Travels in Music

Hello fellow music lovers!

Man, it’s been a long time.

A whole lot has happened between the last episode in 2016, and today. And I wanted to speak to you today to fill you in on what happened to Travels in Music, and more importantly share something pretty exciting.

I just launched a brand new podcast.

It’s called Humans in Love, and it’s a venue for smart, relaxed conversations about culture, relationships, and personal development featuring unconventional perspectives. (You might think of it as “self-improvement that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”) Basically, if you liked Travels in Music, I think you’ll like Humans in Love–the format will be similar, my interview style will be similar, the only difference is the range of topics discussed–and, possibly, the level of frankness and honesty in the show.

My first guest will be familiar to TIM listeners: Mark Lewisohn is the world’s leading authority on the greatest rock n’ roll band of all-time, the Beatles. And for Episode 1 of Humans in Love, I sat down with Mark at the British Library in London where we discussed travel, productivity, the creative process, conflicts, working with George and Paul, and much, much more. It’s a two-part episode that I know you’ll love.

To find Humans in Love just search “Humans in Love” in iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, Google Play, or whatever podcast service you’re using. Or you can visit www.humansinlove.com. Episodes 0 and 1 are available right now!

Thanks for your support, thanks for listening, and I hope you join me for this exciting new project. I’m in it for the long haul, and I’d love to have your company along the way.

Visit the Humans in Love website right here.

And you can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @zfstockill.

Here’s to Humans in Love!

Live from Chiang Mai, northern Thailand!

Today’s episode features an update about the future of Travels in Music, my thoughts after recording twenty episodes, what it’s like producing a podcast, what I’ve learned, how I’m thinking about changing moving forward, and more.

Above all: thank-you, so much, for listening so far. Bigger and better things to come.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

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The past few years have been very good to fans of the late singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson.

We got to see an excellent feature-length documentary on Nilsson’s life and work, the remastering of his entire discography with several discs of bonus material, along with the release of what will surely go down as the definitive Nilsson biography by Alyn Shipton. What’s more, several high-profile online publications have published long overdue retrospectives celebrating his all-too-brief career.

For longtime fans of an artist who spent most of the past few decades toiling in obscurity, these are all welcome developments. I feel gratified that more and more music fans appear to be giving Harry his due, and recognizing his contribution to the development of American popular music.

However, many still fail to appreciate what I consider Nilsson’s finest hour.

In 2013, Grantland’s Sean Fennessey wrote a thoughtful and engaging article on Nilsson that serves as an effective “Nilsson primer” for new fans. As Fennessey surveyed the artist’s achievements—from “Everybody’s Talkin’,” to his Grammy-award winning opus Nilsson Schmilsson—I held my breath as he began to critique A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, Harry’s 1973 album comprising standards from the Great American Songbook.

I was disappointed, but not entirely surprised when Fennessey summed up A Little Touch of Schmilsson as “immaculately sung,” but ultimately a “dull and staid listen.”

I violently disagree—disagree seems too meek a word—with this last point. And I intend to prove Sean Fennessey wrong with this audio essay.

Hardly “dull and staid,” A Little Touch of Schmilsson In The Night is instead one of the most beautifully sung and arranged collections of pop music you’ve (probably) never heard; it’s an important and exciting listen, especially when you consider the pop landscape into which it emerged back in 1973. What’s more, decades after its release A Little Touch holds up; from the 1970’s to the present, there has not been a more impressive, and well-performed testament to the enduring appeal of the classic period of American popular song.

I hope you enjoy today’s episode of Travels in Music in defense of A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

* A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night by Harry Nilsson (Amazon / iTunes)

* Sean Fennessey’s feature on Nilsson (Grantland)

* Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter by Alyn Shipton (Amazon)

* Who Is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everyone Talking About Him?) documentary (Amazon)

* Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson (

The Canadian rock n’ roll band The Tragically Hip occupy a special place in my country’s musical culture. Although the Hip have dedicated American and European fans, they have, for the most part, concentrated their efforts on building and sustaining their ravenous Canadian fanbase.

