Best John Holzer Podcasts (2024)

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162. THE FREE DESIGN, PART 3 (WITH SANDY, BRUCE, & ELLEN DEDRICK) 1:05:06

5d ago1:05:06

1:05:06

There is one sunshine pop band that stands as the greatest example of the genre, and that one band is The Free Design. They had one 1967 hit, “Kites Are Fun”—it hit #114, and that was it. But that’s only the beginning… In Part 3 of this unprecedented 5 1/2 hour interview with 3/4 of the original brother-sister quartet, Discograffiti explores the hi…

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BONUS! The Hail Mary Effect in Presidential Politics, an interview with William Silber 48:57

9d ago48:57

48:57

It's commonly accepted wisdom that presidents are less effective in their second terms, when the term limits of the 22nd amendment turn them into Lame Ducks who cannot be elected to office a third time. But what if that common wisdom is wrong? Former NYU economics professor William Silber, author of The Power of Nothing to Lose: The Hail Mary Effec…

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366: There Does Not Exist (Revisited) 58:38

9d ago58:38

58:38

Episode 366: This week, we return to There Does Not Exist. Notes for this episode: http://fourbrewers.com/366-there-does-not-exist-revisited Direct audio: MP3 Subscribe: RSS Apple Podcasts YouTube Twitch Support the show: Patreon 4B Social Media: Instagram Threads Mastodon Facebook Flickr Email 4B: feedback@fourbrewers.com 4B Merch: Four Brewers Me…

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161. THE FREE DESIGN, PART 2 (WITH SANDY, BRUCE, & ELLEN DEDRICK) 46:50

12d ago46:50

46:50

There is one sunshine pop band that stands as the greatest example of the genre, and that one band is The Free Design. They had one 1967 hit, “Kites Are Fun”—it hit #114, and that was it. But that’s only the beginning… In Part 2 of this unprecedented 5 1/2 hour interview with 3/4 of the original brother-sister quartet, Discograffiti explores the hi…

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365: It's Not Too Shidy 1:08:22

19d ago1:08:22

1:08:22

Episode 365: This week, another mixed pack of brews, this time from Oskar Blues Brewery. Notes for this episode: https://www.fourbrewers.com/365-its-not-too-shidy Direct audio: MP3 Subscribe: RSS Apple Podcasts YouTube Twitch Support the show: Patreon 4B Social Media: Instagram Threads Mastodon Facebook Flickr Email 4B: feedback@fourbrewers.com 4B …

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160. THE FREE DESIGN, PART 1 (WITH SANDY, BRUCE, & ELLEN DEDRICK) 51:38

19d ago51:38

51:38

There is one sunshine pop band that stands as the greatest example of the genre, and that one band is The Free Design. They had one 1967 hit, “Kites Are Fun”—it hit #114, and that was it. But that’s only the beginning… In this unprecedented 5 1/2 hour interview with 3/4 of the original brother-sister quartet, Discograffiti explores the history and …

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39.A) Jimmy Carter, the outsider, an interview with Jonathan Alter 54:24

23d ago54:24

54:24

When Jimmy Carter won the presidency, his Democratic party held a 61-37 majority in the Senate and a 292-143 majority in the House. Why then, with such a clear governing majority, were his relations with Congress so poor, and his agenda so challenged? Jonathan Alter, a long-time journalist and author of numerous books on the presidency, including H…

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159. JOHN PHILLIPS: THE SOLO YEARS (PART 2: WASTED) 46:13

26d ago46:13

46:13

First there were all the seminal, early folk outfits…then came The Mamas & The Papas, and now…welcome to The Solo Years, where plenty of buried treasure and fascinating insanity awaits! (I’m lookin’ at you, John.) In this, the very last episode of Discograffiti’s Mamas & Papas Series, Richard Campbell (@richcbart) & creator/host Dave Gebroe explore…

