John Richards

It is Mozart's birthday! 1-27-1756 Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works of virtually every genre of his time. His elder colleague Joseph Haydn wrote: "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years". Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor was composed in 1791 and was left unfinished at the time of his death. Mozart composed his Requiem with the belief it was for himself. The work was commissioned by an anonymous nobleman, who had intended to pass off the work as his own.

The Race for Space is the second studio album by British alternative group Public Service Broadcasting. Working with sound samples from the British Film Institute, the album relives the story of the American and Soviet space race from 1957–1972. This track features the speech by John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1962 at Rice University. --- Here's Public Service Broadcasting performing live in the KEXP studio in 2017: www.youtube.com

This track celebrates the first human orbit of the Moon by NASA's Apollo 8 mission from December 1968 -- the mission which produced the famous image "Earthrise", called the most important environmental photo ever. en.wikipedia.org

This was the last song on 'The Seldom Seen Kid' to be written. Garvey explained to the Manchester Evening News: "We were buzzing, we'd just got our new deal and it was like a breath of fresh air. It was like 'thank God that's happened at last, let's chuck this song together'. It was dead simple. We wanted to do something very uplifting and very positive. That's where the line 'One day a year like this will see me right' comes from. It's very northern, and that's maybe why it's not done as well abroad. Maybe they can't get their head around it." bit.ly

Peter Bjorn AND John all stopped by KEXP for a live performance in 2016. Watch it here: www.youtube.com

Deserta's show on March 1st at the Sunset has been postponed because well, you know, *everything*. Their second album, Every Moment, Everything You Need is out on February 25, 2022 via Felte. deserta.bandcamp.com

Porcelain Raft is Mauro Remiddi's main music project. The New York-based musician began his long, prolific career in Italy, the place of his birth, playing for small, local projects.

Warpaint have announced a new album—their first since 2016’s Heads Up. It’s called Radiate Like This and it’s out May 6th. "Champion" is about “being a champion to oneself and for others,” the band said in a press release. “We are all in this together, life is too short not to strive for excellence in all that we do.” Check out Warpaint's KEXP in-studio from 2016: bit.ly

Kae Tempest is on tour this summer in Europe and the UK -- here's hoping they come back to Seattle too!! For the new single, Kae Tempest is joined by BROCKHAMPTON's Kevin Abstract. Here’s a statement on the album from Tempest: The Line Is A Curve is about letting go. Of shame, anxiety, isolation and falling instead into surrender. Embracing the cyclical nature of time, growth, love. This letting go can hopefully be felt across the record... bit.ly

Brand new music from Widowspeak’s forthcoming sixth album out March 11th. widowspeak.bandcamp.com Here is what the band had to say: “At the beginning of something (a relationship, a project, a job, a new place) you have this very pure feeling toward it,” say Widowspeak about the song. “Everything feels less complicated because you’re oriented wholly toward that potential. It’s undefined, and that makes it easier to understand, because you can’t see the problems yet. As time goes on, you learn more, you experience more, and you see where the limitations exist: Not even necessarily ones imposed upon you, but where you draw your own lines. Maybe you can’t see what was holding you back until it’s in the past, and by then others’ perspectives contradict your own.”

Kurt Cobain listed She Hangs Brightly in his top fifty albums of all time. Here is the entire handwritten list: bit.ly

Josiah Johnson is playing at the Sunset on March 9th! bit.ly “Writing “Hello, Hello on Fire!”, I was thinking about the legacies that I carry in me,” Johnson explained. “Are they real? Do they come from what happened, or from how I tell the story of it? Sometimes it seems like my history is physical and sometimes it is in my head. And is there a difference between those two things? How do I release myself from a history I don’t want to keep reliving? It can get tangled and overgrown unless I live in reality. Put down the backpack full of rocks. And at its heart, it is for our friends and for us when we lose our way and need to be brought back in.” josiahsjohnsons.bandcamp.com

Ahead of the release of his upcoming album FTHC next month, Frank Turner has shared a beautifully moving new single, "A Wave Across A Bay." Written in honor of late Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison, the track has been released with the blessing of his younger brother Grant, with Frank donating profits of a 7" single of the release to young people's mental health charity Tiny Changes. "I still miss my friend Scott every day," says Frank. "His passing left such a huge hole in so many lives. I wrote this song in his honor and memory, it was hard to write and record, but I think it does the man some small justice.": bit.ly

For David... -- Found on the third album from the Scottish group, released in 2010. See our tribute to Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit, which includes several videos of live KEXP performances, here: www.kexp.org

Hi, John! Today is Gillian Gilbert's 61st birthday! Might you be able to squeak in a New Order song this morning for her? Thanks and cheers! Chad in Detroit ============ In addition to keyboard and guitar, Gillian's voice can be heard on several New Order tracks: the 1981 single "Procession"; the 1983 single "Confusion"; "Avalanche" from the album Republic on which she sang a single word, "faith"; and "Doubts Even Here" from their first album, Movement. en.wikipedia.org

You rock! If you have time, my 7 year old son would love to hear the Ziggy Stardust song :) You brighten our mornings :) Thank you for your amazingness! Autumn and Elliott ========= YOU rock Elliott!

