John Richards

Good morning and welcome to the Monday edition of the Morning Show with John! "The song describes a time in everybody’s life that make you lose faith in yourself, in someone else, or in life itself and you just need to hear from someone that one day everything will be OK again. That no matter what, with time and patience we all will be OK.” --Lea Porcelain -- Lea Porcelain shared a Live on KEXP at Home performance with John in 2019, where they ended the set with "I Am OK.": www.youtube.com

Happy birthday to Sharon Van Etten, born on this day in 1981! In this song, Sharon Van Etten sings about her social anxiety and panic attacks. She is accompanied by Beirut's Zach Condon, who has social anxiety, too. In this NPR interview, the singer talks about the experience and the song: www.npr.org

Happy birthday to Tunde Adebimpe born on this day in 1975! "Everything's going to be okay...." In the video for this song, frontman Tunde Adebimpe encourages and consoles strangers he meets on the street. “I just happen to like looking at people and wondering what’s up,” Adebimpe said of the clip’s inspiration. “We got some people together, some of whom we ran into on the street while we were shooting, and did that. We asked if they could quietly (or not) go to brighter or darker places inside themselves [and] let us be there with them for a little while. Everyone’s sifting through something, right?” www.youtube.com

This song was originally a gospel spiritual, "This May Be the Last Time." The Staple Singers recorded it in in 1954, the Stones turned it into "The Last Time," and Richard Ashcroft heard it, too.: www.theringer.com -- This was the only American hit for The Verve, but they were far more popular in their native UK, where their next single, "The Drugs Don't Work," went to #1. The band broke up in 1999 and reformed in 2007,

Sound familiar? This is, of course, an orchestral version of the Stones' "The Last Time." The Stones sued The Verve over sampling this song for "Bitter Sweet Symphony." The Stones themselves sampled The Staple Singers' 1961 song, "this May Be the Last Time." -- The Andrew Oldham Orchestra was a musical side project in the mid-1960s created by Andrew Loog Oldham, the original manager and record producer of The Rolling Stones. There was no actual orchestra per se. The name was applied to recordings made by Oldham using a multitude of session musicians, including members of the Rolling Stones

This amazing Staple Singers song from 1961 would be covered by The Rolling Stones song “The Last Time” and eventually leads to The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony ...

Seattle band Sunny Day Real Estate will play The Showbox on Tuesday, Aug 20 and Friday, Aug 23! SDRE have unveiled their first new song in a decade: “Novum Vetus,” which means "everything old is new again”. sunnyday.realestate

"Good morning John! Would love to hear Ordinary World by Duran Duran. Received the unfortunate news that my mother Margaret was diagnosed with cancer last night and Duran Duran is her favorite band. Would love for this to be played to let every know they are not alone. David in Portland" Duran Duran (AKA The Wedding Album) is the seventh studio album by Duran Duran, released in 1993.

Happy birthday to the legend who was Johnny Cash, born on this day in 1932! This song was released on this day, on his birthday, in 1971! The Man in Black was pretty young for this live performance in Denmark in 1971: www.youtube.com

Pete in Raleigh I saw Rhiannon Giddens play “The Ballad of Sally Anne” last year at Carnegie Hall. And it brought me to tears then as it does now. I guess I have to bump up my amplifier donation now! Thanks for all you do. ====== Rhiannon Giddens’ has just released this rendition of "The Ballad of Sally Anne,” the second track from My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall. Per press release, "My Black Country is Randall’s reclamation of the history of Black contributions to the genre, specifically hers. The LP is a collection of Randall’s most beloved songs as interpreted by some of the strongest Black female voices in modern country, roots and folk music including Giddens, Saaneah, Valerie June, Miko Marks, LeylaMcCalla, Rissi Palmer, Allison Russell, Sistastrings, Adia Victoria, Sunny War, and Alice’s daughter Caroline Randall Williams." You can pre-order it here: ohboy.com

Yep, that's the AMAZING Rhiannon Giddens on banjo on this wonderful song. ====== Beyoncé just became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Country songs chart with Texas Hold ‘Em!! Beyoncé is also the first woman to top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hip Songs charts since the lists began in 1958. www.theguardian.com

