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Friday, Apr 2 2021, 7AM
Gabriel Teodros gave your daily show opener a shout out towards the end of his show, and I thought the same thing... it's like the morning officially starts with the vibe John in the Morning picks.
What's Going On starts with such a great vibe.... it's like, yeah we've got some heavy problems, but I'm still going to make something beautiful. Best to tune in every day.
-Jon
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Today is Marvin Gaye's birthday. He was born on April 2nd, 1939 (and died on April 1st, 1984.): www.rockhall.com
What would be in your list of top ten Marvin Gaye songs?: www.theguardian.com
This is Leon Bridges' cover of the 1971 Pastor T. L. Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir tune. Bridges recorded this track as part of the Truth To Power Project, a Texas-based initiative and creative endeavor to encourage people to get involved in their community.: truthtopowerproject.com
Sharon Jones covering Stevie Wonder!
This posthumous release of covers came out October 23, almost four years since Sharon Jones died at 60 from pancreatic cancer. : bit.ly
Brittany Howard covering Jackie Wilson!
“I first heard ‘Higher and Higher’ in Ghostbusters II,” Howard recalled.. “I became a huge fan of the song and of course of Jackie Wilson’s version. My solo band started playing the song on tour and it became one of those special moments of the show where you could feel the entire room locked in and the energy reaching the next level. I chose to release this song because it reminds me of those special nights with my band and for its message that through love we can be lifted up higher and higher.” - bit.ly
Menahan Street Band, an all-star Brooklyn collective featuring members of Budos Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, and Charles Bradley’s backing band, dropped their first album in nearly a decade back in February! The LP was recorded at the band’s Diamond Mine Studios in Long Island City, New York, and features an album cover by renowned artist Ariana Papademetropoulis. menahanstreetband.bandcamp.com
When talking to father and son Femi and Made Kuti, the two words that come up most often are “integrity” and “love.” In this interview, they discuss "Legacy+", their newly released double album that includes Femi’s "Stop the Hate" and Made’s "For(e)ward." This is 25-year-old Made’s first album, and 58-year-old Femi’s 11th. “To release this album together… I could not have wished for more. If people feel the bonding it might inspire them as well. I think it shows love,” says Femi.: bit.ly
The song's title refers to the nickname of a 1930s Italian boxer Primo Carnera, who won the 1933 heavyweight championship but was accused of being a Mafia-sponsored "false champion." The lyrics reference various opponents of American prizefighter Joe Louis, including Carnera.
Like many of the songs on the "Rumours" album, this one shows a darker side in the lyrics. It's asking you to move on, leave the singer alone. Fleetwood Mac was experiencing the shatter of all of their emotional ties with not one, not two, but three break-ups! There was the divorce of John and Christine McVie , Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks breaking up, and Mick Fleetwood going through a divorce from his wife.
Stevie Nicks is quoted in an interview in July 1977, explaining the acrid lyrics: "We were all trying to break up and when you break up with someone you don't want to see him. You especially don't want to eat breakfast with him the next morning, see him all day and all night, and all day the day after..."
The lyrics describe a post-apocalyptic world in which modern technology has been largely eliminated. Lead singer David Byrne, as the song's protagonist, is torn between his appreciation for nature's beauty and his dependency on such disappeared items as lawnmowers and fast food.
It's kind of the opposite of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi," where they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.: www.youtube.com
John was the host in 2015 when Young Fathers gave this stunning live performance (that included "Nest") in our studio: www.youtube.com
British songwriting and production duo Jungle have announced their new album "Loving in Stereo." The follow-up to 2018’s "For Ever" arrives on August 13th and it’s available for preorder.:shop-us.junglejunglejungle.com
The pair also dropped the kinetic video for the LP’s first single, “Keep Moving.”: www.youtube.com
Edge talks about the track and what it became:
There was a song called ‘Lady With the Spinning Head’ which we were really struggling with. It eventually ended up as a B-Side. But we tried and failed to develop it so many times. It actually spawned three different songs, “The Fly,” “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” and “Zoo Station”. If you ever listen to “Lady With the Spinning Head” you will hear elements of all of those songs. “Zoo Station” was a version that we took in a more industrial direction. Danny provided an incredibly mad intro which sounds like a keyboard but is in fact guitar on which I’m creating strange textures.
For our pal Kevin in Montreal..
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This single, a reworking of Todd Snider’s "Talking Reality Television Blues," is from Tom Jones' covers album, "Surrounded By Time," due out on April 23rd.
“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,” Jones said.: bit.ly
Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip are Daniel Stephens (aka dan le sac; production, programming, keyboards, guitars and backing vocals), and David Peter Meads (aka Scroobius Pip; vocals/rapper).
The name "Scroobius Pip" is an intentional misspelling of the Edward Lear poem, "The Scroobious Pip."
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"So I apologize for any mistakes I made...
And when my words misconstrued....
But this apology's to Mother Nature...
