Pharrell Williams is a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer, and performer. Getting his start in music alongside Chad Hugo as the production duo known as The Neptunes in 1992, Pharrell has produced chart-topping hits for artists including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg. He has co-composed the music for the Despicable Me film franc…

Hiatus Kaiyote is an incredibly talented group of four Australian musicians—vocalist and guitarist Nai Palm, drummer Perrin Moss, bassist Paul Bender and Simon Mavin on keys. But those aren’t permanent stations for any of them, they often move between instruments and all contribute to writing some of the most beautiful soulful music of the last dec…

In this episode, Rick connects with the physicist and Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman. Known for his groundbreaking contributions to quantum mechanics, Feynman’s work inspires curiosity and innovation in science. ------ Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team: Athletic Nicotine https://www.athleticnicotine.com/tetra Use code…

Brianna Wiest is a bestselling author, speaker, and advocate for self-reflection and personal growth. Known for transformative works including 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, The Mountain Is You, and her latest release, The Pivot Year, she has sold over 2 million copies of her books which frequently top global bestseller lists. Now b…

Today we have Aoife O’Donovan on the show who was nominated for two Grammy awards this year: Best Folk Album for her latest release, All My Friends, as well as Best American Roots Song for the album’s title track. Aoife is a wonderfully prolific singer and songwriter from the Americana tradition—who also has an academic background, having studied i…

Bjarke Ingels returns to continue his conversation in Part Two. Bjarke Ingels is one of the world’s leading architects as the founder and creative director of renowned architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Recognized for his innovative approach to sustainable and futuristic design, Ingels has led transformative projects worldwide, including …

Bjarke Ingels is one of the world’s leading architects as the founder and creative director of renowned architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Recognized for his innovative approach to sustainable and futuristic design, Ingels has led transformative projects worldwide, including the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in China and groundbreakin…

Kim Deal is an indie-rock icon. In the mid-80s, she joined The Pixies as the band’s original bassist and co-vocalist. After the release of their debut album Come On Pilgrim in 1987, followed by the alt-rock classics Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, Kim took a break from The Pixies to form her own band, The Breeders. With the help of Kim’s twin sister Kel…

Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author, and professor of film, known for his captivating leading roles and versatility. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films, beginning with his breakout role in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, that have grossed over $1 billion. While he is most popular for his roles …

Soccer Mommy is one of the stand-out singer/songwriters to emerge over the last half decade. She was born Sophia Allison and raised in Nashville, Tennessee where she started playing guitar at six years-old. Sophia started posting her songs on Bandcamp in 2015 under the name Soccer Mommy the summer before moving to New York to study the music busine…

David Whyte returns to continue his conversation in Part Two. David Whyte is a prolific Irish poet, philosopher, and speaker whose work that spans nearly four decades has resonated with audiences around the world. Beginning his career in 1986, Whyte has published three books of prose and ten volumes of poetry, including Still Possible and Consolati…

David Whyte is a prolific Irish poet, philosopher, and speaker whose work that spans nearly four decades has resonated with audiences around the world. Beginning his career in 1986, Whyte has published three books of prose and ten volumes of poetry, including Still Possible and Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyda…

Billy Bragg came up in East London—Barking, Essex to be exact. It's fitting given the characteristic howl of his vocals. Listening to him these days, it’s hard not to recall the late-great Joe Strummer or the modern brilliance of Archy Marshall, a.k.a. King Krule. In the mid-80s, a musical era driven by production, Billy Bragg was all about songs. …

Killer Mike is an Atlanta-born rapper and actor. His music career began in 2003, with his solo debut, with the album Monster, reaching the Billboard Top Ten, and later gaining global recognition as part of the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels alongside El-P. Since the start of his career, Killer Mike has released seven studio albums, including Michael, f…

We occasionally field emails and DMs from Broken Record listeners telling us who they’d like to hear on the program. The past handful of years, one name has come up more than others: Julian Lage. Now, if you’re not part of the converted, not a member of one of his devoted legion of fans that may come as a surprise. But if you get the chance to spen…

In this episode, Rick connects with Alfred Hitchcock, the legendary filmmaker known as the "Master of Suspense." Renowned for his innovative storytelling and groundbreaking techniques, Hitchcock's films remain a benchmark for suspense and psychological thrillers in cinema history.Von Rick Rubin

A conversation with Charles Lloyd feels like a veritable interaction with the pages of history. I was continuously surprised throughout my conversation with Charles, along with Don Was, about the depth of his experiences…and the wisdom too. Charles is an inordinately beautiful tenor player from Memphis, Tennessee - who grew up at a time where the r…

Joaquin Phoenix is widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, known for his intense and eccentric on-screen portrayals in period dramas, thrillers, and psychological films. He was raised among siblings who were largely involved in acting, including his late brother, River Phoenix, alongside whom he began his acting career in the 1…

