Composer and pianist BLKBOK joins me to talk about his spark, the film Green Book.

BLKBOK is a neo-classical musician and there are many parallels between his career and that of Dr. Don Shirley, the subject of Green Book. 

We tackle lots of questions surrounding the intersection between music and the racist history of America: How does the traditional classical music establishment treat Black musicians? Can all forms of music cut across racial and socioeconomic barriers? Can classical music reach younger, more diverse audiences?

Links:

BLKBOK

Green Book

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I'm still on vacation, so here's one of my favorite past episodes to tide you over until I'm back!

I had an incredible conversation with comedian Chris Gethard about his spark of inspiration, the John Cusack starring comedy Grosse Pointe Blank. 

But it’s also so much more than that. We talked about Chris’ relationship with Judd Apatow as well as Judd Apatow’s movies. We talked about Andy Kaufman. We talked about Cameron Crowe. We talked about comedy in general. 

It’s a wide ranging and very exciting and super fun conversation. Seriously. I really, really loved this one and I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Links:

Chris Gethard

Grosse Pointe Blank

Fin

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I'm on vacation this week, so here's a repeat of my fantastic chat with inger/songwriter/producer Roosevelt who joined me to talk about his Spark , Norwegian/German band The Whitest Boy Alive's second album Rules. 

We talk about the thrill of making dance music with live instruments, the intense bond between musicians and the crowds they perform to and our mutual excitement about the hope of returning to live events.

Links:

Roosevelt

Rules

Hell Hath No Fury

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My guest today is singer/songwriter MILCK who spoke to me about her Spark, Kahlil Gibran’s globe dominating book The Prophet.

What's at the root of all religious doctrine? Is there common ground on which all of humanity can agree? 

MILCK and I tackle these giant ideas and also talk about humanizing our idols and embracing their flaws.

Links:

MILCK

The Prophet

MEN

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Singer/songwriter Sam James joins me to chat about his Spark, Dave Matthews Band's chart topping major label debut Under The Table And Dreaming.

But we got into so much more than that! We talked about the state of the music industry, the pressure for musicians to promote their own work and make a name for themselves (particularly on social media) and as is the case with so many of my guests, we reminisced about the days of old when physical media was still a thing.

Links:

Sam James

Under The Table And Dreaming

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Singer/songwriter/harpist TATYANA joins me to chat about her Spark and our shared obsession, ABBA Gold. 

What makes a perfect pop song? How has a pop act like ABBA had such a lasting cultural impact on a massive international scale? 

TATYANA spoke to me about the effect ABBA’s music has had on the way she thinks about songwriting, as well as its ability to draw even the most reluctant listener to the dance floor. 

Links:

ABBA Gold

TATYANA  

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Film director Richard Ledes spoke to me about his Spark, Robert Altman’s classic adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye.

What makes a great film adaptation of a book? Does the director have a responsibility to stay true to the book's spirit or should they develop an entirely new version of the story based on their own vision?

Richard and I tackled these questions and dug into the impact Altman's work has had on both of us, as well as the world of cinema.

Links:

The Long Goodbye

Adieu Lacan

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The spectacular singer songwriter November Ultra joins me for a joyful chat about her spark, The Sound Of Music.

November's work has drawn lots of inspiration from musicals, particularly those from the 1960's. She shared her childhood memories of watching The Sound Of Music with her grandfather, the emotional impact of its songs and the way her relationship with the film has grown and changed throughout her life.

November Ultra's fantastic debut album Bedroom Walls is out now.

Links:

November Ultra

The Sound Of Music

A Strange Loop

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Lola Kirke joins me to talk about her spark, Miranda Lambert's chart topping double album The Weight Of These Wings.

Kirke, a native New Yorker, reminisces about her discovery of and subsequent love for country music. Her love for country music's storytelling, melodies and songcraft had a huge impact on her own songwriting. 

Lola Kirke

The Weight Of These Wings

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Walt Disco front person James Potter joins me to speak about… well, about a lot of things. 

We used A Knight’s Tale as a jumping off point, but this is a pretty freeform, wide ranging chat, in the best possible way. We spoke a lot about the relationship between music and film, the benefits of artistic shapeshifting and the rewards that can be reaped by making potentially risky choices.

Walt Disco

A Knight's Tale

Cyrano De Bergerac

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