John Richards

Good morning and welcome to the Monday edition of the Morning Show! "April Come She Will" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their second studio album, Sounds of Silence (1966). It originally appeared on the solo album The Paul Simon Songbook. It is the B-side to the hit single "Scarborough Fair/Canticle". It is included on The Graduate soundtrack album and was additionally released on the "Mrs. Robinson" EP in 1968, together with three other songs from The Graduate film: "Mrs. Robinson", "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", and "The Sound of Silence".

A cover of the classic Nick Drake song off Shannon Lay's recently released covers album, a 9-song digital album of covers entitled Covers Vol. 1. She shares “I absolutely love doing covers. It’s such a joy to offer my perspective on songs I admire and spread the word about amazing artists. Covers Vol. 1 is the first in a series of cover records celebrating my obsession with shannonizing songs.”

This was first released by Gram Parsons' Flying Burrito Brothers in 1970. The Stones' version was written in 1969, but had to wait for Sticky Fingers in 1971.

Happy birthday to David J of Love and Rockets, born on this day in 1957. English multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter (Bauhaus and Love and Rockets) who wrote the lyrics for several Bauhaus tunes, including their first single "Bela Lugosi's Dead." While mainly the bassist in Love and Rockets, he also took over lead vocal duties on a few songs, the most notable of them being "No New Tale to Tell."

This is a studio version of a song that Odesza featured on their 2022 live tour. "“Hopeful" is a track that we had originally wanted on 'The Last Goodbye' and for a moment we even considered it for the first track on the record. While it ultimately didn't make the album we still felt an affinity for the song and wound up playing it in the live show,” said Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight of ODESZA. “In a lot of ways it represents us doing our best to remain hopeful in a time of unsureness. We wanted the track to embody a sense of togetherness and to be a reminder that we are not alone even when we feel distant.”

From the second studio album by Santigold, released on this day in 2012. santigold.com Santigold told Spin that she matched the song's angry emotion with an "epic" sound, layering her vocals, "into my own choir and getting producer Greg Kurstin to play percussion on a glass bottle to match a marimba sound. "It's really grand. It's my way of painting a musical landscape. These songs are multi-layered and ambitious sounding, like a Peter Gabriel epic," she said.

Released on this day in 1995! The cover features a self-portrait by Richard James, who performs as Aphex Twin -- the album collects material recorded between 1990 and 1994, pairing symphonic and ambient elements with more of a percussive sound

"The third Fever Ray album from Swedish artist (and one-half of The Knife) Karin Dreijer is a potent set of adventurous electro-pop combining dark, squiggly synths, atmospheric guitars and more with their eerie, pitch-shifted vocals and lyrics of love and desire." www.kexp.org --- feverray.bandcamp.com --- feverray.com

Achtung Baby is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 release Rattle and Hum, U2 shifted their direction to incorporate influences from alternative rock, industrial music, and electronic dance music into their sound. Thematically, Achtung Baby is darker, more introspective, and at times more flippant than their previous work. The album and the subsequent multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour were central to the group's 1990s reinvention, by which they abandoned their earnest public image for a more lighthearted and self-deprecating one.

M83 will be playing in Seattle at Showbox SoDo on Wednesday, May 10th and Thursday, May 11th! “I wanted this record to be very impactful live,” Anthony Gonzalez said in some press material. “The idea was to come back with something closer to the energy of Before The Dawn Heals Us. The combination of guitars and synths is always in my music, but it’s maybe more present on this new record than on the previous ones… I wanted to be more present lyrically and vocally even if that was daunting at first. “I thought if I could achieve that, this album will be more personal than those that came before.” www.stereogum.com

Happy birthday to David J, born on this day in 1957! Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins 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

Steve Mason, the former leader of the Beta Band, has announced his new solo album Brothers & Sisters. Pre-order it here: stevemasontheartist.com

"Morning John, Seeing The Walkmen’s reunion at Webster Hall tonight...any chance you fit them in? Anna from Brooklyn" Morning show crew is a bit jealous.

