The Questlove Show - Kurt Loder

Episode Date: August 3, 2026

Legendary music journalist and MTV News icon Kurt Loder joins Questlove in the studio for a deep dive into the evolution of rock criticism, music journalism, and pop culture. Loder traces his journey from his early days covering Janis Joplin and Captain Beefheart to his era-defining work at Rolling Stone and MTV News, sharing firsthand memories of punk at CBGB, Prince, and the rise of Hip-Hop into the mainstream. Kurt opens up about writing Rolling Stone's first major Rap review, chronicling Tina Turner's life and remarkable comeback in book form, and navigating the ethics, responsibility, and influence of the critic's pen. Questlove and Loder also unpack the line between fandom and objectivity, the danger of snap judgments, and how artists like Prince, James Brown, and Joni Mitchell redefined the possibilities of pop music. This episode is a masterclass in music history, criticism, and culture, told by one of the most trusted voices ever to cover it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysler, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song about it. Well, I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia.

A.A.O. Rewatch on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws Shark. Didn't always work, came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of obsession. On set, there was so much magic happening with each scene we were putting together.

Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow at Raiders of the Lost podcast and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 3 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous situation that destroyed two families. It's a scorched earth war that shows just how far someone will go to get what they want.

Cindy said I had to choose between the truth and my family, and I had to choose the truth. Listen to Season 3 of Burden of Guilt on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together in I Heart Women's Sports. We're breaking down the biggest headlines. Naomi Osaka, showing out. Shoutouts to you, Naomi.

The viral moments. I've been obsessed with Kashan Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. her combos or Swift. And the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. On the IHeart Radio app.

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. The Questlove Show is a production of IHeart Radio. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Quest Love Show. Of course, you've been here for the last almost 10 years. You know that I was born in the musical household. I was destined to fall in love with the craft. I don't know if I had a choice in the matter. while the kids were reading Dr. Seuss, I was immersing myself in liner notes, judging typography,

label logos, and all those things. And of course, graduated later to absorbing everything from periodicals, anything that I could get my hands on in terms of journalism, music journalism, specifically. Our guest today, I would say, is the original influence. He gave us, me specifically, he gave some of the first critical looks at hip-hop music, which you weren't getting in the fanzines that I was reading at the time. So to see hip-hop treat it was such a serious, kind of in a serious scope, that was the first time for me and it made an impression, not to mention growing up in the early 80s as a 10-year-old, 11-year-old, seeing serious record reviews by, like, like artists I love like Prince. Our guest today sort of was the bridge and the introduction to my falling into that world that I bring up every time I'm on the show. Not to mention other landmark recordings like Pink Floyd.

People know that I adorned Rolling Stone reviews like on my childhood bedroom wall and studied these things. Yeah, I told you, I'm trying to scare you here. But anyway, I will say that many of us know them also. as the trusted voice in music journalism. I don't think it's hyperbole at all to say that he's the Walter Cronkite of music journalism. He's broken out many a story. He was the voice I heard when Biggie or Tupac passed away. He was the voice, I will say that the steps that led me here to this moment,

I've shared many a time of the Roots' reaction to Kirk Cobain's untimely demise, and it really starts with hearing his voice announce this news. I know that introduction shouldn't be this long, but, you know, I'm big on giving flowers. Anyway, I'm very excited to be talking to Kurt Gloder right now. Thank you. Welcome to the Questlo show. Great to see you. How are you?

Okay. You know, I lived in Philly for a while, and your father's big hit was like the national anthem of Philadelphia. Teardrops? Yeah. It was just, it was played everywhere, every day. Yeah, I didn't know that you went to Temple. I did. When did you go to Temple University?

A thousand years ago. It was like 1965. Wow. I was mind-blown. Like, what were your observations of Philly? I often don't hear, it's weird. Like, my father, I never thought to ask him about what the 60s were like in Philly, but musically, like, what were your observations? Well, I was, you know, I was a big doo-up fan.

So Philadelphia was like the Duop capital, one of them. Yeah. And there's so many great records are made there. So many. were you always a record guy all your life or did it yeah yeah yeah the music meet you or no the music didn't meet me no i always was and it was great to be in philly because that's where you know today's the day by a marine gray came from and puppy low by little jimmy rivers i love all that stuff i have those records wow i love that you know that history what was your first musical memory in life i think the first thing i'd heard

heard, there was a, in the early 50s there was a song called Abadaba Honeymoon. It was the first stupid song I ever heard. And I'm convinced that great music can have stupid words. As Bob Dylan says, the words are misleading because the song is not the words. Right. The song is the music. So there was that. Who did Abadaba Honeymoon?

Debbie Reynolds and Carlton and Carpenter, whoever he is. And it was a... Wait, is that the dabba, dava, dava, da da da da da da da. Yeah. You know all the words. I think I know this. Well, yeah. I thought, yeah, I recall hearing it.

I just don't know specifically where I've heard. That's enough. Okay. You don't have to hear more. What was the first single that you purchased with your own money? One of the first ones that my brother gave me a dollar to go down and get this Elvis Presley record. It was like all the rage. And it was hound dog.

And records were a dollar. Oh, by the way, what city? I grew up on the Jersey Shore, Ocean City, New Jersey. Very close to Philadelphia, actually. Okay, okay. So when you talked about going to the city, it would be Philadelphia. Do you remember the first concert you ever attended? Actually, no, I don't.

There were lots of little, like, local bands, bar bands. I mean, that's the first live music I saw. As far as your childhood home is concerned, like, what was your house looking like? Your parents, what did they do? My father was a house painter. Okay. My mother was an accountant. You know, it was like a, where I grew up was like an Ingmar-Burdman movie.

It was very cold in the summer. Okay. And in the winter, it was just wind-swept beaches and loneliness. It's a sad story. Well, as a child or growing up, what were your aspirations and dreams? Like, did you want to have something to do with the music business or writing about entertainment or did you have other dreams? Well, I think, you know, where I live, just the oldest, you would see about entertainment and music and movies was you just wanted to get out of where you were.

So you just wish you could get out to this, wherever this was, this like magic land. So yeah, you always think about that. Do you remember your very first writing assignment or the first thing that you wrote about creatively about music or entertainment? I was in the Army and it works for an Army newspaper at a hospital. Actually, it's a long, boring story. but started writing there like on a deadline and which is something you should really learn and then after I got out of the army

I stayed in Germany where I was and wrote for a newspaper that covered rock and roll acts so I would go and do Janice Chauplin this is that period you do all these and Captain B fart and so that was that was a ton of fun that time was like the late 60s the early 70s right did a lot of things I shouldn't have been doing but it was

Yes, you should. That's the journey in life. You know, I know that I came of age when, air quote, serious journalism in music at least, like, was a thing. But I know that at some point in history, it wasn't. I mean, am I wrong to assume that with Rolling Stone in 67, like, that was the beginning of, hey, let's treat this culture as something serious. Like before, in your recollection, was there anyone that spoke seriously of this being an art or, you know, that treated the Beatles like high art? I think, you know, Ralph Gleason and San Francisco was a guy who took it all seriously. And he was a friend of Jan Winter who started Rolling Stone. And Jan's thing was AP and real news places.

