Talkhouse Podcast

Life is busy, and it can be tough to stay up to date on your favorite shows. So, to highlight a few of the Talkhouse team’s favorite moments from the first six months of 2018, we bring you our semi-annual Best Of episode. This week’s show features clips of: — Aasif Mandvi and Jason Jones talking fashion at the flagship Sonos store — Natalie Prass and Matthew E. White discussing the challenges of writing political pop songs at the Strand — Meredith Graves and Cameron Lynch chatting the intersection of music and sports at On Air Festival (in collaboration with The Players Tribune) — An unreleased clip of Adam Goldberg and The Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd on confronting Nazi internet trolls — Oscar winners Guillermo del Toro and William Friedkin on Academy nominations and the apocalypse (in collaboration with Vanity Fair) — Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson and writer Samantha Irby recounting their hilarious path to collaborating on the upcoming TV show Meaty, recorded live at Books Are Magic For this special epi

On the heels of covering each other’s music as part of Joyful Noise Recordings’ very cool Cause & Effect series, Devendra Banhart and Tim Kinsella (Joan Of Arc) sat down to record a Talkhouse Podcast episode about the project. They touch on it for a moment and then, as one might expect from such restless and prolific artists, veer away, never to return. Their talk instead covers their upcoming books, the poems that came out of Devendra’s “ashram-hopping in India,” and the nuts and bolts of what goes into staying sane as highly productive working artists. Oh, and we also hear their argument for a hallucinatory experience as a prerequisite to lead the United States of America … Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was recorded by Tim and Devendra, and co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, two of the most exciting emerging writer-directors of the moment sit down together for a chat at the Sundance Film Festival. The filmmakers in question – Reinaldo Marcus Green, whose Monsters and Men is forthcoming this fall, and Boots Riley, frontman of the Coup and mastermind behind the current cinematic sensation Sorry to Bother You – talk about the contrasting routes they took to making their debut features, the stresses of selling your movie at Sundance, how internet-age distraction is the enemy of creativity, partying with Idris Elba, and much, much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

For the Independence Day break, we revisit one of our favorite Talkhouse Podcast episodes of the past year, a conversation recorded live at Sonos' flagship store in Soho NYC featuring Mr Show and Arrested Development's David Cross chatting with two of his longtime friends, comedian and hip-hop star Jean Grae and Fabrizio Moretti, the drummer from the Strokes and Little Joy. Over the course of a hilarious and thoroughly unpredictable conversation, the trio talk about David going into an old people's home, the ills of social media, Jean's inability to ride a bike, the mysterious “gum incident,” the movie and musical of Newsies, conspiracy theories, jobs they were fired from … and David and Fab give Jean an opportunity to prove her talents at the last job she was fired from: a phone sex operator. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop about future Talkhouse Podcasts. Episode engineered and mixed by Mark Yoshizumi and produced by Tal

Natalie Prass' new LP, The Future and The Past, has been a long time in the making. Reeling from the results of 2016's presidential election, Prass made a last-minute decision to cancel the recording sessions she'd booked with producer Matthew E. White, feeling that the songs she'd written about a breakup had to be replaced with new ones which addressed what was unfolding in America. To celebrate the release of this powerful new record, Prass was joined by White at Manhattan's iconic bookstore The Strand for a deep-dive conversation about her creative process and vision for these songs. Their talk also gets into sexism in the studio, aborted attempts at writing with L.A. songwriters, and how Prass almost chose running a dog-clothing company over her music career. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode is in partnership with The Strand. It was recorded by Jason Kelly and co-produced

This week’s Talkhouse Podcast episode features a fantastic conversation between The Raincoats and Protomartyr, recorded live at Rough Trade East in London, followed by an audience Q&A session. My special guest host is Jenn Pelly, Contributing Editor at Pitchfork — where she glowingly reviewed Protomartyr’s new Consolation EP last week — and author of the 33 1/3 series book on The Raincoats’ self-titled debut album. The bands’ talk takes in a lot: presenting oneself as you are versus a cultivated rock star image; Protomartyr’s collaboration with Kelley Deal of The Breeders and The Raincoats’ work with Angel Olsen; how Kurt Cobain’s fandom forever changed The Raincoats’ career; and much, much more. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode is in partnership with Rough Trade. It was recorded by James Spinks and co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, Broad City's Abbi Jacobson sits down with the hilarious blogger and memoirist Samantha Irby in a conversation recorded at Brooklyn's Books Are Magic. The two discuss Irby's first book Meaty – which not only just got re-issued in an all-new edition but which Jacobson and Irby are also currently turning into a TV show – as well as how Abbi first “courted” Sam five years ago, the perfect soundtrack to writing a great personal essay, Sam’s dream to put diarrhea on TV (and her other aims for the small-screen version of Meaty), her planned Emmy revenge (!), and much, much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, Simon Baker (best known for playing the title role in The Mentalist) talks with fellow actor-turned-director Griffin Dunne, who he has known for two decades. The two friends discuss Breath, Baker's newly released directorial debut – a coming-of-age surfing movie, in which Baker also stars – as well as directing vs. acting, the challenges of making an authentic surfing movie, the documentary Dunne made about his aunt Joan Didion, how “human cinema” will outlast superhero franchises, a hilarious story about Dunne's father giving him “the talk,” and much, more. For more filmmakers talking film, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips chats with his longtime friend and sometime musical collaborator Adam Goldberg, the actor (and musician-writer-director-producer-editor-photographer) whose new record under the Goldberg Sisters moniker, Home: A Nice Place to Visit, is out now. In a fascinating, wide-ranging conversation, the two talk about having a split artistic identity, the impact of technology in our lives, the infamously wacky Flaming Lips movie Christmas on Mars, not to mention the reason Adam hasn't watched Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, their respective childhood obsessions with Kiss and Grease, and Drozd's appearances on both Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed. For more filmmakers and musicians talking film and music, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

On today's Talkhouse Podcast episode, we bring you a bumper double feature recorded live on Pitchfork Radio at SXSW. To kick things off, Shame's Charlie Steen and Goat Girl's Clottie Cream, L.E.D and Rosy Bones give us some insights that only locals could into the rad young indie and post-punk scene popping off in their hometown of London. Part two of the podcast pairs Jamaican legend Konshens with fab Spanish newcomer Bad Gyal for an international dancehall summit. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was recorded and co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi.

This week's Talkhouse Podcast episode features Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff in conversation with A.C. Newman, the lead singer and guitarist from the New Pornographers. The talk is a collaboration with the iconic Manhattan bookstore Strand Books, and was recorded live in their Rare Book Room to celebrate the release of Okkervil River's new L.P., In the Rainbow Rain. The old friends, occasional collaborators, and recent neighbors go deep into the writing, structuring and influences on Will’s new album. But they cover a lot more than that, including; predestination vs. free will; the joys and drawbacks of living in a political bubble; the magic of what A.C. calls "the nerd store;" and why the gig after New York City always sucks. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was recorded by Charles Mueller and co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi.

This week's episode of the Talkhouse Podcast features Andrew W.K. and Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes) in an insightful, hilarious conversation. It was recorded in front of a live audience at South By Southwest and is a collaboration with TuneIn. Veterans of NYC's turbo-charged indie-rock aughts, Hammond and W.K. are currently making some of the most vital music of their careers. When the two caught up for this podcast chat, they naturally talked about their new albums, Francis Trouble (Hammond) and You're Not Alone (W.K.) But they certainly didn't stop there; this conversation also covers the pluses and minuses of total creative control, curating the live show experience for their fans, the joys of picking one's nose, glow-in-the-dark condoms, and how Hammond received inspiration for his alter ego ... from his dog. Party this podcast, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today's episode was recorded by Dutch

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, a meeting of great comedy minds: Paul Feig, the creator of Freaks and Geeks and director of Bridesmaids, Spy and Ghostbusters, sits down with actress-writer Alia Shawkat and writer-director Miguel Arteta, whose excellent new collaboration, the comedy drama Duck Butter, is now in theaters and on VOD. The trio, all in New York City for the Tribeca Film Festival, discuss a wide variety of topics including Duck Butter, the upcoming Freaks and Geeks documentary, using your personal problems and experiences in your art, morning routines, their collaborations with one another, why the Trump era is bad for creativity, getting high, and much, much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. The music featured in the podcast is as follows: 1. Intro / outro underscore: “Plastic Man vs. The Giant Red Phase Of The Sun” – Iced Ink Episode engineered

The latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, recorded at Day for Night Festival in Houston, features Chelsea Manning and Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova. The program includes a talk by Manning on resisting "the data-driven society and the police state"; a conversation between her and Tolokonnikova on their experiences in resistance, incarceration and prison reform; and a talk by Tolokonnikova on bringing "punk feminism" to Russia and the problems with Putin. The two also share their views on how neighborhood communities have better answers than think tanks, the ways empathy can help make real change, and — powerfully — how political action can be more than voting. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer This week’s episode is a collaboration with Day for Night Festival. It was recorded and co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, we feature the concluding part of an epic conversation between two Academy Award-winning directors, Guillermo del Toro and William Friedkin. Here, the longtime friends discuss the genesis of and remarkable stories surrounding Friedkin's compelling new documentary about the Vatican's exorcist, The Devil and Father Amorth. In the process, they tackle some of the most substantial topics imaginable, including: Christ, Hitler, religion, evil, reason vs. emotion, empathy vs. fear, free will, the impending apocalypse — and how filmmakers can make a difference in a world on the brink. Special thanks to Katey Rich from Vanity Fair for collaborating on this special conversation, and for joining us for Part 1 of this conversation. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, a casual cinematic chat between two friends, who also happen to be Academy Award-winning directors: Guillermo del Toro and William Friedkin. In the first part of their enthralling two-part conversation for the Talkhouse Podcast, the pair discuss winning big at the Oscars, surviving award season, how to stay a scrapper despite success, del Toro's apprenticeship under makeup legend Dick Smith, the remarkable story of Friedkin and the Pazuzu statue in The Exorcist, the plagiarism controversy surrounding The Shape of Water, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, Eliza Hittman – the writer-director of It Felt Like Love and Beach Rats – chats with one of the great living filmmakers (and one of Hittman's personal heroes), Scottish writer-director Lynne Ramsay. The two talk about Ramsay's latest film, You Were Never Really Here starring Joaquin Phoenix, which is in theaters now, touching on such topics as the adaptation process, tackling violent subject matter, making a thriller for the first time, staying open to new ideas during all phases of the creative process, balancing life and work, and much more besides. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

Today’s show features a talk the brilliant English folk-punk activist Billy Bragg gave on skiffle music at NYC’s Strand Bookstore last year upon the release of his book Roots, Radicals and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World. Bragg traces the little-known genre from its distinctly American roots to its British chart-topping success, and consequent all-conquering return to America repackaged as the British Invasion. He describes how the short-lived “hillbilly” sound forever changed the course of Western music via its teenaged adherents, who included Van Morrison and, crucially, the Beatles. This utterly fascinating tale also touches on questions of cultural appropriation (and appropriation of appropriation), how young women wanting to jive created a new gig infrastructure, calypso hitting the U.K. charts due to a cricket match, and how the spread of skiffle — and, for that matter, rap — mimics the fidget spinner. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast

Today's episode, a collaboration with The Players' Tribune, was recorded earlier this month in front of a live audience at On Air Fest at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn. When On Air Fest reached out to Talkhouse about curating a live episode for their podcast festival, we had an idea: what if we, the outlet where musicians and filmmakers write and speak about their experiences, partnered with Derek Jeter's The Players' Tribune, the site where athletes write about their own experiences, for a podcast discussion about what the first-person narrative really looks like? The Players' Tribune loved the idea, and brought in NFL linebacker Cameron Lynch to speak with frequent Talkhouse contributor Meredith Graves (Perfect Pussy). Their thoughtful and often funny conversation takes in a lot, from shutting down the "shut up and dribble" narrative, to the very real pressures of professionally rolling "the dice of life" every single day. It also touches on Fergie's National Anthem blowback, the truth and falsity of people'

Chris Frantz (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) and Richard Lloyd (Television) were key architects of punk and new wave, forever changing what music could be. Lloyd just published his memoir, Everything Is Combustible: Television, CBGB’s and Five Decades of Rock and Roll: The Memoirs of an Alchemical Guitarist, and to celebrate he sat down with his old friend Franz at N.Y.C.’s iconic Strand Book Store for a deep dive into the wild times of his youth and musical hijinks. Tune in to hear about Lloyd hanging with Jimi Hendrix, the advice John Lee Hooker gave him, and how he blew up a Chinese laundry. Plus Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) pops up in the Q&A with a question of her own! Check it out, and subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was recorded by Mark Yoshizumi with Garrett Karrberg, and co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. Big thanks to the Strand.