Sound Opinions

The Album Leaf combines digital and organic instruments to make a unique sound. Bandleader Jimmy LaValle joins Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot to talk about the importance of giving electronic music a live experience and how the Album Leaf grew from a side project into a full time gig. Plus, reviews of the new albums from the Flaming Lips and the xx. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopini...

It's good to start a new year with a clean slate – and that can mean apologizing to those you've wronged. In that contrite spirit, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share their favorite songs that say "sorry." Plus, a review of the new album from hip-hop duo Run the Jewels. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Polic...

Esperanza Spalding is a singer/songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a librettist, a Grammy winner, and much more. She joins Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot for a candid conversation about exploding genres and creating her theatrical new record. Plus, the music and legacy of David Bowie, one year after his death. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Sound Opinions closes out 2016 with the year in song. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot present a mixtape of tracks that tell the story of the the past year. And we remember some of the many musicians who passed away in 2016. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pri...

Formed in 1977 in the original British punk wave, The Mekons are still going strong nearly four decades later. The band joins hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot in the studio to demonstrate its eclectic blend of country, folk, and punk rock. Plus, a review of the new album from R&B singer Dawn Richard. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

It's time for the 2016 Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular! Each year, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot are joined by holiday music collector Andy Cirzan who shares a mix of rare Christmas records scavenged from dusty record bins around the world. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

If you're a music fanatic, the end of the year means one thing: best of lists! Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot reveal their favorite albums of the year. And Sound Opinions listeners weigh-in with their favorites of 2016. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privac...

Artists are also music fans like the rest of us, often paying tribute to the musicians who inspired them. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share their favorite examples of Hero Worship in music – songs that name-check great artists from the history of rock and roll. Plus, the Rolling Stones pay tribute to their own blues heroes on a new album. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinion...

Studio wizard Jon Brion has composed scores for films by P.T. Anderson and Michel Gondry and produced for artists from Fiona Apple to Kanye West. The multi-instrumentalist also has grown a following for his virtuosic live performances. Jon Brion speaks with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot about the art of songcraft. Plus, a review of the latest from Scottish R&B singer Emeli Sandé. Support Th...

Every year, a turkey is saved from its Thanksgiving dinner fate by a presidential pardon. In that gracious spirit, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot give their own Turkey Pardons. They share their picks of lousy artists who still had one redeemable musical moment. Plus, they pay tribute to the great singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystu...

Many Americans are thinking a lot about Canada these days. So hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot take the Sound Opinions World Tour to Canada explore the music of our neighbor to the north. And we play our favorite performances by Canadian artists from the Sound Opinions archives. Plus, a review of the latest from Texan singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/...

In 1971, Marvin Gaye made a career left turn with the album What's Going On, adopting a socially conscious sound that addressed war, racism, and drugs. 45 years later, What's Going On remains as relevant as ever. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot present a Classic Album Dissection of the iconic record. Then, they review a contemporary protest album from Common. Support The Show: https://www.patreon...

The Handsome Family gained wider notoriety for providing the theme to HBO's True Detective. But the duo's dark, literate songwriting has been acclaimed by critics for decades. Rennie and Brett Sparks of The Handsome Family join hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot for a conversation and performance. Plus, a review of the new album from pop superstar Lady Gaga. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com...

The spookiest time of the year is upon us. To celebrate Halloween, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot turn the show over to listeners who share the songs that tingle their spines the most. Plus, they share their thoughts on Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize and review the latest from singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Beach Slang has wowed critics and audiences alike with its loud, energy filled live performances and unabashedly earnest lyrics. But in front of a live audience at the Goose Island Tap Room, Beach Slang songwriter James Alex strips away the volume, but not the heart, for an intimate acoustic performance and conversation with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Plus, the new record by Southern rocker...

The Replacements never had a hit song, but few bands have inspired such a deep personal connection with their fans. Bob Mehr, author of the new biography Trouble Boys, speaks with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot about the heartbreaking story and enduring legacy of the Minneapolis band. Plus, a review of the new album from Solange and a look at the sample driving Drake's "Hotline Bling." Support T...

September is bursting with major new album releases. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot give their take on several of the biggest new records, from Bon Iver to M.I.A. to Against Me!, in this Review Roundup. Plus, they report on Chance the Rapper's music festival and pay tribute to Buckwheat Zydeco. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Trumpeter Herb Alpert has had a remarkable, multifaceted career. In addition to scoring his own hits with the Tijuana Brass in the '60s, he cofounded A&M Records, signing a diverse roster of artists ranging from The Carpenters to Janet Jackson. Herb Alpert joins hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot for a conversation. Plus, a review of the new album from legendary band Nick Cave & the Bad Seed...

Many great albums are released each year, but only a handful get the attention they deserve. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share some of their Buried Treasures of 2016: the best albums that flew under the radar. Plus, they speak with critic Alex Ross about the use of music as a weapon. Support The Show: https://www.patreon.com/soundopinions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. S...

Mudhoney was at the forefront of Seattle's exploding music scene in the '80s and '90s, paving the way for grunge with its distorted, chaotic sound. Though the group never received the world-wide attention of its peers Nirvana, Mudhoney has achieved a cult-like longevity. Mudhoney talks with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot and performs in front of a hometown Seattle audience. Plus, the new album f...

With lyrics about sun, surf, and young love, there are plenty of songs that welcome in the summer. But how do you musically say goodbye to warm weather and prepare for the fall? Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot swap their swim trunks for their sweaters and share their favorite End of Summer Songs. Plus, a review of the new album from Asheville-based singer-songwriter Angel Olsen. Support The Show:...

What goes into writing a hit song? Sound Opinions takes a look at the craft of songwriting, from the Righteous Brothers to Beyoncé. Jim and Greg talk with legendary Brill Building songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil about their decades long career. Then they talk with Ryan Tedder about penning songs for Adele and Taylor Swift. Plus, a review of the long-awaited new album from Frank Ocean. Supp...

With all eyes turned toward the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Sound Opinions World Tour makes its next stop in Brazil, a country with an unmatched musical influence on the globe. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot explore the rich musical history of Brazil, including the bossa nova, MPB, and Tropicália phenomena of the 1950s and '60s. Plus, a review of the new album from Chicago fingerpicking virt...

Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett’s 2015 album Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit was a critical success and Sound Opinions favorite. Her conversational songwriting manages to be simultaneously clever and poignant, and her guitar technique combining lead and rhythm parts is nothing short of impressive. All of her skills are on display as Courtney Barnett joins hosts Jim...

In the late 1950s, Jamaican musicians blended home-grown rhythms with R&B to create ska. The genre's influence quickly spread across the globe, paving the way for the reggae phenomenon. Jim and Greg explore the history of ska from its island origins to its British revival to its most recent punk incarnation. Plus, a review of the debut album from poet and soul singer Jamila Woods. Support The...