In this episode we dive into Grace Jones’ 1981 album Nightclubbing and talk about why it’s one of the most important art-pop records of all time.

We dig into Grace Jones as a performer and as a queer, androgynous icon – how she can seamlessly code-switch between fashion runways, queer clubs, Jamaican roots, downtown NY art scenes and mainstream pop. We talk about the Compass Point sound (Sly & Robbie, minimal dub-inflected grooves, Wally Badarou synths), and the visual world she built with Jean-Paul Goude.

We also argue about whether Nightclubbing or Warm Leatherette is her true masterpiece, and what each album represents in her evolution.

In this episode:

– Track and moment highlights across Nightclubbing

– Sly & Robbie, Compass Point Studios and the hybrid of reggae, post-disco, new wave and funk

– Grace Jones’ queer identity, persona and ability to shape-shift depending on the room

– The case for Nightclubbing vs Warm Leatherette as her definitive album

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro & First Impressions

00:20:46 - The Artistry of Grace Jones

00:41:48 - Production and Album Cover

01:00:32 - Standout Songs

01:38:45 - Hot Takes

01:43:31 - Final Thoughts

🔊 Support & follow:

Patreon – https://patreon.com/blackmarketdub

Bandcamp – https://blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com

Escape Hatch Records – https://escapehatchrecords.com

Instagram – https://instagram.com/blackmarket_dub

YouTube – https://youtube.com/blackmarketdub

In this episode we dive into David Allan Coe’s Longhaired Redneck, one of the defining records of the 1970s outlaw country era—and a great lens for talking about how myth, image and real-life controversy collide.

We get into the sound and songwriting on the album, the “longhaired redneck” persona Coe leans into, and what makes this record musically compelling even as his broader catalog and legacy are wrapped up in some deeply problematic material. We also talk about how we feel engaging with outlaw country when the artist’s off-mic behavior and beliefs are hard to separate from the songs.

In this episode:

– Musical deep dive on Longhaired Redneck and key tracks including the title song

– Outlaw country context: Coe alongside Waylon, Willie, Kristofferson, etc.

– Image vs reality: how much of Coe’s persona is performance and how much is real

– How we personally navigate listening to (and critiquing) artists with troubling histories

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro and First Impressions)

00:29:51 (Country Vs Outlaw Country)

01:06:30 (David Allan Coe, Politics, and Culture)

01:20:11 (Production of Longhaired Redneck)

01:46:10 (Standout Songs, Favorite/Best, and Hot Takes)

02:16:53 (Final Thoughts and Next Album Pick)

Massive SPOILERS for this movie right away, so do yourself a favor and go see it!

One Battle After Another, the new film by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infinity, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro, is EASILY my favorite film of 2025. Today on the show, Brandon and I discuss all our favorite aspects of the film, its meanings and intentions, and where it sits in our PTA rankings.

For full AD-FREE episodes, bonus video episodes, and more content, please subscribe to our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/c/BlackMarketDub

For The AUDIO ONLY version of this podcast, you can find this show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Follow us on Instagram: @blackmarket_dub

To listen to our music, visit: https://blackmarketdub.bandcamp.com/

For vinyl purchases and more: https://escapehatchrecords.com/

#PTA #Paulthomasanderson #obaa #OneBattleAfterAnother

Oasis are back on a massive reunion tour, so we went back to the album that made them stadium legends: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

In this episode of Playback, Nate and Brandon dig into how this record actually holds up in 2020s headphones. We talk about the songwriting, the wall-of-guitars production, Noel vs Liam dynamics, Britpop history, and whether Morning Glory is truly a masterpiece or just a very good time capsule. We also put it in context with the Oasis reunion and how these songs hit now.

In this episode:

– Track-by-track highlights (“Hello,” “Roll With It,” “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Champagne Supernova” and more)

– How the guitar tones, chords and arrangements do more work than people give them credit for

– Britpop, class, swagger, and why Oasis blew up the way they did

– Our honest answer: does Morning Glory still deserve its legendary status?

🔊 Support & follow Playback:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Bandcamp – our original music as Black Market Dub

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro and First Impressions)

00:26:52 (Britpop and Oasis in the 90s)

00:46:41 (Music Analysis)

01:36:56 (Standout Songs)

02:01:37 (Favorite/Best and Hot Takes)

02:16:53 (Final Thoughts and Spoilers for Succession lol) F

or Further Study: Oasis: Supersonic https://tubitv.com/movies/100038702/oasis-supersonic

Ween fans, this one’s for you. In this episode of Playback, Nate and Brandon are joined by comedian and podcaster Kyle Clark (This Is Rad) to dive into The Mollusk, Ween’s watery, proggy, sea-shanty psych masterpiece.

