PODCAST · music
Celebration Rock
by Cumulus Media Minneapolis / KXXR-FM
Rock Critic Steven Hyden ("Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me", "Twilight Of The Gods") talks with rock stars and the country’s biggest music writers about what’s happening in rock. Presented by 93X (www.93X.com) and Uproxx.com (http://uproxx.com/music/)
Episodes
-
Celebration Rock: Best Albums of the Decade with Ian Cohen
Steve decided to take the podcast out of hibernation for this special one-off episode on the best albums of the 2010's, with special guest Ian Cohen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Our Favorite Albums of 2018
Every year of my professional life as a music critic, I've made year-end lists. Sometimes it was because I simply had to do it, but more often (especially when I was younger) I did it because I thought it was fun. Making a year-end list was like saying, "Here I am, this is what I think, and…
more -
Contrarian's Canon: Joni Mitchell's "Night Ride Home"
This week we return with another installment of Contrarian's Canon, our semi-regular series with Ryley Walker where we talk about great albums that for some reason have been maligned or forgotten about in the course of music history. This time, we explore an under-appreciated should-be classic by...
-
Fantasy A&R: The Ultimate Mid-'90s Oasis Album
Last month, we started a new game called Fantasy A&R, where we take a classic album and attempt to improve/mutilate it by making our own stupid suggestions, such as adding or subtracting songs, swapping in alternate versions, and other probably ill-advised ideas. The first time we played Fantasy...
-
The 2nd Annual "Last Waltz" Holiday Special
Back in 2016, I wrote a column in which I declared that The Last Waltz is the best Thanksgiving movie. "It affirms the faith in the power of ritual to heal — at least temporarily — whatever is awkward or unresolved or plain broken about your familial bonds," I wrote. "Sometimes, that belief is…
more -
Fantasy A&R: How To Make a 12-Track Version of the Beatles' "White Album"
In the week's episode of Celebration Rock we introduce a new game called Fantasy A&R, where we take a classic album and attempt to improve/mutilate it by making our own stupid suggestions, such as adding or subtracting songs, swapping in alternate versions, and other probably ill-advised ideas.…
more -
Contrarian's Canon: Dave Matthews Band's "The Lillywhite Sessions"
In the late '90s, the Dave Matthews Band was one of the biggest bands in the world. Each of their first three albums went multi-platinum, and their improvisational live shows made them a stadium headliner. And yet this hippie-friendly collective couldn't just put out any album that it pleased. In...
-
October's Top Indie Albums by Kurt Vile, Cat Power, and Pinegrove
On this week's episode of Celebration Rock I invited Pitchfork senior editor (and now friend of the podcast) Stacey Anderson to discuss this month's most notable indie-rock albums. Our discussion began with Pinegrove, who's latest album Skylight is an affecting alt-country-leaning album that's a...
-
Twenty One Pilots vs. Greta Van Fleet
In the past few weeks, two of 2018's most anticipated rock albums have been released: Trench by Twenty One Pilots and Anthem of the Peaceful Army by Greta Van Fleet. In my review of Trench, I noted that Twenty One Pilots have created a deep and fascinating mythology that extends over several...
-
Contrarian Canon: Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell"
Last month, I invited great indie-rock guitarist and hilarious Twitter user Ryley Walker on the podcast to talk about an album that impacted both of our lives as teenagers, dc Talk's '90s Christian-rock opus Jesus Freak. It was so much fun that it inspired a new semi-regular series that I'm…
more -
A Tribute To The Stills and Other Overlooked Bands of the Post-Strokes Boom
This month is the 15th anniversary of Logic Will Break Your Heart, the debut album by Montreal quartet The Stills, one of many scruffy, post-punk bands that followed in the wake of the Strokes in the early '00s. For a while, any band that sort of looked like the Strokes or sort of sounded like…
more -
The Status of Tom Petty's Legacy
Last Friday, a career-spanning box set called An American Treasure was released delving into the work of Tom Petty, in time for the one-year anniversary of the venerable rocker's death on Oct. 2. Unlike most retrospectives, An American Treasure largely eschews hits in order to illuminate some of...
