Rock N Roll Archaeology
Rock N Roll Archaeology (RNRA) is more than a podcast; it’s an immersive, carefully researched and produced audio documentary.
RNRA explores the history of Rock Music, and then goes a step further. We contextualize Rock N Roll; we place it within the cultural, political, and technological landscapes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
With storytelling, commentary, and a dash of musicology, we explore how music, culture, and technology interact and affect each other—how they ARE each other.
1
Episode 25: I Know What I Like: The Rise and Fa...
Progressive Rock reached its zenith during the early 1970s, a period often celebrated as the genre's golden age. This era of Prog Rock has inspired intense opinions—both positive and negative—that rival those of any other rock movement or genre throughout music history.
93 min
2
(ICYMI) Episode 18: 1969 Part 1
We start in January, with The Beatles on The Roof, a 42-minute outdoor concert that definitely warmed up the neighborhood of Mayfair, London, England. Then we catch up with their friends and rivals, The Rolling Stones.
98 min
3
(ICYMI) Episode 19: 1969 Part 2
We tell the story of 1969 by telling the story of four concerts: The Beatles on the Roof, The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park was the first part. Part Two will take us to the peak, to the apotheosis of Woodstock...and to the abyss at Altamont. And we’ll go to some other places in between too.
116 min
4
Shorts: The Three Body Problem
RNRA takes on the "Mothers of Prevention." The 1985 PMRC Hearings.
31 min
5
Episode 28: Songs From the Fault Line
A RNRA deep dig into the LA music scene of the 1970s
54 min
6
RNRA Digs Deeper: Dennis McNally
Christian interviews Dennis McNally, author of The Last Great Dream: The Sixties and the San Francisco Counterculture
78 min
7
Shorts: Southern Rock Opera: Ghosts, Myths, an...
Explore the power of myth with Drive-By Truckers' landmark album, Southern Rock Opera.
23 min
8
(ICYMI) Episode 21: Guitarmageddon
An exploration of the early roots of Heavy Metal
99 min
9
(ICYMI) Episode 20: Ohio
55 min
10
Episode 27: Southbound
An exploration of 1970s Southern Rock
64 min
11
Deeper Digs: Interview with Robert Hilburn
The Rock N Roll Archaeologist chats with rock journalist Robert Hilburn. Robert's biography of Paul Simon, and more!
71 min
12
Shorts: A Few Words in Praise of Randy Newman
The Satirical Songwriter America Needs
27 min
13
Episode 26: Turn and Face the Strange
We explore the rise of Glam in the early ‘70s, with David Bowie as its central figure. Through alter egos like Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke, Bowie use theatricality, androgyny, and science fiction themes to push the boundaries of rock music and stardom.
81 min
14
Shorts: "A Complete Unknown" Gets Bob Dylan's S...
In this special episode, we set our sights on Bob Dylan’s journey from scrappy young folksinger to the electric wonder who rocked the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. We’re talking about “A Complete Unknown,” James Mangold’s new biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, and how it blends faithful biography with a dash of good old mythmaking.
21 min
15
Shorts: Springsteen On Screen
A deep dive into three iconic films that showcase Bruce Springsteen across fifty years in Rock N Roll.
27 min
16
Shorts: Politics of Dancing
Music and presidential campaigns. A little of the history, more about the recent past and the present day. In the summer of 2024 at the DNC in Chicago, we got a glimpse of the future.
28 min
17
Shorts: Celebrating Country Soul
A little about Country, a little about Soul, and more about how they are really just the same thing. And why it’s not at all surprising that a big Pop-Soul star like Beyoncé is releasing a Country album.
27 min
18
Shorts: Swifties - Beyond Beatlemania?
To mark the 60th anniversary of The Beatles' inaugural performance on U.S. soil, we decided to do a quick compare-and-contrast. We’ll revisit that watershed moment in music and culture, and talk about something recent that actually comes close to matching that moment: the ongoing Eras Tour from Taylor Swift.
26 min
19
Episode 24: The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years spanned 1971 to 1976; when the transcendent, diverse talent of Stevie Wonder was in its fullest flower. That five-album span is one of the most successful and impactful creative runs in the history of recorded music.
71 min
20
Shorts: Celluloid Heroes
Lights, Camera, Rock: Unveiling the Magic of Fictional Rock Band Stories
39 min
21
Shorts: Disco Demolition!
Take us back to the Distant Days of Disco, Summer of 1979. Steve Dahl, a brash young DJ at WLUP- FM (“Chicago’s Best Rock!”), has declared war on Disco.
31 min
22
Episode 23: Radio, Radio
We want the airwaves, baby! Radio and radio culture in America and elsewhere.
54 min
23
Shorts: Diamond Dust (A Tribute to Jeff Beck)
Remembering the late great Jeff Beck, the guitarist’s guitarist. An innovator and an iconoclast with a bold experimental spirit, Jeff left his unique stamp on hundreds of great songs
23 min
24
Shorts: RNRA Horror Podcast Short
Examining–and reconsidering–The Rocky Horror Picture Show. At the time, it was transgressive, outrageous; but now it seems a little bit tame. And…a bit problematic, when taken in a modern context. But it's still the ultimate midnight movie, and it's still…just a jump to the left!
26 min
25
Shorts: Secrets From A Saucer
Bands in the van, and a band at the crossroads. In this episode of RNRA Shorts, we’ll get into the early days of Pink Floyd, and the latest from a Pink Floyd member: Nick Mason’s 2022 Saucerful of Secrets tour.
25 min