Podcast Episodes

Why Does Every Intro Sound Like It's Underwater? (Live)

Episode 121

Every notice that wobbly, drunken and underwater sound common in so many contemporary pop songs? In an era of pristine recording quality, music produ…

6 years, 9 months ago

The Man Behind the Rocketman with Giles Martin

Episode 120

Rocketman is a spectacle the size of Elton John, four films in one. It contains a biopic, jukebox musical, addiction recovery story and a romance bet…

6 years, 9 months ago

The Greatest Pop Stories Never Told (with Jessica Hopper)

Episode 119

On the KRCW series Lost Notes, Jessica Hopper plumbs pop music history for the most important stories never told. She brings us a bevy of lost gems, …

6 years, 10 months ago

Should You Care About Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber?

Episode 118

A pop star mashup is a foolproof way to grab the attention of two audiences at once. But do more collaborators actually make a better song? Ed Sheera…

6 years, 10 months ago

The Smooth Sound of Morning News

What do Bach and smooth jazz have in common? Both score the unmistakable theme song for NPR's flagship show Morning Edition, listened to by millions …

6 years, 10 months ago

Is There An Indie Rock Conspiracy? (Featuring Joywave)

Many people write us with musical maladies and conspiracies. A recent one caught our attention. Daniel Armbruster, lead vocalist of indie band Joywav…

6 years, 10 months ago

Lizzo And The End of Genre (with Sam Harris of X Ambassadors)

Episode 115

On her new album, Cuz I Love You, Lizzo shows off her genre bending musicality. We speak with X Ambassador's lead singer, Sam Harris, who helped co-w…

6 years, 10 months ago

The Sorcery of Swift and Panic

When a listener asked us about the "sorcery" behind Taylor Swift's new song "ME!" we knew we had to investigate. And because the track features Brend…

6 years, 11 months ago

Sounds like Teen Spirit (with Elle Fanning)

Pop is inseparable from reality TV singing competitions. From Eurovision to American Idol, scores of stars got their start in singing competitions. W…

6 years, 11 months ago

Country at the Crossroads

Lil Nas X currently holds the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his surprise hit “Old Town Road.” But though the song is dripping with coun…

6 years, 11 months ago