Political Beats
136 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 488 ratingsScot Bertram and Jeff Blehar discuss ask guests from the world of politics about their musical passions.
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Episodes
Episode 133: Joshua Treviño / Matthew Sweet
April 08, 2024 10:30 - 2 hours - 154 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Joshua Treviño. Joshua works and writes at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and spent the entire 1990s listening a lot to Matthew Sweet. Joshua’s Music Pick: Matthew Sweet For listeners of a certain age, just the name Matthew Sweet will evoke a particular memory, and it’s likely one that involves heartbreak. Breaking through with the power-pop masterpiece, Girlfriend, Sweet channeled...
Episode 132: Tom Nichols / Boston
March 18, 2024 10:30 - 2 hours - 117 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Tom Nichols. Tom is a staff writer at The Atlantic and author ofThe Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters, with a new second edition out soon. Find him on X/Twitter at@RadioFreeTom. Tom’s Music Pick: Boston This could be our first episode that is longer simply by listening to the entirety of the band's actual discography. Even if true, we sti...
Episode 131: Jay Cost / The Kinks [Part 2]
January 29, 2024 19:31 - 3 hours - 186 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Jay Cost. Jay is the Gerald R. Ford senior non-resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of, most recently, James Madison: America’s First Politician. Find him on Twitter/X at @Jay__Cost. Jay’s Music Pick: The Kinks Haven’t we done these guys already? We sure did! But this is the part of the Kinks' career we didn't do any real justice to back six or seven years...
Episode 130: Jay Cost / The Kinks [Part 1]
January 02, 2024 15:09 - 3 hours - 200 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Jay Cost. Jay is the Gerald R. Ford senior non-resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of, most recently, James Madison: America's First Politician. Find him on Twitter/X at @Jay__Cost. Jay's Music Pick: The Kinks Haven't we done these guys already? We sure did! For the first (and possibly last) time, Political Beats has done something unprecedented and gone ...
Episode 129: Mike Long / Joe Jackson
November 20, 2023 16:34 - 3 hours - 174 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Mike Long. Mike is a (very) occasional writer for National Review and was one of the originals back in the early 2000s as NRO was launched. He’s the author of the non-fiction bestseller The Molecule of More and its sequel coming in fall of 2024. Mike’s Music Pick: Joe Jackson After running through Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe/Rockpile, it was only a matter of time before we got to coverin...
Episode 128: Hannah Rowan / Blondie
October 23, 2023 14:10 - 2 hours - 145 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Hannah Rowan. Hannah is the managing editor of Modern Age. You can find her on X at @Hannah_Cristine and read her review of Debbie Harry's memoir here. Hannah’s Music Pick: Blondie Here's another artist we get to cross off the list of long-awaited episodes. Both Jeff and Scot have been hot to do Blondie for years and it has nothing (okay, relatively little) to do with the attractiv...
Episode 127: Eric Kohn / Huey Lewis & the News
October 02, 2023 10:30 - 3 hours - 172 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Eric Kohn. Eric is the Director of Marketing & Communications at the Acton Institute. Check him out on Twitter at @iEricKohn. Eric’s Music Pick: Huey Lewis & the News Do you believe in miracles? Yes! After years of lobbying, Jeff has proven that anyone will fold, given enough time and pressure. Here is the Huey Lewis & the News episode of Political Beats. Those of you with us for ...
Episode 126: Rory Cooper / Simon & Garfunkel
September 05, 2023 13:45 - 3 hours - 176 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Rory Cooper. He’s a partner at Purple Strategies, a corporate reputation and advocacy agency in Alexandria, Va., a former George W. Bush and Eric Cantor aide, and a longtime Republican strategist. He’s on Twitter at @rorycooper. Rory’s Music Pick: Simon & Garfunkel If you enjoyed Political Beats’ episode on the solo career of Paul Simon with Rory Cooper from a year and half ago, th...
