Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Beginnings
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 644: Lia Kohl | 30 Aug 2024 | 01:03:49 | |
On today's episode, I talk to cellist and composer Lia Kohl. Growing up in the Bay Area, Lia began playing the cello when she was eight-years-old and is trained as a classical musician. However, after moving to Chicago in the early 20-teens, she began improvising and making her own music. Her first full album Too Small to be a Plain was released in 2022 on Shinkoyo, which was followed by The Ceiling Reposes in 2023 on American Dreams Records, and her latest Normal Sounds is out now on Moon Glyph records, and it's wonderful! Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!
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| Episode 643: Matt Bors | 23 Aug 2024 | 01:09:23 | |
On today's episode, I talk to Eisner-winning comics editor and two time Pulitzer Prize Finalist in cartooning Matt Bors. Originally from Canton, Ohio, Matt attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he first began drawing editorial cartoons for the student newspaper. At 23, his work became syndicated by Universal Features, making him the youngest syndicated cartoonist in the country at that time. Since then, his comics have appeared in The Nation, The Guardian, Village Voice, CNN, The Intercept, and were collected in the book We Should Improve Society Somewhat. In 2013, Matt founded the wonderful political comics site The Nib and ran it until it ceased operating in 2023. Most recently, Matt created the fantastic dystopian satire Justice Warriors with Ben Clarkson and is writing an upcoming Toxic Avenger series for Ahoy Comics. Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!
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| Episode 634: Jeff Martin of Idaho | 24 May 2024 | 01:06:04 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Jeff Martin. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Jeff started playing piano when he was but a mere toddler. In 1992, he formed the band Idaho with his high school friend John Berry, though Berry would leave a few years later, making Idaho primarily Jeff's project. The band first signed to Caroline, who released their first three albums and an EP, but with their breakthrough album in 2000, Hearts of Palm, they began releasing music on their own Idaho Music label. And their latest, Lapse, will be released at the end of May.
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| Episode 544: Britt Lower | 22 Jul 2022 | 01:02:59 | |
On today's episode, I talk to actor Britt Lower. Originally from Heyworth, Illinois, Britt's first big role was on the short-lived 2010 Comedy Central show Big Lake. This launched her into the world of being a working actor, which included a regular role on Man Seeking Woman, as well as recurring roles on shows like Casual, Ghosted, and High Maintenance. Currently, Britt stars in the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Severance, which is easily one of the best things on TV! | |||
| Episode 543: Mike Allred | 15 Jul 2022 | 01:15:13 | |
On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics creator Mike "Spike" Allred. Originally from Oregon, Mike began his career in comics while working as a journalist. He created his well-known character Madman in the early '90s, and since then has drawn on books like Sandman, Fables, Silver Surfer and numerous others. He co-created two wonderful series: iZombie and X-Statix, and is currently drawing Superman: Space Age and a new X-Statix series. | |||
| Episode 542: Casper Kelly | 08 Jul 2022 | 01:08:23 | |
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Casper Kelly. Originally from Burlington, North Carolina, Casper started working at Adult Swim in the early 2000s, writing for shows like Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Squidbillies, as well as non-Adult Swim shows like Archer. He's co-created two series, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell and Stroker and Hoop, as well as the incredible Adult Swim infomercial Too Many Cooks. In addition to his TV work, Casper is a wonderful short story writer, and his book More Stories About Spaceships and Cancer is very much worth your time! | |||
| Episode 541: Pictoria Vark | 01 Jul 2022 | 01:05:44 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Victoria Park AKA Pictoria Vark. Originally from Cresskill, NJ, Victoria started playing in bands in high school and then college, eventually becoming the touring bassist for indie rock bands like Squirrel Flower and Pinkshift. A few months ago, her first album The Parts I Dread was released on Get Better Records, and it's great! | |||
| Episode 540: Steve Keene | 24 Jun 2022 | 01:01:43 | |
