John Richards

Moby said in an interview earlier this year, "I can't think of many things to complain about but baldness and mortality.": www.theguardian.com

Moby sampled this song by Deep Forest in the previous song, "Flying Foxes." -- Deep Forest were formed in 1992 by French electronic musicians Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez. Inspired by the music and culture he observed on a trip to Africa, Sanchez delved into recordings he'd acquired on his trip, and he and Mouquet began sampling the native sounds for use with their atmospheric dance tracks. Deep Forest's sound has been described as an "ethno-introspective ambient world music". They were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best World Music Album, and in 1995 they won the Award for the album "Boheme."

Bluegrass legend Alison Krauss has just announced her second collaborative album with Robert Plant, whose birthday is today!: www.countrythangdaily.com -- Here's a brief history of this traditional hymn: www.thetabernaclechoir.org

“And we’re all so sick and tired of seeing things as they are,” he aches, “The horses are just horses and their manes aren’t full of fire, and the fields are just fields and there ain’t no Lord.” "Ghosteen" was Nick Cave's first album, written entirely after the death of his son Arthur in 2015. At the album's end, Cave reprises the Buddhist tale of Kisa Gotami, a heartbroken mother combing each house in a village for a mustard seed with which to save her child, the Buddha’s proviso being that the seeds had to come from houses where there had not been a death. She can’t find a single one. No one is untouched by loss. And this album finds Cave comforted by the universality of suffering, and the succour of those who gathered around him. “For we are not alone it seems, so many riders in the sky,” Cave observes.

"For three days in December 1969, the Stones stopped into Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama and managed to lay down three songs, one of which was “Wild Horses.” The composition of this plaintive ballad was begun by Keith Richards, whose first child was born in August 1969, causing Keith regret about going out on the road and leaving the boy behind.... He then handed the song off to his songwriting partner-in-crime Mick Jagger to complete the verses. And that’s when the track took a turn away from Marlon, the name of Richards’ little boy, and perhaps veered toward Marianne, as in Faithfull, Jagger’s on-again, off-again lover of that era...." American Songwriter discusses this song in depth: americansongwriter.com

“Polaris,” is the lead single from Damon Albarn's upcoming solo album The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows. www.damonalbarnmusic.com --- “Polaris" comes with a live performance clip that is shot in black-and-white and sees the Blur/Gorillaz musician perform with a string quartet. The video is the first in a series of short films titled "Sublime Boulevards – Performance Films.": www.youtube.com

This is the closing track on the Scottish band's tenth album. And now, here are 50 geeky facts about frontman Bobby Gillespie: www.nme.com -- Watch Primal Scream perform "It's Alright, It's OK" live at The Guardian's studio in 2013: www.theguardian.com

"We’re a million miles apart/In a thousand ways,” Minogue sings on this upbeat, introspective track. “Baby you can light up the dark/Like a solar-scape.” -- "Kylie Minogue is the most charming and unassuming pop superstar of all. She’s never been as provocative as Madonna or a vocal marvel to rival Mariah Carey, but her career has proven equally fascinating and enduring. The performer who was dismissively dubbed ‘the singing budgie’ when she broke through with The Loco-Motion in the late 1980s is now a gold-plated icon whose first name alone stands for joyous dance-pop brilliance." Read a tribute to Australian's best-selling female artist who released her fifteenth album, "DISCO," last year: bbc.in

Nation Of Language will be playing at The Crocodile on Thursday, October 14th. --- While you're waiting, here's the official lyric video for "Across That Fine Line," the lead single from their sophomore release: www.youtube.com

This song, composed by Noel Gallagher, is the favorite Oasis song of his brother Liam. Following the terror attack on Manchester in May 2017, which saw 22 people die after a gig by US pop star Ariana Grande in the city, Liam Gallagher performed the song with Coldplay's Chris Martin at the One Love Manchester tribute show the following week.: www.radiox.co.uk

Hi John! My wife, Leanna, is currently three days past due with our second child, and she is officially over it. Would you mind playing Elbow’s “Magnificent (She Says)” for her? Maybe it’s just the encouragement my daughter needs to make her debut in the world. :) Also, thank you for bringing so much joy and hope to our mornings, especially over the past 18 months. You’re a treasure. -Brian in Ballard -- Best wishes, Leanna and Brian (and children)! -- Paul McCartney wrote Elbow an email after hearing "Magnificent." Guy Garvey explained to The Guardian the former Beatle had been dropping off his grandkids at school and had to sit in the car until the song finished to find out who it was. Garvey added that getting such praise from McCartney means "my work here is done."

