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Wednesday, Jul 13 2016, 6AM
Live Aid was held on this day in 1985. Organized to raise money for the Ethiopian famine. Here's video of Queen's entire performance: www.youtube.com.
Bono recently completed his first of two miracles required to be considered a saint by the Catholic Church. We wish him luck in completing the second miracle. Some might argue that the Songs of Innocence release was also, in fact, a miracle.
Featuring the late, great Bernie Worrell on keyboards. RIP Wizard of Woo. From the Jonathan Demme-directed Stop Making Sense. Aguably among the film's best performances. "Girlfriend is Better" has to be up there too.
Once saw a video of Devotchka performing this live at Bonnaroo, and all these wasted people were trying to turn it into a party jam. It didn't really work. Pretty ironic to start out The Morning Show with "How It Ends," amirite?
A song to distract from all else. Originally released on The Seldom Seen Kid LP, which won the Mercury Music Prize back in 2008. The band played it as part of the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.
Peter Hook has said "Regret" was the last good New Order song. Not to argue with the man, but "Crystal" from Get Ready is also pretty great. Recorded at the Reading Festival in 1993.
Big Star cover. Used on the soundtrack for the 2005 movie Thumbsucker, which Elliott recorded several songs for. Also featured on the New Moon comp, which gathered a number of unreleased tracks by the artist.
Kevin Cole's song of 2015. If that isn't an endorsement... Junius has played multiple times on KEXP, despite not having yet released a full-length. Luckily the album is out now: blog.kexp.org.
Oh, Sufjan. From his 2015 album Carrie & Lowell, which is assured to remain among his best works. Despite its superficial similarities to Seven Swans, it's interesting to think of the LP as a departure for the artist.
Such amazing guitar on this track-- love how it grows. So understated compared to most of Martsch's solos, but very effective never the less. From the Keep It Like a Secret LP, which came out in 1998.
Playing The Crocodile tonight, with Japanese Breakfast, where I will be sobbing surrounded by my friends from high school. We will be penned in The Crocodile's all-ages balcony, which never fails to diminish.
Will always be associated with my brother. Shearwater played a really quite remarkable in-studio here at KEXP earlier this year. Particularly spot on interview from Cheryl: www.youtube.com.
Aural comfort food in the best possible sense. War on Drugs are finally taking some time off after touring seemingly nonstop for Lost In The Dream for 18 months. Let's hope Adam gets some time to relax.
Next Wednesday will be Kevin Cole's Replacements event in our gathering space! Featuring Bob Mehr (author of Trouble Boys, acclaimed 'Mats bio), Peter Jesperson (founder of Twin/Tone), Sean Nelson, live music, memorabilia, and much more.
Just Googled "Middle Kids" and ended up reading an article on how birth order shapes personality. Really interesting stuff. Told me a lot about myself. Fronted by Hannah Joy, this is the band's debut single.
Takes me back. This record meant a lot. So much energy. Saw a documentary about the no wave scene last summer, and it was just Lydia Lunch dumping on Karen O. Like I love Lydia Lunch to death, but still. Come on.
Such a beautiful central image to this track: "Just like raindrops// you feel so good upon my lips." From Basement Jaxx's undervalued Scars LP from 2009. Such a good Santigold track on the album.
Thank god The Avalanches came back and their album is really good. We can argue about the merits of "Frankie Sinatra," but this song is gorgeous. Also, Jennifer Herrema AND David Berman are on the record-- Drag City better be getting some of that Avalanches money.
A song that only gets better once you realize it's about Aesop Rock's cat. I've posted it before, but here's that video of Aesop Rock backed up by Yo La Tengo: bit.ly.
An early crossover hit for the Godfather of Soul-- Top 5 Hit on the R&B charts, as well as a Top 40 Hit on the pop charts. Was performed in the classic Live at the Apollo concert, released in 1963.
Playing this year's Pickathon Music Festival, which should be a quite good show. Here's a really cool video of BADBADNOTGOOD covering Flying Lotus: www.youtube.com.
The latest from the hyper-talented Spencer Krug, also of Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown fame. Krug & the rest of the reunited Wolf Parade will be playing The Neptune on August 7&8, which I could not be more excited to attend.
From that first Arctic Monkeys record, which came out 10 years ago. People still freak out over that record. It's just like, calm down you guys, and go listen to some Fall.