-
How Michael Beinhorn Shepherded "Superunknown" and "Celebrity Skin"
If you've spent any time reading the liner notes of classic '90s rock albums, there's a very good chance you know the name Michael Beinhorn. As one of the era's top record producers, his credits include some of the best and most popular records of the decade: Soundgarden's Superunknown, Hole's...
-
Recent "Under The Radar" faves by Low, the Lemon Twigs, Ruston Kelly, and more.
Last month, I did a Celebration Rock episode on my favorite sleeper albums of 2018. This week, I figured that the need to talk about lesser known records is so great that it could sustain a semi-regular series of episodes. So, I called up my friend Jeremy Larson, the reviews editor at Pitchfork,...
-
Can Liberals and Conservatives Still Bond Over Music?
There used to be an old saying about how you should never talk about politics or religion in friendly conversation, because those are the topics guaranteed to make any interaction decidedly un-friendly. However, in the past few years, it's been seemingly impossible to avoid the most pressing…
more -
DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" and The Peak of '90s Christian Rock
Back in May, I interviewed the hilarious and talented singer-songwriter Ryley Walker about his very good recent album, Deafman Glance. But one of the most memorable parts of the conversation was a tangent about Christian rock, which had been a part of both of our lives as teenagers growing up in...
-
New Albums By Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie, Mitski, and Foxing
In this episode, we review some of the most notable rock albums from the month of August, including the latest from two legacy acts and recent highlights by two of indie-rock's brightest young acts. Joining me is "friend of the pod" Ian Cohen, whose name you surely recognize from his many bylines...
-
Former Pitchfork Editor Mark Richardson Discusses The Site's Rise
If you have read any music writing at all online in the past 20 years, there's a very good chance you have encountered Mark Richardson in some way. As a long-time writer and editor for Pitchfork, Richardson has been reviewing records for one of the internet's top music sites for two decades. But...
-
Robbie Robertson On 50 Years of "Music From Big Pink"
Fifty years ago this summer, one of the greatest debut albums in rock history was released. Though when The Band put out 1968's Music From Big Pink, they weren't exactly unknown. Two years prior, they had backed Bob Dylan on his first "electric" tour, supporting the iconic singer-songwriter as he...
-
Favorite Sleeper Albums of 2018 So Far
Throughout the year, really good albums come and go with minimal attention. What happens to those records once they are sucked into the black hole of bottomless content? Are they gone forever? In this episode, we try to rescue some worthy recent releases that might have slipped your attention in...
-
Courtney Barnett Tells You How She Really Feels
One of the best things about being a music critic with a podcast is being able to ask an artist you've written about to confirm or deny opinions and theories you have about their music. For instance, when I reviewed Courtney's Barnett latest album Tell Me How You Really Feel, I suggested that her...
-
25 Years of 'Siamese Dream'
On July 27, one of the greatest rock albums of modern times turns 25. At least I count Siamese Dream as one of the best guitar records of the past quarter-century — it seems like the overall stature of Smashing Pumpkins has slipped a bit. The band's current reunion tour is underperforming in some...
-
Shawn Everett Probably Recorded Your Favorite Album
Even if you don't know the name Shawn Everett, it's very likely that you've enjoyed an album that he's produced, engineered, or mixed in the past several years. In 2015, he rose to prominence for his work on Alabama Shakes' Sound + Color, possibly the best-sounding rock record of the decade…
more -
After 25 Years, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows Is Still Here
This summer, Counting Crows will be back on the road for their "25 Years And Counting" tour, celebrating a quarter-century since the release of 1993's classic debut, August and Everything After. During that time, Counting Crows have maintained a sizable fanbase, even if the band hasn't always…
more -
Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes Isn't Interested in Fame
In the past decade. Starting with 2009's North Hills, the quartet has been distinguished by strong, understated ensemble playing and Taylor Goldsmith's earnest, narrative songwriting, which evokes the tenderness of Jackson Browne and the evocative storytelling of Warren Zevon. Dawes' latest…
more -
Our Favorite Albums Of 2018 So Far
Can you believe that we're already (almost) six months into the year? What better time to count down some of our favorite albums of 2018 so far. Joining Steve this week is friend of the pod Hanif Abdurraqib (They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us), who kindly took a break from a vacation getaway…
more -
Jim James Wants To Purify Himself
On June 29, Jim James will release his third solo album, Uniform Distortion. It's a loose, raw collection of guitar-heavy songs that rail against the darkness of modern times. James is trying to fight that darkness in his personal life, too. In our interview, he talks about going on a silent...