Episode 125: Matt Murray / Nick Lowe
July 31, 2023 13:40 - 3 hours - 194 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Matt Murray. Matt is the recently departed editor of the Wall Street Journal, now on assignment for its parent company, News Corp. Check him out on Twitter at @murraymatt. Matt’s Music Pick: Nick Lowe Okay, it says “Nick Lowe” right there above this line, but we need to be straight with you -- there’s a lot of other stuff happening in this show. Nick Lowe-adjacent acts are featured prom...
Episode 124: Dave Weigel / Pet Shop Boys
July 06, 2023 14:03 - 2 hours - 156 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Dave Weigel. Dave is a founding reporter at Semafor, where he covers the 2024 campaign and writes the Americana newsletter. Check his work out here and find him on Twitter at @daveweigel. Dave’s Music Pick: Pet Shop Boys Opportunities are knocking: I've got the brains, and you've got the looks, so let's make lots of money as we use the post–July 4 week to celebrate the United Kingd...
Episode 123: Dominic Green / The Jam
June 12, 2023 15:36 - 3 hours - 175 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Dominic Green. Dom is a historian and columnist, and he used to be a musician. He is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal and a columnist for the Washington Examiner and Jewish Chronicle. Check him out on Twitter at @DrDominicGreen. Dominic’s Music Pick: The Jam In some ways, this is one of the most necessary episodes of Political Beats ever. In other ways, this is one of the m...
Episode 122: Eric Garcia / Black Sabbath
April 18, 2023 13:39 - 3 hours - 167 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Eric Garcia. Eric is senior Washington writer for the Independent and a columnist at MSNBC. Check him out on Twitter at @EricMGarcia. Eric’s Music Pick: Black Sabbath The storm is upon you; can you hear the peals of thunder in the background, and the bleak clang of the church bell in the sleeping village? Well then break out the most appropriate tritone you can think of as the ga...
Episode 121: Adam Wollner / My Morning Jacket
March 23, 2023 10:30 - 2 hours - 159 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Adam Wollner. Adam is a Washington-based journalist who has covered national politics for CNN, McClatchy, and National Journal. Check him out on Twitter at @adamwollner. Adam’s Music Pick: My Morning Jacket A reverb-laden, indie-country band? Roots rock? Electro-funk? Jam band? All that and much more could be said to describe My Morning Jacket at various stages of their career. The cons...
Episode 120: Mark Hemingway / Big Star
February 27, 2023 11:30 - 2 hours - 116 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Mark Hemingway. Mark is a writer at RealClearInvestigations and RealClearPolitics and an occasional contributor at The Federalist. Check him out on Twitter at @heminator. Mark’s Music Pick: Big Star How do you merit an episode of Political Beats when you've released only a handful of albums in your career? When two happen to be among the best pop/rock records ever recorded and a ...
Episode 119: Noam Blum / Tool
January 31, 2023 16:00 - 2 hours - 129 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by Noam Blum. Noam is Chief Technology Officer at Tablet Magazine and co-host of the Ambitious Crossover Attempt podcast and of All Crossed Out on the Callin app, both of which deal with pop culture, media, and politics. Find him on Twitter at @neontaster. Noam’s Music Pick: Tool Since Political Beats dealt with one of Gen Z's niche musical obsessions last episode in tackling The National, ...
Episode 118: Phil Wegmann / The National
December 19, 2022 11:30 - 2 hours - 143 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Phil Wegmann. Phil is White House reporter for RealClearNews and RealClearPolitics. Check him out on Twitter at @PhilipWegmann. Phil’s Music Pick: The National Let us tell you, we have had *a bunch* of listeners ask us for an episode on The National, and we are nothing if not responsive to our fans. Neither one of your hosts previously was extremely familiar with the band, which is why ...
Episode 117: Andrew Fink / Otis Redding
November 07, 2022 11:30 - 3 hours - 175 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Andrew Fink. Andrew is a member of the Michigan House of Representative (District 35 -- Branch & Hillsdale Counties). Prior to that, he was the district director for Senate majority leader Mike Shirkey. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewFinkMI. Andrew’s Music Pick: Otis Redding Ladies and gentlemens, we are so happy to be here with the Love Crowd tonight because we gotta gotta gotta ...
