The first time that I invited Matt Berenson on the pod, I was desperate to talk with him about his book, Secret Stars: The Greatest Underdogs of the Rock 'n' Roll Era.

For this installment, I wanted to talk about a secret star not included in Berenson’s book; David Berman of Silver Jews, as well as get Berenson’s perspective as a producer on the writers’ and actors’ strikes, and how they’re affecting his day to day life.

Although I just met Matt a few months ago, and only virtually met at that, sitting down with him again feels like a chat with an old friend. We bounced from Hollywood to indie-rock to forgotten geniuses, and more.

Matt helps to provide some important context to the way the business of show works these days. We discuss the sad truth that companies like Netflix and Spotify are just tech companies in a delivery system business. They simply deliver “content”. They’re in the business of making money, not art.

It’s not just that this greedy view of content is bad for the creators of what we watch and listen to, it’s also bad for lovers of film, television and music. As art becomes more and more of a commodity, it becomes less and less worth spending time on, and as a result becomes less valuable. It is likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the end, we are both still hopeful about the future of art and film and music, but it’s just as likely for the genius works to come out of nowhere as it is to arrive through the usual channels.

Grab a drink, settle in, and let’s get into it.

Cheers,Matty C

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