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Heat Rocks

Hosted by Oliver Wang and Morgan Rhodes, every episode of Heat Rocks invites a special guest to talk about a heat rock - a hot album, a scorching record. These are in-depth conversations about the albums that shape our lives.

Our guests include musicians, writers, and scholars and though we don't exclusively focus on any one genre, expect to hear about albums from the worlds of soul, hip-hop, funk, jazz, Latin and more.

New episodes every Thursday on Apple Podcasts or whatever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to our website updates for exclusive bonus content (including extra interview segments, mini-episodes, etc.)

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Ep 42: Meshell Ndgeocello on Prince's "Purple Rain"

Posted Thu, 07/12/2018 - 09:42 by MaxFun Intern | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Meshell Ndegeocello

The Album: Prince: Purple Rain (1984)

I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray. But when I woke up this morning and realized that Oliver and I spent an hour or so talking with Meshell N'degecello about Prince's seminal "Purple Rain" album, I was beside myself with hype.

We spoke about the album's forward thinking musicianship and arrangements, Prince as a visionary, his Messiah-like presence and the extended version of Computer Blue. She told us about keeping "I Would Die 4 U" on elevated decibels and repeat and the pure dopeness of "When Doves Cry".

We all revisited the moment we first experience Purple Rain.

Simply put, we talked to one genius guitar hero about another. It gets no better than that. Throw on your best purple garments and get up on this.

"Hey, take a listen. Tell me do you like what you hear..." -Prince

More on Prince and Purple Rain:

More on Meshell Ndegeocello:

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Purple Rain unless indicated otherwise):

  • Purple Rain
  • Prince: For You
  • Purple Rain
  • When Doves Cry
  • I Would Die 4 U
  • Let's Go Crazy
  • Take Me With U
  • Prince: I Wanna Be Your Lover
  • Computer Blue
  • I Would Die 4 U
  • The Beautiful Ones
  • When Doves Cry
  • D'Angelo: Alright
  • J Dilla: Bye.
  • Alice Smith: Fool For You
  • Flying Lotus: All the Secrets
  • Purple Rain
  • When Doves Cry
  • Take Me With U
  • Prince: Erotic City
  • The Ronettes: Be My Baby

Here's the Spotify playlist of as many of the songs above as we can find on there.

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP41: Star Spangled Banner Special

Posted Wed, 07/04/2018 - 21:08 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Oliver Wang
Guests: 
Morgan Rhodes

The Song: Francis Scott Key's "Star-Spangled Banner" (1814)

For this July 4th week, Morgan and I wanted to do something special and tackle the Great American Heat Rock aka "The Star-Spangled Banner." As Oliver notes during the episode, this is both the oldest song that most Americans know (partly) by heart and the one that we'll hear the most versions of across our lifetimes. Some versions are transcendent. Some are historically groundbreaking. Some are by Fergie. Choose accordingly.

More about "The Star-Spangled Banner":

Show Tracklisting (all songs are renditions of The Star Spangled Banner  unless indicated otherwise):

  • The Anacreontic Song
  • Lady Gaga
  • Whitney Houston
  • Whitney Houston: I Will Always Love You
  • Whitney Houston
  • Marvin Gaye
  • Jose Feliciano
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Misissippi Mass Choir
  • Bleeding Gums Murphy from The Simpsons
  • Daryl Coley: When Sunday Comes
  • Fergie
  • Kim Weston: Lift Every Voice and Sing
  • Committed: Life Every Voice and Sing
  • Maze: Before I Let Go
  • New Order: Bizarre Love Triangle
  • New Order: Blue Monday
  • New Order: Bizarre Love Triangle
  • Whitney Houston

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP40: Benjamin Booker on William Onyeabor's "Who Is William Onyeabor?" (2013)

Posted Thu, 06/28/2018 - 08:38 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Benjmain Booker

The Album: William Onyeabor: Who Is William Onyeabor? (2013)

Benjamin Booker rocks.