And why not it was real news? and then when there were some things that come up and make your friends look bad or in the business but he was adamant about that I said this guy did something bad we have to put that in there and Jan was, Jan did all this he's responsible I think

for a more serious approach to popular music the integrity of it all yeah the seriousness what is the true definition of what a music journalist should be you should be between the music business like life or musicians like life. They're people like everybody else, much more talented sometimes.

And you should know the business. You should be able to cover the business because I think the business is fascinating. The guys that rose up to start independent record companies in America, we're all like, Jewish guys who are like from families that were tailors or something. They said, I'm going to

do this thing. I'm going to start a record label. And they would do it. And during the war, when there was a shortage of vinyl, they would tear up linoleum from floors and meld it down to make records. I mean, really? Yeah, just incredible. I don't know.

He told me that from modern records. And you think, wow, they'd do anything to do it. And they made records of people that would never have gotten records made, you know, or just, we look at them today as brilliant. But at the time, they would just get screwed over by the business. All right. So now that the smoke is clear, and when I'm saying the smoke is cleared, I think oftentimes when a phenomenon happens, and especially now, like, in the social media

of it all, I see a bunch of people just rushing to pray. Like an album will come out and then instantly, like, I'm a masterpiece, you know, and it's like 60 seconds old. But also, as much as the folklore and the lore of a Lester Bings type, for those that are Googling right now, Lester Bings, you know, is kind of the story. Well, can you explain, like, who Lester Bings was for? Lester's sort of the archetype of the hard-living, hard-drinking music journalist. And he wrote in a sort of a free-form way, and he'd write over and over.

He wrote a book in, like, a week or something, a blunt. I think it was a blundie book. And he would just churn out stuff, and it would be everywhere. And he was a real character on the scene. Now, for, like, journalist circles and writers, was it received as mana from heaven or was it sort of like how I looked at Old Dirty Bastard in Wu-Tang? Like there's different levels of MCs in the Wooten clan.

Of course, you know, there's different tiers of degrees of it. I don't think many writers got mana from heaven. They were always complaining about what they were getting paid. But yes, just bringing around people like that. I mean, old dirty bastard. What a great individual, you know? What a great American. Oh, yeah.

And I'm not even, I'm not dismissing it, but I think at one point, like, the way that the idea of Lester Bings is, you know, this kamikaze sort of Hunter is Thompson-esque, you'd never know what he's going to write. But, like, did he help the cause or did he hurt in the long run? Because I think I know journalism simply because other writers would talk about Lester Bings. Yeah, yeah. I think people would want to be like Lester without knowing him. When I first got to New York, I went to a show at Town Hall. It was Sandy Bull. I probably don't remember him, do you?

No. He was like an Ood player. Okay. And Lester was there. How many, there were no other people there. It was just him and me and I don't know who else. So he would go to everything. And at that time in New York, you would go to everything.

There was so much stuff. And Lester would stay up for forever drinking cough syrup because he wasn't a druggie. He's a Romilar guy and beers. And you see all these guys hanging out. the rock critics. You're seeing the bars like bells of hell just sitting there with their head back because they were just wasted. Right. And then they get up and write stuff and it would come out and it would be funny. I mean, Lester stuff was very funny. You're familiar with the joke of the aristocrats, right? Like, what the aristocrats? All right. So in journalism, like, is there a journalist version of that?

I'll give me an example. Probably the most famous pitchfork review that I know. is, and I love the way that you're... Let's hear it. That your eyebrows was so triggered. Like so triggered. That says everything. No, like probably Pitchfork's most famous review

was an album by Jet of which I think the writer did a jiff of, I believe, a gorilla taking a piss and defecating all over the place and the album I think got a 0.1 of which I think

in 90 someone gave I think I don't know if it's frick or not or wild gave Andrew originally like a half and we're gonna argue with that I don't know no no but that's the thing though because it's like at some point I'm like is this the

aristocrats joke are you writing as a journalist are you like hey guys hold my beer Check this out. Do writers often have that? Like, if you know you're going to pan an artist or whatever, like in a review, like, you're going to go to town on it just to impress, like, a circle. Do people mostly do that? I don't think that's true.

I think a lot of writers at that time when I was doing it hang out together. So opinions tend to homogenize, I think. And one of the most famous mis-aimed reviews was Robert Criscoe was it. was it Monterey? I don't know. When Jimmy Hendricks first played here, he saw Hendricks Live, and he called him a psychedelic uncle Tom.

And people were just going, what? People heard the records. He said, what? And since then, you know. Krista guy has said that? Yeah, well, he's, you know, the live album came out from that gig. Right.

And it's not Jimmy's best. So that's what he's saying. I just didn't think he deserved all the hype. And there was somebody that, who was it? Another Rolling Stone guy said, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band sucked. And not my favorite Beatles album either, so I understand.

Why not? Are you? Way over dime. What is, okay, so what's your beat? You save one album and the rest fall in the fire. Which one are you saving? I can never answer that. I mean, every Beatles album before Sergeant Pepper, I think it was kind of interesting.

They were doing stuff. So you all save a revolver just to. Well, I think when the Beatles, came along. I just listening to it, I played music a little bit. And you could tell that there were so many chords in these songs. I said, wow, they're doing all these chords, but it's still like a rock song. They were just so brilliant. And it was exciting to be alive and to hear that stuff. So you were impressed in real time when they were presenting art like this post-Timpan Alley meets show tunes. The Beatles? Yeah. Well, up to a point. I mean, most of there's,

It's hard to say the Beatles did anything bad because they didn't really do anything bad. When they're doing like rubber soul albums like that, something new was happening. Somebody knew was happening in music. It was just exciting to be there. Exciting to hear it. I just never heard someone's opinions on the Beetle that told me in real time what they thought of it. Like, of course, and this happens a lot, especially with, like, albums that are misunderstood. to it. Like, I'm pretty certain that, you know, PetTounds is a great example. Like, in high,

you know, 20 years later, oh my God, I died, I for this. But back then it wasn't like that. So for you, like, do you remember in real time, like, the reactions of albums that we now consider classic that you might have been in different or on. I think, again, the great thing about the Beatles was they conquered the world. Everybody wanted to be them. Everybody wanted everybody wanted to live that life. and they just made the world light up. You thought, well, this is what's possible. And I think it gave musicians a lot of hope, too, saying there's something can be done.

What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real, women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days.

So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo. low rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments to take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out, she beat Sabalinka.

Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's. Everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports.

On the Iheart radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. You know us, or rather you know them. Tony and Candice, Nina and Lance, Spike, and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves

to tell you about Podlandia AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast. Each week we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guestrars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. I thought he was going to write. I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. Ayo, rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nick Totoro.