On today's episode, I talk to artist Steve Keene. Originally from the DC metro area, Steve wanted to be an artist from an early age, taking off on a path that eventually led him to Yale art school. But it wasn't until his early 30s that he realized what he actually wanted to do as an artist, and since then Steve has become the most prolific American painter of all time, producing more than 300,000 hand-painted works via his studio/chainlink fence cage where he paints more than 50 paintings at a time.Time Magazine even gave him the moniker of the "Assembly-Line Picasso" because of his unique mass-production painting style. In addition to his affordable mass produced paintings, Steve's also painted the album art for many indie rock bands, including Pavement, The Apples in Stereo, The Silver Jews, as well as many others, and a new book about Steve, produced by photojournalist Daniel Efram, was recently published on Hat and Beard Press! | |||
| Episode 539: Kisskadee | 17 Jun 2022 | 01:12:30 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Kasie Shahbaz AKA Kisskadee. Originally from San Diego, Kasie first started playing music under the name Coyote Run. As Kisskadee though, her first release was just last year, a short EP entitled Ambient Music For Bedrooms. And her first full album Black Hole Era just came out in May on Anxiety Blanket Records, and it's great! | |||
| Episode 538: Joe Rainey | 10 Jun 2022 | 01:06:10 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Joe Rainey. Originally from South Minneapolis, Joe is A member of the Red Lake Nation of Ojibwe people and began attending and singing at pow wows from an early age, as well as becoming a pow wow singing archivist. Eventually ending up in Wisconsin, Joe began guesting with different musicians, working with people like Alan Sparhawk of Low, Bon Iver, Chance the Rapper, among many others. This eventually led to his debut album Niineta, which he composed with producer and artist Andrew Broder and which was released at the end of May on Justin Vernon's label 37d03d! | |||
| Episode 537: Diane Coffee | 03 Jun 2022 | 01:10:15 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Shaun Fleming. Originally from Agoura Hills, CA, Shaun started out their creative life as a child voice actor on shows like Fillmore!, Kim Possible and Lilo & Stitch. As a musician though, they first started playing professionally as the touring drummer for the indie rock band Foxygen. Soon after, Shaun formed Diane Coffee as an outlet for their own music, and since then have recorded five albums and EPs, the latest of which, With People, was just released on Polyvinyl! | |||
| Episode 536: Ryan North | 27 May 2022 | 01:17:21 | |
On today's episode, I talk to comics writer Ryan North. Originally from Osgoode, Ontario, Ryan was on a path to a career in computational linguistics before a small webcomic he started, Dinosaur Comics, launched him in a somewhat different direction. Since then, he's become a New York Times-bestselling and Eisner Award-winning writer whose work includes the non-fiction book How To Invent Everything, the semi-fictional graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, and the so-far-fictional Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comic and podcast for Marvel. He's also written Adventure Time, Jughead, The Midas Flesh and many other comics as well, and his most recent work is another non-fiction book How To Take Over The World! | |||
| Episode 535: Gabriel Kahane | 20 May 2022 | 01:34:59 | |
On today's episode, I talk to composer and singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane. Originally from Venice Beach, California, Gabriel has been making albums for almost a decade and a half, starting with his self-titled album which was released on Family Records in 2008. Gabriel comes at much of his songwriting from a conceptual standpoint - on his 2014 album The Ambassador, he used ten addresses in LA to write songs from the perspectives of characters both real and imaginary, his 2018 album Book of Travelers was based on a cross-country train trip he took, and his first concert work Craigslistlieder set real Craisglist ads to music. In addition to his songwriting, Gabriel has also been commissioned to write dozens of pieces for orchestras, festivals and theaters, and his latest album Magnificent Bird was just released at the end of March on Nonesuch Records! | |||
| Episode 633: Vicky Farewell | 17 May 2024 | 01:07:16 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Vicky Nguyen AKA Vicky Farewell. Originally from Garden Grove, CA in Orange County, Vicky has played piano since she was a child and worked as a music writer and producer for a long time, notably with a writing credit on Anderson .Paak's Grammy winning single "Lockdown" and production credits on Paul McCartney'a album McCartney III. But it wasn't until the pandemic hit that she really began writing music for herself. Her first album Sweet Company came out in 2022, and her latest Give a Damn just came out on Mac's Record Label, and folks, it's wonderful!
