The Spoon

As any toddler or general will confirm, sometimes you have to break something in order to build something else, and this week the men of The Spoon aim to do their share: Chris breaks into the rough and tumble Kerhonksen music scene, Thom has his esophagus broken for him in Vegas, and Rob continues to break the spirits of superfans everywhere. Plus a fit of futurism, a cadence of conservatism, and a taste of TV talk. Music by Chris McKay, Irene Pena, and Hot Pink Racers

Any time that Bill "Pee Paw" Holmes appears on the show, it's a bracing experience. Whether questioning the selective squick of human-based foodstuffs, suggesting alternate uses for yellow ribbons, pondering the eternal mystery of Bata Inu, or talking up his new favorite tequila, Bill's customary comedic rocket sauce permeates the proceedings, and we are all better for it. Plus, Google gets a side-eye, 70s music gets a teary hug, and Morgan Freeman gets...a recurring bit? Oh, boy. Music by The Fabulous Miss Wendy, The Orion Experience, and Rich Dart.

The Spoon stirs once again! Rob, Chris, and Thom hoist themselves back into the podcasting saddle and embark on a voyage over Skypey waters, under Youtube algorhythms, through polar vortexes, and around the rare case of diphallia. Plus the usual potpourri of politics and pop culture. One thing's for certain: the more things change, the more Rob still hates Beatles fans. Music by Jeff Jensen, Steven Shumate, Joe Giddings, and the Theme Music Collective.

In January of 2013, three raconteurs disappeared in the sprawl near Woodland Hills, California, while recording a podcast...Six weeks later, their conversation was found.

Looks like we'll have to buy The White Album again.Thanks for everything, NDR.

You want words? We've got words! Enhance your vocabulary with coterie, behest, and rubicon! Learn how to pronounce coven! Discover the joy of baining! Plus, stories of shocking variety and transience! NDR overlord Johnny Dam's presence unleashes a neutron bomb of jocular tangents, and guest Mike Simmons provides a heavy dose of contrapuntal wit as well as all of this week's music, via his band Sparkle*Jets UK. This one's a barn burner, folks...strap in and hang on!

It's the first trio show in a few months, and the men of The Spoon are more than happy to spend their "alone" time decompressing from a stressful election season while marveling at linguistic remix value, celebrity mustache clout, youthful vehicular insanity, half-assed secessionist movements, and cinematic jingoism through the ages. Plus, Rob gets phished, and the glory of the cutbuzz is revealed! Music by The Condors, 3D Picnic, and Sun Sawed In Half

Last time we had Kelly Murphy on the show, we kept the fact that she is Chris's significant other on the down low, but in this episode their love is both acknowledged and celebrated. And when assailed by killer storms, relentless robo-calls, traumatic celluloid, and confusing joke boundaries, we think everyone could use a little more love. Especially if it's accompanied by food. Not in that way. Ok, sometimes. Music by The Mockers, Phil Seymour, and Cliff Hillis

When we asked musician Karen Basset to visit The Spoon, she was warned of its cat-with-a-laser-pointer aspects, and prepared herself accordingly. Ironic, then, that this turns out to be an unusually focused outing, largely concerning the nature of cool, the alchemy of pop, and the and the arc of the show business curve. Plus, kitties on Roombas! Music by our esteemed guest, via The Pandoras, The Rebel Pebbles, and her own self.

What do we want? Respect! When do we want it? Soon! How do we get it? Uh... we'll get back to you on that. In the meantime, Seth Gordon and Tony Leventhal of The Mockers are here with a flurry of New York stories and impossible dreams, documentary defenses and copyright conundrums. Plus, a little pre-Christmas backlash to counter the pre-Christmas hype, and at least one well-timed bikini joke. Music by The Mockers, Patrick Clark, and The Popravinas.