Free Daily Podcast Summary
Caropop: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Mark Caro
There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. The Caropopcast is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 3 days ago1h 11m
Jim Babjak (The Smithereens)
Smithereens guitarist Jim Babjak shared a love of the British Invasion and Beach Boys with classmate and drummer (and previous Caropop guest) Dennis Diken when they teamed up with bassist Mike Mesaros and signed on singer-songwriter-guitarist Pat DiNizio. Babjak describes this New Jersey power-pop group’s rise, fall and current resurgence as a live band featuring a rotating roster of lead singers substituting for the late DiNizio, including previous Caropop guests Marshall Crenshaw, John Cowsill and Wesley Stace. Who wrote the indelible riffs for songs such as “Only a Memory” and “A Girl Like You”? How did Babjak gain confidence in his own songwriting? He explores the thorny issue of publishing royalties and explains why he took a job with a bank for 20 years. He also describes DiNizio’s last years and what prompted the band to resume playing after he was gone. How did 2026 become the Smithereens’ busiest year since 1994? What’s happening with that prospective new Smithereens album?
- 1 weeks ago1h 29m
Bill Wyman (Writer)
Song-ranking articles can be annoying clickbait, but those written by longtime journalist Bill Wyman are endlessly provocative, entertaining and informative, with individual entries becoming deep-diving, mind-opening essays. For Vulture, Wyman ranked every song by the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, the Clash and Pink Floyd, as well as every Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Now Wyman has added Nirvana and the Eagles songs to the mix and compiled it all in Bill Wyman’s Rock & Roll Lists. Here we bat around his ridiculous choice for the Beatles’ worst song; dissect how publishing royalties muddied the Pink Floyd waters; discuss why he ranked songs by the Eagles rather than, say, R.E.M., U2 or Prince; and weigh the Hall of Fame worthiness of Pat Benatar and Stevie Nicks vs. Aimee Mann and PJ Harvey. Wyman also reflects on Poptimism and Chicago’s early ‘90s glory, feud-fueled days featuring Steve Albini, Urge Overkill and Liz Phair.
- 2 weeks ago1h 8m
Natalie Merchant
After making widely loved music as a solo artist and, beforehand, with 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant is focusing on children for her latest project, Cabinet of Wonder. Spurred by her work with Head Start preschoolers in upstate New York, Merchant set Mother Goose verses to music and collaborated with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Children’s Theatre to bring the recordings and videos (starring her as Mother Goose) to life. In this wide-ranging conversation, Merchant speaks of the allure and legend of Mother Goose; describes why working with children is bringing her more joy than pursuing another solo project; and reflects on joining 10,000 Maniacs at age 17, co-writing with band members, working with various producers and feeling compelled to leave after 1992’s hit-filled Our Time in Eden. Did she have any inkling that her first solo album, Tigerlily (1997), would propel her to new artistic and commercial heights? (Photo by Joe Mazza)
- 3 weeks ago1h 6m
Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean has a brilliant talent for crafting compelling narratives from idiosyncratic topics that have piqued her interest: orchid poachers in Florida for The Orchid Thief, a movie star dog for Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend and the Los Angeles Central Library for The Library Book, among others. Last year she shifted the focus to herself for a revealing, inspirational memoir, Joyride, that celebrates pursuing one’s curiosity into odd corners. Here Orlean, who preceded me at the Boston Phoenix by a few years, discusses when she knows a topic has reached critical mass to become a book, whether she does all of her reporting before she begins writing, how she decides how much of herself to put into a story, whether she can write whatever she wants now and how her life was affected by Meryl Streep portraying a fictionalized version of her in Adaptation. (Photo by Chloe Aftel.)
- Aug 13, 20261 min
Caropop Summer Recess 2026
We're going on break! We'll be back the Thursday after Labor Day! In the meantime, you can listen to this message and catch up on old Caropop episodes (no way you've heard all 237!) and check out what we've posted on our Caropop YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Caropopcast. Please hit "subscribe" while you're there. Enjoy your late summer, and we'll be back with you soon!
