John Richards

Happy 59th birthday to Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, English bass player of The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, and Freebass, born on this day in 1962!

Featuring Tanya Donelly from Throwing Muses, Breeders, and Belly on vocals. "How was it singing with Tanya Donnelly on "Judy Staring at the Sun?" Rob Dickinson and Brian Futter of Catherine Wheel were asked in an interview. "It was fun. We actually did our parts separately, I did my bits in England and then me and Gil flew to fort Apache in Boston and Tanya did all her parts in about six hours. Then we took it back to England and pulled it apart and put it back together. It was kind of a disjointed way of doing it but it worked out very well." tinyurl.com

"'Wounds Of Love' is a song about getting caught in a mental feedback loop when a relationship ends. It’s an endless inner argument — wanting to move on defiantly, but feeling utterly lost about how to do it when the other person has informed so much about how you see yourself." --Ian Devaney, Nation of Language frontman. tinyurl.com Nation of Language was LIVE on KEXP on October 13th of this year! Check out the performance here: youtu.be --- 'A Way Forward' is out now! Nation of Language will be playing here in Seattle at The Crocodile on March 24, 2022! nationoflanguage.bandcamp.com

'Policy of Truth' was the 3rd single off Depeche Mode's album Violator, released in 1990. As of May 2017, “Policy Of Truth” is the only Depeche Mode single to do better in the US than the UK! tinyurl.com

The video for "Secret" shows various vintage black & white film clips, including footage of The Beatles, interspersed with new black & white footage of Paul Humphreys and a woman processed to look like old home movies; additionally there are colour scenes of Humphreys singing. The theme is that a woman deserts her current love interest (Andy McCluskey) to return to the arms of her true love (Humphreys). Check out the 1985 official video for Secret here: youtu.be

Austin shoegaze 4-piece Blushing have just released a new single featuring Miki from Lush/Piroshka from their forthcoming LP “Possessions” out February 18, 2022 Read our KEXP Premiere article about the new track here: www.kexp.org weareblushing.bandcamp.com

"Good morning, John. I'd love to hear Arcade Fire, put your money on me. Thanks buddy" --KC in Kirkland -- According to Win Bitler of Arcade Fire, influences for the song included Marvin Gaye’s 'Sexual Healing,' Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack, the “magical” sound of slot machines clanging, and the vocal harmonies of ABBA. tinyurl.com

Yazoo, who were known in America as Yaz, lasted just two albums, with Clarke and vocalist Alison Moyet each contributing songs, but writing separately. -- The music video for the song features Moyet and Clarke in a sort of haunted mansion with Clarke cast in the role of Victor Frankenstein. Watch the video here: www.youtube.com

Smile is the side project of Joakim Åhlund and Björn Yttling (of Peter Bjorn and John). “Call My Name" features Robyn on vocals, who said in a recent press release, “I love singing ‘Call My Name’ and it was a true pleasure to record it and rave around in this beautiful song together with Joakim and Björn.” According to Björn Yttling, “‘Call My Name’ is a quite simple song about unconditional love, and the will to try and protect the one you love from a chaotic and threatening outside world.” tinyurl.com Smile’s upcoming LP "Phantom Island," is due out November 19th.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World was the first US #1 hit for Tears for Fears. The track title is also a lyric from the 1980 Clash Song "Charlie Don't Surf." Did Tears for Fears elevate the line? According to Joe Strummer of The Clash, they did. In a recounted story in Musician Magazine, Strummer confronted Roland Orzabal in a restaurant, informing Orzabal that "you owe me a fiver." Strummer said that Roland reached in his pocket and produced a five pound note, ostensibly as compensation for poaching the line for his hit title!

“No Movement was written in the jam room and built around the simple organ riff, despite its title the song is full of dynamic and interplay between the instruments. It’s a favourite of ours to play live. The lyrics explore themes of anxiety and rumination, shaping a loose narrative around a character paralysed by fear and intrusive thoughts unable to move forward in life.“ -Screensaver, about "No Movement" tinyurl.com Official Video Here: youtu.be screensaver.bandcamp.com

"Good Morning Would you play “Crash” by The Primitives this morning?" --Brian

“Wet Dream is a breakup song; it came about when one of my exes went through a stage of texting me after we’d broken up telling me that ‘he had a dream about me’." - Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg. Watch the quite interesting lobster-filled video for 'Wet Dream': youtu.be wetlegband.com

