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
176
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
177
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
178
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
179
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
180
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
181
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
182
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
183
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
184
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
185
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
186
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
187
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
188
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
189
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
190
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
191
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
192
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
193
Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor Took Trangression...
Host Nate Wilcox is joined by Adam Steiner, author of "Into The Never: Nine Inch Nails And The Creation Of The Downward Spiral," to talk about Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor and the unique nexus of industrial, alternative and pop music that existed in the 1990s. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
59 min
194
Technoroll 13: The Belleville Three Create Tech...
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 Belleville Three (Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson), the "Belleville Fourth" Eddie Fowlkes, the Electrofying Mojo and the birth of Techno in Detroit. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
59 min
195
From Surf Rock to Folk Rock to Freak Out, the S...
Today Andrew Hickey, author of “California Dreaming: The LA Pop Music Scene and the 60s,” joins host Nate Wilcox to talk about 1960s Los Angeles and the long, strange trip from surf rock to folk rock and beyond. Brian Wilson, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Harry Nilsson, Phil Spector and Little Feat are all discussed. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
61 min
196
Technoroll 12: Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy and ...
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 Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy and the birth of House Music in Chicago (and don't forget the Hotmix 5). Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
62 min
197
Why Discuss Music History? What's the Point of ...
Today Let It Roll blogger Ed Legge joins Nate to get meta and talk about the method, mission and meaning of Let It Roll. This might be the most important show in the series. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
46 min
198
Technoroll 11: Larry Levan Kept the Dance Music...
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 Larry Levan, his club the Paradise Garage and the post-disco genre named for it. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
55 min
199
Technoroll 10: Afrika Bambaataa Distils Electro...
Today Nate and Ryan are joined by hip-hop ringer Steve Juon 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 hip hop’s transition to records with the Sugarhill Gang, Afrika Bambaataa’s epic “Planet Rock” and how hip hop morphed from music for dancing and parties into a new form of album and concert music. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
55 min
200
Technoroll 9: Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, & A...
Nate and Ryan get back to 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 hip-hop in the Bronx and the Holy Trinity: DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
56 min