S9E455 - Patti Smith 'Horses' with Gabriel Rotello

This week's guest, writer, director, producer, journalist and musician Gabriel Rotello, brings us the stunning debut studio album by Patti Smith, 'Horses'. Gabriel's latest book, 'The CBGB Conspiracy', is a gritty mystery novel set during the sweltering NYC summer of 1977, with Son of Sam on the prowl and the city rocked by the blackout. As both a musician who lived that scene and a longtime LGBTQ journalist, Gabriel's insight into this  foundational punk landmark of a record is not to be missed! Songs discussed in this episode: My Generation (Who cover - Live at the Agora, Cleveland, OH 1976) - Patti Smith; All The Good Places - Gabriel Rotello; Easter - Patti Smith; Sonic Reducer - The Dead Boys; X Offender - Blondie; Judy Is A Punk - Ramones; Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer; No Feelings - Sex Pistols; Unknown - Patti Smith/Lenny Kaye - Max's Kansas City, Fall, 1973; Fire Engine (13th Floor Elevators cover) - Television (Live at CBGBs, 1975); Gloria, Because The Night, Redondo Beach, Birdland - Patti Smith; Holidays In The Sun - Sex Pistols; Birdland - Patti Smith; Personality Crisis - New York Dolls; Free Money, Kimberly - Patti Smith; Marquee Moon - Television; Break It Up, Land - Patti Smith; Teenage Crutch - The Shirts; 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) - Jimi Hendrix; Elegie - Patti Smith; Redondo Beach (Patti Smith cover) - Morrissey (Live at Earls Court) 

Returning guest and long-time friend of the show Tom Lawery brings us Sub Pop band (by way of the Carolinas) Band Of Horses and their second album, 2007s 'Cease To Begin'. Both evocative AND rocking, it's a record that delivers big riffs in a beautiful, indie-guitar pop package. Songs discussed in this episode: Luther (Kendrick Lamar and SZA cover) - Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell; Trinidad - Geese; The Funeral - Band Of Horses; One Big Holiday - My Morning Jacket; They'll Only Miss You When You Leave - Carissa's Wierd; Is There A Ghost, Ode to LRC - Band Of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You - CeeLo Green; No One's Gonna Love You, Detlef Schrempf, The General Specific - Band Of Horses; Tears Of Rage - The Band; Lamb On The Lam (In The City), Islands On The Coast - Band Of Horses; Goin' Against Your Mind - Built To Spill; Mississippi - Bob Dylan; Marry's Song - Band Of Horses; Seven Bridges Road (Live) - The Eagles; Act Together - Ron Wood; Act Together (Live, 2007), Cigarettes, Wedding Bands, Window Blues - Band Of Horses; When I Get Old - Descendents

Technically Jeff Beck's seventh solo album - but only the second to bear only his name on the front cover - 1975s 'Blow By Blow' became a million-selling top-5 album, and proved once and for all there was truly nothing Jeff Beck could not do with a plank of wood and six strings. This week's guest, Filmmaker/Musician Peter Spirer (Rugged Entertainment), joins Rob as they attempt to unpack this instrumental classic. Songs discussed in this episode: Freeway Jam (Live, 1976) - Jeff Beck With The Jan Hammer Group; Devil's Road - Sacred Cowboys; Minor Swing - Django Reinhardt; Spanish Boots - Jeff Beck; Blues Jam - The Rolling Stones (with Jeff Beck); Da Ya Think I'm Sexy - Rod Stewart; You Know What I Mean - Jeff Beck; She's A Woman - The Beatles; She's A Woman - Jeff Beck; Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith; Constipated Duck, Air Blower - Jeff Beck; Stroll On - The Yardbirds; Pink Moon - Nick Drake; Scatterbrain - Jeff Beck; Frame By Frame - King Crimson; Lookin' For Another Pure Love - Stevie Wonder; Cause We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck; 'Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk; Thelonious, Freeway Jam, Freeway Jam (Live, 1976), Diamond Dust - Jeff Beck; Horrors - Hummingbird; The Lonely Ones - Z Toyz

His songs have been covered by HUNDREDS of bands over the years, and he's rightly been nicknamed the "Father of Rock and Roll". John Lennon may have said it best, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." This week's guest, New Orleans musician Smitti Supab (Captain Buckles), brings us 'The Great Twenty-Eight' by the late, great Chuck Berry. "Hail, hail rock and roll!" Songs discussed in this episode: School Days - The Beach Boys (Live, Knebworth 1980), Iron City House Rockers, Bobby Vee, Jan and Dean, AC/DC; Cringe, Hurry Up, Bus Station Blues - Captain Buckles; Johnny Be Goode, Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry; Roll Over Beethoven - The Beatles; Too Much Monkey Business - Chuck Berry; Too Much Monkey Business - The Kinks; Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan; Havana Moon, School Days, Rock and Roll Music - Chuck Berry; Rock and Roll Music - The Beatles; Reelin' and Rockin', Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry; Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys; Beautiful Delilah - Chuck Berry; Beautiful Delilah - The Kinks; Memphis Tennessee - Chuck Berry; Memphis Tennessee - John Lennon and Chuck Berry with Yoko Ono; Nadine, Maybellene, No Particular Place To Go - Chuck Berry; Raindrops on Mardi Gras - Captain Buckles

For this special BONUS episode, Audio Engineer, Producer, Teacher and lead singer of Indiana's Zero Boys, Paul Mahern, brings us some of his favorite Teenage Tragedy Songs. Also known as Splatter Platters, Death Discs...etc, this style of songs lamenting teenage death scenarios - often in melodramatic fashion - peaked in popularity in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s but still pack a twisted punch today. Let the teardrops fall! Songs discussed in this episode: Last Kiss - Wayne Cochran (1961); Johnny Better Get - Zero Boys; Henry Lee - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Ft. PJ Harvey); Henry Lee - Dick Justice; New Rose - The Damned; Looking For A Kiss - New York Dolls; Chain Saw - Ramones; Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton; Telstar - The Tornados; Tribute To Buddy Holly - Mike Berry and the Outlaws; Ode To Billy Joe - Bobbie Gentry; Maxwell's Silver Hammer - The Beatles; Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People; Detroit Rock City - Kiss; Angie Baby - Helen Reddy; Rocket USA - Suicide; Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats; Come Back Jonee, Auto Modown - DEVO; Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols; The Water Was Red - Johnny Cymbal; Dead Man's Curve - Jan and Dean; Teen Angel - Mark Dinning; Leah - Roy Orbison; Warm Leatherette - Grace Jones; Warm Leatherette - The Normal; Timothy - The Buoys

We FINALLY dipped our toes into the George Clinton/P-Funk universe, as this week's guest Adrian Herrera - aka DJ Blacksmith - brings us 1976s 'Hardcore Jollies' by Funkadelic. "If you got funk, you got style You're funkin' and you're styling all the while When you got funk, you got class You're out on the floor movin' your ass" Songs discussed in this episode: Comin' Round The Mountain (Live, 1976) - Funkadelic; Pais Tropical - Jorge Ben Jor; Hell Before Sunrise - Oscar Herrera; Fuck Wit Dre Day - Dr. Dre; So What - Miles Davis; Give Up The Funk - Parliament; Hit It And Quit It, One Nation Under A Groove, Comin' Round The Mountain, Smokey, If You Got Funk, You Got Style - Funkadelic; Ms Jackson - Outkast; I'm Never Gonna Tell It, Hardcore Jollies, Soul Mate - Funkadelic; Soul Mate - D'Angelo (Live, GQ Plugs In Behind The Scenes); Cosmic Slop - Funkadelic; Walking In Rhythm - Blackbyrds; You Scared The Lovin' Outta Me, March To The Witch's Castle, Adolescent Funk - Funkadelic; Rockit - Herbie Hancock; DAISIES - Justin Bieber; Helter Skelter - The Beatles; Cosmic Slop - Axiom Funk  