Released on this day in 1990! Karl Wallinger started World Party in 1986 after leaving The Waterboys. Prior to joining The Waterboys, he was musical director of a West End performance of The Rocky Horror Show! Don't dream it! Be it! Watch World Party's 2013 in-studio performance here on the blog: www.kexp.org

Released on this day in 1989! According to Rolling Stone, the journey to making Full Moon Fever began by chance, when Petty and Jeff Lynne started talking while stopped next to each other at a red light on Thanksgiving 1987. bit.ly

This oft-covered song was inspired by a Beatles performance Alex Chilton had seen a few years prior. When asked if there was a version he was especially fond of, lead singer Alex Chilton mentioned Garbage's cover of this song. Check it out: youtu.be Read more about Alex Chilton: tinyurl.com

"John, Can I hear some Patty Smith for my 47th birthday? Thanks from Tucson, Donald" ===== Check out Patti Smith performing "Dancing Barefoot" in Germany in 1979: youtu.be Enjoy KEXP's "Live Review: Patti Smith at The Moore Theatre 1/5" from back in 2016 - were you at this sublime show? bit.ly www.pattismith.net

Discussing the track singer and songwriter Hazel Wilde says: “"String Theory" is a song about reflecting on what might have been and might, in some way, still be. It finds beauty and solace in the multiverse theory and the idea that out there somewhere, vibrating on their own frequency, exists another fully realised version of yourself where your story turned out differently.” Oh, and that's Radiohead's Philip Selway on drums! www.lanternsonthelake.com

Temple of Angels debut album comes out in July. Lead single “Tangled In Joy” is swirling and sweeping, with singer Bre Morell (also one-half of the duo Crushed) singing about a feeling that makes her soar: “Here you are/ And you make me feel alright with the world/ Can you see how the sun shines brighter/ When you’re tangled up in joy.”

Lush formed in 1987 when close friends Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson (who were in other bands previously) joined Chris Acland’s band, Baby Machines. After bassist Steve Rippon joined the band, they changed their name to Lush: mylifeinmusiclists.ca

Slowdive are a British rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Rachel Goswell on vocals and guitar, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass and Simon Scott on drums. The name "Slowdive" was inspired by a dream Chaplin experienced, and was chosen against the wishes of Goswell, who was outvoted after protesting the fact that it shared the same name as the single "Slowdive", from one of her favourite bands, Siouxsie and the Banshees. - www.slowdiveofficial.com --- Here's Slowdive performing "Star Roving" live in the KEXP studio in 2017 -www.youtube.com

Sudan Archives will perform (with Caroline Polachek) at Showbox SoDo on Thursday, May 4th, and Friday, May 5th. -- ODESZA laced their haunting sound design through Archives' signature violin patterns in the new remix, the duo's first in eight years. Their visceral production is the perfect fit for the contemplative lyricism of "Selfish Soul," which uses women's hair as a motif to express their search for identity in a world that distorts conceptions of beauty.

Released on this day in 2012! This song's music video was directed by Santigold along with Nabil and it sees the singer play a member of an idyllic 1950s American family in a pointed criticism of today's society. Watch out for cameo appearances from Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Robert F. Kennedy's granddaughter Kick Kennedy and snowboarder Trevor Andrew.: www.youtube.com

"Kids in America" is a song recorded by English pop singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982, later appearing on her self-titled debut studio album. Largely inspired by the synth-pop style of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Gary Numan.

Blondshell will perform at Madame Lou's on Saturday, July 8! On the release of her debut, Sabrina Teitelbaum said: “It’s hard to summarize what this album means to me. I was able to work through so much by writing and singing these songs... I wasn’t intending to write an album as much as I was just trying to get relief from an intense and difficult time in my life. My biggest hope is that people can see the album for what it is: there’s no happy ending or ‘message,’ it’s just a window into what it’s like when you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you want.” www.blondshellmusic.com

Bully (aka Alicia Bognanno) has revealed, "Growing up never fitting into society’s constructed gender stereotypes and expectations, I often felt as though different equals bad or wrong. I was confused about my place in the world, not fully identifying with any one particular gender or sexuality. I was ashamed, and I blamed myself. Though I’m still in the process of understanding and accepting my identity, I’m glad to be surrounded by people who love and accept me for who I am regardless of the clothes I wear and the labels others use to define me." The album was recorded over a seven-month period, which is much longer than previous Bully albums. "I was freaking out about it at first because taking my time was so new for me," admitted Bognanno. "But a few months in, I realized how crucial that time ended up being. I got songs out of it that I wouldn’t have had otherwise." bit.ly

The Linda Lindas will be at Climate Pledge Arena (with Paramore and Foals) on Monday, July 24th. -- They have just dropped their new single, "Too Many Things.": thelindalindas.bandcamp.com

"Hand Grenade" is the Nashville band's first song in 15 years. The music video was shot in vocalist Jemina Pearl Abegg's basement: youtu.be

Spirit Award will be performing live with a Record Release Party at Neumos on Saturday, June 10th. The band will also be performing at Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival (Seattle Center), Saturday/Sunday, September 2nd/3rd. bumbershoot.com Spirit Award, is Seattle-based singer/songwriter Daniel Lyon, along with bassist and collaborator Chris Jordan (Sunny Day Real Estate). Enjoy Live Video from Spirit Award's 2018 KEXP In-Studio: bit.ly. On this new single, Lyon says, "This song fitting in with the theme of the rest of the record ('The Fear') is about finding the truth. Asking the questions that challenge your beliefs. Finding the facts, and weed out the things that don't stick. The things that you may have from your upbringing, bias or your ego." www.spiritawardmusic.com

