Broken Record

Archie Shepp is a tenor saxophonist and composer who's spent over half a century contributing to the evolution of Black music. Shepp has long fought for Black musicians to get their fair share of credit, recognition and recompense for their contributions to popular music. Shepp's been considered a leader of avant-garde jazz since the 60's. He's famously played alongside John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, and the great free jazz pianist, Cecil Taylor. But 84-year-old Shepp doesn’t consider the music he plays jazz at all. He calls it “African American music” to acknowledge the Black Americans who created the tradition.On today’s episode, Justin Richmond talks to Archie Shepp about how an assignment he received in the third grade sparked the activism that's been ever present in his 60-year career. Shepp also talks about his relationship with Coltrane, who he says never took his horn out of his mouth. And he also recalls the rhetorical power of Malcolm X and the lasting image of seeing him speak to a sea of black heads o

Craig Finn, the lead singer and songwriter of The Hold Steady, is known for his vivid, literary-style songwriting. He often writes about characters going through an existential crisis. The Hold Steady released their eighth album, Open Door Policy, earlier this year. This time around, the Minneapolis-born Finn says his focus is on themes related to the trappings of technology and late-stage capitalism. On today’s episode Craig Finn talks to Bruce Headlam about how the Drive By Truckers inspired him to create The Hold Steady, how Springsteen taught him to vamp, and why he feels like it’s his duty to not only write about the party, but to write about the hangover too.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear all of our interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.comCheck out a playlist of our favorite Craig Finn and Hold Steady tracks  HERE. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt

At Pushkin, we think of Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect on the past and think about the future: How do we build a more just and equitable society? We strive to make podcasts that help answer that question, and in honor of Juneteenth, we’re highlighting two of them. In this episode, you'll hear previews of our new shows Be Antiracist and A Slight Change of Plans. We hope these episodes inspire thinking and conversation around issues of race in your own lives.You can listen to more episodes at www.pushkin.fm/show/  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moby may be one of the most highly recognizable dance-music artists of all time, but he’s also a talented multi-hyphenate whose unconventional 30-year career includes massive success as a producer and DJ, and notoriety as an animal rights activist. Moby’s latest project, Reprise, is a greatest hits album that revisits the highlights of his extensive catalogue. Recorded with the Budapest Art Orchestra and various vocalists like Jim James, Moby’s most well known electronic songs are reimagined on Reprise into sparse, soul-stirring compositions.On today’s episode we’ll hear Rick Rubin and Moby reminisce about their early punk rock days in New York City, and the first time Moby ever heard house music while dancing in a club basement next to Prince. Moby also talks about what it was like to be buddies with David Bowie, getting sober, and why he decided to sell the big fancy castle he lived in all by himself.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear all of our interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/brokenr

Brian Eno’s 50-year career is teeming with innovation. He started out playing synths in the early ‘70s as a member of the UK glam-rock band Roxy Music and went on to create an entirely new musical genre—ambient music, and later he recorded a series of solo albums and eventually produced career-defining albums for a host of bands including U2, Devo and Coldplay.On today’s episode Rick Rubin talks to Brian Eno about his new radio station through Sonos Radio HD called The Lighthouse, and his love for the musical space that exists between humans and machines. Eno also recalls predicting the birth of hip-hop in the back of a cab with David Bryne, and he explains why listening to Beyoncé through a wall is strangely satisfying.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear all of our interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.comCheck out a playlist of our favorite Brian Eno songs HERE. L

Liz Phair helped lay the foundation for a generation of fierce, independent artists on her gritty 1993 debut album, Exile In Guyville. Early in her career, she pushed for freedom and creative control, especially for female artists. It's something she’s finally seeing become the norm in the industry. That progress inspired her new record, Soberish where she reunites with the producer of her first two albums: Brad Wood.On today’s episode Bruce Headlam talks to Liz Phair about how her approach to recording music isn’t a technical one — she relies on the unique way she hears music and her background as a visual artist. She also talks about how her first ever creative aspiration was to write a classic Christmas carol.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear all of our interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.comCheck out a playlist of our favorite Liz Phair songs HERE. Learn mor