Cause I created you....": genius.com
Sleaford Mods' new album is their sixth proper as a duo and was recorded in a three-week window between lockdowns last year. The album title, frontman Jason Williamson has explained, comes from “the idea of the amount of people that died from the first wave of coronavirus; human lives are always expendable to the elites… We’re in a constant state of being spare ribs”. Read a glowing review of this stunning album: www.nme.com
KEXP's Owen Murphy interviewed Billy Nomates, who collaborated on the previous track with the Mods, for KEXP's Sound and Vision podcast, hosted by Emily Fox. soundcloud.com
True to their name, Balkan Taksim take the traditional folk music of their homeland and combine it with psychedelic electronic beats that their Romanian ancestors never could've imagined. Formed by multi-instrumentalist Sașa-Liviu Stoianovici and producer Alin Zăbrăuțeanu, the band thrive on stage. Support their music here: balkantaksim.bandcamp.com
Taking their name from a common stereotype of Indians in England -- that they all own small, corner grocery shops -- Cornershop were formed by singer/songwriter, guitarist, and dholki player Tjinder Singh and guitarist, keyboardist, and tambura player Ben Ayres after the 1991 breakup of a previous group, General Havoc. The remainder of their initial lineup featured Singh's brother Avtar on guitar and former Dandelion Adventure drummer David Chambers. Read a biography of this band, best known for the great song "Brimful of Asha": www.allmusic.com
The idea of basing a song on a single chord was something The Beatles had attempted with ‘The Word’, and was a direct result of their growing interest in Indian music.
"Indian music doesn’t modulate; it just stays. You pick what key you’re in, and it stays in that key. I think ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ was the first one that stayed there; the whole song was on one chord. But there is a chord that is superimposed on top that does change: if it was in C, it changes down to B flat. That was like an overdub, but the basic sound all hangs on the one drone." --George Harrison
Ahhh...the Friday song. Henry, we were waiting with bated breath! Help KEXP by taking our survey about podcasts, please.: www.surveymonkey.com
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I’m currently quarantined alone in my university’s quarantine housing, you have NO idea how happy Henry introducing the Friday Song makes me! ---Franny
According to Smith, "The song is about hyperventilating—kissing and fainting to the floor." The lyrics were inspired by a trip with his then-girlfriend (and later wife) Mary Poole to Beachy Head in southern England. Smith said the opening line of the song ("Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick...") refers to his childhood memories of mastering magic tricks, but added "on another [level], it's about a seduction trick, from much later in my life.": www.thecure.com
"Love Will Tear Us Apart was a cynical and tongue in cheek retort to the Neil Sedaka song “Love Will Keep Us Together” made famous by Captain and Tennille. The inspiration for the track surely was the fact that Joy Division recorded in the same studio the Sedeka song was recorded in—Strawberry Studios n Stockport, England. The song’s lyrics, in retrospect, were an obvious reference to singer Ian Curtis’ failing marriage.
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Here's the story behind the song: www.loudersound.com
Does this sound familiar?
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Watch the New Orleans band performing this Joy Division cover live in the KEXP studio in 2019 here: www.youtube.com
Colin, age 2 ½ gets to go to swimming lessons at the YMCA today and we would love to hear POOL PARTY before we swim! -- Megan
"What you gonna do at the pool? SWIM!!"
You'll want to own this song from Seattle renaissance man Rudy Willingham. John selected it as a free KEXP Song of the Day: www.kexp.org
French model and actress Josephine de La Baume starred in the song's music video. She and Ronson had been dating since 2009 and they married in the French city of Aix-en-Provence on September 5, 2011.: www.youtube.com
Datarock, derived from the Norwegian word for computer – datamaskin and the word rock (meaning rock music made on a computer), is a Norwegian electronic rock band. The band, known for wearing red jumpsuits, formed in 2000.: www.youtube.com
Muscles is Australian electronica musician Chris Copulos, who got his start self-releasing a compilation of 20 lo-fi experimental/dance/ambient songs burned on 80 handmade CD-Rs, and playing various open mic nights in Melbourne.
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"I don't need a number....
I just wanna dance with my shirt off..." th
Watch Muscles play 'Ice Cream' live at Studio B in NYC during CMJ in 2007.: www.youtube.com
Someone wrote, "How many times can you listen to this before it convinces you to quit your job?"
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www.youtube.com
Bachelor is a project of musicians Jay Som (Melina Duterte) and Palehound (Ellen Kempner). The duo stated, "We've been dear friends and huge fans of each other for years and were lucky enough to get to work together in January 2020 before quarantine.”
Hey John, any chance you could play some Pixies for my cat black Francis who is at home sick? 🖤 Lots of love. --Sarah
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Three different storylines are at play in this song. In an interview with Pixies frontman Frank Black, he explained the inspirations:
"Girlfriend. Unfaithfulness. Creepy pastor whose intentions I later questioned. In that order."