Of course, John Peel's favorite song. Not hard to figure out why. Such a good video for this track. They look so young, it's remarkable: www.youtube.com.
Part of Angel Olsen's campaign to be the greatest thing going right now. The world may be in shambles, but at least there's Angel Olsen. Unspoken sequel to U2's "Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me."
Shovels & Rope's forthcoming record, Little Seeds, will be released this October (10/7). Here's a set they played at The Triple Door in 2013: www.youtube.com.
To borrow a turn of phrase from Ian McCulloch, the "overcooked fish" of Smiths records? Certainly their most produced, ordained effort. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing-- it certainly has some great tracks.
New Merchandise record sounding like the 4AD of yore. Borrowed some of that Modern English, mixed it with some Lush, threw in a dollup of Wolfgang Press? Full-length released sometime soon.
Arguably the best part of this song is singing along in one's best Matt Berninger impression. I got a copy of this CD from an internship I worked, and it was completely scratched up despite never having been opened. Thanks, guys.
Band starting making music together in high school. The main two met outside a Tokyo Police Club concert when they were 15, underage drinking was involved: www.stereogum.com.
At what point did Billy Corgan just become the worst? I know that's still a controversial opinion, so I apologize, all right? At least the guy likes Liz Phair. He definitely deserves some credit for that.
Seeing this band live was insane, not in small part because of all the twenty-somethings freaking out at every moment. Here's a video of a set the band played in 1998: www.youtube.com.
Pure bliss from Bob Mould. If that guy ever makes a perfume it should be called Bliss, and should have an SD card featuring Copper Blue in it. Beaster EP too. Hope he's doing alright.
Riff lifted from somewhere? Possibly an Ali Farka Toure/ Ry Cooder sample. Off DJ Shadow's latest, The Mountain Will Fall, which has gotten some good reviews. Spin liked it a lot, if you're into that.
Really fitting visuals for this one. Looks like it came straight out of someone's late-80s wardrobe acid trip: www.youtube.com.
Kate Bush cover. Somehow I doubt Kate Bush is into it. She seems like a bit of a purist. Not that I can blame her-- she's the best for a reason. Also, the Kate Bush Christmas Special is completely insane if you haven't seen it yet.
A few Modest Mouse songs I would have requested: "Never Ending Math Equation," "Interstate 8," "3rd Planet," "Trailer Trash," "Dramamine," Sun Kil Moon's cover of "Ocean Breathes Salty." Playing Key Arena July 30.
I often think of what I'd serve at my dinner party with the members of Sonic Youth. Also, wasn't Kim & Thurston's divorce substantial proof that love is dead? I don't know why it's even an argument anymore.
Thee Oh Sees leaving the garage on their latest record-- or maybe just moving to a much bigger garage? The drum sound is just so expansive. So much reverb & space & stuff.
Also known as the song Ric Ocasek forced Will Toledo to change because he didn't want "Just What I Needed" used in the song. Ocasek partially redeemed himself by producing Romeo Void's "Never Say Never," which I listened to several times this weekend.
Such a damn catchy song. And a really good record in general. And not in the backhanded compliment way-- it's like actually really good, not "really good" as a blow-off response. Just clarifying.
From John Richards's top album of 2015, My Love Is Cool. His Love is Cool. My Love is Cool, too. Our Love is So Cool. Not as cool as Wolf Alice's love though. Here's their KEXP set from 2015: blog.kexp.org.
Santigold released a record earlier this year, 99c, which was undervalued by critics upon release. Granted that's probably common among artists that had highly buzzed debut LPs. Off Santi's 2012 record Master of My Make-Believe.
Such a great song, it's not even funny. Such a talented artist. Hopefully another full-length is on the way? Lorely Rodriguez released her debut LP under the Empress Of moniker, Me, back in 2015. It was a complete jam.
A great music video to have on in the background while you're waking up, doing household chores, mopping floors, chopping wood, doing other menial labor: www.youtube.com.
A good shot of male aggression to help you wake up, courtesy of Mr. Reznor. I feel like he'd made me call him that if we hung out. On the list of things he hates: Spotify, YouTube, millennials, himself, you
Playing Neumo's on November 2nd, with Methyl Ethyl, and soundtracking my sexual nightmares throughout the summer. Off Preoccupations' self-titled record, out September 16th. It should go hard.
Lisa Prank will be playing Capitol Hill Block Party Saturday, July 23rd!