According to Parton, Jolene was inspired by a red-headed bank clerk who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, at his local bank branch around the time they were newly married. In an interview, she also revealed that Jolene's name and appearance are based on that of a young fan who came on stage for her autograph. The thumb-picked guitar on the recording is by Chip Young. During an interview on The Bobby Bones Show in 2018, Dolly Parton revealed that she wrote "Jolene" on the same day that she wrote "I Will Always Love You." tinyurl.com

Bonny Light Horseman — the trio made up of Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman — have released a new single, “When I Was Younger,” the first at their new label home Jagjaguwar. Their most recent full-length album was 2022’s Rolling Golden Holy. They recorded the their new song at Levis Corner House, a pub in County Cork, Ireland, which is also where its accompanying music video was filmed. Watch the video here: www.youtube.com www.bonnylighthorseman.com

Kings of Leon have announced their first album on Capitol Records. The album, Can We Please Have Fun, is out May 10. Watch the video for the first single, "Mustang," here: www.youtube.com They'll be at Climate Pledge with Phantogram on August 29. Get tickets when they go on sale this Friday here: www.ticketmaster.com www.kingsofleon.com

Pearl Jam will be playing Climate Pledge Arena on May 28 and 30, 2024!!! tinyurl.com Pearl Jam have announced Dark Matter, their 12th album and the follow-up to 2020’s Gigaton. Guitarist Mike McCready has promised an album that’s "a lot heavier than you’d expect" in an interview with Classic Rock last fall. The band’s world tour stops in nine countries and 25 cities. Dark Matter‘s lead single and title track does indeed feel like a return to Pearl Jam’s classic ’90s grungy hard rock vibes.

SPRINTS will perform a now sold out show at Madame Lou's on Wednesday, March 6! - tinyurl.com Kevin Cole selected this as KEXP's Song of the Day on January 30: www.kexp.org

Did they mention "KEXP" in their lyrics?: genius.com -- Leeds band English Teacher will release their debut album on April 12th.: www.thelineofbestfit.com

"Good morning John and crew! Over Christmas, I asked my family to make an amplifier donation as a present to me. I have always wanted to become an amplifier myself, but I am early in my career and it's not yet in the budget. Due to some miscommunication (lol) both my parents and my brother made amplifier donations on my behalf!! In the drives, y'all always say how listening feels different after you become a supporter, and it's incredible and true! If it fits in, I'd love to hear 100% Endurance from Yard Act, a band I am only familiar with thanks to LISTENER POWERED RADIO!" Jackson in San Francisco www.kexp.org

Lætitia Sadier, sometimes known as Seaya Sadier, is a French musician best known as a founding member of the London-based avant-pop band Stereolab. Her new album was released this past Friday! laetitiasadier.bandcamp.com

Happy birthday to Josephine Wiggs, an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician best known for her work as bassist in The Breeders and The Perfect Disaster, born on this day in 1963. She has also formed multiple side-projects, including Dusty Trails. www.thebreedersmusic.com

Much like the two most recent singles released by Jim and William Reid, “Girl 71” is built around a steady drum beat, Jim Reid’s distinct, recognizable vocals, and buzzy instrumentals. But unlike its predecessors “Chemical Animal” or “jamcod,” “Girl 71” is strikingly upbeat, even if the lyrics aren’t always as bright. “You got me, you got nothing,” Jim Reid growls. Glasgow Eyes is set to officially be released in full on March 22nd. While the band has been clear that this isn’t a full-on jazz record, they have been vocal about embracing elements of the genre during the creative process, particularly the freedom and lack of traditional discipline unique to jazz. This LP was recorded at Mogwai’s Castle of Doom studio in Glasgow. tinyurl.com

Happy birthday to Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman lead vocalist and keyboardist of Killing Joke, born on this day in 1960. Killing Joke lead singer Jaz Coleman wrote the lyrics to this song, which were inspired by the 1871 novel The Coming Race by English writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton. The book is about an undiscovered race that lives underground and has attained extraordinary powers. In an interview with Coleman, he explained the song's meaning, stating, "It was looking forward to the trans-human future that is upon us now." Nirvana features a similar guitar riff on their 1991 hit "Come As You Are" and Killing Joke considered legal action, but after Kurt Cobain died, they dispensed with any thoughts of a lawsuit. Dave Grohl and Jaz Coleman later became good friends, and Grohl played drums on the 2003 self-titled Killing Joke album. tinyurl.com

Ride's seventh studio album, "Interplay," will come out on March 29th. They will be at Seattle's Showbox on Saturday, May 25th. -- Guitarist and vocalist Andy Bell says of this song, "“For the topline, I tried improvising at the mic, singing it all different ways, and coming up with new parts on the spot,” he continued. “I felt really exposed but kind of said to myself, ‘you’re among friends, it’s good to push yourself to try new ways to write.’ It feels different to every vocal I’ve ever done. It’s still a new way of working for me but it’s something I want to continue trying as I think it makes for better vocal lines; a good mixture of written and improvised.”

