Podcasts by Heat Rocks

Luz Mendoza on Nina Simone's "To Love Somebody" (1969) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.760060

The Album: Nina Simone To Love Somebody (1969) Nina Simone's discography is vast and full of true fire, but To Love Somebody often gets overlooked. Perhaps it's because it was released right after ...

Tisa Bryant on The Emotions' "Rejoice" (1977) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.754582

The Emotions started out singing gospel as The Hutchinson Sunbeams, but when they signed a deal with Stax/Volt, they changed their name and switched to soul/R&B. They enjoyed modest success during ...

Van Hunt on The Sensational Nightingales' "It's Gonna Rain Again" (1972) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.750681

We've talked a ton of gospel here on Heat Rocks, but this episode marks the first time we've discussed a full gospel album on the show, and from none other than one of the very first gospel quartet...

Our Heat Rocks of the 2010s from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.746669

Oliver's albums Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (2010) Laura Mvula's Sing to the Moon (2013) Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) Frank Ocean's Blonde (2016) Tyler, ...

Wendy & Lisa on Prince's "Around the World in a Day" (1985) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.745550

We here at Heat Rocks talk a lot about Prince, and this marks the FIFTH episode where we're discussing an album of his. Around in the World in a Day incorporated more psychedelia and a wider variet...

Music and Popcorn #1: The Medley from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.739300

This is the first of a five episode miniseries we're calling Music and Popcorn, where we talk to guests from the world of film and TV about great soundtracks.  This week, it's a special medley epis...

Music and Popcorn #5: Drea Clark on the "High Fidelity" soundtrack (2000) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.735257

This week, Drea Clark of Who Shot Ya (here on MaxFun) joins us to talk about the High Fidelity OST. We discuss how the film has aged over the past 20 years, the absolute absurd amount of placements...

Trackademicks on Sade's "Lover's Rock" (2000) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.658530

Producer/Remixer Trackademicks sits down with us to discuss Lovers Rock on its 20th anniversary. We get into the crazy amount of Sade remixes, (including Trackademicks' own remixes), Sade's impecca...

Bonus Beats: Heat Rocks Mailbag from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.657180

Oliver answers a couple of questions from fans on this special mini episode to get you through the week.

Remembering Bill Withers with Joey Dosik from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.656415

+Justments was the pick by L.A. soulster Joey Dosik, who's recorded extensively with Vulfpeck but has recently branched into his solo career with his debut album from last year, Inside Voice, which...

Bonus Beats: Quincy Jones' "Summer in The City" with Thes One from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.649596

Producer Thes One of People Under The Stairs talks about one of the most iconic samples of all time, "Summer in the City" by Quincy Jones.

Comfort Music #3: Audience Picks from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.648765

We wrap up our Comfort Music miniseries with picks from you, our audience. Thank you all so much for sending in your picks and testimonials.

Bonus Beats: Alphabet Soup - B from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.641763

Morgan continues the alphabet soup series and talks about her favorite albums that begin with the letter B

Phillip Merritt on Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" (1979) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.638649

It's part 2 of our listener specials where we invited fans of the show to talk about their personal Heat Rocks. This time, Phillip Merritt AKA Lost In Williamsburg, comes down with our first offici...

BONUS BEATS: Alphabet Soup - C from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.637904

Oliver continues the Alphabet Soup series and talks about his favorite albums that begin with the letter C

Adeline on Chaka Khan's "Naughty" (1980) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.637166

Singer/bassist Adeline sits down with us to talk about Naughty, Chaka's voice, the funky bass lines throughout the record, and the stellar lineup Chaka was able to wrangle.

Duckwrth on Blue Magic's "Thirteen Blue Magic Lane" (1975) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.497856

Rapper/songwriter Duckwrth joins us to talk about Philly soul group Blue Magic and their spooky soul LP Thirteen Blue Magic Lane. We discuss the band's place in the Philly soul scene, pillow talk i...

Take Two #1: Janet Jackson's "Control" (1986) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.494724

This week, we are kicking off Take Two, a new miniseries where we look at two seminal albums of one artist. First up, we're discussing Janet Jackson's third studio album "Control" We talk about Jan...

Three Year Anniversary Special from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.491830

This week, we're celebrating our three year anniversary (!!!) and talking about our personal favorite moments of the show.

The Art of Sampling #3B with Dan Charnas on Slum Village's "Fantastic, Vol. 2" (2000) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.490886

This week, we're wrapping up the third edition of The Art of Sampling and talking about Slum Village's album Fantastic, Vol. 2 with music exec and writer, Dan Charnas. We discuss J Dilla's sampling...

Kevin Smokler & Christopher Boone on B.T. Express' "Non-Stop" (1975) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.487634

Oliver is flying solo this week with Kevin Smokler and Christopher Boone, the filmmakers behind the documentary, Vinyl Nation. We discuss what set B.T. Express apart from the disco acts of the day,...

Bonus Beats: Formative Songs with G Yamazawa from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.481810

Oliver invites G Yamazawa back on the show to talk about three songs that shaped his life and rap style

Take Two #5: Drake's "Nothing Was The Same" (2013) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.481022

In this installment of Take Two, we're looking at two albums from one of the biggest and most prolific rappers of the 2010s, Toronto's very own Drake. Next week, we'll be diving into his 2018 doub...

Brittany Spanos on Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" (2005) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.476876

Music writer Brittany Spanos sits down with us remotely to discuss the tough road that led to this album, the timelessness of some of the singles, and where Mariah belongs in the current music land...

J Dilla Special from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.473713

In honor of J Dilla's birthday, we've put together a medley episode featuring our conversations on Donuts and Fantastic, Vol. 2 with Nate Patrin and Dan Charnas, respectively. Happy Birthday Jay De...

Jeff Parker on John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" (1965) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.470550

It doesn't get much more classic than this, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme is a bonafide heat rock. Musician/DJ Jeff Parker sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss this tru...

Xenia Rubinos on Abbey Lincoln's "Abbey is Blue" (1959) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.467244

Multi-instrumentalist & songwriter Xenia Rubinos joins Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Abbey Lincoln's underrated jazz LP, Abbey is Blue. We discuss Abbey's melancholy voice, her ...

The Twilite Tone on Stevie Wonder's "Hotter Than July" (1980) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.466155

Producer and DJ The Twilite Tone sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Stevie Wonder's 1980 comeback album, Hotter Than July. We get into Stevie's foray into country west...

Karriem Riggins on A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" (1993) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.462642

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Patrick Paige II on The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" (1994) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.459610

Bassist/producer/rapper Patrick Paige II joins Oliver and Morgan to discuss Biggie's debut studio album Ready To Die. We get into Big's knack for storytelling, Patrick's very cool math teacher, and...

Benny Sings on Phil Collins' "Face Value" (1981) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.456330

This week, we talk to producer/singer Benny Sings about Phil Collins' solo debut album, Face Value. We get into the incredible drum fill of In The Air Tonight, it's iconic use on Miami Vice, and th...

Kris Bowers on Kendrick Lamar's "Section.80" (2011) [redux] from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.455595

In our conversation with Kris, we got deep into how he put together both the song and video for his version of “Rigamortis,” whether or not Kendrick has a jazz sensibility in his style, and what it...

Cat Zhang on Flo Milli's "Ho, why is you here?" (2020) from 2022-02-22T04:28:26.452140

Music writer and resident TikTok expert Cat Zhang sits down with us to discuss Flo Milli's 2020 debut mixtape Ho, why is you here? We get into what goes into making a TikTok hit, Flo Milli's uniq...

The Heat Rocks Appreciation Episode from 2021-08-12T17:11:21

Well, we're finally here. After nearly 200 episodes, we're ending our run with Maximum Fun! We intend to come back sometime in 2022, and to celebrate this occasion, it's and Oliver, Morgan, and Pro...

Music & Popcorn #7: Daphne A. Brooks on the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack (1995) from 2021-07-30T00:09:30

We continue our Music and Popcorn miniseries, where we chat about some of our favorite movie soundtracks. This week, we're talking to professor and writer Daphne Brooks about the soundtrack to Wait...

Music & Popcorn #6: '90s OSTs with Jocelyn Brown from 2021-07-22T20:06:38

We reboot our Music and Popcorn series, where we talk about some of our favorite movie soundtracks. This week, we invite our friend Jocelyn Brown to discuss a few iconic 90s OSTs, Love Jones, Boyz ...

