Caropop

Bill Wyman (Writer)

Song-ranking articles can be annoying clickbait, but those written by longtime journalist Bill Wyman are endlessly provocative, entertaining and informative, with individ

Natalie Merchant

After making widely loved music as a solo artist and, beforehand, with 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant is focusing on children with her latest project, Cabinet of Wonder

Susan Orlean

Susan Orlean has a brilliant talent for crafting compelling narratives from idiosyncratic topics that have piqued her interest: orchid poachers in Florida for The Orchid

Caropop Summer Recess 2026

We're going on break! We'll be back the Thursday after Labor Day! In the meantime, you can listen to this message and catch up on old Caropop episodes (no way you've he

Laura Benanti

Laura Benanti is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical star who noticed some things while looking back on her life and career. She has channeled these observations—about

Michael Hampton (Funkadelic/Parliament)

Michael Hampton earned the nickname Kidd Funkadelic as the hotshot guitarist who at age 17 joined the Funkadelic/Parliament universe after wowing P-Funk leader George Cli

Urge Overkill/Exit the Dragon

Urge Overkill appeared to be riding high after the critical triumph of its 1993 album, Saturation, and the prominent appearance of its Neil Diamond cover, “Girl, You’ll B

Jason Ringenberg (Jason and the Scorchers/Still Standing)

Jason and the Scorchers (née Jason and the Nashville Scorchers) were cowpunk trailblazers before anyone was talking about alt-country or Americana. Frontman/songwriter Ja

Glenn Morrow (Bar/None, Cry for Help)

Glenn Morrow owned and ran Bar/None Records for decades, signing acts such as They Might Be Giants, Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, Alex Chilton, Ezra Furman and the Feelie

Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), Pt. 2

In Pt. 2 of this lively, insightful conversation with Liberty DeVitto’, Billy Joel’s longtime drummer revisits the challenge of drumming in the synth-driven 1980s; the ma

Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), Pt. 1

Hired when Billy Joel wanted “a New York-style drummer,” Liberty DeVitto laid down indelible parts for the singer-songwriter-pianist’s music from 1976’s Turnstiles onward

Rachel Lichtman

Rachel Lichtman grew up listening to 1970s AM radio and watching local TV—a world of soothing music, tacky ads, eye-grabbing graphics and reruns galore. A keen-eyed and -

Swamp Dogg

Swamp Dogg turns 84 on July 12, making him 24 days younger than Paul McCartney, yet he’s still on the rise. He’s been gaining new fans through the 2024 documentary Swamp

Ike Reilly

Singer-songwriter Ike Reilly has been reaching critical mass. He shared a microphone with Bruce Springsteen in January, has gained new fans with the 2024 documentary Don’

Tom "Grover" Biery (Pet Sounds)

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, Interscope-Capitol has released a limited-edition Definitive Sound Series One Step version of this landmark al

Bill Million (The Feelies)

Bill Million’s percussive strumming propels the Crazy Rhythms of the Feelies, who are playing their only two 2026 shows—and perhaps their final shows ever—May 22 and 23 i

Dave Gregory 2026, Pt. 2 (XTC)

Part 2 of this splendid conversation with XTC guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Dave Gregory picks up with the band’s ill-fated 1982 trip to the U.S. and the end of its tou

Dave Gregory 2026, Pt. 1 (XTC)

We’re so happy to welcome back to Caropop one of our favorite musicians, XTC guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Dave Gregory. The occasion is the Record Store Day release—an

Zev Feldman/Jazz Showcase

Joe Segal, who would have turned 100 on April 24, recorded 8- to-10,000 shows at his own Jazz Showcase and other Chicago clubs. In 2011, “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman bega

Tim Peterson/Squeezebox (Record Store Day)

It's time to get the record store perspective on Record Store Day (April 18) from Tim Peterson, owner of Squeezebox Books & Music in Evanston, Ill. That’s where I line up