You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lee's Black Klansman. But I'm also from Queens, which means I know pizza. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness, Nick Totoro, I deliver pizza from Prince Street pizza to a new guest. You deliver pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins.

What are you doing? My belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know, we're talking to one of the goats here. To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Totoro. It's called Happiness. Delivering

Happiness. Mariano Rivera. Oh my God. And many, many more. Open your free high-heart radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Tutor. And listen now. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse.

The world gets crazier. And Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem. If you come over here to play games, I'ma check you. Okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I'm going to play you. Join Yomeneika Saunders as she breaks down the week's, problematic stories on our new podcast, you're the problem with Yamanika.

Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? New episodes weekly every Wednesday is part of my new network, the Dear Chelsea Network. If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less, so I don't have to do so much. So join Yamanika each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem?

I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to You're the Problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So what are the steps that lead you to writing? Well, period. Just in journalism. Like, did you start in music or did you just start traditionally? No, I'm, you know, I were, as I said, I worked for a paper in Germany doing stuff covering some pop music. Well, I'm in America, I meant.

I worked for kind of a throwaway newspaper doing nothing. It was really annoying. I hated that. So it was good to get to, I worked for circus in New York. It was good to write about music that you grow up with and you really feel like you know it and you know who the people are and the music they've done and how the music is marketed, you know, where it comes from. It's all a fascinating story. It's like an assembly line. Well, some of it.

What year did you start at circus? 1970, I think. Okay. So in the mid-70s, once, like, postmodern rock or modern rock is, like, at least 20 or 10 years old, depending on what, you know, where you think its origins are, could one make a good living? Writing? Yes. No. You can't make a good living writing?

No, not really. I mean, if you're working for Rolling Stone, you don't complain a lot. at the time. Okay. They pay you. But generally, I mean, it was awful. You're getting a couple of dollars for record reviews. So even like writing a cover story, like, was it enough to, like, would you have to have

a second gig also? Like, were some people bartenders also at nighttime and then? A lot of people did that. They also lived in hobbles and they lived a diminished lifestyle. So it's not a way I would recommend trying to make a living and have a future. So it was difficult. Was Rolling Stone a hopeful destination for you or you just like whatever comes along, I'll take it? I mean, that was as high as you could get rolling stone.

And at that time in New York, it was, you know, 77, 78 is when punk rock was happening. And white punk rock and black punk rock was all happening. And it was just so exciting. And there was so much to write about. It was like being in Liverpool when the Beatles were starting out. Because you're hearing something. something new, and it's not what the business has been. And it was youthful vigor and it was wild. So there's a lot of stuff to write about. So you were aware in real time that, okay, this is a

revolutionary moment that I'm witnessing. Yeah, I think so. I mean, you go, it's been a lot of time at CBGBs and Maxes. So it was like, if you go to CBGBs, you see bands that were like bar bands, but they had original material. So I love bar bands. I think they're great generally. And these were people who came at bars, but they were playing original material. It was like magic. Bands you would not know about today, they're forgotten now, had a couple of good tunes at least. What established bands or established gods now did you see in the embryonic stage back then, their first shows or them opening for someone? Bands today?

Not today. Well, I mean. Back then. Gods. What former gods did you see, like, as unknown acts in that period? Well, if you say CBGBs, I think talking hits at their start there and... Yeah, I saw the Ramones a bunch of times. I mean, all those acts were...

I love those acts. I love the Ramones. And also, on the other hand, you're hearing, like, black punk was also equally exciting. It was equally amazing. Run DMC would come on with this Eddie Martinez, this... kind of crunch guitarist. It was wild hearing that stuff. It had not been done.

And you knew something was changing. And it did. Did you catch any, like, bad brains in their prime shows? I saw a bad brain. I saw them opening up for a band called The Tits from Boston. Okay. They were loading in as I was leaving. But I saw them live.

It was pretty lively act. What would you say during that time period in the mid-to-late 70s was a show an artist that just blew your mind seeing it in real time. I was really impressed by Captain Beefhart Live because what he was doing was sort of making your body move in a new way.

Right. His band was doing such strange stuff. And I mean, there's stuff, something like that today is this group on Jean de Poitrine, you know, those Canadian guys with a plaster of Paris noses. I have not heard of this. Oh, well.

Call them up. All right. that's somebody I should look out for. They're just, they're pretty amazing because what they're doing is it's just two guys, a drum and a guitar that's heavily treated, and they're playing loops. It's almost all loops, and the guitar is triggering them and the footbells. It's amazing. Amazing.

It's all instrumental. They're worth taking a look at. All right. Speaking of B-Fart, I did the SNL music documentary. Yeah. And so I'll say that, like before is on time. passing like you know I got to know how willner for six or seven years yeah what a guy uh yeah would see him and he would always have these crazy stories about and he told the story of um you know

i asked him like was there ever a time when an an act didn't work on s&l like that you thought was going to be it and you know he talked about um miles davis's comeback yeah which he was like that was a disaster for him, but his first answer was Captain Beefheart. And he put me hip to, and I didn't realize that you review this doc at the radar station. And I know that Beefheart did, his first song was, he did Astray Heart. And because it ended so abruptly, everybody's going. Right, only twice on that show, like having watched literally all 1,000 episodes to do this thing, of course, you know, Shnade O'Connor's number one as far as like leaving the audience shocked into silence. But when Beefheart ends it, you know, first I was watching, I was like, wow, this is

really out there. And, you know, I'm used to avant-garde presentations or whatever. But when he stops the song, and there's like six seconds of the deadliest silence going by, and this one guy in the balcony just yells, shit! And, but for half a second, there's a look on Beefheart's face that I know that got to him. Like, it was such a, just for half a second, he showed like how heartbroken, it was jarring. And then like, it was like a small golf clap thing. But, I mean, I got into his music and I got obsessed with him.

It was like, how come. Yeah. Especially as a drummer, I would imagine, it's like, whoa. Yeah, I don't know what it appealed to me. I mean, I like weird things, but I always felt like it wasn't that weird where it couldn't catch on. Like, Prince has done a lot of radical things and it's caught on. But is the journalist's role, speaking of archetypes, like to know something inside or like I know some, like highbrow, I know something that you don't, that you commoners don't know. Oh, I did that, dude. I know.

I hope not. I think if you really like something, I think you try to show people why it's good or suggest why it might be good and why I should maybe at least go hear it. Don, Captain Biffart suffered mightily trying to get his music across and never really succeeded and never made it work. And he's just done some brilliant albums.

I think they've been rediscovered. Johnny Rotten is a big Captain Bifford thing. There are a lot of punk's realized what this is. Yeah. And now we look at it differently. Now we look at a lot of stuff differently. I would say probably Jack White was the one that really explained to me eloquently, like, why you should, like, this is what you should pay attention to in these songs and then, like, it caught on.

