Crossed Channels with Tony Fletcher and Dan Epstein
Join music journalists/biographers/musicians/Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) as they debate and discuss the different ways that certain major bands and artists from their respective homelands have been received on the other side of the pond. In the process, Dan and Tony compare and contrast their own experiences as obsessive music fans growing up in the US and the UK. tonyfletcher.substack.com
Jive Talkin' About The Bee Gees' Main Course
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Welcome back to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the “Yank”) and Tony Fletcher (the “Limey”) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond. And this 33rd episode definitely finds us clashing more that connecting.
Dan returns to the podcast after last month’s unexpected absence, during which his fill-in was no less than Grasshopper from Mercury Rev. At his suggestion, we’re tackling one of the best-selling g...
Mercury Rev’s Grasshopper on conquering Europe – while remaining strangers at home.
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Welcome back to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the “Yank”) and Tony Fletcher (the “Limey”) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond. Dan had an enforced absence for this episode; fortunately, we had already arranged for a first ever special guest to join us in the studio.
Mercury Rev formed in the late 1980s around the State University in Buffalo, on the northern edges of New York State, aft...
Unlocked! The Who Take on US and Win, 1967-69
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In this 19th episode of CROSSED CHANNELS, we flashed back to 1967, the year The Who played their first North American gigs. The band’s inaugural US performance took place on March 26, that year, where they promoted “Happy Jack” — their first real US hit — with a brief but brutal set as one of a dozen or so attractions on Murray the K’s “Music in the Fifth Dimension” show at midtown Manhattan’s RKO Theater.
But while no one who saw their Murray t...
Siouxsie & The Banshees' Tinderbox Sets America Ablaze
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Welcome back to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the “Yank”) and Tony Fletcher (the “Limey”) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This time out, we (somewhat belatedly) observe the 40th anniversary of a legendary British post-punk band finally breaking through to the US album charts after a phenomenal run of hits in their homeland.
The band? Siouxsie & the Banshees, those iconic goth-rock progenitors with a punk pas...
HEY HO! LET'S GO! (To London for July 4th)
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit tonyfletcher.substack.com
Welcome back to CROSSED CHANNELS — the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Limey) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
We are all hopped up and ready to go for our 30th episode, in which we flash back exactly 50 years to when the US was celebrating its 200th birthday in a far more positive mood than it appears to be commemorating its 250th. That weekend, 3000 miles from th...
Echo & The Bunnymen: The Album That Broke Echo & The Bunnymen
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Welcome back to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Limey) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
In this 29th episode we discuss not one of the first four classic albums by Liverpool legends Echo & The Bunnymen, but the troubled, eponymous fifth album. Tony actually witnessed the record’s long gestation in person while writing the band’s authorized 1987 biography Never Stop: The Ec...
Pick n' Mix: Rickenbackers, Rolling Stones, Lloyd Cole, Luna and "C**ts Like Tom Jones"
Welcome to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Limey) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
Instead of our usual format of discussing one particular artist or album, we’re trying something new for Ep. 28: each bringing three music-related topics to the table without informing the other in advance, and going wherever those topics take us. We’re calling this new format the CROSSED CHANNELS “Pick n’ Mix” — it’s like a spirited bar conversation, only without the alcohol.
So please join...
Connecting with the Mothership
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Welcome to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Limey) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This episode (our 27th!) focuses on an album from an artist we’ve wanted to discuss for ages: the legendary funk maestro George Clinton. The main reason we haven’t covered the good Dr. Funkenstein on the podcast before now is that the sheer...
It's It's a Ballroom Blitz!
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit tonyfletcher.substack.com
Welcome to the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Limey) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This episode (our 26th!) will be our tastiest yet, as it focuses on British glam rock legends Sweet… or The Sweet, if you prefer. Dan and Tony are both major fans of the band, but came to their music in very different ways, Tony...
Dan and Tony Get Their Ya-Ya's Out
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Welcome to the 25th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Limey) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
Dan & Tony Get Their Ya-Ya’s Out is an equally lively continuation of Episode 24, Should I Stay (Home) or Should I Go (Out)? in which we abandoned our usual focus on a particular band or artist from the...
Should I Stay (Home) or Should I Go (Out)?
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Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to the 24th (and what we think may be the liveliest-ever) episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond. And on this episode, we do indeed clash… though we also connect, as well!
We thought we’d change things up a bit this time. Whereas we usu...
Buzzcocks Love You More
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Welcome to the 23rd episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This episode was inspired by Tony’s recent five-part exploration on his Substack about how Buzzcocks invented pop-punk in 1978 with an incredible run of singles — and how his early-teen self reacted to each new one (and its B-side) as it was...
Go All The Way: Picking The Finest Raspberries
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Welcome to the 22nd episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This time out, we dig into a big bowl of Raspberries, the legendary American power pop band of the early 1970s. Formed in Cleveland, Ohio from the ashes of popular local groups The Choir and Cyrus Erie, the Raspberries we...
Keeping The Faith: Crossed Channels Goes Northern Soul
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Welcome to the 21th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This time out, we truly straddle the Atlantic with an energetic discussion of Northern Soul, the long-running British dance movement fired by the uptempo sounds of (mostly) obscure soul and R&B singles from American cities like Detroit, Chicago, Ph...
From Asbury to Hammersmith: How "The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle" Set the Stage for Bruce Springsteen's Crossed Channels Breakthrough
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Welcome to the 20th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
For our big 2-0, we’re back on American shores — the Jersey Shore, to be specific. Bruce Springsteen is someone whose work is extremely dear to both of us — though because of our slight difference in age and the fact tha...
The Who Take on US and Win, 1967-69
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Welcome to the 19th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
After making an appearance in our previous episode on The Beach Boys and their influence upon the UK pop scene, The Who finally make their long-overdue appearance on this podcast. The band has loomed exceedingly large for both Dan an...
Good ViBritons: How The Beach Boys Changed British Beat
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Welcome to the 18th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
The Beach Boys fit in quite nicely with our whole CROSSED CHANNELS concept, as they were a quintessentially American band that was both profoundly impacted by the British Invasion and hugely influential on a number of British artists. And wh...
How Soon Was Now? The Smiths Take Britain and Break America
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Welcome to the 17th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This time out, our subject is The Smiths, the most iconic British indie band of the 1980s. Specifically, we discuss the period bookended by the August 1984 release of their fifth UK single, “William, It Was Really Nothing,” and the conclu...
Accelerate: R.E.M.'s Second Reckoning?
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Welcome to the 16th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
While most of our previous episodes have covered bands or artists that have been received very differently in the UK than the US, this one focuses on a band that was hugely successful in both countries (and a whole lo...
Slade Inflamed
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Welcome to the 15th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This time out, our subject is Slade, a British band who are justifiably legendary in their homeland. From 1971 to 1975, these self-described “yobboes” from Wolverhampton in the Midlands absolutely ruled the UK and European charts with one hard-rocking, rafter-raising singalong after...
Move On Up with Curtis Mayfield
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Welcome to the 14th episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond. And this time out, our subject is Curtis, the 1970 solo debut of the legendary American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Curtis Mayfield.
Curtis produced two international hits — “(Don’t Worry) If There’s Hell Below We’re All Gonna Go” (listen via the...
Sleepwalker: The Kinks' Hidden Gem
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Welcome to the first 2025 episode (and 13th episode overall) of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast — a.k.a. the podcast in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond. And this time out, our subject is one of the great British bands of all time: The Kinks!
Rather than talk about one of the band’s widely acknowledged classics like 1968’s The Kinks Are The Vi...
A Band From Britain Called James
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Though largely (and perhaps unfairly) remembered as a one-hit wonder in the US, where their 1993 single “Laid” reached #3 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart (and #61 on the Hot 100) and helped their album of the same name sell over half a million copies in the States, James remain massively popular in the UK. Yummy, the band’s 18th and latest studio album, even topped the UK charts upon its release this past April, giving James the first Number One album of their lengthy...
Krossed Channels: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross
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Welcome to Episode 11 of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
Actually, we should probably change it to KROSSED CHANNELS for this episode, since it finds us discussing one of Dan’s all-time favorite bands: Southern California cult heroes Redd Kross!
Back In The USA: The MC5's Finest 28 Minutes?
