It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He had a lifetime to make his first album and six months to make his second one.

Percussionist Michael Blair played HOW MANY instruments on Elvis Costello's Spike? Did WHAT on Tom Waits' Rain Dogs? Drummed on Lou Reed's Magic and Loss under WHAT circumstances? Played drums on the Replacements' All Shook Down WHY? Please listen to the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Percussionist Michael Blair played HOW MANY instruments on Elvis Costello's Spike? Did WHAT on Tom Waits' Rain Dogs? Drummed on Lou Reed's Magic and Loss under WHAT circumstances? Played drums on the Replacements' All Shook Down WHY? All on the new Caropop... www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He's been a student in Champaign-Urbana and performed at Steppenwolf.

On the new Caropop, Victor Krummenacher, brilliant bassist of The Third Mind and Camper Van Beethoven, discusses those bands' futures, the RSD release of Camper's "Tusk," his latest solo work and how the outside world affects it all. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

We keep posting new and classic Caropop episodes onto our YouTube channel. Recent archival ones include Justin Hayward, Stevie Van Zandt, Gina Schock, Chris Frantz plus Mitch Easter/Don Dixon, Dag Juhlin, Marc Ribot and Robyn Hitchcock eps. Please listen and subscribe! www.youtube.com/@Caropopcast

The Michael Shannon/Jason Narducy R.E.M. project, Sunshine Boys, Poi Dog Pondering, the Slugs -- Dag Juhlin has had many musical lives and revisits them all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He's currently the frontman in one band and guitarist in another.

On the new Caropop, guitarist/songwriter/studio musician Marc Ribot reflects on his love of Latin American music; the creative leeway that Tom Waits and Elvis Costello gave him, his decision to start singing, and his fight for indie musicians’ rights. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

it's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: His distinctive guitar playing has elevated many artists' albums as well as his own.

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/...

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.

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.

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.

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...

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")...

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/...

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/...

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.

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/...

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.

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/...

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...

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.

Wait, Colonel Tom Parker wasn't like the all-controlling, constipated-looking manager 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/...

Blurbed as "one of the most Chicago novels I've ever read" by someone from here, Orner's take on provincialism in writing is, for my money, spot-on. Hear all about it, and subscribe for free to @caropopcast.bsky.social!

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

As he does in The Gossip Columnist's Daughter, his acclaimed new novel blurring fiction and fact around the 1963 death of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Kup's daughter, author Peter Orner makes every word count in this lively Caropop conversation. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c.... @emmaswiftsings.bsky.social @caropopcast.bsky.social

On the new Caropop, @emmaswiftsings.bsky.social digs into her new album, life in Nashville with husband @robynhitchcock.bsky.social, whether their sensibilities rub off on each other and “how art can get us through quite brutal experiences by making them beautiful.” www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Had another excellent conversation with @caropopcast.bsky.social the other evening. We’ll see you, Mark, @thaliahallchicago.bsky.social tonight! www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: She has recorded her own songs and others'.

Whether or not you're going to tonight's Baseball Project/Minus 5 show at Thalia Hall, you'll enjoy the latest Caropop episode with the great Scott McCaughey. What it’s like touring two bands with the same personnel? What happened at that truck stop? www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

This is a wonderful episode.

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He'll be in Chicago with two different bands soon.