Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

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Daniel Lanois: Live From On Air Fest Apr 22, 2025

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Join us for an intimate conversation with legendary producer and songwriter Daniel Lanois, captured live at Brooklyn's premier podcast event, On Air Fest. Host Justin Richmond sits down with Lanois before an audience filled with musical luminaries—including Prince's former guitarist Donna Grantis, performance artist Laurie Anderson, and ambient music pioneer Laraaji.

In this special episode, Lanois shares fascinating insights from his storied career producing albums with Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and The Neville Brothers. He also delves into the creative process behind his exceptional solo work, punctuating the conversation with a mesmerizing live pedal steel performance that showcases his unique musicality.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Daniel Lanois songs HERE.

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Justice Apr 15, 2025

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Justice, the French electronic music duo composed of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay is the gift that keeps on giving.

They just released an incredible new album called Hyperdrama that not only sounds like the best possible night out in Paris, but brings in touches of jazz and experimentation that feel new for the group. They also just co-produced the opening track of The Weeknd’s latest album, a song called “Wake Me Up” that finds a brilliant way of harkening back to Michael Jackson's “Thriller.”

Today Justin Richmond discusses the creative process behind The Weeknd track, Justice's new album, and whose drums they sampled on their first album Cross.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Justice songs HERE.

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Adam Duritz Apr 08, 2025

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Adam Duritz is no stranger to the spotlight. Counting Crows’ 1993 debut album, August And Everything After, sold over seven million copies in the U.S. Singles released from the album including “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here” dominated radio and MTV at the time. But all the exposure wasn’t great for the band, and according to Duritz, it led critics to focus more on Durtitz’s star-studded dating life, than the band’s music.

Regardless, Counting Crows have continued to release music over the last three decades and this month they are putting out their latest album, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!

Today we’ll hear Adam Duritz talk in-depth about his life-long struggle with mental health and how his dissociative disorder has impacted his ability to connect with people off-stage. You can pre-save The Counting Crows new album here. And check out their new video for “Under The Aurora” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMzFO8CAmK0&feature=youtu.be

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Counting Crows songs here.

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Business of Art: The Entrepreneurial Mindset & Music Apr 03, 2025

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Join Justin Richmond and Ben Walter, CEO of Chase For Business, for a special conversation about finding success in the music industry through non-traditional means. Ben shares his insights on balancing risk while scaling a business, as they talk about how the indie label XL Recordings built a sustainable business model by making unorthodox business decisions. He also shares how artists often have an edge in creating original business ideas like when music titans Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine built Beats by Dre and later sold it to Apple Music for $3 billion.

This episode was made in partnership with Chase for Business. Listen and subscribe to Ben Walter's podcast The Unshakeables here.

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esperanza spalding Apr 01, 2025

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A month ago at the Grammys, Alicia Keys gave a beautiful speech while accepting the Global Impact Award. Part of her speech was dedicated to the women producers who power the industry, women like Patrice Rushen, Missy Elliott, Linda Perry, and others.

This was top of mind for Justin Richmond when he sat down with esperanza spalding at the Blue Note club in New York, where she was in the middle of a residency. Not only because she just produced a gorgeous new collaborative album by the unheralded Brazilian genius, Milton Nascimento, naturally called “Milton + esperanza.” But she’s also self produced just about all of her own projects from the very beginning.

esperanza and Justin talk about why she’s been producing herself from the jump in this episode, what it’s been like working so closely with master mentors like Milton Nascimento, but also Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. And esperanza talks about the rocky beginning of her career.

Listen to the songs of Milton Nascimento as curated by esperanza spalding

Listen to Milton + esperanza’s collaborative album

Listen to a collection of songs by esperanza spalding

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Alice Randall Mar 25, 2025

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Alice Randall is a country music songwriter, a New York Times bestselling author, and a newly minted memoirist. She calls her new book, My Black Country, a love letter to Black country music.

