There's no one quite like Gogol Bordello. The band has cultivated a wildly joyful mix of Romani and Ukrainian music, crossed with punk, polka and any other genre that might suitable serve the chaos. Eugene Hütz stands in the eye of the storm, as frontman and ringleader. Growing up in Ukraine studying English language punk and folk, Hütz and family would move across the content to Poland, Hungary, Austria and Italy as political refugees. In the early-90s, the band settled in the U.S. By the end of the decade, Gogol Bordello began in earnest in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By her early 20s, Veronica Swift was a jazz veteran. The daughter of musicians (pianist Hod O'Brien and singer Stephanie Nakasian), she recorded her debut at age nine. Swift’s career has taken its share of turns, including a rock opera in which she played a killer nun, composed while studying music at the University of Miami. Last year’s self-titled LP presents yet another side of the musician, as she marries her love of rock with her jazz bonafides. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Place invariably has a profound impact on the art we make. Immigration melds cultures and creative output, a phenomenon embodied by musical cross pollination. Movement, which began its second season this year, explores the lives and works of immigrant musicians. It’s a subject that is near and dear to the podcast’s host, Meklit Hadero, whose music marries influences from her American home and Ethiopian birthplace. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As day jobs go, one could do a lot worse than composer. Classically trained at Yale, Ellis Ludwig-Leone spends much of his time writing music for institutions including the New York City Ballet. By night, he’s the principal songwriter and ostensible leader of San Fermin, whose indie-inclined chamber pop has earned a steady following and critical acclaim for more than a decade. Next month, the will release Arms, a rawer, more immediate album dealing with – among other topics – art and the end of relationships. Ludwig-Leone joined us to discuss the two sides of his songwriting life. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a name borrowed from the Get Up Kids’ second EP, Red Letter Days finds front man Matt Pryor delving deep into personal stories. The memoir was adapted – in part – from the musician’s journals, beginning with his childhood diabetes diagnoses, through his musical journey. Formed in Kansas in the mid-90s, the Get Up Kids went on to become one of the most influential acts of emo’s second wave (referred to as the tongue-in-cheek “e-word” throughout). Pryor joins us to discuss his musical life, personal struggles and the act of getting it all down on paper. Transcript here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Survival Guide is, for all intents and purposes, Emily Whitehurst. What began as collaboration evolved into a solo act. For the project’s fourth album, deathdreams, the musician has continued to push her limits, playing nearly every instrument on its 11 tracks. Whitehurst has had plenty of collaborative projects over the years, including her stint in punk band, Tsunami Bomb and the follow up group, The Action Design. But sometimes the purest form of expression requires an artist to take things into their own hands. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plenty of pioneers aren’t sufficiently recognized in their time. Fanny had its share of high profile champions, from David Bowie to Steely Dan, but nothing amounting to the level of stardom they might have achieved had they come around a decade later. The band’s legend has only grown in subsequent decades, however. More than a quarter-century after the band’s dissolution, however, Rhino resissued the band’s four albums by way of a box set. More recently, the documentary, Fanny: The Right to Rock, introduced the group a whole new generation of fans. Singer and guitarist June Millington joins us to discuss her journey in music, mindfulness and teaching. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A deeply personal meditation on life, art and surviving capitalism, Time Under Tension further establishes MS Harkness as a formative voice in auto-bio comics. The book – her first for Fantagraphics – follows the Uncivilized Books titles, Tinderella and Desperate Pleasures. Harkness joins us to discuss her work, weightlifting and teaching comics. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the time came to put out a new record, Will Butler formed a band. Comprised of the group he’d toured with for his 2015 debut, Policy, Will Butler and Sister Squares released a 14 track self-titled album that is as reflective as is it is danceable. It’s the work of a mature artist, propelled by his two decades playing alongside older brother, Win, in the critically-acclaimed Arcade Fire. Butler joins us fresh off a long run in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1989, a 23-year-old Chris Oliveros founded a quarterly publication that grew into one of the world’s most respect independent comics publishers. In 2015, he left the company after 25 years, in order to focus on his own work. Oliveros released The Envelope Manufacturer the following year, chronicling the titular character’s financial and mental struggles in a changing world. Earlier this year, D&Q released Are You Willing to Die for the Cause?, which delves into a fascinating an oft-overlooked chapter of Quebec history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2019, Jack Tatum and his wife made the move from Los Angeles to Virginia. As timing goes, the decision couldn't have been better, as they rode out the pandemic with considerably more space. Since then, the couple have had a son, a factor that weighs heavily on the themes of his latest, Hold. The album is his fifth as Wild Nothing, and his first fully self-produced record since 2010's Gemini. Tatum discusses his creative process and using music to work through pain. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few months ago, Joshua Cotter did something difficult: he asked for help. Social media posts detailing the number of copies his Nod Away series have sold struck a chord. If a supremely talented artist like Cotter can’t make a living at comics, what hope does anyone else have? Over the years, Cotter has crafted many excellent works, including Skyscrapers of the Midwest and Driven by Lemons. Those two titles have taken on a special meaning for the cartoonist, after being diagnosed with neurodivergence. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few bands reach the status of “institution.” It’s a qualifier that has applied to Barenaked Ladies for several decades now. Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn has been a part of that journey since 1995, joining prior to the one-two punch of Born of a Pirate Ship and Stunt, the latter of which catapulted the already-popular band into the stratosphere. Hearn’s professional career stretches back further, to the late-80s, when he joined Toronto’s legendary Look People. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last night was a late one – a big show at Pappy and Harriets in Pioneertown, California, followed by the inevitable after party. Zia McCabe dials in from the passenger seat of the tour bus, slightly worse for wear, but sharp as ever. After nearly 30 years, the Dandy Warhols know the road like few others – and like even fewer, they’re still committed to bringing it every night. McCabe joins us to discuss her journey with the band, family and life in real estate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"World Worth Keeping" is a joyful song of existential crisis, celebrating a planet as it stares down the face of climate change. It's a perfect microcosm of its creator's work, at once serious and playful, with a country twang and a great hook. Jaime Wyatt hasn't always had the easiest existence, dealing with substance abuse and a stint in jail, but she's emerged from the other side confident, proud, as a rising star in the country world. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sixty-six million years ago, roughly three-quarters of the Earth’s plants and animals went extinct. As Riley Black notes, such deaths happened almost instantaneously. Those who survived asteroid impact perished shortly after. The Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event is the cheery topic that forms the basis of Black’s best-selling, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. She joins us to discuss her path to paleontology and the experience navigating the field as a trans woman. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Music of Heatmiser affords the titular band an occasion to step outside their own large shadow. It's an opportunity to judge the group on its own merit, beyond simply serving as a launchpad for its most famous member. College friends Neil Gust and Elliott Smith serve as the songwriting forces behind the Portland act, whose unreleased recordings appear on the new Third Man record. After Heatmister's rise and quick dissolution, Gust founded No. 2. More recently, he made a second career as a video editor in New York, only to feel music's pull once again. The musician joins us to discuss Heatmiser and his subsequent journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A dozen different songs about death. That's how one arrives at a title like Eulogy Volume 1. But not all deaths are equal. Some are metaphorical, representing a new beginning. Josh Radnor's first solo album finds him operating without the accomplished musical safety net that is longtime collaborator, Ben Lee. The actor/musician joins us to discuss relationships, psychedelics and the wisdom of middle age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month marks 20 years since the Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? The Unicorns' sophomore album is a singular triumph for a group that was clearly too beautiful to live. But it didn't take Nick Thorburn long to regroup after his seminal high school band imploded. There have been countless musical projects along the way, but Islands stands the tallest as longest tenured, most brilliant and best among them. The band returns this year with And That's Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs, the second album since Thornburn's self-imposed hiatus. It's bleak at times, but always a fantastic snapshot of a musical career ever charging ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northern (Redux) began as something altogether different. The planned record length cover of Taylor Deupree’s 2006 ambient album became a collaboration. Jeremiah Fraites brought Dupree into the projects