The lyrics to 'Down by the Water' narrate the story of a woman drowning her daughter and reference the traditional American folk song "Salty Dog Blues" by Lead Belly. The music video, directed by Maria Mochnacz, features a glamorous Harvey wearing a large wig, a look she dubbed "Joan Crawford on acid." Harvey said the exaggerated makeover reflected her love of dressing up and trying new styles, but she admitted to The Guardian, "There was confusion with myself at that time as to who or what I was, and it was a way of looking for answers." She told MTV: "Making that video was very scary for me. I think it was most frightening because the wig was so heavy that when I went under the water, it really was hard to get to the surface again." tinyurl.com Check out the Official Video here: youtu.be

"Good morning, friends! It's my birthday (halfway to 90, and on a Tuesday!) and to emotionally prepare myself for going to work I'd love to hear some old school Radiohead, dealer's choice." --Becca -- "Karma is important. The idea that something like karma exists makes me happy. It makes me smile. 'Karma Police' is dedicated to everyone who works for a big firm. It's a song against bosses" -Thom York on the concept of Karma Police.

From Dinosaur Jr's fifth album, Where You Been (1993). J Mascis recalled the story behind "Start Choppin" in an interview with Rolling Stone: "I remember the title came about because we cut the tape to put some different versions together. I think I just said, "Start chopping," or something. All the stops and starts is just how the song was written. I think the edits were just, like, maybe the verse sounded better on one take, so we could end the whole thing. It wasn't very big edits on tape; it was little things. It was just like one verse or another."

Tom McGreevy, 1/2 of the Toronto duo Ducks Ltd. shared his recollection of the song in a press release: "This song is about personal connection in an environment that is hostile to it, and about friendships with people who are physically distant. Me and Evan (Lewis) have both moved around a lot, and have friends in far-off places we don’t see as often as we’d like. In fact, we partly made this record while Evan was living in Australia and I was in Toronto. Some of those friendships are extremely important to me, and the song is kind of about grasping for those lifelines when it’s particularly difficult to believe that things are going to work out, or if there’s even any point in trying.” www.stereogum.com

"Morning John, if it pleases the DJ.. little Matthew Sweet this morning.. your not alone.. thank you" - Rob -- Girlfriend is the third studio album by American alternative rock musician Matthew Sweet, released in 1991. The album was ranked at number 61 on Paste magazine's list of "The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s". A few years ago, a theatrical production entitled 'Girlfriend', inspired by Sweet's album, debuted in 2010 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California. The play was written by Todd Almond with songs from the album Girlfriend as well as subsequent Matthew Sweet albums. tinyurl.com

Bartees Strange will be LIVE on KEXP on Thursday, December 16 at 3:00 PM. This session is not open to the public, so be sure to tune in! bit.ly Bartees Strange is opening for Courtney Barnett at The Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, December 14. bit.ly barteesstrange.bandcamp.com

"To me, this song is about the magic of finding those few people in your life with whom you really connect and feel a common sense of understanding and belonging. Kristin had suggested “a love letter to the band” as a concept for this music video, and getting into a van with some of my favorite people to go see a small and obscure corner of the world seemed fitting. We hope you enjoy.” -Read more and check out the official music video at Under the Radar: bit.ly theshivas.bandcamp.com

"Good morning John, Thanks for the great selection of music making my afternoon here in London UK a pleasant one. Could you play Drivin' on 9 by the Breeders please? Many thanks and have a great day." --from Julien

"What a week, huh?" -- me on Tuesday.

Curtis Harding will more than likely perform this song at Neumos on Saturday, January 29th! ‘If Words Were Flowers’ is out now! Check out visuals for "Can’t Hide It", which sees Harding performing on a fictional 1970s TV show called The Velvet Touch. Its title is inspired by a phrase Harding’s mother told him growing up – “give me my flowers while I’m still here” – which he said he viewed as a reminder to show love and appreciation for the people he cared about before it was too late. bit.ly | youtu.be curtisharding.bandcamp.com/album/if-words-were-flowers

Mitski will be playing 2 nights at The Moore, with CHAI, on Wednesday & Thursday, March 9-10, 2022. You won't want to miss it! That's why you'll have two chances to go! bit.ly -- This new single was co-written with Semisonic's Dan Wilson. Mitski said that the song depicts “the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame. It could simply be about that, but I also wanted to depict something sadder beneath the surface, that maybe the reason you’re always the one making mistakes is because you’re the only one trying.” bit.ly Official video: youtu.be mitski.bandcamp.com

"Mind Your Own Business" was the first single ever released by Delta5 in 1979. 40-some years later, the song made a comeback in a certain iPhone commercial earlier this year. How did that happen? Read the story here: tinyurl.com

NEW MUSIC from shame! shame are playing live at the Crocodile in a 21+ show on Tuesday, Feb 8 2022! Get tickets: bit.ly Kevin Cole hosted shame Live in the KEXP Gathering Space back in 2018: youtu.be

Television recorded Marquee Moon in September 1976 at A&R Recording in New York City. In preparation for the album's recording, Television rehearsed for 4-6 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. Richard Lloyd said they were "both really roughshod musicians on one hand and desperadoes on the other, with the will to become good". During preparations, the band rejected most of the material they had written over the course of three years. Thank goodness Friction made the cut!