Many of the band’s most loved songs address distinctly Canadian themes—hockey, the wilderness, unremarkable small towns—but they also address wider conflicts and inequalities in Canadian society. They are, in so many ways, Canada’s rock band, and among the most widely admired and celebrated artists in the country.

This is why it sent shockwaves through the country when it was announced in May of this year that Gord Downie, the lead singer of the Hip, has terminal brain cancer, and this summer’s tour will likely be the band’s last. On hearing this news, Canadians experienced an outpouring of emotion, and even casual Hip fans—people like me—were impacted by the news. The CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster, has decided to broadcast the band’s final concert on August 20 to a nationwide audience.

In short: the Tragically Hip mean a lot to my country. But the band might mean even more to my guest today.

Joshua Kloke is a music and sports writer, contributing to The Guardian, Vice, Sports Illustrated, and many other publications.

His book Escape Is At Hand: Tales of a Boy and a Band is a memoir detailing his passion for the music of Tragically Hip, and detail his travels around North America and Europe in the footsteps of his musical idols. In today’s episode of Travels in Music I wanted to speak to Joshua to better understand the place of the Tragically Hip in Canadian music history, hear more about his travels following the band, and discuss the recent news about Gord Downie.

I hope you enjoy sitting in on a very Canadian episode of Travels in Music, with my guest Joshua Kloke.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

Escape Is At Hand: Tales of a Boy and a Band by Joshua Kloke (Amazon)

The Tragically Hip (official website)

Details on the August 20th CBC concert broadcast (CBC Music)

“Fifty Mission Cap” by the Tragically Hip (Amazon / iTunes)

An excerpt from Escape Is At Hand (Aux.Tv)

“It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken” by the Tragically Hip (Amazon / iTunes)

“Bobcaygeon” by the Tragically Hip (

Even though the art of disc-jockeying is nearly one hundred years old, with modern DJs selling out stadiums and celebrated like rock stars the world over, there remain many misconceptions about DJs, and the art of djing.

Perhaps the most egregious of these misconceptions is that djing is easy, and anyone with half a sense of rhythm and the ability to push a button can do it—this is, to put it mildly, absolutely, patently, violently untrue.

For the most talented DJs know how to read and feel a room better than anyone on the planet, digging deep into their unique musical knowledge to spin records that will, above all else, create a vibe, get people moving, and feeling good. This is not easy, and I write to you today as a DJ who is learning this more and more.

I imagine that dancing at a club with a good DJ must feel something like how going to a religious festival feels for the religious. This life-affirming experience of spiritual renewal is possible, and only possible, with a DJ who possesses hard-won skill, sensitivity, rhythm, creativity, curiosity, and above all else, the ability to create a unique atmosphere, and play directly to the dance floor’s often unconscious yearnings. 

To help me understand all of this better, I wanted to speak to one of the foremost historians of djing.

A talented and widely-respected DJ himself, Bill Brewster is the co-author of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, the definitive history of the art form, while also contributing to The Guardian, The Independent, and many other publications. Bill also hosts a popular podcast called DJ History, and tours the world spinning the records he loves.

In today’s episode of Travels in Music, Bill and I talk about his personal history in dance music, the art and history of DJing, why disco is so important to modern dance music, the secrets of the world’s best DJs, and much more.

Regardless of whether or not you’ve attended a club in your life, I don’t think you’ll want to miss sitting in on this fascinating conversation with the author and world traveling DJ, Bill Brewster.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

* Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton (Amazon)

* “The Love” by Linus Loves, from Bill Brewster’s Late Night Tales Presents After Dark (Amazon / iTunes)

* An oral history of the beginning of disco (Vanity Fair)

* “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor (Amazon / iTunes)

* A “60 Minutes” story on disco from 1978 (YouTube)

* An excellent DJ set by Bill courtesy of Boiler Room (YouTube)

The Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen has written some of the most eloquent, powerful, and important popular songs of the past half century.

