When Rock ‘n’ Roll Still Believed It Could Change the World | Rock & Rule + Paul Collins

When Rock ‘n’ Roll Still Believed It Could Change the World | Rock & Rule + Paul Collins

Author: Pop Rocks Radio February 19, 2026 Duration: 1:14:06

There was a moment not that long ago when rock ’n’ roll didn’t just soundtrack reality. It tried to change it.

This week’s Movie of the Week is Rock & Rule (1983), the strange, ambitious animated rock opera that emerged from a time when music still felt mythic, dangerous, and world-altering.

We’re also kicking off a new featured-artist arc focused on the members of The Nerves — beginning with Paul Collins. From power pop urgency to post-punk polish, Collins helped define a sound that still echoes through indie rock today.

Plus a clip from the legendary Greg Shaw of Bomp! Records...and plenty of melodic noise from the margins.

New year. Same mission. Digging deep into cult cinema, power pop history, and the music that refuses to disappear.

Be good. Be weird.

Today's tracks:

The Leopards - Block Party

The Voltz - Over and Done

Kim Theory - Child Star Teenybopper

The Webstirs - King of Distortion

Joe Glass - Freight Train Woman

Joint Pains - Everything Considered

The Goods - Back to You

The Vandalias - Buzzbomb!

The Go-Go's - Turn to You

Paul Collins Beat:

  • Rock N Roll Girl
  • That's What Life Is All About
  • I Still Want You

Paul Collins:

  • Kind of Girl
  • All Eyes to See

Uni Boys - I Don't Wanna Dream Anymore

Sharp Pins - I Could Find Out

The Darts (U.S.) - Apocalypse

Drugs In Sport - Cooked

The Arcs - She's Just That Kind of Girl

Bellvie - Feels So Far Away

The Primitives - Way Behind Me


Tune into Pop Rocks Radio for a journey through the sounds that often fly under the radar. This isn't a lecture from a critic; it's a shared passion project from someone who genuinely loves digging through crates and hitting play. The host's personal collection fuels every episode, celebrating the crunchy guitars of power pop, the raw energy of punk, the lo-fi charm of garage, and the spirit of indie. Think of each installment as a carefully crafted, slightly offbeat mixtape passed from one fan to another, designed purely to spark your curiosity and maybe introduce you to a new favorite band. The whole point of this podcast is to channel that excitement directly back to the artists themselves. So if a song grabs you, you're encouraged to seek it out and support the musicians who made it. The show itself is a labor of love, and if you find value in these sonic explorations, there are simple ways to offer a tip for a coffee or directly through certain podcast apps. At its heart, Pop Rocks Radio is a personal invitation to discover the vibrant music thriving just outside the mainstream, hosted by a guide who’s as enthusiastic about sharing it as you hopefully are about hearing it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Pop Rocks Radio
Podcast Episodes
This Whole Episode Is Bomp! Records [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:59
This week it's all Bomp! Records, start to finish. Greg and Suzy Shaw started one of the last truly independent labels, put out Flamin' Groovies' first single back in 1974 and went on to launch The Romantics, Stiv Bators…
The Boys, Slade, and the Citizen Kane of British Pop Movies. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:17
This week on Pop Rocks Radio — The Boys are our featured artist. London punk's most underrated band, and yes, we know about the Christmas records.New music from Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Woolworthy, Doghouse Rose, and Le…
They Called Him the One Man Beatles. He Was Just Emitt Rhodes. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:16
This week on Pop Rocks Radio, we're featuring the music of Emitt Rhodes, a man who recorded his solo albums entirely by himself, in his home, before anyone knew what that meant. Dubbed the secret alter ego of Paul McCart…
We Played a Lot of Superdrag This Week. Circus Monkey Approved. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:55
This week on Pop Rocks Radio — We've got new music from Hayley and the Crushers, Robbie Rist, and The Chutes, plus classics from Linus of Hollywood and Owsley, along with our featured artist of the week: Knoxville's own,…
Worshipping at the Church of Redd Kross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:08
This week on Pop Rocks Radio, we go deep on Jeff and Steve McDonald — in and out of Redd Kross.New music from The chrisVandalay Project, Log Flume, The High Frequencies, a classic from Shoes, and a whole lot more.Our Mov…
Music, Mayhem, and The Muffs | Pop Rocks Radio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:47
We're back and we brought snacks.This week: Paul Collins covers Bob Dylan. The Muffs cover Kim Wilde. Julez and the Rollerz just dropped their debut album and it's fantastic. Plus The Tubs, The Dahlmanns, Guided By Voice…
Everything's Fine (read: Nothing Is Fine) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:40
Welcome back to Pop Rocks Radio! As we bask in the glow of what madness this summer promises to bring us, we're also bringing you new tracks from The Stems, Gary Klebe, Bruce Moody, and our featured artist this week, The…
Pop Rocks Radio (Slight Return) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:07
We're back! Sort of. We never really left. It's complicated.Pop Rocks Radio is relaunching the podcast this week, and we're not easing into it — new tracks from The Gnomes, The Get Alongs, Julez and the Rollerz, SOFTJAW,…