LET IT ROLL PODCAST - MAIN

Menu

TechnoRoll 2.4: The Stone Roses & Happy Mondays Led a Madchester Scene That Tried to Absorb Rave Into Rock

10/21/2021

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue our discussion of Simon Reynolds' "Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture" with a look at the Madchester scene of the late 1980s. Groups like The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays incorporated dance rhythms into their rock songs while artists like 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald made some of Britain's first native Acid House music.

The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Phil Spector, Nancy Sinatra and Kim Fowley exploded out of early 60's Hollywood

10/18/2021

An interview with Joel Selvin author of "Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of the California Paradise." Host Nate Wilcox and Joel discuss the tightly interconnected LA pop scene of the early and mid-60s, an era when R&B was superseded by surf music and then folk rock.

TechnoRoll 2.3: DJs Paul Oakenfold, Nicky Holloway and Danny Rampling Break Acid House Big in the UK

10/14/2021

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness discuss Simon Reynolds' "Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture." This week Nate and Ryan discuss Reynolds' chapter "Living A Dream: Acid House and UK Rave 1988-1989."

Joan Jett's Years With the Runaways Laid the Groundwork for Solo Stardom

10/11/2021

An interview with Dave Thompson author of "Bad Reputation: The Unauthorized Biography of Joan Jett." Host Nate Wilcox asks Joan Jett's biographer about Kim Fowley, the rise and fall of the Runaways, the metal vs punk split that divided the band, her alliance with bubblegum creator Kenny Laguna and how she rode that partnership to fame and fortune.

TechnoRoll 2.2: Modern EDM is Born with Detroit Techno, Chicago House, and New York Garage

10/7/2021

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of Simon Reynolds' "Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture" with a look at the three cities that birthed EDM in the 1980s: Detroit Techno, Chicago House and New York Garage.

Solving the Mysteries Behind Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel"

10/4/2021

Host Nate Wilcox interviews Tony Plews, author of “Walk A Lonely Street: Elvis Presley, Country Music & The True Story of Heartbreak Hotel.” Nate and Tony talk Col. Tom Parker, Hank Snow, the songwriting team behind Elvis’ first #1 and the murder mystery behind the song.

TechnoRoll 2.1: A Journey Through Rave Music & Dance Culture

9/30/2021

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness kick off our new maxi-series discussing Simon Reynolds' book "Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture." In this episode we introduce the new series, discuss author Simon Reynolds' background and perspective and why this is a definitive take on the UK dance scene of the 1990s.

Lil Wayne, T.I. and 50 Cent Triumph in the Mix Tape Era

9/27/2021

Hosts Nate Wilcox, Eugene S. Robinson & Alexei Auld discuss the "Street Dreams" episode of Netflix' Hip-Hop Evolution. The discussion covers the mix tape phenomenon and artists like 50 Cent, TI and Lil Wayne who thrived in the medium.

More Hip-Hop on Let It Roll:

Houston's DJ Screw, Memphis' Three 6 Mafia and Atlanta's Lil Jon Innovated New Directions in Hip-Hop
Bounce, No Limit and Cash Money Brought New Orleans Hip-Hop to the Fore
Outkast & Goodie Mob Took the Dirty South National
Eminem, Mos Def & Black Star Emerge from Hip-Hop's Battle Rap Cultures
After The Notorious B.I.G.'s Reign, Puff Daddy, Lil' Kim and Jay-Z Step Up
2Pac & Suge Knight Ignite the West Coast-East Coast Feud
Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Notorious B.I.G. Brought NYC Back
A Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul Led the Native Tongues
Too $hort, MC Hammer, E-40, Digital Underground & 2Pac Brought the Bay
The 2 Live Crew, Geto Boys and UGK Come Out of the South
Ice-T, Eazy-E And N.W.A. Bring Gangsta Rap To The Masses
Run-DMC, Def Jam & Public Enemy Herald the Golden Age
The Sugarhill Gang & Afrika Bambaataa Put Rap On Wax
Hip-Hop Is Born In The Bronx: We Dig Hip-Hop Evolution
The Entrepreneurs of Early Hip Hop: Sugar Hill & Def Jam - with Dan Charnas
Time Warner Can't Handle The Ice T Cop Killer Backlash - with Dan Charnas
Emperor Moguls of Rap: Dr Dre, Diddy and Jay-Z - with Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Marley Marl, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie & The Juice Crew Perfected Hip-Hop - with Ben Merlis

CountyRoll 8: George Strait, Reba McEntire, & Dwight Yoakum Re-Center Country in the 80s, Garth Brooks Blows the Doors off in the 90s

9/23/2021

Nate Wilcox & James Porter discuss Ken Burns' documentary "Country Music" episode 8 "Don't Get Above Your Raisin'." This episode covers the emergence of country music's neo-traditionalists like Randy Travis and Ricky Skaggs and the brief golden period they kicked off before the economics of superstars changed the game.

More Country Music on Let It Roll:

Ralph Peer Commercializes Country with Ed Ward
Bob Wills & Western Swing with Ed Ward
Young Willie Nelson with Joe Nick Patoski
Willie Nelson Struggles In Nashville with Joe Nick Patoski
Willie Nelson Superstar with Joe Nick Patoski
Buck Owens Conquered Country Music with Randy Poe
Merle Haggard's Political Conflicts with David Cantwell
Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb & Wichita Lineman with Dylan Jones
Dolly Parton's Vision of Superstardom with Alanna Nash
Plus 8 episodes on Mike Judge's Tales From the Tour Bus

How The Neptunes, Timbaland & Missy Elliott, J Dilla and Kanye West Became Hip-Hop's Super-Producers

9/20/2021

Hosts Nate Wilcox, Eugene S. Robinson & Alexei Auld discuss the "The Super Producers" episode of Netflix' Hip-Hop Evolution which covers a new generation of producers that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s: Virginia's The Neptunes and Timbaland & Missy Elliott, Chicago's Kanye West and Detroit's J Dilla.

More Hip-Hop on Let It Roll:

Houston's DJ Screw, Memphis' Three 6 Mafia and Atlanta's Lil Jon Innovated New Directions in Hip-Hop
Bounce, No Limit and Cash Money Brought New Orleans Hip-Hop to the Fore
Outkast & Goodie Mob Took the Dirty South National
Eminem, Mos Def & Black Star Emerge from Hip-Hop's Battle Rap Cultures
After The Notorious B.I.G.'s Reign, Puff Daddy, Lil' Kim and Jay-Z Step Up
2Pac & Suge Knight Ignite the West Coast-East Coast Feud
Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Notorious B.I.G. Brought NYC Back
A Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul Led the Native Tongues
Too $hort, MC Hammer, E-40, Digital Underground & 2Pac Brought the Bay
The 2 Live Crew, Geto Boys and UGK Come Out of the South
Ice-T, Eazy-E And N.W.A. Bring Gangsta Rap To The Masses
Run-DMC, Def Jam & Public Enemy Herald the Golden Age
The Sugarhill Gang & Afrika Bambaataa Put Rap On Wax
Hip-Hop Is Born In The Bronx: We Dig Hip-Hop Evolution
The Entrepreneurs of Early Hip Hop: Sugar Hill & Def Jam - with Dan Charnas
Time Warner Can't Handle The Ice T Cop Killer Backlash - with Dan Charnas
Emperor Moguls of Rap: Dr Dre, Diddy and Jay-Z - with Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Marley Marl, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie & The Juice Crew Perfected Hip-Hop - with Ben Merlis

The Show

Let It Roll is a series of in-depth interviews with music writers like Ed Ward, Robert Gordon, Paul Trynka, Peter Doggett, Elijah Wald and more.
We're slowly but surely putting together a history of popular music in America with a focus on the social, technological and business forces that drive the culture.

Archives

October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017

Categories

Create your own unique website with customizable templates.

MAIN
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Ed Ward's Rock & Roll
Tour Bus Tales
The Freebird Yeller
HIP HOP EVOLUTION
Technoroll
Peter Doggett's Pop
Ken Burns' Country

MAIN
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Ed Ward's Rock & Roll
Tour Bus Tales
The Freebird Yeller
HIP HOP EVOLUTION
Technoroll
Peter Doggett's Pop
Ken Burns' Country