We talk about why this record has such a cult following, how tightly written and arranged it actually is under all the goofiness, and what makes Ween so good at jumping genres without losing their identity. From maritime prog to fake folk, from heavy riffs to bizarre character voices, The Mollusk has it all.

In this episode:

– Track and moment highlights across The Mollusk

– How the band builds a whole underwater world with harmony, sound design and lyrics

– Why this might be Ween’s most complete “album-album”

– Kyle’s perspective as a lifelong Ween fan and host of This Is Rad

🔊 Support & follow:

• Playback on Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collabs

• Kyle’s podcast: This Is Rad (wherever you get podcasts)

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro and History of WEEN)

00:48:06 (The Mollusk)

01:30:23 (Standout Songs)

01:58:46 (Favorite/Best and Hot Takes)

02:12:57 (Final Thoughts)

02:21:49 (Kyle Clark plugs)

Parliament at peak powers. In this episode we dive into Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome, the 1977 P-Funk classic where George Clinton turns a whole philosophy of funk vs. “placebo” disco and consumerism into a wild concept album.

We talk about the P-Funk mythology (Sir Nose d’Voidoffunk, the Placebo Syndrome, the idea of funk as real life-force), how this ties together tracks like “Bop Gun (Endangered Species),” “Sir Nose d’Voidoffunk,” “Wizard of Finance,” “Funkentelechy,” “Placebo Syndrome” and of course “Flash Light,” with Bernie Worrell’s legendary synth-bass line.

In this episode:

– What the “placebo syndrome” actually is in the context of P-Funk

– How Parliament use groove, chants and comedy to talk about consumer culture

– Why Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome is one of the most important funk records of the ’70s

– How this album fits into the larger P-Funk universe and Parliament’s run of classics.

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

00:16:13 (Brief History of Parliament - Funkadelic)

00:41:56 (The Concept and Music of the album)

01:21:27 (Standout Songs and Deep Dive)

02:12:041 (Final Thoughts)

Today we're discussing some MOVIES! Brandon and I are both film nerds, so we're taking today to talk about two of our recent favorites that came out in theatres.

Full Episode:

Patreon.com/blackmarketdub

We close out our Reggae Summer series with a deep dive into Third World’s classic album 96 Degrees in the Shade.

As reggae musicians ourselves, we talk about why this record hits so hard: the roots foundation, the crossover melodies, the political fire in the title track, and the band’s unique place between Kingston and the broader “world music” market.

We’re joined by special guest John Roy of Escape Hatch Records and Smoke and Mirrors Sound System, who brings a label owner/producer perspective to the songwriting, arrangements and performances on the album.

In this episode:

– Track highlights and musical deep dive on 96 Degrees in the Shade

– Third World’s role in roots reggae vs crossover reggae

– Politics, history and the vibe of 1970s Jamaica

– How this album influenced our own approach as Black Market Dub

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – releases & collabs

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

00:12:36 (The Music of 96 Degrees in the Shade)

00:46:47 (History of Third World)

01:01:23 (Standout Songs)

01:37:46 (1865 and The Morant Bay Rebellion)

02:05:23 (Final Thoughts and John Roy Plugs)

Clip from this weeks bonus episode where we're talking about some very insane drug use I saw while at the Grateful Dead shows in San Francisco. Also we read a writeup that Joe Bob Briggs wrote for our new album, but that is in the full episode available on our Patreon page!

Patreon.com/blackmarketdub

In this Reggae Summer episode we dive into The Congos’ Heart of the Congos, widely considered one of the greatest roots reggae albums ever recorded – and we treat it primarily as a Lee “Scratch” Perry story.

We talk about the Black Ark era, Perry’s production style, and how he used tape, echo and atmosphere to create a spiritual, otherworldly sound around Cedric Myton and Roy “Ashanti” Johnson’s voices. We also get into the history and mythology around Black Ark, stories from the book People Funny Boy, and how this record fits into Perry’s wider body of work.

In this episode:

– Track and moment highlights from Heart of the Congos

– Lee “Scratch” Perry’s studio experiments at Black Ark

– The Congos’ harmonies, Rasta themes and biblical imagery

– How this album shaped our own approach to reggae and dub as Black Market Dub

🔊 Support & follow:

• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio

• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music

• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations

• Instagram – clips and episode updates

Chapters:

00:00 (Intro)

00:17:46 (Who is Lee "Scratch" Perry?)

00:50:38 (The Black Ark, and effects demonstration)

01:42:03 (How did The Black Ark burn down?)

02:03:20 (The Music of Heart of the Congos)

02:32:48 (Standout Songs)

03:02:24 (Final Thoughts)