Political Beats

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Episode 160: Eli Lake / Steely Dan

#40 trending · Music History

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Eli Lake. Eli is a columnist for The Free Press, contributing edit

Aug 20
3 h 16 min

Episode 159: Nic Rowan / Sleater-Kinney

Scot and Jeff discuss Sleater-Kinney with Nic Rowan. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Nic Rowan. Ni

Jul 14
2 h 45 min

Episode 158: Andrew Gretes / XTC [Part 2]

Scot and Jeff discuss the second part of XTC’s career (1984-2000) with Andrew Gretes. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@Eso

May 31
2 h 41 min

Episode 157: Andrew Gretes / XTC [Part 1]

Scot and Jeff discuss the first part of XTC’s career (1977-1983) with Andrew Gretes. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@

Apr 30
3 h 04 min

Episode 156: Jack Butler / The Apples in Stereo

Scot and Jeff discuss The Apples in Stereo with Jack Butler. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Jack

Apr 3
2 h 57 min

Episode 155: Ivan Pongracic / Deep Purple

Scot and Jeff discuss Deep Purple with Ivan Pongracic. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest I

Feb 24
3 h 26 min

Episode 154: Christopher Scalia / The Strokes

Scot and Jeff discuss The Strokes with Christopher Scalia. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Christop

Dec 25 2025
2 h 30 min

Episode 153: Sean Trende / Van Halen

Scot and Jeff discuss Van Halen with Sean Trende. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Sean Trende. Sean

Dec 11 2025
3 h 12 min

Episode 152: Dominic Green / Iggy Pop & the Stooges

Scot and Jeff discuss Iggy Pop & the Stooges with Dominic Green. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by

Nov 3 2025
2 h 17 min

Episode 151: Damon Linker / Tom Waits [Part 2]

Scot and Jeff discuss the second part of Tom Waits’ career (1983-2011) with Damon Linker. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@

Sep 29 2025
3 h 12 min

Episode 150: Damon Linker / Tom Waits [Part 1]

Scot and Jeff discuss the first part of Tom Waits’s career (1973-1982) with Damon Linker. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@

Sep 4 2025
2 h 43 min

Episode 149: Conor Friedersdorf / Jimmy Buffett

Scot and Jeff discuss Jimmy Buffett with Conor Friedersdorf. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest C

Aug 5 2025
3 h 11 min

Episode 148: David Lowery Interview

Your Political Beats hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) get the opportunity to spend a little more time with singer/songwriter/bandleader/adv

Jul 9 2025
59 min

Episode 147: Tim Constantine / Bob Seger

Scot and Jeff discuss Bob Seger with Tim Constantine. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Tim Constant

Jul 2 2025
3 h 40 min

Episode 146: Jeff Pojanowski / Turnpike Troubadours

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Jeff Pojanowski. Jeff is a professor at Notre Dame Law Scho

Jun 3 2025
2 h 38 min

Episode 145: Andrew Stuttaford / Brian Eno

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by Andrew Stuttaford. Andrew needs little introduction as the editor

Apr 29 2025
3 h 21 min

Episode 144: Steve Singiser / Def Leppard

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Steve Singiser. Steve is formerly a contributing editor at

Mar 10 2025
2 h 51 min

Episode: 143: Eli Lake / Stevie Wonder [Part 2]

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Eli Lake. Lake is a columnist with the Free Press and also

Feb 5 2025
2 h 46 min

Episode 142: Eli Lake / Stevie Wonder [Part 1]

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Eli Lake. Lake is a columnist with the Free Press and also

Jan 2 2025
2 h 17 min

Episode 141: Mary Chastain / Stone Temple Pilots

Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Mary Chastain. Mary is a writer and editor at Legal Insurrection

Nov 25 2024
2 h 48 min

Chart trend

Position in the Music History chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#35#68JunJulAugSep

#11

all-time peak

560

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Political Beats ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 14, 2026).

#45 ▲ 18 Music History US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Loses two stars only because Jeff cannot stop interrupting or talking over Scot or the guest. Good, insightful show that captures the joy of music, held back by this irritating habit.

Pops Callahan · Apr 2026

I really love this show. Where else can you get a deep dive in the weird discography of The Beach Boys or obsessive detail on the Beatles white album or a hard day tonight these guys are great. I think a lot of the guests they have are really smart and knowledgeable and the host themselves really do an excellent job. I learned a ton on the Rolling Stones episodes in particular. love the show.

mindymaxine12468 · Jan 2026

Just listened to #141 Stone Temple Pilots and as with most of your shows it gives a fresh perspective of a classic band. One of the main reasons I’m inspired to listen to their catalog again was Scott’s notably animated passion for the band, sucked me right in on his wave of enthusiasm! And like Jeff there’s a feeling of joyful rediscovery. Mary overall did not add an enormous amount of content to the discussion but her nod to James Jamerson being a direct influence on Robert DeLeo was a nugget of inspired discernment, and raised the bar of appreciation for his bass playing being an essential ingredient. Thanks for another great episode, always look forward to them, always an adventure! 🎼 Warren Cherry

Raunchy Calhoun · Dec 2024

First listen and I chose Huey Lewis and the News as the test run, with zero regrets. You guys are covering it quite professionally. One quick recommendation(or point me to where this has already been done), post the playlist with either a Spotify link or just a simple text list of the songs. I may hear some deeper cuts go by and have to Shazam them or they’ll be lost to my knowledge forever. Cheers. 5 stars.

cell · Dec 2024

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