John Richards

Wild Pink's John Ross grew up in Florida and calls this song a love letter to the state. Ross stated, "“Florida” is a love letter to the state I grew up in. It has a bad reputation, which is well deserved, but I think it’s also a misunderstood state. It’s got its own thing going on if you look hard enough, and the natural beauty there is unreal. Florida is a rewarding place if you spend the time finding its charm. I grew up listening to a lot of Florida bands like I Hate Myself and Shai Hulud, which was really formative for me early on." - bit.ly

Bon Iver's new song ‘Second Nature’ is from Netflix’s forthcoming ‘Don’t Look Up’ movie. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon stated, "“I love the words, ‘We will see you next time… they’ll be water in the rain,’” Vernon says. “Like next time, we’ll have a new chance, but the irony is we won’t have a second chance when it comes to climate change.” - bit.ly

The National's new song, “Somebody Desperate,” appears over the closing credits of the upcoming Peter Dinklage musical film Cyrano. “We all have these deep insecurities when it comes to our hearts,” Matt Berninger stated,“It’s someone confronting their own insecurities.” - bit.ly

Fleet Foxes's new live album comes from a livestream concert frontman Robin Pecknold performed last year in Brooklyn, New York, which he dubbed ‘A Very Lonely Solstice’. - fleetfoxes.bandcamp.com

For Walt in Jersey, remembering his mother.

From their sixteenth studio album! - cowboyjunkies.com

From the debut album by Oregon singer-songwriter Margo Cilker. "On “Broken Arm in Oregon,” she sings about a woman recovering from an assault, painting the scene with a directness that underscores her trauma: “Now every room she sleeps in, she’s gotta map out her escape plan,” Cilker explains matter-of-factly. But she grows more animated when she tells you what that experience took from her: “Imagine all those hours devoted to bigger things.”" - bit.ly www.margocilkermusic.com

So glad to be tuning in today. Time for Broken Horses by our hometown lady Brandi Carlisle? - Kerrie on the island of West Seattle

Debut solo album from the lead singer and guitarist in the New Jersey bands Screaming Females and Noun - www.marissapaternoster.com

Beach House's eighth album, Once Twice Melody, will roll out over the next few months in four chapters leading up to the album’s official release in February. The song Runaway is part of Once Twice Melody‘s second chapter - bit.ly --- Beach House will perform at The Paramount Theatre on Sunday, April 3rd, 2022 - www.beachhousebaltimore.com

Can you believe this song is 50 years old?! It's KEXP's 50th anniversary, and to celebrate we're taking an in-depth look at each year of our history – from 1972 to 2022. --- "Vitamin C" is a song by the krautrock band on their 1972 album 'Ege Bamyasi'. Considering its short length and relatively standard song structure, it is one of the band's more conventional songs. bit.ly spoonrecords.com

It's KEXP's 50th anniversary, and to celebrate we're taking an in-depth look at each year of our history – from 1972 to 2022. This hour we celebrate 1972! --- Space exploration was big in 1972. The inspiration for Bernie Taupin's lyrics, however, was the short story The Rocket Man, written by Ray Bradbury. - bit.ly

From the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, this forms part of the Ziggy Stardust story, in which the end of the world lingers just five years away. This song tells of a salvation waiting in the sky, as revealed through Starman's messenger, Ziggy Stardust. - bit.ly www.davidbowie.com

This was written and produced by David Bowie. Mott The Hoople had a cult following in England and Bowie was a big fan. When Bowie first offered this song to Mott The Hoople, they recognized its potential straight away. The band's drummer Dale Griffin is quoted in Rolling Stone magazines Top 500 Songs: "I'm thinking, 'He wants to give us that?' He must be crazy!" - bit.ly

From the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, I've Been Loving You Too Long was written by Jerry Butler and Otis Redding and was first released by Otis Redding in 1965. This was Redding's best selling single and biggest hit while he was alive. - bit.ly

Exile on Main St. is the 10th British and 12th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Jagger played guitar on this, something he rarely did. - bit.ly -

Today we are celebrating 50 Years of KEXP with music from 1972! --- T-Rex leader Marc Bolan wrote this as an ode to his manager, Tony Secunda. "Telegram Sam" was Bolan's affectionate nickname for his Secunda. Other people who show up in the song: "Bobby" is Bob Dylan. - bit.ly

Inspired by the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray," Richman's band the Modern Lovers first recorded "Roadrunner" with producer John Cale (previously of the Velvet Underground) in 1972. This version was first released as a single and in 1976 on the Modern Lovers' long-delayed but highly acclaimed self-titled debut album.

