On today's episode, I talk to Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist Xenia Rubinos . Originally from Hartford, CT, Xenia was raised in a multicultural household by a Cuban father and a Puerto Rican mother. And bits and pieces of her heritage show up in her music, along with everything from Deerhoof-inspired riffs to Caribbean rhythms to math rock like Hella and everything in-between. This is all showcased on her debut album Magic Trix , which is amazing and available on Ba Da B...
Jan 07, 2016•1 hr 9 min
Happy New Year's Eve, friends! Instead of a new guest this week - I didn't want them to get lost in the holiday shuffle - I thought I'd try something I haven't done in a few years. I used to do bonus episodes of the show called "Field Guides" where I'd talk to people about the actual steps they took to create a project. Like, I talked to Abbi and Ilana about how they actually made the Broad City webseries (back before it was even a TV show!) - and the idea is to try and demystify making TV, vide...
Dec 31, 2015•34 min
On today's episode, I talk to musician Gabby Smith, the woman behind the band Eskimeaux . As Gabby puts it in an interview with Stereogum, Eskimeaux began slightly to spite an ex-boyfriend that accused her of not doing anything. So overnight in 2007, she recorded her first album. Since then she's released a number of records, and her latest is the beautiful Two Mountains , which is available from Yellow K Records. Gabby is also a founding member of The Epoch, a Brooklyn-based songwriting and art...
Dec 24, 2015•1 hr 12 min
On today's episode, I talk to comedy writer Daniel Kibblesmith . Originally from Chicago, Daniel has has done many cool comedy things in his career. This includes being a contributing writer for The Onion News Network, writing for Buzzfeed and ClickHole, producing exclusive videos for Funny or Die and The Best Show, co-authoring the humor book How to Win at Everything , and writing the amazing Twitter feed GOPTeens . And that's just a selection! Currently, Daniel is a writer on The Late Show wit...
Dec 17, 2015•1 hr 9 min
On today's episode, I talk to painter and singer-songwriter Ed Askew . Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1940, Ed left in the early '60s to attend Yale Art School. In 1967, he moved to New York in the middle of the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene, and met Bernard Stollman, the founder of the ESP-Disk label, which was dedicated to releasing uncommercial acts, which included Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman and Ed's own folk album Ask the Unicorn. With no organized tours however, and hardly an...
Dec 10, 2015•1 hr 31 min
On today's episode, I talk to comedian Mehran Khaghani . Born in London to Iranian parents, Mehran grew up partly in Iran and mostly in the suburbs of Boston. In 2007, he began pursuing stand-up as a career and quickly became a Boston favorite, prompting his move to New York. And not only was Mehran on the latest season of Last Comic Standing , but he can now be seen performing regularly at the city's best stand-up club The Comedy Cellar.This is the website for Beginnings , subscribe on iTunes ,...
Dec 03, 2015•1 hr 16 min
On today's episode, I talk to musician Kevin Barker . From 1995 to 2002, Kevin was a member of the wonderful indie rock band Aden, whose four albums were released on the fantastic label TeenBeat. At the same time, Kevin had his own solo-ish project called Currituck Co. In addition to these groups, he's played with Antony and the Johnsons, The Essex Green, Hercules and Love Affair, The Ladybug Transistor, Vashti Bunyan, Vetiver and as part of Joanna Newsom's Ys Street Band.This is the website for...
Nov 25, 2015•1 hr 8 min
On today's episode, I talk to actor Aya Cash . The daughter of a poet and a Buddhist teacher, Aya grew up in San Francisco. After moving to New York, she was cast in a number of plays, films and TV shows, including Zoe Kazan's play Trudy and Max In Love, Law and Order: SVU, and The Good Wife. Currently Aya plays Gretchen, one of the lead roles, in the fantastic FX series You're the Worst.This is the website for Beginnings , subscribe on iTunes , follow me on Twitter ....
Nov 19, 2015•1 hr 14 min
On today's episode, I talk to musician Kurt Heasley . A Floridian by birth, Kurt spent his early years in Hopatcong, NJ and in Virginia Beach. In 1988, he recorded a demo tape which he gave to Slumberland Records boss Mike Schulman. Schulman was so impressed with the demo that he released Kurt's first records, which were recorded under the name The Lilys. Between 1992 and 2006, Kurt would go on to record eight albums as The Lilys including A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns , Eccsame the Photon...
Nov 12, 2015•1 hr 36 min
On today's episode, I talk to musician Anika Pyle . Originally from Monument, Colorado, Anika moved to New York with some friends to play music. And in 2012, she, along with Drew Johnson, Doug McKeever, and Dan Frelly, formed the Superchunk-esque band Chumped. In 2013 and 2014, Anchorless Records released two of their EPs, one self-titled and the other named That's The Thing Is Like... , and then later that year, they released their first full-length Teenage Retirement. All are well worth your t...
Nov 05, 2015•1 hr 20 min
On today's episode, I talk to stand-up and activist Ted Alexandro . A New York native, Ted has been performing comedy for over 20 years and was called one of the linchpins of New York comedy by Time Out . He's performed on Letterman, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, The View , and he has two half-hour specials on Comedy Central. Ted is also heavily involved in activism, including the Occupy Wall Street movement. He was also one of the founders of The New York Comedians Coalition, which helpe...
Oct 29, 2015•1 hr 6 min
On today's episode, I talk to musician Briana Marela . A Seattle native, Briana knew she wanted to be a musician from a young age. In 2010 she released her first album Water Ocean Lake , and two years later Bicycle Records put out her next one Speak From the Heart ( which is wonderful). Her first album on a larger indie label All Around Us was recorded in late 2013 in Reykjavik, Iceland with some of the dudes from Sigur Rós and múm, and it was released in August on Jagjaguwar!This is the website...
Oct 27, 2015•59 min
On today's episode, I talk to stand-up and writer Marina Franklin . Originally from Chicago, she moved to New York in 1997 after getting her Master's degree in theater. Two short years later, she made the decision to pursue comedy as a career and since then has appeared in numerous shows including Chappelle's Show , Inside Amy Schumer , and The Nightly Show . Marina's performed stand-up on Last Comic Standing , John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show , the Showtime special Women Who Kill , and most...
Oct 22, 2015•1 hr 14 min
On today's episode, I talk to writer and director Leslye Headland . Leslye began her career in showbiz as an assistant to film producer Harvey Weinstein. But her career as a professional filmmaker began in 2012 when her film Bachelorette with Lizzy Caplan and Rebel Wilson debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. Leslye is also a playwright and screenwriter - Bachelorette is based on one of the plays in her Seven Deadly Sins cycle, and she penned the screenplay for the Kevin Hart remake of About La...
Oct 15, 2015•1 hr 24 min
On today's episode, I talk to political cartoonist and writer Ted Rall . Originally from Kettering, Ohio, Ted's cartooning career began at Columbia University, where he contributed to a number of publications. Since then, his comics have been syndicated in newspapers and alt weeklies around the country, and in magazines like Rolling Stone , Time , and Fortune, and he's edited a series of anthologies of alternative comics called Attitude. Ted's work has also won numerous awards including the Robe...
Oct 08, 2015•1 hr 18 min
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Murray Miller. Originally from the Bay Area, Murray began his comedy career as a stand-up and moved into TV writing from there. He's written for a number of great shows including Clone High, King of the Hill and American Dad. Currently, he's a writer and producer on the HBO series Girls, and earlier this year his wonderfully absurd tennis movie 7 Days in Hell with Andy Samberg and Kit Harrington debuted on HBO.This is the website for Beginnings , subscribe...
Oct 01, 2015•1 hr 9 min
On today's episode, I talk to musician Jack Stansbury. Jack's family dates back to the founding of America, and Jack grew up on the not-so-mean streets of Baltimore. Since 2013, he's been releasing music under the name Princess Reason , and recently he formed a full band with his friends Mike Allison and Morgan Spaner under the moniker. Their latest release, the Your Divorce EP is a wonderful take on Pavement-era indie rock, but with their own spark of originality, and it's one of my favorite th...
Sep 24, 2015•1 hr 14 min
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Tommy Blacha . Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Tommy came to TV writing through the Chicago comedy scene. Besides his writing for the WWE, if there's been a weird comedy in the last two decade, chances are Tommy's had something to do with it. He wrote for Conan , where he created PimpBot5000, and has also written for The Eric Andre Show, Pretend Time, Human Giant, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Da Ali G Show, Late Night with Zach, TV Funhouse , and...
Sep 17, 2015•1 hr 28 min
On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Jane Espenson . Originally from Ames, Iowa, Jane turned to TV writing after going to school to study computer science and linguistics. And if you can namecheck a beloved hourlong dramedy with a sci-fi bend, chances are Jane had a hand in writing it. These include a five year stint on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer , as well as writing for Angel, Gilmore Girls, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Torchwood, Dollhouse, Firefly, Game of Thrones , as well as Dinosaurs, ...
Sep 10, 2015•1 hr 7 min
On today's episode, taped live at UCB Sunset on August 3rd, 2015, I'm joined by five of my favorite comedians and musicians: stand-up and actors Ron Funches and Andy Kindler , actor and improvisor John Gemberling , and musicians Open Mike Eagle and Nick Thorburn . Ron can currently be seen on the NBC sitcom Undateable , Andy is on the IFC show Maron , and beyond that, both are some of the best stand-ups out there. John was on the recently canceled NBC show Marry Me , but also plays Abbi's roomma...
Sep 03, 2015•1 hr 16 min
On today's show I talk to comic book writer/artist Dash Shaw . Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dash studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and is the author of numerous graphic novels. These include Love Eats Brains! published by Odd God Press, GardenHead published by Meathaus, The Mother's Mouth published by Alternative Comics, Bottomless Belly Button and New School published by Fantagraphics, and BodyWorld published by Pantheon Books.This is the website for Beginnings , sub...
Aug 27, 2015•1 hr 33 min
On today's show I talk to musician Katie Eastburn . Katie grew up mostly in Nashville (with stints in Hawaii and Colorado), before migrating to San Francisco to choreograph dance and produce musicals. There she met guitarist Jeff Rosenberg of the notorious, now-defunct West Coast noise-rock duo Pink and Brown, and they eventually formed the indie rock band Young People, who released albums on 5RC and Dim Mak. Since then, she's been part of the groups Whispering Pines, Dionne Werewolf, Gigi and m...
Aug 20, 2015•1 hr 23 min
On today's show I talk to musician and editor Jon Fine . Currently, Jon is the executive editor of Inc. magazine. But before he turned to journalism, he was a rock guitarist, most famously in the indie rock band Bitch Magnet. Jon also played in Vineland and Coptic Light, and was a touring guitarist with Don Caballero. Recently, Jon's memoirs and thoughts on the underground music scene - Your Band Sucks : What I Saw at Indie Rock's Failed Revolution (But Can No Longer Hear) - were published by Vi...
Aug 13, 2015•1 hr 38 min
On today's show I talk to cartoonist Pete Toms . Born in New York, Pete works in the comics industry as a colorist and on his own web comics as a writer and artist. Much like Wonder Showzen , Pete's comics are a wonderful mix of surreality, political and social commentary, violence, and above all, humor. Many of his works can be read through his own website or through Study Group Comics , and they include a strip he co-authors called The Short Con , his fantastic graphic novel Paws , and the Ign...
Aug 06, 2015•1 hr 38 min
On today's show I talk to musician Christian Gibbs . Originally from San Diego, Christian has had a pretty varied musical career. He's played lead guitar in the UK band Modern English (who you might remember for their hit "I Melt With You"), played with J.G. Thirlwell's band Foetus, fronted the rock trio Morning Glories, as well as the chamber-rock group Lucinda Black Bear. While Christian has seen a lot of tragedy in his life, he's never allowed it to conquer him, and his latest album - C. Gibb...
Jul 30, 2015•1 hr 8 min
On today's show I talk to musician Michael Rault . Michael is a Toronto based singer, guitarist and songwriter who fronts his own eponymously named band and also plays as a member of Slim Twig's group. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, he's part of the same music scene that spawned Mac DeMarco, and he's got a cassingle "Still Not Sad" b/w "Nothing Means Nothing" along with his album Living Daylight available now on Burger Records. Both of those things are great!This is the website for Beginning...
Jul 23, 2015•1 hr 7 min
On today's show I talk to comedians and spouses Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis . Almost two decades worth of students and performers at UCB owe their education to Betsy and Ari, who have been teaching and performing at the theatre since essentially its beginning. Besides being house performers at UCB, the two are both actors and writers. Betsy toured with the one-woman off-Broadway show Mother Load and had two long-running sketch shows with her writing partner Katty Biscone. Ari writes for BuzzFe...
Jul 16, 2015•1 hr 21 min
On today's show, I talk to musician Samara Lubelski . Samara grew up in an artistic community in SoHo, New York in the 1970s. She began her music career playing in the "dark-rock" band Of a Mesh, and since then has been a member of numerous groups including Pacer, The Sonora Pine, Hall of Fame, The Tower Recordings, Metal Mountains and most recently Chelsea Light Moving. Samara has also released seven great albums on her own. The most recent one is String Cycle , which was released last year on ...
Jul 09, 2015•1 hr 9 min
On today's show, I talk to musician Angel Deradoorian . Originally from California, Angel was a member of the popular indie rock band Dirty Projectors, joining before the Rise Above tour. Angel was part of the band for their breakout album Bitte Orca , and since leaving the group, has recorded vocals for a number of projects, been part of Animal Collective member Avey Tare's band Slasher Flicks, and her first album The Expanding Flower Planet comes out August 21 on Anticon Records .This is the w...
Jul 02, 2015•1 hr 15 min
On today's show, I talk to Shayna Dunkelman, Michael Anthony Carter and Angelica Negron who together make up the experimental pop group Peptalk . Individually, Shayna grew up in Japan, and also plays in the bands Xiu Xiu, Glasser and Balun, a band that Angelica is also a member of. Angelica is also a composerand has been commissioned by many different festivals to create works. As well as playing music, Michael also builds audio and video pieces and equipment for everyone from Tyondai Braxton to...
Jun 25, 2015•1 hr 36 min
