RiYL

There’s no such thing as half-measures in Kid Koala land. Take, for example the recent release of Creatures of the Late-Afternoon. Most would be perfectly content to issue 20 tracks half as innovative and vibrant at this point in their career. Koala, on the other hand, created his own accompanying board game. For nearly 30 years, the Canadian DJ has pushed musical boundaries, fusing a broad range of genres together, with little regard for status quo. He’s also elevated the work of others, from scores to films like Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim, to influential projects like Deltron 3030, Lovage and Handsome Boy Modeling School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special edition of the podcast this week, as we joined by three musicians who have released books. Howard Fishman’s To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse is available now from Dutton. The book explores the life of converse, who remained largely unknown until her music was reissued in 2009 with the compilation, How Sad, How Lovely. Vashi Bunyan’s music had its own renaissance around the turn of the millennium, when her album, Just Another Diamond Day was discovered by a new generation of musicians. Her memoir, Wayward: Just Another Life to Live is available now on White Rabbit. Ryan Walsh is the founder and front man of Boston-based indie band, Hallelujah the Hills. In 2018, Penguin released his Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968, which explores the creation of Van Morrison’s seminal album. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few in the indie world are as deft at creating a perfect pop song as Carl Newman. Since the late-90s, he’s served as the principle songwriter, front man and nucleus of The New Pornographers. A little over a month ago, the band issued its 9th studio album, Continue as Guest – living proof that the band still has new ideas more than a quarter century into its existence. Over the years, Newman has released trio of solo albums under the name A.C. Newman, but he’s always found himself returning to the New Pornographers’ welcoming embrace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brooklyn's Last Secret is a wonderful synthesis of its creator’s twin passions. It’s a book that cartoonist and rock guitarist Leslie Stein was uniquely qualified to create. The book is built around the daily minutiae of an indie rock band that sets out on tour in hopes of finally catching that one important break. It’s a meditation on friendships, relationships and the harsh realities of the modern music industry that’s alternately funny and touching. Stein returns to the show to discuss the book’s genesis, which finds her continuing to branch out from her deeply personal memoirs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes your body knows innately, well before those reach your brain and sink their hooks into your consciousness. Of course, it’s also entirely possible that Blindsided’s title was just one of those strange bits of cosmic irony. The word arrived well before Mark Erelli was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) a degenerative eye condition that almost invariably leads to blindness. The diagnosis would arrive in the summer of 2020, triggered by fuzzy vision during an outdoor live show. It’s a struggle which informs his latest, Lay Your Darkness Down. It’s a bid to relay a life altering condition, both literally and metaphorically, in a bid to capture broader themes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where I’m Coming From arrived in the Detroit Free Press at the tail end of the 80s. The strip, based on Barbara Brandon-Croft’s friend circle, was a breath of fresh air amid often formulaic newspaper comics. Two years later, Croft’s work received national exposure, upon being syndicated by United Press Syndicate. The strip would go on to run in more than 60 papers, plus magazines like Essence, before ceasing publication in 2005. Earlier this year, Drawn & Quarterly celebrated the beloved and bygone strip, with a collection aimed at bringing the work to a new generation, 18 years later. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This bonus episode features the a full version of my recent conversation with the Batman writer for Publishers Weekly. The feature can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This has never been a podcast obsessed with spoilers. In fact, the topic has rarely comic up over nearly 600 episodes. But Why Don’t You Love Me is the kind of book you desperately don’t want to spoiler. The Neil Gaiman quote that monopolizes the entire back cover of the Drawn & Quarterly edition sums it up nicely, reading, in part, “The kind of story leading to a last panel that’s all pain and joy and delivers the whole thing.” I would like to say that’s why this conversation veers into all sorts of unexpected areas, but the truth of the matter is sometimes the conversation takes over and you’re just along for the ride. Author Paul Rainey joins us to discuss, among other things, Marvel movies, Peanuts and why Twitter is a terrible source for news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than two decades, Lee Fields left the music industry and strongly considered opening a fish store. “What do you know about fish?” his wife asked. Very little, turns out. He did, however, know soul. In the late-60s, his performances had earned him the nickname “Little JB” – an homage to long-time hero, James Brown. Re-entering music in the 90s, Fields began experimenting with home recording, eventually attracting the attention of the Daptone scene. Last year, he and the label joined forces again, releasing Sentimental – a perfect showcase of the things that make him one of the remaining 60s soul greats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Formed in the late-70s South Bronx, ESG has an almost impossibly wide-ranging impact on popular music. Factory Records-owner Tony Wilson spotted sister act performing in Manhattan, and within days they found themselves recording in Manchester and playing opening night at the Hacienda. The group’s self-titled debut EP prove a massive hit with critics, while its third track, “UFO,” would go one to become one of music’s most-sampled tracks following the birth of hip-hop – a mixed blessing, to say the least. Singer Renee Scroggins has been through a lot in the 45 years since the group’s founding, but she’s managed to remain active, all while keeping ESG in the family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.