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| Episode 534: Kelly Thompson | 13 May 2022 | 01:15:45 | |
On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-winning comics writer Kelly Thompson. After graduating with a degree in Sequential Art from The Savannah College of Art & Design, Kelly began her career as a novelist, penning two books in the early 20-teens, The Girl Who Would Be King and Storykiller. She soon began writing comics with some creator-owned series through Dark Horse and Boom, as well as on the IDW series Jem & The Holograms, among many others. This led to writing for Marvel, where she's written many critically acclaimed and well-loved books including Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Rogue & Gambit and Hawkeye, among many others! | |||
| Episode 533: Frontperson | 06 May 2022 | 01:23:42 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musicians Kathryn Calder and Mark Andrew Hamilton. Kathryn and Mark have been making music in different bands for years. Kathryn is a member of The New Pornographers, has released three albums under her own name and was in the indie pop group Immaculate Machine from 2003 to 2011. Similarly, Mark's primary band since the mid-aughts has been Woodpigeon, who have released over two dozen albums and EPs since their formation. After a chance meeting in the hallway of a recording studio, the two vowed to form a band together one day, and in the late 20-teens, they did just that! Their first self-titled album was released in 2018, and their latest Parade was just released last week on Oscar St. Records! | |||
| Episode 532: Linqua Franqa | 29 Apr 2022 | 01:09:38 | |
On today's episode, I talk to rapper, academic and politician Mariah Parker AKA Linqua Franqa. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Mariah wears many hats. As an academic, they earned their master's in Linguistics at the University of Georgia in 2017 and are currently a doctoral student in Language and Literacy Education at the University. As an activist and politician, Mariah ran for and won county commissioner in District 2 of Athens, Georgia. And as a rapper, they've released two wonderful albums, Model Minority in 2018 and their latest Bellringer, which was just released on Ernest Jenning Record Co., and it's great! | |||
| Episode 531: Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes | 22 Apr 2022 | 01:11:00 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Carey Mercer. Originally from Okanagan, British Columbia, Carey formed the band Frog Eyes in the early 2000s out of the ashes of his former band Blue Pine. From 2003 until 2018, they wrote and released almost a dozen albums and EPs on labels like Absolutely Kosher and Dead Oceans. And in that time, Carey also released a number of solo albums, as well as with the supergroup Swan Lake featuring Destroyer's Dan Bejar and Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug. In 2018, Frog Eyes disbanded, but four years later they are back with a new album The Bees, which is out on Paper Bag Records, and as usual, it's fantastic! | |||
| Episode 530: Andrew Farmer | 15 Apr 2022 | 01:16:55 | |
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer and actor Andrew Farmer. Originally from Florida, Andrew is a recipient of the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant, and his work has been produced at The Museum of Modern Art, Ars Nova, Playwrights Horizons Downtown, Joe's Pub, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Walker Space, Theater Aspen and The Yale School of Drama. As a podcaster, he hosted the long-running Forever Dog podcast Scary Stories to Tell On the Pod, and as a TV writer, he's written for Miracle Workers and the forthcoming animated show Praise Petey. | |||
| Episode 529: Dan Erickson | 08 Apr 2022 | 00:57:12 | |
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Dan Erickson. Originally from Olympia, Washington, Dan earned a Masters in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch School before moving to LA where he worked a number of day jobs and journeyman writing jobs for places like Super Deluxe and things like Spike's Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show. In 2016, his hourlong pilot, Severance, became the first TV script ever included on The Bloodlist, an industry list of the best unproduced scripts. This led to a meeting with Ben Stiller's production company, and eventually the show Severance, which is easily one of the best of the last decade. Its first season on Apple TV+ is just wrapping up, and it's already been renewed for a second! | |||
