John Richards

"LCD Soundsystem’s second studio album, 'Sound Of Silver,' begins with a fairly obvious reference to Kraftwerk‘s 1978 'The Robots' on 'Get Innocuous!'. Though you might immediately assume we’re talking about that hissing mechanical rhythm that serves as an intro, the truth is that it’s actually the chunky, arped-out bassline. The overall effect is a tip of the hat to the legendary Düsseldorf outfit in the form of creative reinterpretation.": www.electronicbeats.net

What's that? The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion"? Yes, UNKLE sampled them, plus the Terrence Malik film "The Thin Red Line" and more.: bit.ly and www.whosampled.com

The legendary Tom Jones has shared his cover of Todd Snider's “Talking Reality Television Blues”. Jones' new covers LP is due out on April 23rd. About this song, Jones said, “I was there when TV started – didn’t know I’d become a part of it – but it could be that its power is to remind us how wonderful, crazy and inventive we are, but also how scary the reality it reflects can be.": bit.ly

Radiohead didn't play "Where I End..." live for nine years from 2008 to 2017. Here's that 2008 version, from the television show "From the Basement": www.youtube.com

Gidge is the the Swedish duo consisting of Ludvig Stolterman and Jonatan Nilsson. "'New Light,' their second full-length album, is a project Gidge has worked on for about 3 years. With this release, Ludvig and Jonatan crossed the seas to find new inspiration in the massive landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, USA. This environment – a place where great mountains, ancient forests, and never-ending oceans meet - helped shape an album that is signature for people that are familiar with the music from Gidge, yet, can be seen as their most eclectic work to date.": atomnation.bandcamp.com

Desire is the project of Chromatics mastermind Johnny Jewel and singer Megan Louise. Last year, Desire started releasing songs from a new LP called "Escape," though it is unclear whether that project has been scrapped. -- Watch the just-released video for "Zeros," featuring Megan Louise and keyboardist Soo Joo Park: www.vogue.com

This song is behind a famous incident. At the 1981 Werchter Festival in Belgium, The Cure were on before Robert Palmer and were just finishing their set. Robert Palmer, apparently getting a little pushy, tried to have his road crew hurry The Cure off the stage. Robert Smith responded by sassily informing the crowd that they couldn't play anymore, then played an extra-long 9-minute version of "A Forest." Bass player Simon Gallup put a stamp on the performance by shouting "F--k Robert Palmer" to a cheering crowd!: www.festicket.com

This is the only Top 20 hit in history in which the title of the song and the name of the artist are both palindromes - they spell the same thing forward and backward. -- Take an in-depth look at this hit song that marked a turning point in ABBA's history: abbasite.com

My son, Jacob, is celebrating his 20th birthday alone in his apartment doing virtual classes in Cleveland. He thought there was something wrong playing the birthday song playlist I sent since he's alone, so I wanted to see if you would play Robyn's Dancing on my Own to get him more in the mood to celebrate and to let him know he isn't alone today. Thanks. Sarah --- Thanks, Sarah, and happy birthday, Jacob! -- In an interview with Pitchfork, Robyn talked about the main lyrical theme of the album: "The whole album is about being really lonely, but I think it's interesting to put that idea in a club where a lot of people are crammed into a small room." She particularly wrote "Dancing on My Own" with that in mind, and continued, "I've been touring so much the last three years and spent a lot of time in clubs just watching people, and it became impossible to not use that lyric—'dancing on my own'—because it's such a beautiful picture." bit.ly

The Brooklyn retro-funk and soul collective known as Menahan Street Band has shared another new original single from their forthcoming studio album, The Exciting Sounds Of The Menahan Street Band, due out next month on February 26th via Daptone. The album will be the group’s first full-length studio album of new originals in nearly a decade since 2012’s The Crossing.: liveforlivemusic.com

Seattle electronic duo ODESZA has teamed up with Australian EDM artist Golden Features on a project called BRONSON. Enjoy KEXP's Sound & Vision interview about their new album, making music collaboratively from opposite sides of the globe, and the effects of COVID-19 on musicians' work: www.kexp.org

Back in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, Nilüfer Yanya played live in our studio. Check it out here: bit.ly -- Don't miss the "flight attendant" video for "Crash": www.youtube.com

