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Friday, Feb 2 2018, 6AM
Good morning and happy Friday. This song was released in 1965 and definitely informed John Richards' early life. Watch Mr. and Mrs. Bono perform it: www.youtube.com
It's deja vu all over again. Cher didn't like this song at first. She recalled to Billboard magazine: "Sonny woke me up in the middle of the night to come in where the piano was, in the living room, and sing it. And I didn't like it and just said, 'OK, I'll sing it and then I'm going back to bed.'"
OMD will play The Showbox on Saturday, March 24th, 2018.
Duran Duran released their debut single, "Planet Earth," on this date in 1981. It's not too early to get ready for Duran Duran Appreciation Day on August 10th: www.biography.com
"When in Rome was another in a long line of British pop acts scoring one major hit single before seemingly disappearing without a trace. The 1988 hit "The Promise" was essentially a carbon copy of New Order's radio-friendly dance-rock. Dark yet catchy, boasting a throbbing dance rhythm, a singalong chorus, and a hypnotic melody, "The Promise" certainly deserved the success." Read a review of the band's self-titled debut album: www.allmusic.com
Read a 2015 interview, replete with videos, with Nick Laird-Clowes of The Dream Academy, best known for this "Life in a Northern Town" hit: www.rhino.com
The English electronic pop duo (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) first met at an electronics store in London and quickly began working together under the moniker West End. The name Pet Shop Boys was inspired by friends who worked at - you guessed it - a pet shop.With more than 50 million records sold worldwide, they were included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful duo in UK music history in 1999 (the number would climb to 70 million in the next decade).
O.K., Jay Som (Oakland's Melina Duterte) will be performing with Japanese Breakfast at Neumos on Thursday, February 15th, 2018.
Geowulf describe themselves as "originally from Australia, ...but..we have both individually lived between Berlin, London & Gothenburg for the last six years." Their debut album, "Great Big Blue," comes out on February 16th, 2018.: www.facebook.com
The band discusses each track from their sophomore release, "Blue Field," here: bigtakeover.com
Holy is the Stockholm based project of Hannes Ferm from Umeå, Sweden. If you've got some Euros, you can purchase his LP, "All These Worlds Are Yours," at his Bandcamp page: itisholy.bandcamp.com
Watch Daughter playing live in the KEXP studio in 2016: www.kexp.org
Experience the song twice: once with your eyes closed, seeing where your mind takes you, and again with an anchor in this world in the form of choreographer Ryan Heffington.: www.youtube.com
"Blue Monday" was inspired by Donna Summers' album track, "Our Love", on the Bad Girls album. You can hear the same iconic "bump, bump…buda buda buda buda...bump, bump" beat on both tracks. Here are some more things you might not know about the best-selling 12" of all time: www.buzzfeed.com
Feist, Vampire Weekend, and St. Vincent will highlight 2018's End of the Road Festival in England: www.theguardian.com
(Wolf, wolf, wolf...Say it three times, John.) I wanted to write a love song because I was feeling in love," Ellie Roswell said. "I find it hard sometimes to think with my feelings rather than my head, which is not good when it comes to love."
"I wanted the music to be emotive and perfect for a long drive," Roswell continued." I'd watched Father John Misty at a festival in Spain and he played 'True Affection', which is far more powerful live and the rolling synth gave me all the feels, so I wanted something like that in the tune." Watch the video: www.youtube.com
The band could be very happy here. Singer Shirley Manson is from Scotland, where it rains frequently. She thinks of the song as an example of the Scots' self-deprecating humor. Steve Marker, the band's guitarist, said, "It's really just us poking fun of ourselves... We're poking fun at the alternate rock angst, wearing your heart on your sleeve thing and at ourselves for writing such dark songs."
It's imminent! International Clash Day (internationalclashday.com) will be Wednesday, February 7th, 2018, and Clash Cover Night occurs that evening: www.kexp.org
"Son Lux is the grand genre-less dream of Los Angeles composer Ryan Lott brought to roiling, vivid life with the help of two New Yorkers, guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang." Don't miss the opportunity to see them at Neumos on Tuesday, March 13th, 2018.