Yola on Jill Scott's "Who Is Jill Scott? - Words and Sounds, Vol. 1 (2000) from 2021-07-15T21:07:15

This week, we talk to singer/songwriter Yola about Jill Scott's debut studio album "Who Is Jill Scott? - Words and Sounds, Vol 1." We get into Jill's time with The Roots, how her poetry shaped her ...

Marzz on Kierra Sheard's "This Is Me" (2006) from 2021-06-25T00:10:15

Singer/songwriter Marzz sits down with us to discuss Kierra Sheard's gospel album This is Me. We get into the secular production of this album, Kierra's place in the Clark Sheard family, and Marzz'...

Celebrating Lil' Kim's "Hard Core" (1996) from 2021-06-17T23:04:54

This week, Oliver and Morgan are discussing Lil' Kim's debut studio record "Hard Core" which is turning 25 years old this year. We get into Lil' Kim's role in Bad Boy and Junior M.A.F.I.A., the eff...

Vijay Iyer on Prince's "Sign O' The Times" (1987) from 2021-06-11T00:07:30

This week, we discuss Prince for the SIXTH time on Heat Rocks with musician/scholar Vijay Iyer. We get into Prince's love of the drum machine, Vijay's love of the 80s, and the many sides of Prince ...

Steve Arrington on Heatwave's "Too Hot To Handle" (1976) from 2021-05-27T20:56:56

Musician/producer/minister Steve Arrington sits down with Morgan and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Heatwave's debut scorcher, Too Hot To Handle. We talk about the music scene in Dayton, Ro...

Pell on N.E.R.D's "In Search Of..." (2002) from 2021-05-20T18:30:02

Rapper/producer Pell sits down with us to talk about N.E.R.D's "In Search Of..." We get into the sex, drugs, rock & roll of it all, The Neptunes' prolific career, and N.E.R.D's influence on Pell's ...

Kemp Powers on De La Soul's "De La Soul Is Dead" (1991) from 2021-05-13T20:56:19

Director and screenwriter Kemp Powers sits down with us to discuss De La Soul's sophomore effort, De La Soul Is Dead. We get into DLS's shift in image and tone, the growth of Prince Paul as a prod...

Nite Jewel on Kraftwerk's "Computer World" (1981) [redux] from 2021-04-29T17:49:17

When we invited L.A.’s own Nite Jewel to join us, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise that she picked Kraftwerk’s Computer World; after all, she’s toured the world performing the album. In s...

Joshua Abrams on Arthur Verocai's "Arthur Verocai" (1972) from 2021-04-22T18:05:07

Bassist/composer Joshua Abrams sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Arthur Verocai's underrated self-titled debut record. We discuss the rediscovery of this album via sa...

Jason King on Sylvester's "Living Proof" (1979) from 2021-04-15T18:47:57

Writer and musician Jason King sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss the Sylvester live album Living Proof. We talk about Sylvester's vision of wholeness and sharing good...

MF DOOM Special with Dante Ross from 2021-03-25T17:51:58

This week marks the 17th anniversary of Madvillainy and we invited A&R man and producer Dante Ross to discuss working with KMD, Dumile's move from Zev Love X to MF DOOM, and the stories behind the ...

Megan Pattison on Teena Marie's "It Must Be Magic" (1981) from 2021-03-18T17:38

DJ and record collector Megan Pattison AKA DJ Mamabear sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Teena Marie's It Must Be Magic. They get into Teena's growth as an artist and...

Sheila Burgel on The Ronettes' "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica" (1964) from 2021-03-11T19:26:52

Writer and DJ Sheila Burgel sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss the impact of girl groups through the decades, the "wall of sound" formula, and the influence of girl gr...

Take Two #8: Mary J Blige's "What's the 411?" with Naima Cochrane from 2021-02-19T00:38:26

We wrap up another edition of Take Two and discuss Mary J Blige's debut album What's The 411? We get into Mary's role in hip-hop soul, the story of Uptown Records, and Mary's image at the time.

