DISGRACELAND

The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, Helter Skelter, the .44 Caliber Killers, the crime and grime of 70s New York; Central Park, the Chelsea Hotel, 42nd St., rape, murder, and the influence of junkie poets, and thieving novelists, all of it compelled Patti Smith to create music “for the criminals”, and perhaps to also survive, when so many other artists did not.  To listen to Disgracela...

Fresh off of reading Patti Smith’s excellent memoir Just Kids in preparation of our upcoming Patti episode, we are discussing our favorite music history memoirs and autobiographies, everything from Henry Rollins to Carrie Brownstein back to Henry Rollins via David Lee Roth and more plus, as always, your voicemails, texts, dms, emails and a new segment we’re calling “New Song Old...

A special look at the new artists we’re covering in 2026, along with a peek back at how we got started, where we’re going, and some listener favorites through the years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yeah, admit it, you don’t like Suede either. Plus, you’re going to want to learn more about the British band that attempted to kidnap not one, but two different British musical icons. Also, we explain how we plan to produce our answer to Ryan Murphy’s Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. That’s right…Damon and Justine are coming to Disgraceland. To learn more about listener data and our priva...

Why are women criminally absent from most of Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Artists? Your voicemails and texts on who you think the most badass women from music history are. Plus, our take on which Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees are getting inducted this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years spent at ground zero of UK punk. Years of almost-bands, near-misses, and stolen moments on the sidelines. Sex-shop violence, marriage schemes with the Sex Pistols, coin-studded belts, bicycle chains, and a woman who was always there as history was being made. Listen to find out how Chrissie Hynde survived the birth of punk, dens of squalor, and attacks by jilted lovers – only to stop t...

Surprise! Jeffrey Epstein had predictable taste in music. But the Son of Sam? Gaddafi? John Wayne Gacy? We get into what the worst people in the world listened to along with your voicemails, texts, dms, emails and more. For more great Disgraceland stories, check out our archive, including episodes like these:   Hank Williams Talking Heads Black Sabbath   See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

We saw EPiC and it’s GREAT, but why didn’t Elvis perform outside the United States? Could an unsolved murder have been the reason?   For more great stories, check out our huge archive of episodes like these: Episode 32 - Johnny Cash Episode 68 - Gram Parsons See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wild west of the Australian pub rock scene that ended in fire. A hit record stalled by controversy. A pilot passed out at 30,000 feet. And a bomb sent to a rock star’s hotel room. Listen to find out how INXS chased the world, touched a nerve, topped the charts – and learned that fame only multiplies the danger. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to exclusive bonus con...

In light of what the Epstein Files taught us about Bob Weir and Bohemian Grove, we ask the question: Is there any merit to the conspiracy theory regarding the Grateful Dead as a CIA psyop? What exactly was the band’s relationship to the MK Ultra program and what’s up with all those hippie pop stars with military and defense contractor parents? Plus, as always, your voicemails, texts, d...

Why was the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir a member of the secretive Bohemian Club? Maybe the answer lies in the Epstein Files or in early MK Ultra efforts? Listen to find out why a counterculture icon, one of the architects of the most consequential communities in music history, was part of a community that included conservative presidents and war criminals. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and...

There are countless musicians mentioned in the “Epstein Files”; a dozen or so are bold-faced names. A whole lot more are not. Some of the mentions are innocuous, a few of the mentions are highly suspicious, and all of them require context, something painfully missing from the social discourse at the moment. Have no fear, though, we’re giving it to you straight, from Jack White to...

We're sharing the audio from our new video podcast "This Film Should Be Played Loud." "This Film Should Be Played Loud" is a new monthly video podcast where Jake and Zeth discuss the convergence of music and film. Each episode explores the great music from one great film and the needle drops, the scores, and the soundtracks that heighten storytelling and enrich the viewing experience. "This Film S...

What can we take away from the new report on Kurt Cobain’s cause of death? And which rockstars gone too soon mattered to you the most? All this and more in the After Party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

An uncompromising voice, silenced at the dark end of the street. A city looking for a killer in all the wrong places. And a scene that suddenly made little sense. From Seattle basements to European squat tours to record-label lunches and back again, through memory and justice. Listen to find out how Mia Zapata’s story refused to end where everyone thought it did. To listen to Disgraceland ad...

Turnstile is the first hardcore band to ever win a Grammy award. Two grammys actually. And now hardcore will never be the same. Listen to this bonus episode of Disgraceland to hear why. And as always, Jake responds to your voicemails, texts, dms, emails and more. For more wild stories from the world of music and true crime, check out these Disgraceland episodes: Motley Crue Nirvana Pt 1 & Pt 2...

An onstage brawl in Boston. A dead teenage girl turned into art. Warehouse shows and a freak scene bankrolled by transgression. Listen to find out how Jane’s Addiction helped build the alternative nation – and how the freedom that they worshiped eventually turned into control, violence, and collapse. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgra...

This week in the after party Jake consider's Ye's recent ad in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his actions over the last few years. Is Kanye's contrition genuine, or is there some other, more cynical motivation behind it? We get into all of it plus some extra crazy Kanye and David Bowie related conspiracy theories in the exclusive All Access section, and as always Jake takes your voicemail...

Who was Lina Morgana? Why do people believe she was murdered by Lady Gaga? And what does the Illuminati have to do with Gaga’s seat at the table of unprecedented popstar success? We dissect all of this, as well as Gaga’s complicated relationship with the truth in regards to her own mythmaking, in this part two episode on Lady Gaga. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus c...

Lady Gaga not only manipulated her past, she manipulated the media into propping her up on her way to becoming one of the biggest stars in the world. She also toyed with conspiracy theorists, using their fervent chatter to boost her mythology. From the Intersex theory to Lina Morgana, we get into all of it in this part one episode on Lady Gaga. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to w...

The Grammy are most interesting when they mess up—snubbing NWA, the Grateful Dead, Metallica and others. We get into all of it plus some extra awards show hijinks in the exclusive All Access section, and as always Jake takes your voicemails, text, emails, and more. For more wild stories from the world of music and true crime, check out these Disgraceland episodes: ⁠U2⁠ ⁠Bob Dylan⁠ ⁠ Whitney Housto...

This is the story of five teenage girls who used rock ‘n roll to escape their lives, their names, and their futures—only to find themselves trapped in a nightmare of fame, exploitation, and identity turned inside-out. From the Sunset Strip to a jail cell in England, from David Bowie fantasies to Kim Fowley’s real-life horrors, this is how the Runaways reinvented what rebellion could be—and paid th...

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead has passed, and we celebrate his unique brand of American awesomeness on this episode and dig into the long, strange weirdness of his affiliation with the secret society at Bohemian Grove. We also talk Johnny Thunders. You guys talk more Orion and Elvis Presley and of course we play your voicemails, texts, and more. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to...

A punk junkie nightmare in a New Orleans hotel. A turf war with Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. A poisonous friendship with Dee Dee Ramone and a doomed alliance with Wayne Kramer. Missing cash, hotshot rumors, and a body in Room 37. Listen to find out how Johnny Thunders’ death went from an open-and-shut overdose case to a sadder, stranger rock ‘n roll myth. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get ac...

What do Lady Gaga and Elvis Presley conspiracies have in common? Maybe the story of the mysterious Sun Records artist known as Orion will help us understand. This story and your voicemails, texts, and more in this bonus episode of Disgraceland. (14:26) - Pokerface: The Rise and Rise of Lady Gaga To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-po...