Labor Day Podcast Roundup: Working-Class Music History from Let It Roll
In a special Labor Day edition, the music history podcast 'Let It Roll' features episodes focused on songs and narratives from the working class. After its initial run from 2018 to 2024, the series is being revived and is now available chronologically as 'Let It Roll: From the Beginning…to the End.' Accessible on Substack and various other platforms, it provides complete episodes for subscribers, while free versions exclude the final 15 minutes. Notable discussions include insights on Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, and Woody Guthrie with James Porter; the 1930s folk revival with Dave Thompson; and the stories of The Weavers, Bakersfield Sound, Tejano icons, The Kinks, MC5, hip-hop's Bronx roots, Johnny Paycheck, hardcore punk, and Chicago house music. The author extends wishes for a joyful Labor Day and a belated May Day.
Key facts
- The podcast 'Let It Roll' was revived with episodes reposted in chronological order by subject matter.
- The show ran from 2018 to 2024 with around 300 episodes.
- Full episodes are for paying subscribers; free versions omit the last 15 minutes.
- The special covers working-class music history from the 1930s to the 1980s.
- Episodes feature discussions with authors and musicians like James Porter, Dave Thompson, Jesse Jarnow, and Justin Bankston.
- Topics include country music during the Dust Bowl, the folk revival, the Weavers, the Bakersfield Sound, Tejano music, the Kinks, the MC5, hip-hop's birth, Johnny Paycheck, hardcore punk, and house music.
- The special is published on Naked Capitalism for Labor Day.
- The author created the podcast under their given name.
Entities
Artists
- Roy Acuff
- Bob Wills
- Gene Autry
- Woody Guthrie
- Alan Lomax
- Pete Seeger
- Josh White
- Jean Ritchie
- Leadbelly
- Lee Hays
- Ronnie Gilbert
- Fred Hellerman
- Buck Owens
- Merle Haggard
- Charley Pride
- Loretta Lynn
- Lydia Mendoza
- Narciso Martínez
- Flaco Jiménez
- Ray Davies
- Dave Davies
- Michael Caine
- John Sinclair
- Iggy Pop
- Alice Cooper
- Grand Funk Railroad
- Ted Nugent
- DJ Kool Herc
- Afrika Bambaataa
- Grandmaster Flash
- Johnny Paycheck
- David Allen Coe
- Mike Judge
- Jeff Feuerzeig
- Frankie Knuckles
- Ron Hardy
- Ryan Harkness
- Bill Brewster
- Frank Broughton
- James Porter
- Dave Thompson
- Jesse Jarnow
- Justin Bankston
- Alexei Auld
- Eugene S. Robinson
- Steven Blush
- Mark Doyle
Institutions
- Let It Roll
- Substack
- PBS
- Ken Burns' Country Music
- Decca Records
- Carnegie Hall
- Nashville establishment
- American Federation of Musicians
- Hollywood Bowl
- Elektra Records
- Netflix
- Cinemax
- South by Southwest
- Naked Capitalism
Locations
- America
- Dust Bowl
- California
- Nashville
- Bakersfield
- Texas
- London
- Detroit
- Chicago
- Bronx
- New York City
- Muswell Hill
- Hollywood