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Wednesday, Oct 9 2024, 7AM
Born on this Day in 1948
Starting off with Jackson Browne's "These Days" off his 1973 sophomore album. Happy birthday Jackson Browne! kexp.org
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Jackson Browne wrote this song at age 16; it was first recorded by the model and singer Nico, with her arrangement then being covered by multiple artists, including Tom Rush, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jennifer Warnes, Gator Creek, Iain Matthews, and so many more
From Big Star's debut album. 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
In 1992, Seattle local, Chris Cornell released his first solo EP "Poncier" and contributed the song "Seasons" to the "Singles" soundtrack.
Cornell’s moving, understated solo contribution to the Singles soundtrack grew out of a piece of fiction: a solo cassette made by Matt Dillon’s Cliff Poncier after parting with his band, Citizen Dick. Cornell took it upon himself to actually write songs for the tape, one of which was this reflective folk ballad. “Holy s***, this is Chris Cornell, as Cliff Poncier, recording all of these songs, with lyrics, and total creative vision, and he has recorded the entire fake, solo cassette,” director Cameron Crowe recalled of first hearing the EP that would come to be known simply as Poncier.
www.rollingstone.com
Bartees Strange’s "Horror" is coming early next year, and the LP is inspired by Strange’s experience growing up queer and Black in Oklahoma — being afraid and being feared. Strange recorded it with assistance from Yves and Lawrence Rothman and from Jack Antonoff.
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Here’s what Strange says about the song "Sober":
This song is about falling short in a relationship, over and over, and drinking because of it. I think this is something a lot of people can probably relate to. Being in love but not being the best at showing it or feeling successful within it. And being afraid that this is something you’ll always deal with because you never really saw a better example of how love works.
barteesstrange.bandcamp.com
Good friends of Bartees, all of Boygenius received songwriting credit for this wonderful song that won Grammys for best rock performance and best rock song .
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In an interview for Rolling Stone, Phoebe Bridgers said about the song’s lyrical content,
Being like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too fucked up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’ Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most f**ked-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept.
xboygeniusx.bandcamp.com
Desire is Dylan's seventeenth studio album released in 1976. - www.bobdylan.com
This song is about Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer who spent 19 years in jail for a murder Dylan felt he did not commit. bit.ly
Merry Clayton is the female vocalist. She is a gospel singer who did backup vocals for a number of artists, including Ray Charles.
She did a take of her line, then decided to "blow them out of this room" on the next take. This time, she delivered a chilling vocal an octave higher, her voice cracking on "murder." This can be heard at about the 3:04 mark, and you can hear an impressed Mick Jagger in the background saying "Whoo!"
www.youtube.com
Here's the Merry Clayton "Gimme Shelter" in her rendition of the song it turns raw fear into power, her voice trembling with a grit that cuts deeper than the storm the song speaks of. A shivering crawl up your spine, making the Rolling Stones' version—iconic as it is—sound like a precursor to the true reckoning.
www.youtube.com
"White Rabbit" by Grace Slick, originally performed with Jefferson Airplane, is a heady dive into the psychedelic undercurrent of the late 1960s. Drawing on the surrealism of Lewis Carroll’s 'Alice in Wonderland' and blending it with the rebellious, drug-fueled counterculture, Slick's vocals and the song's rising crescendo make it a timeless anthem.
Jefferson Airplane's "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds" kicks off with an electric rush of '60s counterculture, a heartbeat away from the haze of "White Rabbit." "3/5 of a Mile" brings the punchy, distorted riffs.
www.youtube.com
Brooklyn-based, A Place to Bury Strangers, released "Join the Crowd" Friday along with the album 'Synthesizer.' The album celebrates sounds that are spontaneous and natural, the kind of music that can only come from collaboration and community.
aplacetoburystrangers.bandcamp.com
"Rifles" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club from their self-titled debut album captures the raw, gritty essence of a band navigating the complexities of love and loss.
Check out this live performance of the song at Amoeba Records in San Francisco: www.youtube.com
On this day "Joan of Arc" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark was released! A haunting tribute to the iconic figure, encapsulating both her tragic fate and enduring legacy. This track, along with "Maid of Orleans," is from their 1981 album 'Architecture & Morality,' which reflects the band’s fusion of synth-pop. In this song, OMD delves deep into themes of sacrifice and heroism, it's a timeless piece in their discography.
orchestralmanoeuvresinthedark.bandcamp.com
Los Angeles artist TR/ST is on tour!
- Seattle, WA: Friday, Nov. 15
- San Francisco, CA: Wednesday, Nov. 20
www.daisrecords.com
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Check out their 2019 Live on KEXP performance here: www.youtube.com
Born in 1958, Cuban-American singer-songwriter and producer, Al Jourgenson is celebrating a birthday today!
Jourgenson co-wrote this song with Shay Jones for Ministry's debut album, With Sympathy. With Sympathy was out of print for many years, and Jourgensen claimed that he had destroyed the master tapes. In 2012, Eastworld Records reissued the album with three bonus tracks
ministryband.com
TSHA's second full-length, "Sad Girl," is out now. You can go here to purchase it: tshamusic.bandcamp.com
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The artist said this about "Girls":
"It was important to me that this album also be about my growing confidence and learning to have fun as a woman while realising your worth. I’ve worked with Rose before and she’s so talented—she brought this perfect Cyndi Lauper vibe to the track, making it a celebration of female power."
