John Richards

Good morning, happy Friday, and welcome to The Morning Show with John Richards! You are not alone. --- According to Billy Corgan, pressure from his label to produce kept him from refining this song. Speaking with Creem magazine, he said: "I wrote 'Cherub Rock' in half an hour. I heard it one day while I was driving up the road and it was one of the last songs I wrote before we did the album. The thing is, there's parts of me that wonder what would have happened if I'd spent four hours writing it, and not done something else. How much better a song would it have been?" -- Smashing Pumpkins played this song when they were the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, October 30, 1993.: www.facebook.com

This was chosen as the Best Song of 2012 by the editors of Spinner and AOL Music. They said it contains, "every necessary ingredient for a great rock 'n' roll song: Loud guitars, a shout-along hook and a 'screw it all, we're gonna be all right' attitude." -- The song's music video was inspired by a classic '80s hard rock clip. "Our music video is based on 'Paradise City' by Guns N' Roses," guitarist Brian King. "When he [director Jim Larson] wanted direction I said, 'That's what I want it to be like.' : www.youtube.com

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been announced as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live for December 17th. It's their first appearance there since 2009. -- It's been almost a decade since Yeah Yeah Yeahs' last album, 2013's "Mosquito." Karen O stated, "Don't have to tell you how much we've been going through in the last nine years since our last record, because you've been going through it too. So yes we've taken our time, happy to report when it's ready it really does just flow out." n.pr

Ladytron will perform at The Neptune Theatre on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023. -- This is the second single from their highly anticipated album, "Time's Arrow," out in January. “Misery Remember Me” was created as an ode to the human spirit against all odds. “We can try and try, but we’ll never escape who or what we are. And with that realization, we must embrace the now, but always allow ourselves to dream. “Misery Remember Me” encapsulates this ethos,” says the band of the song’s creation.

Although they previously released an EP, "Blush" is the debut album from this London dance pop trio.: www.nme.com -- Enjoy this performance and interview with Troy Nelson on KEXP Live at Home last year: www.youtube.com

Trooko (Jeffrey Peñalva) is a Honduran-born, LA-based GRAMMY, Latin GRAMMY, and 2022 SESAC Latina Producer of the Year award-winning producer, mixer and mastering engineer.: www.trooko.com

This song sampled 1987's "Strong Island" by J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E. and the hook from 1972's "Soul Makossa"by Manu Dibango. -- Here's the video: www.youtube.com

Ghost Funk Orchestra is the brainchild of composer/multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum. What started as a one-man recording project has now evolved into a 10-piece powerhouse live band.: www.coleminerecords.com -- Go right here to purchase "A New Kind of Love" : ghostfunkorchestra.bandcamp.com

Weird Nightmare’s gloriously distorted cover of The Troggs’ 1966 classic bummer ballad, “Our Love Will Still Be There” is out now. “British Invasion is a really big part of my musical DNA” shares Weird Nightmare’s Alex Edkins. “The Kinks, The Troggs, The Pretty Things are my go-to comfort music." Buy "Our Love Will Still Be There" today on Bandcamp Friday: weirdnightmare.bandcamp.com

The narrator of this song describes her attempts to silence her anger by alternately comforting or doing violence to the metaphorical daughter she describes as the Seether. In 1994, Nina Gordon said that this song was actually about the intense uncontrollable anger she would experience sometimes. She considered her temper to be a different person from herself, called the Seether.: bit.ly -- Control yourself as you watch the official video: www.youtube.com

How do you say it? Wooolf....? Well, anyway, this band's "Moaning Lisa Smile" was selected as a free KEXP Song of the Day. Download it for yourself here: www.kexp.org -- You can watch Wolf Alice perform this track live in the KEXP studio here: youtu.be

Big Joanie's second album, "Back Home," the follow-up to their great 2018 debut "Sistahs," has just been released: www.nme.com --- Watch this Black feminist U.K. punk trio perform "Your Words" live: www.youtube.com

