Let It Roll

Latest Episodes:

Technoroll 13: The Belleville Three Create Techno in Detroit Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the Belleville Three (Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson), the "Belleville Fourth" Eddie Fowlkes, the Electrofying Mojo and the birth of Techno in Detroit.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

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Technoroll 12: Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy and the Birth of House Music in Chicago Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy and the birth of House Music in Chicago (and don't forget the Hotmix 5).

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Technoroll 11: Larry Levan Kept the Dance Music Torch Burning at the Paradise Garage Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on Larry Levan, his club the Paradise Garage and the post-disco genre named for it.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcasts.⁠⁠

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Technoroll 10: Afrika Bambaataa Distils Electro and Hip-Hop Matures in the Recording Studio Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Today Nate and Ryan are joined by hip-hop ringer Steve Juon continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on hip hop’s transition to records with the Sugarhill Gang, Afrika Bambaataa’s epic “Planet Rock” and how hip hop morphed from music for dancing and parties into a new form of album and concert music.

⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Technoroll 9: Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, & Afrika Bambaataa Invent Hip-Hop May 26, 2025

Show notes

Nate and Ryan get back to their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. This week’s episode focuses on the birth of hip-hop in the Bronx and the Holy Trinity: DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa.

⁠⁠⁠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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Email ⁠⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠⁠⁠

Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠Pantheon Podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technoroll 8: Before Hip-Hop Disco DJ's Like Grandmaster Flowers & DJ Hollywood Set the Stage May 19, 2025

Show notes

Today Nate and Ryan pause their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton to welcome a special guest, hip hop writer Steve Juon. Together, they take a look at the documentary “Founding Fathers of Hip Hop” which fills in some important gaps in the story -- namely what were straight black DJs doing in the outer boroughs of NYC during the early days of disco and hip hop?

⁠⁠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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?

Email ⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠

⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠

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Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technoroll 7: Hi-NRG Kept the Dance Going In the Early 80's May 12, 2025

Show notes

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton with a look at how Hi-NRG, the sound that emerged in the post-disco backlash club scenes of London, San Francisco and New York, spawned the most successful production/songwriting team of all-time and provided a soundtrack for tragedy.

⁠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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?

Email ⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠

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Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.

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Technoroll 5: Disco Begins In New York May 12, 2025

Show notes

Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton.

Today's topic is the early days of disco in New York when an innovative wave of DJs like David Mancuso and Francis Grasso created a dancer’s utopia in Manhattan.

⁠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 the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?

Email ⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠

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Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technoroll 6: Disco Blows Up in the Late 70's May 06, 2025

Show notes

Today Nate and Ryan continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton with a look at the high water mark of disco -- Studio 54, Saturday Night Fever, the Bee Gees and the backlash.

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.

Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode.

Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks!

Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?

Email ⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠

⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠

⁠Follow us on Facebook.⁠

Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Led Zeppelin flew their folk flag high Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

Hosts Nate Wilcox and Dave Thompson conclude their mini-series discussing Dave's book An Evolving Tradition: The Child Ballads in Modern Folk and Rock Music -- buy the book to support the show.

This episode covers the 1970s high water mark of folk rock in the UK Led Zeppelin's controversial third album, and where folk has gone since.

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.

Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?

Email letitrollpodcast@gmail.com

Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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