| Episode 528: Lennon Parham | 01 Apr 2022 | 01:07:58 | |
On today's episode, I talk to actor, writer and improviser Lennon Parham. Born in Marietta, GA, Lennon was acting from a young age, but it was when she moved to New York and started improvising at UCB that her career began in earnest. Performing on a number of house teams at the theater, Lennon eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she booked a regular role on the sitcom Accidentally On Purpose. Since then, Lennon's been a working actor, has had recurring roles on shows like Veep and Lady Dynamite, has had other regular roles on shows like Bless This Mess, and co-created and co-starred in two fantastic shows Best Friends Forever and Playing House. Currently, Lennon is part of the cast of the HBOMax series Minx, airing now! | |||
| Episode 527: Cadence Weapon | 25 Mar 2022 | 01:06:19 | |
On today's episode, I talk to rapper Rollie Pemberton AKA Cadence Weapon. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Rollie began rapping as a teenager, and released his first mixtape Cadence Weapon Is the Black Hand at the age of 19. He released his first album Breaking Kayfabe just a little later, and since then he's released four more albums, all of which were nominated for Polaris Music Prizes, with his latest Parallel Worlds winning the award in 2021. Rollie was also named as Edmonton's Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2011, and today, the deluxe edition of Parallel Worlds is out via MNRK Music Group! | |||
| Episode 526: Kevin Huizenga | 18 Mar 2022 | 01:01:03 | |
On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Kevin Huizenga. Originally from South Holland, a small town of Dutch immigrants in the suburbs of Chicago, he attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where he started drawing the influential mini-comic Supermonster. After moving to St. Louis, Kevin started the comic book series Or Else, the strip Leon Beyond with Dan Zettwoch, as well as his acclaimed series Ganges. Much of Kevin's work has been published by Drawn & Quarterly; he's won five Ignatz awards and been nominated for Harvey and Eisner awards; and he's constantly creating mini-comics which you can get on his website - one of my most recent favorites is his Rumbling series, but you'll never go wrong with anything he makes! | |||
| Episode 525: Jim Starlin | 11 Mar 2022 | 00:59:17 | |
On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award Hall of Fame comics creator Jim Starlin. Originally from Detroit, Jim broke into comics in the 1970s, first as an art director at Marvel, and then moving into being an artist and eventually a writer, working on books like Iron Man and Captain Marvel. During his decades at Marvel, Jim created or co-created many of the characters and wrote many of the stories that eventually made up the backbone of the MCU, including Shang-Chi, Adam Warlock, Drax the Destroyer and Thanos, his work eventually leading to the Infinity Gauntlet. And this is just a small sampling of the things he's written and drawn. At DC, he wrote Batman, including the famous story Batman: A Death in the Family, and currently he is working on a new Dreadstar graphic novel! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. | |||
| Episode 632: Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper | 10 May 2024 | 01:05:20 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Eric Earley. Originally from Salem, Oregon, Eric and his friends formed the band Garmonbozia in the year 2000. Gamonbozia eventually became Blitzen Trapper, and after self-releasing their first few albums, including their breakthrough Wild Mountain Nation, the band signed to Sub Pop. Over the next four years, the label released three albums to acclaim, and since then they've released about a dozen albums and EPs on different labels, including their own. Blitzen Trapper's latest recording 100's of 1000's, Millions of Billions will be released in mid-May on Yep Roc, and folks, it's a delight!