His soulful blend of blues, rock soul and punk, together with hella honest lyrics and an inimitable voice has moved folks across his self titled debut and latest album Witness.

He joined us to talk about his discovery of Luaka Bop’s World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor? It was love at first listen. He loved the moog and the drums, the minimalism and the disco elements.

He loved the message.

We talked about William Onyeabor's reclusiveness, foreshadowing in lyrics, African music across many genres and the coolness of a white cowboy hat.

More on William Onyeabor and Who is William Onyeabor :

More on Benjamin Booker:

  • Can We Get a Witnees (Stereogum)
  • Tiny Desk Concert (NPR)
  • Website

    Show Tracklisting (all songs from Who Is William Onyeabor?  unless indicated otherwise):

    • Atomic Bomb
    • Benjamin Booker: Witness
    • The Funkees: Akula Owu Onyeara
    • Benjamin Booker: Truth is Heavy
    • Body and Soul
    • Love is Blind
    • Anita Ward: Ring My Bell
    • Love is Blind
    • Heaven and Hell
    • Why Go to War
    • Something You Will Never Forget
    • Fantastic Man
    • Heaven and Hell
    • Good Name
    • New Order: Blue Monday
    • Benjamin Booker: Overtime
    • The Lidaju Sister: Life's Gone Down Low
    • Heaven and Hell
    • Let's Fall in Love
    • Why Go to War
    • Love is Blind
    • Fantastic Man

Here's the Spotify playlist of as many of the songs above as we can find on there.
If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP39: Eliza Skinner on the "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack (1986)

Posted Tue, 06/19/2018 - 14:29 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Eliza Skinner

The Album: Pretty In Pink Soundtrack (1986)

Actress and comedian Eliza Skinner is part of the brand new Maximum Fun scripted comedy show, Bubble, and hosts her own music podcast, Cool Playlist. For her guest spot on Heat Rocks, she wanted to revisit one of the iconic soundtracks of the 1980s: Pretty in Pink. The film is a key part of the John Hughes pantheon, alongside The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off and arguably boasts the most storied soundtrack of all of them, including now-classics that were written expressly for the film such as OMD's "If You Leave" and Echo and Bunnymen's "Bring On the Dancing Horses," and of course, the reworked, sax-ified version of the Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink."

Eliza and us discussed how soundtracks can create an invented nostalgia for a time we never knew, what lesser known tracks off this album still bump, and why Ducky really didn't deserve to belong with Andie.

(That said, Ducky did kill it during his "Try a Little Tenderness" scene)

More on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack: 

More on Eliza Skinner:

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Pretty In Pink unless indicated otherwise):

  • Pretty in Pink
  • If You Leave
  • Left of Center
  • Simple Minds: Don't You (Forget About Me)
  • The Barden Bellas: Bellas Finals: Price Tag/ Don't You (Forget About Me)
  • Get to Know Ya
  • Prince: Kiss
  • Prince: Purple Rain
  • Deniece Williams: Let's Hear it for the Boy
  • Modern English: I Melt with You
  • Pretty in Pink
  • Wouldn't it be Good
  • Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness
  • New Order: Thieves Like Us (Instrumental)
  • If You Leave
  • Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
  • Wouldn't it be Good

    • Here's the Spotify playlist of as many of the songs above as we can find on there.

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP38: Marcus Moore on Mos Def's "Black on Both Sides" (1999)

Posted Thu, 06/14/2018 - 12:45 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Marcus Moore

The Album: Mos Def's Black on Both Sides (1999)

Writer Marcus Moore, currently a senior editor at Bandcamp, happened to be coming through to Los Angeles for his first time ever and we took advantage by inviting him to join us to talk about Mos Def's debut album, Black on Both Sides. Coming out just a year after Mos and Talib Kweli created a new generation of conscious hip-hop fans with their Black Star collaboration, Black on Both Sides was also the culmination of a coming-out party for the Brooklyn rapper/actor that began earlier in the decade as he began racking up all manners of outstanding cameo spots.