- Aug 6, 202655 min
Laura Benanti
Laura Benanti is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical star who noticed some things while looking back on her life and career. She has channeled these observations—about being a perpetual people-pleaser and evolving from The Sound of Music-starring ingenue to a fortysomething singer, actor and mother—into a one-woman comedy-musical show Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares (which plays at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Aug. 6-9). Here she talks about how she created the material and co-wrote the songs, how different cities and audiences affect her performances, whether she grew up preferring singer-songwriters or musical soundtracks, how she connected with Stephen Colbert and crafted her Melania Trump impersonation on The Late Show, how she’d like to keep scratching her comedy itch, how television factors into her plans and what it might take to get her back onto a Broadway stage. (Photo by Heather Gershonowitz)
- Jul 30, 20261h 5m
Michael Hampton (Funkadelic/Parliament)
Michael Hampton earned the nickname Kidd Funkadelic as the hotshot guitarist who at age 17 joined the Funkadelic/Parliament universe after wowing P-Funk leader George Clinton with his rendition of Eddie Hazel’s epic “Maggot Brain” solo. Hampton eventually made “Maggot Brain” his own and turned in much more head-spinning guitar work, including on Funkadelic’s relentlessly funky “(Not Just) Knee Deep.” Hampton takes us along for the concurrent run of classic 1970s Parliament and Funkadelic albums, such as Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome and One Nation Under a Groove. When he entered the studio, did he know which band's session it was? Was the scene as much of a party as it sounded like? Did that atmosphere help or get in the way or both? Hampton also discusses his new mini concept album, King Kong, and how, with and without P-Funk, he continues to make his guitar sizzle and sing. (Photo by Philip Samuel Smith)
- Jul 23, 20261h 8m
Urge Overkill/Exit the Dragon
Urge Overkill appeared to be riding high after the critical triumph of its 1993 album, Saturation, and the prominent appearance of its Neil Diamond cover, “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” in Pulp Fiction in 1994. But by the time the alt-rock trio reunited with producers the Butcher Bros. to record the follow-up album, expectations and circumstances had changed. As singer-songwriter-guitarists Nash Kato and Eddie “King” Roeser recall here in stark detail, the two of them were in different places personally and musically, drummer Blackie Onassis was fighting his own demons, and an unhealthy environment developed around the Butcher Bros.’ new studio outside Philadelphia. Exit the Dragon, the resultant album that recently marked its 30th anniversary, is a dark, slithery, ragged work that has achieved a lasting power amid its tattered nerve endings. What happened here, and why did Exit the Dragon turn out to be the final Urge Overkill album featuring Kato, Roeser and the late Onassis? (Photo: Jerod Herzog)
Get Caropop summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Popcast
A weekly look at the latest in pop music, featuring criticism, interviews, and cultural trends from New York Times journalists.
Switched on Pop
Analyzes the musical techniques and cultural impact of pop songs through the collaboration of a musicologist and a songwriter.
The Rob Carson Show
A talk radio show discussing politics, news, and culture with humor, commentary, and guest interviews.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Two comedians dissect pop culture moments and personal cultural touchstones with humor and guest insights.
The Track Star Podcast
Explores music themes, artists, genres, or eras through curated playlists and expert insights.
The Hustle
Profiles musicians from beloved bands to explore their lives and careers in the music industry today.
Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt
Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt interview rock and pop musicians about their careers and the stories behind their songs.
Car Show! with Eddie Alterman
Eddie Alterman explores the cultural impact of iconic cars through stories that go beyond performance and specs.
The Open Ears Project
People from diverse backgrounds share the classical music piece that profoundly matters to them and why.
Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris
In-depth interviews with major music artists, producers, and industry leaders shaping the global music landscape.
Everyone Loves Guitar
Conversations with guitarists and music insiders about their lives, careers, and the personal lessons behind their success.
Sound Opinions
A music review and interview show featuring rock critics discussing new releases, classic records, and artist conversations.
About Caropop
There may be nothing more inspiring and entertaining than relaxed, candid conversations among creative people. Mark Caro, a relentlessly curious journalist and on-stage interviewer, loves digging into the creative process with artists and drawing out surprising stories that illuminate the work that has become part of our lives. The Caropopcast is for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the music, movies, food and culture that they love.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Caropop in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Caropop daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Caropop as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Caropop podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Caropop product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Mark Caro.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does Caropop release new episodes?
Caropop publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Caropop cover?
Caropop covers topics including Music. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Caropop summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.