-
Rock 101: Intro To Townes Van Zandt
The best part of having a podcast is that it gives me an excuse to reach out to people who I think are smart or interesting, and talk to them about topics that I find fascinating. Last month, when I was holed up in a Nashville hotel room for several days (I'll explain later), I had the chance to...
-
Kanye Hot Takes, Plus Father John Misty and Parquet Courts
On June 1, big albums dropped by Kanye West and Father John Misty, and one of them was much better than the other. I talked about both records with Jeremy Larson of Pitchfork, who also shared his thoughts on how both artists' careers have evolved this decade. Jeremy and I also talked about…
more -
Let's Talk About Hockey And Guitar Shredding with Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan and Alvvays' Molly Rankin
Recently, I had the chance to talk with two of the leading lights in contemporary indie rock. First, we visit 19-year-old phenom Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail, whose full-length debut due next month, "Lush," is one of the most anticipated indie releases of 2018. But when we spoke, Jordan was eager...
-
Let's Talk About New Albums By Courtney Barnett, Arctic Monkeys, and Beach House
May has been a good month for notable rock releases, including albums by Arctic Monkeys, Courtney Barnett, and Beach House. For this episode, I contacted friend of the podcast Ian Cohen, whose writing has appeared at Pitchfork and Stereogum, to go over our thoughts on these records and more. Does...
-
Chuck Klosterman On The Rise And Fall Of Classic Rock
Last week, I released my new book, Twilight Of The Gods: A Journey To The End Of Classic Rock. It's about the generation of rock stars from the '60s and '70s that is currently in the process of either retiring or passing away. (You can check out an excerpt here.) For this week's podcast, there…
more -
Matt and Aaron from The National, live from the Homecoming Festival
In late April I visited Cincinnati to attend the first ever Homecoming, a festival headlined and curated by The National that also featured Father John Misty, Feist, Alvvays, The Breeders, Julian Baker, Moses Sumney, and many other great acts. I had a really good time! When I was there, I also…
more -
Who is Better: The Smiths or The Cure?
In 2016, I published my first book, Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life. For all of the famous rivalries that I wrote about — The Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones, Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift, Tupac vs. Biggie — there is one rivalry that I...
-
Pete Yorn Has Endured Well Past "The Morning After"
A few months ago, I was on a serious Pete Yorn kick. The singer-songwriter, whose best-known album is his 2001 debut Musicforthemorningafter, has put out several quality LPs over the past two decades, including 2003's Day I Forgot and 2006's Nightcrawler. In 2016, he released a really good (and...
-
It's Our 100th Episode!
Way back in January 2016, I launched a podcast. Over the course of 99 episodes, I've interviewed musicians, writers, and lots of other interesting people. It's been a blast. For the 100th episode, I invited one of my favorite guests ever, Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield, and we answered…
more -
Gang Of Youths Are Slowly Taking Over America
Last fall I wrote about Go Farther In Lightness, the second album by Australian indie band Gang Of Youths. At the time, Gang Of Youths had a low profile in the United States in spite of great success at home. While the band plays arenas, tops the albums chart, and wins ARIAs (the Australian…
more -
What's Your Favorite Album Of 1998?
Let's go back 20 years to a fascinating time in music history. In 1998, the internet had not yet become the hub of how we listen to music — Napster was still one year away from taking over college campuses, and listeners were still required to fork over $18 for a CD to hear that one Barenaked...
-
Is Jack White's New LP A Good Trainwreck Or a Bad Trainwreck?
"Boarding House Reach" is an utterly unique Jack White album — made with the assistance of ProTools, it's as layered and overstuffed as the White Stripes were austere and straight-forward. Unsurprisingly, some people love it and some people hate it. Steve falls on the love side, while his guest,...
-
Dean Ween Continues To Wave The Ween Flag
Of course Dean Ween is one of the founders of Ween, a band that has been putting out albums since 1990, though they haven’t had any new albums in a while. But he's also the leader of the Dean Ween Group, which just put out a new record, called "Rock 2." Now, my conversation with Dean is...
-
Robert Plant Is Still A Golden God
If Robert Plant had stopped making music after 1980, his legacy would still be eternal as the lead singer of perhaps the greatest rock band ever, Led Zeppelin. But Plant has spent the past nearly 40 years following his own path, building a solo career that matches the output of any of his...
-
20th Century Boss Part 8: '90s Bruce with Tim Showalter
The '90s are easily the least well-regarded decade of Bruce’s career. If people make note of this period, it’s to illustrate how far he fell without the E Street Band, who finally reunited with Bruce at the end of the decade to great acclaim and popular excitement, and have remained with the Boss...
-
20th Century Boss Part 7: "Tunnel Of Love" with John Darnielle
Released on Oct. 9, 1987, "Tunnel Of Love" has a reputation among some Springsteen fans as his “soft rock, baby boomer divorce record.” It’s true that "Tunnel Of Love" doesn’t exactly rock, and it’s definitely not guitar-heavy. Instead, it’s dominated by synthesizers, drum machines, and...
-
20th Century Boss Part 6: "Born In The U.S.A." with Patterson Hood
After the stripped-down "Nebraska," Bruce Springsteen went in the opposite direction for 1984's "Born In The U.S.A.," one of the most popular rock albums ever made. Springsteen was so popular at this time that he was inevitably commodified and turned into a caricature. As much as "Born In The...
-
20th Century Boss Part 5: "Nebraska" with Phoebe Bridgers
In 1982, Bruce Springsteen released "Nebraska," a stark collection of acoustic songs recorded at home on a four-track in one marathon session. It's an album about criminals and economic hardship and flawed father figures, with lots of spooky echo and heavy shadows. While it was considered at the...
-
20th Century Boss Part 4: "The River" with Patrick Stickles
For Bruce Springsteen 1980 double-album "The River," I spoke with Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus, whose latest album, "A Productive Cough," comes out March 2. I met up with Stickles at his apartment in Brooklyn right after my plane landed, and there's a definite late-night vibe to this...
-
20th Century Boss Part 3: "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" with Julien Baker
Our Bruce Springsteen series continues with Julien Baker, a wonderful artist whose 2017 album "Turn Out The Lights" was one of my favorite LPs of that year. Even though she was born almost 20 years after it was released in 1978, Baker is a huge fan of the angry, musically ferocious "Darkness On…
more -
20th Century Boss Part 2: "Born To Run" with Jeff Rosenstock
In episode two of our special Bruce Springsteen series, Jeff Rosenstock dives into the first true masterpiece of Springsteen's career, 1975's "Born To Run." While Rosenstock was raised on punk and ska music, he was also drawn to Springsteen's most uplifting and spirited record, highlighted by...
-
20th Century Boss Part 1: Early Boss with Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem
Welcome to 20th Century Boss, our in-depth series on the albums that Bruce Springsteen released in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. In episode one, Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem joins us to discuss 1973's "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.," and "The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle."…
more -
37: Raising A Toast To St. Joe Strummer With Craig Finn
On Dec. 22, 2002, Joe Strummer of The Clash returned home after walking his dogs and died suddenly at the age of 50. The cause of death was a defective heart artery — who would've thought that Joe Strummer of all people would have a defective heart? A humanitarian whose commitment to antiracist…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Rock Critic Steven Hyden ("Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me", "Twilight Of The Gods") talks with rock stars and the country’s biggest music writers about what’s happening in rock. Presented by 93X (www.93X.com) and Uproxx.com (http://uproxx.com/music/)
HOSTED BY
Cumulus Media Minneapolis / KXXR-FM
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Celebration Rock have?
Celebration Rock currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Celebration Rock about?
Rock Critic Steven Hyden ("Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me", "Twilight Of The Gods") talks with rock stars and the country’s biggest music writers about what’s happening in rock. Presented by 93X (www.93X.com) and Uproxx.com (http://uproxx.com/music/)
How often does Celebration Rock release new episodes?
Celebration Rock has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Celebration Rock?
You can listen to Celebration Rock on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Celebration Rock?
Celebration Rock is created and hosted by Cumulus Media Minneapolis / KXXR-FM.
URL copied to clipboard!