Episode 116: Noah Weinrich / Weezer
October 20, 2022 10:30 - 2 hours - 151 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Noah Weinrich. Noah is director of communications for Heritage Action, the grassroots and advocacy arm of The Heritage Foundation. Check him out on Twitter at @weinrich_noah. Noah’s Music Pick: Weezer What kind of a band starts its career with two stone-cold classic albums, takes a nearly five-year hiatus, and then returns to mixed results for a 20+ year tail? We're about to find out. C...
Episode 115: Jesse Walker / Willie Nelson [Part 2]
September 26, 2022 10:30 - 3 hours - 176 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Jesse Walker. Jesse is books editor at Reason and author of two books, The United States of Paranoia and Rebels On the Air. He can be found on Twitter at @notjessewalker. Jesse’s Music Pick: Willie Nelson In Part Two, we pick up Willie’s story at his commercial breakthrough, Red Headed Stranger (1975). This opens a window in which Willie records frequent number one albums on the country...
Episode 115: Jesse Walker / Willie Nelson [Part 1]
September 05, 2022 10:30 - 3 hours - 178 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Jesse Walker. Jesse is books editor at Reason and author of two books, The United States of Paranoia and Rebels On the Air. He can be found on Twitter at @notjessewalker. Jesse’s Music Pick: Willie Nelson Sure, in the past here on Political Beats we have dabbled in country-ish music. We've dipped our toes in the water of alt-country and country rock. But this, friends, is a full-fl...
Episode 114: Steve Miller / Mott The Hoople
August 15, 2022 11:43 - 2 hours - 131 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Steve Miller. Steve is a veteran journalist and a reporter at RealClearInvestigations. He's also the author of Detroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock 'n' Roll in America's Loudest City. Steve's Music Pick: Mott The Hoople Do you remember the Saturday gigs? We do, we do! Mott The Hoople are known outside of specialist rock audiences these days either as "one of those we...
Episode 113: Andrew Heaton / 'Weird Al' Yankovic
July 04, 2022 10:30 - 2 hours - 164 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Andrew Heaton. Andrew is a comedian and political satirist you might know from Reason TV. He is the host of The Political Orphanage, a funny policy analysis show for people tired of tribalism. You can find him on Twitter at @mightyheaton. Andrew Music Pick: “Weird Al” Yankovic You should know a few things about Al before we start. First, Al is super smart. He was two years younger ...
Episode 112: Scott Immergut / Squeeze
June 13, 2022 10:30 - 3 hours - 167 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Scott Immergut. Scott is the CEO of Ricochet.com and the Ricochet Audio Network. He is the long-time producer of the Ricochet Podcast and the GLoP Culture podcast with Jonah Goldberg, Rob Long, and John Podhoretz. He’s also the Executive Producer of The Hoover Institution’s Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson andGood Fellows, with Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane...
Episode 111: Eli Lake / Prince [Part 3]
May 23, 2022 12:10 - 2 hours - 159 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by Eli Lake. Eli is a contributing editor at Commentary, and fellow at the Clements Center at UT-Austin. Follow him on Twitter at @EliLake. Eli’s Music Pick: Prince, Pt. 3 (1992-2016) Eli rejoins the gang as they resume their discussion of the career of Prince Rogers Nelson, or as he was known for a significant part of this period covered during this episode, "[unpronounceable symbol]." Yes...
Episode 110: Eli Lake / Prince [Part 2]
April 18, 2022 13:19 - 3 hours - 176 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by Eli Lake. Eli is a contributing editor at Commentary, and fellow at the Clements Center at UT-Austin. Follow him on Twitter at @EliLake. Eli’s Music Pick: Prince, Pt. 2 (1985-1991) Join us once again as we deepen our Strange Relationship with Prince! Eli rejoins the gang as they pick up their discussion of the amazing career of Prince Rogers Nelson in the aftermath of Purple Rain and A...