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Welcome to Episode 10 of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
This time out, we taken on of the greatest rock n’ roll bands to ever demolish a stage: the MC5!
Formed in the mid-1960s in the suburbs of Detroit, Michi…
Kate Bush: From Prog Nuns to Pop Stardom
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Welcome to Episode 9 of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which music journalists/obsessives Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
Elton John calls her "a most beautiful mystery.” Tricky notes how “you can’t hear her influences.” And yet, as St. Vincent observes, “You can hear one no…
Love's Forgotten Classic: Is 'Four Sail' Better Than 'Forever Changes'?
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Welcome to Episode 8 of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which two music journalists/obsessives, Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
In our last episode, we took a deep dive into The Clash’s controversial 1980 album Sandinista!, and attempted to whittle down its sprawling three LPs into a 12-track single album. Just as the three Clash albums that preceded Sandinista! have tended to loom the largest in th...
The Clash's 'Sandinista!': Masterpiece or Mess?
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Welcome to Episode 7 of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which two music journalists/obsessives, Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
A free preview of Episode 7 is available to all listeners, but the episode is only available in its entirety to paid subscribers of Jagged Time Lapse or Tony Fletcher, Wordsmith. If you’re already a free subscriber to either of these Substacks (or better yet, both...
Blondie: America's Finest Pop Band?
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Welcome to Episode 6 of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which two music journalists/obsessives, Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond.
Our 5th Episode, Oasis: What's The Story?, in which we discussed the 1995 album that catapulted the Manchester band to international fame, is now available in full, on all streaming platforms, for anyone who is not one of our paid-up Substack subscribers and wants to hear whe...
Oasis: What's The Story?
Welcome to the fifth episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from either side of the pond
Having tackled the rise and premature demise of Otis Redding in our last episode, we now return to England — Manchester, to be specific — to discuss the band Oasis and the 1995 album that catapulted them to international stardom, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Originally a quartet formed in 1991 as the Rain, Oasis – which became a five-piece once singer Liam Gallagher's older brother...
Spotlight on Otis Redding, now!
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Welcome to the fourth episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from across the pond.
Having discussed the rise and fall of The Sex Pistols in our last episode, we now head back across the Atlantic — and back a decade earlier — to tackle the rise and premature demise of legendary soul man Otis Redding.
Born in 1941 in Dawson, Georgia and raised in Maco...
God Save the Sex Pistols
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Welcome to the third episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) clash and connect over music from across the pond.
Following our previous episodes on The Jam’s Setting Sons album and The Replacements’ Tim, we traipse back across the Atlantic to take on one of the most important, influential and of course notorious British bands of all time: The Sex Pistols.
After forming in 1975, The Sex Pisto...
Tim: The Replacements Hit the Big Time
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Welcome to the second episode of the CROSSED CHANNELS podcast, in which a Yank (Dan Epstein) and a Brit (Tony Fletcher) clash and connect over music from across the pond.
Following our dissection of the bizarre American running order for The Jam’s 1979 LP Setting Sons, we turn our attention to a fantastic album from the other side of the Atlantic — Tim, the 1985 major label debut by The Replacements, recently reissued in a 4-CD “Let It Bleed” edition.
One of the...
Setting Sons: The Flipped Script
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Welcome to Episode 1 of CROSSED CHANNELS — a new monthly podcast on which a Yank and a Brit clash and connect over music from across the pond.
In the podcast’s inaugural episode, Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) discuss The Jam’s powerful 1979 album Setting Sons, and how the band’s American record company “flipped the script” for the album’s US release by putting its Side 2 tracks on Side 1, its Side 1 tracks on Side 2, and wedging the no...
Introducing CROSSED CHANNELS: A New Podcast
Welcome to Crossed Channels — a new monthly podcast on which a Yank and a Brit clash and connect over music from across the pond.
Join Dan Epstein (the Yank) and Tony Fletcher (the Brit) as they debate and discuss the different ways that certain major bands and artists from their respective homelands have been received on the other side of the pond. In the process, Dan and Tony compare and contrast their own experiences as obsessive music fans growing up in the US and the UK.
Ep 1 - SETTING SONS: THE FLIPPED SCRIPT
Di...
