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Sound Opinions

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Music criticism programming for people who love music!
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Whether you're an expert, or just a casual fan, *Sound Opinions* is your source for smart and engaging music criticism and conversation. Each week on the show, nationally respected rock critics and interview artists, talk about pop culture and music industry news, review new record releases and give trends a historical context. And, because on *Sound Opinions*, "everyone's a

critic," listeners are invited to join in the debate.

*Sound Opinions* is distributed nationally by [{tag: PRX}](http://www.prx.org/soundopinions/). *Sound Opinions* can be heard on stations across the country and online at SoundOpinions.org.

06/02/2026

Then read the newsletter where Jim reflects on why list episodes remain such a listener favorite and revisits the idea that “artists generally have a lifetime to make their first record and only a few months to make their second.” Listen here: https://bit.ly/435Qd1p

06/01/2026

In the 70th episode of Everything Else, Greg recommends the UK crime series "Happy Valley" and Jim makes the case for getting its creator on the podcast. Listen now on the Sound Opinions Patreon: https://bit.ly/4uOhYYk

05/28/2026

Jim pays tribute to legendary songwriter Chip Taylor, who died March 23, 2026 at 86. From writing songs for Frank Sinatra and Janis Joplin to penning Wild Thing for The Troggs, Taylor’s career was the definition of a music industry legend.

➡️ Listen now to hear Jim celebrate one of the great old-school songwriting characters: https://bit.ly/4f8zLET

05/23/2026

Greg gives some love to Chicago’s 1980s indie-rock underground with a song by the band Green.

Calling Green one of the most underrated bands in Midwestern garage-rock history, Greg reflects on the city’s indie scene and his longtime love for the group’s first three albums: https://bit.ly/4nJ0cDm

05/22/2026

Jim and Greg are joined by author Nic Brown for a Classic Album Dissection of The Violent Femmes’ landmark 1983 debut album.

From “Blister in the Sun” to “Add It Up,” the conversation explores why these songs still resonate decades later: https://bit.ly/4dFaik7

Then Greg writes about the lasting impact of Violent Femmes, from the band’s Midwest underground roots to unforgettable live Chicago performances and their influence across generations of musicians: https://bit.ly/4fk0BtV

05/15/2026

Jim and Greg talk with biographer Will Hermes about Lou Reed’s music, persona, contradictions and enduring legacy. From the Velvet Underground to his solo career, they revisit the work of one of rock’s most influential and endlessly debated artists: https://bit.ly/4tyUTYw

In this week’s newsletter, Greg reflects on his personal history with Reed, revisiting the interviews he conducted across the final decades of Reed’s life, the albums that continued to reveal something new — masterpieces and duds alike — and Reed’s singular ambition to create rock music that could engage listeners emotionally, intellectually and even spiritually: https://bit.ly/4tAl29h

05/14/2026

Jim shares his thoughts on Season 2 of Hulu’s “Paradise,” the dystopian thriller set in a city-sized underground bunker after a doomsday event. Jim digs into the show’s unsettling premise and the real-world inspiration that makes it feel even more terrifying: https://bit.ly/4uJDIUO

05/13/2026

What do you miss most about the AM radio listening days? 📻

Jim brings us back to 1974, a time when the hits were all over the map. From great songs to truly questionable ones, and plenty in between. This bonus episode revisits one massive pop hit that might be either the worst song of its era or one of the most unforgettable: https://bit.ly/4d8psiQ

05/08/2026

Greg shares a song that was championed early on by English radio DJ John Peel. Peel, the BBC radio DJ who managed The Misunderstood, helped bring attention to the band formed in Riverside, CA in 1963 during the first wave of garage rock. He once called them “the pandoras box in 1960s Hollywood.” 🔗 Listen here: https://bit.ly/4tmx85U

05/06/2026

Jim and Greg talk with Ratboys singer and songwriter Julia Steiner about the acclaimed new album "Singin’ to an Empty Chair" and the band’s continued run of standout releases: https://bit.ly/4uuQQNs

In this week’s newsletter, Jim explores the idea behind the Empty Chair Technique and how it resonates with Ratboys’ latest album, noting, "If talking to an empty chair is helpful, singing must be even better, right? Because music makes everything better, always." https://bit.ly/3OKfGKo

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