Program Notes

This week on Rolling with Scissors, we hit rewind and dive deep into Nirvana’s catalog. From the raw chaos of Bleach to the cultural shockwave of Nevermind, the strange brilliance of Incesticide, and the confrontation of In Utero, Episode 1331 revisits music that’s more than 30 years old but still hits like it mattered yesterday. A full three-hour retro rewind with no shortcuts and no skipping.

This week’s episode of Rolling with Scissors is dedicated to Perry Bamonte, whose passing at age 65 was reported on December 26. From his early days working behind the scenes to his fifteen-year run as a core member of The Cure, Bamonte helped shape some of the band’s most expansive and emotionally complex music. Episode 1330 traces his contributions through Wish, Wild Mood Swings, and Bloodflowers, honoring a musician whose work often lived in the spaces between the spotlight and the song.

I was going to do a Christmas show, but after digging through the library, I realized we’ve all heard enough of the same holiday songs by now. So instead of forcing three hours of carols, this episode takes a different route—diving deep into jazz that lives outside the usual names. Episode 1329 rides the jazz train with a focused exploration of guitarist Steve Khan, offering something richer, calmer, and far more rewarding for the season.

This week’s episode started with one plan and quickly turned into something else entirely. What began as an idea about early pop music evolved into a night of sharp comedy, smart songwriting, and progressive rock, moving from Flight of the Conchords into Flying Colors. Episode 1328 is about contrast, intention, and trusting where the music wants to go.

Tonight we dive into Get in the Van, Henry Rollins’ brutally honest account of life inside Black Flag—years of broken vans, hostile crowds, and raw, unforgettable punk history. We’ll also round out the show with Rollins’ spoken-word firepower, and yes, I know I didn’t talk during last week’s Zappa tribute. Letting Frank wish WORT a happy 50th felt right. Big changes are coming to Rolling with Scissors… but tonight, the van is already rolling.

This week on Rolling with Scissors, we celebrate 50 years of WORT by letting Frank Zappa off the leash for a full three hours. It’s been too long. We spotlight key corners of his studio and live output between 1969 and 1979, where jazz fusion brains melt purposefully into rock skeletons, satire lives next to razor-tight musicianship, and the guitar is both the punchline and the proof. Frank Zappa was a composer who happened to lead bands that could actually execute his blueprints, and a guitarist who never treated rock as a border or a limit. Tonight, we let the albums speak — loud, sequential, and gloriously incomplete. Each era chosen for impact. Each track allowed to sprawl. The final piece will be faded out, drifting into the classical block that follows. Happy birthday, WORT. Welcome back, Frank.

In Episode 1325 we continue our look at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees with full-album dives into Bad Company, The White Stripes, and Salt-N-Pepa. Chubby Checker will get his own deep dive soon, but for now we’re exploring classic rock grit, early-2000s garage fire, and ’90s hip-hop power from three very different artists who helped shape their corners of music history.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just announced the 2025 inductees, and this week on Rolling with Scissors we’re taking a deep dive into three of the most deserving names on the list: Outkast, Soundgarden, and Cyndi Lauper. From the mind-bending brilliance of ATLiens, to the explosive weight of Badmotorfinger, to the pop genius of Cyndi Lauper, Episode 1324 explores the artists who actually shaped the sound and attitude of modern music.

This week’s Rolling with Scissors takes a curated deep dive into Fleetwood Mac — from the blues fire of Then Play On to the polished perfection of Rumours. We’re not covering it all (no one could in one night), but these hand-picked tracks tell the story of how the band evolved through chaos into greatness.

This week’s Rolling with Scissors starts with reflection and ends in pure chaos — from A Perfect Circle’s eMOTIVe to Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction to Metallica’s Kill ’Em All and Ride the Lightning. Protest, rebellion, and power — all in one night.