Take Two #7: Mary J Blige's "Mary" with Naima Cochrane from 2021-02-12T00:01:36

Take Two is back again with another couple of iconic albums from an iconic artist. This time, Morgan is talking about Mary J Blige's album "Mary" with music industry vet Naima Cochrane. We get into...

Valerie June on Etta James' "At Last!" (1960) from 2021-01-28T20:10:38

Singer/songwriter Valerie June sits down with us to talk about the legacy of Etta James, what separated Etta's voice from her contemporaries, and how khakis introduced Oliver to an Etta classic.

Salaam Remi on Jungle Brothers' "Straight Out The Jungle" (1988) from 2021-01-21T20:34:46

Record  producer Salaam Remi sits down with us to chat about the JB's place in the Native Tongues family, the countless flipped samples throughout the record, and his personal journey as a super pr...

DJ Soul Sister on The Meters' "Rejuvenation" (1974) from 2021-01-15T01:23:13

DJ Soul Sister AKA The Queen of Rare Groove, joins Oliver and Morgan to discuss the funkiness of The Meters, the New Orleans music scene, and what it's like to DJ at George Clinton's birthday.

Our Heat Rocks of 2020 from 2020-12-31T20:39:23

Oliver and Morgan discuss their personal favorite records of 2020 and talk about their hopes for the new year. Thanks for sticking with us through this year, Heat Rockers!

Phonte on Intro's "Intro" (1993) from 2020-12-24T19:29:46

We are re-airing one of our all-time favorite episodes. It's our discussion with Phonte about Intro's self-titled album from way back in 2017.

Heat Rocks Holiday Music Special 2020 from 2020-12-17T22:45:15

Oliver and Morgan sit down with music supervisor Jocelyn Brown to discuss their favorite holiday songs, Christmas trap music, and the tightrope novelty songs must walk to become a great holiday cl...

Take Two #6: Drake's "Scorpion" (2018) from 2020-12-10T21:57:32

In this installment of Take Two, we’re looking at two albums from the one and only Drake. Last week, we talked about Nothing Was The Same and this time around, we're chatting about the 2018 double ...

Soulquarian Medley from 2020-11-26T17:22:42

This week, we're giving thanks and replaying our three episodes on albums produced by the Soulquarians, all of which turned 20 this year: Ill Camille on Common's "Like Water for Chocolate," Bosco o...

Bonus Beats: Discovering Music Through Samples with Joseph Schloss from 2020-11-24T21:40:16

Oliver sits down with ethnomusicologist Dr. Joseph Schloss to discuss the origins of sampling in hip-hop and a few of their favorite music discoveries through samples.

VanJess on Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" (2006) from 2020-11-19T21:50:14

R&B sister duo VanJess sits down with us to discuss Amy's influence on artists today, blue-eyed soul, and what direction her next album would have gone if she were still here with us.

Bonus Beats: Favorite Breaks with Loren Kajikawa from 2020-11-17T18:50:28

Oliver sits down with musicologist Loren Kajikawa to discuss why instrumental breaks hit us in such a specific way, the different ways musicians have approached breaks, and their personal favorite ...

Anjimile on Oliver Mtukudzi's "Vhunze Moto" (2002) from 2020-11-16T17:35:02

Singer/songwriter Anjimile sits down with us (remotely) to discuss Tuku's 41st album (!!!) Vhunze Moto. We discuss the impact of Tuku's music in Zimbabwe, the characteristics of Tuku music, and the...

Bonus Beats: Nas & Unused Samples from 2020-11-10T17:21:29

On this week's edition of Bonus Beats, Oliver takes a couple of questions from the mailbag about overlooked samples and Nas' best LP (besides Illmatic)

Take Two #4: Jay-Z's "The Black Album" (2003) from 2020-10-29T22:47:27

We finish our Jay-Z Take Two series with what was supposed to be Hova's swan song, The Black Album. We discuss the hype surrounding this album, the ridiculous amount of remixes we got out of this, ...

Take Two #3: Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" (1996) from 2020-10-22T21:55:50

We continue our Take Two miniseries and looking at two albums from an iconic artist. This time, it's Jay-Z and his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt. This marks the first time we're talking about...

Hanif Abdurraqib on The Beach Boys' "Surf's Up" (1971) from 2020-10-15T22:54:04

Writer and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib sits down (remotely) with us to discuss one of the weirder entries in the Beach Boys' discography. We talk about the sudden shift in image for the band, ...