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158. JOHN PHILLIPS: THE SOLO YEARS (PART 1: WOLFKING) 42:13

1M ago42:13

42:13

First there were all the seminal, early folk outfits…then came The Mamas & The Papas…and now welcome to The Solo Years, where plenty of buried treasure and fascinating insanity awaits! (I’m lookin’ at you, John.) In this special penultimate installment of Discograffiti’s Mamas & The Papas Series, Richard Campbell (@richcbart) & creator/host Dave Ge…

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39.) Jimmy Carter 1977-1981 1:01:04

1M ago1:01:04

1:01:04

"The erosion of confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and political fabric of the nation," - Jimmy Carter, July 15, 1979 ~~~ Jimmy Carter may have been the luckiest presidential candidate and unluckiest president in American history. Chasing the presidency after Watergate and the pardon of Nixon had crushed American faith in…

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157. MICHELLE PHILLIPS: THE SOLO YEARS (RATED BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS) 42:53

1M ago42:53

42:53

First there were all the seminal, early folk outfits…then came The Mamas & The Papas…and now welcome to The Solo Years, where plenty of buried treasure and fascinating insanity awaits! (I’m lookin’ at you, John.) In this special penultimate installment of Discograffiti’s without-precedent 16-hour interview, Michelle Phillips guests along with band …

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364: The Ship Is Going Down! 59:58

1M ago59:58

59:58

Episode 364: Ballast Point Brewing Company has long been one of the best breweries from the San Diego beer scene. Nowadays? Hmm... Notes for this episode: https://www.fourbrewers.com/364-the-ship-is-going-down Direct audio: MP3 Subscribe: RSS Apple Podcasts YouTube Twitch Support the show: Patreon 4B Social Media: Instagram Threads Mastodon Faceboo…

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156. MAMA CASS, THE SOLO YEARS (FEATURING MICHELLE PHILLIPS) 1:15:14

2M ago1:15:14

1:15:14

First there were all the seminal, early folk outfits…then came The Mamas & The Papas…and now welcome to The Solo Years, where plenty of buried treasure and fascinating insanity awaits! (I’m lookin’ at you, John.) In Part 6 of this without-precedent 16-hour interview, Michelle Phillips guests along with band biographer Richard Campbell (@richcbart) …

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37.C) Nixon v The Supreme Court, an interview with Michael Bobelian 1:00:59

2M ago1:00:59

1:00:59

From 1953 to 1969, the Supreme Court was a vanguard of progressive change for the United States. But then came Tricky Dick. Michael Bobelian, author of Battle For The Marble Palace: Abe Fortas, Lyndon Johnson, Earl Warren, Richard Nixon and the Forging of the Modern Supreme Court, discusses how presidential candidate Richard Nixon and senate conser…

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363: We're back, again...AGAIN! 1:31:32

2M ago1:31:32

1:31:32

Episode 363: Stop me if you've heard this before, but we're BACK! We're back, AGAIN! Seriously, though, we mean it this time. Changes for the good are happening with the show, and we even have a new member of the 4B crew! Notes for this episode: http://fourbrewers.com Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Google Play | YouTube | Twitch Support the show…

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155. THE LEMON TWIGS FAWN OVER THE BEACH BOYS’ “WILD HONEY” 50:57

2M ago50:57

50:57

Brian & Michael D’Addario write great songs and release great albums, something they very much have in common with our mutual favorite band. The fertile period following the collapse of the mythic Smile project offers myriad auditory treasures, not least of all this charming soul confection from the fall of 1967. In this episode, we reveal: A sneak…

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154. AUTHOR DAVID HOLZER IS WRITING A BOOK ON LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE MUSIC! 53:36

2M ago53:36

53:36

Our celebration of Lou Reed’s deafeningly assaultive 1975 double-LP Metal Machine Music continues with author David Holzer, who’s currently working on a book about the record! In this episode, David & I discuss: The manifold ways in which Metal Machine Music can be used as a weapon; Why having a propensity for substance abuse lends itself to having…

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153. W. CULLEN HART ON HIS APPROACH TO HIS METAL MACHINE MUZAK PIECE 22:20

2M ago22:20

22:20

METAL MACHINE MUZAK IS FINALLY HERE!! Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System maximalist pop genius W. Cullen Hart explains exactly how he approached filling his sixteen minute and one second canvas in this very special bite-sized episode, one in a series of 5 we’re rolling out over this week that celebrates the May 3rd drop of Discograffiti’s…

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152. MARK ROBINSON ON HIS APPROACH TO HIS METAL MACHINE MUZAK PIECE 20:43

2M ago20:43

20:43

METAL MACHINE MUZAK IS FINALLY HERE!! Teenbeat mastermind and Unrest/Air Miami/Flin Flon/Grenadine/Fang Wizard/Cotton Candy/et al band addict Mark Robinson explains exactly how he approached filling his sixteen minute and one second canvas in this very special bite-sized episode, one in a series of 5 we’re rolling out over this week that celebrates…

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38.A) Gerald Ford in the Maelstrom, an interview with Brooke Clement 38:13

2M ago38:13

38:13

A 24-year career in Congress crested at a tumultuous time for Gerald Ford. He was the GOP leader of the house during the Nixon administration, then Nixon's VP, then the president who had to heal the country after Watergate. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum director Brook Clement discusses the crucible Ford walked as a national leader.…

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151. WAND’S CORY HANSON ON HIS APPROACH TO HIS METAL MACHINE MUZAK PIECE 18:03

2M ago18:03

18:03

METAL MACHINE MUZAK IS FINALLY HERE!! Wand main man and solo superstar Cory Hanson explains exactly how he approached filling his sixteen minute and one second canvas in this very special bite-sized episode, one in a series of 5 we’re rolling out over this week that celebrates the May 3rd drop of Discograffiti’s first official music release, our am…

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150. LOU BARLOW ON HIS APPROACH TO HIS METAL MACHINE MUZAK PIECE 50:01

2M ago50:01

50:01

METAL MACHINE MUZAK IS FINALLY HERE!! This beloved Sebadoh / Folk Implosion / Dinosaur Jr. luminary explains exactly how he approached filling his sixteen minute and one second canvas in this very special, unexpectedly profound episode, one in a series of 5 we’re rolling out over this week that celebrates the May 3rd drop of Discograffiti’s first o…

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149. W. CULLEN HART ON LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE MUSIC 11:52

2M ago11:52

11:52

Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System maximalist pop genius W. Cullen Hart explains his relationship with Lou Reed’s deafeningly assaultive 1975 double-LP Metal Machine Music in this special, bite-sized episode, one in a series of 8 we’re rolling out over the next two weeks that celebrates the May 3rd drop of Discograffiti’s first official m…

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148. MARK ROBINSON ON LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE MUSIC 14:27

2M ago14:27

14:27

Teenbeat mastermind and Unrest/Air Miami/Flin Flon/Grenadine/Fang Wizard/Cotton Candy/et al band addict Mark Robinson explains his relationship with Lou Reed’s deafeningly assaultive 1975 double-LP Metal Machine Music in this special, bite-sized episode, one in a series of 8 we’re rolling out over the next two weeks that celebrates the May 3rd drop…

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147. WAND’S CORY HANSON ON LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE MUSIC 21:44

2M ago21:44

21:44

Wand main man and solo superstar Cory Hanson explains his relationship with Lou Reed’s deafeningly assaultive 1975 double-LP Metal Machine Music in this special, bite-sized episode, one in a series of 8 we’re rolling out over the next two weeks that celebrates the May 3rd drop of Discograffiti’s first official music release, the ambient reimagining…

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146. LOU BARLOW ON LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE MUSIC 19:27

3M ago19:27

19:27

This beloved Sebadoh / Folk Implosion / Dinosaur Jr. luminary explains his relationship with Lou Reed’s deafeningly assaultive 1975 double-LP Metal Machine Music in a special, bite-sized episode, one in a series of 8 we’re rolling out over the next two weeks that celebrates the May 3rd drop of Discograffiti’s first official music release, our ambie…