Can you walk me through, I'm trying not to make this sound story, like your first week at Rolling Stone. Like, hey, like, I'm here. Like, for you, it was just like, where do I sit? But your first week there, I just want to know what the lay of the land is as far as, like, what meetings are like, how things get assigned. Yeah. People would get together in an editorial meeting, talking about what's going on, somebody would volunteer to cover it. When I was there for like the first week, a writer named Charles A M. Young showed up just back from London, just back from the punk scene.

And he was dressing differently and sort of moving and talking differently. He met the clash. He met all those people. He started having an accent. Yeah. Well, no, he didn't do that. He was a very cool guy. Okay.

He was there and had been there. It was like you wanted to go up and touch him. He said, what's it like over there? And he got that story. And you'd have meetings and you'd decide, said, I'd like to do this. I'd like to do that. And you'd give it to the person that seemed best informed about it. Who's the person that decides, okay, you will go cover da-da-da, you'll cover da-da-da, you'll cover da-da.

Well, whoever the managing editor was, wherever the music editor was. I mean, there are things that Jan wouldn't really, Jan was not a punk fan. But, and he didn't really want to have the sex pistols on the cover of Rolling Stone, but he allowed it to go. He said, yeah, okay, do it. At least he understood the value of. He knows what's happening. I mean, he was a James Taylor kind of person more so. Okay.

Well, I shouldn't say that, like all my brothers and all that, Otis Redding. Right. That period. But he was very aware of what journalism is and realized you have to cover stuff sometimes that maybe not everyone likes. and you have to cover your friends and point it out when they're messing up. So he was willing to do that journalism thing. Okay. So for me, growing up, I grew up in a Rolling Stone subscription household.

God bless you. Because of the way that my dad ran his band, just pretty much every other week we would bin shop 45s, been shop records. He just decided to just get cashbox, billboard, Rolling Stone, and Cream, like all the music magazines, basically so that his band could look through

and be like, okay, we should do this, that. And so initially, like the illustrations would grab me. And once I'd discover what collage was, you know, I'm third grade by this time. And it's like, oh, I'll take all the, you know, Robert Risko and all the artists that were illustrators and started putting them on the wall.

So that's how kind of, By 86, 87, I think I had at like at least 200 of this adorn on every square inch of it. So I'm obsessed with how the record reviews were treated back then. Okay, so I think probably one of the earliest landmark records you got to review, meaning it will wind up being a classic, although you don't know it's a classic at this time, was you got to do the leave review for the wall for Pink Floyd. Can you just walk me through, like, what is the process of reviewing back then?

Like, how long do you get to sit with the record before you even decide what to write about it? How do you – did they just trust you to, like, here, take it or – Yeah, I mean, nobody told you what's right. You listen, you didn't have a lot of time to do record reviews, but you had a lot of time to do features. You go out and see a group and you had time to do a record maybe a week or two. It was every other week, Rolling Stone. So maybe you'd have two weeks. So you only had two weeks to take in all four sides of the wall.

Might be, you know. I forget exactly. It might have been four weeks. I don't know. But there's so much other stuff happening. You can't take yourself out of the mix and have everybody else do your job. You have to do other stuff. So, and how many records are really worth sweating over when you think about it?

It's true. It's like, like, how many geniuses do you meet in life? I see that. See, from my point of view, like, okay, so literally this, I mean, now in a sort of metaphysical way, people would say like, wow, you were like manifesting or, you know, affirmations or whatever, but I would literally start every album with a fake record review, like literally draw, literally draw my illustration, draw the album cover, put, you know, the stars there, and literally put that, like, post it on just to get me in the mind state of,

of what I'm creating. Did you rate bad reviews? Did you put people away? And who were they? No, I, well, you know, I also believe that classic records need highs and lows in it. Like, a guy like Michael Jackson will try to go on 100 every song, of which you're going to get numb by song number four.

So, you know, I also pay more attention to what my filler is as opposed to, well, we were never a hits bass group, but, you know, I do believe in a balance of highs and lows in making music and all those things. But, you know, nowadays, one particular artist that we know, a well-known artist that was critically acclaimed during their period, went as far as, like, running out a museum. And for every room in the museum that was one of his protégés. All right. Everyone knows. Kanye did this for it, literally had a room. So you experienced the record song by song by a curated room.

But, you know, I learned at the time I was on Def Jam, I was like, okay, so do we get to do this? It's like if you pay for it. But to them it was like the first impression was the most important. And, you know, the artist wants to make sure that you receive it right, that you're paying attention. I mean, nowadays people go through all these acrobatics or whatever. Was there any of that back then? Of what? Or trying to make sure we get a good review or...

Sure. Like how important was a... They have parties and invite you and you'd get free booze and free food. That helps. Because a lot of people who are writing about music needed the free food. They were happy to go. A lot of people lived off that stuff. Were you a witness...

Okay, I know that Queen. did this for the jazz album were you witnessed to any of the jazz record release parties that later turned into no no roman orgies it wasn't there i wasn't the world's biggest queen fan really ryan may is great but what did you like back then uh what i say besides beef fart i say a lot of the punk stuff was coming out i had to think about that period uh there were a lot little bands from England I thought were very good a lot of the New York stuff

I mean being in the middle of it being in New York he would just be exposed to that all the time but once you're tagged as a writer a journalist does that numb the experience of just enjoying music to enjoy music like when you go home

do you want to hear music or do you want to hear it the opposite well at the time I think when you're starting out you do I think that's one of the sort of dangers if you can put it that way of doing anything for a living. If you're reviewing movies or records something, after a while it becomes a job. I mean, you have to fight that off becoming a job. And you have to fight off the feeling of, you know, who am I to review?

As Lou Reed once said, you work on a record for a year and some asshole of the village voice gives it a B. And you know how that feels, you know, you can imagine how that feels. So it's trying to avoid that godlike feeling of, I have control of your destiny with this record. But you know your, you do know your God, though, right? Yeah, well, now. Well, actually, I don't think that we know your God because I later, I think maybe 10 years ago,

I found out, like I thought that you were also responsible for the stars that were given. But who, like, who decides what the stars are given? Somebody, I don't know. And are you forewarned? So say if you wrote something that was moderately what you felt was fair. You think of that I might get a three and a half or four, and then it winds up getting a three. Well, you can't, I mean, I recall saying, well, this should be a four-star record.

I mean, you could do that. It was somebody that was really important to somebody higher up at Rolling Stone. It might not come out the way you wanted it, it's star-wise. And there would be interference with that. But that was kind of rare, I think. There wasn't. Would they assign something? that you didn't agree with and be like, hey, that's...

Once or twice, yeah. That's bound to happen. I mean, there are bound to be things like that in the music business. There are things that happen in the music business that are not entirely virtuous. Things are done that I'm sure all the principles, which hadn't been done. Life goes on. Kind of in the almost famous way. Have artists ever complained to you about, like, what you did?

