Kreative Kontrol

Michael Balazo is here to discuss Pizza Pals, living in Toronto’s ascendant Danny neighbourhood, Croatia and when the World Cup descended upon his city, how he encountered and fell in love with comedian Sooz Kempner, the Rolling Stones playing in Oshawa, SNL vs. SNL UK, the state of standup and how some of its most popular figures haven fallen off, his work on the Evil Men and Long Distance, Bit Weird podcasts, Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, dating an adult film star and Pizza Pals, how to steam boil an egg, shuffling through all the world’s airports, twitter vs. real life, future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

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Ep. #1126: James Hartnett

Ep. #1095: Holy Fuck

Ep. #830: Michael Balazo

Ep. #594: Chris Locke and Seán Cullen

Ep. #568: Michael Balazo

Ep. #509: Owen Pallett, Zalika Reid-Benta, Michael Balazo, James Hartnett on Long Night

Ep. #422: Sara Hennessey

Ep. #386: Podcast Summit with Katie Jensen, James Hartnett, Michael Balazo, Michelle Parise, and Tyler Allen on Long Night

Ep. #370: Cadence Weapon, Aliya Pabani, Emma Hunter, and Miguel Rivas on Long Night

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Elena Setién and Black Duck’s Bill MacKay and Douglas McCombs are here to discuss their self-titled debut album, their history as collaborators, Douglas’ recent travels with Tortoise, BASIC, and Yr Knives, the role improvisation and composition plays in their respective and collaborative work, the significance of musical intuition and listening, why Elena was keen to learn more about Native American and Indigenous history and how her lyrics may reflect that knowledge, thoughts about their next record together, which I may or may not be executive producing, upcoming shows, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

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Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in August 2026!

Ep. #1069: The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

Ep. #1055: Pullman

Ep. #1049: Rebecca Foon and Aliayta Foon-Dancoes

Ep. #1026: Tortoise

Ep. #871: Bill MacKay

Ep. #786: Black Duck

Ep. #736: Douglas Andrew McCombs

Ep. #704: Sam Prekop and John McEntire

Ep. #240: A Way That’s Clear – Tortoise & The Making of ‘The Catastrophist’

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James Hartnett is here to discuss It’s Not Looking Good, making it on Broadway (Orangeville), his funny family, his hilarious podcasts, including Evil Men, being shy but playing the character of James Hartnett, voice acting and how philosophy studies may bolster a comedian’s work, how fractured cultural consumption can impact a stand-up set, comedy malaise, a celebration of Chris Locke, World Cup games in Toronto and pondering the Raptors and Blue Jays, and much more!

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

Related episodes/links:

Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in August 2026!

Ep. #932: Tim Heidecker

Ep. #830: Michael Balazo

Ep. #820: Gregg Turkington

Ep. #594: Chris Locke and Seán Cullen

Ep. #509: Owen Pallett, Zalika Reid-Benta, Michael Balazo, James Hartnett on Long Night

Ep. #394: Damon Stoudamire & Ryan Sidhoo on ‘True North’

Ep. #386: Podcast Summit with Katie Jensen, James Hartnett, Michael Balazo, Michelle Parise, and Tyler Allen on Long Night

Ep. #361: The Beaverton’s Luke Gordon Field, Emma Hunter, and Miguel Rivas

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Jeremy Gaudet and Brian Murphy from Kiwi Jr. return to discuss Blowin’ Up, wondering if your dog Angus is related to another dog you saw on the street, missing PEI occasionally and the time a lobster in PEI grabbed my foot, pondering partying and upping the lyrical danger and tension, the current hype around guitar bands like Geese and Angine de Poitrine, making albums differently than Kiwi usually does, our shared love for the band Hot Snakes, office work and computers, the Michigan/Ontario border, upcoming shows, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

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Ep. #1121: Born at Midnite

Ep. #1104: SUNN O)))

Ep. #1037: Sloan

Ep. #957: The Burning Hell

Ep. #906: Joel Plaskett

Ep. #778: Protomartyr

Ep. #708: Kiwi Jr.

Ep. #620: Tom Scharpling

Ep. #612: Kiwi Jr.

Ep. #473: Kiwi Jr.

Ep. #383: Hot Snakes’ Rick Froberg

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Kurt Wagner from Lambchop is here to discuss Punching the Clown, not working from home, his close collaborators Ryan Olson and Andrew Broder and the inclusion of drops, producer tags, and dramatic, powerful choral singers, which might surprise some listeners and why surprises are a great thing, why he appreciates happenstance noises and thoughts making it onto his recordings, what prompted his recent interest in lined out singing and how Justin Vernon of Bon Iver wound up playing banjo on this record, why the film Punching the Clown resonated with him so much, pondering Larry David, upcoming shows, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. Enjoy this excerpt and please subscribe now via this link to hear this full episode. Thanks!

Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

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Ep. #1116: Robyn Hitchcock

Ep. #970: William Tyler

All Things Konsidered: The Beatles Anthology

Ep. #587: Vic Berger IV & DJ Douggpound

Ep. #562: Bill Callahan

Ep. #481: David Berman

Ep. #48: Ben Blackwell of Third Man Records

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Adam Goren and Brian Sokel from Dead Best are back to discuss GOD: Out of Order, the recent episode I did with !franklin and that band’s status, how Dead Best have evolved as a recording and live music concern, playing music with your kids and why so many young people seem to be so darn good at their instruments now days, thinking about Public Image Ltd., Pailhead, and Lard, a good Nine Inch Nails song appearing on an episode of Twin Peaks, some surprising song subject matter, order and chaos, potentially playing shows, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

Related episodes/links:

Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in August 2026!

Ep. #1113: !franklin

Ep. #1103: Jon Spencer

Ep. #879: Dead Best

Ep. #847: Rosali

Ep. #844: Pissed Jeans

Ep. #821: Kurt Vile

Ep. #748: Meg Baird

Ep. #252: Bob Mehr on The Replacements

Ep. #223: Ian MacKaye & Steve Albini (Part I)

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Ella Williams from Squirrel Flower is here to discuss Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, not having a real home, living in many different cities, and the joys of transience, when relationships are complicated by the city of Cleveland, which can be depicted in song or on the comedic TV show 30 Rock, playing a show where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested, when ghosts steal your CDs, finding musical inspiration in the book Women Who Run with the Wolves and in the work of Joni Mitchell, highways and marginalization, volume and balance, frenetic motion and stark stillness, writing new songs, playing shows soon, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

Related episodes/links:

Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in August 2026!

Ep. #1063: Ratboys

Ep. #1045: The Beths

Ep. #1034: Sean Wilentz on Bob Dylan’s ‘Through The Open Window’

Ep. #875: Ann Powers

Ep. #700: Spoon

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David Carriere and Amery Sandford from Born at Midnite are here to discuss Eternal BAM Nation, the illustration Amery drew as part of a live taping of my talk show in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the Montreal music industry event that TOPS was playing when David and I first met, the education and very good times that Amery had learning about letter press poster making at Hatch Show Print in Nashville, writing songs satirizing partying, narcissism, and academic analysis of the same, video game music and my children mocking me, musical inspirations, a “chipmunk” sampling style popularized by he who will not be named, upcoming shows, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. Enjoy this excerpt and please subscribe now via this link to hear this full episode. Thanks!

Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

Related episodes/links:

Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in July 2026!

Ep. #1116: Robyn Hitchcock

Ep. #1088: Cadence Weapon / Rollie Pemberton

Ep. #657: Jud Haynes

Ep. #553: Aaron Riches

Ep. #183: Long Night with the Burning Hell, Amery Sandford, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Eva Ísleifs, Rakel McMahon, Erin Turcke, & Suds

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Mariel Buckley is here to discuss her album Strange Trip Ahead, her busy summer festival circuit, what winning the 2026 Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in Canada has meant to her, how some folks miss the humour in her emotional, personal songwriting, her fondness for Calgary but also why she wound up night writing songs in Edmonton, her musical family, being a huge fan of Gord Downie and seeing the Tragically Hip many, many times, why her own music might be getting louder, playing the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and tour dates with Bahamas, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. This one is fine, but if you haven’t already, please subscribe now on Patreon so you never miss full episodes. Thanks!

Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

Related episodes/links:

Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in July 2026!

Ep. #1115: Dinner is Ruined

Ep. #1112: Fiver

Ep. #1086: The Sadies & Billy Ray

Ep. #1045: The Beths

Still Processing: The 2016 ‘Man Machine Poem’ Tour

Ep. #272: Gord Downie [Archival; May 2010]

Ep. #123: Bahamas

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Anthony Anzaldo and Ross Farrar from CEREMONY are here to discuss Tell Me About Your Dream, moving around California, befriending each other in elementary school, hair restoration and people who suggest ideas to you about your hair, the Bay Area hip-hop, hardcore, and punk communities, how addressing politics in music might evolve as you do, logic, feelings, power, and entitlement in modern life, when Canada has a problem with you, how they met and first worked with John Reis as a producer and his huge contributions to the new record including playing guitar on an entire song, whether or not the band recorded more songs than they released here and if so, what may become of them, serious thoughts about god and Halloween, upcoming shows, other future plans, and much more.

EVERY OTHER COMPLETE KREATIVE KONTROL EPISODE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO PATREON SUPPORTERS STARTING AT $6/MONTH. Enjoy this excerpt and please subscribe now via this link to hear this full episode. Thanks!

Thanks to Blackbyrd Myoozik, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad’s Donuts.

Support Y.E.S.S., Pride Centre of Edmonton, and Letters Charity. Follow vish online.

Related episodes/links:

Win You’ve Changed Records by Fiver and G̱amksimoon in August 2026!

Ep. #1072: Ani DiFranco

Ep. #1021: Hotline TNT

Ep. #994: mclusky

Ep. #892: Fucked Up

Ep. #383: Hot Snakes’ Rick Froberg

Ep. #217: Do You Compute – The Story of Drive Like Jehu

Ep. #125: John Reis of Drive Like Jehu

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