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145. MICHELLE PHILLIPS OF THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS: THE INTERVIEW OF A LIFETIME (PART 5) 1:23:58

3M ago1:23:58

1:23:58

(To win a personalized 8x10 Michelle Phillips autograph, keep reading.) Simply put, this is the best interview I’ve done to date. It helps that band biographer Richard Campbell (@richcbart) and I were faced with a woman who was ready to come clean, to be so vulnerable, so funny….and SO RAW. In Part 5 of this without-precedent 16-hour interview, Mic…

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38.) Gerald Ford 1974-1977 48:40

3M ago48:40

48:40

"Our long national nightmare is over." - Gerald Ford, August 9, 1974 ~~~ Gerald Ford is the only person in American history to reach the vice presidency and the presidency without being elected to either. Despite this, he was a popular president - for 1 month. But then he pardoned Nixon, and it was all downhill from there. Follow along as Ford ride…

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144. MICHELLE PHILLIPS OF THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS: THE INTERVIEW OF A LIFETIME (PART 4) 1:26:48

3M ago1:26:48

1:26:48

(To win a personalized 8x10 Michelle Phillips autograph, keep reading.) Simply put, this is the best interview I’ve done to date. It helps that band biographer Richard Campbell (@richcbart) and I were faced with a woman who was ready to come clean, to be so vulnerable, so funny….and SO RAW. During Part 4 of this without-precedent 16-hour interview,…

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37.B) The campaigns of Richard Nixon, an interview with John Farrell 46:17

3M ago46:17

46:17

It didn't take long for Richard Nixon to earn the nickname "Tricky Dick," but was he really any more tricky than the typical politician? You bet he was! John Farrell, a long-time journalist and author of numerous books on political leaders, including Richard Nixon, The Life, discusses the many campaigns of Richard Nixon, from the red scare tactics …

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143. MICHELLE PHILLIPS OF THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS: THE INTERVIEW OF A LIFETIME (PART 3) 1:30:44

3M ago1:30:44

1:30:44

(To win a personalized 8x10 Michelle Phillips autograph, keep reading.) During Part 3 of this without-precedent 16-hour interview, the legendary singer and actress from The Mamas & The Papas tells it exactly like it is, in between rating everything the band’s ever released. In Part 3, Michelle reveals... A fascinating account of her participation i…

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142. MICHELLE PHILLIPS OF THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS: THE INTERVIEW OF A LIFETIME (PART 2) 1:32:43

3M ago1:32:43

1:32:43

(To win a personalized 8x10 Michelle Phillips autograph, keep reading.) During Part 2 of this without-precedent 16-hour interview, the legendary singer and actress from The Mamas & The Papas tells it exactly like it is, in between rating everything the band’s ever released. In Part 2, we cover: An in-depth analysis of their first two classic record…

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141. MICHELLE PHILLIPS OF THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS: THE INTERVIEW OF A LIFETIME (PART 1) 1:18:42

4M ago1:18:42

1:18:42

(To win a personalized 8x10 Michelle Phillips autograph, keep reading.) Simply put, this is the best interview I’ve done to date. It helps that band biographer Richard Campbell and I were faced with a woman who was ready to come clean, to be so vulnerable, so funny….and SO RAW. During Part 1 of this without-precedent 16-hour interview, the legendar…

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37.A) Nixon's Domestic Agenda, an interview with Luke Nichter 55:40

4M ago55:40

55:40

Richard Nixon was sworn in as President with a Democratic House and Senate across Capitol Hill, which you might expect to lead to legislative impasse. Instead, it was one of the more prolific legislative stretches in American history, including such accomplishments as: Lowering the voting age, Title IX, creating the EPA, the Clean Air Act, abolishi…