Like, you know, you gave us a bad review or... I don't remember. anybody doing that. Or you've been the opposite. You gave me a great review. Yeah, well, occasionally, Robert Plant told me once he really loved a review. I did one of his soul albums. But generally, people are not going to give writers or people on TV a hard time because

it will come back to kick them in the ass later. So there's that going on, too. There's a lot of cultivation. Try and be nice to this person. I think people were self-aware that maybe in the 80s, but I think in the 70s is probably just... And all out. Some of the more savage things I've read review-wise were 70s reviews.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I never knew what the artist's response was to that. I know, like, especially now, like, I've read many a confrontational, passive-aggressive-aggressive dig from artists to journalists there. I mean, Lester Banks had a really combat of a relationship with Lou Reed, and they printed it. I mean, he would write stuff with Lou. when came out in Punk Magazine,

just trashing him to his face. And he would want this? Yeah, that's the greatest thing about Lester. He would just do this stuff, and it would get printed. And I'm sure Lou wasn't too happy about it, but he sat down for it. He did more than one interview with Lester.

But your goal was never to make a mark or try to figure out, like... Make somebody angry? Well, I would imagine, okay, so I know, initially when I first started, video directors, I thought, like, wanted to be video directors. But then it was like, no, they do video directors so they could do commercials, so they could do a TV series, so they could finally do movies. Right. Make the top. For you, though, was the end game ever like, okay, I want to write a New York Times bestseller, like write fiction or? I didn't think about it. No, I never wanted to write fiction. I don't think I would have any good at it.

It'd be nice to have a book. You know, I had a couple of books. That was great. But I think everybody wants to climb up and be on top of their field. But I was pretty happy being a writer that people actually read. And it got out distributed that far because most writers don't have that. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all?

It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating?

The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments to take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out, she beat. Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that.

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. On the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

You know us or rather you know them. Tony and Candice, Nina and Lance, Spike and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast. Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters,

revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysler, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. I thought he was going to write. I thought you're all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. Ayo, rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier, and Yamanika is here to tell who, Ever's responsible, you're the problem. If you come over here to play games, I'ma check you. Okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I'm going to play you.

Join Yomeneika Saunders as she breaks down the week's most problematic stories on her new podcast. You're the problem with Yamanika. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? New episodes weekly every Wednesday is part of my new network, the Dear Chelsea Network. If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less, so I don't have to do so much. So join Yamanika each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem?

I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to You're the Problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Nick Titoro. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Least Black Landsman. But I'm also from Queens. which means I know pizza. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Totoro, I deliver pizza from Prince Street Pizza to a new guest.

Are you delivering pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing, my belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know, we're talking to one of the goats here. To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am.

And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John's and day. It's called Happiness, delivering happiness. Mariano Rivera. Oh my God. And many, many more. Open your free high, hard radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Tutoro.

And listen now. What friendships have you developed as a result of your journalism, like with artist? Almost none. I think it's a bad idea to be friends with people you're covering. Never do it. Don't do it. If you're going to hang out with somebody and be, they stop by your house for a sandwich or I'm like, it's like you're not going to be able to cover that person anymore.

Has someone tried to cross that line with you? Not if they value their life. Not really. I mean, I think the most persuasive thing, I know in the 70s and the 80s, there are always being drugs around and people will be saying, take a bunch of this with you. Really? It's yours for free. So that would happen.

But I was never really friends. I knew Don, Captain B.Fart pretty well. There were people I knew pretty well, but I'm not going to, I don't want to make myself sound too virtuous. But there were a couple of people I was kind of close to that I knew. Okay. But not many. What was your first cover story? Do you remember?

Yeah, it was the Pretenders? I don't know. The first thing I ever did for Rolling Stone was this band called Poco, which was like... Poco Heron? No, Poco. Just like, it was kind of a country rock thing. Okay. So somebody asks, would you like to do this?

No, I wouldn't like to do it, actually. But since you're asking for Rolling Stone, sure, I'll go to it. So you have to go home and listen to Poco Records and go, and then you go talk to the guys. Inevitably, people in the business are pretty nice if they're getting, you're doing a story on them. Everybody's pretty nice. Show businesses, I find that. Don't you find that? I think I was that.

You're very nice, you know? Well, yeah, I, okay, so I will probably say now one of the scariest things about being me is I'm close friends with people. I'm not trying to think of a diplomatic way to say this. Like, I'm not in their demographic. Yeah. However, I do enjoy the science of dissecting why something works. You know what I mean? So even though, like even in the height of TRL mania,

with whoever, Backstreet, Instinct, or whatever. I'd go to those concerts, like, not as, not as like, oh, my God, but more like, I want to study, like, how, I want to know how things work, like, how the machine works. And so sometimes you'll get caught in the thing, and a great example is fish. I thought I had nothing in common with fish. And just as a favor, they let me trail them. This is like when they were initially going to retire and the span. It was like a week left.

And like one of my nerdy friends that ran our website, hello, Dan, said, you know, like, I feel like you guys could learn from their business model. Just go to the shows and, you know, I was like, I don't, I don't even do psychedelics. I don't know if this is going to be fun. I have a time of my life there. You know what I mean? But I'm emotionally involved for other reasons. but it's just not me like being a fan of their work.

Eventually, I'll study it because I'm also embarrassed that I don't know. It'd be like me not knowing thriller or whatever. Well, how would you handle someone that you're not generally interested in? Well, you find a way to be interested. I think you're right. You find a way to be interested. If you like music, if you like the business, I mean, all one of the guys is the great, I think Jerry Garcia once said, even the lamest music doesn't hurt anybody.

So it's not going to hurt you to go. listen to it, you know. I think most music has something redeeming about it if the person has talent. So, inevitably wind up covering stuff that you might not immediately love, but a friend of my

David Frick covered fish. He was not a typical candidate for a fish fan. Oh, definitely. I know Frick well. He went and spent time with them and he came back just saying, they're actually great. They're really nice guys, and they're all actually great live. I've never seen them live. I've never seen them live.

but it's be brutal be brutal no well I mean here's the deal all right so the day one the reason why my guy

wanted me to go see them was because I didn't understand he's like telling me yo your life is going to change if you start letting fans tape and you know I was like let you bootlating my show no no no no no no

and he was like dude you just got to see how this will change your life and so Initially, I think with fish, I was still like, no, I'm good. But then when I went to see Pearl Jam and saw how their community works, then I was like, all right, maybe, okay, I'm on to something. Because my whole thing is like why I give the cow way when I'm also selling the milk.

But then they two, I hung out backstage just to see how they operate. And it's like, wow, this guy's playing a vacuum cleaner as a drum solo. and all this stuff. By day three, I think I was just open to it and realized. And subsequently, taking all those notes that we took for those four days, like the entire roots,

most operandi, like, changed for the better. Right. Because I just couldn't understand how, like, especially with black music, you got to have a hit out the box.