Rhiannon Giddens is a brilliant fiddle and banjo player who’s one of the few musicians alive today trained in the centuries-old black string band tradition. Giddens is a North Carolina native but now lives in Ireland, not far from her partner Francesco Turrisi. During lockdown, the duo recorded their latest album, They’re Calling Me Home. On today’s episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Giddens about her decision to write from a cultural point of view rather than her own. Giddens also talks about how she has been able to maintain a living connection to the near-extinct black square dance players. And we’ll hear her play a banjo style that originated in West Africa.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear all of our interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.comCheck out a playlist of our favorite Rhiannon Giddens songs HERE. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod

In 2005 singer Bonnie "Prince" Billy a.k.a. Will Oldham and guitarist Matt Sweeney released the Superwolf album, which has developed a cult following that includes Rick Rubin who absolutely fell in love with the project. Now, 16 years later, they’re back with the follow-up, Superwolves.The new album was five years in the making—a leisurely pace that allowed Oldham and Sweeney to be incredibly intentional with their creative choices. On today’s episode, Rick Rubin talks to Oldham and Sweeney about their work together, which Rick considers some of his favorite contemporary music and the reason he’s since used Sweeney on so many of the sessions he’s produced including the Dixie Chicks, Cat Stevens, and Adele. Will Oldham talks about his philosophy on connecting with his audience, and how if this pandemic were to take us all, Superwolves would be a great album to go out on.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear all of our interviews:  https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twit

The Bomber Mafia is the new audiobook by Revisionist History host (and Pushkin co-founder) Malcolm Gladwell. It examines the rise of air power, which created one of the greatest moral challenges of the Second World War. In The Bomber Mafia, you’ll hear the voices of the generals, aircraft soaring, and bombs crashing. It is history brought to life through the power of audio. Buy the audiobook at bombermafia.com and receive an exclusive Listener's Guide full of photos and commentary. Print and ebook editions available wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Frampton is a classic rock guitar god who rose to international fame in the late ‘70s with his chart-topping double album, Frampton Comes Alive! Justin Richmond caught up with Frampton recently to talk about his new album of cover songs, Frampton Forgets The Words, that provides insight into his expansive 50-year career. Songs like “Loving The Alien,” a David Bowie song that Frampton says is a tribute to his childhood friend who helped revitalize his career. And George Harrison’s “Isn’t It A Pity,” which reminds Frampton of the time he jammed with George in Abbey Road studios while Phil Spector looked on from the control room. And Frampton also talks about how becoming a pinup sex symbol in the late ‘70s almost sidelined his career. Plus, how managing an inflammatory muscle disease has impacted his writing and playing.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou

System of a Down’s classic Rick Rubin-produced album, Toxicity, turns 20 this year. Released in 2001 one week before 9/11, the politically charged and wildly bizarre album provided the perfect soundtrack for a world descending into chaos. Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System, is no stranger to conflict. His family is Armenian and migrated to Los Angeles from Lebanon to escape a civil war when Serj was seven years-old. Today we’ll hear Rick Rubin talk to his good friend Serj about how hearing bombs drop outside his childhood bedroom turned him into a lifelong activist. Serj also explains how a funny line about a tapeworm almost caused System to break up, and why the first time Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine heard System play, he called it music for crazy people.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://broke

Listening to Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird’s new album, These 13, is like taking a trip down South … a century ago. It’s new territory for Andrew Bird, a classically trained multi-instrumentalist from the Chicago suburbs who’s been a successful indie folk singer/songwriter and also recently acted on the fourth season of Fargo. But for Jimbo, as a Mississippi resident, some of this music can hit too close to home. Surrounded by the ghosts and old battlefields of the Civil War, some songs he finds almost too hard to sing. In 2018 Andrew and Jimbo started exchanging voice memos and new song ideas. Over the course of two years they recorded their new album the really old fashioned way—live to tape, singing into a single microphone.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/Check out a playlist of our

Few bands have experienced such extreme highs and lows as the Bee Gees. Throughout their decades-long career, the band of brothers managed to be both grossly underrated and one of the best-selling acts of all time. Barry Gibb and his younger twin brothers Maurice and Robin Gibb started out in the late ‘50s as a teenaged pop group in Australia. On today's episode Rick Rubin talks to Barry Gibb about how the Bee Gees' impeccable three-part harmony caught the ear of the prominent UK manager Robert Stigwood, who had a heavy hand in molding the Bee Gees into a world renowned group. They also talk through the making of some of Rick’s favorite Bee Gees songs, and Barry recalls what it was like collaborating with Barbara Streisand, who wouldn’t sing a single note before 2 a.m.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrec

Merry Clayton is a legendary backup singer who has managed to consistently steal the spotlight. Merry’s journey from a renowned backup singer to a solo artist was documented in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom in 2013. Almost exactly one year after the film was released, Merry was involved in a near-fatal car accident that resulted in her losing both of her legs. After years of intensive physical therapy, Merry is back and set to release a brand new album, Beautiful Scars.On today’s episode Merry Clayton talks to Bruce Headlam about the lasting impression hearing Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin sing in church left on her as a little girl. She also recalls how the Rolling Stones convinced her to get out of bed in the middle of the night to record backup vocals on their 1969 classic, “Gimmie Shelter,” and how Coldplay's Chris Martin was the first person to get Merry back in the studio after her tragic car accident.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews,

Marianne Faithfull has been many things throughout her half a century in music—a close confidant of the Rolling Stones, a pop star, a homeless drug addict and a critically acclaimed comeback artist. Despite a career filled with personal and professional turmoil, Marianne Faithfull has always managed to find her footing. Last year, just as Europe went into quarantine, Marianne started recording a series of spoken word renditions of 19th Century Romantic poems scored by Brian Eno, Nick Cave and her longtime collaborator, Warren Ellis. Resulting in a moving new album, She Walks In Beauty.On today’s episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Marianne Faithfull about how contracting COVID has impacted her work. Her stalled bio-pic and why she resented being labeled Mick Jagger’s muse.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrec

Valerie June has helped widen the scope of contemporary Americana music. She’s one of few African American women in the category and her unique combination of gospel and Appalachian folk is a shimmering example of what's possible in the roots-music tradition. Broken Record producer Leah Rose caught up with Valerie to talk through her stunning new album, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers. They also talk about Valerie’s new collaboration with the legendary Stax singer, Carla Thomas, and the mystical muse who inspires the chorus of voices that Valerie hears in her head.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/Check out a playlist Valerie June put together featuring her favorite imperfect voices HERE. And hear our favorite Valerie June songs HERE — enjoy! Learn more about your ad-choi

Malcolm Gladwell recently spoke with Ziggy Marley as part of the Live Talks Los Angeles series. Their conversation centers around a book of photographs Ziggy curated called Bob Marley: Portrait of the Legend. Ziggy has gone on to become a reggae icon in his own right and is now an eight-time Grammy winner, a philanthropist, author and keeper of his dad’s legacy along with the rest of the Marley family. Today we’ll hear Malcolm and Ziggy talk about the turbulence in '70s Jamaica caused by two opposing political parties. Ziggy also recalls the night gunmen ambushed the Marley house, shooting his mother and Bob—both whom thankfully survived. And Ziggy answers the question we all want to know: was the famously soccer-obsessed Bob Marley really any good on the field.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodc

Since forming in 1996, Linkin Park has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Their enormous success mixing genres like hip-hop, metal and anthemic pop was spearheaded by the band’s ultra-talented founder, Mike Shinoda. In this episode Rick Rubin talks to Mike about the albums he produced with Linkin Park that helped redefine the band’s sound. Mike also reminisces about the band’s early inner-personal dynamics. And Mike talks about the community of thousands of followers he's amassed on Twitch who watch him make beats live five days a week.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/You can find the playlist for this episode HERE — enjoy! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since his first conversation with Rick, Kenny Beats’ star has continued to rise. In the past couple of years he has produced songs with Ed Sheeran, Da Baby and Vince Staples. He’s also taken several trips to the UK, and produced over 30 songs with British artists like FKA Twigs and Slowthai. Today, Kenny explains how for the first time in the history of hip-hop, an American sub-genre made its way across the pond to the UK, only to come back to the States in an updated form that is now influencing American rappers. Kenny and Rick also talk about why they don’t care about understanding English rappers' slang, and how a group of German classical musicians are co-producing some of the biggest hip-hop records today.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/You can find the playlist for this episode H

There’s a reason Kenny Beats is one of the great young producers in Hip Hop. Because he has a vast understanding of the regional sounds and histories of cities to pull from when making beats for an artist. This allows him to find a common musical language with rappers. Which is super important in an art form as hyper-local as rap. We’re kicking off a two part series of interviews with Kenny Beats, in the one you’re about to hear which was taped a while back, Kenny maps out the evolution of regional sounds in hip-hop ... drawing parallels between disparate cities. And how Hip Hop has evolved from creating beats out of old drum samples—known as breakbeats—to sampling and referencing itself.Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecordYou can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/You can find the playlist for this episode HERE — enjoy! Learn mor