Bauhaus does Bowie: Looking back at their 1982 tribute to 'Ziggy Stardust': faroutmagazine.co.uk

Bauhaus' 1980 cover of the T.Rex classic

This was the first single released on Marc Bolan's own T Rex Wax Co label. Pretty good start.

This is Valerie June's lovely cover of T. Rex. -- She says, ""'Cosmic Dancer' to me is a reminder that we don’t have to waste energy saying 'shut the hell up' to any voice telling us that our light is not needed. We came to Earth to shine. We were called to radiate. There is one true belief: That we should spend our entire lives dancing in the light." The ballad has also been covered by Agents of Oblivion, and by Morrissey as a duet with David Bowie!

Released on this day in 1992. That's 30 years ago! The album, produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins, reached the UK Top 10, and in 2016, Pitchfork ranked Spooky at number 27 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".

Good morning, KEXP! Headed to Philly this weekend to see the War on Drugs at the Met. If you can worked it in, and "if it pleases the DJ," can you play some WOD to get me pumped up for the show? Thanks so much! Have a great weekend, all. Principal Todd ========= The War On Drugs is playing two nights at the Paramount - Feb 21st & 22nd bit.ly In the meantime check out their KEXP in-studio from 2017: bit.ly

I'm wondering whether you're fielding a lot of requests by Neil Young today. I'm betting Cheryl might play him today, but it seems like "Rockin' in the Free World" is an appropriate request to remind us of outlets for music like KEXP that aren't co-opted as vehicles of dangerous disinformation. Hugh Vandivier Indianapolis ============== In pulling his music from Spotify in protest at Joe Rogan’s Covid misinformation, Neil Young continues a life of political action

Old man down Way down, down by the docks of the city Blind and dirty Asked me for a dime, a dime for a cup of coffee I got no dime, but I got some time to hear his story

Morning John from -14 degrees this morning in the Catskills! I ’m a long time listener and tell all who will listen about the Morning Show. Today we are painting our son Karl’s bedroom who turns three next week. We will be tuning in together today around 11am EST and I’d love it if you could play some John Prine for us to keep the sweet vibes (and paint) rolling this morning. Thanks for everything you do 💙 x Charlotte ============ Read an interview on the origins of this song: www.washingtonpost.com and see John doing the tune: www.youtube.com

Born on this day in Salzburg in 1756, Mozart is now recognised as one of the best classical composers of all times, with repertoire spanning opera to symphonies.

52 years ago today John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single 'Instant Karma!' all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios and arriving in stores only ten days later. Upon its release he told the press that he "wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch, and we're putting it out for dinner"

"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.

Radiohead side project The Smile has shared a new song titled “The Smoke.” Following their angsty first single “You Will Never Work in Television Again,” the trio of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner chill out on the groovy “The Smoke,” a track that’s reminiscent of Radiohead bass-heavy classics like “Dollars and Cents” and “Lotusflower.” Yorke takes on the role of bassist on the track, as evidenced by rehearsal video of the Smile prepping for their first official gigs: twitter.com www.rollingstone.com

Chaz Bear, aka Toro y Moi, has announced his forthcoming seventh studio album, with ‘Mahal’ set to arrive on April 29 via Dead Oceans. The follow-up to 2019’s ‘Outer Peace’ was largely completed in Bear’s studio in Oakland last year, and features contributions from Unknown Mortal Orchestra‘s Ruban Neilson, Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo, Sofie Royer and the Mattson 2. “I wanted to make a record that featured more musicians on it than any other record of mine,” Bear explained in a statement. “To have them live on that record feels grounded, bringing a communal perspective to the table.”

Hi John, could you play a bicycle-related song of your choosing for my friend Chris on his 52nd birthday today? When I retired 3 years ago Chris took me on in his shop to teach me some bike mechanic ropes. The pandemic put an end to my “internship” but Chris remains a great friend and I’m eternally grateful for his mentorship. About the only thing I contributed was listening to KEXP each day, and when I drop in occasionally it’s gratifying to hear that it’s still on in the shop. Thanks and all the best, Barry in CT ============== Happy birthday Chris! ============== 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

Miike Snow is, in fact, two Swedes and one American: Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt. This is the first single from the Swedish indie pop group's debut album. Lead singer Andrew Wyatt has explained that the song has an ambiguous meaning; its lyrics can be interpreted as dealing with matters such as addiction, basic instincts or dissatisfaction when one's needs are not met by society. bit.ly

Pitchfork gave "In Ghost Colours" an 8.8 / 10 - check out their review:bit.ly

Like Mozart who died at 34 years old, Falco died young. Falco died on February 6th, 1998 after a car accident at only 41.

Happy birthday to Tricky, born Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws. He's 54 today! Tricky covering Public Enemy with Martina Topley-Bird on vocals www.trickysite.com --- Tricky on KEXP Live at Home: www.youtube.com