Heat Rocks

Hello Heat Rockers! This is Producer Christian, I edited Heat Rocks and you might've heard my voice on a few episodes with Oliver and Morgan! So we've been working on a new music podcast here on Maximum Fun and I'm so excited to finally share it with you! Primer focuses on genres of music from outside the English-speaking world. This first season we're talking about Japanese City Pop and I will be...

Well, we're finally here. After nearly 200 episodes, we're ending our run with Maximum Fun! We intend to come back sometime in 2022, and to celebrate this occasion, it's and Oliver, Morgan, and Producer Christian episode. We talk about our favorite moments from the show, the things we appreciate about the show, and we have a few good laughs.  Follow Morgan and Oliver on Twitter to keep up with upc...

Music writer and resident TikTok expert Cat Zhang sits down with us to discuss Flo Milli's 2020 debut mixtape Ho, why is you here?   We get into what goes into making a TikTok hit,  Flo Milli's unique voice, and her role in the current hip hop landscape. More on Cat Zhang Check out Cat's latest article on TikTok trends Listen to Cat chatting with our friends at Switched on Pop Twitter | Website  ...

We continue our Music and Popcorn miniseries, where we chat about some of our favorite movie soundtracks. This week, we're talking to professor and writer Daphne Brooks about the soundtrack to Waiting to Exhale . We get into Babyface's prolific career, Whitney Houston's presence on both the soundtrack and the movie, and the mystery surrounding DJ Theo Mizuhara. More on Daphne A. Brooks Check out h...

We reboot our Music and Popcorn series, where we talk about some of our favorite movie soundtracks. This week, we invite our friend Jocelyn Brown to discuss a few iconic 90s OSTs, Love Jones, Boyz N The Hood, and Trainspotting. We get into what makes these soundtracks so memorable, the shift in tone from 80s and 90s OSTs, and proper record care etiquette. Show Tracklisting:   Primal Scream: Trains...

This week, we talk to singer/songwriter Yola about Jill Scott's debut studio album "Who Is Jill Scott? - Words and Sounds, Vol 1." We get into Jill's time with The Roots, how her poetry shaped her songwriting, and Jill's role in the neo-soul movement. More on Yola Check out Yola's newest single and upcoming album Stand for Myself!  Yola is Ready to Meet Her Moment  (Rolling Stone) Twitter | Instag...

In honor of Kendrick Lamar's Section.80 turning 10 years old this month, we are re-airing our convo with Kris Bowers on Lamar's  debut studio album. [show notes from original post] To talk about Kendrick Lamar’s studio LP debut, we wanted to find someone of K-Dot’s generation, another L.A. young gun, and who better than pianist and composer, Kris Bowers? Like Kendrick, Kris grew up in L.A. and jus...

This week, we talk to producer/singer Benny Sings about Phil Collins' solo debut album, Face Value . We get into the incredible drum fill of In The Air Tonight, it's iconic use on Miami Vice, and the real life issues Collins was going through when making this album. More on Benny Sings Check out Benny's new album Music With The Vibrant 'City Pop', Benny Sings Stakes His Claim For The Masses (NPR)...

Singer/songwriter Marzz sits down with us to discuss Kierra Sheard's gospel album This is Me . We get into the secular production of this album, Kierra's place in the Clark Sheard family, and Marzz's own experience in the church.  More on Marzz Check out Marzz's Love Letterz EP   Marzz Evokes The Brightest And Most Vibrant Colors All By Living In Her Truest Aura (Uproxx) Instagram | Twitter More o...

This week, Oliver and Morgan are discussing Lil' Kim's debut studio record "Hard Core" which is turning 25 years old this year. We get into Lil' Kim's role in Bad Boy and Junior M.A.F.I.A., the effect she had on the Megan Thee Stallions and Cardi B's of today, and what made this record so unforgettable. More on Hard Core A timely reminder that Lil Kim’s ‘Hard Core’ is still the greatest rap record...

This week, we discuss Prince for the SIXTH time on Heat Rocks with musician/scholar Vijay Iyer. We get into Prince's love of the drum machine, Vijay's love of the 80s, and the many sides of Prince we see on this record.  More on Vijay Iyer Floating Along In Uncertainty With Vijay Iyer (NPR) Check out Uneasy Twitter | Instagram More on Sign o' The Times Is Prince’s Sign O’ The Times the greatest al...

Bassist/producer/rapper Patrick Paige II joins Oliver and Morgan to discuss Biggie's debut studio album Ready To Die . We get into Big's knack for storytelling, Patrick's very cool math teacher, and what Biggie's career might've looked like if he were still with us today. More on Patrick Paige II Check out If I Fail Are We Still Cool? Bass to Bass: In Conversation with Patrick Paige II and Thunder...

