the quite unique video for "Good Enough": www.youtube.com --- Then, read this KEXP Sound & Vision feature about Mudhoney's Mark Arm: www.kexp.org

This band, founded by Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer, has made many great songs. Here's a list of their "25 best songs": www.popmatters.com --- Watch them performing in 2016 in the KEXP Gathering Space here: www.youtube.com

Read a recent feature on "the rise and fall of Screaming Trees," from the perspective of guitarist Gary Lee Conner: www.kerrang.com

Singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile teamed up with Soundgarden to release versions of two Soundgarden classics, “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching With My Good Eye Closed.” It was released on September 26th as part of Record Store Day. The collaboration brought Carlile and her backing band together with Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron. Watch a live performance at a Chris Cornell Tribute Concert in 2019 that included Peter Frampton on guitar: www.youtube.com

"Hands all over the Eastern border...You know what? I think we're falling...From composure...": www.azlyrics.com --- This is an environmental song written by guitarist Kim Thayil (music) and lead singer Chris Cornell (lyric). It's about the abuse of mother nature (blanketing the ocean with oil, the clear cutting of old growth forests). Then the lyrics go on to say, "Put your hands away, your gonna kill your mother," meaning the Earth. --- www.youtube.com

Have a Sunny Day!!! Man I love this band. So blessed to have so much great music from Seatown! ---Neil ----- Sunny Day Real Estate's Jeremy Enigk graced the KEXP studio with a live performance in 2018: www.youtube.com

Both members, DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC RA Scion (Ryan Abeo), had been active hip hop artists in the Pacific Northwest for three years before they combined their talents in 2005 to form Common Market.: bit.ly

Blue Scholars performed this one live from the Caffe Vita Bean Room at the Capitol Hill Block Party in 2010: www.youtube.com ---- Donald Earl "Slick" Watts is a former Sonics basketball player. The video for this track (which names so many Seattle neighborhoods) is a commentary on basketball in Seattle and the memories it left behind. youtu.be

It's a treat to see two Seattle music greats --Sir Mix-A-Lot and the Seattle Symphony --together: www.youtube.com

This band was formed in the late 1980s by Roderick Wolgamott and Ben Ireland. Last year, John interviewed Roderick Wolgamott about the 90's music scene in Seattle: www.kexp.org

See Love Battery performing this song live in the KEXP studio in 2018: www.youtube.com

Childhood friends Chris Ballew (lead vocals, two-string basitar) and Dave Dederer (three-string guitbass, backing vocals) played in a number of groups and projects before forming the Presidents of the United States of America around 1990. Drummer Jason Finn, a member of Love Battery, saw the duo in 1991 and, after a few years of persuading, joined the band in 1993. Read a biography of this much-loved local band: www.allmusic.com

Tullycraft describe themselves this way: "Tullycraft is an indie pop band from Seattle, WA who formed in 1995. They have been associated with the genre of twee, in fact, they are considered to be one of the forefathers of the American twee pop movement alongside Black Tambourine, Tiger Trap, Honeybunch, and Beat Happening. They are renowned for their DIY ethic, only releasing records on independently owned and operated record labels." Purchase their music at their Bandcamp page: tullycraft.bandcamp.com

Someone wrote, "I have determined that it is an objective fact that Kim... is one of the top ten greatest pop songs in the history of the Universe." --- Joe Ross tells the actual story of Kim the Waitress here: www.angelfire.com --- Watch a live version from Seattle's Silver Platters Records: www.youtube.com

"Clinton Fearon was such a joy live this morning. I cried, I danced, and I felt the hope it is going to get better." --Ann Marie ---- "Thanks John. I really needed Clinton today. Put a huge smile on my face." --Grimes ---- Follow artist Clinton Fearon at his official website: www.clintonfearon.com