Meshell Ndegeocello doesn’t fit neatly into any “jazz” label - or any label of any kind for that matter. She’s a phenomenal bass player, deep songwriter, beautiful interpreter of song, wonderful band leader and has had one bad ass career. It’s fitting that after a circuitous journey through the industry that started as one of the premiere artists o…

Tyler Cowen has long nurtured an obsession with music. It’s one of the few addictions Tyler believes is actually conducive to a fulfilling intellectual life. In this bonus episode, a year after Tyler walked us through the world of the Avant-Garde, and his favorite pop music, Tyler guides us through some of the major pillars of Russian classical mus…

We’re continuing our celebration of Blue Note Records’ 85th Anniversary this week with a conversation with a certified living legend: Ron Carter. For starters Ron Carter was a key member of a group that’s on the shortlist for greatest band of all time: The Second Great Miles Davis Quintet featuring Mr. Carter, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Wi…

Tyler Cowen is a world-renowned economist, professor, columnist, and co-author of the influential economics blog Marginal Revolution. Graduating from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, and later receiving his PhD in economics from Harvard University, he has developed a vested interest in the economics of culture, as he…

Blue Note is one of the first and longest standing institutions of Jazz music. Since its formation in 1939 the label has put out albums by Robert Glasper, Lee Morgan, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Gergory Porter, Bobby McFerrin, and so many more. To celebrate 85 years of music from this iconic label, Justin Richmond and Blue Note’s current Presiden…

We have a two-part episode for you today in honor of the great Stevie Wonder. First we will hear the Pulitzer Prize winning writer Wesley Morris talk about the making of his new Audible original, The Wonder of Stevie. Then, Justin Richmond talks to the pioneering electronic music producer Robert Margouleff, who in 1968 together with Malcolm Cecil, …

Jason Louv is a bestselling author, journalist, and teacher of magick, meditation, and the occult. His career in journalism has been centered around surveillance, international trade, and technology, with his writing featured in publications such as VICE News, ESQUIRE, Boing Boing, and Motherboard. Through his online education portal, Magick.Me, an…

At just 8 years-old, Lainey Wilson announced to her family that she was destined to become a country music star. There were no other musicians in her family to speak of—for five generations her people had been farmers in a tiny Northern Louisiana town with the population of 180. After graduating high school, Lainey drove North to Nashville in a cam…

Shane Smith is a journalist, and he is the founder and Executive Chairman of international media company VICE Media. Since 1994, Smith has transformed VICE from a small, Montreal-based youth magazine into a global multimedia empire, spanning digital platforms, television, film production, and creative services. As a journalist, Smith has reported o…

Crowded House had one of the most enduring hits of the 80s with “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” The commercial and critical success of that song launched the Australian-New Zealand band and its esteemed Kiwi songwriter, Neil Finn, to pop stardom. The band made three more critically acclaimed albums before breaking up in ‘96. But over the years the band ha…

Wes Lang is a contemporary artist based in Los Angeles. His work is best recognized through symbols including skulls, horses, and the indigenous American, as he aims to convey themes of freedom, mortality, and the American Dream. Lang draws inspiration from his heroes–fallen country music icons and jazz musicians–to tap into the rugged spirit of po…

Raphael Saadiq is one of the great R&B writers and producers of the last 30 years. He started out fronting and playing bass in the group Tony! Toni! Toné! with his brother D’Wayne Wiggins on guitar. The Tony’s had an amazing four album run from ‘88 through 1996 with hit singles like "It Never Rains (In Southern California)," "Feels Good," "Annivers…

Jack Mallers is an entrepreneur, software developer, and founder of Strike, an application that focuses on making Bitcoin payments fast and easy. Introduced to Bitcoin in 2013 by his father, Mallers has since been a pioneer in the world of cryptocurrency. In 2020, he launched Strike, popularizing Bitcoin by leveraging the Lightning Network, which e…

Suki Waterhouse started professional life as a model and actress in the UK. A full-fledged music career might’ve seemed far-fetched but she quickly found an authentic voice as a singer-songwriter. And put out some beautiful demos that caught the attention of the legendary Sub Pop label which put out her first album, I Can’t Let Go and her latest, M…

Joe Sabia is a filmmaker, digital creator, and celebrity interviewer. He began his career in media working across various platforms including television, film, and music videos. In his six years as Senior Vice President of Creative Development at Condé Nast Entertainment, he became a renowned multimedia storyteller, best known for the creations of …

This week we're sharing an episode from one of our favorite podcasts, One Song. You'll hear hosts Diallo Riddle and Luxxury tackling “Cherub Rock” by The Smashing Pumpkins. The guys go deep on the early 90’s indie rock scene, band frontman Billy Corgan’s quest for musical family, and the Pumpkins’ complicated relationship with the indie rock commun…