Today’s my birthday and I kind of don’t like birthdays except for easy excuses for joy and community building. KEXP is a gift I (we all!) get every day. It’s such a hard time and KEXP brings me so much grounding and joy. I love the community and hearing the notes others send to you. I’m so grateful for you all. If it fits the mix, I’d love to hear JAMC’s “Just Like Honey.” ~Shannon -- This was the third single from Scottish band The Jesus and Mary Chain's 1985 debut album "Psychocandy." It was featured in the closing scene of "Lost in Translation.": marciokenobi.wordpress.com

"Everything's Gone Green" is supposedly the first New Order song to feature computer-generated sounds.

Inspired by the likes of Primal Scream and Pink Floyd and produced in league with Rodaidh McDonald and John Parish, ‘Sympathy For Life’ (out on October 22nd) is, according to co-frontman Austin Brown, “influenced by the party." "[2018 album] 'Wide Awake!' was a record you could put on at a party," Brown explained in a statement. "'Sympathy For Life' is influenced by the party itself.": bit.ly -- Here's the frenetic video for "Walking at a Downtown Pace": www.youtube.com

Ahhh...the Friday song. (Thanks, Henry...and Kelton). Join KEXP on Thursday, September 9th for Music Heals: Mental Health as we acknowledge the struggles of mental health and emotional well being that so many of us deal with and how music can really make a difference. From 5AM-7PM we'll be reading your stories and playing your requests. You can send yours in today by emailing stories@kexp.org and then tune in on Thursday 9/9 to hear the stories and experiences of your fellow listeners.: kexp.org/musicheals.

George Michael was trying to free himself from the shackles of Sony, which was his record label at the time. They created an image for him to promote his Faith album, and Michael was now trying to distance himself from it. In the video, all the Faith trademarks explode: the jacket, the jukebox, the guitar. Michael was the victim of a Saturday Night Live skit mocking the video.: www.youtube.com

“I wrote [“Hopeful”] some time ago but in theory it goes far beyond a time and place,” Harding explained. “I’ve always tried to carry it (Hope) wherever I am. Darkness finds us all, hope allows us the fortitude to seek out the light. “ -- Directed by photojournalist Lynsey Weatherspoon, the song’s accompanying black and white video was filmed in the West End of Atlanta and features footage of a John Lewis mural and recent Black Lives Matter protests.: www.youtube.com

Today, August 20th, Angel Olsen is releasing an EP with ’80s covers called "Aisles." One of those covers is Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s “If You Leave” She says “...my connection to these songs is pretty straightforward. I just wanted to have a little fun and be a little more spontaneous, and I think I needed to remember that I could!”: www.stereogum.com

"Would you like for us to send someone to butter your muffin?" -- Amidst a night of hazy scenes in their native Isle of Wight, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers found themselves at the summit of a Ferris wheel. They decided to start a band. The band is called Wet Leg. Arming themselves with guitars, a penchant for French disco, effervescent imaginations and a shared love of the The Ronettes and Jane Birkin, through to Ty Segall and Bjork, they set about making some recordings of their own. Enter their debut single, Chaise Longue. wetleg.bandcamp.com

Good morning! Request for Amyl and The Sniffers - Guided by Angels because I NEED that shot of energy! Thanks for the sweet amplifier stickers 😉 that arrived yesterday. Best, Chris (Marquette, MI) --- The gentle "Guided by Angels" is the new single from this Australian band's sophomore album, "Comfort to Me," out on September 10th. -- In the video, Amy Taylor dances around and belts the song in various locales — a field, a storage unit, the ocean — as her bandmates stand cooly by.: www.youtube.com

"Surfing a wave of thundering drums, rumbling basslines and stabs of stormy guitar all unpinned by intoxicatingly rich vocals, The Violent Hearts post-punk groove swings with such confident swagger, you would think the band were seasoned veterans, not relative newcomers." Read about this band that grew from the embers of punk band Sharks: maximumvolumemusic.com

Enjoy KEXP's feature on The Linda Lindas, who have "the most fun job in the world. www.kexp.org --- This new single will be featured in the upcoming Netflix series "The Chair" starring Sandra Oh. The series is about an academic director whose identity as the first woman of color to lead the prestigious Pembroke University’s English department causes her to face a unique set of circumstances.

Oh! Watch Sleater-Kinney perform this one live in San Francisco in 2015: www.youtube.com

The Go-Go’s have announced a short run of concerts in celebration of their upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the release of their new documentary film The Go-Go’s. The West Coast tour includes a short five-date late December/early January tour with stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas (two nights), and San Diego.: bit.ly

Masked Swedish psych-rock experimentalists Goat haven’t released a proper studio album since Requiem in 2016. But later this month (next Friday, August 27th) , they’re releasing Headsoup, a rarities compilation that includes B-sides, standalone singles, and two brand new tracks, including this one, "Fill My Mouth." -- The band’s anonymous members claim to hail from the remote and cursed village of Korpilombo in northern Sweden, where inhabitants had for centuries been devoted to a form of voodoo introduced by a travelling witch doctor Read more and pre-order 'Headsoup' -- goat.bandcamp.com

Aït Mislayene was a Kabyle (Berber ethnic group from Algeria) traditional singer who moved to Paris to try his luck. He was driven by an Algerian manager who pushed him to make a "disco" album, a new trend at that time (1976). The recording took place in a studio near Paris, with an American drummer from the funk group "Ice". -- spaziale-recordings.bandcamp.com

This upbeat disco song was a US #1 hit for five weeks, at the time a record for a female group. It was written by Earth Wind & Fire members Al McKay and Maurice White, and also produced by White. Maurice knew The Emotions (the sisters Wanda, Sheila and Pamela Hutchinson) from his pre-Earth, Wind & Fire days when he regularly drummed for the then-teenage girl group on their gigs in the Chicago area. For White, writing this song was a way of expressing a positive feeling in a style much better suited for The Emotions than for his band. White says he would have never written this song for Earth, Wind & Fire.: www.songfacts.com

They're a little older than they were when they released this song in 1975. Watch a live performance from 2016: www.youtube.com

“‘Please’ is full of optimism and ready to be played in a place where we can all be together and flirt, dance, touch, and kiss,” Jessie Ware said. -- It's the lead single from the just-released deluxe edition (with six new songs) of Jessie Ware's 2020 album, 'What’s Your Pleasure?'. www.jessieware.com -- Watch the video for this banger: youtu.be

The Avalanches sampled Salty Miller's 1980 song with the same title. The Avalanches talk about this great song in this interview: www.nme.com

"What I love about “Up All Night” by the prolific internet mystery trio SAULT is that it’s the one song about going out all night that actually feels like going out all night. After a few seconds of tripping over their own shoes like a clumsy fade-in from the previous number—an illusion, as it’s the opening track on the album—the bass and drum settle into a casual, undemanding beat just a shade slower than the factory setting 120 BPM. It’s a dance number for the second wind, a groove that ignores the feet in favor of the hips and shoulders, for when your body is flagging but isn’t ready to surrender.": www.whatyoulistento.com

Good morning to my pals on the morning show!! Happy Friday!! It's my big brother Dale’s birthday, he's across the continent listening in Toronto Canada eh, if you can fit it in I'd love him to hear Bicycle by Queen. The weirdo big bro nomad leads bike tours across the world and that song always makes me miss him and love him a little bit more. Thank you for today and everyday, keep spreading the love and joy💛💛💛 Andie (ondee) in Seattle -- The song, written by Freddie Mercury, is notable for its video featuring a bicycle race with nude women at Wimbledon Stadium, which was controversial at the time, with the video being edited or even banned in several countries.

French model and actress Josephine de La Baume starred in the song's music video (which, unlike the Queen video, we can show you).. 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

It’s my birthday today! Can you please play Beautiful World by Devo or any other dance party song. I heard it a couple of weeks ago and tried to have a virtual dance party with my first graders. It turned out to be a dance party by myself. Maybe I will have more luck today since it’s my birthday. Thank you for all that you do! --Amber -- Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale tried to sing like Stan Ridgway of Wall Of Voodoo ("Mexican Radio") on this track. "I don't know why, but we could imagine Stan singing that song," Mothersbaugh said. "So we were both trying to fake his accent and Jerry did a great job so he ended up singing on the record."

Kristen: you are truly never alone when you think about how many people are singing « LEONARD BERNSTEIN » at the same time. --- This was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, especially the way Dylan sang "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Michael Stipe had once imitated Dylan in a low-budget film called Just Like a Movie, which was a play on the Dylan song "Just Like A Woman." -- The Mayans' doomsday prophesy of the end of the world for December 21, 2012, may not have happened, but this song registered a hefty surge in sales and airplay in the days before the potentially apocalyptic event. Most notably in Calgary, Canada, where according to a tweet of theirs, the alternative CFEX (X92.9) station played this tune "156 times in a row by our count."

Watch Satchmo sing this wonderful song live: www.youtube.com

Bono describes this song as about "a man who has lost everything, but finds joy in what he still has." Musician Nichole Nordeman, who has covered this song, said: "'Beautiful Day' just cries out for what's ahead. What's next. The light peering over the hill. The dawn. The crack in the heavy drapes. Don't let it get away." - bit.ly -- See U2 playing "Beautiful Day" live From The FleetCenter, Boston, MA in 2001: youtu.be

New Music! The Weeknd has released a new single, “Take My Breath.” In a new interview in GQ, the Weeknd said his next record is “the album [he’s] always wanted to make.” GQ describes the album as “Quincy Jones meets Giorgio Moroder meets the best-night-of-your-(bleeping)-life party records.” bit.ly The Weeknd plays Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, March 4th, 2022. bit.ly