RiYL

Punk rock, politics, history and some gracious nods to science — there’s a lot to like about The Future of Another Timeline. Annalee Newitz’s latest explores the possibilities of time travel in a world where the sci-fi standby is downright utilitarian. The book is a lovingly researched second novel for Newitz, who joined us back in 2017, shortly after releasing their debut, Autonomous, an exploration of artificial intelligence and big pharma set in the nearish future. Scientific accuracy has long been a focus for Newitz’s speculative fiction. Prior to the release of autonomous, they were best known as the founder of io9 and EIC of Gizmodo, with a focus on real-world science breakthroughs. The science has, perhaps, been fudged a bit to allow for a mundane sort of time travel to pervade through out, but in an era routinely referred to as “the darkest timeline” by many an online commentator, it’s an ideal lens with which to examine our own reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off her hiatus, Renee Holiday is ready to put on a show. Late last year, the artist formerly known as Shaprece (full name: Shaprece Renee Richardson) put on “Beautiful” in her native Seattle. The multimedia event was held at the Can Can, beneath the city’s iconic Pike Place Market. After “regrouping” to deal with both self-imposed and external pressures, Holiday release “Ain’t Got No Love” in late-2019. The single eschewed earlier musical experimentations for a more straightforward sound. Holiday makes her home in Los Angeles these days, as both a performer in her own right and songwriter for other acts. During a recent trip to New York, the singer sat down to discuss her time off and the difficult task of finding one’s own voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With The River at Night, Kevin Huizenga found his perfect hook. Casting his go-to surrogate Glenn Ganges as an insomniac, the cartoonist discovered an ideal frame for storytelling that that runs the gamut from the beginning of earth to the dot com bubble burst. It’s peak Huizenga, really. The work belies the cartoonist’s love of learning, visualizing a stream of information that leans heavily on a love of science drawing and history. The book taps into the same sense of delight in discover that permeates much of his work, with regular detours that are served well by the mental restless that can make sleep so elusive for so many. Set to the chaotic sounds of downtown Brooklyn early on a rainy Saturday morning, Huizenga discusses teaching, the business of comics and the possibility of embracing scientific drawing in a fuller form. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We don’t have a lot of time. I’m setting up my gear in some Sirius-XM meeting room, while Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan order lunch. They get something nice, a welcome change from the usual road fare. The Milk Carton Kids just finished an appearance on Steve Earle’s show, chatting with the country legend following an appearance on the Howard Stern after show. It’s a bit of cultural whiplash, but the duo take it in stride. The soft-singing, tight-harmonies indie-folk group found success only after pairing up, but since their 2011 debut, it’s been a steady rise. The group have become NPR darlings and have played alongside some of the genre’s biggest names. This time out, however, they’re giving a nod to humble roots, with the on-the-nose Very Small Venues at Very Low Ticket tour, which finds them performing far more intimate sets for a hardcore fanbase.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot has changed in Krewella’s world in the seven years since the band debuted with Get Wet. The group’s second full-length finds the one-time trio down a member, while having jumped from Columbia to their own label, Mixed Kids. But Zer0’s an album dedicated to fresh starts and sister duo Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf vibrate positivity as they discuss the project and their own positive life changes. Formed in 2007, when its members were in high school, the band grew up in the electronic dance scene and very much in the public eye, with Get Wet debuting at Number One on the U.S. Dance chart. As things are ramping up around them, ahead of their next record, Jahan and Yasmine the importance of taking time and finding their voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There have been plenty of opportunities for Daniel Clowes to get reflective in recent years. 2015 saw the release of The Complete Eightball, a massive two-volume hardcover set that collected the full eight year, 18 issue run of his iconic underground series. Next month sees the release of Original Art, a deluxe single volume book that examines his raw pencil and ink work, from Eightball to 2016’s Patience. It’s a loving examination of one of the medium’s most beloved artists. A lesser artist might balk at the mere suggestion, but decades later, Clowes’s work loses none of his punch under such a microscope, even as he restlessly adopts new narrative and artistic styles. Clowes, too, is able to examine his own work at a comfortable distance all of these years later. And as with the pages of Original Art, the cartoonist never shies away from a warts and all examination of the work and the processes that got him there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When she arrives, Leslie Stevens is carrying a large beach bag. Protruding from its insides is a large cowboy hat sporting a massive feather. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the Los Angeles singer-songwriter, whose career found her flirting a number of genres, including time as the frontwoman of the punk band, Zeitgeist Auto Parts. But her the twang of her latest, Sinner, is perfectly suited to her musical stylings. With a foot firmly planted in Laurel Canyon, it’s clear she’s finally making the music she’s always wanted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It hasn’t always been easy for Fastball. Some night, weeks and even years, playing rock and roll music can feel futile, especially when it’s not clear when the next show might be. But neither Tony Scalzo nor Miles Zuniga hesitate for a second when asked if they’re doing exactly what the should be. And while the future of the Austin band hasn’t always felt certain, the group has remained remarkably consistent. Now in their 25th year, Scalzo, Zuniga and drummer are clearly in it for the long haul, making the most out a lifelong career. The group broke quickly, a mere three years into its existence, when their sophomore album, All the Pain Money Can Buy yielding alternative rock staples like “The Way” and “Out of My Head.” 2000’s fittingly titled followup The Harsh Light of Day marked the end of their radio career, but the beginning of a growth as a band, building up a loyal following. In 2019, the group released its seventh LP, The Help Machine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2019, Professor Richard Wolff was everywhere. He published two introduction to economics books — Understanding Marxism and Understanding Socialism — hosted a weekly YouTube show and podcast and made countless media appearances, all while serving as a visiting professor at New York’s New School.As he offhandedly points out during this conversation, we were his third podcast appearance of the day. It hasn’t always been like this, of course. The notion of a Marxist professor becoming a media darling would have seemed a crazy notion a mere decade or so ago. Wolff’s media prominence has come in the wake of financial collapse, Occupy Wall Street and a new wave of leftist politicians that made once verboten words like “socialism” mainstream political talking points. For decades, Wolff has honed a manner of plain spoken deliver of breaking down complex economic and political concepts that have perfectly positioned him to bring such ideals to online media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In hindsight, things happened quickly for Paula Cole. Before her first record arrived, she was on tour with Peter Gabriel, playing stadiums in Europe. The following year, she released her debut and deleted with Melissa Etheridge on VH1. Her sophomore record, This Fire, sported two decade defining hits in “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” and “I Don’t Want to Wait.” It’s a tremendous rise for a kid from a small New England town who went to school with dreams of becoming a jazz singer. It’s also the sort of trajectory that causes some to burn out or fade away a few years in. And while Cole has had her ups and down both professionally and personally, this year’s release of her ninth album, Revolution, is a testament to an artist who continues to focus on music with a message. The singer-songwriter, now 51, still has plenty to left to say. Cole speaks with that same thoughtfulness and passion when discussing both her life and her work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.