In addition to her memoir, Alice also released the album, My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall, that includes a rendition of the song, “The Ballad of Sally Anne” performed by Rhiannon Giddens. The song, which confronts the harsh realities of lynching in the American South was nominated for a Grammy last year in the Best American Roots Performance category.

On today’s episode Bruce Headlam talks to Alice Randall about her lifelong love of country music. And how growing up in Detroit during the height of Motown influenced her musical sensibilities. She also traces the countless contributions African Americans have made to country music and why she believes that history has been ignored.

You can hear a playlist of some of Alice Randall's favorite songs HERE.

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Billy Corgan Mar 18, 2025

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In the 30-plus years since Billy Corgan hit it big as the lead singer/songwriter of The Smashing Pumpkins, he’s become many things including the owner of the National Wrestling Alliance, a father and a husband, and an outspoken advocate of free speech through appearances on divisive podcasts hosted by Alex Jones, Joe Rogan, and Bill Maher.

Proving to be both eloquent and controversial, Billy is now hosting his own long form interview podcast called "The Magnificent Others" where he interviews music industry heavyweights like Tom Morello, Sharon Osbourne, and Gene Simmons.

On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Billy Corgan about his approach to interviewing, why he rejected the alternative-music ethos in the 90s, and the subset of his fanbase that he calls “Siamese zombies.”

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Billy Corgan HERE.

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The Black Keys Mar 11, 2025

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The Black Keys are gearing up to release their latest album, No Rain, No Flowers. The Akron, Ohio duo consisting of Dan Auerbach on lead vocals and guitar, and Patrick Carney on drums, have released 12 studio albums since their indie debut, The Big Come Up in 2002.

On today's episode Justin Richmond talks with Dan and Patrick about their process of mixing the new album. They also share memories growing up together in a town filled with eccentric characters, and they explain their newfound love of DJing parties where they challenge themselves to make people dance to an eclectic mix of unknown songs.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from The Black Keys HERE.

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Tunde Adebimpe Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Tunde Adebimpe is a creative powerhouse. He's a cartoonist, a painter, a director, a Hollywood actor, and for the past 20 years, he’s been the lead singer of the band TV On The Radio. His latest offering—another of his many artistic pursuits—is a solo project called Thee Black Boltz.

Tunde began writing these songs back in 2019. And after a stint composing music for the PBS Kids show “City Island” with producer Wilder Zoby, the two decided to set their sights on Tunde’s growing collection of solo songs. Both Jaleel Bunton and Jahphet Landis of TV On The Radio also contributed to the album, which sounds every bit as fresh and thrilling as Tunde’s past work.

On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Tunde Adebimpe about how staying steeped in creative projects keeps him sane. He also recalls his days working as a stop-motion artist on MTV’s Celebrity Death Match, and why he thinks TV On The Radio isn’t cool enough to be considered “indie sleaze.”

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Tunde Adebimpe HERE.

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Cymande Feb 25, 2025

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The British funk band Cymande released their self-titled debut in 1972. The album’s deep calypso and reggae rhythms are inspired by its member’s West Indian roots. And decades after its release, samples taken from Cymande’s albums would find their way into songs that now define hip-hop’s golden era from artists like De La Soul, Gang Starr and The Fugees.

While Cymande has found a second life through sampling during the late ‘80s and ‘90s, its primary members, bassist Steve Scipio and guitarist Patrick Patterson had long since moved on from their artistic life in London, and both moved back to the Caribbean to become lawyers.

But the desire to make music never left them and last month Cymande released a new album called Renascence, a project their label describes as a “spiritual and sonic follow-up” to their 1974 album, Promised Heights.

On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to Steve Scipio and Patrick Patterson about their early band days in London, and about the early calypso tracks that helped launch Cymande’s sound. They also reminisce about touring the U.S. and opening for Al Green in the '70s, and how they came to collaborate with artists like Jazzie B. and Celeste on their new album.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Cymande songs HERE.

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