Snow Patrol (What an appropriate name today!) played "Hands Open" live at the Royal Albert Hall in 2006: www.youtube.com

Released in 2005, 'Illinois' is Sufjan Steven's fifth studio album. The album is filled with songs celebrating the state of Illinois. This was Stevens' second album based on a U.S. state, the first being his 2003 album 'Michigan'. Both were part of his ambitious "50 States" project, which he has since acknowledged as a joke. bit.ly -- Read NPR's tribute to "Chicago," a "song we love": www.npr.org

Death Cab for Cutie will perform at McMenamins Historic Edgefield Manor in Troutdale, Oregon (near Portland) on Friday, June 16th, 2023. -- "Everything about this song gets to me. The lyrics are perfect, and very classically Ben Gibbard. The visual he paints of the feeling of distance between two people is so beautiful, and yet so full of desperation and agony. And musically it’s gorgeous, the way it builds into this huge cathartic ending is so moving...." Here's a tribute to this wonderful song: pickinguprocks.com -- Now, watch a live version: www.youtube.com

Hi, Headed to Brooklyn NY to see LCD Soundsystem tomorrow. Can I hear a track from them? Stay safe and healthy! --Jeff W. ,Hudson OH -- James Murphy was asked why he felt this song struck a chord with people. He replied: "I don't know. It's sad-ish and people are old. I was purposefully trying to chase a feeling I got from Joy Division's 'Transmission,' which starts off so gentle, and becomes so f--king overwhelming. By the time he's going, 'Dance, dance, dance to the radio!' your head's exploding."

Peter Hook: “Transmission” started with the bass line, turned into our first hit record, and it’s a very very simple chord sequence, very effective. You can hear that youth, that you’re a punk and you mean it in the bass riff, which is obviously the most important thing in the world." -- The official music video begins with video of Hook playing that bass line: www.youtube.com

Hey John, My wife and I are both proud Amplifiers. We are heading to our first concert tonight since covid. We are seeing Wet Leg in Harrisburg, PA. How about a little something from Wet Leg to get us ready?!?! Happy Friday! --John & Laurie (Orefield, PA) -- "I got the big D..." Be certain about these lyrics: genius.com -- Don't miss the official video: www.youtube.com

Ahhh....the Friday song. KEXP is counting down the Top 90.3 Best Albums of 2022, as voted on by all of you! Vote for your favorite albums of the year, and then tune in on Friday, December 16th to see if your favorites make the list.: www.kexp.org

This song was written by Daniel Ash, Glenn Campling and Kevin Haskins and Tones On Tail originally released it on the single Lions in 1984. -- Don't miss the skeletons dancing in the video for "Go!": www.youtube.com

Speaking of Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins... They wrote this song with David J and John Alvin Rivers, Jr. -- Watch David J of Bauhaus perform "No New Tale to Tell" at SXSW in 2014: www.youtube.com

“She came from Greece; she had a thirst for knowledge...." -- Here's the story behind this Jarvis Cocker-penned classic: faroutmagazine.co.uk

William Shatner performed this song on Jay Leno, with the help of Joe Jackson and the Ben Folds Five: www.dailymotion.com

This was the last song recorded for the band’s fifth album Happy Hour and became the band’s biggest hit and signature song. The song found immediate success on not only college radio but commercial FM rock stations as well in LA and San Francisco. However, the song’s success was both a blessing and curse for the band. While it brought a lot more people to their shows, those people would begin loudly requesting “Detachable Penis” throughout the set until the band obliged. In response, the band began playing it early in the set to get rid of these nuisances, and then play the rest of the show for their core fans. -- Here's the...uh...oral history of this song: www.spin.com

Go right here to purchase Cheekface's third album, "Too Much to Ask." (It's Bandcamp Friday!): cheekface.bandcamp.com -- Cheekface have posted a Twitter thread breaking down this entire album! Of this track, they write: "the opening percussion loop is echo firing a staple gun five times, then hitting a stainless steel ash tray with a drum key." Check out the entire thread here: bit.ly

In the sleeve notes to the compilation album "Top of the Pops," Eddie Argos modestly says: In an alternate universe a hit single all around the world including Disneyland, Narnia and the former Yugoslavia.