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140. AN INTERVIEW WITH PHIL MANZANERA ABOUT ROXY MUSIC’S FIRST 5 YEARS! 47:19

4M ago47:19

47:19

There’s no disputing that Phil Manzanera is an art-rock genius. Dovetailing with the imminent release of his incredible memoir, “Revolucion To Roxy,” we cast a glance back at the Roxy Music guitarist and songwriter’s early days in the band. In this episode, Phil & I discuss: The real story behind how Phil acquired that bug-eyed glasses look; The de…

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139. KULA SHAKER & THE ALBUMS THAT SHAPED THEM (WITH CRISPIAN MILLS & PAUL WINTER-HART) 1:26:34

4M ago1:26:34

1:26:34

Britpop seekers Kula Shaker are so much more than the sum of their influences…but what a wondrous pot of soil from which they took sprout. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Crispian Mills & drummer Paul Winter-Hart excitedly lay out the 15 super-cool albums that made them who they are today. In this episode, we discuss: The ace up Crispian’s sleeve when …

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138. THE RISE & FALL OF JIM GORDON SUPER-EPISODE…FEATURING A NEW FORWARD WITH GORDON BIOGRAPHER JOEL SELVIN 2:04:04

4M ago2:04:04

2:04:04

TO ENTER OUR CONTEST & WIN 1 OF 5 COPIES OF JOEL’S INCREDIBLE JIM GORDON BIOGRAPHY, JUST RE-POST THE PROMO AD ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND TAG BOTH DISCOGRAFFITI & JOEL SELVIN WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF ITS MARCH 8th PREMIERE! The most popular interview in Discograffiti history is back, and now it’s better than ever…just in time for Joel Selvin’s brand-new biography…

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137. BADASSES OR BRASSHOLES: BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS BATTLE ROYALE WITH FERNANDO PERDOMO! 1:09:45

4M ago1:09:45

1:09:45

👇🏼GENRE-BRIDGING BADASSES OR BRASSHOLE COUNTERCULTURAL BACKWASH? VOTE BELOW!👇🏼 TO ENTER OUR CONTEST & WIN 1 OF 5 FERNANDO PERDOMO CDs, RE-POST OUR PROMO AD AND TAG BOTH DISCOGRAFFITI & FERNANDO PERDOMO WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF THIS EPISODE'S MARCH 6th PREMIERE! In this episode, Fernando & I reveal: The very surprising and well-known female vocalist who wa…

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37.) Richard Nixon 1969-1974 1:00:58

4M ago1:00:58

1:00:58

"People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook." - Richard Nixon, November 17, 1973 ~~~ Richard Nixon's life is a drama unlike any other. A desire to win at any cost earned him the name "Tricky Dick" and carried him from Whittier, California, to the Presidency of the United States, but it also proved his u…

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136. MARK ROBINSON 4: MY DINNER WITH MARK (1995-2024) 1:56:08

4M ago1:56:08

1:56:08

Welcome to the final installment of Discograffiti’s 16-hour-long, definitive Mark Robinson interview. In this episode, Mark spills the beans on: The unending flood of new bands, projects, name changes, and bemusing detours that’ve characterized his work since Air Miami’s dissolution; The ballsy recording rules he utilizes to create material under t…

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135. MARK ROBINSON 3: GOODBYE UNREST, HELLO AIR MIAMI! (1992-1995) 1:20:27

5M ago1:20:27

1:20:27

Welcome to Part 3 of the 16-HOUR-LONG, most definitive (every single release covered), and objectively the greatest interview ever conducted with Unrest/Grenadine/Air Miami/Flin Flon man and Teenbeat label head Mark Robinson. Amongst so much else, here’s what goes down In this very special episode of Discograffiti: A forensic, track-by-track rundow…

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16.F.) How Lincoln changed American immigration, an interview with Harold Holzer 1:01:11

