When Jimmy Buffett died on the first day of September, 2023, musicians from Paul McCartney to Pitbull mourned the death of the "Margaritaville" singer. This surprised Nate and Charlie, because frankly, they had never listened deeply to Buffett's work before, and viewed him more as a branding genius than a great musician. How wrong were your faithful podcast ... Show More
Jun 27
How Americana helped mainstream country find its soul
As we've been examining over the course of Country Week, country music has found a larger audience, in part by widening its sonic palette. For the final episode of this series, we take a look at a genre on the outskirts of country – Americana music – and how it's being used to co ... Show More
35m 22s
Feb 2022
'The Gambler' by Kenny Rogers
Evan and Andrew delve into the deep philosophical meanings & mysteries of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler," a song in which technically more dying than gambling transpires. Meanwhile, while staring out the window of their podcast, they stumble upon a shocking secret that will turn the ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2020
Uncle Kracker Talks Rap, Candy Bars, Whiskey, Falls in Love With Resilient Bourbon
On this week's episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Matthew Shafer - better known as Uncle Kracker - chimes in to chat with Fred over a whiskey flight. As Uncle Kracker, Shafer was rocker/rapper Kid Rock's turntablist as part of the backing band Twisted Brown Trucker. Uncle Kracker ... Show More
1h 19m
Feb 2020
The Bridge: Living in an Amish Paradise
In this mini-episode of Hit Parade, host Chris Molanphy is joined by Nathan Rabin, podcaster and writer of two books about “Weird Al” Yankovic. They discuss the most recent full-length episode of Hit Parade, a history of novelty songs on the Billboard charts culminating with the ... Show More
30m 54s
Aug 2022
The Worst Songs of all Time
From "Blurred Lines" to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Bitch," we look at some of the worst songs ever - while also questioning whether we can really be sure of "worst songs" in 2022, when the canon and our own tastes are in a constant state of reevaluation. Plus, a look at how pressure ... Show More
59m 4s
Sep 2022
Stevie Van Zandt, "Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir" (Hachette Books, 2022)
What story begins in a bedroom in suburban New Jersey in the early '60s, unfolds on some of the country's largest stages, and then ranges across the globe, demonstrating over and over again how Rock and Roll has the power to change the world for the better? This story.The first t ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 2023
Remembering Jimmy Buffett, Beach Bum Bard
A conversation about how the musician, who died this month at 76, turned a way of life into a song — and that song back into a very profitable way of life. Guest: Jon ParelesUnlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscri ... Show More
39 m
Apr 2021
Bonus Episode: Bowie's Guitarist Carlos Alomar on Recording 'Young Americans' and the Berlin Trilogy, Co-Writing 'Fame' and Funking Up David's Music for 30 Years
We’re taking a brief break from the story this week. (We’ll be back with our final chapter on David Bowie on Monday, May 3rd!) But today we have something very special in store: a conversation with Carlos Alomar — a funk guitar icon, and one of David’s most crucial musical collab ... Show More
47m 9s
Aug 2023
Dave Cobb on "Time of the Preacher"
This week, Nashville super-producer Dave Cobb, whose work with some of the true artists in
modern country music—Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlisle, Jason Isbell—has earned him nine Grammys, talks about “Time of the Preacher.” It’s the overture/aria to Willie’s cl ... Show More
31m 16s