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| Episode 524: Julie Doiron | 04 Mar 2022 | 01:20:01 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Julie Doiron. Originally from Moncton, New Brunswick, Julie's musical career began with the acclaimed indie rock group Eric's Trip which formed when she was just 18. While the band was only together six short years, they put out a number of albums on Sub Pop, as well as numerous EPs and 7"es, and just before they stopped playing together, Julie began to record songs on her own. Since then, she's released over a dozen solo albums, as well as collaborations with groups like Wooden Stars and Mt. Eerie. Her last album I Thought of You was released late last year on You've Changed, and in April, her latest album Julie & Dany, which she recorded with her partner Dany Placard, will be released on Simone Records. | |||
| Episode 523: Basia Bulat | 25 Feb 2022 | 01:20:12 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Basia Bulat. The daughter of Polish émigrés, Basia was born and raised in Toronto's Etobicoke neighbourhood and grew up listening to her mother's piano students. She attended the University of Western Ontario where she received a degree in English and began an MA in English at Western in 2006 but moved to Montreal to record "an audible memory" of her time there which resulted in her debut album. Since then, she has recorded five more albums, is a three-time Polaris Music Prize finalist, and has been nominated for three Juno Awards. Her latest album is an orchestral reimagining of a number of her songs entitled The Garden, and like the rest of her work, it's great! | |||
| Episode 522: Nels Cline | 18 Feb 2022 | 01:08:54 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Nels Cline. Nels is best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco, but his recording and performing career — spanning jazz, rock, punk and experimental — is well into its fourth decade, with over 200 recordings, including at least 30 for which he is leader. Nels has received many accolades including Rolling Stone anointing him as both one of 20 "new guitar gods" and one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. Beyond Wilco, Nels performs in a duo project with guitarist Julian Lage in addition to a quartet, The Nels Cline 4, collaborates with his partner Yuka Honda as the duo CUP, leads The Nels Cline Singers and that is just a brief survey of his many projects. His most recent albums are Wilco's 2019 record Ode to Joy and The Nels Cline Singers' 2020 album Share the Wealth. This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. | |||
| Episode 521: Martha Wells | 11 Feb 2022 | 00:59:31 | |
On today's episode, I talk to author Martha Wells. Martha has been a sci-fi and fantasy writer since her first novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, The Death of the Necromancer, the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, The Murderbot Diaries series, as well as media tie-in stories for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering. And this is just a sampling of her work, which it should be noted, has appeared many times on the New York Times Bestseller List. As well, over the last few decades, Martha has been recognized for her writing with numerous Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards, as well as a Philip K. Dick Award nomination or two. And most recently, The Murderbot Diaries novel Network Effect won the 2021 Nebula Award and Hugo Award for Best Novel, while the series itself won the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Series. | |||
| Episode 520: Matthew Herd of Seafarers | 04 Feb 2022 | 01:19:09 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Matthew Herd. Originally from Glasgow, Matthew is a Scottish songwriter, composer, and saxophonist living in east London. He's the Musician in Residence at Habs Boys' School and co-directs the Habs Jazz Summer School, and plays in a number of different groups. One of these is his band Seafarers, which he formed in 2013 while studying saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music. Their debut album Orlando was released in November 2020 to widespread acclaim, and their second album, II, is out now, and it's fantastic! | |||
| Episode 519: John Linnell | 28 Jan 2022 | 01:12:36 | |
On the 12th anniversary episode of Beginnings taped back in December, I talk to John Linnell of They Might Be Giants! Raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts, John Linnell began writing music with his friend John Flansburgh in high school, and after playing in a number of bands formed TMBG with Flansburgh in 1982. From 1986's self-titled album to today, the band has released over fifty albums, compilations and EPs, has won two Grammys and was even nominated for a Tony Award. John hasn't produced a lot of solo work, but his State Songs album is great, and I wish his Roman Songs EP (sung entirely in Latin) would have been released in the '90s so I could have played it in Latin class to the bemusement of my teacher. Most recently, They Might Be Giants have released a 144 page book and album entitled BOOK, and much like everything else from their 40 year career, it's wonderful! | |||
| Episode 518: Logan Lynn | 21 Jan 2022 | 01:07:46 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Logan Lynn. Born in York, Nebraska, Logan eventually moved to Portland after a tumultuous childhood. His musical career began there when he was discovered by The Dandy Warhols.Since 1998, he's released over a dozen albums and EPs on labels like EMI and Caroline, hosted NewNowNext Music on the Logo Network, and in 2021 was named one of the OUT100 in the Performers of the Year category by Out Magazine. This is just a small smattering of his accomplishments. His latest album New Money is out now on Kill Rock Stars! | |||
| Episode 517: Wendy Eisenberg | 14 Jan 2022 | 01:20:04 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Wendy Eisenberg. Wendy is an improviser and songwriter who uses guitar, pedals, the tenor banjo, the computer, the synthesizer and the voice. Though often working solo as both a songwriter and improviser, with acclaimed releases on Tzadik, VDSQ, Out of your Head, and Garden Portal, they also perform in the rock band Editrix, and in endless other combinations. Towards the end of 2020, Ba Da Bing! released their album Auto, and their latest, Bent Ring, was just released at the end of last year on Dear Life Records. Both are great!
