Your Friday Cage Match: Arlington Heights vs. Hammond. Discuss.

Did AI or an uncredited human get this wrong for the AP/ESPN game recap? "Alika Williams scored the As’ second run in the 6th when Crow-Armstrong lost Henry Bolte’s deep fly, which landed behind him near the warning track. Langeliers came up two batters later and made it 4-0 with his 16th homer."

Singer-songwriter-master storyteller Ike Reilly tells of making music his family business, singing with Springsteen, collaborating with fellow Libertyville native Tom Morello and approaching critical mass after all these years. On the new Caropop... www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He has made music his family business.

Your Friday Cage Match: Ramen vs. Udon. Discuss.

Why did the new DSS "Pet Sounds" One-Step use a 1972 version as the source instead of the original 1966 mono master? Is this the best-sounding "Pet Sounds" ever? Tom "Grover" Biery and I go down a Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" rabbit hole on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Your Friday Cage Match: Pet Sounds in Mono vs. Pet Sounds in Stereo. Discuss.

The absolute best music podcast around!

As the Feelies mark their 50th anniversary with two (farewell?) shows this weekend in Jersey City, propulsive rhythm guitarist/songwriter Bill Million reflects on getting the right guitar tones and creating that thrilling Feelies sound on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

When I first heard "Maybe I'm Amazed," I thought Paul was singing, "Daddy doesn't really understand." Maybe that'll be my memoir title.

Your Friday Cage Match: "Rooster" vs. "Shrinking." Discuss.

In this Caropop Pt. 2, XTC's Dave Gregory revisits the end of touring and the financial/musical impact. Was the studio or stage his happy place? Which songs did he most regret not playing live? Could he still play “Scissor Man”? What's the state of XTC grudge-holding? www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

We're catching up on "Hacks," and Ava was scooping pre-ground coffee from an Illy canister into a Chemex, and I kept thinking anyone serious enough to make a Chemex pour-over would be grinding their own beans. Also, her pouring technique was too much straight-down and not enough swirl.

Your Friday Cage Match: "Boogie Fever" vs. "Boogie Nights" vs. "Boogie Wonderland." Discuss.

XTC's Dave Gregory returns to Caropop to talk Live Boots, why the band played at such breakneck speed, what he thinks of the "bootleg" sound, which guitars he brought and whether XTC might have toured longer if Andy Partridge weren't so intense on stage. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

XTC's Dave Gregory returns to Caropop to talk Live Boots, why the band played at such breakneck speed, what he thinks of the "bootleg" sound, which guitars he brought and whether XTC might have toured longer if Andy Partridge weren't so intense on stage. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Did you know that today's a holiday? Not many know its origins, but historians agree that celebrating the birth of @markcaro.bsky.social on this day is best observed w/a listen to @caropopcast.bsky.social: www.caropop.com/caropopcast A sub is free, though you may donate any amount you wish, too!

It’s time to Guess Tomorrow’s Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He joined his most famous band for their third album.

Your Friday Cage Match: National Lampoon's Animal House vs. National Lampoon's Vacation. Discuss.

On the new Caropop, "Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman describes visiting Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase archive of 8-10,000 live recordings; choosing performances by Ahmad Jamal, Yusef Lateef and others; and preparing them to be among his 11 Record Store Day releases. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

On the new Caropop, "Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman describes visiting Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase archive of 8-10,000 live recordings; choosing performances by Ahmad Jamal, Yusef Lateef and others; and preparing them to be among his 11 Record Store Day releases. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Your Friday Cage Match: "Inner City Blues" vs. "Living for the City." Discuss.

Brendan Hunt, the laconic Coach Beard of Ted Lasso, opens up about the Beatles and his relationship with his mom in his @steppenwolfthtr.bsky.social one-man show, The Movement You Need. He opens up about doing all that plus the new Ted Lasso season on the new Caropop. caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Not since The Christmas Mouse have I been exposed to such an irritating/amazing ear worm. Proceed with caution:

We lost Dave Mason yesterday plus Alan Osmond. In tribute to the latter, I offer this serving of awesomeness: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXcj...

Your Friday Cage Match: Agatha Christie vs. Dorothy L. Sayers. Discuss.

With @recordstoreday.bsky.social coming up, Tim Peterson of Squeezebox Books & Music tells Caropop how it all works: the science of ordering, the Taylor Swift effect, the first-in-line fans or flippers, the hot titles and sleepers and the overall impact on business. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKXf...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: This is a special Record Store Day-themed episode.

On the heels of the big Axpona audiophile conference in Schaumburg, Northwestern's Medill School is hosting a two-day conference called Audiophile. It's about audio content creation and storytelling and has nothing to do with high-end sound quality.

Late Friday night dialogue, I go first: "Are we gonna let it all hang down?" "What?" "Are we gonna let it all hang down?" "What are you talking about?" "It's after midnight." "Oh, Jesus." "Gonna shake your tambourine? Gonna shake your tambourine?"

Your Friday Cage Match: James Brown 1956-1967 vs. James Brown 1968-1979. Discuss.

And while you're listening to @markcaro.bsky.social's latest Caropop, be sure to order a delicious Bayless Family pizza from Piece, benefitting @pawschicago.bsky.social!

Chef Rick Bayless reflects upon almost 40 years of his game-changing Frontera Grill, that "Top Chef Masters" victory, the White House state dinner he prepared, how he makes O’Hare’s best food, what happened to my favorite granola and more on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Chef Rick Bayless reflects upon almost 40 years of his game-changing Frontera Grill, that "Top Chef Masters" victory, the White House state dinner he prepared, how he makes O’Hare’s best food, what happened to my favorite granola and more on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He has been nominated for Emmy Awards and acted on stage but has received many more accolades for his primary profession.

This is in X's "Today's News" right now: "Chicago Bulls Trade Patrick Williams in First Transaction by Artūras Karnišovas." Um...no.

I just told my wife that we're listening to only James Brown until things improve.

Your Friday Cage Match: Salmon vs. Tuna. Discuss.

Gary Klebe tells the unlikely, inspiring story behind the classic power-pop band Shoes and describes what led him to release his first solo album in a half-century-long career--all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Gary Klebe tells the unlikely, inspiring story behind the classic power-pop band Shoes and describes what led him to release his first solo album in a half-century-long career--all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Should news organizations do April Fools jokes? a) Sure, April Fools is fun, and everyone gets it. b) No, enough people distrust news organizations already.

Your Friday Cage Match: In Color vs. Heaven Tonight. Discuss.

Chicago baseball teams: 6 Their opponents: 24. Happy Opening Day, everybody!

Ronnie Barnett takes us through the thrills and heartbreak of his life with Kim Shattuck and the Muffs—and offers some record-collecting notes because he’s that kind of guy—on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Ronnie Barnett takes us through the thrills and heartbreak of his life with Kim Shattuck and the Muffs—and offers some record-collecting notes because he’s that kind of guy—on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He was a rock journalist who found a better line of work in playing bass in a band.

ESPN is touting a piece presenting a "path to the men's Final Four for every Sweet 16 team." Here's mine: Win the next two games.

With the great Dave Davies somehow back in the news, we've posted his excellent Caropop episode on YouTube, so you can hear his thoughts on "Lola," the Kinks plus the higher power of love and what it means to be alive. We’re all living on a thin line, after all... www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCPk...

Miles Davis may have been one of the world’s most celebrated jazz bandleaders, but he didn’t know what to expect when his “second great quintet” arrived in Chicago's Old Town for a late December 1965 engagement at the Plugged Nickel club... @chicagotribune.com www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/23/m...