On the new Caropop w/Mitch Easter & Don Dixon, I said the Murmur "Radio Free Europe" sounds "snare-y," and Easter explained that the band's recording lacked snare so he recorded and mixed in a track of him just banging a snare. Did @remhq.bsky.social know about this? www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

This new Caropop episode reuniting producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon includes revelations about the making of R.E.M.'s Murmur that blew this longtime diehard fan's mind. You'll never hear "Radio Free Europe" or "Perfect Circle" in the same way... www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guests! Hint #1: They worked together on one of rock's greatest debut albums.

Your Friday Cage Match: Playing Guitar Sitting Down vs. Playing Guitar Standing Up. Discuss.

In the first Caropop of 2026, Robyn Hitchcock bats around the music of 1967 and whether it would have had such an outsized impact on his own music if not for where, how and at what age he experienced it. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Oops, I forgot to cue up Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest. Well, if you happen to see this... Hint #1: His most recent album is all covers except for one original.

Turned on NPR while driving, and they're playing this extended James Austin Johnson bit. That guy is uncanny.

Your Friday Cage Match: Crème Brûlée vs. Flan. Discuss.

Topic I'm pondering this morning: Colors. How important is it to get your preferred color when buying, say, a car? Guitar? Bike? Toothbrush? Or if you find the right model, are you happy no matter the color?

Your Friday Cage Match: The Kinks vs. The Who. Discuss.

Where does John Wesley Harding stop and Wesley Stace begin (or vice versa)? On the new Caropop, the English singer-songwriter-turned-U.S. citizen discusses his dual identities, his Frank Capra title-mining and his reaction to Elvis Costello snark. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Where does John Wesley Harding stop and Wesley Stace begin (or vice versa)? On the new Caropop, the English singer-songwriter-turned-U.S. citizen discusses his dual identities, his Frank Capra title-mining and his reaction to Elvis Costello snark. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He has done work under a pseudonym and his own name.

When you get notices that your iCloud storage is almost full, do you... a) Pay for more storage b) Delete 10,000 duplicate cat photos

I'm so glad I was able to get guitarist Jimmy James together with one of his idols, Steve Cropper, on Caropop. This was a great conversation. As it happens, James' band Parlor Greens is playing tonight at Garcia's in Chicago--check 'em out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4DZ...

Your Friday Cage Match: "Green Onions" vs. "Hip Hug-Her." Discuss.

Do you ever put something you did on your To Do list just so you can cross it off?

Getcha some hot local blues talk right here —

Dave Specter was Son Seals’ rhythm guitarist for two years before becoming a bandleader himself. I love hearing Specter play as well as chatting with him at his club @evanstonspace.bsky.social, but I’d never gone in depth with him like we do on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He plays blues guitar.

Some friends and I were batting this around the other day: Best bands or artists with a maximum of three studio albums. I'll get you started: Television, Nirvana, Nick Drake, Big Star (if you don't count "In Space")...

Your Friday Cage Match: "Nobody Wants This" vs. "Man on the Inside." Discuss.

The Steve Cropper Caropop conversation is now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Lt...

Running an audiophile label is not easy, as Shane Buettner has learned in the 10 years since he founded Intervention Records. Has licensing recordings become harder? What dictates pricing? How did he land Sun Records? Buettner tells all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Running an audiophile label is not easy, as Shane Buettner has learned in the 10 years since he founded Intervention Records. Has licensing recordings become harder? What dictates pricing? How did he land Sun Records? Buettner tells all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Good episodes here!

RIP to one of the greatest guitarists ever, Steve Cropper, who always played exactly what the song called for and nothing more. He was a two-time Caropop guest, first on his own www.caropop.com/caropopcast/... and then with guitarist Jimmy James interviewing his hero: www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Happy Thanksgiving from Caropop! www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Your Friday Cage Match: Potatoes vs. Sweet Potatoes. Discuss.

My new Caropop episode is with one of my favorite songwriters, Louie Perez of Los Lobos. He's as insightful and open-hearted as you'd expect. Please listen here: youtu.be/RWLpofDGxJg

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He's part of a great songwriting duo.

Your Friday Cage Match: The Beatles 1967 vs. The Beatles 1968. Discuss.

Bob Merlis ran Warner Bros. label publicity for many years, and on the new Caropop, he tells tales about the Carpenters, Little Richard, Dion DiMucci, ZZ Top, Debbie Gibson, Talking Heads, Devo, the B-52’s, the BoDeans, Madonna, R.E.M. and many more. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Not that I've been nursing this grudge for 25+ years or anything, but does anyone not agree that @aimeemann.bsky.social's "Save Me" should have won the best song Oscar over Phil Collins' "Tarzan" tune?

Your Friday Cage Match: MGMT vs. Tame Impala. Discuss.

I'm so sad to see that wonderful Squeeze/Jools Holland drummer Gilson Lavis has died. He propelled so much great music in such a distinct, powerful way (and was a talented artist to boot). He also was a kind, thoughtful Caropop guest in 2022. RIP. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

On the new Caropop, Paul Kelly reflects on his life as a musician in Australia, his evolution as a songwriter, his song sequel, his years of being “a recreational heroin user” and what he has learned. Is songwriting his way to make sense out of being human? www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He's Australian.

When I spoke with Mike Mills for Caropop in February, he mentioned a new band he had formed with Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfilsh) and Steve Gorman (Black Crowes). Howl Owl Howl performs its second-ever show tonight at @metrochicago.com. Can't wait! www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8IX...

Your Friday Cage Match: Peanut M&M's vs. Peanut Butter M&M's. Discuss.

To mark Caropop Ep. 200, we've got Paul Myers @pulmyears.bsky.social, who recently posted the 200th episode of his Record Store Day Podcast and has written a funny, heartbreaking new book about John Candy. This is a fun chat about Candy, creativity and doing it all. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Where will you be tonight at 7? I'll be at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square seeing @stefanfatsis.bsky.social and Jonathan Eig talk about Fatsis's new book "Unabridged: The Thrill of and Threat to the Modern Dictionary." Come listen, buy a book and say hi. www.bookcellarinc.com/stefan-fatsi...

Your Friday Cage Match: “Werewolves of London” vs. “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” Discuss.

The great Peter Holsapple @halfpear.bsky.social is at @evanstonspace.bsky.social tonight, touring with Steve Forbert. Some tix still available. Will I see you there? Here's his latest Caropop conversation: www.caropop.com/caropopcast/... And here's the tix link: www.ticketweb.com/event/steve-...

We keep adding new episodes to the Caropop YouTube channel, including the latest ones (Tom Morello, Peter Guralnick...) and "classics" including Steve Albini, Bettye LaVette, Sam Phillips and the three non-Partridge guys in XTC. Please check it out and subscribe. www.youtube.com/results?sear...

Your Friday Cage Match: Rage Against the Machine vs. Audioslave. Discuss.

On the new Caropop @tommorelloofficial.bsky.social reflects on writing political music, including for the new Goodman Theatre show Revolution(s), and weighs its impact. He also talks Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Springsteen, that last Sabbath show & the Cubs. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest: Hint #1: He was in two bands with identical personnel except for the lead singer.

Your Friday Cage Match: Hacks vs. The Studio. Discuss.

Wait, Colonel Tom Parker wasn't like the all-controlling, constipated-looking guy played by Tom Hanks in "Elvis"? Author Peter Guralnick offers a much more complex portrait and bats around various theories about Colonel and Elvis in the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...