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Watch the video for ‘Girls’ (feat. Rose Gray): www.youtube.com
Kassie Krut's "Reckless" is about youthful impulsiveness and the bittersweet aftermath of reckless decisions. Born from her own experiences, when the thrill of living on the edge collides with the sobering reality of consequences. It's a experimental song for anyone who's ever danced too close to the flame.
kassiekrut.bandcamp.com
If it's your birthday today, this one's for you!
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This Justin Robertson remix reimagines The Sugarcubes' iconic 1987 track by breathing a new life into its soundscape. With Robertson's deft touch, the edit elevates the song with a dreamy essence. See the official video for "Birthday.": www.youtube.com
This Monday, Kim Deal released "A Good Time Pushed." It's her third single off the upcoming album, 'Nobody Love You More.'
kimdeal.bandcamp.com
One of John's Favorite Songs of All Time!
This slowed down, more sultry version of the Pixies classic is prominently featured in the cult classic film Pump Up the Volume starring Christian Slater - www.pixiesmusic.com
When 'Loaded' was originally released in 1970, the song's bridge was cut. The box set Peel Slowly and See and reissue Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition restored the missing section.
Brand new music from Brooklyn producer and DJ VItesse X! Their sophomore LP 'This Infinite' was released last week, featuring co-production by Jack Tatum (Wild Nothing).
For Vitesse X, the album encourages the listener to free themselves from ego, as she aims to do. “It’s about trusting my gut,” says Vitesse X. “It feels like a weight was lifted. It says what it needs to say.”
vitessex.bandcamp.com
"High" from The Cure's 1992 album Wish, blends shimmering guitars with Robert Smith's airy. Their spontaneous recording style lead to the tracks organic feel.
www.youtube.com
"We Laugh Indoors" was written during a period when the band was still gaining traction, and it showcases their early sound. Transitioning from a solo project to a significant player in the indie rock scene, which would soon flourish in years to come.
thevogue.com
The third album from this Seattle trio is another stellar set of magnetic indie rock and energetic garage rock that deftly mixes in grunge, psych, and New Wave styles into their muscular, expansive, alternative sound. Ten years since forming as teenagers, the band showcases a more mature side on Shine Away to reveal “the sound of a band coming into, and becoming, themselves,” capable of expressing themselves more intimately through their songcraft, while still bringing in doses of the explosive, infectious, youthful sound that defined their earlier output.
www.kexp.org
The second and final album from alternative rock band School of Fish, formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1994. The core members were Josh Clayton-Felt and Michael Ward who would play club dates in Los Angeles, California as a duo accompanied by programmed drums and bass.
www.nytimes.com
Happy Birthday, John Lennon! Born on this day in 1940.
Spanish duo Hinds perform:
- San Francisco on October 15th at The Chapel
- Seattle on October 18th at The Crocodile
This track features a notable collaboration with Beck and marks an impressive comeback for the Madrid-based duo.
hinds.bandcamp.com
hinds.os.fan
Playing tonight at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett!
Jack White released his sixth solo album, No Name, in August. According to this interview, "It is a great listen filled with whisps of Zeppelin, swamp blues, Detroit punk, and some White Stripes for good measure."
tinyurl.com
officialjackwhite.bandcamp.com
Good morning. My name is Lori and I own a coffee shop in Toronto (full of beans) where we play KEXP all day long. In fact, I've been listening to KEXP for over 20 years.
Last week, a customer walked in and pointed at the KEXP shirt that I was wearing and cupped his ear, recognizing the station. He said, "you must have grown up in Seattle!"
I replied that I'm born and bred in Toronto but have liked KEXP for some time. He asked if I was listening to it when it was KCMU and I said no but, why was he asking?
Wouldn't you know, he was a dj on KCMU for 3 years! His name is Dave but I did not get his last name. He's just visiting Toronto and still lives in Seattle.
I love how people find each other!
Any Bowie song would make me happy.
I saw JAMES and Johnny Marr last night at the Brooklyn Paramount! (Sting the night before but that would be a different request..) The theater long rich history as a movie house and music venue (Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Etta James) but spent decades as a gym for Long Island University. It has recently been refurbished, has an eclectic line up and is four blocks from my new apartment in Downtown Bklyn. I never knew James’ music until I started listening to KEXP. WHAT A SHOW!
I spoke to Lenny Kaye in the crowd too! (I know Morrissey & Johnny met at a Patti Smith show in 1978…)
And then Johnny came on with his band. There were songs I never, ever thought I’d hear live and ugly cried when he performed “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.”
Can you please play This Charming Man so I can hear his telecaster ring this morning?
Love from Brooklyn!
Beth
Good morning! Can you play "You are my joy" by The Reindeer Section? I heard this song for the first time on KEXP back in early 2000s. I instantly fell in love with it. Whenever I feel down, this song pulls me back up. I could use a little of that good energy this morning. Thank you for reminding us every day that we are not alone!
Tara
Request for Jeff in Folsom, CA!
You can hang out with Black Ends at Life on Mars in Seattle tonight for an album listening party TONIGHT at 7pm!
Black Ends new album 'Psychotic Spew' comes out this Friday, October 11th!
blackends.bandcamp.com
Black Ends will be at The Funhouse in Seattle on Saturday, November 16th.
Enjoy this recent Throwaway Style feature by KEXP's Martin Douglas on Seattle band Black Ends:
www.kexp.org