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| Episode 516: John Vanderslice | 07 Jan 2022 | 01:29:58 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician John Vanderslice. Raised in rural North Florida, Vanderslice was forced into piano lessons as a young child, and eventually picked up the guitar and started writing songs as a teen. After moving to San Francisco in 1989, John made three records as a part of the experimental band MK Ultra, including the critically-acclaimed The Dream is Over. His obsession with recording craft persisted: while working as a waiter at Chez Panisse in 1997, he opened Tiny Telephone Recording as an affordable outlet for the Bay Area's indie rock community. Between 2000 and 2014, John released 10 records on Barsuk, Dead Oceans, and Secretly Canadian, and collaborated as a producer and musician on records by Spoon, the Mountain Goats, Okkervil River, Death Cab for Cutie and Tune-Yards. Taking a break from his own recording, he became a full-time producer for a number of years, and in 2018, John decided to leap back into his solo career with full force, releasing a number of albums and EPs, the latest of which is a tribute to Dave Berman entitled "John, i can't believe civilization is still going here in 2021! Congratulations to all of us, Love, DCB" | |||
| Episode 515: Robert Haimer AKA Artie Barnes | 03 Jan 2022 | 01:09:05 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Robert Haimer AKA Artie Barnes. Born in Los Angeles, Robert began playing music with his friend, actor Bill Mumy, in high school, recording songs for their own amusement as Barnes & Barnes. But when Dr. Demento began playing their music in the late-'70s, they started to think of Barnes & Barnes more professionally, bolstered by the popularity of their track "Fish Heads" among a number of others. Since then, they've released over a dozen albums, mostly on Rhino Records, and their latest Pancake Dream is now available on Demented Punk Records. | |||
| Episode 631: Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance | 03 May 2024 | 01:11:01 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Ben Chasny. Born in Los Angeles, Ben's family moved to rural Northern California when he was young. His recording debut was a heavy, free rock project named Plague Lounge, whose album The Wicker Image, was released conjointly between the New World of Sound and Holy Mountain labels in 1996. Holy Mountain released many of Ben's albums as Six Organs of Admittance as well, starting with his first self-titled album in 1998. Since then, he's released just about three dozen albums and EPs as Six Organs. Ben also plays in the wonderful psyche/noise rock band Comets on Fire, who have four albums on labels like Alternative Tentacles and Sub Pop, and Ben's latest album as Six Organs of Admittance, Time Is Glass, was released at the end of April on Drag City, and folks, it's fantastic!
