Love this show and their deep dive into Matthew Sweet and his amazing Girlfriend album is a must-listen. More detail than I had ever learned before and listening to a great conversation about this amazing album is why podcasting is so great. Even more amazing that this is from the National Review.

As an avid music fan, this podcast really hits the spot. These guys are very knowledgeable and have terrific insights into what makes the particular artist they are reviewing great. These guys know their stuff and it doesn’t hurt that they are fellow conservatives to…. My kind of podcast!

As an Xennial (born in 1981) who grew up w a BMG cd subscription before hosting my own college radio show, my musical “upbringing” tracks very very closely w Scot and Jeff…So every episode I find myself texting high school/college buddies to say check out THIS episode or that one (did we all have a “The Doors phase” in early high school 🤪). KORITFW, gents! Still holding out hope for an Uncle Tupelo mini-episode 🤞🏻

Jeff Blehar is a white supremacist. He’s smug and entitled

I am enjoying the Jam episode. You’ve had some great past episodes, too (Roxy Music, Rolling Stones). A request: Please let each other finish before jumping in with a thought. The interruptions can be frustrating. I look forward to future episodes!

As a stand alone, not bad, but had I to make a choice. Their revered Radiohead wouldn’t be crazy about the sponsors of this podcast. Let’s keep it about the music, sure, maybe, but most of the artists they discuss are diametrically opposed to the politics of The National Review.

From this Louisvillian: excellent dive into MMJ. Thank you for featuring this deserving band. A couple of suggestions: I expect many others listen as I do: walking the dogs, doing chores, at the gym. It would be helpful to repeat the title of the song after it plays. Bc you use so many cuts, for the passive listener “this song” can fail to refer to what this song actually is. Also, at the end, you referred to a Conan O’Brien performance of MMJ’s. For bands in the YouTube era, maybe consider adding to the 5 songs & 2 albums, what video best captures the band. Thanks again. Great pod!

So I traveled along a podcast longer than the band Big Star’s complete discography. Worth every minute. Now I need Chris Bell’s posthumous solo album. And next is something called My Morning Jacket? Okay, I’m in!

So happy I found this podcast. It has reinvigorated my love for music which I sorely needed. Scott and Jeff are incredible hosts with a wealth of great knowledge and opinions. Guests are excellent as are the artists they cover. Could not recommend more!

I found this podcast relatively late, from a tweet about the Warren Zevon podcast, and uncovered a gem. The hosts love music and their enthusiasm is contagious. They discuss both familiar bands and niche artists and the episodes are informative and accessible for those of us who are familiar with many of the artists discussed but who don't play an instrument ourselves. Highly recommend if you like music.

Ironically, my discovery of this podcast coincided with my first deep dive into The Beach Boys. And it couldn’t have been more informative. I am still waiting on someone to come on and discuss The Killers. James Poulos seemed to want to talk about them a lot during the Eagles episode. So maybe give him another call?

Amazing podcast, I’m looking forward to to going back through the episodes. Please do a Beach House show.

An excellent episode on Squeeze, but I can’t believe the hosts couldn’t even devote just a few minutes to the 1991 album “Play,” an excellent outing from the latter-day version of Squeeze.

I enjoy some of the episodes. I prefer the episodes where you can’t hear Jeff breathing into his mic.

Political Beats is always enlightening, pinpointing nuances that go undetected even to the most ardent music aficionados, and the Fleetwood Mac episodes are no exception. I preferred the early incarnations of the band and was familiar their history. No one matched the aching sensitivity of Peter Green’s guitar on a slow blues like ‘Love That Burns’, and a vocal and lyric theme that hinted at the the dark side to come which Jeff describes so well in his critique of ‘The Green Manalishi’. But I was delighted to end up appreciating the Buckingham-Nicks era much more than I had previously. The detailed discussion of their first collaboration with the band, and the album ‘Rumours’ is revelatory. One golden nugget in Pt 1, courtesy of C.W., was that Led Zeppelin used the intro to ‘Oh Well’ as the template for ‘Black Dog’, albeit in half-time; (I also hear ‘Kashmir’ in ‘Mechanical World’ by Spirit, but that’s another story). I have never heard Scott so articulate and passionate as when describing his exaltation for ‘Rumours’ as the greatest Rock album ever made. That is an absolute highlight of the podcast! These shows are a must hear. Cheers, well done! Warren Cherry

I’ve been enjoying your podcasts, especially your most recent one dedicated to Kate Bush. Her music is so special, it’s exciting to hear other Americans talk about what her music means to them.

Found this podcast and initially binged a few different bands I knew just to try it out. I ended up finding the insight and historical/musical detail so good I just listen to them all now to learn about groups I’m more unfamiliar with. Because of that, this podcast has inspired me to dig into discographies of artist I never really got into and for that, I celebrate what they have accomplished with this show. It really is an amazing listen for any music lover!

Finding this show took me down a looooong rabbit hole. Great work guys.

