Let It Roll

"Let it Roll" is a podcast about the history of popular music from the 19th Century to the 21st. Proud part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.

Episodes

Scott, Pepys, Dickens - The Literary Roots of The Ballads: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1.10

August 5, 2026 • 41 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, host Nate Wilcox welcomes back Dave Thompson to continue discussing Dave's book An Evolving Tradition: The Child Ballads in Modern Folk and Rock Music. This episode covers the very oldest examples of The Child Ballads, with lyrical themes dating back to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, as well as the contributions...

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Beethoven freed music from the tyranny of patronage: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1.9

August 3, 2026 • 38 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, host Nate Wilcox welcomes Norman Lebrecht author of "Why Beethoven: A Phenomenon in One Hundred Pieces." Nate asks Norman about Beethoven's innovative business practices, his conflicts with royalty, his opposition to the sexual mores of imperial Vienna and more. This episode originally aired in 2022. GO TO THE LET I...

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In America African Culture Survived as The Spiritual: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 8

July 31, 2026 • 46 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode hosts Nate Wilcox and Garrett Cash dive into the roots of African-American spirituals and Gospel's deep roots in African musical practice. Based on Robert Darden's "People Get Ready!: A New History of Black Gospel Music." Buy the book and support the show. This episode originally aired in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT R...

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The Subversive Side of Classical Music: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 7

July 29, 2026 • 46 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, host Nate Wilcox welcomes back Ted Gioia to continue their discussion of his book “Music: A Subversive History.” Nate and Ted talk about the less than perfect realities of the lives of the great composers. From the murderous makers of madrigals to the sometimes sordid antics of J.S. Bach to the very pro...

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Clave and the contradance in the colonial Caribbean: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 6

July 27, 2026 • 39 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, Nate Wilcox and author Ned Sublette have the second of several conversations about Ned's book "⁠Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo⁠." This episode looks at the musical developments in the colonial Caribbean as the Spanish, French and English found their cultures influenced by the African diaspora...

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The musics of Europe and Africa collided in Cuba: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 5

July 24, 2026 • 43 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, Nate Wilcox and author Ned Sublette have the first of several conversations about Ned's book "⁠Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo⁠." This episode focuses on the cultural collisions and cross-pollination triggered when Europeans enslaved Africans and dragged them, and their music, across the Atlan...

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The Ancient Repertoire the Folk Genre Built On: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 4

July 22, 2026 • 44 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode,Nate Wilcox and author Dave Thompson discuss the first chapter of Dave's book An Evolving Tradition: The Child Ballads in Modern Folk and Rock Music. This episode originally dropped in 2024. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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The Cultural Blend That Made New Orleans Music Unique: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 3

July 20, 2026 • 44 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, host Nate Wilcox welcomes Ned Sublette, author of "The Cultural Blend That Made New Orleans Music Unique: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 3." Sublette's book is "a tale of imperial war, religious conflict, the search for treasure, the spread of slavery, the Cuban connection, the cruel aristocracy of sug...

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Music as a Magical, Subversive Power: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 2

July 17, 2026 • 47 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. Hosts Nate Wilcox and Yuri Campbell look back at Nate's discussion with Ted Gioia about his book "Music: A Subversive History" and what we learned about the uncontrollable, dangerous power of music, music as magic, and how authorities always try to tame musical revolutions and never quite succeed. This episode originally dropped in ...

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The History of Music is Subversive, Not Respectable: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1

July 15, 2026 • 42 mins

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. This episode goes back to the beginnings of human culture and features Ted Gioia discussing his book ”Music: A Subversive History.” Ted and Nate discuss the tension between the social outsiders who’ve always been the source of musical innovation and the mainstream academicians who borrow their ideas. This episode or...

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Chula Fronteras Documented Tejano Legends Like Lydia Mendoza, Narciso Martínez and Flaco Jiménez

July 13, 2026 • 43 mins

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston take it back to Tejas for the final installment of the first series of "We Dig Rock Docs" with a discussion of Les Blanks' classic 1976 film Chula Fronteras. This episode originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusiv...