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| Episode 514: Daniel Wyche | 24 Dec 2021 | 01:32:32 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician and Professor of Religious Studies Daniel Wyche. Daniel is a Chicago-based guitarist, composer and improviser. Working with a wide range of physical preparations, extended techniques, and pedal instruments, his solo recorded work and live performances are characterized by long-form structured improvisations. Both by himself and with a number of collaborators (including former guest Patrick Shiroishi), Daniel has released a number of albums, and his latest, Earthwork, just came out towards the beginning of November. As an academic, he specializes in a number of areas including the works of Michel Foucault, and his first book On the Care of the Self and the Care of the Other concerns Foucault's ethical ideas around self-change. | |||
| Episode 513: Modern Nature's Jack Cooper | 17 Dec 2021 | 01:03:26 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Jack Cooper. Originally from the Fylde Coast, Jack began playing music professionally in the early 2000s, where after signing to Twisted Nerve Records, he began playing with musician Jim Noir. From 2009 to 2018, Jack played in two bands - Mazes and then Ultimate Painting - releasing a number of albums as well as some solo records, and in 2019, he formed Modern Nature. Their latest album Island of Noise was just released on Bella Union, and it's fantastic! | |||
| Episode 512: Rebecca Gibney | 10 Dec 2021 | 00:59:27 | |
On today's episode, I talk to actor Rebecca Gibney. Originally from Levin, New Zealand, Rebecca grew up the youngest of six children, and after a somewhat tumultuous childhood, eventually found her way into acting. She first acted in shows like Zoo Family and The Flying Doctors, and in the 1990s starred in shows like Snowy and Halifax f.p. Without going into her full IMDB, Rebecca continued to star in shows and movies including a number of Stephen King miniseries, and in the mid-20teens co-created and co-starred in the wonderful show Wanted. Currently, Rebecca can be seen here in the States every Monday for the next month and a half on the AcornTV show Under the Vines. | |||
| Episode 511: René Kladzyk AKA Ziemba | 03 Dec 2021 | 01:18:38 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician René Kladzyk aka Ziemba. Originally from Michigan, Rene is an El Paso-based musician and writer. As a journalist, she works for El Paso Matters and frequently reports on the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. She is also an advocate for music industry reform and creator of the Future Music Industry (a compendium of music industry orgs run by women and non-binary people). And of course, as Ziemba, she's written a number of albums and EPs, including last year's True Romantic and her latest album Unsubtle Magic, out next week on Sister Polygon Records! | |||
| Episode 510: Lionlimb's Stewart Bronaugh | 26 Nov 2021 | 01:05:38 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Stewart Bronaugh. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Stewart has been playing music for a majority of his life. Professionally, he played for many years as a part of Angel Olson's backing band, and on his own, he's been recording as Lionlimb for over a decade. They released their fantastic first EP Turnstile in 2016, and since then have released two more great albums Shoo and Tape Recorder. Their most recent album Spiral Groove was just released in mid-November on Bayonet Records, and it's an absolute delight! | |||
| Episode 509: Brent Jennings | 19 Nov 2021 | 01:10:14 | |
On today's episode, I talk to actor Brent Jennings. Originally from Little Rock Arkansas, Brent got his start acting professionally in the New York theater scene of the 1970s, both on and off-Broadway. From there, he became a working screen actor appearing in films like Witness, Another 48 Hrs., and Moneyball, as well as TV shows like Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among many others. Most recently, Brent starred in Lodge 49, one of the best shows of the 21st century, and currently recurs on the CW sports drama All American. | |||
| Episode 508: Cedric Noel | 12 Nov 2021 | 01:11:17 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Cedric Noel. Montreal-based artist Cedric Noel has spent the past decade creating music informed by his unique worldview: He was born in Niger to Canadian and Mozambican/Belgian parents, spent his upbringing around the world, and is currently based in Canada. During this time, Cedric has released a number of critically praised full-length albums, EPs and collaborative works of his own, while also playing bass for acts like Ada Lea and many others. His latest album Hang Time is out now on Joyful Noise, and it's great! | |||
| Episode 507: Ram V | 05 Nov 2021 | 01:08:05 | |