According to frontman James Smith, ‘Dark Days’ serves as “the last of four singles before we start work on the album, of which none of those songs will be on”.: www.nme.com
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Here's an introduction to this Leeds quartet, "brutally hilarious No Wave-tinged bangers embracing political divides.": bit.ly
This new single from Vancouver, BC band ACTORS is out today and you can buy it now: actors.bandcamp.com
The lead single from Echo and the Bunnymen’s 1984 album "OCEAN RAIN," “The Killing Moon” has often been described as the best song the Bunnymen ever recorded, and the band isn’t likely to disagree with that assessment. Indeed, lead singer Ian McCulloch once said of the track, “When I sing ‘The Killing Moon,’ I know there isn't a band in the world who's got a song anywhere near that.” More from an in-depth interview with The Guardian on how this track was made: tinyurl.com
This song, along with the rest of the "It's Blitz!" album, was produced by TV on the Radio's David Andrew Sitek and Nick Launay. "Zero" features saxophonist Stuart Bogie and trumpeter Eric Biondo from the Brooklyn based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra.
In his description of the song, Brian Case (guitarist and vocalist) pays tribute to another legendary ‘70s / ‘80s post-punk band: Gang of Four. “The song is about roles, perceived and assumed, and how we translate that with each other,” Case tells Paste. “This song fell out complete. Andy Gill had recently died and we were channeling Gang Of Four Solid Gold era, where it feels like everyone is playing a different song together.”:
www.pastemagazine.com
This third album from PJ Harvey turned 25 last year.
"Down by the Water" diverged significantly from Harvey's former indie rock and punk blues influence, opting to use electronic instruments such as a synthesized organ and an orchestral ensemble. The lyrics narrate the story of a woman drowning her daughter and reference the traditional American folk song "Salty Dog Blues".
This eagerly awaited debut full-length album from London band Dry Cleaning is out today! You can purchase it here: drycleaning.bandcamp.com
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Here's an interview with frontperson Florence Shaw about the band and the album: daily.bandcamp.com
KEXP recently premiered this second single from Seattle funkmasters True Loves off their forthcoming full-length "Sunday Afternoon," out on May 28th.: www.kexp.org.
Hi John ! How are you this morning? Today is a special day for me, 17 year ago I met my husband Steve and today I'm going to the interview to become a citizen of U.S. can you play a song to celebrate this day , thanks . You choose ! Thanks.
-Dino in Arizona
Hooray, Dino! It IS a "lovely day."
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Legendary singer and vocalist Bill Withers died last year at the age of 81. Read a KEXP tribute to this great artist: www.kexp.org
Hi John,
I want to thank you for the music you have played today and really, every day. My kind, loving and joyful husband, James, passed away a year ago from COVID-19. My loss and heartache is profound. We first met when we were alt rock kids in the 80's so you have played many songs that are so meaningful to me and would have been to him. We played Just Like Heaven at our wedding and shared a love of bands like the Cure, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Pixies, among many others.
We also loved discovering new bands through KEXP and one of the greatest has been IDLES. James and I went to the show at Neumos when Fontaines DC opened. Our minds were blown. It was totally amazing and James said to me with glee "This is one of the best live shows I've ever been to." That was pretty meaningful coming from a guy who had been to hundreds of shows over the years and even had his own band for a while.
In James's memory, would you mind playing some IDLES from the Joy as an Act of Resistance album? It will bring up some great memories of James and I having an absolutely awesome night.
Thanks so much, Nicolette
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See an extraordinary live performance by IDLES, hosted by John Richards, in the KEXP studio in 2018. It included this song, "Colossus": www.youtube.com
Former Faith No More frontman Chuck Mosley co-wrote their parody of the Live Aid generation of rock superstars. In this interview, he tells the story behind the song: www.loudersound.com
Want to own this "feel good music"?: delvonlamarrorgantrio.bandcamp.com
Okkervil River performed live in the KEXP studio in 2016. Watch the full performance, including "Judy on a Street," here:
youtu.be
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okkervilriver.bandcamp.com
Big Thief singer/songwriter Adrianne Lenker says this song is about a car crash and follows the narrator in disbelief, as she softly begs to join her lover in the afterlife. This track was KEXPs Song of the Day at one point in time. Subscribe and download the track here:
www.kexp.org
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Here's Big Thief performing live at KEXP in 2017, shortly after the release of this album:
youtu.be
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bigthief.bandcamp.com
Moses Sumney wrote this song after attending a protest in 2014 that resulted from an officer not being charged from the shooting of Mike Brown - "I felt like a camouflaged outsider at the protest, like an anthropologist performing a study amongst his own kind."
www.kexp.org
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mosessumney.bandcamp.com
San Francisco band Cold Beat make their DFA debut with 'Mother,' a collection of ten pop transmissions from Earth, 2020.
Wound tight with an energy that ricochets from one song into the next, 'Mother' was made while frontperson Hannah Lew was pregnant and considering the chaotic conditions of the world she was bringing a new human into.
“I found myself trying to describe our earth to a new human who had never been here,” says Lew. “It was a bleak year to be pregnant, but I was simultaneously filled with so much love and hope at the same time. I remember feeling a sense of wanting to show my whole range of self to this new person I was about to meet. In past albums, I sometimes held my artistic self in an ethereal place, but I found myself wanting to be very much on this earth and grounded during the creation of this record.”
coldbeatsf.bandcamp.com
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Watch the video for "Prism":
youtu.be