Chicago critics DeRogatis and Kot pair new-album reviews with deep dives into records like Rumours.
Sound Opinions treats music criticism like an ongoing record-store argument with better notes. Jim DeRogatis and Greg Cott move from Neil Young deep cuts to new music, Roxy Music memories, jazz entry points, and memorials with a mix of enthusiasm and blunt judgment.
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Sound Opinions is a two-host panel show built around music criticism, album reviews, and artist retrospectives rather than a single interview format. Hosts Jim DeRogatis, a former Chicago Sun-Times critic, and Greg Kot, a former Chicago Tribune critic, alternate between reviewing new releases and doing deep, track-by-track walkthroughs of classic albums and catalogs. Episodes regularly bring on outside guests: music journalists like Alan Light discussing an album's legacy, authors like Niko Stratis presenting a music memoir, or label founders like Rob Miller of Bloodshot Records discussing the business history of an independent label. The show's staff producers, including Andrew Gill and Max Hatlam, contribute their own picks during the recurring 'Buried Treasures' segment, which surfaces lesser-known acts across genres such as Palestinian hip-hop, Celtic-punk, and outlaw country. Another recurring bit, 'Desert Island Jukebox,' has the hosts add a personal favorite record to a running list, often tied to an artist's birthday or anniversary. Bonus episodes tend to be shorter and focused on a single album or artist rather than the full review-plus-retrospective structure. The show carries a strong Chicago identity, with listener voicemails about local sports history and recurring sponsor reads from a Chicago brewery. It suits listeners who want long-form, critic-driven analysis of rock, jazz, blues, and independent music rather than casual fan chat or news-of-the-week coverage. Guests skew toward people connected to a specific record or scene being discussed that week, rather than recurring celebrity interviews. Overall, the show functions as an ongoing critical archive of both canonical rock history and current independent releases.
Made for: Listeners who want critic-driven, historically grounded analysis of rock, jazz, blues, and independent music rather than casual fan discussion.
What sets it apart: Pairs two veteran newspaper rock critics doing structured album retrospectives with a dedicated recurring segment for overlooked, non-algorithmic music discovery.
Take two nationally respected rock critics, the latest music news, personal commentary, and exclusive interviews and performances, add a huge pile of records old and new, and the result is Sound Opinions, where people who love music can come together.
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Sound Opinions turns reviews, interviews, and catalog listening into specific arguments about how records acquire meaning.
Sound Opinions moves easily between verdicts on new records, close conversation, catalog retrospectives, and recommendations from beyond the algorithm.
This is where your algorithm gets replaced by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kott arguing from the record shelf.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A Neil Young tribute that finds feeling in the half-hidden corners of the catalog.
Sound Opinions frames Neil Young as a songwriter whose leftovers can still feel essential. Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot build the episode around 12 songs, and the most revealing stretch here is not a greatest-hits victory lap but the stop on "Campaigner," a song they note did not…
A lively buried-treasures episode drawn to motorik rhythm, French metal, and critic-led discovery.
Sound Opinions uses its buried-treasures format as a brisk guide to music that pays off a little curiosity. Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kott move from Jim Nothing's motorik pulse and Meritorio's label orbit to Point Mort, a French quintet whose long track opens in a Renaissance-like…
A clear country-history conversation about Emmylou Harris, bluegrass harmony, and marriage as a songwriting theme.
Sound Opinions looks at In-Law Country as a country movement built around marriage, family ties, close harmony, and overlapping musical circles.
Niko Stratis turns dad rock into a personal, unsentimental conversation about transition, failure, survival, and why certain songs keep working.
Sound Opinions frames this episode around author Niko Stratis and The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, a book that turns so-called dad rock into a personal route through transition, failure, and endurance.
Rob Miller turns Bloodshot's insurgent-country tag into a crisp argument about scenes, labels, and the trouble with rule books.
Sound Opinions brings in Bloodshot Records co-founder Rob Miller to talk about his memoir and the label's uneasy dance with genre. Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot press on the useful lie of a tag: Bloodshot needed "insurgent country" because, in alternative circles, the country word…
Annual Songlines Music Awards ceremonies spotlighting global artists, from Afrobeat to sevda.