"Devils Haircut" by Beck was released as the second single from his fifth album, Odelay (1996) - www.beck.com

Brand new music from LA act Militarie Gun. Frontman Ian Shelton formed Militarie Gun in the spring of 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and his other band, Regional Justice Center, having to be put on hold. Shelton decided to write and record an EP, My Life Is Over, which was released in September of that year. After releasing the EP, Shelton expanded the project to include Nick Cogan and William Acuña on guitar, Max Epstein on bass, and Vince Nguyen on drums. Militarie Gun released their second EP in June 2021 titled All Roads Lead to the Gun, and their third EP All Roads Lead to the Gun II in September 2021. A deluxe edition combining the two EPs was released in 2022. In 2023, Militarie Gun released a new song titled Do It Faster. The band released a music video alongside the new song. militariegun.com

Happy birthday to David J of Bauhaus, born on this day in 1957! Here they are covering Brian Eno's "Third Uncle" off his legendary 1974 album "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)"!

Nation of Language are performing two sold-out shows at The Crocodile on Thur May 18 and Fri May 19 - and they'll return on August 12-13 for Day In Day Out Fest! - www.dayindayoutfest.com

Brand new single from Depeche Mode's brand new album! Depeche Mode will be at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday, November 26th, 2023 Martin Gore revealed, "We started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletch's passing, we decided to continue as we're sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning."

The band says about the single and video: “‘Sub’ was in the trash can for a minute. We recorded it in 2021 at a slower tempo before realizing it didn’t work. It was built again from the ground up, this time with a much faster tempo and different dynamics. The nice thing about iterating on songs over the pandemic was having time to revisit old ideas – the song even features a guitar part from the first recorded Deeper song that we ended up discarding. Lyrics jump around events from the last few years, often reflecting on the past and present. The video functions as a vessel for us to reference characters from past videos, showing them stuck in a loop, in a purgatory where they’re waiting to move on to whatever is coming next.” www.subpop.com

How amazing would it be to have David Bowie and Brian Eno produce your debut album?? In 1977, David Bowie and Iggy Pop received a tape of Devo demo songs from the wife of Michael Aylward, guitarist in another Akron, Ohio, band, Tin Huey. Both Pop and Bowie, as well as Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, expressed interest in producing Devo's first release.

Of this solo endeavour, Mike states: "RTJ is the X-Men, this is my Logan." "The song is self-explanatory. With the video I wanted show the freedom and beauty in being able to turn up in spite of all the f__k-s__t. That upsets the bourgeoisie even more–in spite of all your criticisms, we’re gonna live free and stay lit," stated Mike upon its release. bit.ly

This track features a sample from The Belmonts and another from Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)". "Occasionally, family and friends will refer me to vinyl collections because they know it’s my thing. Usually, it’s just run-of-the-mill stuff that I’m happy to take off of people’s hands; as more of a trash removal service than anything else." Read more on DJ Shadow's web site: djshadow.com

From their bandcamp: 'After hitting the road promoting Shad's latest, Flying Colours, longtime touring partners, Shad and DJ T.Lo, hooked up to complete 'Boarding Pass.' The 5 song EP features seasoned Producer and Turntablist DJ T.Lo handling all duties on the boards with Shad exclusively on the mic. Together the pair expresses their shared passion for the music; flexing the skills they've been enthusiastically developing over nearly a decade of work together.' shadk.bandcamp.com

Featuring Camp Lo, a New York hip-hop duo from MCs Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede www.theavalanches.com --- "It's so fuckin' party you will die." Enjoy a thoughtful review of this album from our archives at kexp.org: blog.kexp.org

Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was described as "among the great storytellers of blues and soul music... [who] created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed." He was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues" and as the "Sinatra of the Blues". His music was also influenced by Nat King Cole.

Durand Jones' debut solo album, "Wait Til I Get Over," will be out on May 5th! Read more about the upcoming album here: www.billboard.com

Oasis' second studio album sold a record-breaking 347,000 copies in its first week on sale and spent 10 weeks at the top of the UK albums chart. Producer Owen Morris says that despite the friction between the Gallagher brothers, "The sessions were the best, easiest, least fraught, most happily creative time I've ever had in a recording studio. I believe people can feel and hear when music is dishonest and motivated by the wrong reasons. Morning Glory, for all its imperfection and flaws, is dripping with love and happiness." - bit.ly www.oasisinet.com Stay tuned for the Midday Show!