Talkhouse Podcast

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor, the director of Margin Call and All is Lost, is in conversation with Borderline Films' Josh Mond, a producer turned writer-director whose debut feature, James White, is out now. The two friends discuss Mond's personal and professional path to this semi-autobiographical film inspired by his own experiences with his late mother as she battled cancer, while their chat also touches on: Mond's aborted first feature, a sex comedy that was to star Jonah Hill; which of his collaborators had a full beard at 13; and how The Jinx, Andrew Jarecki's sensational doc miniseries about Robert Durst, threw a wrench into James White's editing process. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Lil BUB is a tiny, very special cat from outer space who has been an internet star since 2011, when her "dude" — recording studio owner Mike Bridavsky — posted some photos of her on Tumblr. She's been the subject of an award-winning documentary, she's the author of Lil BUB’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet and she hosts Lil BUB's Big Show, a web-based talk show.And on December 4th, 2015, BUB will release her debut album Science and Magic. The music was composed by Bridavsky's close friend, bandmate and official bubbysitter, Matt Tobey, and produced by Bridavsky. But the whole thing was guided by Bub, whom big-time fan Andrew WK recently described as "the most musically and compassionately gifted" animal he has ever met.As a rescue cat with several genetic mutations, BUB works to spread awareness about adoption and proper animal care. 25% of the net proceeds from the sales of Science and Magic benefit Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA, a national fund for special needs pets.BUB's conversation partner for this Talkhouse Music Podcast is her fellow musician Jon Wurster, who plays drums — brilliantly — for Superchunk, Mountain Goats, Bob Mould among notable others. With Tom Scharpling, Jon is also one half of the team that does The Best Show, which is one of the funniest things you can listen to. And he's also a big-time animal lover.BUB and Jon have a conversation about BUB's new album, her intergalactic origins and… pooping on very expensive comforters. BUB also has a few probing questions for Jon and, well, he answers them as honestly as he can. These two do have a few tense moments, but they're both nice folks, so they patch it up nicely. As an extra bonus, this podcast features what just might be Jon's debut recording as a solo singer.

Lil BUB is a tiny, very special cat from outer space who has been an internet star since 2011, when her "dude" — recording studio owner Mike Bridavsky — posted some photos of her on Tumblr. She's been the subject of an award-winning documentary, she's the author of Lil BUB’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet and she hosts Lil BUB's Big Show, a web-based talk show.And on December 4th, 2015, BUB will release her debut album Science and Magic. The music was composed by Bridavsky's close friend, bandmate and official bubbysitter, Matt Tobey, and produced by Bridavsky. But the whole thing was guided by Bub, whom big-time fan Andrew WK recently described as "the most musically and compassionately gifted" animal he has ever met.As a rescue cat with several genetic mutations, BUB works to spread awareness about adoption and proper animal care. 25% of the net proceeds from the sales of Science and Magic benefit Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA, a national fund for special needs pets.BUB's conversation partner for this Talkhouse Music Podcast is her fellow musician Jon Wurster, who plays drums — brilliantly — for Superchunk, Mountain Goats, Bob Mould among notable others. With Tom Scharpling, Jon is also one half of the team that does The Best Show, which is one of the funniest things you can listen to. And he's also a big-time animal lover.BUB and Jon have a conversation about BUB's new album, her intergalactic origins and… pooping on very expensive comforters. BUB also has a few probing questions for Jon and, well, he answers them as honestly as he can. These two do have a few tense moments, but they're both nice folks, so they patch it up nicely. As an extra bonus, this podcast features what just might be Jon's debut recording as a solo singer.

Sleater-Kinney singer-guitarist and Portlandia co-star Carrie Brownstein has published a critically acclaimed memoir, the candid, moving and eloquent Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. And to kick off her book tour, she sat down and had a great conversation with another acclaimed musician-author, the Roots' Questlove, on October 27th, 2015 at St. Vitus, the beloved metal bar in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.The event was produced by the very cool WORD bookstore mini-chain, with stores in Greenpoint and Jersey City. WORD gave the Talkhouse permission to record and air the conversation — thanks, WORD!Carrie and Questlove might come from different backgrounds and make different kinds of music, but from reading each other's books, they realized have a whole lot of things in common, as you're about to hear.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, two of contemporary cinema’s most controversial, boundary-pushing directors are in conversation. From New York City, Gaspar Noé – whose new film, the pornographic 3D romance Love, is now out in theaters – chats with Abel Ferrara, a fellow scourge of the censors, who is currently living in Rome. Over the course of their highly entertaining talk, the pair discusses such topics as censorship, having their movies banned, what’s sexy in Saudi Arabia, the connections between Love and Ferrara’s first film, Nine Lives of a Wet Pussy, porn’s rightful place on the big screen, and their mutual hero, Pier Paolo Pasolini. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