"Love is eternal 'til it isn't anymore,,,: What'd they say?: genius.com

They will sing "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (We promise!) when they play The Neptune Theatre on Thursday and Friday, April 20-21, 2023. -- The band's John Flansburgh joined KEXP's Emily Fox to talk about the band's over 40-year career and latest album 'BOOK': www.kexp.org

Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The band's first three independent records were released within an 18-month period. Their debut single was "Take the Skinheads Bowling". They disbanded due to internal tensions. Lead singer David Lowery formed Cracker, David Immerglück joined Counting Crows, and several other members played in Monks of Doom. Beginning in 1999, the former members reunited and made several new records. -- Here's a live version: www.youtube.com

Speaking of David Lowery... "Teen Angst" was the first single from Cracker's debut self-titled album, released in 1992. In this song, Cracker never mentions teen angst in the lyric, but offers some solutions for life's problems: a stiff drink, a V-8 engine, some lovemaking. - bit.ly ---

Speaking of Cracker... Lead guitarist Johnny Hickman explained how "Low" came together: "The song started with me coming up with that guitar riff just noodling around at a soundcheck in Portland one day, but it's really David's [Lowery] song. He wrote the title and lyrics after the fact, which are fantastic. David and Davey Faragher (bassist) started looking for chords to play around my guitar riff. A few days later David had the song completed." -- The black-and-white video was directed by Carlos Grasso, who came up with the concept after interviewing David Lowery and deciding that the song was about a conflict between his masculine and feminine sides. To play this out, he filmed a raging Sandra Bernhard driving to a makeshift boxing ring, where she knocks out Lowery. Grasso was going through a split with his girlfriend at the time, which provided some inspiration.: www.youtube.com

It's a rule (and alphabetical order)! You have to play "Crank" after Cracker! -- Rob Dickinson gave an interview in 2006 in which he describes "crank" as being British slang for an odd or eccentric person. When he sings "call me crank," he's actually referring to how he views himself and that he's comfortable in acknowledging that he's a bit unusual.: bit.ly

Andy Partridge: "I think it's more of a genteel morality play. It's a real Threepenny Opera, but delivered over some Rock-n-Roll. To me, it's almost Dickensian in its morality, with ironic little twists." Read Partridge's complete discussion of this song: chalkhills.org

We would love to turn you on... Join us for the SMooCH benefit concert at The Showbox tomorrow night, Saturday, December 3rd. Go here for more information: www.kexp.org

"Every record that leaves profound traces behind is a positive experience, even if it gives you a deep feeling of despair. At least you feel something again, you’re not blunted, no matter how paradoxical that may sound.” --Robert Smith

You must watch this live performance of "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)": www.youtube.com

David Bowie’s most popular song on Spotify entered the British top 40 quietly in October 1977, eventually reaching no. 24 (it got nowhere at all in America). “I think his time has been and gone,” said the NME’s Charlie Gillett. “This just sounds weary.” Incredibly, the single Gillett was reviewing was “‘Heroes’”. The song that inspired Phillip Glass’s 1996 “‘Heroes’” Symphony, that announced the arrival of Britain’s athletes at the London 2012 Games opening ceremony, that has been covered by many artists before and since Bowie’s death in 2016, has become the ultimate epitaph for the man who gave popular music so much drama and adventure, so propulsive is his song’s build and its swell, so passionate and strange are its lyrics. Read a tribute to this great song: ig.ft.com -- Live in Berlin in 2002, here's David Bowie performing "Heroes.": www.youtube.com