I think the roots are like one of the last groups that, like, relied on prestige and, you know, critical claim and all that stuff without ever having a hit single and you know every album's just like nerve wracking

for me of like are we going to get dropped not drop we need somebody to give us a you know a hot verse or a cameo I didn't want to have to jump through the same hoops you know like Joni Mitchell doesn't need a cameo from Method Man or any of those things so she got Charles Mingus to do a well

right I like to be wait Do you have a favorite, this has been a recurring theme on each episode I've done, do you have a favorite Mitchell album? I guess blue. Oh, you like blue? Yeah. Okay.

I mean, she's really interesting. I think, like, there's a live version of her doing Freemen in Paris, and it's, it has like Randy Brecker on it, has like these real jazz guys. Yeah. And she's amazing doing that. Her chord sense is amazing. I mean, more so than people understand, I think, or appreciate. So I spent a long night getting really drunk with her once at Dan Tanas.

What was that like? That was great. She's a fun person. Joan Baez is a fun person. You never know who's going to be entertaining. On the opposite side of that, has there been not a contentious relationship, but a relationship that, or not a non-relationship that you weren't aware of, of an artist like not liking you, but you got to know them later?

No. When they don't like you, you generally don't know unless you go do something with them and it's clear that they hate you. I'm sure lots of people didn't like me, you know. But the thing is, is that what makes you notable and, you know, I'll get to your MTV phase, is that you pretty much had access to people who would never give an interview. So there's some sort of disarming thing about you that... Well, you have access depending on your outlook. If you work for rolling stone or whatever, if it's important enough, you have the excess. Everybody loves you because they love your outlet.

They love the publicity. They'll get out of it. So there's sometimes not an overdose of sincerity going on. People are, it's a business. It's a business transaction. I don't remember anybody telling me they hate me to my face, but I'm sure. Well, was Axel nice to you those first? Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, if you could tell what condition he was in while you were dealing with him. That was a great band. I loved him. And he was exactly what you would think, you know, crazy and talented. When did you know that it was time to make a pivot and leave Rolling Stone to go try other things that you... It didn't really. I mean, it just happened that I was doing a story in Australia on the Mad Max movie. the third mad max movie and Tina Turner was in it and I knew that some of there was somebody trying

to do a Tina Turner book like in a week or something like one of those quick turnaround things junk and I told her manager and said you know somebody should do this real story because it's an amazing story going back to St. Louis in like 1960 or something that whole shitland circuit thing fascinating and somebody should do that and they said well okay so I got to do that it was was that Roger Davies? Yeah. Lucky me. And she was very fortunate

to have him for their manager because he was... Absolutely. He had the vision. He'll just stop people's butt. So it was amazing being with her. Tina didn't... All the records of hers that I liked,

the early stuff, she hated. She hated all that stuff that he said he, I could put this in keys. It was too high for me. So she doesn't look back at it the way I did. I thought those records were like immortal. And when she gets, when you get into like the,

The hippie phase. Her rock phase. It's like, I don't know. I think she was better than that, really. But she was a fascinating person. What a voice? You were over there to cover her... No, I was...

I forget. I was over there, I think, doing... It was like in the period when, like, minute work was happening. People like that. Okay. You'd be covering the Australian scene, which was a happening thing.

Right. And I'm conflating these things, probably. But I went over there. over to do the Mad Max movie. That was very interesting to meet George Miller, the director. It was a genius. And, you know, teenagers that are wearing some bizarre chain mail outfit. It was just great.

And it was just a great trip. It was great to be over there. It was great to watch her work. How many hours of interviews was the IT in a process? Oh, 20-some hours, I'm sure. And travel. How would you spread it out so that you wouldn't exhaust her? I don't know if you could exhaust her.

She worked all the time, but we did a lot. We did stuff in New York and some gigs here and then went to Europe and travel around in Europe. And after the show every night, she would talk. I mean, after doing one of these shows where you're just killing yourself, she would have the time to talk and remember stuff. And it's pretty amazing, I thought. Was it cathartic for her to go through these memories? We'd like to think so.

She did another autobiography of some sort, like a year or two ago. and I don't know why I didn't read it but and not because I didn't want to I'm sure it was fine but to get it yeah I think it was cathartic to get this stuff off her chest and talk about it

because a lot of it was pretty ugly as you know so it's hard to talk about that and I think it affected her vision of the music she made with Ike and Ike Turner is a very important figure in rhythm blues very very important

This guy, you know, works with Howl and Wolf and stuff. Like, amazing. But he's only known now as a wife meter. How did you know exactly what picture to paint? Because, you know, 86, 87 really wasn't a time period where people were, like, transparent about, you know, the 80s were ruled by mystery and scarcity. marketing and that sort of thing. Like, was there any point during the interview process where she felt like she went too far in revealing things or like...

No, I don't recall that. Or pulling it out of her? She knew she was at a particular place and because of Roger Davies, he knew it was happening in England and all these new groups, you know, Human League and stuff was going on. And they were making records just with synthesizers. He said, he knew what's happening here and said, this is what you need to do. You've got this classic R&B voice. Let's put you in front of all these synthesizers and work with these new young people.

And it was brilliant. And that record when it came out, private dancer, you would listen to it and you knew it was hit. This is a hit. This is a hit. This is a hit. It was an amazing record. What was your response to when ITina got optioned for a movie? Did you have any say them at or they just took your book in?

Pretty happy about it. No, they pay you for these things. Oh, they do? Oh, yeah. Oh, I didn't know. Okay. You know, you might think they don't. And I'm a filmmaker.

Okay. You don't pay your people? Well, no, no, no. Well, I've yet to do with scripted. But I never knew what the process was in optioning a book. The book gets optioned. Did you have any say in actual screenwriting of at all? Did they ask you for the tapes to listen?

I have given that tape, those tapes, some of them are other people who've done documentaries about Tina for HBO. Do you still have the originals? I have all that, yeah. Do you have all of your tapes? No. Oh, come on. Why? Because that would be like 50 weeks of tapes.

I mean, I haven't got that much living space. Okay. So you're not sentimental at all about, like... Oh, yeah, but I mean, you can't... And you move around, you lose stuff. I mean, I've got Pete, I've got David Bowie. I've got Pete Townsend. I've got these people I talk to.

I just keep all of that. I hope cassette tapes really last a long time because they're all very old now. So moving to MTV, when did you start working there? 1988, February, Arizona. Okay, like I've always been aware of MTV and watched it religiously, but I would probably say that your arrival there is where suddenly, like, I felt like rock journalism was a respectable thing. Thank you.

And in your presentation, where you self-awarely, of being cut dry the way that you were. Because you're on MTV, I think the temptation to, for a lot of people there. And this is the thing, I was unaware of how old you were. So I'm thinking, at least back then, you're like, okay, maybe five or six years older than me. Like, you were like kind of the older brother figure to us,

to a lot of us. But, you know, with anyone else that's on any of those video channels, they might tend to code switch and pander to all, yo, what's up, dudes? I'm a hero MTV and none of you. And you never did that. And I actually, like with you and Tabith also, like very just cut dry and it made you trustworthy.