These guys have such an amazing way of framing the career arcs of the artists they cover in their podcasts. And they’ve turned me on to SO much music I’ve overlooked in past years and I’ve been an avid record collector since I was a kid. Am so grateful for this podcast and hope it continues for a long long time!🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏

I love how this show not only talks about the music, they play the music. Great place to hear songs or bands you may have missed. Much better than the Rolling Stone podcast.

Great podcast. I like music a lot and know a lot of it, but man these two are near encyclopedic. Also, they do a lot of prep for each show. This is a great way to learn more about your favorite bands or get introduced to new music. If you are not the typical NRO audience, don’t worry there is basically no politics talk except as it pertains to the artist’s perspectives.

WOMEN! Their contribution to music is seriously being minimized here. Do better, Jeff and Scott!

Terrific content and discussion of important rock music. But seriously, when discussing Jenny Lewis, how did you guys omit her work with Ben Gibbards in The Postal Service? One album, but a huge hit with “Such Great Heights.”

I love this podcast, it’s a fantastic way to pass three hours geeking out on one of your favorite bands or learning about a band you’ve neglected to get into. The fact that they are weirdo libertarians doesn’t really color the show, but it’s a fun bonus.

About a year ago, I stumbled on Steve Hyden's podcast after reading his excellent book 'Twilight of the Gods", and heard one of the hosts of Political Beats give his insight on the political divide and music. Soon after I looked up Political Beats and heard "The Cars" episode. What I found were two guys nerding out on music (and not politics despite the name of the podcast) with equal parts pinpoint criticism and worship. Now I'm 15 episodes deep or so. I often agree with them on the praise heaped on albums by an artist (Costello..Imperial Bedroom, Talking Heads..Remain in Light) but..then disagree on others which they don't praise (AC/DC For Those about to Rock, and some of the latter Ramones albums). This divide is good..its healthy..it what devoted music fans do. They offer insight into the nuances of the album, the production, the sequencing, the recording etc.. They give their personal ancedotes on discovering the music themselves. This is my go to podcast for music across multiple genres (from Radiohead to Bowie to Van Halen to ELO).Thank you for helping me rediscover music I thought I knew (Bowie's "Heathen", The Who Sell Out) to others that I had missed (Smashing Pumpkins "Adore"). Keep up the great works guys.

These shows can be helpful to fans when there’s a good guest. But Scot is afraid to offer anything of interest and almost apologizes for his opinions to Jeff, who bludgeons you with his constant interruptions of others and his arrogant long winded takes. He needs to get his own show and let others talk and breathe.

Listened to the McCartney and Wings episode. Stopped listening once it became clear they had no real insights, just hunches. It devolved into them trashing great songs, like My Love. Might keep them amused, but not me.

Amazing 3 hours. Really enjoyed the journey and history.

For everyone who has said “I’ve heard of that band, but I have no idea why”. The podcast version of someone sitting down next to you with a stack of records showing you why they love a band.

My absolute favorite music podcast. Never a dull overview or review, always interesting and insightful.

It is a joy to hear Scott and Jeff and their well-chosen guests recount the stories of artists I know well, and many I don’t. Jeff tends to dominate the discussions, but I don’t mind because I really want to hear his insights. Scott and the guest commentators have their say, too. (Terry Teachout was particularly outstanding on the Band.) When the guys said it must have been great to see Bob Dylan and the Band on their 1974 tour, I nodded in agreement — I saw them in Seattle (evening show). The Zombies show was a left-field delight because I saw them a year ago and, thanks to the guys, am getting a handle on them. I always learn more even about the artists I know well, a measure of the depth of knowledge shared on this show. Thanks for a great listen! Suggestion for an episode: Procol Harum.

...Springsteen “Part Two” included a PSA about a pro-Trump book to begin the episode. I know this is National Review, but this message seems to contradict one of the show’s goals of avoiding politics. Otherwise, keep it up guys!

A podcast like this could turn into a fandom ramble, but Scott and Jeff are great at keeping that side in check and sticking to the music and it’s merit. In addition, these guys are musicians and artists which provides a deeper understanding of what’s playing, what’s missing, and why or not a song works. I can’t recommend this show enough.

Probably my favorite podacst going. Great hosts and always a guest host who is incredibly knowledgeable. Everyone puts politics aside and talks about what matters most; music! Thanks for the great content!

The good: These guys are unabashed fans of music, and it shows. Their deep dives into artists’ catalogs and histories will give you insight into the appeal of artists with whom you’re unfamiliar, and often teach you a thing or two even about those you know well. The bad: The occasional problem with this podcast is the problem with music criticism in general - people who aren’t accomplished rock stars telling accomplished rock stars how they should’ve gone about the business of being a rock star. Jeff and Scot come off much better as fans than as self-appointed arbiters of taste. The ugly: If this podcast were your only window into the history of rock music, you would come away with the impression that it’s an almost-entirely white and male endeavor. Considering the source of the podcast, I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising, but there it is.

