From his early albums with the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa established a reputation as a musical genius who pushed the limits of culture throughout the 1960s and 1970s, experimenting with a blend of genres in innovative and unheard-of ways. Not only did his exploratory styles challenge the expectations of what popular music could sound like, but his pr ... Show More
Aug 6
Robert Fitzgerald, "Hardcore Punk in the Age of Reagan: The Lyrical Lashing of an American Presidency" (UNC Press, 2025)
Few politicians produced the musical reaction that Ronald Reagan did. His California-branded conservatism inspired countless young people to pick up guitars and thrash out their political angst. Punk bands across the United States took aim at the man, his presidency, and the idea ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 5
A Spatial History of Disco
In the third episode of Season Two of Soundscapes NYC, hosts Ryan Purcell and Kristie Soares take you on an immersive journey through the hot nights and wild streets of Lower Manhattan during the Seventies. For this episode, Jesse Rifkin, a New York-based music historian and the ... Show More
1h 14m
Aug 3
Julia Sneeringer, "A Social History of Early Rock ‘n’ Roll in Germany: Hamburg from Burlesque to The Beatles, 1956-69" (Bloomsbury, 2018)
The Beatles’ sojourn in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg during the early 1960s is part of music legend. As Julia Sneeringer reveals in A Social History of Early Rock ‘n’ Roll in Germany: Hamburg from Burlesque to The Beatles, 1956-69 (Bloomsbury, 2018), though, this was just th ... Show More
1h 12m
Oct 2024
The virtuosity of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder may be our modern day Mozart. A child prodigy, he joined Motown as a preadolescent where he was marketed as “Little” Stevie Wonder. He wowed audiences with his virtuosic command of the piano, harmonica, drums and of course, vocals. At just 13, he had his first numbe ... Show More
1h 7m
Aug 2022
How Joni Mitchell Became a Millennial and Gen-Z Hero
We celebrate the work of Joni Mitchell, with Cameron Crowe discussing his legendary 1979 Mitchell interview, and guitarist Larry Carlton talking about playing with Mitchell on some of her greatest songs. Angie Martoccio takes us through the peaks of Mitchell's discography, and Jo ... Show More
1 h
Dec 2024
Sammy Davis Jr.: Death of the Entertainer | Reviving a Mobit
This week, we’re celebrating the birthday of the legendary Sammy Davis Jr. by revisiting a special Mobit. From the age of three Sammy Davis, Jr. did it all better than anyone else - singing, dancing, acting, even gun spinning. Mo talks to friends and family about what drove him t ... Show More
50m 15s
Jun 2024
Famous & Gravy: Likable Villain (Alan Rickman)
This person died in 2016, age 69. In an acting career spanning more than 40 years, he played a panoply of fascinating characters. He had his early successes in stage works involving the Royal Shakespeare Company. Though he was never nominated for an Academy Award, he shrugged off ... Show More
1h 6m