JG Thirlwell came out of the early ’80s New York underground scene and, under multiple pseudonyms that all had the word “foetus” in them, made lots of intense albums that evoke what AllMusicGuide has called “a harrowing netherworld of death, lust, disease and decay.” You can hear the Foetus influence in bands like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry.Over the years, Thirlwell broadened his musical scope to the point where he is now an acclaimed new music composer, as well writing scores for film and television, and developing site-specific audio installations. And he’s kept his hand in rock music, collaborating with a wide range of rock musicians, from the Melvins to Zola Jesus to Sonic Youth. He’s composed pieces for various renowned new music ensembles, including the Kronos Quartet.One could argue that the chart-topping, prize-winning, multiple Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet is the most famous string quartet in the entire history of string quartets. Over their 42-year existence, they’ve exposed many different kinds of audiences to many kinds of music by breaking down, or at least ignoring, barriers between genres. They’ve played art-tango with Astor Piazzolla, backed up Tom Waits, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Björk, and covered Bob Dylan, Ornette Colemanand Sigur Rós.But most importantly, Kronos has been a major player in nurturing the contemporary repertoire, working closely with iconic composers such as Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, Terry Riley, Laurie Anderson, Henryk Gorecki, Osvaldo Golijov and Philip Glass. And lately, they’ve also begun collaborating with — and commissioning pieces by — a wide variety of younger musicians: Bryce Dessner (the National), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Amon Tobin, Glenn Kotche (Wilco) and Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire), among many others.Kronos has commissioned and performed two pieces by JG Thirlwell: “Eremikophobia” and “Nomatophobis,” with a third piece on the way. So we put together these two thoughtful and visionary musicians for a Talkhouse Music Podcast.

On this latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, in conversation are two former actors who are now two of the funniest and liveliest writer-directors in the U.S. indie sphere. Lynn Shelton, best known for her movies Humpday, Your Sister's Sister and Laggies, chats with the impishly provocative Bobcat Goldthwait, whose new film, the excellent documentary Call Me Lucky, reveals yet another facet of his creative personality. In their talk, they discuss their work in detail and also touch on such diverse topics as the unlikely location of one of Bobcat's tattoos, the reason he used to wear silly hats while directing, and why the U.S. is the People's Republic of Spring Break. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Back when they were in college in the late '80s, Laura Cantrell and Mac McCaughan were in a band called Bricks. That band didn't get very far, but Laura went on to become an acclaimed country singer-songwriter hailed by the likes of Elvis Costello and legendary BBC DJ John Peel. Mac soon founded Superchunk, who went on to 26 years (and counting) of indie-rock glory, as well as co-founding the phenomenally successful Merge Records.Even though Laura and Mac have taken different musical paths, they've not just maintained their long friendship, they've both stayed true to themselves and to their art, and carved out respected, sustainable careers. They actually still have a lot in common. So we figured we'd put them together for a Talkhouse Music Podcast and have them catch up, reminisce, compare notes and share a little wisdom.

El-P, legendary hip-hop producer and half of the celebrated rap duo Run the Jewels, and acclaimed new singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, musician and filmmaker Boots (Beyoncé, FKA twigs, Run the Jewels), sat down and recorded a Talkhouse Music Podcast while they were on tour, backstage at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They talked about lots of things: their jazz-musician dads, the creative value of sampling, drugs and music, the internet’s fascination with cats, their doomsday scenarios and whether iconic film director Stanley Kubrick predicted the iPhone. We also find out how Boots got his nickname — and the answer will amaze you.

On this new episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, two highly original and idiosyncratic British writer-directors are in conversation: Ben Wheatley and Alex Cox. In addition to their new projects (the current festival hit High-Rise and the multi-perspective Western Tombstone Rashomon, respectively), the two email friends discuss numerous movie-related topics, from their favorite portmanteau films and the difference between Charlie Kaufman and Charlton Heston, to the forgotten genius of Peter Watkins and how Repo Man invented supermarket generic brands. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.