A high schooler's music diary — Grammys press pass stories to family concert interviews.
Stephen Hyden and Ian Cohen argue about indie rock, one Metacritic score at a time.
Sound Opinions hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot review new albums from the Beths and Aesop Rock before interviewing Canadian music writer Niko Stratis about her debut book, The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman.
Bloodshot Records co-founder Rob Miller joins Sound Opinions hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot to discuss his memoir, 'The Hours Are Long, But The Pay Is Low,' about his life in independent music.
Jim DeRogatis and Greg Cott run through 12 songs from a catalog they argue hides as many essential moments as it puts on display.
This bonus episode of Sound Opinions features hosts Greg Cott and Jim DeRogatis discussing a blues singer from Texas for their Desert Island Jukebox segment, while promoting listener engagement and sponsors.
This episode features an interview with Phil Manzanera about his career with Roxy Music and new projects, along with a tribute to Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead.
This bonus episode of Sound Opinions introduces jazz to rock music fans, featuring a Desert Island jukebox song recommendation and listener engagement.
This bonus episode of Sound Opinions features a tribute to Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, interspersed with a sponsor message and a listener story about a Chicago Cubs playoff game experience.
Two rock critics discuss new music from Dry Cleaning and Lily Allen, and revisit a 2014 interview with Rob Reiner about 'This Is Spinal Tap'.
Two rock critics discuss music news, play songs, and preview a segment about a song by a great artist about a potential president.
Two rock critics discuss their annual mixtapes, favorite singles of 2025, and mourn musicians lost that year.
Two rock critics discuss songs they can't live without and share music news, with a sponsor segment and listener story.
Two rock critics discuss music news, interview members of the legendary Raincoats, and share listener stories about Chicago.
Two rock critics discuss music news, play a killer track from an obscure band, and promote their Patreon bonus episodes.
Two rock critics discuss music news, look back at Radiohead's Kid A, and preview a story about Malcolm McLaren.
Two rock critics discuss music news, share a tribute to a late West Texas rocker, and invite listener stories about Chicago.
Rock critics Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kott interview Jeff Tweedy about his triple album Twilight Override.
Two rock critics discuss music news, share a Desert Island Jukebox pick featuring Mexican music, and promote their Patreon.
Two rock critics host a holiday spectacular with music news, interviews, and listener stories about Chicago.
This episode revisits interviews with recently deceased music legends Jimmy Cliff and Steve Cropper.
Two rock critics reveal their favorite albums of 2025 and discuss listener stories about Chicago.
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Andrew Gill thank Patreon supporters and preview an interview with musician John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats.
Sound Opinions opens by saying the week is split between a review of Tortoise’s latest record and a look back at Yes’s 1977 album “Going for the One” with Jon Anderson.
This episode of Sound Opinions features favorite songs about gratitude and giving thanks, with hosts sharing personal anecdotes and listener stories in a casual, conversational style.
Sound Opinions opens with Jim DeRogatis and Greg Cott announcing a conversation about the longevity and enduring popularity of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours nearly 50 years after its release.
This episode features an interview with Bill Janovitz about his new book on The Cars, along with music reviews including the latest from Sprintz and listener stories about Chicago experiences.
This episode of Sound Opinions explores favorite songs about the moon, with a Halloween theme, and includes a listener story about a Chicago Cubs playoff game experience.
Sound Opinions hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot recommend overlooked releases including Obanjier’s Afrobeat-electronic “Not In Surrender,” Propagandhi’s politically charged punk metal, and GoGo Penguin’s electronic jazz.
Sound Opinions hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Cott interview Jeffrey Himes about “In-Law Country,” his term for an intermarried network around Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, and related artists.
Two rock critics discuss new music releases and pay tribute to recently deceased musicians.
Two rock critics pay tribute to David Johansson, discussing his music and career, and replaying a 2001 interview.
Two rock critics review a new album and host a live performance by Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats.
Two rock critics discuss music news, review new albums, and interview Robin Hitchcock about his book on 1967.
The hosts bid farewell to President Jimmy Carter and music journalist Stanley Booth, with music news and listener stories.
Jim and Greg celebrate the 1000th episode with memories and listener stories about Chicago.