Fontaines D.C. graced us with their presence at our studio back in 2018. Check out the full performance here: youtu.be fontainesdc.com

IDLES performed a live session very recently at our studio! In case you missed it, you can still check it out here: www.kexp.org While you're at it, their Live on KEXP at Home performance in 2020 can also be found here: youtu.be

'20th Century Boy' was recorded on December 3, 1972, in Toshiba Recording Studios in Tokyo, Japan during a session that ran between 3:00 PM and 1:30 AM.

"So it's a bit late in the show, but will you please play some Rolling Stones for my birthday. Going to see them Saturday." -- Jeff in Austin Happy birthday, Jeff!

Deciphering the Message will be released November 19th! Deciphering The Message is the new remix album from Chicago-based drummer and producer, Makaya McCraven, who has added a 'modernized bounce' to Blue Note classics by Art Blakey, Bobby Hutcherson, and Clifford Brown, among others. bit.ly

Big Daddy Kane joins Arrested Development in the 1st single “VIBE” - produced by British boombap extraordinaire, Configa - from their forthcoming album #fortheFKNlove. "VIBE" also features Cleveland P Jones & Tasha LaRae. officialarresteddevelopment.bandcamp.com Check out the video! youtu.be

Gabriels = gospel singer and choir director Jacob Lusk (from American Idol in 2011) + producers Ryan Hope and Ari Balouzian. Explaining the meaning of the track 'Blame', Jacob Lusk shared: “When examining our life’s problems, we hastily assign blame – ‘This happened because of this…’ Our song ‘Blame’ seeks to examine the construct of not only fault and shame, but take a deep dive into the world of addiction, and indulgence." www.thelineofbestfit.com gabriels.bandcamp.com

From the London-based musician's upcoming sophomore album, PAINLESS, out on March 4th, 2022. “It’s a record about emotion,” Yanya said in a press release. “I think it’s more open about that in a way that Miss Universe wasn’t because there’s so many cloaks and sleeves with the concept I built around it […] I’m not as scared to admit my feelings.” - bit.ly niluferyanya.com

The Metro is a reference to the underground transportation system in Paris, and the song tells the story of a woman riding a train to see a former love. Berlin shot the clips for "The Metro" and another song, "Sex," back to back over two days. Lead singer Terri Nunn was not happy about shooting the subway scene over and over. Exhausted, she got frustrated and started crying, which was the footage they used. Her anger and tears were exactly what the director was looking for. Official music video here: www.youtube.com

Astro, a reggae toaster and singer who helped anchor the British band UB40 for more than 30 years, dancing across the stage in frenetic live shows, singing lead on songs such as “Rat in Mi Kitchen” and performing a chantlike verse on the sunny crossover hit “Red Red Wine,” died Nov. 6 at 64.

glove.bandcamp.com Upcoming tour w/ Nation of Language www.glovetheband.com MAR 23, 2022 - MAR 27, 2022 Treefort Music Festival Boise, ID MAR 24, 2022 The Crocodile Seattle, WA -- Hi John, I'm the one who requested Glove this morning on your live feed. Here's my story: my boyfriend Joe turned me onto The Glove (can't believe I'd up to now been unfamiliar). Anyway, I was perusing their music on spotify, who had erroneously listed them as touring. Turns out it is a ban from Florida called "Glove". But being gen x'ers suuuuper into new music we gave them a listen and thought "wtf???? Who are these people????". So I started following them on spotify, and all of a sudden got a notification they're opening for Nation of Language in March. Immediately bought tickets (saw their first show, listened to your amazing in-studio). And now can't seem to get anyone at KEXP to play them. Which baffles me since y'all say you're into new music. Anyway, I thought to myself "John would dig this, he loves Nation of Language and Actors, I'll give it a try". So now I am pleading with you to play Behavior by Glove. My guy Joe would fall over sideways if you did. And I would be ever so grateful. Thanks, Stephanie