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Caropop: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Mark Caro
There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. The Caropopcast is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love.
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- Today1h 5m
Michael Hampton (Funkadelic/Parliament)
Michael Hampton earned the nickname Kidd Funkadelic as the hotshot guitarist who at age 17 joined the Funkadelic/Parliament universe after wowing P-Funk leader George Clinton with his rendition of Eddie Hazel’s epic “Maggot Brain” solo. Hampton eventually made “Maggot Brain” his own and turned in much more head-spinning guitar work, including on Funkadelic’s relentlessly funky “(Not Just) Knee Deep.” Hampton takes us along for the concurrent run of classic 1970s Parliament and Funkadelic albums, such as Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome and One Nation Under a Groove. When he entered the studio, did he know which band's session it was? Was the scene as much of a party as it sounded like? Did that atmosphere help or get in the way or both? Hampton also discusses his new mini concept album, King Kong, and how, with and without P-Funk, he continues to make his guitar sizzle and sing. (Photo by Philip Samuel Smith)
- 1 weeks ago1h 8m
Urge Overkill/Exit the Dragon
Urge Overkill appeared to be riding high after the critical triumph of its 1993 album, Saturation, and the prominent appearance of its Neil Diamond cover, “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” in Pulp Fiction in 1994. But by the time the alt-rock trio reunited with producers the Butcher Bros. to record the follow-up album, expectations and circumstances had changed. As singer-songwriter-guitarists Nash Kato and Eddie “King” Roeser recall here in stark detail, the two of them were in different places personally and musically, drummer Blackie Onassis was fighting his own demons, and an unhealthy environment developed around the Butcher Bros.’ new studio outside Philadelphia. Exit the Dragon, the resultant album that recently marked its 30th anniversary, is a dark, slithery, ragged work that has achieved a lasting power amid its tattered nerve endings. What happened here, and why did Exit the Dragon turn out to be the final Urge Overkill album featuring Kato, Roeser and the late Onassis? (Photo: Jerod Herzog)
- 2 weeks ago1h 13m
Jason Ringenberg (Jason and the Scorchers/Still Standing)
Jason and the Scorchers (née Jason and the Nashville Scorchers) were cowpunk trailblazers before anyone was talking about alt-country or Americana. Frontman/songwriter Jason Ringenberg and his bandmates, including fiery guitarist Warner Hodges, infused country music with punk energy to thrilling effect. After EMI America signed the band and added its high-octane cover of Bob Dylan’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie” to its 1983 EP, Fervor, hopes were high. The first album, Lost & Found, generated rave reviews, yet when it came time to make the follow-up, the band had reached a pivot point. To mark the 40th anniversary of that second album, Still Standing, Ringenberg digs deep into the life-altering experience of making it and its aftermath. How did his songwriting change? Why did they hire Cheap Trick producer Tom Werman? Was the plan always to release a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown” as the first single? How did Ringenberg get from a downstate Illinois farm to this point? Bonus: There are baby chicks. (Photo by Marty Howell)
- 3 weeks ago56 min
Glenn Morrow (Bar/None, Cry for Help)
Glenn Morrow owned and ran Bar/None Records for decades, signing acts such as They Might Be Giants, Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, Alex Chilton, Ezra Furman and the Feelies. Morrow previously was a writer/editor at the influential punk/new wave magazine New York Rocker, and he fronted bands: “a” was the first to play at the late, great Maxwell’s in Hoboken; the Individuals boosted the power-pop scene; Rage To Live was Bar/None’s first signee; and Glenn Morrow’s Cry for Help, his current group, is about to release Our Final Album Vol. 1. Morrow reflects on his intertwining roles as journalist, label owner and musician. What made Maxwell’s such a special club? How did Bar/None seem like an extension of New York Rocker? How did he feel when Bar/None artists "graduated" to major labels? What’s next for this 70-year-old newly retired music executive still making music?
- 4 weeks ago45 min
Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), Pt. 2
In Pt. 2 of this lively, insightful conversation with Liberty DeVitto’, Billy Joel’s longtime drummer revisits the challenge of drumming in the synth-driven 1980s; the making of Joel’s albums The Bridge, Storm Front and River of Dreams; the creation of the smash single “We Didn’t Start the Fire”; the reason DeVitto plays on only one River of Dreams song; and his irate fax that wound up on that last album’s control room wall. DeVitto also addresses his high-profile split from Joel and subsequent lawsuit against the singer-songwriter. How did they reconcile, with Joel writing the foreword to DeVitto’s memoir, Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness? Have DeVitto and Joel played together since then? Why or why not? What did DeVitto say that got left on the cutting-room floor of the two-part HBO documentary: Billy Joel: And So It Goes? He recalls playing with Karen Carpenter and Paul McCartney as well. (Photo: Petra den Tenter)
- Jun 25, 202645 min
Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), Pt. 1
Hired when Billy Joel wanted “a New York-style drummer,” Liberty DeVitto laid down indelible parts for the singer-songwriter-pianist’s music from 1976’s Turnstiles onward. In part one of a lively two-part conversation, this big-talent, big-personality drummer takes us from his early years, when his and Joel’s teenage bands crossed paths, through their shared success with The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses, The Nylon Curtain and An Innocent Man. Which Joel song does DeVitto call “the hardest to play and be happy about it”? How did Joel introduce and develop songs with the band? What impact did producer Phil Ramone’s arrival have? On which song did Ramone and DeVitto butt heads over a disco beat? How did the band arrive at the jazz interludes on “Zanzibar”? How much were they listening to the punk/New Wave of the time? Which Nylon Curtain song may be DeVitto’s favorite by Joel? What circumstances drove Joel’s hit throwback album An Innocent Man?
- Jun 18, 20261h 13m
Rachel Lichtman
Rachel Lichtman grew up listening to 1970s AM radio and watching local TV—a world of soothing music, tacky ads, eye-grabbing graphics and reruns galore. A keen-eyed and -eared graphic artist, comedian and filmmaker, Lichtman evokes the humor and beauty of that era in Programme 4, her would-be-station-turned-film she is touring alongside live musical/comedy performances. Based in fictional Golden Sands, Programme 4 presents opening credit sequences for TV shows that should have been (The William Joel Show, A Man Named Brady, Brooker) plus ads, short films and killer jokes revolving around harpsichords, the Rhodes electric piano and steamy brown coffee. Aimee Mann, Ted Leo and Dag Juhlin are among an all-star cast that has contributed to the Easy AM 66 (“Your Beautiful Music Station”) playlists and performs at the variety shows. Where did Lichtman’s love for this vibe and aesthetic come from? How did she conjure up the vision and develop the skills to pull off this unique project?
- Jun 11, 202654 min
Swamp Dogg
Swamp Dogg turns 84 on July 12, making him 24 days younger than Paul McCartney, yet he’s still on the rise. He’s been gaining new fans through the 2024 documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted; his 31st album, Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife, is out June 19; and then there’s his cookbook, If You Can Kill It, I Can Cook It. Formerly known as Jerry Williams and Little Jerry Williams, Swamp Dogg is an all-time talent and character. The cover of his 1971 album Rat On! is hall-of-fame worthy itself, but he also has written, performed and/or produced about 2,000 songs while working with hundreds of artists on close to 500 albums. Speaking from his now-famous house, Swamp Dogg reflects on his seven decades of making music; the ways politics and race affected his career; his friendship with John Prine; his role in the 1983 album Beatle Barkers (!) and his ability to keep his songwriting, voice and sense of humor sharp. (Photo by Cooper Davidson.)
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About Caropop
There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. The Caropopcast is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How often does Caropop release new episodes?
Caropop publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Caropop cover?
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