Beginnings

On today's episode, I talk to musician Chris Brokaw. Originally from Scarsdale, NY, Chris attended Oberlin College, a scene that birthed much of the indie rock of the 1990s. After graduating, he played drums for a number of bands, most notably with G.G. Allin, and in 1989 he formed the band Codeine with his fellow Oberlin grad Stephen Immerwahr. The group released two albums on Sub Pop before breaking up, but by that time, Chris had formed the band Come with Thalia Zedek. Starting with their acclaimed record 11:11, the band would go on to release four records in total on Matador before breaking up towards the end of the millenium, though both bands have reunited at various times over the intervening years. Since then, Chris has released over two dozen albums, scored numerous film soundtracks, played in bands like The New Year and Consonant with Mission of Burma's Clint Conley, and this is just a fraction of his expansive CV! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics creator Evan Dorkin. Originally from Brooklyn, Evan has been making comics since 1986. One of his earliest books Pirate Corp$ was published by Eternity Comics and then after that Slave Labor Graphics, who later published his series Milk and Cheese. Other notable comics include Dork, Eltingville and Beasts of Burden, which are all well worth your time. As a TV writer, Evan has written for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Batman Beyond, Yo Gabba Gabba and many more. This is all just a small sampling of his CV. Just this year, Dark Horse published Nerd Inferno; The Essential Evan Dorkin, an anthology of Dork, Milk and Cheese and Eltingville, and folks, it is fantastic! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to musician Hutch Harris. Originally from New York City, Hutch's family moved to San Jose, California when he was still a kid. After high school, he met Kathy Foster, and they played in various bands until moving to Portland, where they formed The Thermals. In 2003, they released their first album More Parts Per Million on Sub Pop, who would release their next two albums as well. The next four albums were released on Kill Rock Stars and then Saddle Creek, and in 2016, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Until recently, that is. A few weeks ago, The Thermals released their latest album Under Crushing Rain, and it is wonderful! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug AKA Sweeping Promises. Originally from Arkansas and Texas respectively, Lira and Caufield met in college and made music together in a number of different bands before forming Sweeping Promises in 2019. Their first album Hunger for a Way Out was released the next year on Feel It Records in the midst of the early stage of the pandemic and garnered them a great deal of acclaim. They then signed to the wonderful label Sub Pop who released their second album Good Living Is Coming for You in 2023, and just this August their third album You Say I Romanticize came out, and it is a blast! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist and humorist David Rees. Originally from Chapel Hill, NC, David first gained acclaim during the Bush years with his comic strip Get Your War On, which perfectly captured the insanity of the times. In 2010, David started the satirical Artisanal Pencil Sharpening service and followed that up with the book How to Sharpen Pencils. As a TV creator, he hosted Going Deep with David Rees and co-created the FXX animated show Dicktown with John Hodgman, and as a podcaster, David co-hosts the wonderful show Election Profit Makers, which you can get wherever you get your podcasts! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to musician Elisabeth Esselink AKA Solex. Originally from Voorschoten, Netherlands, Elisabeth eventually moved to Amsterdam and in the early1990s performed in the indie pop band Sonetic Vet, who released one album, Peer, in 1994. She then began to make music on her own as Solex, and in 1998, Matador released her debut album Solex vs. the Hitmeister. Since then, Elisabeth has released numerous albums and EPs, and this year, Matador is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her third album Low Kick and Hard Bop with an expanded vinyl edition out next week! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to musician Elanor Moss. Originally from Lincolnshire, Elanor grew up in a very creative, devoutly Catholic family and began playing music at church events. She started writing her own music while studying English Lit at the University of York. In 2022, she released her first EP Citrus followed a year later by the Cosmic EP. This garnered her some attention, and her debut album The Knife, The Needle was just released on Merge Records, and it's great! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to musician Dan Friel. Raised in Amherst, MA, Dan formed Parts & Labor with BJ Warshaw in 2002. In their decade together, the band released five albums, mostly on Jagjaguwar. While Dan had already been recording albums on his own - his first solo LP was released on the fantastic Massachusetts label Important Records - after the band broke up in 2012, he began releasing albums on Thrill Jockey. Most recently, Parts & Labor reunited, and their latest album Set of All Sets - a true banger - came out in July on Ernest Jenning Record Co.! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to screenwriter and podcaster Josh Olson. Originally from Philadelphia, Josh got his start in showbiz as a PA on Masters of the Universe and in 2002, wrote and directed his first film Infested. This gained Josh some attention, and in 2005, he wrote A History of Violence, which garnered him Oscar, BAFTA and WGA Award nominations. He's collaborated with Harlan Ellison, wrote the original draft of the Jack Reacher film and this is just a small sampling of his CV. As a podcaster, Josh co-hosted The West Wing Thing with Dave Anthony, which broke down the jarringly liberal show from a left perspective, and with Joe Dante, currently co-hosts the fantastic show The Movies That Made Me! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!

On today's episode, I talk to musician and producer Tony Simon AKA Blockhead. Originally from Manhattan, Tony grew up in an artistic household and started making music when he was a teenager. He went to Boston University for a year, which may not have worked out academically, but did artistically because this is where he met Aesop Rock and began making beats for him starting with 1999's Appleseed EP. Back in New York, he formed the duo Party Fun Action Committee, and in 2003, Def Jux put out their album Let's Get Serious. The following year, Ninja Tune released Tony's first instrumental album Music by Cavelight, and in the years since, Tony has composed and produced dozens of albums, working with some of the best rappers of the 21st century including the aforementioned Aesop Rock, Billy Woods, Armand Hammer, Open Mike Eagle and so many others. Just a few weeks ago, Phantom Limb released his latest album Boatshoes, a collaboration with one of most fun and creative emcees performing today Brian Ennals, and it is incredible! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

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!