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Indianapolis Doo-Wop History
August 12, 2020
During the 1950s Indianapolis was home to a thriving doo-wop music scene, particularly on Indiana Avenue where artists including The Four Sounds, The Counts, and The Monograms flourished. On this week's edition of Cultural Manifesto host Kyle Long shares a selection of Indianapolis doo-wop classics. He also speaks with several notable Indianapolis musicians who got their start singing doo-wop.
Steel Guitar in Indianapolis
August 5, 2020
On this week's show host Kyle Long pays tribute to steel guitar masters of Indiana.
Hip-Hop Artist Retro
July 29, 2020
Joining Kyle this week is the Indianapolis-based hip-hop artist Retro. We hear his new single "Cripple Cool," an autobiographical track featuring rhymes laced with wit and humor, as Retro raps about living with cerebral palsy.
Country music pioneers of Indianapolis
July 23, 2020
This week on Cultural Manifesto host Kyle Long pays tribute to some of the pioneers of Indianapolis country music. During the mid-20th Century there were dozens of Indianapolis nightclubs, and record labels catering to the growing popularity of country music. While radio and television programs like the Indiana Hoedown, WIBC Jamboree, and Hoosier Barn Dance broadcast local and national country music stars into central Indiana homes.
Indianapolis Guitar Greats
July 15, 2020
This week Kyle long features music from a few of those artists this week, including: Bill Jennings, Floyd Smith, Steven Weakley, Paul Weeden, Scrapper Blackwell, and others.
Radio Free Naptown
July 8, 2020
This week, Kyle Long explores the history of Radio Free Naptown, an illegal pirate radio station that operated in Indianapolis from 1968 to 1972. He's joined by two of the station's founders, Don Worsham and Steve Everitt.
Rondey Stepp
July 1, 2020
Kyle is joined this week this week by Indianapolis music legend Rondey Stepp. The two discuss Rodney's recent battle with COVID-19. Doctors at IU Health North referred to Stepp as the "miracle patient" after his dramatic recovery from the disease.
Grover Wilcher
June 25, 2020
Kyle Long speaks with the Indianapolis musician and producer Grover Wilcher about his years performing with the R&B group World Entity, and his work recording and releasing early Indianapolis rap music from groups including Tibbs Street Posse and B.M.W.
Juan Antonio Cuellar
June 18, 2020
On this episode of Cultural Manifesto week Kyle's guest is Juan Antonio Cuellar, the head digitizing engineer of the Strachwitz Frontera Collection, the largest archive of Mexican and Mexican-American music in existence. Juan has spent the last 18 years personally digitizing and archiving over 120,000 recordings in this collection, and he selected a few favorites to share on Cultural Manifesto.
Taylor Hall
June 11, 2020
This week's show features an interview with Taylor Hall, a nineteen-year-old musician/activist. Hall is a member of Black Women in Charge, the organization behind the Saturday, June 6, 2020 historic protest at the Indiana Statehouse. Hall performs a song written in tribute to George Floyd titled "I Can't Breathe."
Tyron Cooper
June 4, 2020
This week, Kyle Long features Indiana music of peaceful protest, including an interview with Tyron Cooper, a professor with Indiana University's African American and African Diaspora Studies department.
Rock & Roll Pioneers of Indiana Avenue
May 29, 2020
The Indiana Avenue neighborhood is known for it's celebrated jazz history, but the Avenue was also a hotbed for early rock & roll and rhythm & blues music. On this week's show Kyle Long pays tribute to the rock & roll pioneers of Indiana Avenue.
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