April 15, 2021
Former music exec, collector and author Jeff Gold returns with the almost unbelievable story of the band that invented punk rock.. Jeff spent two days with Iggy Pop at his Miami home, sharing with him an extensive Stooges collection and interviewing the legendary singer.
Gold's book is the uncensored history of this most extraordinary band, in the words of the man who willed The Stooges into existence and somehow kept them alive in the face of disaster, again and again, against all odds. Three historic albums, and one crazy story, you don't want to miss this one!
March 30, 2021
The myth of the outlaw has informed many of the great songs in music. From folk and blues, to country and rock, to reggae and rap, bad men and bandits have endured. A Friend of the Devil tracks the true story of these legendary bandits behind the songs that deify them, while looking at society's role in both creating outlaws, and our perpetual need for a new hero.
John Kruth talks to us about why we have continued to romanticize criminals in song, and we'll go behind such legendary songs — and characters — by Townes Van Zandt, the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Warren Zevon and many others, whose hits idolized the outlaw and its myth.
March 16, 2021
In 1968, Elvis Presley walked down Sunset Strip in broad daylight. No one recognized him. He was worse than dead, he was irrelevant. Changes had to be made. So Elvis staged rock's first and greatest comeback in "Elvis '68," widely known as The Comeback Special. With this show, he resurrected himself— at the age of 33, no less — from the ashes of a career mired in bad movies and soundtracks. So where to go from here? Back home, of course.
Author Eric Wolfson joins us to break down "From Elvis In Memphis." The music and cultural landscape had changed, and bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys were now all the rage. But, as Wolfson tell us, The Memphis Boys and Chips Moman give the King a kick in the behind, and he delivers one of his greatest albums ever!
February 16, 2021
It was the age when heavy-footed, humorless dinosaurs roamed the hard-rock landscape. But that all changed with these four dazed and confused, mid-'70s flamboyant bands that reveled in revved-up anthems and flaunted a novel theatricality.
Author Doug Brod seamlessly interweaves the narratives of KISS, Cheap Trick, and Aerosmith and Starz, taking us back to a time when rock became fun again and a gig became a show. We talk about each band's birth, rebirths, and where they belong in music history.
February 2, 2021
The question of control for Black women is a costly one. From 1986 onwards, the trajectory of Janet Jackson's career can be summed up in her desire for control. Control for Janet was never simply just about her desire for economic and creative control but rather an existential question about the desire to control and be in control over her bodily integrity as a Black woman.
Ayanna Dozier talks about Janet's quest for control as heard in her sixth album, The Velvet Rope, an emancipatory act of self-creation that allows her to reconcile with and, potentially, heal from trauma, pain, and feelings of alienation. Dozier tells us how this album stands out as a revelatory expression of emotional vulnerability by the singer, one that many other artists have followed in the 20-plus years since its release.
January 19, 2021
In his new book "Sittin' In," Grammy Award-winning record executive and music historian Jeff Gold brings to life the renowned jazz nightclubs of the 1940s and 1950s in an astounding visual history of American music.
Gold talks to us about this explosive moment in the history of Jazz and expounds on these spaces as the center of artistic and social change. These clubs formed a profoundly inclusive and communal scene in American culture and music during a time of otherwise widespread segregation.
January 5, 2021
Everyone loves cover songs. And a great cover often makes a song stronger. Why is that? Author Ray Padgett, of the website www.covermesongs.com, lets us in on the origins of classic covers — and tells the larger story of how cover songs have evolved over the decades.
The Beatles made “Twist and Shout” famous, but who did it first? Where did the Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody" come from? Aretha Franklin demanded “Respect,” Patti Smith blew up "Gloria," DEVO deconstructed "Satisfaction," and Talking Heads recast Al Green's "Take Me To The River." Hear more from Ray in this episode!
December 21, 2020
The two Steves thank you for your support. We'll be back in January and here's a sneak peak as to what's coming! Plus a *great* version of a Holiday classic from our friends Frankie and The Poolboys! Enjoy!
December 11, 2020
Becoming Jimi Hendrix traces “Jimmy’s” early musical roots, from a harrowing, hand-to-mouth upbringing in a poverty-stricken, broken Seattle home to his stint as a reluctant recruit of the 101st Airborne who was magnetically drawn to the rhythm and blues scene in Nashville. As a sideman, Hendrix played with the likes of Little Richard, Ike and Tina Turner, the Isley Brothers, and Sam & Dave — but none knew what to make of his spotlight-stealing rock guitar experimentation, the likes of which had never been heard before.
Author Brad Schreiber walks us through these formative years, as Hendrix developed his style in the rough and tumble clubs of Nashville, New York, and London, where he would break through and become the world's greatest rock'n'roll guitar player.