Episode 109: Eli Lake / Prince [Part 1]
April 04, 2022 12:02 - 3 hours - 216 MBEli’s Music Pick: Prince Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Life. Electric word, "Life," and it's a mighty long time, but I'm here to tell you, there's something else: Prince Rogers Nelson. Known to the world by his first name, Prince was a self-made musical polymath who performed the singular trick of somehow altering the world to accommodate his eccentricity and musical genius rather than the other way around. We know Prince in our cultural memory ...
Episode 108: Mike Long / Robbie Fulks
March 14, 2022 10:30 - 3 hours - 170 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Mike Long. He wrote the sort-of-bestselling book The Molecule of More and he teaches writing at Georgetown University, but mostly he writes things for other people to put their name on. He’s on Twitter at @mikewrites. Mike’s Music Pick: Robbie Fulks This is almost certainly the most obscure artist we've ever covered on Political Beats. Yet, when the three hours are up, we think y...
Episode 107: Rory Cooper / Paul Simon
January 31, 2022 13:25 - 3 hours - 176 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Rory Cooper. He’s a partner at Purple Strategies, a corporate reputation and advocacy agency in Alexandria, Va., a former George W. Bush and Eric Cantor aide, and a longtime Republican strategist. He’s on Twitter at @rorycooper. Rory’s Music Pick: Paul Simon Here comes rhymin' Simon, right onto his own edition of Political Beats. This is the rare episode in which neither of your tw...
Episode 106: Andrew Prokop / Kate Bush
January 10, 2022 11:30 - 3 hours - 211 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by Andrew Prokop. Andrew is Senior Politics Correspondent for Vox, and you can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter at @awprokop. Andrew's Music Pick: Kate Bush Who? Unless you're an art-rocker, Englishman, or Lisa Simpsonesque girl-poet-dreamer, the name "Kate Bush" quite likely means nothing to you. Bush is something close to a beloved institution in the United Kingdom, where she h...
Episode 105: Bruce Edward Walker / Warren Zevon
December 13, 2021 16:05 - 2 hours - 146 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Bruce Edward Walker. He’s Midwest Regional Editor for The Center Square. He has written extensively on popular culture, literature and public policy for reference books, newspapers, magazines, and websites. He’s on Twitter at @bruceedwalker. Bruce’s Music Pick: Warren Zevon The show begins its 2021 finishing kick with a long-requested episode featuring the music and career of the great Wa...
Episode 104: Charles C. W. Cooke / Fleetwood Mac [Part 2]
November 15, 2021 13:17 - 3 hours - 177 MBIntroducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by our old friend Charles C. W. Cooke. Charlie is a Senior Writer for National Review, and you can find his work wherever quality Charles C. W. Cooke products are sold (i.e. mostly right here on this website). Follow him on Twitter at @charlescwcooke. Charlie's Music Pick: Fleetwood Mac "Oh sure," you think as you read what artist we're covering this week, "I know them. Everybody knows them...
Episode 103: Charles C. W. Cooke / Fleetwood Mac [Part 1]
October 25, 2021 09:30 - 3 hours - 112 MBScot and Jeff discuss the first part of Fleetwood Mac's career (1967-1974) with Charles C. W. Cooke.
Episode 103: Charles C. W. Cooke / Fleetwood Mac
October 25, 2021 08:35 - 3 hours - 179 MBScot and Jeff discuss the first part of Fleetwood Mac’s career (1967-1974) with Charles C. W. Cooke. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by our old friend Charles C. W. Cooke. Charlie is a senior writer for National Review, and you can find his work wherever quality Charles C. W. Cooke products are sold (i.e. mostly right here on this website). Follow him on Twitter at @charlescwcooke. Charlie’s Music Pick: Fleetwood Mac “Oh...
Episode 102: Daniel Gullotta / Michael Jackson
October 04, 2021 09:30 - 3 hours - 126 MBScot and Jeff discuss Michael Jackson with Daniel Gullotta. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Daniel Gullotta. Daniel N. Gullotta is a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in American Religious History at Stanford University. He is completing a dissertation on how religious politics influenced the rise of Andrew Jackson and the formation of the Democratic and Whig parties. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Bul...
