Premier Rock Forum

If you are looking for a music podcast that actually plays music (as opposed to one that only talks about music), I would recommend The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn.

I'm not 100% sure it counts as "podcast" because it's formatted more like a radio show, but it's available on apple podcasts.

It's always got a really cool and eclectic playlist. Seems to lean heavily on obscure 60s/70s stuff, but earlier and later stuff pops up too. The genres are all over the place, but Ben's got a great pair of ears so its usually very satisfying.

Rick Rubin's podcast is OK but this recent interview with Brian Eno is great. Rick asks the right questions and wisely lets Eno do most of the talking.

Marc Maron interviewed the late Michael K. Williams back in February and it's a gem. Heartbreaking, funny and honest.

I just got into ATTN Magazine's Crucial Listening and it's highly enjoyable. In it experimental musicians and sound artists reveal three of their favorite albums and discuss stuff around that. I've listened to two of the episodes amd bought two albums because of that, with couple to buy later.

Also Sound Matters podcast is great. Tim Hinman makes documentary style podcast about the many aspects of sound.

heptagons wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:10 pm I just got into ATTN Magazine's Crucial Listening and it's highly enjoyable. In it experimental musicians and sound artists reveal three of their favorite albums and discuss stuff around that. I've listened to two of the episodes amd bought two albums because of that, with couple to buy later.

Thanks for this. Some great episodes, and a nice surprise to hear a former student on there. Nice format for a show, and just the right length too.

pb183max wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:54 am If you missed it when it came out during lock down 2020 last year, *Wind of Change* is a must listen. It posits that the titular Scorpions hit was written by the CIA to destabilise the Soviet Union. The podcast has an investigative, serial format so it is a fun binge.

My girlfriend played us the first episode or two during a road trip and I basically ground my teeth the entire time. The show seemed like outright CIA public relations, a limited hangout attempting to present their clandestine activities as nothing more than cute little soft-power projects and dress-up games. Maybe it took a more critical approach in later episodes, but as someone with a basic knowledge of the CIA's grim history, the tone of the podcast was impossible to get past.

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BLOWBACK was great, as was the first season.

TRUE ANON is probably gonna rub most people the wrong way, but I enjoy it.

CHAPO TRAP HOUSE I've mostly given up on unless it a particular episode looks interesting - maybe one a month, usually the ones with a more international focus. (It's embarrassing to get too invested in US domestic politics as a non-resident.)

THE BEST SHOW is unstoppable - it's lost something since Tom Scharpling moved to L.A. and started recording remotely, but still makes me laugh every week. The recent fill-in shows by AP Mike, Dudio and Pat Byrne have been hilarious, too.

My favourite podcast at the moment is DEATH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. It's wildly discursive but is mostly concerned with the politics, art and literature of the second half of the 20th century. There is a heavy focus on Thomas Pynchon, fascism, post-war Nazism, David Bowie, the CIA, and the rise of the modern surveillance state. There are whole stretches where the host ignores all that stuff to talk about e.g. the history of guitar pedals. There are occasionally more topical episodes, but the show mostly steers clear of current events, election cycles etc.

It's been Patreon-only for the past couple of years, but the early episodes are all free. For anyone interested, the run of episodes on the JFK assassination (free) are a great starting point.

Bumping the podcast thread, especially re: music-focused podcasts. I'm sure there's many I don't know about but here's some music podcasts I enjoy.

The Trap Set w Joe Wong
Recommended here which is why I started listening. Has been on hiatus(?) since early 2021 but great interview archive

Aquarium Drunkard
Good interviews with musicians, released weekly

Essential Tremors
Only comes out monthly but this year's interviews include the Sleaford Mods singer, WIll Oldham, and the RZA

33 and a 1/3 Podcast with Prince Paul
The Use Your Illusion episode with Sebastian Bach is predictably bad "("There's no such thing as hair metal, man! It never existed.") and so is the Metallica black album one with the drummer from Hole. But there are better albums and guests.

What Had Happened Was
Hiphop podcast with Open Mike Eagle. I heard about it from someone here on FB. Maybe Faiz or Tree.

KCRW Lost Notes
Scripted documentary music podcast. There's an old season on the 1980s and a newer one I haven't listened to yet.

Kreative Krontol with FM VIsh Khanna
Very digressive, meandering interviews but I'm a regular listener. Vish had his own promotional thread on the old forum. Recently had Jeff Tweedy on and the ep is almost 2.5 hours. Vish likes to talk. Has had FM Steve on many times.

I'd say that's probably my top tier but I've also enjoyed:

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Carefully researched deep dives with songs in chronological order, currently at "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (at 149 of 500). Often spends more time on background context than the song itself, in a good way. Kinda dry, humorless delivery but a well done show.

The Alphabetical Fugazi
An episode devoted to every song in their catalogue with guests including FM's Steve, Ike, and probably others

Broken Record with Rick Rubin
Don't think I'd want to hang out w Rubin, but depending on the guest the interviews are good

Tour Stories with Joe Plummer
Weekly interviews or "check-ins" with musicians

Song Exploder
You know the deal

Let it Roll
Interviews with music journalists and writers. Variable.

Nothing is Real
Beatles podcast

In the Past Garage Rock Podcast
Garage rock history podcast hosted by two old friends. "The podcast where we talk about a song for too long."

It occurs to me that there's not a single podcast hosted by a woman in the above. Shame on me.

Andrew wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:57 pm

Song Exploder
You know the deal

It occurs to me that there's not a single podcast hosted by a woman in the above. Shame on me.

Doesn't Thao Nguyen host this? At least she has on a couple I've heard.

heptagons wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:10 pm I just got into ATTN Magazine's Crucial Listening and it's highly enjoyable. In it experimental musicians and sound artists reveal three of their favorite albums and discuss stuff around that. I've listened to two of the episodes amd bought two albums because of that, with couple to buy later.

Also Sound Matters podcast is great. Tim Hinman makes documentary style podcast about the many aspects of sound.

That's a great podcast, Crucial Listening. I liked the crys cole episode.
Somewhat in that vein, recently stumbled upon this one:

https://www.noisextra.com/

The interviews with Jeph Jerman, Francisco Lopez and Jacob Kirkegaard are recent standouts.

losthighway wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:52 pm

Andrew wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:57 pm

Song Exploder
You know the deal

It occurs to me that there's not a single podcast hosted by a woman in the above. Shame on me.

Doesn't Thao Nguyen host this? At least she has on a couple I've heard.

Host is Hrishikesh HIrway (guy), at least currently. I only listen here and there depending on the song but they hand the episode over to the artist to narrate after a short intro so I had to check on the host just now, since the host is barely present in the episodes.