Good morning, John! Today is my birthday, and boy does it feel like a big one. 31 has arrived and is bringing a wave of change with it. My partner of 10 years and I are moving into separate homes to preserve and strengthen our relationship with each other and ourselves, I'm on a new medication that (dare I say it) feels life changing, and I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I exist as an gender neutral/non-binary person. While all this growth is hard, I know it's what I need. So I'm dedicating this next year to myself - getting healthy, getting sober, working on my art and music more than ever. I was hoping you could play Bowie's Changes for me today, as a reminder to myself and everyone that changes happen, but if bowie could handle it, so can I. 🙏💕 As always, thank you for being here and for being you Jeremy in Seattle

As the frigid temperatures dipped into the 30s in South Florida today, I’m loving the vibe on your show today John. Got any low-key Eels? In memory of my little sister who took me to their show in Chicago for my 29th birthday. Love you Janine. -Erin --- Here's Eels in a great live performance in the KEXP studio in 2014: www.youtube.com

"Natural One" is a song by the band The Folk Implosion. The song was written by Folk Implosion's lead member Lou Barlow and Orbit bassist Wally Gagel, who also produced the song. It was released as a single in 1995, and was featured on the soundtrack to the Larry Clark film "Kids," but does not appear in the film itself.: bit.ly

"Ongoing Dispute' is Danish band Yung's frst new album since 2015. The band says “Above Water,” is inspired by Yo La Tengo. Here’s their statement: "For a long time we referred to this song as “The Yo La Tengo Song.” Finishing “Above Water” helped spark a curiosity towards a less obvious approach to songwriting. Originally, the song had a different ending but our producer swept in with a slick outro, which concluded the song in a big way. Lyrically, the song is an ode to individuals taking a stand against injustice and structures in society which oppose equality. These people often become the voice and the talisman of movements and generations, something that might come at a personal cost, but nonetheless something that makes way for dialog, discussions and hopefully positive change."

Holy Ship is a Stockholm band based around the talents of multi-instrumentalist Jonatan Westh (formally of Blackstrap), supported by long time collaborator friend David Götestam on drums. The single "Giant Step, Small Leap" is the first track from a new EP entitled "Les Deux"; the release date has not been revealed yet. -- Writing about the song Westh says that "Giant Step, Small Leap" is "a song about the manipulative games, observations and control people play when interacting with each other. Its driving fuzzed out groove portrays a vibe of one being closely studied.": www.nordicmusicreview.com

Watch the Spike Jonze-directed (and disturbing) video for this one here: www.youtube.com

Pussy Riot have released a new song “Rage” amid a surge of protests in Russia over the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova wrote “Rage” with Chris Greatti, who co-produced the track with Crazy Demxns. The song was supposed to arrive later this year with Pussy Riot’s debut album of the same name, but the group decided to release it now because of the political turmoil. With the song, Pussy Riot is calling for the release of Navalny and all political prisoners, including the group’s own Masha Alekhina, who is under house arrest and faces two years in jail for posting about and participating in the protests.

"March Of The Pigs" is the fourth track on 1994's "The Downward Spiral." It has one of the most unusual meters of any song to enjoy popular radio play, alternating three measures of 7/8 time with one measure of 4/4 time in the verses (in effect, a 29/8 time signature). The chorus is in the common 4/4 time signature. As a result, with eighth notes getting the count, the song has a BPM rate of 269.: www.nin.wiki

Hi John, I'm tuning into KEXP live for the first time from North Bay, Ontario. Love this morning show and can't wait to listen to more! I'd like to request an Idles song - anything to your liking. Thanks! --Dikshant --- "Not a single thing has ever been mended... By you standing there and saying you're offended... Go ahead, tell them what I’ve intended... I'll say what I mean, do what I love, and f**king send it..." -- KEXP selected "Grounds" as a recent Song of the Day. Download it for yourself here: www.kexp.org

This track features surprise guests: soul singer Sananda Maitreya (formerly Terence Trent D'Arby) and English folk singer, Vashti Bunyan. Bunyan appears only as a sample from her 1970 track, "Glow Worms"; Read a fascinating interview on how and why Terence Trent D'Arby became Sananda Maitreya: "“People ask: ‘Why did you change your name?’ When you have a psyche that’s no longer functional, you petition another psyche. You either die – you kill yourself – or you think: ‘No, I’ve got more to do.’" -- tinyurl.com

Don't miss Bartees Strange's Live on KEXP at Home performance, part of KEXP and Starbuck's "And to All a Good Home" series: www.youtube.com

Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington released their debut DARKSIDE EP in 2011, before sharing their first full-length Psychic in 2013. The following year, they announced that the project was “coming to an end, for now." They began writing new music together again in 2018. Their new album, "Spiral," will be released this spring.