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Grunge Bands Like Nirvana Drew All Eyes to the Seattle Music Scene

July 10, 2026 • 47 mins

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss "Hype!" the masterful telling of what happened when Seattle's happy little underground scene became an international pop culture sensation, attracting thousands of wannabes and hundreds of reporters to the city. This episode originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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The Time Nirvana Opened For Sonic Youth and Made a Movie About It

July 8, 2026 • 41 mins

Just before the release of Nevermind and "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Nirvana toured Europe opening up for mentors Sonic Youth. Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston look back on this iconic moment from their youth in their discussion of the documentary "1991 - The Year Punk Broke." This episode originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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The Sex Pistols Launched Punk Rock in London & Triggered a Huge Backlash

July 6, 2026 • 45 mins

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston continue our series on rock documentaries with a discussion of two very different takes on the Sex Pistols story, -- The Great Rock & Roll Swindle and The Filth and the Fury -- both films directed by Julien Temple. This episode originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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The New York Dolls' Punky Glam Was Too Much, Too Soon

July 3, 2026 • 44 mins

New York Dolls bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane was the focus of Greg Whiteley's 2005 documentary which told the story of his final months in Los Angeles and an unexpected Dolls reunion in London. Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston also discuss the meteoric rise and tragic fall of the Dolls in New York and London in the 1970s. This episode originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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ZZ Top Took Marshall Amps and Remade Boogie-Blues as Heavy Rock

July 1, 2026 • 42 mins

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston continue their discussion of rock documentaries. with a look at the alchemy of ZZ Top through the lens of the 2019 Netflix documentary "ZZ TOP: THAT LITTLE OL' BAND FROM TEXAS." This episode originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this ...

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The MC5's Combination of Hard Rock and Radical Politics Was Too Volatile to Last

June 29, 2026 • 42 mins

The MC5 pioneered punk, heavy metal and high energy mid-western rock in late 1960's Detroit and paid a heavy price. Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston continue their discussion of rock documentaries. The discussion is based on the unreleased documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwg7d4xtXyc. This episode was originally dropped in 2022. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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Leon Russell Spotlighted in Les Blank's "A Poem Is A Naked Person"

June 26, 2026 • 41 mins

Justin Bankston returns to join Nate in discussing some of their favorite music documentaries. The series debut looks at filmmaker Les Blank and his documentary treatment of Leon Russell at work on an album in Nashville, playing live in LA and NOLA and at home in his studio complex in Oklahoma. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The Tour Bus: RJ Smith Interview

June 24, 2026 • 21 mins

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston interview James Brown biographer R.J. Smith about his involvement in the creation of Mike Judge's Tales from the Tour Bus. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to th...

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Betty Davis: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The Tour Bus

June 23, 2026 • 28 mins

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode covers Betty Davis, muse of Miles Davis and a funk queen in her own right. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It...

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Let It Roll

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Scott, Pepys, Dickens - The Literary Roots of The Ballads: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1.10

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Beethoven freed music from the tyranny of patronage: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1.9

In America African Culture Survived as The Spiritual: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 8

The Subversive Side of Classical Music: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 7

Clave and the contradance in the colonial Caribbean: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 6

The musics of Europe and Africa collided in Cuba: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 5

The Ancient Repertoire the Folk Genre Built On: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 4

The Cultural Blend That Made New Orleans Music Unique: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 3

Music as a Magical, Subversive Power: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 2

The History of Music is Subversive, Not Respectable: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1

Chula Fronteras Documented Tejano Legends Like Lydia Mendoza, Narciso Martínez and Flaco Jiménez

Grunge Bands Like Nirvana Drew All Eyes to the Seattle Music Scene

The Time Nirvana Opened For Sonic Youth and Made a Movie About It

The Sex Pistols Launched Punk Rock in London & Triggered a Huge Backlash

The New York Dolls' Punky Glam Was Too Much, Too Soon

ZZ Top Took Marshall Amps and Remade Boogie-Blues as Heavy Rock

The MC5's Combination of Hard Rock and Radical Politics Was Too Volatile to Last

Leon Russell Spotlighted in Les Blank's "A Poem Is A Naked Person"

We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The Tour Bus: RJ Smith Interview

Betty Davis: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The Tour Bus

Popular Podcasts

Scott, Pepys, Dickens - The Literary Roots of The Ballads: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1.10

Beethoven freed music from the tyranny of patronage: Let It Roll From the Beginning...to the End 1.9