They review a wide variety of musical artists from Van Halen to the Clash. I like the knowledge and passion their guests brings to the show. I tend to agree with the host Scott’s opinions on many items. The other host Jeff talks too much and comes off as an annoyance most times. I hope they review The Cult and Stevie Ray Vaughan at some point.

I love political beats—. Mostly because I love popular rock (and not so popular) Rock music. Jeff and Scott do such a great job every time out. They actually have changed my mind on bands more than I can count. The knowledge brought by the guests and themselves for every podcast is dynamite. One request — do an episode on Big Country with Tom Kercheval and Svein Horthaug of the Great Divide podcast. Worlds will collide! And us listeners will receive all the benefit. Thanks again guys. Great Job!

This is a great podcast and if you love music it’s must listen. It’s one of my favorites for my daily exercise! I love that it gets me to re-examine some of my favorite artists and go back and listen to music that I haven’t listened to in years. I don’t always agree with their assessment, but they do get me thinking and I sometimes see songs and albums in a new light. Most of the time they do a great job of really going into depth and following the career of an artist, although some of the older shows were shorter and they didn’t get into near as much detail. It’s hard for me to listen to those older, shorter shows because of this. My only two complaints about the shows are that they will spend a lot of time on certain albums and then blow through 2 or 3 and lump them together and I wish they wouldn’t do that. Also, the more I listen, I have to admit that they can sometimes be a bit pretentious and dismissive of some music and artists, especially Jeff-I could do really do without this.

I really have enjoyed this podcast, even getting past Scott's nervous laugh and Jeff's sometimes blowhard approach. I've definitely gotten into some bands that I only had a passing knowledge of and really enjoyed retrospectives of artists I've always loved. One distressing thing in the last three or four shows though- after claiming to be apolitical in the content, the shows have cold opened with ads for rightwing nut job books and shows, which made me want to turn the show off. I know it's sponsored by National Review, but it ruins the mood for listening to great music as discussed by good hosts. Please drop the new ads!

Awesome Jimi Hendrix podcast. I remember exactly where I was when I heard that he died. It’s good to hear the younger generation is appreciating the guitar master.

I am a huge fan of Political Beats. The podcast is a great listen and makes my commute much more tolerable. Jeff and Scott are great hosts. They bring a ton of knowledge of and personal history with the artist discussed on each podcast. The do a great job of discussing how a band changes and evolves over time, the personalities of the band members and how those personalities shape the course of the band. The excerpts from the songs are so precise and well chosen. They do a great job a letting the guests talk and explain why they have such an attachment to the band and how that attachment has grown over time. Jeff’s knowledge of music is remarkable. I also really appreciate his thoughts on why certain songs and albums are great and what makes them great. His opinions are very well thought out and you can tell how much the music matters him. I feel like in another era he would have been a writer for Rolling Stone. I am fairly certain that his list of the 500 greatest albums of all time is better than what Rolling Stone put out in the early 2000s. Scott is a fun listen with good stories about how he became a fan of the artist and stories about being a DJ. In addition to being a fun podcast, I have learned a ton about music from the podcast. It’s rare to finding something so entertaining and educational. Great job Jeff and Scott.

I’ve listened to this podcast both for bands I don’t know and bands I thought I knew cold. I always learn a ton, even with the bands I thought I was expert on. It’s a great way of getting a survey on bands and between the two regulars and the guest, they flag every song you need to know. Really a superb public service. But Jeff, that’s a Hasselblad on “This Year’s Model”; Bakelite is a kind of early plastic.

This is the best music podcast I have heard! They take deep dives into a group’s discography. They focus on the music. I’ve listened to other music podcasts that are done by comedians. These podcasts tend to be unfocused with a lot of unfunny and crude jokes. The Political Beats podcast is the total opposite. I thoroughly enjoy the PB podcast. Thanks!

They get a fifth star as soon as they do a deep dive on The King. Maybe get Bill Clinton on board?

I really enjoy this podcast, but I really wish their discussion was more of a conversation, not a series of soliloquies. I realize that may be difficult as Jeff and Scot record this while in different locations.

I just recently discovered this podcast and I can’t stop listening. It’s great discovering new music and taking a deeper dive into artists I already love. The hosts and their guests are knowledgeable and passionate about music. And it’s a nice 2-3 hour break from politics. I recommend this podcast to everyone I know.

Fabulous podcast. The Beatles episodes were just amazing. Same with Wilco. Entertaining, great story telling, a blast. Love that these are political dudes moonlighting with their side passion of music. Can’t wait to mainline more of these episodes.

I love listening to this podcast and reconnecting with so many of my favorite bands plus learning new things about them. Every time I listen to a podcast, I end up downloading a bunch of music.

I learn new things about bands every time I listen. Can we get a Metallica episode?

This is a terrific podcast. A poli-sci professor told me about it & I have suggested specific episodes to many of my friends. These guys aren’t afraid to ruffle some feathers when it comes to what albums they like & what they definitely do not. I’ve listened to a dozen so far with many more to catch up on. I even rediscovered the closing theme of the Monkees TV show. Thanks for taking us on a journey of the bands we love.