During our convo with Marcus, we got into Mos' portrait of Brooklyn, how his singing took everyone for a (pleasant) surprise, why "Ms. Fat Booty" wasn't necessarily representative of the album as a whole and whether or not Mos ever was able to exceed the excellence of his debut.

More on Mos Def and Black on Both Sides: 

More on Marcus Moore:

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Black on Both Sides unless indicated otherwise):

  • Know That
  • Umi Says
  • Nas: NY State of Mind
  • Biggie: Live Freestyle 1995
  • Mos Def: BET's The Cypher
  • Mos Def, Q-Tip, Tash: Body Rock
  • UTD: My Kung Fu
  • De La Soul: Big Brother Beat
  • Ms. Fat Booty
  • Jay-Z: Jigga What, Jigga Who
  • The Roots: You Got Me
  • Techn9ne: Questions
  • Reflection Eternal: Fortified Live
  • Love
  • dialogue from 16 Blocks
  • Rock N Roll
  • Public Enemy: Fight the Power
  • Rock N Roll
  • Love
  • New World Water
  • Boogie Down Productions: Beef
  • Fela Kuti: Water No Get Enemy
  • Climb
  • Umi Says
  • Aretha Franklin: One Step Ahead
  • Ms. Fat Booty
  • Roy Ayers: We Live In Brooklyn
  • Brooklyn
  • Ms. Fat Booty
  • Mathematics
  • May-December

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP37: Adrian Younge on Jeru's "The Sun Rises In the East" (1994)

Posted Wed, 06/06/2018 - 17:21 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Adrian Younge

The Album: Jeru the Damaja's The Sun Rises In the East (1994)

Since he started putting numbers on the board with the soundtrack to Black Dynamite, artist/composer Adrian Younge has become the hip-hop maestro for creative collaborations. Through the years, he's worked with Souls of Mischief, Ghostface Killah and DJ Premier/Royce the 5'9" as well as continuing to release his own solo work. For our episode, Younge reached back to the golden era of hip-hop for us to talk about one of the most "impervious" MCs around: Brooklyn's Jeru the Damaja and his 1994 debut album, The Sun Rises in the East. We tackled everything from the contradictions of rappers talking about both consciousness and doing dirt to the brilliance of DJ Premier's production to the intricacies of Jeru's freaky freaky freaky flow.

More on Jeru and The Sun Rises in the East: 

More on Adrian Younge:

Show Tracklisting (all songs fromThe Sun Rises in the East unless indicated otherwise):

  • Gang Starr: I'm the Man
  • Can't Stop the Prophet
  • Adrian Younge/Delfonics: Lost Without You
  • Adrian Younge/Ghostface: Beware of the Stars
  • D. Original
  • Come Clean
  • Souls of Mischief: '93 Til Infinity
  • Smif N Wessun: Let's Get It On
  • Black Moon: Who Got the Props?
  • Group Home: Livin Proof
  • Rap City Interview w/ Jeru
  • Perverted Monks In the House (Theme)
  • Jeru and Lauryn Hill Interview
  • Da Bitchez
  • Mental Stamina
  • Ain't the Devil Happy
  • Lee Oskar: Our Road
  • Adrian Younge: Midnight Blue
  • Jungle Music
  • Statik
  • Brooklyn Took It

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP36: Taura Stinson on Minnie Riperton's "Adventures in Paradise"

Posted Thu, 05/31/2018 - 10:38 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Taura Stinson

The Album: Minnie Riperton's Adventures in Paradise (1975)

2018 has been a breakout year for this weeks guest, Taura Stinson. "Mighty River", the song she co-wrote with Raphael Saadiq for Dee Rees' critically acclaimed film Mudbound was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. She is a singer's singer who understands the nuances of song creation, production and arrangement. We couldn't have asked for a better guest and a better album to discuss and were thrilled to have her wax poetic about Minnie Riperton's 1975 Adventures In Paradise.