Pop art icon Andy Warhol was also Velvet Underground's manager for a time , and it was he who suggested the song's first line. "He said, 'Why don't you write a song called Vicious?'" Reed told Rolling Stone in 1989. "I said, Well, Andy, what kind of vicious? 'Oh, you know, vicious like I hit you with a flower.' And I wrote it down, literally - I kept a notebook in those days." The song, like the rest of the Transformer album, was produced by David Bowie, who also supplied backing vocals for the track. - bit.ly

According to rumor, the Scottish rock band Stealers Wheel wrote Stuck in the Middle as a parody of Dylan’s vocal delivery and absurd, sometimes paranoiac imagery. Much to the band’s chagrin, the song caught on (probably because everybody — including Dylan — assumed this was a new Bob Dylan tune) becoming the band’s biggest (read: only) hit. - bit.ly

This song is about hope and courage for individuals who have experienced adversity in their lives but have overcome it. The1972 album, I Can See Clearly Now, by the American singer Johnny Nash, includes two of his biggest hit singles, the title track and "Stir It Up." "I Can See Clearly Now" - bit.ly

This was Paul Simon's first single as a solo artist. Simon wrote this in response to the Jimmy Cliff song "Vietnam," where a mother receives a letter about her son's death on the battlefield. Simon recorded "Mother and Child Reunion" in Jamaica using Cliff's musicians, hence the very authentic sound. - bit.ly

Hi John, This weekend is my 50th birthday and I've just canceled my party plans with hopes that it helps keep friends and family safe from omicron. Hearing you play all the songs from 1972 this morning is doing a lot to cheer me up! It is also the first year I won't be getting a call from my birthmom, who died from pancreatic cancer in October. When she and I were reunited for the first time, we listened to a bunch of songs from 1972 and discovered that we both considered Stevie Wonder to be our favorite artist of all time. Thanks so much for tying it all together for me this morning. Once again KEXP has given me the gift of transformative music just when I needed it most. With love and appreciation, Sue

“Keep talkin’ bout the president, won’t stop air pollution/Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that’ll help the solution...”

"A track on Black Sabbath's conveniently named fourth album Vol. 4, this one is popular with several famous musicians: Beck and Frank Zappa have both mentioned "Supernaut" for its awesome guitar riff written by Tony Iommi. "The title doesn't show up in the lyric, and the song doesn't have a chorus - it doesn't need one with Tony Iommi's guitar riff clearing the path." - bit.ly

This was released in the summer of 1972, when school really was out. In a 2008 Esquire interview, Cooper said: "When we did 'School's Out,' I knew we had just done the national anthem. I've become the Francis Scott Key of the last day of school." - bit.ly

This 1972 song was inspired by Mozart's "Piano Concerto no. 21. Diamond said, "This is one to which I never paid too much attention. A very basic message, unadorned. I didn't even write a bridge to it... I had no idea that it would be a huge hit or that people would want to sing along with it." - bit.ly

Pink Moon is the third and final studio album by the English musician Nick Drake, who got the name of this song from the Dictionary Of Folklore. It represents the blood-red color of the moon during eclipses. - bit.ly

Young Fresh Fellows cover 'Old Guy' by Wimps www.youngfreshfellows.net

New music from the Seattle based band. weepwave.com

By request! brian-eno.net

Brand new music from Widowspeak’s forthcoming sixth album. widowspeak.bandcamp.com

Wet Leg will probably perform this song live during their show at Sunset Tavern on March 26, 2022! -- Their debut, self-titled album is out April 8, 2022! Pre-order here: wetleg.bandcamp.com

Exile in Guyville was written by Phair as a song-by-song reply to the Rolling Stones' 1972 album, Exile on Main St. and this song corresponds to "Tumbling Dice." Phair recalled to Rolling Stone in a 2010 interview: "I remember thinking the most important song happens at the fifth song. Because in my mind 'Tumbling Dice' is the big radio hit." - bit.ly

Happy birthday to Chris Stein! The co-founder and guitarist for Blondie was born on this day in 1950. Also an acclaimed photographer, Stein has taken thousands of images documenting the early New York City punk music scene and his collaborations with artistic luminaries including Andy Warhol and H.R. Giger.

Look Sharp!, the debut album by Joe Jackson, was released on this day in 1979.

Armed Forces, the third studio album by British musician Elvis Costello, was released on this day in 1979.

The 3rd studio album by soul musician Curtis Mayfield was released as the soundtrack for the Blaxploitation film of the same name. It's considered a classic of 70s funk and soul music, and was an immediate hit upon release.