John Richards

Hey Wednesday, it's time for The Morning Show! --- This was the first single released by Twilight Sad and the first song ever written by the band's vocalist James Graham. The title is a reference to one of Graham's favorite films, Stand by Me. - www.songfacts.com --- Here's The Twilight Sad performing live in the KEXP studio in 2018 - www.youtube.com thetwilightsad.com

This is a new single from Kieran Hebden, a.k.a Four Tet, replete with drums and meowing cat: fourtet.bandcamp.com --- Four Tet was our guest DJ for Midnight in a Perfect World back in 2015. See what he selected: www.kexp.org

This Icelandic band’s first album in 10 years (and eighth overall) is a beautifully crafted, cinematic blend of post-rock, neo-classical and other styles with accompaniment by the 32-piece London Contemporary Orchestra. The album’s lush, majestic sound combines celestial keyboards, strings and more with glacial tempos, bittersweet melodies and Jónsi’s heavenly falsetto vocals. --- Sigur Rós plays a sold out show at The Paramount on Thursday, August 24th - sigurros.com

Manchester favorites James are celebrating their 40th anniversary with BE OPENED BY THE WONDERFUL, an album of 20 re-recorded classics and deeper cuts “re-imagined” with a 22-piece orchestra and an 8-piece choir - wearejames.com

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a new “lush” version of their single ‘Spitting Off the Edge of the World’. The original version of the track, which features fellow indie rocker Perfume Genius, was released as the first single from the band’s 2022 album Cool It Down. “There haven’t been many duets in the history of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, maybe we were waiting for a unicorn like Mike to come around,” they wrote in a statement. “Having a chance to try a different rendition of Spitting Off the Edge of the World with Mike was always on the wishlist. Our producer wanted to bring the track into Lee Hazlewood territory as far as lush arrangements were concerned, there is some influence but in the end it’s very much a stand alone sum of its parts, the gem of another collab between Dave Sitek, @perfumegenius , and YYYs. Enjoy!” - bit.ly www.yeahyeahyeahs.com

This slowed down, more sultry version of the Pixies classic is prominently featured in the 1990 cult classic film Pump Up the Volume, starring Christian Slater : youtu.be --- Pixies play Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, Sept 8 - www.pixiesmusic.com

"A Storm in Heaven" is turning 30! On this day in 1993, The Verve released their debut studio album, "A Storm in Heaven"

New music from Strange Ranger! -strangeranger.bandcamp.com --- “When you’re young, it feels like life has a kind of arc to it and up ahead in the future, there’s some point where all your experiences converge and this fog of confusion will lift and you will have arrived,” says Isaac Eiger of “She’s On Fire.” - bit.ly

I was going to request The Twilight Sad today! I became a fan last night at The Cure concert in NYC. They totally won over the crowd, it was so awesome. It felt so good to lose myself in great music after a rough few months. On that note, can you play something by The Cure? 🖤 - Chanda

Laveda calls themselves a "dream rock band from New York." They were founded by duo Ali Genevich (vocals/guitar) and Jake Brooks (vocals/guitar/synths). Laveda is shoegaze-y more in the way they gravitate toward rippling washes of sounds, with guitars that sound hazy and atomized as opposed to brawny or muscular. "A lot of our songs start off very acoustic and then turn into a very crazy loud thing when we record them," Brooks said. - bit.ly --- www.lavedaband.com lavedamusic.bandcamp.com

This song was originally titled "Grunggae," a combination of "grunge" and "reggae." The name came from Kim Deal thinking the accented riff resembled the accent in reggae. - www.songfacts.com --- The Breeders play Spokane Arena supporting Foo Fighters on Friday, August 4 - thebreedersmusic.com

Bully debuted "Days Move Slow" when they were opening for the Breeders - www.stereogum.com --- Bully will be Live on KEXP at noon on Friday, August 18th. They will be playing an all-ages show later that night at The Neptune Theater. - www.bullythemusic.com --- Check out their Live on KEXP performance from 2018: tinyurl.com

This was Elastica's first single - its production was limited to 5,000 copies pressed on 7-inch vinyl.

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

Happy birthday to Ray Davies! English singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Kinks) was born on this day in 1944. www.raydavies.info

"I was dancing when I was twelve..."

