{"podcast":{"title":"Groundwater: The Blues Beneath American Music","slug":"groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197","podcast_index_feed_id":7851197,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything","website_url":"http://groundwater.fm","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/eO2moOimY-Ty6SdnGifeKnx9fb8w63_TaEqswwmGwqw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82NTJh/MzU4ZDljNmI5ZmE4/MzUxMThkZjE3ZGE2/MDhlYi5wbmc.jpg","author":"Thomas Stubbs","episode_count":12,"summary":"In 1927, the record industry split American music in two and sold it to separate audiences. We've believed the split ever since. Groundwater is a music history podcast that follows the current underneath — the blues, running from Congo Square to the South Bronx, from Robert Johnson to Aretha Franklin to hip-hop. Each episode traces a moment the industry tried to keep apart: the soul sessions at Stax and Muscle Shoals that crossed every line; Louis Armstrong working race and commerce from New Orleans to Chicago; the Great Migration carrying Muddy Waters and the Delta sound up the Illinois Central to Memphis, Chicago, and Detroit; and the state's long campaign against the singers who got political, from Billie Holiday to the Dixie Chicks. If you want to understand why American music sounds the way it does, start here and follow the water.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-08T20:18:19.773007+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197"},"episodes":[{"title":"Rooms Where the Walls Came Down Part 1: Sun Studio and Chess Records","slug":"rooms-where-the-walls-came-down-part-1-sun-studio-and-chess-records","published_at":"2026-09-08T09:02:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/rooms-where-the-walls-came-down-part-1-sun-studio-and-chess-records","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/8","duration_seconds":1151,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/rooms-where-the-walls-came-down-part-1-sun-studio-and-chess-records/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/rooms-where-the-walls-came-down-part-1-sun-studio-and-chess-records.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"The Moondog: Alan Freed, the Payola Scandal, and the First Rock and Roll Riot","slug":"the-moondog-alan-freed-the-payola-scandal-and-the-first-rock-and-roll-riot","published_at":"2026-08-13T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-moondog-alan-freed-the-payola-scandal-and-the-first-rock-and-roll-riot","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/7","duration_seconds":1073,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/the-moondog-alan-freed-the-payola-scandal-and-the-first-rock-and-roll-riot/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-moondog-alan-freed-the-payola-scandal-and-the-first-rock-and-roll-riot.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"The Same Music: The Bristol Sessions, Hank Williams, and the Lie That Split Blues from Country","slug":"the-same-music-the-bristol-sessions-hank-williams-and-the-lie-that-split-blues-from-country","published_at":"2026-07-31T09:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-same-music-the-bristol-sessions-hank-williams-and-the-lie-that-split-blues-from-country","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/6","duration_seconds":1633,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/the-same-music-the-bristol-sessions-hank-williams-and-the-lie-that-split-blues-from-country/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-same-music-the-bristol-sessions-hank-williams-and-the-lie-that-split-blues-from-country.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"We Both Speak African: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and How Jazz Crossed the Atlantic","slug":"we-both-speak-african-dizzy-gillespie-miles-davis-and-how-jazz-crossed-the-atlantic","published_at":"2026-07-16T09:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/we-both-speak-african-dizzy-gillespie-miles-davis-and-how-jazz-crossed-the-atlantic","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/5","duration_seconds":1221,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/we-both-speak-african-dizzy-gillespie-miles-davis-and-how-jazz-crossed-the-atlantic/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/we-both-speak-african-dizzy-gillespie-miles-davis-and-how-jazz-crossed-the-atlantic.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"The Country's Memory: Jimi Hendrix, Strange Fruit, and American Music at 250","slug":"the-country-s-memory-jimi-hendrix-strange-fruit-and-american-music-at-250","published_at":"2026-07-02T09:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-country-s-memory-jimi-hendrix-strange-fruit-and-american-music-at-250","url":"https://groundwater.fm/episodes/the-countrys-memory-jimi-hendrix-strange-fruit-and-american-music-at-250","duration_seconds":934,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/the-country-s-memory-jimi-hendrix-strange-fruit-and-american-music-at-250/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-country-s-memory-jimi-hendrix-strange-fruit-and-american-music-at-250.