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Friday, Apr 6 2018, 6AM
When Arcade Fire released ttheir fifth studio album, "Everything Now," they simultaneously posted a glut of fake news stories about themselves online, from pretend album reviews to parodic lifestyle blogs. Now, they say, "People have lost the ability to even know what a joke is. It’s very Orwellian." Read the interview: www.theguardian.com
The video for "It's My Life" shows Mark Hollis at the London Zoo in Regent's Park, but he's not singing - his mouth is digitally obscured as he stands among the exhibits. The rest of the footage came from the BBC nature series Life on Earth.
Directed by Tim Pope, it may have been the first video to feature a band's lead singer not performing. Hollis was likely making a statement about lip synching.: www.youtube.com
"Oh, Alive and Kicking...
Stay until your love is, love is, Alive and Kicking...." Please stay....choose life.: www.azlyrics.com
Wayne Coyne and Moby sing the choruses together, and then go back and forth on the verses. Moby told Rolling Stone: "Wayne and I first met in 1995, when the Flaming Lips and I were both opening up for a Red Hot Chili Peppers' European tour. We became friends, shared a dressing room and the same bad craft services, and watched the Chili Peppers from the side of the stage. I thought of Wayne for this song because the Flaming Lips have evolved into this very open, celebratory band when they play live, and that was the perfect vibe for what I was imagining for 'The Perfect Life.' I texted Wayne and said, 'Hey, I have a song – want to sing on it?' Thirty seconds later, he texted me back: 'Yes, send it to me, it will be great.'"
This song is perfect for the trailer of "The Secret Life of Walter MItty": www.youtube.com
Read a biography of New Jersey singer/songwriter Pete Yorn: www.allmusic.com
Perhaps you'll hear this laughter when Spoon plays the Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge on Saturday, May 26th, 2018.
Live!! Watch Austra perform "We Were Alive" and other songs during a fine KEXP in-studio session last year: www.youtube.com
"Help I'm Alive" wasn't supposed to be the first single from Metric's 2009 album, Fantasies. Instead, the band had lined up "Gimme Sympathy" to drop first. But "Help I'm Alive" had other plans.
As guitarist Jimmy Shaw explained to an interviewer, "I imagine our songs as people. 'Help I'm Alive' punched 'Gimme Sympathy' in the face and jumped in front of it. We had this image of me coming into the studio one day and the back door was wide open and there were only nine singles there, and 'Help I'm Alive' had run out and was streaking down the neighborhood.": www.shmoop.com
This is a cover of a truly great 1968 garage-rock single from Tommy James & The Shondells.
In this video, James Brown performs "That's Life", live at the Boston Garden, April 5th, 1968.
In the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4th, 1968, riots broke out in cities across the country. James Brown had been scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden on April 5th. Boston Mayor Kevin White had initially wanted to cancel all public events, including James Brown's show. As there was concern that the cancellation of the show might cause an escalation of the crisis. it was agreed that James Brown's show would go on.
The show, one of the greatest in Boston's history, went on and the city of Boston remained relatively calm. James Brown consoled his mourning audience, dedicated the show to the memory of Dr. King and was instrumental in keeping the peace on the streets of Boston. This concert became known as "The Night James Brown Saved Boston": www.youtube.com
This was written by the Motown songwriters Ron Miller and Orlando Murden, and was originally recorded in 1966 by a Jazz/Soul singer named Jean DuShon. It was also recorded by Barbara McNair and The Temptations. All versions of the song to this point were long, drawn-out ballads. Stevie Wonder was the first to pick up the tempo and use a joyful arrangement. Wonder's version, however, sat in the Motown vaults for nearly a year before Berry Gordy finally released it in 1968. This became the hit record and definitive version of the song.
This performance of "Life" was shot in 1968 on 16mm film and was edited from over 45 minutes of outtakes.: www.youtube.com
The True Loves will play The Royal Room on Friday, May 11th, as a benefit for the STUDIO 23 artist space and art teaching collective.
The Golden Palominos are an American musical group headed by drummer and composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Aside from Fier, the Palominos membership has been wildly elastic. Their records featured a variety of guest musicians. This song included Michael Stipe of R.E.M. on vocals, British songwriter Richard Thompson on lead guitar, and jazz bandleader Carla Bley on Hammond organ.
The refrain, "Razzle dazzle drazzle drone" is from the cartoon, "Tutor Turtle." In the cartoon, Mr. Wizard allows Tutor Turtle to explore some other destiny. When Tooter's trip finally became a catastrophe, Tooter would request help with a cry of "Help me, Mr. Wizard, I don't want to be X any more!" where X was whatever destiny Tooter had entered. Mr. Wizard would then rescue Tooter with the incantation, "Drizzle, Drazzle, Drozzle, Drome; time for this one to come home." Then, Mr. Wizard would always give Tooter the same advice: "Be just what you is, not what you is not. Folks what do this has the happiest lot."
Someone wrote of this song, "It's like Morrissey and Bono had a baby." Watch the video, replete with "snakes, giant spider webs, scraggly bushes and overall desolation.":www.youtube.com
This sultry track was conceived by Love And Rockets guitarist Daniel Ash, who also handled lead vocals. "I'd gone to a party on Saturday night, and I was married at the time, and I saw this woman over the other side of the room, and I was completely transfixed which is very odd because I was freshly married," he said in an interview. "It was very weird, but I was completely infatuated by her and so much so that I couldn't go near her to even speak to her, it was just this overwhelming thing. I can't explain it to this day. That's why the first line is, 'I don't know what color your eyes are.' Because I didn't get that close, I just saw this person in the distance."