And so, like, was that a conscious decision to? I don't have that cut personality. I cannot be bubbly. I'm not a bubbly person. It's a failing, actually. It's not something you would boast about. But yeah, I couldn't do that stuff. So I'm naturally deadpan.

And not once where the MTV people like, this guy is absolutely like nowhere near Ricky Rackman or Pauly Shore or whoever. Why would I try to be then? They're good at being them. Right. Once in a while I would get asked to do something. It would be like the spice girls or something, you know. Try on a silly hat or whatever.

I never did that. Well, no, I wore pajamas for a Madonna shoot. She was having something called Bed for Bedtime Stories, that album. I think I remember this. And yeah, everybody got in pajamas and I was really dumb. But it was fun, you know? Doing stuff with Madonna is always fun. Wait, oh my God, I'm thinking of real time.

Can you describe that moment with Madonna and Courtney Love at the, like, you're in the middle of what was obviously a real time? your casualness of taking this question, like, I don't remember this. Do you remember this moment at all? Well, yeah, it's all. I see it all the time because it's on TV. We're doing some little interview with Madonna, a compact, like a woman's makeup compact, when flying through the air. Madonna said, oh. Then somebody, we saw it was Courtney, and then some producer said, get her up on on stage, which Madonna is going, God, no, don't do that. And so Courtney comes up, just waiting. falls down, her skirt goes up.

It was great television. You pray for stuff like that. Did you recognize that was a great television? Absolutely. Do it again. Have her fall down again. It'll be great. And was Madonna cool?

Surely she realized the very... She wasn't very happy about it, no, but she maintained her composure. She didn't like to be upstaged, as you might imagine. Yeah. It was great. And now you're going to still see it. 30 years later. I totally forgot you were in the middle of that storm.

I absolutely forgot. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist, Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real.

Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game

and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that.

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. Sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. You know us, or rather, you know them.

Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike, and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia, AEO, rewatch, our brand new podcast. Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life.

Guestores, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. Well, I thought he was going to write. I thought you were all going to write. going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. Ayo, rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier. And Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem. If you come over here to play games, I'm a check you. Okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I'ma play you. Join Yamanika Saunders as she breaks down the week's most problematic stories on her new podcast.

You're the problem with Yamanika. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? New episodes weekly every Wednesday is part of my new network, the Dear Chelsea Network. If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less, so I don't have to do so much. So join Yomaniqa each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem? I'm Yamanika, and I'm out.

Listen to You're the Problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Nick Totoro. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, The Longest Yard, or Spike Lease Black Klansman. But I'm also from Queens, which means I know pizza. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Totoro, I deliver pizza from Prince Street pizza to a new guest. Are you delivering pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins.

What are you doing my belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know, we're talking to one of the goats here. To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called Happiness, Delivering Happiness. Mariano Rivera.

Oh, my God. And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Tutro. And listen now. What are probably feelings. Three of the, in your mind, like the most landmark moments of your tenure there. You would have to tell me, I don't know.

It was a landmark for you, I think, is the... Okay, so being at NBC, there was a point where, because after we tape the Tonight Show, my dressing room is also studio. So oftentimes I'll leave there one in the morning, two in the morning. And there was a period, like, for the first four or five years where I'd see Brian Williams in the cafeteria, I'm like, what the hell are you doing here? and explained to me, like, I often have to stay here just in case something happens. So if we were like on the verge of a war or something like major, that's happening,

he would just have to live in that building. Were you on 24-hour call for like a lot of, like when the Kirk Cobain situation happened, you were the first voice that we heard. John Lennon dies or something. Someone will call you at home. Yeah. I mean, a memorable thing I did some of the Prince once at Paisley Park.

I went up there and talked to him and Prince shows up wearing sunglasses and the producer's just going nuts. He said, you can't wear some. Telling Prince, you can't do something. Yeah, well, just we can't see your eyes. So he's no way he's going to take them off. You know, he said, you have to take them off.

He said, no. It's just that kind of guy. And so he did this interview. And afterwards, he was kind of an up good mood. He said, we'll have, I'll call the band. He goes somewhere and calls every guy in the band. You're getting Larry Graham out of bed. And they all show up like half an hour later.

And they start playing. So we're sitting there listening to them for like an hour and a half or something. He did a full concert for how many people in the room? A thousand. I mean, it was a lot of people. And it was just amazing. And Prince is playing this guitar signed on the back by George Benson. one of those full-sized Gibson's.

Yeah. That was a night to remember, as they say. That's cool. Do you remember anything at all about the handling or the announcement of Nirvana? Of him dying? Yeah. I don't think anybody was shocked that he committed suicide. He was sort of on the, I mean, it was known that he was on the verge of that.

But I was shocked that this would happen. This band was so good. They were such a great lieback. And nice guys to have. and just thought, God, what a loss. He could have done a lot of stuff. Everybody says that when somebody talented dies. Like, what if Buddy Holly lived?

Imagine what he might be doing. But he might have been like a country and Western hack, too. Yeah. You never know. But, you know, I think Kirk Cobain, I think he was ready to move on to more elaborate stuff. I mean, there are tapes of him sort of talking about that. I want to, you said these guys are holding me back. if you can imagine that great band.

I know that the air quote, the serious artist trope, like often kind of hampers an artist. I'm probably guilty of that, like overthinking, over-rehearsing, overthinking, over-researching,

all those things. What do you look for in terms of an artist that impresses you? Like, because I'm certain that you've been in situations where you might think like, oh, this person is pretentious, or you've been in a situation where nobody knows enough about this person, or you've probably been in situations where an artist might be burnt out, you know, that they're phoning it in or whatever.

But like for you, how can you, I won't say judge, but like for you, what do you think your subjective opinion is on like what an artist should be as far as your observation in the last four decades of journalism. What should an artist be? Talented. It should be real talented. Well, how do you feel about music now? There's always stuff going on.

There's never been a time when there hasn't been great music, I don't think. You have to be aware of it or you have to go look for it, but it's there. You can't get it all off the radio. Let me ask you this. Okay. So in, let's go to the 80s, in the 80s, who are the, the three people that are your trusted voice dog you got to check this record out like listen to this or yo did you hear that it has new record who are those three people that i think i did the first

the first uh the first rapper review for rolling stone yes you did the message that was amazing yes i'm sorry i cut yes it's right on my life that was sort of different it was it was it was leave review for a single guy i i remember it i never saw a leave review single before that and candy girl from some reason like got leave reviews as singles but yeah that was a moment in which yeah even my dad noticed like oh okay this stuff you're listening to is important all that stuff of run DMC and all those guys like wow that changed the world changed the business in a big way Is there a point where you, I think I went through this, maybe in, right before the pandemic, like maybe in 2018, where I started, okay, well, maybe I should get off the train and. Really?