The Art of Sampling #3A with Nate Patrin on J Dilla's "Donuts" (2006) from 2020-09-24T20:09:57

Music writer Nate Patrin sits down with us (remotely) to discuss the cult following of J Dilla after his passing, the emotionality of the sample flips, and his role in neo soul movement.

Syreeta Gates on Cardi B's "Invasion of Privacy" (2018) from 2020-09-17T19:19:48

Scholar and archivist Syreeta Gates sits down with us to discuss Cardi's move from Love & Hip-Hop: New York to one of the most powerful voices in rap music, the distinct New York vibe of the entire...

Take Two #2: Janet Jackson's "The Velvet Rope" (1997) from 2020-09-10T22:19:49

Our second episode of the Take Two miniseries focuses on Janet Jackson's risqué and introspective album, The Velvet Rope. We discuss Janet's move to a more neo soul sound, how she matured as an art...

Tiffany Johnson on Lupe Fiasco's "Food & Liquor" (2006) from 2020-08-27T20:53:04

Filmmaker Tiffany Johnson sits down with Oliver and Morgan to discuss Food & Liquor, the interesting production choices made on the album, and how Lupe's style influenced the Odd Futures and Cool K...

Wu-Tang Clan Special from 2020-08-20T18:33:21

In honor of GZA's birthday and the release of multiple members' solo debut albums, we're recutting and remastering our episodes on the Wu-Tang Clan. If you like what you hear, please listen to the ...

Braxton Cook on Emily King's "Seven" (2011) from 2020-08-13T19:47:41

Singer/saxophonist Braxton Cook joins Morgan to discuss Seven, Emily King's powerful voice, watching her perform live (remember live shows?), and the subtle but important decisions she makes throug...

Camille Yarbrough on India.Arie's "Worthy" (2019) from 2020-07-30T21:09:56

Singer/poet/educator Camille Yarbrough sits down with us to discuss the timeliness of the album, the parallels between Camille's and India's work, and India's growth as an artist in her nearly 20 y...

Bonus Beats: Alphabet Soup - D from 2020-07-27T18:15:31

Morgan continues the Alphabet Soup series and discusses some of her favorite albums that start with the letter D

Regina Bradley on OutKast's "Aquemini" (1998) from 2020-07-23T21:22:18

OutKast becomes the newest member of the Triple Crown club here on Heat Rocks and we're talking to professor/scholar Regina Bradley about the duo's smothered, covered, diced, and topped LP, Aquemin...

Bonus Beats: Ali Shaheed and Morgan chat EWF's "All 'n All" from 2020-07-21T21:30:23

Morgan and Ali Shaheed Muhammad quickly geek out over Earth Wind and Fire's "All 'n All"

Ali Shaheed Muhammad on Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back" (1988) from 2020-07-16T23:13:39

The one and only Ali Shaheed Muhammad of Tribe, Lucy Pearl, and countless other projects sits down with us to discuss Public Enemy's sophomore album, the use of samples all over the place, and Flav...

Bruno Major on Chet Baker's "Embraceable You" (1995) from 2020-06-25T19:41:33

Singer/songwriter Bruno Major joins us from London to talk about this long lost album, Chet's signature voice and delivery, and bringing Baker's tunes to a new audience.

Father's Day Special from 2020-06-18T18:56:16

Oliver and Morgan discuss their favorite father/child songs, whether it be duets, a father's song about a child, or a child covering their father's music. Happy Father's Day.

Jason Randall Smith on The Art of Noise's "In Visible Silence" (1986) from 2020-06-11T18:54:10

Today's episode is the first of two where we invited listeners of the show to talk about their personal Heat Rocks. This week, listener Jason Randall Smith sits down with us to talk about "In Visib...

Felicia Angeja Viator on Cypress Hill's "Cypress Hill" (1991) from 2020-05-28T21:56:58

Professor and author Felicia Angeja Viator sits down with us to discuss the LA rap scene, B-Reals unique singsong delivery, and Muggs' talent for finding the perfect loops.