On today's episode, I talk to comics writer Ram V. An author and comic book writer from Mumbai, India, Ram V's comics career began in 2012 with the award-nominated comic series, Aghori. Since then, he's written a ton of great comics including Paradiso and Blue In Green for Image, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr for Boom, Grafity's Wall for Dark Horse, Swamp Thing, Justice League and Cat Woman for DC, and is co-writing the next run of Venom with Al Ewing! | |||
| Episode 506: Patrick Shiroishi | 29 Oct 2021 | 01:04:14 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Patrick Shiroishi. For years, Los Angeles-based saxophonist and composer Patrick Shiroishi has been playing music in numerous bands and ensembles crossing a number of different genres. These include groups such as Corima, Upsilon Acrux, Nakata, In the Womb, Oort Smog, as well as many others. Patrick also records solo under his own name, and this includes his latest, Hidemi, a solo multilayered woodwind journey, about his grandfather's personal experience after getting out of the Japanese-American concentration camps. And it is easily one of the best albums of the year! | |||
| Episode 505: Katelyn Tarver | 22 Oct 2021 | 01:04:55 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician and actor Katelyn Tarver. After getting her start performing in prestigious talent competitions as a child in Glennville, Georgia, Katelyn moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She promptly made her TV debut with a recurring role on Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush, then began independently releasing her music while penning songs for other artists. In 2014 she experienced a major breakthrough when "Crazy Stupid Love" (a song she'd co-written for British pop star Cheryl) shot to #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Since then, Katelyn's released a number of singles and EPs, recurred on shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Ballers, and her latest album Subject to Change will be released very soon, in early November! | |||
| Episode 630: Chris Black | 26 Apr 2024 | 01:00:14 | |
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Chris Black. Originally from Toledo, OH, Chris went to USC, which eventually led to him working in television. He started on the USA adaptation of Weird Science, and since then has worked on some of the best shows of the last three decades including Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Invincible, Mad Men, Severance, and a personal favorite of mine, Sliders. That is just a small sampling of his CV, and currently, he co-developed with Matt Fraction and showruns the absolutely wonderful Apple TV+ show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which is coming back for a second season!
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| Episode 504: Buzz Osborne of Melvins | 15 Oct 2021 | 01:04:39 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician Buzz Osborne. Originally from Morton, WA, Buzz founded the rock band Melvins in the early '80s, and in 1986, C/Z Records released their first EP Six Songs. Since then, they've released over 40 more albums, EPs and compilations on record labels like Alternative Tentacles, Sub Pop and Ipecac Recordings, and while never achieving mainstream success - if that's even something they sought - the band is both sustainable and hugely influential, influencing everyone from Nirvana and Soundgarden to Helmet, Tool, Mastodon and many others. Their latest album, Five Legged Dog, a 36-song acoustic reimagining of their discography, is out now! | |||
| Episode 503: Keith Knight | 08 Oct 2021 | 01:05:17 | |
On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Keith "Keef" Knight. Starting with his K Chronicles in the early '90s, Keith has been a professional cartoonist for almost three decades. In that time, he's started two other series - (th)ink and the Knight Life - and written almost 20 books of cartoons. Keith has been syndicated everywhere, won awards like the Harvey Award and was named one of 2015's History Makers by the NAACP. In addition to all of this, he co-created the TV show Woke, which is partially based on his life, and whose second season debuts on Hulu later this year! | |||
| Episode 502: David Thomas of Pere Ubu | 01 Oct 2021 | 01:01:14 | |
On today's episode, I talk to musician David Thomas. Raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, David is one of the founders of the short-lived but influential punk band Rocket from the Tombs, who split up after about a year, with some members going off to form the Dead Boys, while David founded Pere Ubu. While David would record on and off with the self-described avant-garage Pere Ubu over the next 40 years, he has also recorded with a number of different collaborators under a number of different names, such as David Thomas & the Pedestrians, David Thomas & the Wooden Birds and David Thomas & Two Pale Boys. Earlier in September, Fire Records reissued two classic Pere Ubu albums Pennsylvania and St Arkansas! | |||