Let It Roll

4.6 (102)
MUSIC HISTORY
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

"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.

5D AGO

Technoroll 11: Larry Levan Kept the Dance Music Torch Burning at the Paradise Garage

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. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcasts.⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

48 min
JUN 2

Technoroll 10: Afrika Bambaataa Distils Electro and Hip-Hop Matures in the Recording Studio

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. ⁠⁠⁠⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠⁠Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

46 min
MAY 26

Technoroll 9: Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, & Afrika Bambaataa Invent Hip-Hop

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. ⁠⁠⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Email ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠⁠⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

49 min
MAY 19

Technoroll 8: Before Hip-Hop Disco DJ's Like Grandmaster Flowers & DJ Hollywood Set the Stage

Today Nate and Ryan pause their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton to welcome a special guest, hip hop writer Steve Juon. Together, they take a look at the documentary “Founding Fathers of Hip Hop” which fills in some important gaps in the story -- namely what were straight black DJs doing in the outer boroughs of NYC during the early days of disco and hip hop? ⁠⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

46 min
MAY 12

Technoroll 7: Hi-NRG Kept the Dance Going In the Early 80's

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 with a look at how Hi-NRG, the sound that emerged in the post-disco backlash club scenes of London, San Francisco and New York, spawned the most successful production/songwriting team of all-time and provided a soundtrack for tragedy. ⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ ⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠ ⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

44 min
MAY 12

Technoroll 5: Disco Begins In New York

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. Today's topic is the early days of disco in New York when an innovative wave of DJs like David Mancuso and Francis Grasso created a dancer’s utopia in Manhattan. ⁠GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ ⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠ ⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

43 min
MAY 6

Technoroll 6: Disco Blows Up in the Late 70's

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 with a look at the high water mark of disco -- Studio 54, Saturday Night Fever, the Bee Gees and the backlash. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ ⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠ ⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠ Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

44 min
APR 21

Led Zeppelin flew their folk flag high

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Dave Thompson conclude their mini-series discussing Dave's book An Evolving Tradition: The Child Ballads in Modern Folk and Rock Music -- buy the book to support the show. This episode covers the 1970s high water mark of folk rock in the UK Led Zeppelin's controversial third album, and where folk has gone since. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

43 min

See All (462)

4.6

out of 5

102 Ratings

Oh noes!!

01/29/2024

dr memory 62

Sorry you have to give this up but thanks for all you’ve done. I’ve enjoyed them immensely. Hope you can come back someday.
Uhhh Uhhh Uuuumm Uuuuhhh

09/24/2024

Scooter and biggie rock

Content is notable. Very good But the host is NOT eloquent !! Uhhh…the….ummm..scene….uhhh…. Annoying
The best music podcast!

05/16/2023

ReelNRoll

Hands down the best music podcast for anyone interested in the history of popular music. If I could give it 10 stars I would. It gets all the stars. Thank you Nate for making this.
Astonishing devotion to music

03/21/2023

moondoggy02116

The people who do this podcast must do nothing all day but prepare for these interviews. It is absolutely routine to hear a guest who has written a book on a subject express surprise and even apology when the main host knows their book better than they do! I am hooked on this show.

"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.