5M ago1:01:11

1:01:11

Migrating to the United States used to be as easy as buying a boat ticket. Getting settled was the hard part, and it became far more daunting when the United States was torn asunder by Civil War in 1861. As more and more northerners were conscripted into the Union Army, Lincoln realized a friendlier immigration policy might be the key to sustaining…

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134. JON WURSTER & THE LIVE ALBUMS THAT SHAPED HIM 1:20:33

5M ago1:20:33

1:20:33

Ever wondered what the hell Bob Mould, The Mountain Goats, Superchunk, Tom Scharpling, The Pretenders, Jay Farrar, Katy Perry, The New Pornographers, Margaret Cho, Rocket From The Crypt, Aimee Mann, Dave Grohl, Nick Cave, Guided By Voices, & R.E.M. could possibly have in common? His name is Jon Wurster. To paraphrase Public Enemy: “Sound of the fun…

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36.B) LBJ's Great Society, an interview with Mark Updegrove 46:31

5M ago46:31

46:31

Lyndon Baines Johnson is one of the most legislatively accomplished presidents in American history - possibly the only president who actually did so much winning, people got tired of it. But how did he make legislating look so easy? Mark Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation and author of 5 books on the presidency, including Indomitabl…

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133. WILL CULLEN HART RATES THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM & TALKS NEW OTC, PART 3 1:10:14

5M ago1:10:14

1:10:14

In Part 3 of Discograffiti’s incredible, career-spanning 7-hour interview, Will Hart spills the beans on: Exactly how the great Bill Doss wound up saving Will’s life before tragically passing away; All of his own star ratings for the entire Circulatory System discography; And a fascinating, lengthy discussion about the mythical third Olivia Tremor …

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132. WILL CULLEN HART RATES THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL, PART 2: BLACK FOLIAGE 1:19:52

5M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

In Part 2 of Discograffiti’s incredible, career-spanning 7-hour interview, Will Hart spills the beans on: A track-by-track rundown of Dusk At Cubist Castle & Black Foliage, plus Will’s own ⭐️ rating assessments (non-album material included in the Patreon Director’s Cut); What part drugs played (or didn’t play) in his inimitable creative process; An…

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131. WILL CULLEN HART RATES THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL, PART 1: THE ROAD TO DUSK 1:05:26

6M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

Welcome to our new Elephant 6 Interview Series, which plumbs the depths of one of the greatest movements in the history of recorded music. In Part 1 of an incredible, career-spanning 7-hour Discograffiti interview, Will Hart spills the beans on: His all-consuming obsession with Discograffiti, along with his assessment of my assessment of Pavement’s…

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130. THE MARK ROBINSON / JENNY TOOMEY GRENADINE REUNION INTERVIEW! 1:27:24

6M ago1:27:24

1:27:24

Although admittedly a side project for the above-mentioned Unrest and Tsunami songwritin’ n label-runnin' bandleaders, Grenadine was a game-changer for yours truly. Goya remains, for me, one of my favorite albums of all time. They released one more LP, and along with a handful of magical 45s, that was that. Until now. In this dream-fulfilling Disco…

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36.A) LBJ & Vietnam, an interview with Mark Lawrence 49:48

6M ago49:48

49:48

Few presidents have a darker mark on their resume that LBJ's handling of the Vietnam war. Though overwhelmingly popular at first, the war divided the nation and broke Johnson's political power just 4 years later. How did the United States get into Vietnam? Why didn't LBJ see what the American people saw as public opinion turned against it? And what…

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129. AN INTERVIEW WITH DAN EFRAM, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE “ELEPHANT 6 RECORDING CO” DOCUMENTARY AND MANAGER OF THE APPLES IN STEREO! 1:01:02

6M ago1:01:02

1:01:02

Welcome to a new series that plumbs the depths of one of the greatest movements in the history of recorded music. In this special Discograffiti interview, Dan reveals: How he wound up becoming the manager of one of the great pop bands of our time; The amazing story behind The Apples’ appearance on The Colbert Report; And essential details about The…

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