Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

This week we're sharing an episode from one of Slate's podcasts called Hit Parade. A decade ago, Rolling Stone magazine called 1984 “Pop’s Greatest Year.” A bold statement…but a lot of critics agree. A confluence of factors—the comeback of dance music, the peak of MTV, the Second British Invasion and the emergence of metal and hip-hop—made the radio a great place to be.

Join Chris Molanphy in this episode of Slate's Hit Parade as he dissects eight reasons why 1984 was awesome for pop fans and walks through all 20 of the year’s No. 1 hits: from “Jump” to “Hello,” “Karma Chameleon” to “Caribbean Queen,” “Let’s Go Crazy” to “Like a Virgin.”

Conor Oberst's music is dynamic, deeply smart, captivating, funny, and sometimes biting. His extensive catalogue dates back to the early '90s and includes music with Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos, the Mystic Valley band, the Faint, Commander Venus, Monsters of Folk, a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, and of course his solo material.

On today's episode Justin Richmond and Conor Oberst discuss Conor's deep catalogue, and Conor recalls how he got his start by sending valentines to his favorite indie labels. He also explains how he was able to build an independent musical movement in his native Omaha, Nebraska.

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 decade.

Their latest album, Love Heart Cheat Code, came out earlier this year. It's the group’s fourth proper album and features some of their strongest songwriting yet while still managing to weave in some of the incredibly complex musical ideas they’re known for.

For today's episode, Justin Richmond met up with Hiatus Kaiyote at NRG Studios in Los Angeles, at the end of their US tour to talk through their new album. They also touch on their role as collaborators within—and outside of—the group, and we'll hear them perform a live set.

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 improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music. Her latest album is a gorgeous set of songs inspired by the life and work of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and it celebrates the 100 year anniversary of women securing the right to vote in the United States.

In Aoife’s conversation with Bruce Headlam on today’s episode you’ll hear her perform some songs live and hear her talk about how this project crystallized for her, and some of the challenges it posed.

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 Kelley on lead guitar, The Breeders released a couple EPs and four studio albums, including the platinum-selling ‘90s hit, Last Splash.

This year after a run with The Breeders opening up for Olivia Rodrigo's worldwide Guts tour, Kim Deal is once again heading out on her own with the release of her first solo album, Nobody Loves You More. The album was recorded by the late Steve Albini, a close friend and longtime collaborator of Kim’s, and it features a slew of her other old friends and collaborators, including Slint’s Britt Walford on drums, and The Breeders Josephine Wiggs, Jim Macphearson, and of course Kelley Deal.

On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Kim Deal about working with Steve Albini on The Pixies Surfer Rosa, and why he always regretted a specific contribution to that album. Kim also recalls recording The Breeders’ first two albums, and she remembers how a group of surfers on a druggy trip to Nantucket helped inspire her new lead single, Coast.