Let It Roll

"Let it Roll" is a podcast about the history of popular music from the 19th Century to the 21st. Proud part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.

Music History
Music Commentary
Music Interviews
276
Countryroll 4: Johnny Cash and the Rockabilly R...
Nate and James talk about the sudden emergence of rockabilly from Memphis, the new generation of stars like Johnny Cash and the Nashville Sound that producers Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley came up for artists like Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline in response. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
57 min
277
Eminem, Mos Def & Black Star Emerge from Hip-Ho...
Host Nate Wilcox returns with cohorts Eugene S. Robinson, lead singer of the art-punk band Oxbow and veteran entertainment attorney Alexei Auld to continue their discussion of Netflix’ Hip Hop Evolution. This week they look at “Pass the Mic” which features Mos Def & Black Star, Eminem and an in-depth look at cyphers and open mics and their role in 90’s undergroun hip-hop. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
58 min
278
Countryroll 3: Hank Williams, Eddy Arnold, Left...
Host Nate Wilcox and music writer James Porter talk Hank Williams, the living avatar of honky tonk, his closest rival Lefty Frizzell as well as Eddy Arnold, who offered a pop-country alternative, and Kitty Wells whose answer song prefigured feminist country music. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
60 min
279
After The Notorious B.I.G.'s Reign, Puff Daddy,...
Host Nate Wilcox returns with his cohorts Eugene S. Robinson, lead singer of the art-punk band Oxbow, and veteran entertainment attorney Alexei Auld, to continue their discussion of Netflix’ Hip Hop Evolution. This week they look at Notorious B.I.G’s “Life After Death” and his mentoring of Lil' Kim, how Puff Daddy dealt with the loss of his friend and the still-controversial “jiggy era of Hip-Hop" that even briefly ensnared Jay-Z. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
61 min
280
Countryroll 2: Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, Gene Autry...
Nate and James discuss Country Music during the Depression and World War 2 and the artists, like Roy Acuff and Bob Wills, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose who dominated the era. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
55 min
281
2Pac & Suge Knight Ignite the West Coast-East C...
Host Nate Wilcox returns with his cohorts Eugene S. Robinson, lead singer of the art-punk band Oxbow and veteran entertainment attorney Alexei Auld to continue their discussion of Netflix’ Hip-Hop Evolution. This week they discuss the first episode of season 3 "A Tale of Two Coasts" which focuses on Tupac Shakur, Suge Knight and Death Row Records and their fatal feud with Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs and the Notorious B.I.G. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
57 min
282
Countryroll 1: The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodger...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and James Porter kick off their discussion of Ken Burns' "Country Music" documentary series with a look at episode one, “The Rub.” They talk about the musical sources of country music, Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family. There’s also a little meta discussion about the series and their thoughts on Ken Burns. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
60 min
283
The Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie' and The Rolling St...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes Cuban music historian Ned Sublette to discuss his essay "The Kingsmen and the Cha-Cha-Chá" which connects the dots between the 1950s mambo explosion in New York and the three chord classics that dominated 60s rock. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
52 min
284
Technoroll 22: Interview with Bill Brewster & F...
After discussing the book for 21 weeks, hosts Nate Wilcox & Ryan Harkness get the opportunity to ask some questions of the authors. Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton describe their motivation for writing the book, how they worked together and how they decided what to include and what to leave out of their pioneering history of the DJ. Hear every episode of Technoroll here. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook.
48 min
285
The Triumphs & Tragedy of Marvin Gaye, Motown's...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes back musician and historian Brooks Long for the second installment of their David Ritz book club covering “Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye.” The conversation covers Gaye’s troubled personal life and his many musical triumphs from the early days at Motown, through What’s Going On and Sexual Healing. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
65 min
286
Technoroll 21: Did EDM Sell Out the Values that...
In this week’s episode hosts Nate Wilcox & Ryan Harkness debate the questions raised in the final chapter of the book about the values of clubbing and whether or not the current mass success of superstar DJs represents a betrayal of those values. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
57 min
287
Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart & Ron Wood Nearly Perfec...
Host Nate Wilcox and Dave Thompson try to puzzle out how a group that was barely a band nearly perfected the hard rock album in spite of themselves under the watchful eye of their manager Peter Grant and Jeff's best friend, Jimmy Page. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
61 min
288
Technoroll 20: Superstars Like DJ Tiesto and Fa...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the wave of superstar DJs that emerged in the 21st Century like DJ Tiesto and Fatboy Slim. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
56 min
289
From The Supremes to The Four Tops, Holland-Doz...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes Dave Thompson to discuss Holland-Dozier-Holland and his book “Come and Get These Memories: The Genius of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Motown’s Incomparable Songwriters.”
56 min
290
Technoroll 19: UK and US Authorities Crack Down...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the attempts to criminalize rave culture in the UK and US. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
52 min
291
Easy Listening Absorbed Psychedelia in the Late...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes back author Joseph Lanza to discuss his latest book “Easy Listening Acid Trip: An Elevator Ride through Sixties Psychedelic Pop” the surreal landscape where the Beatles met Mantovani. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
57 min
292
Technoroll 18: The KLF Trolled the Pop World an...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the emergence of DJs as recording artists in their own right, people like The KLF. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
57 min
293
The Lost Art of Elevator Music From Mantovani &...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes Joseph Lanza to discuss his classic and definitive book “Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong.” The conversation ranges from the rise of the form in the mid-20th Century to its peak in the industrial era and its decline as the century ended. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
54 min
294
Technoroll 17: After Acid House Came Hardcore, ...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkenss continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the many new genres that emerged from Great Britain in the wake of the Acid House revolution: hardcore, jungle, drum and bass, and UK garage. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
56 min
295
Introducing David Bowie to Stardust, Choosing B...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes music biz veteran Michael Oberman to discuss his book “Fast Forward, Play, and Rewind” a chronicle of the touring musicians of the late 1960s including some legendary anecdotes about David Bowie’s first visit to the USA, a legendary Led Zeppelin gig that may have never happened at all, Frank Zappa at a college gym and having to choose between seeing The Who or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
53 min
296
Technoroll 16: The Acid House Revolution Shakes...
Today Nate and Ryan continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the massive cultural impact of Acid House on Great Britain. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
54 min
297
Ray Charles Combined R&B with Gospel to Invent ...
Host Nate Wilcox is joined by musician and music historian Brooks Long to kick off their David Ritz book club with a discussion of his first book “Brother Ray: His Own Story” the classic autobiography Ritz co-wrote with Ray Charles. The conversation covers Charles' difficult childhood, his rise to fame with Atlantic Records, how he combined gospel and R&B to invent Soul music and his move to ABC Records and establishment as an American pop icon. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
57 min
298
Technoroll 15: Ibiza's Balearic Beat Modeled Mo...
Today hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on Ibiza and the unique Balearic sub-genre it spawned as well as Belgian new beat and other Euro dance trends of the late 80s. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
54 min
299
Rhythm and Blues Exploded Out of 1940s Los Ange...
Host Nate Wilcox is joined by R.J. Smith to talk about his book "The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Last African American Renaissance." It was a pivotal place and time in American music history that brought together gospel, jazz and blues and brought forth Rhythm & Blues and modern jazz. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
51 min
300
Technoroll 14: Trance Connected Berlin with Goa...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the birth of trance music and the cross-pollination between Berlin and Goa, India that made it happen. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
53 min