There used to be an old saying about how you should never talk about politics or religion in friendly conversation, because those are the topics guaranteed to make any interaction decidedly un-friendly. However, in the past few years, it's been seemingly impossible to avoid the most pressing social issues of the day, even in traditional sanctuaries like sports and pop culture. For this episode, I wanted to explore whether it's still possible for people who disagree ideologically to come tougher as music fans and geek out over a shared love of particular songs and albums. I also wanted to delve into a question I've long found fascinating: Given that pop music generally is dominated by liberal-minded artists, how do conservatives put that aside and enjoy the music?
I figured a good person to discuss this was Jeff Blehar, host of the Political Beats podcast, which features journalists and pundits from the left and right expounding on their favorite artists, including MSNBC's Chris Hayes and National Journal's Charles C.W. Cooke. A "Never Trump" conservative, Blehar regularly listens to bands who don't adhere to his personal viewpoints, including Radiohead and the Clash. Given the struggles that liberals have had in 2018 reconciling Kanye West's apparent support of Donald Trump, is it really possible to "separate the art from the artist" in terms of politics? It's a hard question, and Blehar and I had a great conversation trying to figure it out.
Season 2 Special Episode: RIP Tom Petty
Season 2 Episode 26: Dan Bejar of Destroyer Loves '80s Dylan and The Doors
Season 2 Episode 25: Are The Killers Good Or Terrible?
Season 2 Episode 25: Mike Gordon of Phish Is A Nice Guy
Season 2 Episode 24: The National Is Back With "Sleep Well Beast"
Season 2 Episode 23: The Rise and Fall and Rise Of LCD Soundsystem
Season 2 Episode 22: How The War On Drugs Became The War On Drugs
Season 2 Episode 21: A Short History of Queens Of The Stone Age
Season 2 Episode 20: 1987 Is One Of Rock's Best Years
Season 2 Episode 19: Top 10 Best Live Albums Ever
Season 2 Episode 18: The New Arcade Fire LP is one of 2017's Biggest Disappointments
Season 2 Episode 17: How Does Mitski Write Such Great Songs?
Season 2 Episode 16: Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra Was A Teenaged Rock Star
Season 2 Episode 15: Have I Finally Come Around On Nü-Metal?
Season 2, Episode 14: Radiohead's "OK Computer" Is The Best LP Of The Last 20 Years ... Or Not
Season 2 Episode 13: The Return Of '00s Indie Rock in 2017
Season 2 Episode 12:Har Mar Superstar Was Julian Casablancas' Bodyguard
Season 2 Episode 11: The Best Albums Of 2017 So Far
Season 2 Episode 10: The Grateful Dead Are Alive!
Season 2 Episode 9: The National's "Boxer" Just Turned 10
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