to reimagine the original, with the Lumineers cofounder behind the piano. It was a departure from Fraites’ solo debut Piano Piano, but both projects are united as radically different works than his immensely popular alternative folk band. He joins us to discuss his distinct musical journeys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sitting in the backseat of an Uber on the way home from a three week work trip, I tossed The Skies, They Shift Like Chords on my music player. “Centering” is the first word that comes to mind. A few minutes in, and your blood pressure starts to drop. Roger Eno has been an expert at centering for decades, constantly refining his music and distilling it to the fewest viable parts. The composer joins us to discuss his long career in music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some artists prefer to "let the art speak for themselves." It's a stance I respect, but hope to never encounter during an interview. Kristin Hersh, on the other hand, is an open book. The musician has faced adversity head on, and chronicled it great detail through memoir. It's a breath of fresh air -- particularly from an artists whose work stands on its own, several times over, as the founder of Throwing Muses, 50 Foot Wave and nearly a dozen solo albums. Her latest, Clear Pond Road, arrived in September. It's raw, adventurous and triumphantly her own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Several months before the release of Monica, I spoke with Daniel Clowes for a magazine feature. I consider this a kind of companion piece to our more recent conversation, digging deeper into his latest book and the stories behind it. I hope you get something out of it, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a few days between book tour dates, Daniel Clowes is decompressing in his Bay Area home. It had been a few months since we’d spoken for a magazine piece – a perfect time to reflect on the critical acclaim surrounding his latest book, Monica. It’s a deeply personal book in a number of ways, inspired by his mother who passed during the several years it took to craft. It’s also a welcome return for one of the finest cartoonists of his generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 34 years, Teenage Fanclub has remained remarkably consistent, both in terms of lineup and quality. Emerging from the Glasgow scene at the tail end of the 80s, the band’s 11 records maintain a level of quality matched by remarkably few. The streak continues with the Ominously Named Nothing Last Forever, which arrived this September. The album embraces heavy topics, like aging and loss, all while maintaining a knack for writing a great pop song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a member of both the Modern Lovers and Talking Heads, Jerry Harrison has had a profound impact of rock music. Along with his solo work, he’s also produced some of equally influential acts, including the Violent Femmes, General Public and the Bogmen. Harrison took at extended break from touring, following the end of the David Byrne-free trio, The Heads. His LinkedIn tells the story of a successful businessman, including – most recently – cofounding equity crowdfunding platform, RedCrow. The keyboardist recently returned to touring, however, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, alongside guitar Adrian Belew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knowing full well that I've become the interviewer who asks about album names, I can't help but draw a parallel between Isn't it Now and Ram Daas. There's truth in the comparison, stemming from the band's evolving approach to music and the simple act of existing in the world. But there are countless other meanings to extract from those three words. Few things are as simple as they appear in Animal Collective land. David "Avey Tare" Portner joins us to discuss life inside and outside an ever evolving musical act. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For some musicians, touring is a strange dichotomy. In him home of France, Ibrahim Maalouf plays stadiums. It’s a different vibe here in the States where he finds himself playing to a few hundred, in spite of last year’s Grammy nomination. The Lebanon-born musician was up for the award courtesy of Queen of Sheba, his reent collaboration with Angélique Kidjo. Maalouf joins us to discuss how he came to love the trumpet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first Wolfie's Just Fine album arrived in 2016. I Remembered, But Then I Forgot marked a major shift in Jon Lajoie’s music, toward more earnest songwriting.He admits to an initial hesitation. After all, Lajoie built a career around comedy songs, going on to star as Taco in FX’s beloved series, The League. The move worked. An EP arrived in 2018, followed by Everyone Is Dead Except Us, which arrived this summer. Lajoie joins us from a truck to discuss his unique trajectory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soundtracking a movie was a perfect opportunity to flex new songwriting muscles. As is often the case in life, however, things went nowhere near according to plan. There's not a lot you can do when you and the director don't see eye to eye. But Alejandro Rose-Garcia found opportunity amid frustration. Movie of the Week finds Shakey Graves embarking on his own imaginary film soundtrack, courtesy of AI and