Ever wonder why music sounded the way it did back in the 60s? Yes, it was recorded on tape. Some people love the sound of tape, but what tape recordings really gave us were limitations. And limitations can be good when creating art.

The Rolling Stones have been rocking the planet since 1963. That’s over 60 years, and they’ve made a lot of music. For the average listener, people think of classic Keith Richards riffs paired with that unmistakable Mick Jagger swagger. But today I wanted to dive a little deeper into a different side of the Stones. Country Stones.

Formed in Dublin in 1969, Thin Lizzy was led by bassist, singer, and songwriter Phil Lynott, whose storytelling lyrics and unmistakable presence helped redefine what Irish rock could sound like. Blending hard rock, blues, soul, and traditional Irish influences, the band carved out a sound that felt both street-level and larger than life. 

There’s something special about a live record that actually sounds live, and Hank Thompson at the Golden Nugget absolutely nails it.

Some artists make great records. Some artists define eras. And then there’s Todd Rundgren, an artist so endlessly curious, talented, and stubbornly independent that his career feels less like a straight line and more like a rollercoaster. Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Engineer. Technologist. Band leader. Solo auteur.

Todd Rundgren was the mad scientist in the studio who liked to keep us on our toes.

Ever since the launch of our 24-hour live radio player, people young and old have been flocking to the new Hip Dad Radio website to check out all the sights, and mostly the sounds. DJs from across the land have signed up to go live on Hip Dad Radio, and we’ve still got more shows in the works, so expect even more coming soon. Today, I’m excited to officially announce three new shows joining the Hip Dad Radio live schedule. You’ll find more info about each show below. And if you want the full picture of when everything is happening, be sure to check out the calendar located below the live player on the Listen Live page. Welcome to the next chapter of Hip Dad Radio.

By the late 1960s, Elvis Presley was still called the King, but the crown felt ceremonial. The radio had moved on, the movies had taken over, and the live stage sat empty. What followed wasn’t a nostalgia act or a final bow, but a recalibration — one that would turn Las Vegas into the loudest proof that Elvis was never gone. He just needed the room again.

We all know Burl Ives as the sound of Christmas, but that reputation barely scratches the surface. From folk music and radio to film, children’s records, and themed concept albums, his career is deeper, weirder, and more rewarding than I realized.

Before the hits and MTV, some bands lived to tear the roof off a room. The J. Geils Band was one of them — and their live albums prove that the real story of the band isn’t on the radio, it’s on the stage.

So many great tunes that came out this year. It was too hard to make a ranked list, but I decided to put them on a playlist here. Let me know what you think and what’s missing. I would love to hear what’s on your list.

Hip Dad Radio is streaming Christmas music all day, every day, through Christmas Day on our live radio player. Check it out in the link in our bio or on our website.

Not a radio listener? We’ve got three different Christmas playlists, each with its own vibe on Spotify.

As the year comes to a close, I do what I always do: look back at all the cool releases that came out over the past twelve months. Here are my top 25!

Last week I had the opportunity to see the Universal Togetherness Band live at the Empty Bottle — a sentence I never thought I’d say. It felt surreal watching a group whose music I’ve obsessed over through archive releases and grainy YouTube videos suddenly appear in front of me, in full force, decades after their original run. Before I get into the show, I want to talk about who this band is and why their story is one of the coolest in Chicago music history.

We are now streaming 24/7 live on the radio!