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"The Blues Professor, Part 2: Muddy Waters, the Mardi Gras Indians, and Where to Start with the Blues","slug":"the-blues-professor-part-2-muddy-waters-the-mardi-gras-indians-and-where-to-start-with-the-blues","published_at":"2026-06-25T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-blues-professor-part-2-muddy-waters-the-mardi-gras-indians-and-where-to-start-with-the-blues","url":"https://groundwater.fm/episodes/the-blues-professor-part-2-muddy-waters-the-mardi-gras-indians-and-where-to-start-with-the-blues","duration_seconds":1032,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/the-blues-professor-part-2-muddy-waters-the-mardi-gras-indians-and-where-to-start-with-the-blues/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-blues-professor-part-2-muddy-waters-the-mardi-gras-indians-and-where-to-start-with-the-blues.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"The Blues Professor, Part 1: Piedmont Blues, the Allman Brothers, and Atlanta's Living Scene","slug":"the-blues-professor-part-1-piedmont-blues-the-allman-brothers-and-atlanta-s-living-scene","published_at":"2026-06-23T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-blues-professor-part-1-piedmont-blues-the-allman-brothers-and-atlanta-s-living-scene","url":"https://groundwater.fm/episodes/the-blues-professor-part-1-piedmont-blues-the-allman-brothers-and-atlantas-living-scene","duration_seconds":1354,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/the-blues-professor-part-1-piedmont-blues-the-allman-brothers-and-atlanta-s-living-scene/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-blues-professor-part-1-piedmont-blues-the-allman-brothers-and-atlanta-s-living-scene.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"Groundwater Trailer: Why American Music's Genre Labels Are a Lie - A Music History Podcast","slug":"groundwater-trailer-why-american-music-s-genre-labels-are-a-lie-a-music-history-podcast","published_at":"2026-06-13T23:23:19+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/groundwater-trailer-why-american-music-s-genre-labels-are-a-lie-a-music-history-podcast","url":"https://groundwater.fm/episodes/trailer-start-at-the-mouth-of-the-river","duration_seconds":76,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/groundwater-trailer-why-american-music-s-genre-labels-are-a-lie-a-music-history-podcast/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/groundwater-trailer-why-american-music-s-genre-labels-are-a-lie-a-music-history-podcast.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"Twelfth Street Station: The Great Migration and How New Orleans Music Reached Chicago","slug":"twelfth-street-station-the-great-migration-and-how-new-orleans-music-reached-chicago","published_at":"2026-06-09T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/twelfth-street-station-the-great-migration-and-how-new-orleans-music-reached-chicago","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/4","duration_seconds":820,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/twelfth-street-station-the-great-migration-and-how-new-orleans-music-reached-chicago/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/twelfth-street-station-the-great-migration-and-how-new-orleans-music-reached-chicago.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"The Drain: New Orleans Music From Professor Longhair to Katrina","slug":"the-drain-new-orleans-music-from-professor-longhair-to-katrina","published_at":"2026-05-26T09:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-drain-new-orleans-music-from-professor-longhair-to-katrina","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/3","duration_seconds":1029,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/the-drain-new-orleans-music-from-professor-longhair-to-katrina/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/the-drain-new-orleans-music-from-professor-longhair-to-katrina.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"Little Louis: Louis Armstrong and the Birth of Jazz","slug":"little-louis-louis-armstrong-and-the-birth-of-jazz","published_at":"2026-05-07T04:14:23+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/little-louis-louis-armstrong-and-the-birth-of-jazz","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/2","duration_seconds":933,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/little-louis-louis-armstrong-and-the-birth-of-jazz/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/little-louis-louis-armstrong-and-the-birth-of-jazz.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]},{"title":"Below Sea Level: How New Orleans Built American Music","slug":"below-sea-level-how-new-orleans-built-american-music","published_at":"2026-05-07T03:14:25+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/below-sea-level-how-new-orleans-built-american-music","url":"https://groundwater.fm/s1/1","duration_seconds":985,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/episodes/below-sea-level-how-new-orleans-built-american-music/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/groundwater-the-blues-beneath-everything-7851197/below-sea-level-how-new-orleans-built-american-music.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}]}