Although many members of the younger generation are only familiar with his modern day hymn “Hallelujah,” that’s really just skimming the surface of Cohen’s brilliance. For the man who wrote “Hallelujah” has also given us “Suzanne,” “So Long, Marianne,” “Anthem,” “Closing Time,” “If It Be Your Will,” and several dozen other songs that musicians will still be covering in twenty, fifty, one hundred years time.

Leonard Cohen is, arguably, my country’s greatest living songwriter—and an artist deserving of a thoughtful, eloquent, and comprehensive biography. Thankfully, my guest today has provided music fans with just that.

Sylvie Simmons is a longtime rock critic and music writer whose 2012 biography of Cohen, I’m Your Man, was the rare hotly anticipated music biography that lived up to the hype.

Written over several years with the support, if not the official endorsement of its subject, I’m Your Man is an engrossing and moving read, inspiring to Cohen fans as well as anyone who does anything creative for a living. Leonard Cohen’s 80-plus years on this planet have been fascinating, occasionally tumultuous, and complex, and his biographer—herself a longtime fan—has honoured and celebrated Cohen’s life with her book.

In today’s episode of Travels in Music, Sylvie Simmons and I discuss her personal encounters with Cohen, what his music has meant to her and so many others, Cohen’s reputation as a ladies man, salacious Canadian journalism, and much more.

I was privileged for her to join me, and I hope you enjoy sitting in on my conversation with the author of I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, Ms. Sylvie Simmons.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

* I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen by Sylvie Simmons (Amazon)

* “Suzanne” by Leonard Cohen (Amazon / iTunes)

* The Best of Leonard Cohen (Amazon / iTunes)

* Sylvie Simmons performing “Famous Blue Raincoat” (YouTube)

* Tom Waits interviewed by Sylvie Simmons

* “You Are In My Arms” by Sylvie Simmons (Amazon /

Binkey is a Chicago-born, Chiang Mai-based poet, musician, MC, and teacher. He’s also a man with many different interests, ideas, and opinions, and he and I go deep in this episode of Travels in Music.

As my first sit-down, in-person interview (so much more fun than Skype), in today’s episode Binkey and I discuss growing up in Chicago, the Chicago music scene, artistic competition, racism, hip hop, police violence, winning arguments with your girlfriend, Kanye West, Black Lives Matter, slavery, Dave Chappelle, and much more. Binkey also tells me about life as an African-American in Thailand, and how life in Chiang Mai differs drastically from life in Chicago.

I was pleased to have him as my guest, and I think you’ll enjoy this episode of Travels in Music featuring Binkey.

Mentioned in this episode:

* “The Light” by Common (Amazon / iTunes)

* “Have You Seen Her?” by the Chi-Lites (not the Delfonics, Zach) (Amazon / iTunes)

* The bizarrely clad hippie mecca of Pai, Thailand

* Dave Chappelle on Kanye West (YouTube)

* 8 Mile (Amazon)

* “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates

* The Black White Supremacist (YouTube)

* The Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Project

* “Blush” by Adam Ness (Amazon / iTunes)

Learn more about Binkey at:

* His Facebook page

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My guest today is a founding member of one of the most unique, interesting, and eclectic groups on the world stage.

Back in 2006, Delhi 2 Dublin began as a side project for vocalist Sanjay Seran. As the band name suggests, Sanjay and fellow founding member Tarun Nayar began playing a fusion of North Indian bhangra and Celtic music with a healthy dose of electronica thrown in for good measure.

I remember that when the band first appeared on the Canadian music scene ten years ago, they sounded like nothing else: it was exciting, it was intriguing, and more than anything they made you want to move. This remains true today, though over the years, their sound has evolved to increasingly feature elements from bass electronic music.

The band’s latest album, We’re All Desi, has garnered Delhi 2 Dublin some of the strongest reviews of their career, and their audience, in their native Canada and beyond, continues to grow. These days, Sanjay and his bandmates tour on multiple continents, finding a particularly eager and appreciative new audience for their sound in India.

