I try not to make it a habit to promote my side podcast here at NR too often, or too obstreperously. It’s a niche thing — Political Beats was a name we hurriedly adopted on the fly, and it has never fully captured what a show I’ve now devoted nearly a decade to is actually about: thoroughly non-political discussion of great music, mostly on an act-by-act basis. (The idea has always been that we’d have guests otherwise known from the world of politics — left, right, center, who cares — on to leave all that at the door and simply rhapsodize for a few hours about a band or artist they truly love.) It may not be for you — and that’s okay.

So forgive me if I make an exception and promote our most recent episode about XTC, a band I have treasured my entire life (from naïve adolescence to the present, at least). Yes, I am asking you to devote three hours or so of your time to our coverage (with co-host Scot Bertram and guest Andrew Gretes) of the first half (1977–1983)........

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