Ahhh.....the Friday song. KEXP is celebrating 30 years of Sub Pop by "counting up" the entire Sub Pop catalog.: www.kexp.org
Speedy Ortiz will be LIVE on KEXP on Wednesday, June 13th, at noon. That performance is open to the public. Speedy Ortiz will play The Vera Project that night.
Get Shiggy with it. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks will play The Neptune Theatre on Saturday, August 4th, 2018.
"But you can't find liquor in Oregon...
So we'll just talk and bum some smokes..." Here are the lyrics to this paean to the crazy life:genius.com
Tacocat (our favorite palindrome) will play The Upstream Music Fest + Summit, June 1-3, 2018.
Near the end, the song collapses on itself in a strange passage of bumps and crashes, underlain with boos and catcalls followed by cheers. The story is often told that this was taped during Prince's 1981 disastrous opening slot for the Rolling Stones. According to this legend, what you hear in the sample is the crowd booing him off the stage, then cheering as Prince leaves. However, Prince Vault claims the samples actually come from a sound library set by the company Sound Ideas.
It's been reported that Janelle Monae collaborated with Prince on this track. Read about it here: www.nme.com
Here's a very positive review of Nicolas Jaar's (Against All Logic) "2012-2017": pitchfork.com
Rob Birch dissects "Connected" in this essay: www.musicradar.com
Enjoy a KEXP "review revue" of Inspiral Carpets' "Life": www.kexp.org
8:12 AM
18th spin
Perhaps they'll play this song at The Upstream Music Fest + Summit on Sunday, June 3rd, 2018.
Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth! Watch the official video: www.youtube.com
Ghostland Observatory is not a band, but an agreement between two friends to create something that not only heals their beat-driven hearts, but pleases their rock ‘n roll souls.: www.facebook.com
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has named Q-Tip the artistic director and advisor-at-large of its new Hip-Hop Culture Council.: www.rollingstone.com
"Even Empire of the Sun Disagrees With Empire of the Sun’s Billy Graham Instagram Tribute": www.spin.com
Matt Berninger of The National says of Ethan Marunas: "What I like most about Baby Dayliner’s writing is that there's rarely any meanness in his songs; no forced posturing or aggressiveness; and they are loaded with empathy. He sings about flawed and vain characters but with genuine understanding and kindness. The music is catchy, smart, and weird — something beautiful and odd, that only he does. Baby Dayliner is something uncommon in pop music. He’s unique."
Happy birthday, "Dandys Rule OK,' released on this date in 1995.
Watch this Vancouver, BC duo perform this song live in 2012: www.youtube.com
The beginning of this song is one of the most famous spoken intros in pop history. Prince takes the persona of a preacher and is joined by a church organ as he gives what amounts to a sermon, reminding us that we should enjoy this life, knowing that we can look forward to a world of never-ending happiness when we die. Credit this to George Clinton, who did many similar bits ("free your mind, and your ass will follow...") with P-Funk.
The renowned trio Despacio consists of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Soulwax’s David and Stephen Dewaele, who have previously won plaudits for their vinyl-only soundsystem.
Now, it’s been announced that they’ll be behind the decks for all three days of the Victoria Park festival in London from Friday 25 – Sunday 27 May.
Read more at www.nme.com
Allmusic calls them "the thinking person's hardcore band": www.allmusic.com And, by the way, what does "Fugazi" mean?
"But I know that I would give it all up, trade it all in...
for a springboard, and a pair of shorts, and a plain white t-shirt and a perfect backflip.": ballboy.bandcamp.com
Speaking (as we were) of Scotland, today is Tartan Day, a celebration of Scottish heritage on 6 April, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. The Declaration was in the form of a letter in Latin submitted to Pope John XXII, intended to confirm Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland's right to use military action when unjustly attacked.
About a year ago, The Jeus and Mary Chain released their first album in 19 years. They said in an interview then, "Pop is dreadful. Switch on a radio, I guarantee it’ll be garbage.": www.theguardian.com
Ahh, the Seattle theme song.: www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com
This is Sub Pop release number 22. Here's an interview with Seaweed's Aaron Stauffer: www.noecho.net
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, The Posies have an enormous tour of North America and Europe. They'll play The Neptune Theatre on Saturday, July 7th, 2018.
This song is a collaboration with Will Toledo (aka Car Seat Headrest). Who, you ask, is Stef Chura?: www.adolescent.net
When asked about the life-affirming lyrics, Beck replied: "Most of this song was completely off the top of my head. I didn't write any of it. It was just us fooling around in the studio."
Beck suffered a spinal injury in 2008, which left him in a great deal of pain. For several years he was unable to pick up his guitar. However, this song finds him in a happy place. He explained: "I had a spine injury and there was a long period where it wasn't easy to make music. Recovering from that makes it a lot easier. It's made a huge difference."
Superorganism just played live on KEXP a few weeks ago. That performance will be posted on KEXP's Youtube channel soon. In the meantime, here's a live performance from last December.:www.youtube.com
It's hard to listen to "The Frog Song" without feeling joy. Watch a live version from The Hollywood Bowl: www.youtube.com
This is a catchy little tune. Read more about this ditty: www.beatlesbible.com