We dug deep on this one - discussing both Minnie's supreme vocal prowess and the sonic and lyrical legacy she left us when she left us just four years after this album was released. With production help from The Crusaders, Stewart Levine and Leon Ware, this peek into Minnie's world is quite the adventure. Get thoroughly into our chat with Taura Stinson and then revisit Adventures in Paradise for the culture.

About Taura:

Taura's book

Taura's Oscar & Golden Globe Nominated song "Mighty River"

Taura's single "Gossypium Thorns"

Show Tracklist (all songs from "Adventures in Paradise" unless indicated otherwise):

  • "Baby, This Love I Have"
  • Taura Stinson: Gossypium Thorns (Freedom) "Gossypium Thorns (Freedom)"
  • The Gospel Clouds: "Let Us Pray"
  • "Inside My Love"
  • "Inside My Love"
  • Minnie Riperton: Perfect Angel "Lovin' You"
  • Rotary Connection: Aladdin "Life Could"
  • Mariah Carey: Emotions "Emotions"
  • Rotary Connection: Hey, Love "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun"
  • "Adventures in Paradise"
  • "Inside My Love"
  • A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders "Lyrics to Go"
  • The Pointer Sisters: Steppin' "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)"
  • Gwen McCrae: Lady Soul "Rockin' Chair"
  • Natalie Cole: Inseparable "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)"
  • Labelle: Nightbirds "Lady Marmalade"
  • "Feelin' that the Feeling's Good"
  • Minnie Riperton: Perfect Angel "Take a Little Trip"
  • Minnie Riperton: The Best of Minnie Riperton "Woman of Heart and Mind"
  • Quincy Jones: Body Heat "If I Ever Lose This Heaven"
  • "Love and It's Glory"
  • "Adventures in Paradise"
  • "When It Comes Down to It"
  • "Alone in Brewster Bay"
  • "Baby, This Love I Have"
  • "Simple Things"
  • Minnie Riperton: Le Fleur "Young Willing and Able"
  • "Feelin' that the Feeling's Good"
  • "Simple Things"
  • "Minnie's Lament"
  • Prince: Parade-Music from the Motion Picture "Under the Cherry Moon" "Sometimes It Snows in April"
  • Emage: "Inside My Love"
  • "Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down"

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP35: Cut Chemist on Cymande's "Cymande" (1972)

Posted Thu, 05/24/2018 - 10:05 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Cut Chemist

The Album: Cymande: Cymande (1972)

"Say go DJ, cause that's my DJ..." - Weezy

Cut Chemist is nice with the wax, nice with the loops, nice on the decks. A central figure in West Coast hip hop (Jurassic 5, Ozomotli) and the art of turntablism, both he and his record collection are legendary. While he joined us to talk about British funk pioneer Cymande's 1972 self-titled debut, our conversation covered a myriad of topics including Cut's journey as a crate digger, a record he may or may not have pilfered in 1987, the influence of Chuck Chillout and DJ Red Alert on his development as a DJ, Cymande's seamless genre-fusing and the band's relationship to hip-hop. Needless to say, we went in.

About Cut Chemist:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8225523/cut-chemist-i...

About Cut's latest album, Die Cut 
https://daily.bandcamp.com/2018/03/13/cut-chemist-die-cut-interview/

Oliver's Rolling Stone interview with Cymande:
http://rol.st/1U3YpYS

Cymande website:
http://www.cymandeofficial.com

Show Tracklist (all songs from Cymande unless indicated otherwise):