Phil Collins wrote the song during the grief he felt after divorcing his first wife Andrea Bertorelli in 1980. All of the original songs on the "Face Value "album were intended to be "messages" to his first wife, in an attempt to lure her back to him. Collins said in 2016: "I wrote the lyrics spontaneously. I'm not quite sure what the song is about, but there's a lot of anger, a lot of despair and a lot of frustration.": bit.ly

The HU is a Mongolian heavy metal band formed in 2016. With traditional Mongolian instrumentation, including the Morin khuur, Tovshuur and Mongolian throat singing, the band calls their style of music "hunnu rock", 'hu' inspired by the Hunnu, an ancient Mongolian empire, known as The Huns in western culture. Some of the band’s lyrics include old Mongolian war cries and poetry. n.pr Enjoy the music video for "Wolf Totem" by The HU featuring Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach: www.youtube.com

Seattle band 45th St Brass are Trevor Parrish on trumpet, Dave Marriott on trombone, Peter Daniel on saxophones, Nelson Bell on sousaphone, Matthew Goodin on drums and Annie Jantzer singing up front. Follow them at their official website: 45thstbrass.com

KEXP recently premiered this second single from Seattle funkmasters True Loves off their forthcoming full-length "Sunday Afternoon," out on May 28th.: Ihttps://www.kexp.org/read/2021/1/21/true-loves-make-another-great-first-impression-kexp-premiere/

Damon Albarn’s ever-evolving project Gorillaz is one of the most diverse, wide-open, and free-flowing LPs the cartoon band has released in its 20-year history. You can read a full review of the new album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez here- www.rollingstone.com

The Furry Freak Brothers? Read the lyrics to "Can U Dig It?" to become familiar with all the cultural references (The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers is an underground comic about a fictional trio of stoner characters, created by the American artist Gilbert Shelton.): genius.com

M/A/R/R/S was a one-off collaboration between members of A.R. Kane (Alex and Rudi Kane) and Colourbox (Martin and Steve Young), both veteran 4AD artists. They took their name from the four collaborator's initials plus that of label boss Ivo Watts-Russell, who suggested they get together. Those four are the credited songwriters on the track. --- This song is made up of about 250 samples. The line, "Pump Up The Volume" came from "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim, which was released earlier in 1987. Other samples include Coldcut's 1987 song "Say, Kids What Time Is This" and James Brown's "Funky Drummer."

Tom Tom Club was founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being members of Talking Heads. The "Bohannon" lyric repeated in this song is an ode to Hamilton Bohannon, a percussionist known for his role as a leading figure in disco music. Bohannon passed away last year on April 24th at the age of 78.: www.nytimes.com

"On May 10, 1983, Ministry released their debut LP, 'With Sympathy,' a dark New Wave album that band leader Al Jourgensen later completely disowned. In hindsight, it's understandable why he dislikes the record: 'With Sympathy' is light years removed from the harsh electro-industrial-metal for which Jourgensen would later become known. Recorded in Boston at the Cars' studio, Syncro Sound, with producers Vince Ely (the ex-drummer of Psychedelic Furs) and Ian Taylor, 'With Sympathy' was full of British-inflected, slick synth-pop." Read more about this "disavowed" release: ultimateclassicrock.com

In 1985, The Sisters of Mercy split, with bass player Craig Adams and guitarist Wayne Hussey going on to form The Mission. This song attacks The Mission as Andrew Eldritch considered The Mission’s sound to be a copy – or corrosive version – of The Sisters Of Mercy. The lyrics are a parody of the clichéd meaningless rock lyrics that Eldritch viewed Hussey’s writing as.: genius.com

If you want, you can read "an incredibly long and stupidly personal story about Flesh For Lulu." It "includes fistfights with John Lydon, sword fights with Andrew Eldritch, gangsters, drugs, the Ground Zero of Goth, lesbian nuns and other, less relevant, stuff.": bit.ly

This is a cover of the T. Rex song, which appeared on their 1972 album, "The Slider." Watch the classic video of the Bauhaus cover: www.youtube.com

"We Appreciate Power" is the lead single from Grimes fifth studio album Miss Anthropocene, however, it is only available on the Japanese and digital releases. The song was supposed to be one of two collaborations between Grimes and American singer Poppy, for the latter's second studio album "Am I a Girl?". In an interview, Poppy mentioned that she wrote two songs with Grimes; one about "destroying things" and another about "power". The other song, "Play Destroy", was featured in the album. Grimes shared a lyric of the song with a photo of her with Poppy on Twitter on May 2018. Following feuds between the two singers, the song was released by Grimes featuring singer Hana instead.