Well, it's just. Is it a dark period? Well, you know, I think at that time period, I was leading, especially leading up to the pandemic with all the therapy stuff and just really wondering, like, You know, the 10-year-old of MIR that would study record reviews, study liner notes. And, you know, his parents would let him get up at one in the morning to watch whatever, Devo and rock concert or whatever, like any of those things. And then the music just became a burden to me. And similar to, you know.

It was a job. Well, it became a job. And, you know, I know, especially with Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell. that they found other things to do, start painting, whatever. So that's how I got into doing like other things, this and movies and whatnot. Now I'm back on the bandwagon, but, you know, there is that moment where I think most people that had a passion. I mean, it's almost like a relationship. Like it's the honeymoon period in the first five years and then you're sort of contentious and indifferent.

And I didn't want to be that person. But for you, like, was there a moment? in which you just felt like, I'm out of this, or I don't understand, or you were assigned someone that. Oh, no, I think if you're, whatever you do, you're going to get tired of, I think. You want something fresher. It's always good to move out, move on and do new things, as you say. When I was writing a record reviews, I got tired of that.

And then you do features, and after a while you get tired of that because you've done it. And it becomes the same thing over and over. and you move on to other fields and other things. So what is your passion nowadays, besides movie writing, which I love your... I write about movies quite a bit. You and Travers. I like your takes on movies. Well, thank you. Do you do your own headlines also for the movie reviews that you do?

Yes. Okay. Because, as I say... Well, you're good with puns then. Well, thank you. So... You leave it for someone else. I always find if you, because people, whoever you're writing for, they want it like a photo or something.

And if you give them 15 photos, they're going to pick the worst one and put it in. Yes. It doesn't make people seem stupid, but it's just going to happen. Everybody's busy. Everybody's running through stuff. So to do it yourself is always best, I think. Is there something that you haven't delved into at all or some sort of bucket list, uh, project or creative project that you've yet to do in writing.

I hope so. I don't know. I can't think of anything offhand. I mean, I think I've been totally blessed to be able to do stuff that I was really interested in. I mean, to be able to spend your life supporting yourself doing something you love, how many people get to do that?

And so you're really fortunate if you do. Well, you know, this is a buckledest dream for me to just. Thank you. Talk to you and I really appreciate it. Who else is in that bucket? I will say that you're kind of the top of the pile. I mean, because a lot of my music education and, you know, this is not just MTV. MTV is probably the least of it.

I mean, you know, again, I'm living with your words like plastered on my wall. So, you know, it's great to finally have the face to the person that I've grown up with. And I thank you for that, man. Well, I was very happy to meet people like, you know James Brown. So I was very happy to meet him once. And I said, remember the period when he was the original disco man? In the disco period, they made him do this record. Yes.

I said, oh, man. And there was some party at some bar. He shows up in a bright red hat like the one Prince wore for the Hall of Fame thing. And he said, well, come meet James. And so I went up really loud in there and said, I love everything you ever done, starting with 1956, from there and up. I probably named every single idiot. Right.

And they're going on and on and on. And at the end, when I was finished, I turned around and go somewhere else. He didn't say a word. He hadn't said one word. He didn't? I was impressed. I thought it was the greatest thing. Wow.

He saved that for me. For him to say nothing is, normally it's the opposite when I hear those stories. Well, that makes me feel worse now. No. Well, it might also be performative James that think you didn't get that person. It's weird. You mentioned that James is probably the one artist to whom I'm probably the only person I know that has high regard for classic records and horrible records. I believe that horrible records and classic records are one of the same. What I don't like is mediocre records. Yeah, yeah. And James Brown has never made a mediocre record. So when a lot of his post mustache, some would say, angel dust period of James Brown, I find myself, especially in the last 15 years, I listen to a lot of post-75.

Yeah. You know, I have my little James Brown circle of former employees of his or whatever, and I'll just, you know, hear a filler song and what was on his mind when he made this? But it's so bad, it's awesome to me. And it's to the point, like, jazz bassist, Christian McBride, fellow Philadelphia and I are going to probably do, we want to do kind of a tribute band to some of the worst of James Brown.

Actually, you want to know something? I had this discussion with him maybe two years. before he passed Prince. So Prince is the North Star that guides Prince as far as James Brown is concerned, is actually that period. The four on the floor disco. Yeah. Oh,

why not? Yeah, sure. Which, you know, of course, as a hip-hop, as a hip-hop head, you know, we are stuck between 67 and 74 where, like, the break beats are. And then I asked him one day, I was like, yo, like, all of your James Brown references I've ever heard

kind of come from the bad period. And he says, bad to whom? And in my mind, I'm like, well, duh, like, come on, dude. Like, I have many rehearsals with you, like, playing body heat at nausea. He's like, you don't like body heat? And I was like, well, that's cool, but what about, like, you did too funky in here for like an hour at rehearsal? He's like, you don't like too funky in here?

And I was, and then... Maybe the organ trio stuff, possibly. No, but it's, it's... He's true artistry. He literally has never done anything mediocre. Like, not many people can say that. Like, to not be mediocre, I think, is probably the artist's goal. To not bore you.

That's so true. Well, thank you so much, sir. My pleasure. I appreciate it. Kurt Loder on the Questlove show. And thank you guys, and I'll see you on the next go-round. See you. The Questlove show is hosted by me.

Amir Questlove Thompson. The executive producers are Sean G. Brian Calhoun and me Produced by Brittany Benjamin and Jake Payne Produced for Iheart by Noel Brown edited by Alex Conroy

Iheart video support by Mark Canton Logos graphics and animation by Nick Paloi Additional support by Lance Colby Special thanks to Kathy Vron Special thanks to Sugar Steve

Mandel. Please subscribe, rate, for view, and share the Questlove show wherever you stream your podcast. Make sure you follow us on socials. That's at QLS. Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLS episodes, including the Questlove Supreme shows in our podcast archives. Questlove show is the production of I-Heart Radio. Hey, Portlandia fans.

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast. podcast forum. We're launching Podlandia AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall, the mayor himself,

Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song. I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. A.O. Rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Raiders of the Lost Podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews

with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws Shark. Didn't always work, came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of Obsession. On set, there was so much magic. happening with each scene we were putting together. Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on

all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow at Raiders of the Lost podcast and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 3 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous situation that destroyed two families. It's a scorched earth war that shows just how far someone will go to get what they want. Cindy said, I had to choose between the truth and my family, and I had to choose the truth.

Listen to season three of Burden of Guilt on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist, Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl Sam J. And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together in I Heart Women's Sports.

We're breaking down the biggest headlines. Naomi Osaka, showing out. Shout out to you, Naomi. The viral moments. I've been obsessed with Kashan Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. Her combos are swift.

And the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.