  • "One More"
  • Cut Chemist: The Audience's Listening "The Garden"
  • Harlem Underground Band: Harlem Underground Band "Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba"
  • "Bra"
  • "The Message"
  • "Dove"
  • DJ Chuck Chillout: clip from 98.7 Kiss FM show from 1986
  • Clip from the 1983 film "Wild Style"
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik "Give It Away"
  • "Getting it Back"
  • "The Message"
  • Assagai: Assagai "Telephone Girl"
  • "Dove"
  • "Listen"
  • "Getting it Back"
  • "Zion I"
  • "Rickshaw"
  • Hielo Ardiente: El Original Ritmo Ardiente "Mensaje"
  • The Meters: The Meters "Cissy Strut"
  • "Rastafarian Folk Song"
  • The Fugees: The Score "The Score"
  • De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising "Change in Speak"
  • The Doors: L.A. Woman "Riders on the Storm"
  • Tune Yards: Nikki Nack "Water Fountain"
  • Alice in Chains: Facelift "Man in the Box"
  • Cymande: Second Time Round "Bird"
  • Kaidi Tathem: Feed the Cat "Armz R Deh"

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP34: Cole Kuchna on Kayne West's "Yeezus"

Posted Thu, 05/17/2018 - 00:00 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Coke Kuchna

The album: Kanye West: Yeezus (2013)

Comprehensive analysis. Two words that describe Cole Cuchna's extraordinary podcast, DISSECT, which dedicates a season to unpacking one album, one song (per episode) at a time. His subterranean exploration of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one of the reasons we were thrilled to have him join us to discuss Kanye West's 6th album, Yeezus.
We covered Yeezy the persona vs. Kanye the person, problematic lyrics, ego reckoning, and the 2009 VMA's - a turning point in his career and a moment that will forever be a part of pop culture history. We also spent some time delving into the mindset of Yeezy, but full disclaimer: we taped this episode before Kanye's infamous twitter torrent and TMZ brouhaha.

About Cole Kuchna:

Cole's socials: IG: turangalila_ TW: @dissectpodcast

About Dissect:

More on Yeezus

Yeezy on Yeezus:

Show Tracklist (all songs from Yeezus unless indicated otherwise):

  • “On Sight”
  • “Hold My Liquor”
  • “Guilt Trip”
  • “Blood on the Leaves”
  • “Bound 2”
  • “New Slaves”
  • “I Am A God”
  • Nina Simone: Pastel Blues “Strange Fruit”
  • “Black Skinhead”
  • “I’m In It”
  • Daniel Caesar: Pilgrim’s Paradise “Streetcar”

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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EP33: Fredara Hadley on Anita Baker's "Compositions" (1990)

Posted Thu, 05/10/2018 - 13:36 by Oliver Wang | 0 comments
Show: 
Heat Rocks
Guests: 
Fredara Hadley

The album: Anita Baker: Compositions (1990)

Ethnomusicologist Fredara Hadley had been on our wish list for a while and as luck would have it, she came to Los Angeles earlier this spring and things lined up nicely. For our episode, Fredara wanted to get into the queen of the quiet storm from the 1980s and early ‘90s: Anita Baker and her platinum-selling 1990 album, Compositions. During our conversation, we got into the nuances of Baker’s voice and how she compelled your full attention, how she fit (or didn’t) with the sound of R&B in the early ‘90s and how, as successful as she was, she could have thrived even better in an era where jazz and R&B overlap is better embraced.

More on Compositions

More on Fredara Hadley

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Compositions unless indicated otherwise):

  • “Talk To Me”
  • Anita Baker: Rapture “Sweet Love”
  • “Fairy Tales”
  • Peabo Bryson: Crosswinds “Crosswinds”
  • “More Thank You Know”
  • Mariah Carey: Mariah Carey “Vision of Love”
  • Lisa Stansfeild: Been Around The World “Been Around The World”
  • En Vogue:Born To Sing “Hold On To Your Love”
  • “Look What I Got”
  • Drake: Comeback Season “Think Good Thoughts Feat. Phonte and Elzhi”
  • Perri: “Airstream”
  • “Perfect Love Affair”
  • “Love You To The Letter”
  • “Feel The Need”
  • “Whatever It Takes”
  • “No One To Blame”
  • Jill Scott: The Light of the Sun “Hear My Call”
  • “Lonely”

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

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