Bonus Beats: Alphabet Soup - A from 2020-05-26T17:50:05

On this week's bonus beats, Morgan plays her favorite music geek game and talks about her favorite albums that start with the letter A

Bonus Beats: Sly's "Small Talk" with Michael Barnes from 2020-05-22T07:00:13

Professor and DJ Michael Barnes joins Oliver to talk about Sly & The Family Stone’s final album, “Small Talk” and in particular the Time for Livin’ drum break that can only be found on a specific C...

Havoc on Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" (1995) from 2020-05-21T21:37:08

The one and only Havoc of Mobb Deep sits down with us to talk about this groundbreaking album, RZA's masterful production and use of samples, and the New York rap scene at the time. Get ready, folk...

Jarrett Hill on India.Arie's "Testimony Vol. 1, Life & Relationship" (2006) from 2020-05-14T19:41:31

Journalist Jarrett Hill (who cohosts FANTI here on Maximum Fun) joins us to talk about India's place in the neo-soul movement, what India's work meant to a college-aged Jarrett Hill, and what criti...

Bonus Beats: Originals vs Covers and Crate Digging Stories from 2020-05-12T23:40:06

On this week's Bonus Beats, Oliver talks about covers that are more famous than the original song and

Nelson George on Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" (1973) from 2020-04-30T20:10:15

Culture critic and writer Nelson George sits down with us (remotely) to talk about Stevie embracing of new musical technology, the changing landscape of black radio at the time, and Stevie's own t...

Bonus Beats: Old Music Reviews and James Gadson from 2020-04-28T21:48:48

On this minisode, Oliver goes back to a few of his old reviews and discusses the extremely underrated and overlooked session musician James Gadson

Comfort Music #2: Oliver's Picks from 2020-04-23T18:00:20

We continue our Comfort Music series with Oliver and discuss his five favorite comfort albums.

Bonus Beats: Reggae Covers with Adam Mansbach from 2020-04-21T20:10:58

On this special bonus ep, Oliver talks to writer Adam Mansbach to discuss the weird and wonderful world of reggae covers. They talk about their favorite (and least favorite) covers, why reggae and ...

Comfort Music #1: Morgan's Picks from 2020-04-16T20:30:36

We are kicking off our Comfort Music series this week with Morgan's five comforting albums. We discuss what exactly makes music comforting, Tower Records, and the power of pleasant voices.

Bonus Beats: Heat Rocks Mailbag II from 2020-04-14T17:46:11

Oliver answers a few more questions from fans on this special mid-week minisode!

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Patrice Rushen on Minnie Riperton's "Come to My Garden" (1970) from 2020-03-26T23:26:54

Musician/composer/producer/songwriter/music director/legend Patrice Rushen joins us to discuss Minnie's debut solo album Come to My Garden. We talk about the lush orchestration courtesy of Charles ...

Cam O'bi on Kanye West's "Late Registration" (2005) from 2020-03-19T21:25:48

Jack McKain

Emily Yoshida on Björk's "Post" (1995) from 2020-03-13T16:12:14

Writer and critic Emily Yoshida joins us to discuss Björk's sophomore album, the truly wild videos released for Post, and the many characters of Björk's voice.

Music and Popcorn #4: April Wolfe on "The Bodyguard" soundtrack (1992) from 2020-02-27T23:15:11

We are nearly at the end of our Music and Popcorn miniseries here on Heat Rocks, where we talk about our favorite movie soundtracks with folks from the world of TV and film! This week, April Wolfe ...

Music and Popcorn #3: Sean Fennessey on the "Juice" soundtrack (1992) from 2020-02-20T22:18:01

We are on week three of our Music and Popcorn miniseries and we could not be more excited to have The Ringer's own Sean Fennessey with us to talk about the soundtrack to the Ernest Dickerson classi...

Music and Popcorn #2: Renée Bever on the "Us" soundtrack (2019) from 2020-02-13T21:44:05

We are in the middle of our Music and Popcorn series, where we talk to our favorite folks from the world of film and TV about the soundtracks they love. This week, Renée Bever of the podcast Attack...

Josh Kun on Manu Chao's "Clandestino" (1998) from 2020-01-30T22:00:02

When Manu Chao announced he would be releasing his first solo album, fans around the world were both elated and hesitant. Manu's previous albums with his band Mano Negra were both critically and co...

