Southern Accents

Jared is joined by pre-eminent Bob Dylan expert Ray Padgett to discuss the subject of his recent Substack miniseries, Dylan and Tom Petty's unfairly maligned 1986 "True Confessions" tour. Support Ray's excellent work, linked below.His Substack about Bob Dylan's live shows, Flagging Down the Double E'sHis recent article on the one and only "Weird Al" Yankovic. His treasure trove of a book, Pledging My Time: Conversations with Bob Dylan Band MembersHis podcast about the covers of, and by, Bob Dylan, Watching the Covers Flow

This week the boys are joined by friend of the show, Nat Hawkins, to discuss the Petty-produced, Heartbreakers-backed Del Shannon comeback album, Drop Down and Get Me.(If you don't care about South Carolina political gossip, skip to 11:45.)

This week, John and Jared discuss Hard Promises, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' uneven follow-up to their breakout, "Damn the Torpedoes." Is it a misfire? Or an underrated gem? Turns out it's a little of column A, a little of column B.

At long last, John and Jared are joined by Jesse Hawken, old friend and host of Junk Filter, to discuss the "Damn the Torpedoes" episode of the Classic Albums documentary series and the Produce Like A Pro interview with the legendary Shelly Yakus. (To be honest, we just wanted an excuse to talk some more about "Damn the Torpedoes." Is that so wrong?)

Folks, it's the moment you've all been waiting for: this week John and Jared finally discuss Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' earth-shattering third album, "Damn the Torpedoes." Is it their best album? Is it the best album, period? Listen to find out!

John and Jared are joined by UK-based singer-songwriter Jack FR (aka Jack Frayne-Reid) to discuss Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' excellent first two live albums. Give Jack a follow on Twitter and check out his music on SoundCloud!You can find the Official Live 'Leg (including UK-exclusive version of "The Wild One, Forever) here and the 1978 Boston Paradise Theater bootleg here.

This week, John and Jared discuss Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' coolly received sophomore effort, "You're Gonna Get It!", an album with much more to offer than its critical reception would lead you to believe.

This week, John and Jared are joined by Alex (Haus of Decline) to discuss Tom Petty's animated music videos ("Runnin' Down A Dream" and "Never Be You"), his iconic portrayal of Lucky on King of the Hill, Strom Thurmond's hair transplant, Bo Diddley and his legion of imitators, art as a communal experience, death and dying, and much, much more.If you want to support Alex's work, join the Haus of Decline Patreon and listen to her band Anti-Spectacular, whose song "Like A Pidgeon" is featured at the end of this episode.Also, if you're in the area, see Alex perform with Anti-Spectacular at Collective Arts (777 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1V2, Canada) at 8PM on March 5, 2026.

This week on Southern Accents, John and Jared discuss Tom Petty's first band (Mudcrutch), the formation of The Heartbreakers, their exceptional debut album, and its initially muted commercial reception.

Welcome to the first bonus episode of Southern Accents! We got a little carried away on one of our planning calls and ended up having a marathon conversation about Myrtle Beach (South Carolina's mini Florida), seeing Bob Dylan live, failing to blend in at the Chappell Roan show, Tom Petty covers, and, of course, ukuleles.

Welcome to the very first episode of Southern Accents! Enjoy listening to John and Jared discuss professional guru Rick Rubin, rock n' roll thievery, iconic dorm room posters, Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan, male pattern baldness, and (of course) Mr. Thomas Earl Petty.