In 1984, Michael Mann's crime drama Miami Vice hit the airwaves. Unlike the traditional police procedurals that came before it, Miami Vice drew upon 1980s pop culture and used contemporary rock and pop music as the background for its dark, often nihilistic storylines. Returning guest, poet and essayist Sarah Nichols, joins us as we unpack some of the songs - and musical guests - that made this iconic neo-noir television series pop. Songs discussed in this episode: Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer; Vital Transformation - Mahavishnu Orchestra; Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer; Harlem Shake - Baauer; Peter Gunn Theme - Henry Mancini; Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell; Beach Theme - Tangerine Dream; In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins; Crockett's Theme - Jan Hammer; Smugglers Blues, You Belong To The City - Glenn Frey; Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits; Hello Earth - Kate Bush; Just The Way I Planned It - Philip Michael Thomas; Heartbeat - Don Johnson; I'm Not In Love - 10cc; Cry - Godley & Creme; Little Miss Dangerous, Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent; Duel, P-Machinery - Propaganda; Fly On The Windscreen - Depeche Mode; Nine Million Rainy Days - Jesus and Mary Chain; Me Myself I, Dark Truths - Joan Armatrading

For our FIRST Patron-curated episode of 2026, we asked Patrons of the show to send in a song from their parents record collection that stayed with them...and got them high! Thanks mom and/or dad!! Songs discussed in this episode: At The Balalaika - Nelson Eddy; I Can See For Miles - The Who; Before The Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender; Flowers On The Wall - The Statler Brothers; The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel; Buzzin' Fly - Tim Buckley; Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In - The 5th Dimension; Out On The Weekend - Neil Young; Guitar Man - Bread; Poor Jenny - The Everly Brothers; Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson; Autobahn - Kraftwerk; Hands On The Wheel - Willie Nelson; Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado; Historia de un Amor - Eydie Gorme and Trio Los Panchos; Que Sera Sera - Doris Day; Groovin' With Mr Bloe - Mr Bloe; East Bound and Down - Jerry Reed; I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better - The Byrds; Charmaine - Mantovani

Longtime Patron and returning guest Rory Cox Zoomed-in all the way from Slovenia to discuss Athens, Georgia band Drive-By Truckers and their incendiary 2016 album, 'American Band'. Overtly political - and as timely today as the day it was released - this is protest music with the guitars turned to eleven! Songs discussed in this episode: The KKK Took My Baby Away (Ramones cover) - Drive-By Truckers; Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd; Ronnie and Neil - Drive-By Truckers; Green Grass & High Tides - The Outlaws; Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd; I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - Aretha Franklin; Ramon Casiano, Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn - Drive-By Truckers; The South's Gonna Do It Again - Charlie Daniels Band; Surrender Under Protest, Guns Of Umpqua, Filthy and Fried, When The Sun Don't Shine - Drive-By Truckers; A Good Idea - Sugar; Kinky Hypocrite - Drive-By Truckers; Dead Flowers - The Rolling Stones; Ever South, Dead, Drunk and Naked - Drive-By Truckers; Cover Me Up - Jason Isbell; What It Means, Once They Banned Imagine, Baggage, Every Mother's Son (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover) - Drive-By Truckers 

Seattle singer/songwriter Robert Deeble brings us British band Mojave 3 and their 2003 release 'Spoon and Rafter'. Borne from the ashes of their previous band Slowdive, its core members Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell and Ian McCutcheon dialed-in the dream pop/folk with stunning arrangements and a feather-light touch.  Songs discussed in this episode: Love From Room 109 at the Islander (Tim Buckley cover) - Mojave 3; Hi-Lo and In Between - Neil Halstead; My Life In Art - Mojave 3; Orphan Song - Robert Deeble; Bluebird Of Happiness, Starlite #1, Bill Oddity - Mojave 3; War On War - Wilco; 40 Days - Slowdive; The Kiss - Robert Deeble; River Man - Nick Drake; Writing To St. Peter, Battle Of Broken Hearts - Mojave 3; Oh! Sweet Nuthin' - The Velvet Underground; Hard To Miss You, Tinkers Blues - Mojave 3; The Forest From The Tree - Robert Deeble; She's All Up Above, Too Many Mornings, Between The Bars - Mojave 3; Not On Your Team - Robert Deeble