endless remixing. It's a perfect outlet for an artist who is every bit as restless as his fans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Play children’s music long enough and something peculiar starts to happen: your fans start having kids of their own. A quarter century after releasing her album, Laurie Berkner is a veritable music institution. She’s racked up more than one million streams and 350 YouTube videos – but most importantly, her work has engaged multiple generations. Berkner joins us to discuss her start and musical growth over the decades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Set during the first year of the Great Depression, The Man in the McIntosh Suit is a classic noir meets immigrant story. The book follows one-time lawyer from the Philippines, who finds employment as a migrant work, before heading to San Francisco to track down his missing wife. The book is Rina Ayuyang’s third. The Pittsburgh born, Oakland, CA-based cartoonist also runs comics publisher, Yam Books, and cohosts The Comix Claptrap. Word of warning to comics fans: there's some sports talk at the beginning. Proceed with caution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Released on YouTube earlier this year, Shocks & Struts finds Kyle Kinane in top form. The comedian may have intentionally slowed down his breakneck touring schedule, but he remains one of the consistently funny standups in the business. In addition to touring, Kinane also co-hosts the podcasts, The Boogie Monster amd No Accounting for Taste. He joins us to talk about not talking about politics and  competing with Fast & Furious films. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a sense of optimism that breaks through on Messages to God. It’s marked change from the darkest moments of its predecessor. Consistent across all of Sarah Mary Chadwick’s songs, however, is a sense of honesty – however brutal or funny (or both) it might be. Honesty is a trait, thankfully, that is also on full display in Chadwick’s interviews. The musician joins of to discuss her songwriting and life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few things in this life make one rethink the state of the world quiet like parenthood. It’s a subject Hari Kondabolu knows well. The comedian’s dives into the topic on his latest standup album, Vacation Baby – though the subject of social consciousness is never too far behind. That’s something that has permeated his career from the beginning, including Politically Re-Active, a podcast cohosted with W. Kamau Bell, and 2017’s The Trouble With Apu. Kondabolu joins us to discuss his journey through comedy and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Invisible Ink, the floodgates opened. Since the book's publication, Bill Griffith has been a graphical novel producing machine. In fact, he's working on one right know, as I write this. Nobody's Fool followed in 2015, painting a three-dimensional picture of Freaks star, Schlitzie. A few weeks back, Three Rocks hit shelves, doing the same for Nancy artist, Ernie Bushmiller. All the while, the cartoonist has continued to produce the beloved strip, Zippy the Pinhead, as he has for the last 37 years. We discuss those works and pay tribute to his late-wife, the pioneering cartoonist, Diane Noomin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tits & Clits changed the underground comics scene forever. Over its 15-year-long existence, the anthology published such now legendary cartoonists as Mary Fleener, Roberta Gregory and Trina Robbins. The series tackled then-verboten topics like female sexuality, abortion and more, driven by cocreators Lyn Chevli and Joyce Farmer. Both artists continued to have impacts on comics and social movements, though Chevli passed in 2016. In 2010, Farmer released Special Exits, a powerful and touching based on her parents’ final years.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Many of us yearn for stillness and peace, as an escape from the movement all around us,” Heather Woods Broderick says of her latest LP. “Yet movement is perpetual, happening all the time on some level.” But Labyrinths was conceived at the stillest moment for many: March 2020. It was a moment to improve her home production and build from scratch. The album arrived in an entirely different world, after things had reopened and musicians returned to their lifeblood of touring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The imagery of a distant fire found its way into several of I Am Not There Anymore’s tracks, most notably “Claire’s Not Real.” Frontman Alasdair MacLean says he was inspired by trip to Spain in the summer of 2020, spotting an orange glow on the horizon. The Clientele’s long career is speckled in surrealist imagery, and real-life moments. The death of MacLean’s mother a quarter century prior permeates the record, as well. The musician sat down to discuss process and inspiration ahead of the new album’s release.