In 1973, Bowie spoke to NME about this song: "I wanted to get the same sound the Stones had on their very first album on the harmonica. I didn't get that near to it, but it had a feel that I wanted – that '60s thing." - www.songfacts.com

In the liner notes to the Velvet Underground's box set Peel Slowly And See, Lou Reed wrote, "'Rock and Roll' is about me. If I hadn't heard rock and roll on the radio, I would have had no idea there was life on this planet. Which would have been devastating - to think that everything, everywhere was like it was where I come from. That would have been profoundly discouraging. Movies didn't do it for me. TV didn't do it for me. It was the radio that did it." - www.songfacts.com

Happy first day of summer! --- This song, which is about walking the streets on nights when it's too hot to sleep, was originally known as "Bearhug." - www.songfacts.com --- myanimalhome.net

Happy Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere! --- The lyrics of the song recall summers past with lines like "Getting drunk out on the beach or playing in a band / Getting out of school meant getting out of hand" as well as its chorus of "Is this your celebrated summer? / Was that your celebrated summer?".

Formed in 1992, Sugar were led by the singer and guitarist Bob Mould, alongside bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis. File Under: Easy Listening (also known as F.U.E.L.) is the second and final studio album by Sugar, released in 1994. --- Bob Mould graced our stage during our Grand Opening in 2016. Watch that performance here: www.youtube.com

New album coming out on July 28th! --- The Budos Band plays THING Music & Arts Festival in Port Townsend, WA on AUG 25 - thebudos.com

Leaving The Light is the lead single from "Struggler," the forthcoming second studio album by Ghanaian-Australian musician Genesis Owusu, scheduled for release on 18 August 2023 through Ourness. --- Genesis Owusu will play an all-ages show at Neumos on Thursday, November 9th. - www.genesisowusu.com

Tunde Adebimpe and David Andrew Sitek were the only TV on the Radio members to play on this track, with guest appearances from Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs on guitar and Katrina Ford of Celebration on backing vocals. bit.ly

Young Fathers are playing Showbox on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 www.young-fathers.com --- Scottish hip-hop group Young Fathers' "Get Up" was selected by John Richards as a KEXP Song of the Day in 2014. You can download it for yourself here: www.kexp.org

Elusive UK trio bar italia - Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton Their new LP, "Tracey Denim", is out now on Matador Records - you can pre-order digital, vinyl and CD: baritalia.bandcamp.com

"Float" is the new single off of Janelle Monae's fourth studio album, The Age of Pleasure. She will be in town performing at WAMU Theater on Wednesday August 30th. www.jmonae.com

"When the morning gathers the rainbow / Want you to know I'm a rainbow too..." --- Happy first day of summer!

Finley Quaye is the son of vaudeville pianist Cab Kaye and the half-brother of the English guitarist Caleb Quaye. --- "Sunday Shining" by Finley Quaye sampled Bob Marley and The Wailers's "Sun Is Shining".

By request!

Good morning John. Thank you for keeping me sane in this insane traffic may I hear something from the smithereens please? Guy in Maple Valley

The new album from Melbourne band Cable Ties comes out Friday! cableties.bandcamp.com

Sleater-Kinney plays Bumbershoot 2023 on Saturday, Sept 2 - sleaterkinney.bandcamp.com

Be Your Own Pet plays Neumos on Friday, November 17th - www.byopband.com

New music from The Hives! ‘Countdown To Shutdown’ marks the second single to be released from the band’s upcoming album, ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’. --- The Hives plays Neumos on Wednesday, Nov 8th - www.thehives.com

This was released as the fourth single from Elephant. The single failed to chart. Of the track, Jack said, "Our idea was to see how far we could go with an eight track recorder, and I think how far we went is too far." www.whitestripes.com

New music from Lydia Loveless! www.lydialoveless.com

Grian Chatten is the frontman for Fontaines D.C. and his solo album entitled Chaos for the Fly is coming out June 30th. www.grianchatten.com --- Fontaines D.C. played live on KEXP in 2022. Check it out here: www.youtube.com

Happy first day of summer! --- The Afghan Whigs performed live in the KEXP studio in 2017. Here's the video: www.youtube.com

Seattle’s Brad have released a new song and music video for “Hey Now What’s the Problem?” off their upcoming LP, In the Moment That You’re Born. The full album, In The Moment That You’re Born, will include 10 recordings featuring vocal performances from Smith, who recorded the songs before his tragic passing in 2019. The album will also feature a newer version of “Stars N’ You,” written by the late Andrew Wood from grunge bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. - bit.ly

Satchel was a Seattle band led by Shawn Smith.

One of many projects for local artist Shawn Smith, who passed away on April 3rd of this year. His band Pigeonhed released two full length albums, 'The Full Sentence' is their second. DJ Riz sings back up on Pigeonhed's Glory Bound!!!

Here's Shawn Smith performing "Wrapped In My Memory" live during KEXP's Soul Day broadcast in 2016 - www.youtube.com