Roots & Rebels - Thursday Nights 7pm CDT
Roots and Rebels is a celebration of the underground spirit and the fearless and iconic voices that have shaped music. From the back porch storytellers of folk and blues to the electrifying outlaws of rock, soul and country, this show dig deeps into raw sounds that tell America’s musical truth. Through rare recordings, deep cuts and rich storytelling, Roots and Rebels honors the artistry, resilience and cultural impact of musicians who dared to create outside the lines - keeping the flame of passion burning bright.
Hosted by Caroline Cotto, The Pink Haired Priestess of Rebellion and Rhythm
Imagine leaving your country in search of beauty, love and truth. That’s exactly what Caroline Cotto was brave enough to do after her 22nd birthday. She toiled away in the NYC music scene for years before she left to live in Paris and explore Europe for artistic opportunities to enrich her writing and music. She dreamed by the Seine, wrote in cafes and wandered the Louvre for hours. She describes this as her own beautiful version of the Lost Generation. Caroline then lived in London playing blues and soaking up the history of her rock heroes before moving to New Orleans. She is the winner of the 2024 INDEPENDENT BLUES AWARDS for BEST NEW ARTIST AND BEST NEW ARTIST RELEASE - BAYOU SUN. Her music has been featured on high profile radio shows such as BBC Radio 2's 'The Blues Show' with Cerys Matthews, Little Steven's Underground Garage, Genya Ravan's show, 'Goldie's Garage' and Slim Jim Phantom's 'Rockabilly Rave Up.' Her song, 'A Momma To Cry To' was on Cashbox Radio's Top 20 songs for March 2022. Her album, Bayou Sun was named one of the Top Blues Albums for February 2024 by the Toronto Blues Society and features Chris Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble on drums, Country Hall of Fame Drummer Eddie Bayers (Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys, Elton John) and Ronnie Eades, co-founder of the Muscle Shoals Horns on saxophone.
Show Archives
Celebrating the heroines of history and their fearless voices — we’re turning up the volume on rebellion, resistance, and radical womanhood.
Celebrating the raw, fingerpicked truth of acoustic roots and tracing its electric current through decades of grit, groove, and rebellion. This is where bottleneck slides meet overdriven riffs, and the soul of the Delta still sings—just a little louder.
Take a ride through a part of rock and roll history that too often gets left behind — the sounds of the barrios, border towns, and backyards where Mexican-American and Latinx musicians were making rock their own. From the teenage dreams of the 1950s to the global stages of the ‘90s, these artists blended rhythm & blues, traditional Mexican folk, and the pulse of the streets.
Black gospel music laid the emotional and rhythmic foundation for rock and roll, shaping the very sound that would electrify a generation. From the call-and-response patterns to the raw intensity of vocal delivery, gospel infused early rock with energy, soul, and simplicity. Artists like Elvis Presley absorbed this gospel spirit, translating it into driving rhythms, expressive vocals, and the iconic power chords that became a hallmark of the genre. Understanding this connection—from the pews of Southern churches to the stages of rock and roll—is essential to appreciating the roots, power, and cultural significance of the music we celebrate today.
From the moment he burst onto the scene with “Tutti Frutti”, Little Richard rewrote the rulebook of rock ’n’ roll. With his pounding piano, electrifying vocals, and wild showmanship, he inspired everyone from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to Prince and beyond.