x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Caropop

There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. The Caropopcast is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love.

music music interviews

All Episodes

81:35

Vanessa Briscoe Hay (Pylon)

Caropop ·

2022/08/25

Pylon lead singer Vanessa Briscoe Hay never thought she’d still be talking about—and singing the songs of—this brilliant, groundbreaking Athens, Ga., band more than 40 years after it began recording. Appearing on the scene between the B-52’s and R.E.M., Pylon was conceived as a sort of art project by University of Georgia students who took inspiration from the textile factory where three of them worked. Briscoe Hay, whom Paste magazine named one of the “25 Best Frontwomen of All Time," says the band

en

65:02

Gina Schock

Caropop ·

2022/08/18

Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock brought the beat to “We Got the Beat” and elevated that band with her powerful, disciplined attack. She was hooked on muscular rock with her first concert, a one-time-only double bill of the Who and Led Zeppelin. After touring behind a star of John Waters' Pink Flamingos, Schock joined the Go-Go's, and that band took off. How did her fierce work ethic go over with her bandmates? What were recording sessions like? What made the distribution of songwriting credits and

en

86:57

Gilson Lavis (Squeeze)

Caropop ·

2022/08/11

When drummer Gilson Lavis joined Squeeze, he became the band’s most experienced musician, having previously played with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dolly Parton. Starting with the gallop of Squeeze’s debut single, “Take Me I’m Yours,” he powered such undeniable Glenn Tilbrook/Chris Difford songs as “Up the Junction,” “Cool for Cats,” “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” “Another Nail in My Heart,” “In Quintessence” and “Tempted.” But the group dynamics grew tricky, his drinking knocked him out

en

77:22

Dexter Wansel

Caropop ·

2022/08/04

If you’re a fan of Philadelphia soul, you’ve enjoyed the work of Dexter Wansel. He wrote for and produced such Philadelphia International artists as Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and the Jacksons, and he conducted and played with MFSB, whose “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” was the “Soul Train” theme but wasn't called that for a reason he explains. As a kid working at Philadelphia’s Uptown Theater, Wansel assisted Stevie Wonder, James Brown and other acts. Later he got

en

64:32

Freda Love Smith

Caropop ·

2022/07/28

Drummer Freda Love Smith recently hung up her sticks after a long career playing in bands from Blake Babies to Antenna, Mysteries of Life and the Sunshine Boys. She also wrote Red Velvet Underground, a perfectly titled memoir that covers her rock ‘n’ roll life and her passion for cooking. Here she reflects on growing up in Bloomington, Indiana, and teaming up with John Strohm and, later in Boston, Juliana Hatfield to form Blake Babies. How did Allen Ginsberg come to name the band? Why didn’t that

en

79:32

Linda Pitmon

Caropop ·

2022/07/21

Drummer Linda Pitmon brings her abundance of power, groove and talent to the supergroups the Baseball Project and Filthy Friends plus other bands. Growing up in Minneapolis, she banged on Tupperware to replicate the fills of her favorite songs. She had indie success with Zuzu’s Petals, then moved to New York, where she connected musically and personally with Steve Wynn, now her husband. She tells of the joy of recording and performing songs about baseball with Wynn, Scott McCaughey and R.E.M.’s

en

53:44

Ronnie Foster

Caropop ·

2022/07/14

Soul jazz organist Ronnie Foster works as a solo artist but also played on Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (“Summer Soft”), George Benson’s Breezin’ and albums by the Jacksons, Robert Flack, Grant Green and others. His first album, the scorching Two Headed Freap, came out in 1972 on Blue Note Records and was just remastered by Kevin Gray. Fifty years later he’s got a new Blue Note album, Reboot, his first release in 36 years. He’s also got great stories that cover a half century’s worth of

en

52:00

Peter Holsapple, Pt. 2

Caropop ·

2022/07/07

Peter Holsapple is the dB’s sole-singer songwriter when the band finally lands a U.S. record deal, but the excellent Like This is undercut by issues with the mix and distribution. Recording and releasing The Sound of Music is a fraught experience as well, and when the dB’s finally split, Holsapple accepts an offer to tour and then to record with R.E.M. He plays on R.E.M.’s breakthrough single (“Losing My Religion”) and album (Out of Time), but as he recounts in heartbreaking detail, a dispute over

en

65:57

Peter Holsapple, Pt. 1

Caropop ·

2022/06/30

You may have seen Peter Holsapple playing live with R.E.M. or Hootie and the Blowfish, but you should know his own music. He co-led and then led the dB's, writing and singing such smart, tuneful songs as "Black and White," "Big Brown Eyes," "Living a Lie," "Neverland," "Amplifier" and "Love Is for Lovers." He also has played in the Continental Drifters, made three excellent duo albums with Chris Stamey, and toured and recorded under his own name. In part one of our conversation, he recalls being

en

76:24

Jim Eno (Spoon)