Tall Black Guy on D'Angelo's "Voodoo" (2000) redux from 2020-01-23T19:34:34

The Album: D'Angelo Voodoo (2000) Tall Black Guy, AKA Terrel Wallace, has been making beats and remixing artists like 79.5, Stro Elliot, and Moonchild, for a long time. Listen to any one of his son...

Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding on the Nat King Cole Trio's "Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio" (1991) from 2020-01-16T20:36:07

It's easy to think of Nat King Cole as "that Christmas song guy" but his musical output is truly astounding, recording hundreds of songs with over a hundred of them becoming hits on the pop charts....

Holiday Music Special with Alonso Duralde redux from 2019-12-26T19:21:56

The Albums: Vince Guraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Andy Williams' The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963) Stax Records' Christmas in Soulsville (2007) Heat Rocks was hyped to have film c...

Cristela Alonzo on A Tribe Called Quest's "We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service" (2016) from 2019-12-20T00:15:14

2016 was a hard year, to say the least. We lost Prince, David Bowie, Phife Dawg, Sharon Jones, and many others that year. And on top of that, we here in the US had to reckon with the results of the...

Father Amde of The Watts Prophets on Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" (1971) from 2019-12-13T01:07:52

What's Going On? On May 21, 1971, Marvin Gaye released his eleventh studio album asking this simple question. It was a risky move, for sure. Gaye was at the height of his career and this new album ...

Phil Yu on Boyz II Men's "II" (1994) redux from 2019-11-28T18:04:06

This episode originally ran 07/26/2018 The Album: Boyz II Men: II (1994) Phil Yu is better known to most as Angry Asian Man...except that he isn't actually all that angry (though he is Asian and a ...

Shana Redmond on Jodeci's "Forever My Lady" (1991) from 2019-11-21T19:34:54

“Don’t talk, just listen.” Jodeci announced themselves to the world on their 1991 debut album, Forever My Lady. They didn’t invent new jack swing but few R&B groups so seamlessly melded the brava...

Saul Williams on Portishead's "Dummy" (1994) from 2019-11-14T22:33:05

Saul Williams is super talented.  The multi-hyphenate artist not only has a way with words, he has an ear for heat rocks.  And apparently kept a fire starting five in his CD changer.  We were fortu...

Jason Concepcion on Herbie Hancock's "Thrust" (1974) from 2019-10-31T18:12:08

Album: Herbie Hancock: Thrust (1974)   Thrust followed on the heels of Herbie Hancock’s genre-altering best-seller Head Hunters album, one in which the gifted keyboardist and composer played with n...

Gabrielle Civil on Prince's "Parade" (1986) from 2019-10-24T17:58:24

No single artist has come up on this show more than The Purple One and it's not hard to see why. His enormous discography is filled to the brim with timeless records and undeniable fire.  Parade ca...

Luis Xtravaganza on the "Grease" soundtrack (1978) from 2019-10-17T23:04:44

Although Grease was originally a somewhat raunchy Broadway musical, the film and the soundtrack (released 2 months ahead of the film's release) has left a lasting impact on millions of young adults...

Gerrick Kennedy on Whitney Houston's "My Love Is Your Love" (1998) from 2019-10-10T18:14:54

The Album: Whitney Houston My Love Is Your Love (1998) What was initially supposed to be a greatest hits compilation ended up being a full-on album. Whitney got everyone on this record. Babyface, K...

Jason Woodbury on Karen Dalton's "In My Own Time" (1971) from 2019-09-26T19:14:01

The Album: Karen Dalton In My Own Time (1971) In My Own Time was the second and final studio album by Karen Dalton, a musician who preferred to stay out of the spotlight. She didn't enjoy much comm...

Jason Woodbury on Karen Dalton's"In My Own Time"(1971) from 2019-09-26T19:14:01

The Album: Karen Dalton In My Own Time (1971)

In My Own Time was the second and final studio album by Karen Dalton, a musician who preferred to stay out of the spotlight...

Jason Woodbury on Karen Dalton's"In My Own Time"(1971) from 2019-09-26T19:14:01

The Album: Karen Dalton In My Own Time (1971)

In My Own Time was the second and final studio album by Karen Dalton, a musician who preferred to stay out of the spotlight...