Episode 101: Matt Lewis / John Mellencamp
August 30, 2021 14:49 - 2 hours - 88.5 MBScot and Jeff discuss John Mellencamp with Matt Lewis. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Matt Lewis. He’s a senior columnist for The Daily Beast, author of the book Too Dumb to Fail, and host of the podcast “Matt Lewis & The News”. Follow him on Twitter at @mattklewis. Matt’s Music Pick: John Mellencamp In an episode with the biggest singer name confusion since our Pixies show, Political Beats takes on the music...
Episode 100: Andrew Fink / The Allman Brothers Band
August 16, 2021 09:30 - 3 hours - 123 MBScot and Jeff discuss The Allman Brothers Band with Andrew Fink. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Andrew Fink. Andrew is a member of the Michigan House of Representative (District 58 – Branch & Hillsdale Counties). Prior to that he was the district director for Senate majority leader Mike Shirkey. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewFinkMI. Andrew’s Music Pick: The Allman Brothers Band Have the risers for the twin ...
Episode 99: Randy Barnett / Traffic & Steve Winwood
August 09, 2021 09:30 - 3 hours - 114 MBScot and Jeff discuss Traffic/Steve Winwood with Randy Barnett. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Randy Barnett. He’s the Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law at the Georgetown University Law Center where he directs the Georgetown Center for the Constitution. His most recent book, The Original Meaning of the 14th Amendment: Its Letter and Spirit, will be published by Harvard University Press and is now a...
Episode 98: Jeff Dufour / Neil Young [Part 3]
June 21, 2021 12:06 - 4 hours - 148 MBScot and Jeff discuss the third part of Neil Young’s career (1980–2021) with Jeff Dufour. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Jeff Dufour. Jeff is the editor in chief of National Journal. Find him on Twitter at @dcdufour. Jeff’s Music Pick: Neil Young (Part 3) If you need a podcast to sample and hold or feel rockin’ in the free world, then settle in and prepare to devote a full four hours of your life to the gang...
Episode 97: Jeff Dufour / Neil Young [Part 2]
May 31, 2021 16:15 - 3 hours - 119 MBScot and Jeff discuss the second part of Neil Young’s career (1973–1979) with Jeff Dufour. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Jeff Dufour. Jeff is the editor-in-chief of National Journal. Find him on Twitter at @dcdufour. Jeff’s Music Pick: Neil Young (Part 2) Grab a bottle of tequila, an inflatable palm tree, and a rack of honey slides to prepare yourself for our discussion of Neil Young’s latter Seventies care...
Episode 96: Jeff Dufour / Neil Young [Part 1]
May 17, 2021 09:30 - 2 hours - 95.5 MBScot and Jeff discuss the first part of Neil Young’s career (1963–1973) with Jeff Dufour. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are joined by guest Jeff Dufour. Jeff is the editor-in-chief of National Journal. Find him on Twitter at @dcdufour. Jeff’s Music Pick: Neil Young Step aside and open wide as we begin a long journey through the past of the profoundly great career of The Loner himself, Mr. Neil Young. The opening episode of this...
Episode 95: Helaine Olen on Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis
May 03, 2021 12:28 - 2 hours - 165 MBScot and Jeff discuss Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis with Helaine Olen. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Helaine Olen. Helaine is an opinion writer at the Washington Post. Find her on Twitter at @HelaineOlen. Helaine’s Music Pick: Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis So it turns out Hannah Nefler from Troop Beverly Hills and Ronnie Pinsky from “Salute Your Shorts” aren’t played by just talented child actors after all. Those actors, Jen...