Happy birthday, Thomas! Celebrate by watching the black-and-white video for "Quiet Little Voices": www.youtube.com
The Violent Femmes performed an impassioned live set in KEXP's Gathering Space a few months ago: www.youtube.com
Ahhh.....the Friday song. KEXP has just launched its new website. You're visiting it now: www.kexp.org
Is it the band's name or the song title that John considered after reading the Spokane announcement of International Clash Day? Here's a lot of info about this 80's hit.: www.liketotally80s.com
Arcade Fire just released a six-minute demo version of "Put Your Money on Me" from "Everything Now": diymag.com
"Once in a Lifetime" was released as the first single from the Talking Heads' fourth studio album, "Remain in Light," on this date in 1981.
This was inspired by Priscilla Presley's book Elvis And Me, where she described their relationship. Martin Gore of Depeche Mode said: "It's a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care. It's about how Elvis was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships.." Johnny Cash explained why he chose to cover this song : "I heard that as a gospel song. And if you think of it as a gospel song, it works really well."
Joe Strummer admitted in an interview with Melody Maker in 1988 that he had nicked the bassline from the Queen hit "Another One Bites The Dust" (which in itself shares many similarities with another Disco classic, Chic's "Good Times").
Here's Spoon performing "I Turn My Camera On" live in San Diego last year:www.youtube.com
Watch a live performance for KEXP VIP Club members at Seattle's Triple Door in 2013: www.kexp.org
"They were drinking from a fountain...
That was pouring like an avalanche...
Coming down the mountain..." You'll probably want to memorize the lyrics to "Pepper": genius.com
Formed in Austin, Texas in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya set on the river in St Petersburg. Read a biography of the band here: www.allmusic.com
Oh, if only KEXP would play the theme song from "The Kids in the Hall." Go to Shadowy Men's Facebook page: www.facebook.com
Thank you, Justin Trudeau. The video for "Go!" features futuristic lederhosen-clad dancers dancing robotically with two poles.: www.youtube.com
FIDLAR is an acronym for "F**k It Dog, Life's A Risk". This is a fine article about the band, heroin, and success: www.gq.com
Lots of questions about the video: Who are all the topless boys? Why are they wearing tinfoil boxers? What’s with all the choking? Why is everybody so angry and/or not wearing pants? Are trampolines fun? Does that man’s moustache have a name?: www.stereogum.com
Here's a list of Steve Albini's finest moments as a bandleader: pitchfork.com
Speaking of Gainesville, the University of Florida will offer a one-credit course on Gainesville native Tom Petty: www.alligator.org
Speaking of Gainesville, the late, lamented Charles Bradley was born there in 1948: www.allmusic.com
Brazilian Girls will release their first album in 10 years, Let's Make Love, on April 13th via Six Degrees Records. The alternative-dance quartet teased the LP with lead single "Pirates," a barrage of springy synthesizers and singer Sabina Sciubba's staccato vocal lines. Here they are, performing the song live: www.youtube.com
Watch this Welsh (now London) trio perform "Whirring" live in the KEXP studio last year: www.kexp.org
What can you say about this stunningly beautiful song?: neverletmedown.wordpress.com
Another beautiful song. This Olympia band will make a much-anticipated visit to KEXP on Tuesday, April 3rd, at 9:30 a.m. This performance is open to the public.
Read more about this new single from German duo Lea Porcelain: medium.com
Boston band Buffalo Tom will be LIVE on KEXP on Thursday, March 1st, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. and will be at Neumos that night. Their new studio album will be released the next day. "All Be Gone" is the lead track from the album: www.stereogum.com
Watch a young Mr. Costello in his extraordinary cover of this Nick Lowe song: www.youtube.com
A Tribe Called Quest has just launched a line of streetwear for children, called "Kid Quester": www.bet.com
The song has been described as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix by Beastie Boys member MCA, and contains samples from several Hendrix songs including "Foxy Lady", "Happy Birthday", and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming". The beginning of the album version of the track is a sample from the live version of "Surrender" by Cheap Trick from their live album "Cheap Trick at Budokan."
Hmmm, do you suppose John chose this because of the previous track? Here's a live version: www.youtube.com
Here are the lyrics: genius.com