The Imperative Jingle Bells

A culture that rewards easily consumable individual identities produces plenty of pop stars and almost no bands. A significant exception: MUNA, the trio of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. MUNA treats the band as a structure that grounds identity beyond the ego a ...  Show more

Canada’s favorite export Drake is back! This month, the Toronto singer-rapper extraordinaire released three albums simultaneously: the long-anticipated return to form Iceman, the sultry, R&B Habibti and the pop-focused, clubby Maid of Honour. All three albums have much different ...  Show more

Rob explores Mariah Carey’s modern classic Christmas anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by discussing the transcendent vocalist’s tumultuous early life and career, her oft-overlooked songwriting prowess, and how the song builds on the long canon of Christmas music. This epi ...  Show more

Some Christmas songs aren’t as merry or bright as they seem. Annie Zaleski uncovers the mystery and drama behind Bobby Helms’ 1957 holiday hit, “Jingle Bell Rock.”🔗ANNIE’S LINKS: This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday HitsWebsiteNewsletterInstagram Faceb ...  Show more

The legendary songwriter, who's releasing her debut album later this year, shares stories from songs spanning her entire career, from "Rhythm of the Night" to "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing," with host Brian Hiatt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice ...  Show more

Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos join host Brian Hiatt for a rundown of their favorite Christmas and holiday songs, from Mariah Carey to Ariana Grande to Run-DMC to Bruce Springsteen – and oddities including Bryan Adams' "Reggae Christmas" and the entire existence of Trans-Siber ...  Show more