Talkhouse Podcast

Mike Posner is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose megahit "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" has been streamed more than a billion times; last week, he released a book of poetry titled Teardrops and Balloons. Taraka Larson fronts the beloved psych-pop group Prince Rama, and is a pop music theorist who has lectured on the subject at New York University and Melbourne College in Australia. We thought it would make for a great conversation to pair this pop scholar with one of pop’s biggest current writers. And it was! In a talk that was part theory discussion, part psychoanalysis, the two discuss where truth is to be found in the inherent artifice of art, the temptation to glorify one’s suffering in one's work, how you know when you’ve created good art (and when you haven’t), Prince Rama appearing in James Franco’s new Lifetime film, and much more. Check it out. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Music Podcast host and producer Today's episode was recorded and mixed by Mark Yoshizumi.

In conversation on the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film Podcast are Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock and Louis Theroux, whose latest documentary, My Scientology Movie, is in theaters now. In a highly entertaining discussion, the two talk about: Michael Moore; the joys and pitfalls of immersive journalism; Theroux's time with the infamous British TV presenter Jimmy Saville; getting up close and personal with bigots, pedophiles, Ted Nugent and other unsavory characters; whether or not Louis hates Alex Gibney (who, of course, made his own Scientology doc); Janet Jackson and Nipplegate; and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film Podcast, documentary cinematographer and Cameraperson director Kirsten Johnson sits down with the legendary French New Wave auteur Agnès Varda, in town for a gallery exhibit of her art at Blum & Poe and a French Institute film series. In a wonderfully thoughtful and engaged conversation, the two discuss Varda's artwork, how her films play with time, finding permission as an artist, Varda's feelings about New York City, her forthcoming documentary with the artist JR, her favorite color (!), and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film Podcast, to mark the release of Dolph Lundgren's latest movie, Mike Mendez's B-horror Don't Kill It, regular Talkhouse Film contributor Joe Lynch, also the director of Everly and the forthcoming Mayhem, talks with the iconic action star. Among the topics the two discuss, aside from Mendez's film, include: Lundgren modeling his career on Clint Eastwood, his move into writing and directing, what he's learned from directors as diverse Sidney J. Furie and Sylvester Stallone, why it's worse to be chased by a 50-year-old guy with a shotgun than a 20-year-old with a shotgun, the political incorrectness of movie violence, the "Harvey Keitel penis genre," and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets, Brookzill) and Xenia Rubinos are genre-mashing, multicultural artists who bring socio-political commentary (and the party) to their music. After Rubinos wrote a glowing piece about Brookzill's LP for Talkhouse, and we heard that Mecca's fandom was reciprocal, we knew a Talkhouse Music Podcast was in order. The two sat down to mutually fan out and discuss being the only women in their touring parties, singing to their parents as they were dying, how travel triggers creativity, the difficulty of collaborations, why their early audiences were so white and male, intersectional feminism and so much more. Check it out! Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Music Podcast host and producer

Jarobi White (A Tribe Called Quest) and Starita, who worked on Tribe’s recent chart-topping album We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service, remember Phife Dawg in this edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast. Jarobi talks about their earliest days, breaks down the meaning of Tribe lyrics, shares the last words Phife ever spoke to him and so much more. Starita was the last engineer to ever work with Phife, and brings us into those final days of frantic work and heavy emotions. Check it out. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

To celebrate Peter Hook’s (Joy Division, New Order, Peter Hook and the Light) new band memoir Substance: Inside New Order, he and old friend and bandmate Andy Rourke (the Smiths, D.A.R.K.), sat down to talk old times. Their amazing chat takes in Johnny Marr and Andy's adolescent love of Joy Division, Hooky's ongoing legal battle against New Order, Morrissey and Johnny Marr’s autobiographies, Hook’s longstanding personal issues with Bernard Sumner (a.k.a. Barney) and so much more. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film Podcast, to mark the release of his new Netflix hourlong special, 3 Mics, writer, director and standup comedian Neal Brennan sits down with Michael Kirk, a documentary director who has made numerous award-winning films for PBS' current affairs show Frontline, Brennan's favorite TV show of all time. In their wide-ranging conversation, the two discuss fake news; Brennan and Dave Chappelle watching Frontline on the tour bus together; how Errol Morris, Michael Moore and Adam Curtis have reshaped documentary; what John Oliver told Seth Meyers three days after the election; which political power player refers to himself as Darth Vader; and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

To celebrate Frenchkiss Records’ deluxe reissues of the first two Hold Steady LPs, Craig Finn (The Hold Steady) and Syd Butler (The 8G Band, Les Savy Fav, Frenchkiss Records) sat down backstage at Late Night with Seth Meyers to share funny and poignant stories about the band’s early years. Their talk also takes in Butler’s high school straight edge band, how Seth Meyers’ house band writes the show’s music, and the time Finn and Butler’s groups were playing together and the one and only Joe Strummer showed up. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer

Today’s guests are indie-rock veterans: Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks) and Emil Amos (drummer for Om and Grails and main man at Holy Sons). During the conversation, Amos draws out Malkmus’ story: from his early music fandom in Stockton, California, to college in Virginia to the ups and downs of being a '90s indie guitar god in Pavement and beyond. Their chat also takes in venturing out of their DIY comfort zones to work with big name producers, Elliot Smith’s love of fine recording gear (and his studio size miscalculation), Silver Jews’ David Berman's the Cure obsession, and their thoughts on indie rock's '90s revival. Check it out. Grails LP Chalice Hymnal is out on February 17. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer