John Richards

Good morning, happy Monday, and welcome to The Morning Show with John Richards! Thanks so much for listening. -- This fall (October 8th), Billy Bragg will release The Million Things That Never Happened. A press release calls it “the first pandemic blues album of our time.” Talking about this song, he says, "To me, this is the heart and soul of the album. I’ve come to the conclusion that empathy is the currency of music — that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation similar to that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve all been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, really resonates.": bit.ly

Watch the video for “Right on Time,” Carlile's newest single. The video was directed by Courteney Cox. The new album, 'In These Silent Times,' is out October 1: youtu.be

This Nashville-based artist releases 'History of a Feeling' on August 27 madidiaz.com

Wolf Alice are playing The Showbox on October 25th! Tickets and info: www.axs.com

New title track from TORRES' fifth album, out July 30th. TORRES plays the Tractor Tavern on Monday, Sept 27th - torresmusicofficial.com

Watch a live performance by Piroska for KEXP listeners during International Clash Day from London: www.youtube.com

For Lenny in Colorado, who says: "On Saturday morning my wife and I found out that we lost our brightest star our 29 year old first born son Tommy (and fellow KEXP amplifier). He had a love for music, a love for comedy, a love for people, and a love for life. We attended several concerts together but none more memorable than The National at Red Rocks. Would you please play something in his memory? And to help me remember that we are not alone. Thank you." === Let’s go wait out in the fields with the ones we love

For Brian in Ravenna... == There is an old interview where Billy Corgan is asked about the title "Rhinoceros." His response was the following: “Say you write a song about a chandelier, and the chandelier gives off light. And the light is the color red and red reminds you of the color you're not supposed to wear around a bull. So you name the song 'Cow'." imdb.to

Nation of Language are at The Crocodile in October 14th - get tickets: www.nationoflanguage.com

The Ocean Blue played this song and others for KEXP listeners during a live NYC Cutting Room session in 2015: www.kexp.org

New track from La Luz from their self-titled due out October 22nd. Pre-order here and get some gorgeous merch too: luzer.online

Here's an exclusive interview last year with Dave Davies about one single song: “Strangers,” "his superb, elegiac song about the power of addressing uncertainty and how we find companions on the open road to fearlessness.": rockandrollglobe.com

A cover of the New Order song from 1985

Happy birthday, Betty Davis!

A new track from the Johnson City, Tennessee artist. amythystkiah1.bandcamp.com

In mid-June, Dominican/Mexican-American singer Ambar Lucid unveiled her highly anticipated EP 'Get Lost In The Music'. Emily Fox interviewed Ambar Lucid for KEXP's Sound & Vision. Ambar Lucid talks about how a trip on magic mushrooms inspired the title track of her new EP, 'Get Lost in the Music'. She also talks about a documentary about being reunited with her dad years after he was deported to Mexico, and how she hopes to heal her own and others' generational trauma through her music. kexp.org ambarlucid.com

Watch the new music video for this one! www.youtube.com

The anonymous British neo-soul collective SAULT have surprise-released a fifth record – available online for just 99 days (until October 22nd) that carries just as much political and personal weight as its equally vital predecessors. saultglobal.bandcamp.com

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band are a mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany. bacaorhythmandsteelband.bandcamp.com

The True Loves (with Smokey Brights) will be at ZooTunes on Wednesday, August 11th, 2021.: www.zoo.org

The first posthumous release from U-Roy, known as the "Godfather of dancehall," was just released. Boasting features from artists including Shaggy, Santigold, and Ziggy Marley, who appears on album opener "Trenchtown Rock," the album was originally slated for release in 2020 after being recorded throughout 2019. bit.ly

G. Love & Special Sauce is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Atmosphere is an American hip hop duo from Minneapolis, Minnesota, consisting of rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and DJ/producer Ant (Anthony Davis).

UK duo Wet Leg hail from the Isle of Wight and are comprised of Rhian Teasdale (who previously made music as RHAIN) and Hester Chambers. According to their press release, the decided to start a band together while atop a ferris wheel and cite everything from The Ronettes and Jane Birkin to Bjork and Ty Segall as influences.: bit.ly The video is just as awesome as you'd expect: youtu.be

For Amy in Ballard!

Former sausage roll technicians from Greggs. Rock band from Wales. Their first new release in over 3 years. thevegabodegas.bandcamp.com

As Husker Du put it, it's a New Day Rising!

"Good morning! We are on our way to have our first baby!!! We would love to hear July, July by the Decemberists as this transition is certainly and beautiful and strange one!! Thank you and happy Monday! Peace, Jessie and Marc"

In 1989, Byrne licensed the lyrics for this song (about a little kid who wants to keep the baby up all night) for a children’s book, with images by illustrator Maira Kalman.

The first single from the Swedish indie pop group's debut album. www.miikesnow.com

A cover of Daniel Johnston

Enjoy The Lightning Seeds playing "Pure" live at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham from 2016: youtu.be

An unreleased song about James Dean's haunted car.

Another unreleased track!

A resident of Topanga Canyon for many years, Tim Booth wrote the lyrics of "Beautiful Beaches" in response to climate change migrations and the subsequent increasingly regular Californian fires bringing devastation to his community. It was inspired by a friend who lost his 'fire proof' home and had to flee for his life to the beaches. and a recurring vision Tim had last year of earthquakes and fires in California - a vision which resulted in his family packing up and leaving the Canyon. 'That life we left behind, we're racing down to those beautiful beaches'. bit.ly

Seattle Rock Orchestra performed Arcade Fire at KEXP in 2012. Enjoy the Live Video here: bit.ly.

BFF's Mick Jagger and Keith Richards go for a walk, run into Ronnie Wood at a bar, drink, and then (naturally) start singing together ... www.youtube.com

Although never released as a single, “We’re Going To Be Friends” gained national popularity as the cult classic film, Napoleon Dynamite, used the song for its opening title sequence. Watch the video: youtu.be

Released on this day in 1969. 'A Boy Named Sue', was written by Shel Silverstein. Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded the song live at California's San Quentin State Prison at a concert on February 24, 1969.

Good morning, happy Monday, and welcome to The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters! Thanks so much for listening! -- Orville Peck's cover of Bronski Beat’s 1984 synth-pop hit "Smalltown Boy". "Rightfully recognized as a classic gay anthem, 'Smalltown Boy' perfectly articulates that claustrophobia of a boy who flees the place where he grew up because “the love that you need will never be found at home.” : bit.ly --- The “Smalltown Boy” cover was a one-off performance for Peck’s Spotify Singles, but he’ll release his new EP Show Pony on August 14th.