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many ways, Impossible People is a companion piece to Drinking at the Movies. The new book finds Julia Wertz confronting the period of her life detailed in its predecessor. It’s as much a story about getting one’s life together, as much as it is about recovery. Wertz returns to the show to discuss the book and the aspect of her life that informed it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year marked 40 years since the Swans hit the scene. Those decades have produced some of the most forward-looking albums in an era when rock music often feels stagnant. Released in June, the Swans’s 16th record, The Beggar, finds the group continuing to push boundaries, even as most of their contemporaries have either seen fit to rest on their laurels or pack it in. Frontman Michael Gira joins us to discuss songwriting, god and his soft spot for Lana Del Rey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we last spoke to Alex Winter, he was in the midst of a publicity push for his Zappa documentary – a longtime passion project about enigmatic musician of the same name. This time out, the actor-turned-documentarian has returned to the tech world. It’s topic that he has returned to several times, including 2012’s Downloaded and 2015’s Deep Web – the latter of which was the subject of our first conversation that same year. The YouTube Effect finds Winter and company exploring the light and dark sides of the world’s most powerful media organization. The documentary includes conversations with YouTubers, media experts and top executives at the Google-owned platform, in a bid to understand its influence and power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Apologies for the literal jackhammering 10 feet from my window for portions of the recording. I promise it hurt me more than it hurts you.] “I feel very lucky that we all ran into each other at some point pretty early on in our lives,” John McCauley explains in the press material for Deer Tick’s latest. For nearly 20 years, the band has quietly been one of America’s best. From its folk-rock roots to earnest explorations of rock, the band has maintained a consistency that feels increasingly rare. That applies to both the group’s records and live performance, as well as the core group of musicians who clearly still enjoy the act of playing together. McCauley hops on from a hotel room, whether the other members are hanging out, waiting to start a Reddit AMA and seemingly enjoying life on the road. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Apologies for the poor audio quality on my end. I was unknowingly dealing with microphone issues.] Ruined’s premise is simple enough. One host loves horror movies. The other can’t bring herself to watch them. She does, however, want to know everything about what she’s missing out on.  Good podcasts are rarely so simple, of course. The Crooked Media program is as much a meditation on friendship and society as genre films. When not podcasting, Alison Leiby is a standup comedian, whose has performed her one-woman show, "Oh God, A Show About Abortion” off-Broadway and various East Coast cities. Halle Kiefer is a television writer and blogger for New York Magazine’s Vulture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History is every bit as grandiose as its subtitle suggests. It’s a sprawling and lovingly researched portrait of an unsung rock hero. Author Bill Janovitz knows a thing or two about that world, as the longtime frontman of Boston-based alternative rock stalwarts, Buffalo Tom. The band continues to tour and release music – though the pace has slowed since the halcyon days of the late-80s/90s. The band’s latest record, Quiet and Peace, was released in 2018. These days Janovitz is largely content to focus on books. 2013 saw the release of Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when you’ve got a bunch of paintings and nowhere to show them? If you’re Trever Keith, you do the same thing you’ve done your entire adult life: go on tour. The Face to Face front man is playing a handful of dates across the U.S. that showcase work he’s created based on his own songs. The events also feature an acoustic performance, something the lifelong punk singer has grown increasingly more comfortable with. Keith is currently working on an album of Americana-style originals that tap into a newfound fascination with country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In terms of both influence and longevity, few zines rival Doris. While Cindy Crabb hasn’t published an issue in several years, it remains a prominent presence in bookstores across the world. The series, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is both deeply personal and broadly relatable, regularly tackling life’s obstacles, both large and small. These days, Crabb runs a somatic therapy practice, focusing on the ways the mind and body react to stress and trauma. She continues to write, as well, producing works on a range of topics, including 2015’s Filling the Void, which focused on alcohol recovery and the following year’s Learning Good Consent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s prolific and then there’s Jad Fair. The 30 albums released by his seminal art punk band Half Japanese just scratches the surface. Since 1974, the musician has released hundreds of albums, including 150 issued through Bandcamp in a single year. Beyond the output with his band, Fair’s best known work may be his collaborations with artists like Daniel Johnston, Yo La Tengo, R. Stevie Moore and the Velvet Underground’s Mo Tucker. Fair is also a prolific artist whose paper cuttings have been show in galleries around the world. Special cameo from Fair’s dogs, Button and Blanket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.