I wanted to talk to Sanjay to better understand what it’s like being a part of such a unique musical project, the challenges he’s faced as a result, and what he envisions for Delhi 2 Dublin’s future. In today’s episode of Travels in Music, Sanjay and I have a wide-ranging discussion about all of these issues, as well as discussing what it’s like touring in India, fatherhood, the challenges of trying to make it in the 21st century music business, and more.

I hope you enjoy sitting in on my conversation with Delhi 2 Dublin vocalist, Sanjay Seran.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

* “Voodoo Selekta” by Delhi 2 Dublin (Amazon / iTunes)

* Apache Indian (Wikipedia)

* Vancouver Folk Festival

* Delhi 2 Dublin’s India documentary (YouTube)

* We’re All Desi by Delhi 2 Dublin (Amazon / iTunes)

* “TumbiWOW” by Delhi 2 Dublin (Amazon / iTunes)

Learn more about Delhi 2 Dublin at:

* The band’s official website

* Twitter

When we think about the roots of rock n’ roll, we generally tend to think about people like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. For reasons owing to politics, race, and the various prejudices of historians and music journalists, many of the earliest African-American blues, jazz, and r n’ b pioneers, such as Louis Jordan and Roy Brown, are often confined to the footnotes of rock history. My guest today is trying to change that.

Preston Lauterbach is the author of The Chitlin Circuit and the Road to Rock n’ Roll, a Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and NPR book of the year.

The chitlin’ circuit is the name given to a string of performance venues, mostly throughout the Southern US, which was safe and acceptable for African-American entertainers to perform in during the age of racial segregation. “The circuit” was the incubator for many of the most important rock musicians of the 20th century, including Little Richard and BB King, along with a host of lesser known, but no less important blues and rock pioneers.

Still, the history of the chitlin’ circuit is largely unknown, and it is a fascinating history involving savvy businessmen, organized crime, female impersonators, scandalous lyrics, and more than anything, incredible musicians. To put it simply, the early chitlin’ circuit represented rock n’ roll in its earliest, purest, and possibly most exciting form. In today’s episode of Travels in Music, my guest and I go deep into this remarkable story.

I hope you enjoy sitting in on my conversation with the author of The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock n’ Roll, Preston Lauterbach.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

* The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock n’ Roll by Preston Lauterbach (Amazon)

* Beale St. Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis by Preston Lauterbach (Amazon)

* “Good Rockin’ Tonight” by Roy Brown (Amazon / iTunes)

* “Good Rockin’ Tonight” by Elvis Presley (Amazon / iTunes)

* “Candy Licker” by Marvin Sease (

Think about your all-time favourite musician. Someone you’ve been following since you were very young. Someone whose music touches you like no one else’s.

Now imagine being invited into that person’s world, watching them rehearse behind closed doors, spending time with them, sharing drinks on their plane, taking in their concerts from the side of the stage.

My guest today had the rare opportunity to live out this teenage fantasy.

Today, Rich Cohen is an award-winning author and contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. But in the early 90s he was a young music journalist blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend several weeks covering a band he’s loved since childhood, the Rolling Stones, spending time with them as they rehearsed in preparation for a world tour.

Rich has authored around ten books, including the widely lauded The Fish that Ate the Whale. He is also the co-creator of Vinyl, the HBO series directed by Martin Scorsese. In today’s episode of Travels in Music Rich and I have an in-depth discussion about his new book The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones, which provides a gripping overview of the band’s history, as well as an intimate personal history of his love for the Stones, and his encounters with Jagger, Richards, and company.

Rich and I also talk about tracing the band’s travels around the world, the nature of fame, the deterioration of Mick and Keith’s friendship, incurring the wrath of Mick Jagger’s publicist, and what makes the Stones, in his view, the greatest rock and roll band of all time.

So sit back, pour yourself a finger or two of Jack Daniels, and enjoy sitting in on my discussion with the author of The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones, Rich Cohen.

Also available via Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

Rich’s new book, The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones (Amazon)

“Beast of Burden” by the Rolling Stones (Amazon / iTunes)

“Soul Survivor” by the Rolling Stones (Amazon / iTunes)

The 1970 Stones documentary Gimme Shelter (Amazon)

“Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones (