Talkhouse Podcast

If you come out of the indie community and you make synth-based music, you owe a huge debt to an iconic duo called Suicide. In fact, if you come out of the indie community at all, you owe a huge debt to Suicide. Starting in New York’s East Village in the early ’70s, Suicide were confrontational, tough, and absolutely visionary, and they were one of the first punk rock bands. But they had no guitars: it was just Martin Rev on cheap electric keyboards and drum machines, and notorious singer Alan Vega. This revolutionary, very DIY approach initially influenced English synth bands from Erasure to Throbbing Gristle, and went on to become a huge influence on industrial dance music, and everything from noise to ambient. Suicide has been covered by everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Savages, and their influence extends to bands like LCD Soundsystem, Liars and MIA, who sampled them on her 2010 track “Born Free.” Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo is a big Suicide fan, and he recently commissioned Martin Rev to remix “Annie,” a

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor, the director of Margin Call and All is Lost, is in conversation with Borderline Films' Josh Mond, a producer turned writer-director whose debut feature, James White, is out now. The two friends discuss Mond's personal and professional path to this semi-autobiographical film inspired by his own experiences with his late mother as she battled cancer, while their chat also touches on: Mond's aborted first feature, a sex comedy that was to star Jonah Hill; which of his collaborators had a full beard at 13; and how The Jinx, Andrew Jarecki's sensational doc miniseries about Robert Durst, threw a wrench into James White's editing process. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Lil BUB is a tiny, very special cat from outer space who has been an internet star since 2011, when her "dude" — recording studio owner Mike Bridavsky — posted some photos of her on Tumblr. She's been the subject of an award-winning documentary, she's the author of Lil BUB’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet and she hosts Lil BUB's Big Show, a web-based talk show. And on December 4th, 2015, BUB will release her debut album Science and Magic. The music was composed by Bridavsky's close friend, bandmate and official bubbysitter, Matt Tobey, and produced by Bridavsky. But the whole thing was guided by Bub, whom big-time fan Andrew WK recently described as "the most musically and compassionately gifted" animal he has ever met. As a rescue cat with several genetic mutations, BUB works to spread awareness about adoption and proper animal care. 25% of the net proceeds from the sales of Science and Magic benefit Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA, a national fund for special needs p

Lil BUB is a tiny, very special cat from outer space who has been an internet star since 2011, when her "dude" — recording studio owner Mike Bridavsky — posted some photos of her on Tumblr. She's been the subject of an award-winning documentary, she's the author of Lil BUB’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet and she hosts Lil BUB's Big Show, a web-based talk show. And on December 4th, 2015, BUB will release her debut album Science and Magic. The music was composed by Bridavsky's close friend, bandmate and official bubbysitter, Matt Tobey, and produced by Bridavsky. But the whole thing was guided by Bub, whom big-time fan Andrew WK recently described as "the most musically and compassionately gifted" animal he has ever met. As a rescue cat with several genetic mutations, BUB works to spread awareness about adoption and proper animal care. 25% of the net proceeds from the sales of Science and Magic benefit Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA, a national fund for special needs p

Sleater-Kinney singer-guitarist and Portlandia co-star Carrie Brownstein has published a critically acclaimed memoir, the candid, moving and eloquent Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. And to kick off her book tour, she sat down and had a great conversation with another acclaimed musician-author, the Roots' Questlove, on October 27th, 2015 at St. Vitus, the beloved metal bar in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. The event was produced by the very cool WORD bookstore mini-chain, with stores in Greenpoint and Jersey City. WORD gave the Talkhouse permission to record and air the conversation — thanks, WORD! Carrie and Questlove might come from different backgrounds and make different kinds of music, but from reading each other's books, they realized have a whole lot of things in common, as you're about to hear.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, two of contemporary cinema’s most controversial, boundary-pushing directors are in conversation. From New York City, Gaspar Noé – whose new film, the pornographic 3D romance Love, is now out in theaters – chats with Abel Ferrara, a fellow scourge of the censors, who is currently living in Rome. Over the course of their highly entertaining talk, the pair discusses such topics as censorship, having their movies banned, what’s sexy in Saudi Arabia, the connections between Love and Ferrara’s first film, Nine Lives of a Wet Pussy, porn’s rightful place on the big screen, and their mutual hero, Pier Paolo Pasolini. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

JG Thirlwell came out of the early ’80s New York underground scene and, under multiple pseudonyms that all had the word “foetus” in them, made lots of intense albums that evoke what AllMusicGuide has called “a harrowing netherworld of death, lust, disease and decay.” You can hear the Foetus influence in bands like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. Over the years, Thirlwell broadened his musical scope to the point where he is now an acclaimed new music composer, as well writing scores for film and television, and developing site-specific audio installations. And he’s kept his hand in rock music, collaborating with a wide range of rock musicians, from the Melvins to Zola Jesus to Sonic Youth. He’s composed pieces for various renowned new music ensembles, including the Kronos Quartet. One could argue that the chart-topping, prize-winning, multiple Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet is the most famous string quartet in the entire history of string quartets. Over their 42-year existence, they’ve exposed many different kind

On this latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, in conversation are two former actors who are now two of the funniest and liveliest writer-directors in the U.S. indie sphere. Lynn Shelton, best known for her movies Humpday, Your Sister's Sister and Laggies, chats with the impishly provocative Bobcat Goldthwait, whose new film, the excellent documentary Call Me Lucky, reveals yet another facet of his creative personality. In their talk, they discuss their work in detail and also touch on such diverse topics as the unlikely location of one of Bobcat's tattoos, the reason he used to wear silly hats while directing, and why the U.S. is the People's Republic of Spring Break. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Back when they were in college in the late '80s, Laura Cantrell and Mac McCaughan were in a band called Bricks. That band didn't get very far, but Laura went on to become an acclaimed country singer-songwriter hailed by the likes of Elvis Costello and legendary BBC DJ John Peel. Mac soon founded Superchunk, who went on to 26 years (and counting) of indie-rock glory, as well as co-founding the phenomenally successful Merge Records. Even though Laura and Mac have taken different musical paths, they've not just maintained their long friendship, they've both stayed true to themselves and to their art, and carved out respected, sustainable careers. They actually still have a lot in common. So we figured we'd put them together for a Talkhouse Music Podcast and have them catch up, reminisce, compare notes and share a little wisdom.

El-P, legendary hip-hop producer and half of the celebrated rap duo Run the Jewels, and acclaimed new singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, musician and filmmaker Boots (Beyoncé, FKA twigs, Run the Jewels), sat down and recorded a Talkhouse Music Podcast while they were on tour, backstage at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They talked about lots of things: their jazz-musician dads, the creative value of sampling, drugs and music, the internet’s fascination with cats, their doomsday scenarios and whether iconic film director Stanley Kubrick predicted the iPhone. We also find out how Boots got his nickname — and the answer will amaze you.

On this new episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, two highly original and idiosyncratic British writer-directors are in conversation: Ben Wheatley and Alex Cox. In addition to their new projects (the current festival hit High-Rise and the multi-perspective Western Tombstone Rashomon, respectively), the two email friends discuss numerous movie-related topics, from their favorite portmanteau films and the difference between Charlie Kaufman and Charlton Heston, to the forgotten genius of Peter Watkins and how Repo Man invented supermarket generic brands. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

The iconic multimedia artist Laurie Anderson always has two or three projects going at any one time, and aside from her acclaimed new feature film Heart of a Dog, she’s unveiling an installation and performance called Habeas Corpus, which takes place at the cavernous Park Avenue Armory in New York, October 2nd through 4th, 2015. Among Anderson’s collaborators on the show are the great Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, ace multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily and Anderson’s partner in this Talkhouse Music Podcast, Merrill Garbus from Tune-Yards. Garbus and Anderson actually met through a Talkhouse Music Podcast, and you can hear them hit it off in the course of that conversation. If fact, they hit it off so well that Anderson invited Garbus to develop a musical piece with her for Habeas Corpus. So, on the occasion of their collaboration, we brought these two remarkable artists back together for another chat. They spoke mostly about the show, but when you get two such brilliant, interesting people, the conversatio

If there's a running theme in London neo-post-punk band Art Brut's rock music, it's rock music. The band's leader Eddie Argos isn't just a musician, he's a big-time music fan. And one of the musicians he's a big fan of is indie-pop sensation Ezra Furman, whose new album Perpetual Motion People takes inspiration from brilliant, nasal auteurs such as Bob Dylan, the Violent Femmes and Jonathan Richman to make smart, heartfelt music. But his songs are all over the map: sure, it's indie-pop, but he works in all kinds of sounds: mid-'60s pop, countrified ballads, '70s glam, doo-wop and sounds from a more recent vintage, like Destroyer and Built to Spill. Furman and Argos struck up a mutual appreciation society a few years ago when their two bands played some shows together, and it blossomed into a long-distance friendship. With Furman beginning to break through in the United Kingdom, we put the two musicians together for a Talkhouse Music Podcast. The two musicians found a lot to talk about: the time Furman acciden

Hiss Golden Messenger’s most recent album Lateness of Dancers came out in the autumn of 2014, and found frontman M.C. Taylor’s songwriting process still evolving. He obviously thinks a lot about the craft and inspiration involved, so it’s no surprise that the songwriting process was the main thing he talked about with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James in this edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast My Morning Jacket brings in some disparate outside influences — prog-rock and disco, for instance — while Hiss Golden Messenger mostly keeps it local, with roots in country-rock, folk and Memphis r&b, but both musicians make their acclaimed music with a pronounced southern flavor. They have plenty in common, and they’re fans of each other’s work, which made for an interesting conversation. The two spoke via Skype while both were on tour — Taylor in Toronto and James in Niagara Falls, New York — and together they delved into the enduring mysteries of how songs are made.

This edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast features Fred Thomas, longtime mainstay of the beloved, idiosyncratic lo-fi indie-pop band Saturday Looks Good to Me, with musician, motivational speaker, producer, nightclub impresario, advice columnist, and TV and radio host Andrew WK. It's a little-known fact that Mr. Thomas and Mr. WK go back a long way — 20 years, to when they were teenagers in the very weird and wild Ann Arbor, Michigan underground music scene. They're still good friends, and WK even guested on a song on Thomas' debut solo album All Are Saved, which came out this spring. These are two very thoughtful, well spoken and very experienced musicians, and conversation is filled with really great insights about what it's like to be a musician — any kind of musician. This is the kind of thing you won't get in an ordinary interview, so listen closely for an explanation of why your audience is your enemy, a great discussion about the value of criticism, a realistic definition of artistic success, musings

On this latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, writer-director Allison Anders talks with her mentor, iconic German filmmaker Wim Wenders, on the occasion of Wenders' new touring film series. In their fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, the two old friends talk about a possible sequel to Paris, Texas, why Wenders didn't direct True Detective, how Until the End of the World presciently anticipated everything from GPS to search engines to selfie culture – and also a lot of stuff about music, including how Wenders saved The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick by digitally replacing an Elvis song with a copycat track, Wim buying Allison her first iPod, and a discussion of the art of the mixtape. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

This edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast features two of the more acclaimed new singer-songwriters of 2015: Jessica Pratt and Tobias Jesso, Jr. Both musicians have deep roots in the sounds of the '70s, but two very different sides of the '70s. Jesso's piano-driven debut album Goon evokes superstar '70s singer-songwriters like John Lennon, Carole King, Harry Nilsson and Elton John. But Pratt's latest album On Your Own Love Again channels a very different, much more obscure side of the Me Decade: psychedelic folk from brilliant musicians such as Linda Perhacs and Vashti Bunyan. We put these two together backstage at this summer's Pitchfork Music Festival and they covered a wide range of topics: the recent Brian Wilson bio-pic, the difference between playing solo and with a band, dealing with stage nerves and insecurity, how malfunctioning equipment can be a blessing, the interview tricks journalists try to pull on them and the wonderfulness of the Train song "Drops of Jupiter." Jesso reveals his tricks for p

“Transsexuals are the stormtroopers of the future.” So says Genesis P-Orridge, the iconic, visionary musician who has fronted influential bands like Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle. While P-Orridge isn’t transgender — they* call themselves a pandrogyne — their partner in this Talkhouse Music Podcast, Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, came out as transgender in 2012. Still, as P-Orridge points out, both musicians have done something very brave: they’ve transitioned, in one way or another, in front of their audience. And it was P-Orridge who paved the way. As Grace says here, “Someone like yourself is so important to me.” P-Orridge and Grace might hail from different generations, countries and musical communities, but they found plenty to talk about: what it was like to transition in public, the mind-body duality, paranormal phenomena, the perennial bathroom problem, the perennnial airport screening problem, courage, death, Caitlyn Jenner, a hilarious exchange about what to wear on stage, dealing with p

Dan Zanes has long been one of the biggest names in the still-exploding genre of so-called "kindie-rock" — music made especially for kids. As the leader of the Grammy-winning Dan Zanes and Friends, he’s made over a dozen hugely popular and acclaimed albums and played concerts for adoring audiences all over the world. And Bill Sherman has not only won a Tony, a Grammy and an Emmmy, he's the music director of the iconic children's show Sesame Street. As a songwriter and orchestrator, he's responsible for the music you hear on the show, and works with the many musicians who drop in and sing: stars like Janelle Monae, Ed Sheeran and Will-I-Am, and many others. But perhaps more impressively, Sherman is one of the driving forces behind such magnum opuses as "Glory of Cookies," "Grover Can Do It All" and "Guacamole: the Musical." In the mid to late ‘80s, Zanes led the scrappy and beloved New England roots-rock band the Del Fuegos. Here, Zanes talks about how he went from playing in a rock band that, as Spinal Tap ke

On this latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, acclaimed English composers Geoff Barrow (Ex Machina) of Portishead fame, and Clint Mansell (Noah, Black Swan) discuss their creative processes, working with filmmakers, Ennio Morricone's low­ opinion of modern composers, the questionable quality of most films today, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.