Truth & Soul

Is an artist's best work always their most popular? In the early 70's, one of the most important artists our time took a bold step forward creatively with a work that is still debated today amongst music listeners. In this episode, SB & tREBLEFREE break down Aretha Franklin's widely overlooked, Quincy Jones assisted, 1973 classic album Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky). Copyright Disclai...

Once in a while, an artist comes along who not only captures our ears but stirs the soul. A young church boy from the South made his way up to New York to pursue his dream. Along the way, he and changed music forever and became an icon. On this episode, SB and tREBLEFREE examine the career and celebrate the life of the one and only Michael Eugene Archer, better known to the world as D'Angelo. Copy...

SB & tREBLEFREE have a conversation with I, Ced - a producer, musician and vocalist that hails from St. Louis. Ced made his debut in 2008 with "Love...Meaning", a single featuring vocalist/songwriter Coultrain - a frequent collaborator and fellow St. Louis native. From there, Ced set up shop in Los Angeles, but his career has taken him around the world. Along the way, his story has included a...

In this episode, SB & tREBLEFREE break down an album that turned a shy girl from Yonkers, NY into an international icon -- Mary J. Bilge's 1994 sophomore album, My Life.

Welcome to Season 2 of Truth & Soul! In this episode, SB & tREBLEFREE take a deep dive inside the current music industry with musician, composer, musical director, and producer Daniel Crawford. In this conversation, Daniel takes us through what it's like producing for major acts at 13, being a touring musician at 16, being signed to a major label as an artist, to establishing himself as a...

SB and tREBLEFREE try to make sense of recent events and pay tribute to a true master. Later in the episode, they break down Marvin Gaye's deeply personal 1976 masterpiece, I Want You.

SB and tREBLEFREE discuss the current state of artistry in popular music. SB gets a lot off his chest about the type of people occupying the music space and why honest music criticism is necessary now more than ever. Later in the episode, they break down Heatwave's 1977 magnum opus, Central Heating. The album punctuates the bittersweet tale of one R&B's most talented bands.

Which decade has given us the best music? The 70's? The 80's? The 90's? Do these three decidedly different decades represent the peak of popular music? As tREBLEFREE celebrates Pride Month, he empties the clip with his raw and honest opinions on the topic. SB offers his own insights while trying to stay out of the Kim Burrell penalty box.    

Song lyrics are generally only regarded as placeholders for melodies. In this episode,  SB and tREBLEFREE do a deep dive on the messages, stories, and emotions in the lyrics of popular songs that the everyday music listeners may not have been aware of.

SB and tREBLEFREE talk about the role New York played in carrying R&B through the 80's, and the seeds of a new sub-genre in the Midwest. As always, the guys break down a classic album that simultaneously closed and began two eras in R&B.

In this episode, SB & tREBLEFREE count down their favorite soulful Christmas jams. Later in the episode, they break down the 1985 classic album, The Night I Fell In Love. An expertly constructed work by Luther Vandross, a master of his craft whose art deserves closer examination.

In this episode, SB and tREBLEFREE conclude their exploration of the blatantly crossover music by Black artists that made all of the world dance together for a few years in the mid-80's and the social climate behind it. How did this "beige" music affect our lives?

In the mid-80's, there was a phenomenon of Black artists making pop records with just a tinge of R&B in a blatant effort to crossover. Strangely, these records were equally successful with both urban and pop audiences. In this episode, SB and tREBLEFREE, trace the evolution of this "beige" music.

In this episode, hosts SB and tREBLEFREE take a look at a Detroit musical landmark. Later in the episode, they do a deep dive on Parliament's 1978 conceptual masterpiece, The Motor Booty Affair.

In the premiere episode, hosts SB and tREBLEFREE introduce themselves and the podcast. Later in the episode, they do a deep dive on Brainstorm's 1978 cult classic magnum opus Journey To The Light.