Musician/producer/minister Steve Arrington sits down with Morgan and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Heatwave's debut scorcher, Too Hot To Handle . We talk about the music scene in Dayton, Rod Temperton's prolific career, and Heatwave's ability to meld various genres into one cohesive and funky record.  More on Steve Arrington Steve's interview on NPR Check out Down to the Lowest Terms: The...

Rapper/producer Pell sits down with us to talk about N.E.R.D's "In Search Of..." We get into the sex, drugs, rock & roll of it all, The Neptunes' prolific career, and N.E.R.D's influence on Pell's own work. More on Pell Website Check out glbl wrmng Twitter | Instagram More on N.E.R.D. Explaining the Cult Popularity of N.E.R.D. (Vulture) Pharrell's Signature 4 Count  (Genius) ‘In Search Of…’: N*E*R...

It’s #MaxFunDrive and if you like what we’re doing here on Heat Rocks, please consider supporting us and our network and help keep the show going! https://maximumfun.org/join   Director and screenwriter Kemp Powers sits down with us to discuss De La Soul's  sophomore effort, De La Soul Is Dead. We get into DLS's shift in image and tone, the growth of Prince Paul as a producer, and Kemp's very , ah...

It's #MaxFunDrive and if you like what we're doing here on Heat Rocks, please consider supporting us and our network and help keep the show going!  https://maximumfun.org/join   Drummer and producer Karriem Riggins sits down with us to discuss a bonafide classic, A Tribe Called Quest's third studio album Midnight Marauders. We get deep into the samples used on this record, Q-Tip's growth as a prod...

 In honor of Computer World's 40th anniversary (!!!) we decided to rerun our episode with Nite Jewel discussing this classic album. [show notes from the original post] When we invited L.A.’s own Nite Jewel to join us, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise that she picked Kraftwerk’s  Computer World ; after all, she’s toured the world  performing the album .  In sitting down with us, NJ (aka R...

Bassist/composer Joshua Abrams sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Arthur Verocai's underrated self-titled debut record. We discuss the rediscovery of this album via sampling, the texture of Arthur's synth work, and why we connect with the album even though our Portuguese is, uhh, a bit rusty. More on Joshua Abrams Joshua Abrams' Chameleonic Quartet Gets Exuberantly Or...

Writer and musician Jason King sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss the Sylvester live album Living Proof . We talk about Sylvester's vision of wholeness and sharing good vibes, the countless gorgeous moments captured in the live setting, and the medley of genres he blended together.  Please stick around to the end of the episode to hear a snippet of our past conversati...

Producer and DJ The Twilite Tone sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Stevie Wonder's 1980 comeback album, Hotter Than July . We get into Stevie's foray into country western and reggae, his return to All I Do, a song he cowrote over a decade prior as a teenager, and the impact Disco Demolition Night had on black music.   More on The Twilite Tone Do It Properly music vid...

Multi-instrumentalist & songwriter Xenia Rubinos joins Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Abbey Lincoln's underrated jazz LP, Abbey is Blue . We discuss Abbey's melancholy voice, her work in the civil rights movement, and how her work has influenced Xenia's own music. More on Xenia Rubinos Check out Xenia's newest music video "Did My Best" Bandcamp Twitter | Instagram More on Abbey...

This week marks the 17th anniversary of Madvillainy and we invited A&R man and producer Dante Ross to discuss working with KMD, Dumile's move from Zev Love X to MF DOOM, and the stories behind the production of Mr. Hood and Black Bastards. Buckle up, we go deep on this one.  Rest in power, Villain More on Dante Ross Dante on NPR's Mic Check Check out Dante's legendary discography Twitter | Instagr...

DJ and record collector Megan Pattison AKA DJ Mamabear sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Teena Marie's It Must Be Magic . They get into Teena's growth as an artist and producer, the growing rift between her and Motown Records, and how roller skating was the best way to get into new music More on Megan Pattison Check out DJ Mamabear's mixes on Dublab Sweaterfunk on So...

Writer and DJ Sheila Burgel sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss The Ronettes' Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica . We talk about impact of girl groups through the decades, the "wall of sound" formula, and the influence of girl groups across the globe. More on Sheila Burgel Check out Sophisticated Boom Boom on WFMU Sheila's astonishing record collection...

It doesn't get much more classic than this, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme is a bonafide heat rock. Musician/DJ Jeff Parker sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss this truly iconic album, it's unexpected gospel leanings, and the intentionality behind every aspect of this album. More on Jeff NPR's Fresh Air discusses Jeff's album Suite for Max Brown Jeff Parker Collaborati...