The Church were live on KEXP on September 29th last year. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out their performance hosted by John Richards here: www.youtube.com www.youtube.com -- This song is based on a real-life encounter Steve Kilbey had with a reptile. www.thechurchband.net

Released on this day in 1990! Watch this song performed, more than thirty years later, by The House of Love in Rouen, France last year: www.youtube.com

This band was largely built around the efforts of singer-songwriter Guy Chadwick. Here's a biography of The House of Love: www.allmusic.com

The Verlaines are a New Zealand rock band from Dunedin. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups. The band was named after French poet Paul Verlaine — not, as is occasionally suggested, Tom Verlaine, who also took his stage name from the poet. "I had just been reading some of his poetry," Downes told Paul A. Harris in 1993, "and threw the name at the head of the row, and we thought it sounded cool."

KEXP music director Chris Sanley says - this one is …BLEEPING FANTASTIC. Wed. May 22 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theater * * w/ Royel Otis ====== “‘Hello’ is the story of a young man who requires daily consults with health professionals in order to rationalise his self-destructive thoughts and routines,” the band’s leader Kai James shared in a statement. “It’s about romanticizing your own misery. Letting those deep, dark, dirty thoughts take over. Understanding that even if you could pull yourself out, you wouldn’t because the constant stress and worry are all too familiar and comfortable.”

New music from Toronto band Ducks, LTD! ducksltdband.bandcamp.com

Released on this day in 1982, Love Plus One was Haircut One Hundred's only hit in the US despite being well-loved in their native UK. Here's what the very handsome Nick Heyward (of Haircut One Hundred) is up to now: nickheyward.com.

TORRES will be Live on KEXP on Tuesday, March 26th at noon! www.kexp.org That same night she'll play a show at Neumos! tinyurl.com torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.com

Irish band Pillow Queens new album Name Your Sorrow will be out April 19, 2024! www.pillowqueens.com

This went to #1 on the US singles chart on this day in 1966! Nancy Sinatra talked co-writer Lee Hazlewood out of singing on this track - "I said, 'Lee, I've got to do that song,'" she recalls. "He said, 'Well, it's for a boy.' And I said, 'No it isn't! It's for a girl. If a boy does it, it will sound mean. 'These boots are gonna walk all over you' sounds awful. But if a girl does it, it can be a joke.' And that's the way it turned out."

Black Love was Afghan Whigs 5th studio album. Prior to this album's release, lead singer Greg Dulli had explored film production in the noir genre. Dulli's ideas for a potential soundtrack led to the songs recorded on this album. The Afghan Whigs played live in the KEXP studio back in 2017: www.youtube.com

Trail of Dead released Source Tags & Codes on this day in 2002. Anyone else remember buying this at Tower Records on release day? Just DJ Assistant Chelsea? Pitchfork gave this record the elusive 10.0 pitchfork.com

"Morning! Any chance to get some Augustines on by chance? Cheers! -Chuck in Bremerton" Augustines was an American indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York consisting of guitarist William McCarthy, multi-instrumentalist Eric Sanderson and drummer Rob Allen. Augustines were known for their intense shows and heavy interaction with the audience.

"word up John. Simon in Tacoma here. any chance u could play Rise by Public Image Ltd? great Monday song for getting out into the world and remembering you don't have to agree with everything the man tells you. you are not alone at work!" Formerly titled "South African Song," "Rise" was written by John Lydon about the oppression of blacks in South Africa during its hideous apartheid era. He said: "I read this manual on South African interrogation techniques, and 'Rise' is quotes from some of the victims. I put them together because I thought it fitted in aptly with my own feelings about daily existence." -- The song marries rock with Celtic folk and finds Lydon singing the phrase "May The Road Rise With You," which is an old Irish blessing.

Midnight Boom is the third album by The Kills - www.thekills.tv - thekills.bandcamp.com The Kills play Webster Hall in NYC tonight