Episode 94: John J. Miller on The Afghan Whigs/The Twilight Singers
March 29, 2021 09:30 - 3 hours - 198 MBScot and Jeff discuss The Afghan Whigs/The Twilight Singers with John J. Miller. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest John J. Miller. John is director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College and national correspondent for National Review, plus host of the NR podcasts The Great Books and The Bookmonger. Find him on Twitter at @heymiller. John’s Music Pick: The Afghan Whigs/The Twilight Singers Your attention, ...
Episode 93: Christopher Scalia / Spoon
March 15, 2021 09:30 - 3 hours - 174 MBScot and Jeff discuss Spoon with Christopher Scalia. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Christopher Scalia. Christopher is co-editor of Scalia Speaks: Reflections on Law, Faith, and Life Well Lived and On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer. He’s also the Director of Academic Programs at the American Enterprise Institute. Find him on Twitter at @cjscalia. Christopher’s Music Pick: Spoon This band from Austin has ...
Episode 92: Mark Hemingway / Nirvana
February 15, 2021 10:30 - 2 hours - 90.5 MBScot and Jeff discuss Nirvana with Mark Hemingway. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Mark Hemingway. Mark is is a writer at RealClearInvestigations and RealClearPolitics. Find him on Twitter at @heminator. Mark’s Music Pick: Nirvana Perhaps you’ve heard of these guys. With a single song, Nirvana knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the charts, essentially killed the hair-metal genre, and laid a blueprint that would lau...
Episode 91: Damon Linker / David Bowie [Part 3]
January 18, 2021 12:42 - 3 hours - 114 MBScot and Jeff discuss the third and final part of David Bowie’s career (1982-2016) with Damon Linker. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Damon Linker, Senior Columnist for The Week. Read Damon’s work here and follow him at @DamonLinker on Twitter. Damon’s Music Pick: David Bowie Political Beats knows when to go out, and when to stay in, and we’re asking you to stay in and listen to us discuss the brilliant adventure of th...
Episode 90: Damon Linker / David Bowie [Part 2]
January 11, 2021 13:58 - 3 hours - 124 MBScot and Jeff discuss the second part of David Bowie’s career (1974–1981) with Damon Linker. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Damon Linker, Senior Columnist for The Week. Read Damon’s work here and follow him at @DamonLinker on Twitter. Damon’s Music Pick: David Bowie It’s not the side effects of the cocaine, Political Beats is thinking that it must be love as it throws itself into the whirlpool of David Bowie’s latter-...
Episode 89: Damon Linker / David Bowie
December 21, 2020 10:30 - 3 hours - 110 MBScot and Jeff discuss the first part of David Bowie's career (1967–1974) with Damon Linker.
Episode 89: Damon Linker / David Bowie [Part 1]
December 21, 2020 10:30 - 3 hours - 110 MBScot and Jeff discuss the first part of David Bowie’s career (1967–1974) with Damon Linker. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Damon Linker, Senior Columnist for The Week. Read Damon’s work here and follow him at @DamonLinker on Twitter. Damon’s Music Pick: David Bowie Look out, you rock ‘n’ rollers! Pretty soon now, you’re gonna have to turn and face the strange as Political Beats begins a long journey, tackling the care...
Episode 88: Steve Singiser / Living Colour
November 23, 2020 10:30 - 2 hours - 81.8 MBScot and Jeff discuss Living Colour with Steve Singiser. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Steve Singiser. Steve is a contributing editor at Daily Kos Elections. Find him on Twitter at @stevesingiser. Steve’s Music Pick: Living Colour That riff is indelibly inked on your brain. You know the one. The first musical notes put to vinyl/tape/compact disc by Living Colour, kicking off “Cult of Personality.” That riff that come...
Episode 87: Brad Birzer / Genesis [ Part 2]
November 02, 2020 10:30 - 3 hours - 191 MBScot and Jeff discuss second part of Genesis’s career (the Phil Collins years) with Brad Birzer. Introducing the Band: Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Dr. Brad Birzer. Brad is the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and Professor of History at Hillsdale College. He’s the co-founder of, and Senior Contributor at, The Imaginative Conservative. And he’s the author of a number of books, including Neil Peart: Cultural (Re)Percussions. Find...