FYIZ

Barb and Allan Vest make music together under the name doubleVee and have just released a new album full of big hooks and infectious harmonies, Treat Her Strangely. In this overdue appearance on Playing Records with John, they discuss selections from all their releases, the way they came together as partners and bandmates, and how their collaborative songwriting process works. Allan’s background in indie chamber pop heroes Starlight Mints is also covered, as is Barb’s musical upbringing, including the influence of her grandmother, the whimsical and beguiling songwriter Margaret Dove.

Brian Woodbury has a sharp wit and a penchant for tuneful compositions that break genres apart and rebuild them around his often exploratory ideas. Whether he’s trying out new pop music forms, skewering old ones, or blurring the lines between the two, he’s always got something on his mind, and it’s usually pretty funny. Except when it decidedly isn’t! In this career-spanning conversation he unfurls some of the deep thinking and gut instincts that fuel his distinctive body of work.

Follow John on insta/twit: @giannidubya

Follow Brian on insta: @brianwoodburymusic and on twit: @MrBrianWoodbury

Over the course of sixty years and counting of publishing his increasingly potent and idiosyncratic genre fiction, Ramsey Campbell has authored hundreds of short stories and thirty-five novels (with a thirty-sixth due next year). He was kind enough to take a break from all that ink-stained wretchedness in order to chat about his early career start, how important it is to engage a reader’s imagination, and Fellstones, his latest novel, out now from Flame Tree Press. Listen in, check out a few of the man’s works, and find out why none other than Guillermo del Toro calls Ramsey “an absolute master of modern horror.”

Follow John on Instagram and Twitter @giannidubya

Follow Ramsey on Twitter @ramseycampbell1

What a ride! Better Call Saul wraps up a historic run as one of the most consistently thoughtful and well-made television shows ever (there, we said it) with "Saul Gone," a finale written and directed by the man who created the Saul Goodman character, Peter Gould. And we're wrapping up our coverage of this satisfying series with a couple of our favorite guests co-hosts: Bekah and Jonathan Eaton. IT JUST MAKES SENSE. Find out how the story ends, who's left standing, and where they stand—both in terms of plot and in terms of the themes of self-awareness, morality, truth, and consequences that have made this saga so rich. Serve yourself a scoop of mint chocolate chip and enjoy! It won't happen again.

New friend of the show James Brown is here to discuss the penultimate episode of Better Call Saul, but first he reminds you to support the eclectic and long-running Sidewalk Film Festival, which runs from August 22-29 in Birmingham, Alabama—now for its 24th year! Meanwhile, Kim tries to mind her own business but Gene spins further and further out of control. Is the protagonist of this series too self-destructive to root for? How about that Jesse cameo? And what's up with Miracle Whip? Join us in wondering what happens next, for the very last time.

Over in Omaha, Gene's already dysfunctional moral compass has become even less reliable after he received some unhappy news over the phone. He's taking bigger chances and showing less empathy and reminding us more than ever that Saul was always sort of a bastard on Breaking Bad. Naturally this sort of thing has us Jimmy McGill boosters in a panicky state! Bekah Eaton and Jonathan Eaton are back on the show to discuss "Breaking Bad," the latest gut-punchy episode of Better Call Saul, and sift through the wreckage to find any hope for the future of our self-defeating protagonist.

"Nippy" is the episode of Better Call Saul we've been waiting for since the series began; we finally get to spend a whole hour with Gene Takovic, Cinnabon Manager with a secret. In the wake of this momentous turn of events, podcaster/filmmaker/friend Bob Rose returns to discuss Gene's approach to problem-solving, the power of sweet treats, and the futility of guessing what happens next. Some attempt is also made to sort out the Better Call Saul timeline, including the post-Breaking Bad part of the story.

In this giant-sized episode, Erin Oliver-James and Ronald James help clean up after recent horrific events in the world of Jimmy and Kim. Have a smoke on the balcony and get ready for a detailed dissection of "Fun and Games," the deceptively-titled installment of Better Call Saul that answers several long-running plot questions in typically heartbreaking fashion (and gives us a combover for the ages).

It's been six tense weeks for viewers of Better Call Saul, but only a few seconds have passed for Jimmy and Kim, who have a corpse in their apartment and a big Lalo problem. Luckily, friends of the show (and of the host) Bekah and Jonathan Eaton have returned to take a deep breath and discuss "Point and Shoot," one heckuva nerve-wracking and beautifully shot episode of television.

Hey kids! Comedian, podcaster, and delightful person Michael Furr is here to chew gum and discuss the members of Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight, and he only has a couple pieces of gum left. But soon!