Caropop ·

2022/06/23

Spoon's Jim Eno doesn’t appear to be doing anything fancy when he drums, yet his deceptively groovy playing makes you want to move. He and frontman Britt Daniel, the two remaining original members, keep Spoon sounding unmistakably like Spoon amid the band's constant growth, changes and innovations. Much of the band’s guitar-heavy latest album, Lucifer on the Sofa, was recorded at Eno’s Austin, Tex., studio, with Eno having established himself as a producer with Spoon and artists such as Alejandro

en

73:57

Chris Bellman

Caropop ·

2022/06/16

In audiophile communities it’s common to read raves about “the Bellman Cut” of an album because if Chris Bellman mastered it, it probably sounds great. One 2021 Record Store Day release even came with a sticker boasting “a killer lacquer cut by Chris Bellman.” How did he go from working on disco-era dance tracks to having the original masters of the first five Van Halen albums land on his desk? What impact did mastering Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill have on his career? What was special

en

46:58

Gerald Casale (Devo), Pt. 2

Caropop ·

2022/06/09

The continuation of our conversation with the Devo co-leader goes deeper and darker into the band's history and our ominous cultural landscape. What caused Devo to split the first time, and why does Gerald Casale feel like he must do the heavy lifting now? What does he think of Mark Mothersbaugh's movie-scoring career? What was his experience directing videos by Cars, Rush and Foo Fighters? What are the stories behind his Jihad Jerry solo project and Devo's energetic reunion album, Something for

en

47:26

Gerald Casale (Devo), Pt. 1

Caropop ·

2022/06/02

Devo’s Gerald Casale helped conceive the concept of “de-evolution,” but even he didn’t think things would get so bad. He’s also not happy about that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snub, and he has frustrations with band co-leader Mark Mothersbaugh. Devo’s striking visuals and presentation, often conceived by Casale, may lead some to overlook this groundbreaking band’s power. We dig into the music here, how Casale and Mothersbaugh wrote those songs and who did what. He also discusses Devo’s Saturday

en

63:59

Judd Apatow

Caropop ·

2022/05/26

Filmmaker Judd Apatow listens to other people as much as he projects his own voice. His new documentary, George Carlin’s American Dream (HBO, HBO Max), is a complex, intimate portrait of one of the most impactful comedians ever. His new book, Sicker in the Head: More Conversations about Life and Comedy, finds him sharing tales of pandemic life, depression and expression with creative people including David Letterman, Hanna Gadsby and Lin-Manuel Miranda. In his latest comedy, The Bubble, Apatow

en

66:32

Delvon Lamarr

Caropop ·

2022/05/19

Delvon Lamarr can play almost every instrument but one, but he’s happiest behind his Hammond organ powering soul-jazz instrumentals that suggest what might happen if Booker T. and the MG’s met the Meters on a rocket into the 21st Century. The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio makes hot, groovy music with seemingly telepathic interplay. Why does Lamarr prefer the trio format, even if it requires him to play bass on the organ? What’s the secret to naming instrumentals (and the story behind “Pull Your Pants

en

56:19

Sarah Stegner

Caropop ·

2022/05/12

Chef Sarah Stegner is not only one of the most talented chefs in the Chicago area but also among the most impactful. A two-time James Beard Award-winner, she scaled fine dining’s heights at the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, then decided she’d rather share with more people her vision of how ingredients and guests should be treated, so she opened Prairie Grass Café. She also co-founded the trailblazing Green City Market and advocates for women in restaurants through The Abundance

en

99:56

Jeff Murphy

Caropop ·

2022/05/05

Jeff Murphy makes brilliant power pop with his brother John and their friend Gary Klebe in the band Shoes. They began by recording at home in Zion, Ill., released indelible songs (“Tomorrow Night,” "Your Imagination") and albums (Present Tense, Tongue Twister) for Elektra and went into heavy rotation on MTV when the channel debuted in 1981. Then they discovered they were better off recording and releasing their own music. How can a band thrive with three equal singer-songwriters? Why are record

en

65:31

Chris Stamey

Caropop ·

2022/04/28

Chris Stamey played with Mitch Easter and Alex Chilton before forming the dB’s and producing Pylon and other bands, but he has created a formidable body of his own work. His songwriting and arranging have grown in sophistication and skill, and he has written an illuminating memoir, A Spy in the House of Loud: New York Songs and Stories, that immerses us in his artistic development amid that city’s transformative rock scene. Here he talks about Chilton, the dB’s, music theory, the smell of analog

en

74:11

Justin Roberts

Caropop ·

2022/04/21

Justin Roberts is a first-rate songwriter who happens to make music for kids. His songs are intuitive, funny and catchy, and four of his albums are Grammy nominated, including 2020’s Wild Life, the first he wrote after becoming a parent himself. Talking in his sunny living room, he digs into the craft of songwriting and the business of releasing his own music. How does he distinguish between songs he writes for kids and adults? How can he thrive when his audience keeps growing older? How has

en

76:13

Ryan Smith

Caropop ·

2022/04/14

Nashville-based mastering engineer Ryan Smith works on high-profile vinyl releases such as recent albums by Adele and Taylor Swift, but he’s become renowned for the fantastic-sounding reissues he has mastered. As a member of the Vinyl Me, Please record club, I have become happily familiar with the phrase “AAA Lacquers Cut From The Original Analog Tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.” In this illuminating conversation, Smith discusses his approach to an optimal recording, the level of detail

en

207 results

Similar Podcasts

Pasquale Maassen Soundcloud

Pasquale Maassen

Marian Klose

Marian Klose

sevenism

sevenism

Dean Delray"s LET THERE BE TALK

Cactus Radio Network

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold