Beginnings

Episode 719: Felicia Douglass of Ava Luna, Dirty Projectors and Gemma

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 May 2026 07:36:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Felicia Douglass. Originally from New York City, Felicia studied ballet for a long time before deciding that wasn't the path for her. Some of her old school chums had formed the band Ava Luna, and she eventually joined them. In the twenty years they've been together, Ava Luna has released over a dozen albums and EPs, and their latest self-titled album came out on Western Vinyl just last year. In 2018, Felicia became a member of Dirty Projectors, performing as part of the Song of the Earth ensemble, and few years earlier, she and producer/multi-instrumentalist Erik Gundel formed the band Gemma. Their latest album Be About It is out today, and folks, it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 718: Josh Margolin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:38:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to filmmaker Josh Margolin. Originally from Los Angeles, Josh always aimed his life in the direction of acting and filmmaking. He majored in theater, did improv, including performing in "One Night Stand: An Improvised Musical", which toured all over including an Edinburgh Fringe run, but since he was a kid, filmmaking seemed to be the thing. While Josh has written a number of shorts, webseries and a feature-length horror-comedy, his first film as writer and director, Thelma, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and it is easily one of the best films of 2024!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 717: Big Harp

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:50:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Stefanie Drootin and Chris Senseney of Big Harp. Originally from the San Fernando Valley and the Sandhills of Nebraska respectively, Stefanie and Chris met two decades ago, when they became both romantic and creative partners, getting married, having two children and performing together as Big Harp. In 2011, they released their first album White Hat, followed by Chain Letters in 2013 and now thirteen years later, they've released their third record Runs to Blue on Saddle Creek, and it is fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 716: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:44:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants. Originally from Lexington, MA, John met John Linnell in high school, and they formed They Might Be Giants years later in 1982 after both moving to New York City. Trying to do justice to the breadth and depth of TMBG's CV in a short bio is unfeasible, but a few highlights of their 44 year career are their 24 albums, including five children's albums, their numerous Tony and Grammy nominations and two Grammy wins, Dial-A-Song and a million other things. On his own, John has released albums as Mono Puff, directed music videos for bands like Frank Black and Ben Folds Five, and even appeared as a voice on Xavier: Renegade Angel. They Might Be Giants latest album The World Is to Dig will be released next week on Idlewild Recordings, and folks, it is an absolute delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 715: John McEntire of Tortoise

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:18:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and producer John McEntire. Originally from Portland, OR, John started playing drums as a preteen and eventually went to school at The Oberlin Conservatory to study music. At Oberlin, John started playing in David Grubbs post-Squirrel Bait band Bastro. The group then moved to Chicago, and Bastro morphed into the first incarnation of Gastr Del Sol. After their debut album The Serpentine Similar was released in 1993, John left to co-found Tortoise, who he's played with ever since. John also performs in The Sea and Cake and Red Krayola, and as a producer and engineer has worked with everyone from Stereolab to Broken Social Scene to Yo La Tengo, and of course, this is just scraping the surface of John's accomplishments. Most recently, Tortoise released their eighth album Touch through International Anthem and Nonesuch Records, and folks, like everything else they've done, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 714: Fatal Farm

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:03:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writers and directors Zachary Johnson and Jeffrey Max of Fatal Farm. Zach and Jeffrey grew up in Dallas, TX and became interested in film in high school. Eventually moving to LA, the two began to make videos together in the early days of YouTube, calling themselves Fatal Farm. Their work included the live-action Garfield series Lasagna Cat, as well as Infinite Solutions and Alternate TV Intros. Besides being incredibly funny, Fatal Farm also has a technical expertise that was missing from a lot of internet videos - then and now - and this allowed them to build a name for themselves as in-demand commercial and sketch comedy producers, working with everyone from The Lonely Island to Key & Peele, Adult Swim, I Think You Should Leave and many others!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 713: Connor Armbruster

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:01:00 +0000

In 2023, they recorded their first full-length album Revival of a Friend at Tiny Telephone, and it will be released on Exploding In Sound Records at the end of the month!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 712: Julia Steiner of Ratboys

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:56:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Julia Steiner of the band Ratboys. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Julia started Ratboys in college at Notre Dame with Dave Sagan. In 2015, they relocated to Chicago and released their first album AOID on Topshelf Records. And since then, the band has accomplished everything you want to happen to a good band: international tours, critical and commercial success and releasing numerous albums and EPs of great music. Their latest, Singin' to an Empty Chair, was just released in early February, and folks, it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 711: Amelia Fletcher of Heavenly

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Amelia Fletcher of the band Heavenly. Raised in Oxford, Amelia started playing in bands in the mid-1980s. Her first major group was Talulah Gosh, which she formed with Elizabeth Price, and they released a number of singles before Amelia left and formed Heavenly in 1989. Heavenly released four albums on Sarah and K Records, but after a tragic event, retired the name, and since then, Amelia has performed in a number of notable groups including Marine Research, Tender Trap and The Catenary Wires. Alongside her musical career, Amelia became a respected economist and academic, whose accolades are too numerous to mention in a short biography, though one major point is that her work has been used to curb Tech power in the UK, and due to her decades of service, she was appointed OBE in 2014 and CBE in 2020. Most recently, Heavenly has returned after their 30 year hiatus with Highway to Heavenly, which was just released last week on Skep Wax, and regardless of the intervening decades, is as good as anything they've ever done!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 710: Mort Burke

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:42:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedian and actor Mort Burke. Originally from St. Louis, Mort came up in the Chicago comedy scene before moving to Los Angeles. He's acted on everything from Bunheads to Workaholics to Mythic Quest, recurred on The Mindy Project, wrote and acted in W/Bob and David, and was a regular on both Enlisted and Drunk History. He also hosts the podcast Rebrand with his brilliant wife Ashly Burch and is writing a novel in installments on his Substack, which I can call Dickensian in the only positive use of that word. As a comedian, Mort has released two specials, his first Spiritually Filthy in 2023, and his latest, There's Beauty In It All, which just came out last week, and much like everything Mort does, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 709: cub

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:55:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Lisa Marr and Lisa Gertrud, two-thirds of the band cub. Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Lisa Marr and Robynn Iwata formed cub in 1992 and while they were only together for five short years, were incredibly prolific, releasing a dozen albums, EPs and 7"es in their half-a-decade as a band. After their break-up, Robin started the band I Am Spoonbender, while Lisa M and Lisa G, who joined in 1994, moved to California where they started the band Buck. Since the '90s, both Lisas have had extensive careers in film and visual art; Lisa M co-founded the Echo Park Film Center, and Lisa G is a founding member of Vancouver's Iris Film Collective. Back in mid-January, Mint Records released the 30th anniversary reissue of cub's second album Come Out Come Out, and even three decades later, it is still fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 708: Mary Lattimore

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:04:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to harpist Mary Lattimore. Originally from Asheville, North Carolina, Mary began playing the harp as a tween and eventually attended the Eastman School of Music to study it more seriously. In 2012, Mary released her first album, a self-titled cassette, on Fred Thomas' Life Like imprint. This was re-released a year later on Desire Path Recordings with a new title, The Withdrawing Room. Since then, she's released almost a dozen more albums and collaborations on labels like Ghostly International, Three Lobed and Thrill Jockey, and her latest, Tragic Magic, an album she made with Julianna Barwick, was just released in the middle of January, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 707: Julianna Barwick

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:24:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Julianna Barwick. Originally from Louisiana, Julianna ended up in New York in the early aughts and self-released her debut EP, Sanguine, in 2006. Her first album The Magic Place came out on Asthmatic Kitty in 2011, and since then, she has released a dozen more albums, EPs and collaborations on labels like Dead Oceans and Ninja Tune. Her latest, Tragic Magic, a collaboration with harpist Mary Lattimore, just came out in the middle of January on InFiné, and it is just wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 706: Elliott Kalan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:12:00 +0000

On today's 16th anniversary episode, I talk to Emmy Award-winning TV and comic writer and podcaster Elliott Kalan. Originally from Millburn, NJ, Elliott started as a PA at The Daily Show in 2003 and eventually worked his way up to head writer. In addition to The Daily Show, he's written for the Academy Awards, MST3K, Netflix's upcoming Ghostbusters cartoon and many other shows. As a comic writer, he's written Spider-Man and the X-Men, Harley Quinn and his own Maniac of New York, and as a podcaster, Elliot has been one of the three hosts of the wonderful Flop House, which has been running since 2007. This is just a small sampling of Elliott's CV, and the latest addition is his new book Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense, which was just published by University of Chicago Press at the end of last year!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 705: Jen Bender of Cusp

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:13:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Jen Bender of Cusp. Originally from Long Island, Jen and her bandmates formed Cusp a little over five years ago in Rochester, before moving to Chicago in 2022. A year later, they released their first album You Can Do It All, followed by the Thanks So Much EP in 2024, and their latest, What I Want Doesn't Want Me Back, which came out in October last year and was one of my favorite albums of 2025!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 704: Steven Brown of Tuxedomoon

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 07:18:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Steven Brown. Originally from Chicago, IL, Steven moved to San Francisco in the 1970s, where he eventually joined the artist collective and commune The Angels of Light. It was though this group that he would meet his collaborators in the brilliant post-punk band Tuxedomoon. In 1980, they released their first album Half-Moon on Ralph Records, and eventually relocated to Brussels, where they began to release albums on the influential label Crammed Discs. In 1983, Steven began recording albums on his own, and his first record Music for Solo Piano, was released by Crépuscule the following year. Since then Steven has recorded numerous albums and soundtracks on his own and with Tuxedomoon, and his latest In This Very World will be released February 20th on Crammed Discs, and folks, it's great! (Plus if you live in LA, go see Steven at Zebulon on January 25th!)

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 703: Kassie Carlson of Guerilla Toss

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:34:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kassie Carlson. Originally from Cape Cod, Kassie began performing in an early incarnation of Guerilla Toss after her hardcore band Western Syndrome played a show with them in 2012. They released their first EP Jeffrey Johnson later that year on Feeding Tube Records, and since then, they've released over a dozen more albums and EPs on labels like Tzadik, DFA and Sub Pop. Just last September, they released their sixth album, You're Weird Now, on Sub Pop, and folks, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 702: Amy O

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 07:27:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Amy Oelsner AKA Amy O. Originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Amy has been recording and releasing albums since 2004. In 2017, she began releasing albums on Winspear with the wonderful Elastic, which was followed up two years later by Shell and then 2024's brilliant Mirror, Reflect. Alongside her musical career, in 2019 Amy founded Girls Rock Bloomington, a music and mentorship nonprofit for girls, trans and non-binary youth that teaches positive self-esteem and self-expression through many events as well as an annual rock n' roll summer camp.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 701: Claire Rousay

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:07:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to experimental musician and composer Claire Rousay. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Claire grew up in San Antonio, Texas and began playing piano at the ripe age of 4-years-old. Dropping out of high school in her mid-teens, Claire began playing music professionally, and in 2017, released her first album Blip on Mended Dreams. Since then, she's released over two dozen other albums and EPs on Mended Dreams, as well as Orange Milk, Shelter Press and her latest, A Little Death, just came out in October on Thrill Jockey, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 700: Brian Michael Bendis

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 05:36:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics writer Brian Michael Bendis. Originally from Cleveland, OH, Brian knew from an early age he wanted to make comics. His late teens and twenties were spent making his own comics, some of them published by Caliber Press, and in 1996, a lot of this work was collected together at Image. This led to working on the Spawn spin-off Sam and Twitch, and in 1998, he began releasing Powers, which would go on to garner both critical and commercial success, as well as Harvey and Eisner Awards. In 2000, Brian co-created Miles Morales when he began writing Ultimate Spider-Man. The next year, Brian began a defining run on Daredevil and co-created Jessica Jones with the start of Alias. And this is essentially just the first decade of his career! Since then, he went on to write defining runs on comics like Avengers and New Avengers, events like House of M, books like Superman and Action Comics for DC, and most recently, for the 25th anniversary of Powers, Brian and artist Michael Avon Oeming are creating a new 12-issue series at Dark Horse, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 699: Marc Hollander

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 06:53:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Marc Hollander. Born in Geneva, Switzerland right after WWII, Marc was raised in Brussels and started the band Aksak Maboul in 1977 when producer Marc Moulin commissioned him to write and record an album for his label Kamikaze. Aksak Maboul was one of the handful of bands that was part of the exclusive Rock In Opposition movement, and they produced two brilliant albums before going on hiatus in the early 1980s. In 1980, Marc founded Crammed Discs, which over the last 45 years has been one of the most interesting and eclectic independent labels in the world, releasing music from bands and musicians like Tuxedomoon, John Lurie, Fred Frith, Konono Nº1 and many, many more. In 2014, Marc ended the long Aksak Maboul hiatus by releasing the "lost" third album from the early '80s, and since then has made two further albums. Their latest, Before Aksak Maboul (documents & experiments 1969-1977), a collection that traces Marc's musical evolution from his first band at 19, Here and Now, up through the formation of Aksak Maboul, is out next week, and it's a blast!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 698: David J. Roth

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:49:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to journalist and writer David J. Roth. Raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey, David started out his writing career writing and editing content for the backs of Topps trading cards. This led to writing for The Wall Street Journal's sports blog, co-founding and editing his own sports blog The Classical, and contributing to Vice and The Baffler, as well as many other publications. In 2017, David became an editor-at-large at Deadspin, and two years later, he and the entire writing and editorial staff resigned, protesting major editorial interference from the private equity holding company that had bought the publication. The following year, David and a number of the other former Deadspin writers formed Defector Media, one of the exciting new worker-owned journalism companies, and in the last five years, it has become one of the most well-regarded sites online. In addition to all of this, David also hosts the wonderful Defector podcast The Distraction.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 697: Thalia Zedek of Come, Live Skull and Thalia Zedek Band

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 05:36:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Thalia Zedek. Originally from Washington DC, Thalia attended college at Boston University for one semester before dropping out to pursue a musical career instead. Each band she formed saw a little more success than the last, and her breakthrough was the group Uzi in 1984. They only stayed together for a short time though, and she next joined the New York no wave band Live Skull, who stayed together until 1990. From their break-up until 2001, Thalia was in the band Come, which she formed with Codeine's Chris Brokaw; in their time together, they released four acclaimed records on Matador, and since then, she's been performing as Thalia Zedek Band. They've released nine albums, mostly on Thrill Jockey, and her latest The Boat Outside Your Window was just released in May of this year. On November 14th, Dromedary Records will release the lost EP of Via, Thalia's other Live Skull-era band, and it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 696: Gina Birch of The Raincoats

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 05:52:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Gina Birch. Originally from Nottingham in the UK, Gina formed the seminal art-punk band The Raincoats with Ana da Silva in 1977. They released three incredible records on Rough Trade - self-titled, Odyshape and Moving - and then broke up in 1984. But this was merely the start of Gina's artistic career. She worked with Red Crayola, formed the band Dorothy, became a filmmaker and music video director, reunited with Ana to support Nirvana on tour and subsequently make another album as The Raincoats, and of course, record music under her own name. Her first solo album I Play My Bass Loud came out in 2021, and her latest Trouble was just released on Third Man Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 695: Joelton Mayfield

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:28:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Joelton Mayfield. Originally from the Marble Falls/Granite Shoals area of Texas, Joelton grew up in a family where music was intertwined with religion. As a teenager, he was even the music director of his church and led Wednesday night worship services. As he gradually moved away from the church, both geographically and spiritually, he began to write music for himself, and released the I Hope You Make It EP in 2019. His debut album Crowd Pleaser comes out next week on Bloodshot Records, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 694: Julia Kugel of The Coathangers

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:56:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Julia Kugel. Originally from Belarus, Julia and her family immigrated to Atlanta, GA when she was a child. In 2006, she formed The Coathangers along with Meredith Franco and Stephanie Luke. In the last 19 years, they've released over a dozen albums, EPs and singles, mostly on Suicide Squeeze Records. In addition to The Coathangers, Julia records with her husband as Soft Palms, and on her own, both as White Woods and Julia, Julia. The latest Julia, Julia album, Sugaring a Strawberry, just came out at the start of September, and it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 693: Hannah Frances

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 06:48:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Hannah Frances. Growing up just outside of Philly, Hannah was doing all kinds of creative work from a young age, from singing to poetry to composing. In 2018, she made her first album White Buffalo, and since then has recorded four other albums. Her fourth album Keeper of the Shepherd garnered a great deal of acclaim leading Fire Talk Records to reissue it earlier this year, as well as release her new album Nested in Tangles, which is out next week, and it is fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 692: Anamanaguchi

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:39:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Peter Berkman and Ary Warnaar of the band Anamanaguchi. In 2004, school chums Peter Berkman and James DeVito would form the chiptunes band Anamanaguchi, and two years later, they released their debut EP Power Supply on the 8bitpeoples label. In 2009, Ary Warnaar and Luke Silas joined the band cementing the line-up that continues to this day. In the last 16 years, the band has released over a dozen albums, EPs, compilations and soundtracks, including the soundtrack to the Scott Pilgrim video game, and their latest album Anyway just came out in August on Polyvinyl, and it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 691: Nick Dragotta

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:08:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comic artist Nick Dragotta. Originally from Cape May, NJ, Nick came to prominence working on Fantastic Four with Jonathan Hickman, which then led to their incredible creator-owned work East of West. Beyond this, Nick has done the art for a number of great books including X-Statix, wrote and drew his own book Ghost Cage, and co-created the character America Chavez. Most recently, it was announced that Nick will do the art for the final arc of Once Upon a Time at the End of the World, while he continues to draw the fantastic Absolute Batman!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 690: Dan Wriggins of Friendship

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 05:54:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Dan Wriggins. Originally from Yarmouth, ME, Dan started playing piano and guitar in high school, and around this time he met his future bandmates in Friendship, Michael Cormier-O'Leary and Peter Gill. In the last ten years, Friendship have released five records starting with 2015's You're Going to Have to Trust Me on Burst & Bloom, and their latest, Caveman Wakes Up, was just released in May on Merge Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 689: Peter Salett

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:26:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to singer/songwriter Peter Salett. Born in Princeton, NJ, Peter grew up near Washington DC in Columbia, MD. As part of the New York arts scene in the 1990s, Peter crossed over with the vibrant film and comedy scenes at the time and has written or contributed to the music for a number of films including Wet Hot American Summer, Keeping the Faith, The Ten, The Baxter and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Outside of soundtracks, Peter is an accomplished musician with seven albums to his name, and his latest is a double release Suite for the Summer Rain and Dance of the Yellow Leaf, and they are both just enchanting!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 688: Laura Ballance of Superchunk

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 05:48:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Laura Ballance. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Laura moved around a fair amount as a child, eventually ending up in Chapel Hill for college where she met Mac McCaughan, who convinced her to be in a band. That band is Superchunk, who over the last 36 years have released twelve albums, numerous EPs, compilations and live albums and created one of the most lasting legacies in indie rock. In addition to Superchunk, Laura co-founded, along with Mac, Merge Records, one of the most well-known and well-liked indie labels. Speaking of both Merge and Superchunk, their latest album, the very appropriate -for-2025-named Songs in the Key of Yikes is out next Friday, and I cannot wait!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 687: Carson McHone

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 03:50:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Carson McHone. Originally from Austin, TX, Carson has been playing music live since she was a teenager. Her first EP came out in 2013 and brought her immediate attention. Over the next five years, Carson built a reputation for herself in the country scene, and her second album Carousel was named by Rolling Stone as one of the "40 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2018". 2022's Still Life, released on Merge, saw an evolution of Carson's style which continues into her latest album Pentimento, which will be out September 12th also on Merge, and folks, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 686: Mark Russell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 04:26:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and GLAAD Award-winning comics writer Mark Russell. Born in Springfield, OR, Mark broke into professional writing with his book God Is Disappointed in You, a modern retelling of the Bible. This led to comics work writing Prez for DC in 2015 and a number of other comics in the last decade including The Flintstones, Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Fantastic Four: Life Story, Superman: Space Age, Batman: Dark Age and many others. Most recently, Mark finished a run writing X-Factor for the first wave of post-Krakoa X-Men books and has a number of books on the horizon for publishers like Ahoy and Mad Cave!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 686: Rory Blank

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 05:29:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Rory Blank. Originally from Carrollton, Georgia, Rory eventually ended up in Austin for college, where he began making cartoons for the student newspaper. In the early 20-teens, Rory began posting his comics online on places like Tumblr and Twitter and began to gain a following. Most recently, Rory was voted the Best Cartoonist in Austin in the 2025 Austin Chronicle "Best of Austin" readers poll for the second year in a row!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 685: Selwyn Seyfu Hinds

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 06:14:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and showrunner Selwyn Seyfu Hinds. Originally from Georgetown, Guyana, Selwyn and his family moved to Brooklyn in the 1980s, when he was 14-years-old. After graduating from Princeton, he began writing for The Village Voice. Then in the late 1990s, he became a hip-hop critic and then editor-in-chief at The Source magazine. As a TV writer, Selwyn wrote for Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone reboot and most recently created and showran the new Hulu show Washington Black, based on Esi Edugyan's novel of the same name, and all episodes drop next Wednesday!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 684: Daniel Littleton of Ida and The Hated

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 04:18:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Daniel Littleton. Originally from Annapolis, MD, Daniel's first band The Hated was part of the first wave of hardcore/post-punk/emo in the 1980s. In 1991, Daniel and Elizabeth Mitchell began recording together as Ida. They released their first three albums on the formative indie label Simple Machines, and as the '90s progressed they became loosely associated with a wave of chamber pop bands. Their next five albums were released on labels like Polyvinyl and Tiger Style Records, and in the late aughts, the band went on hiatus. Recently though, they began performing again in support of Numero Group's 4-LP reissue of their fourth album Will You find Me.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 683: Kelly Sue DeConnick

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:47:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-winning comics writer Kelly Sue DeConnick. Born in Columbus, OH, Kelly Sue moved around a lot as a child and eventually got into comics professionally through adapting translations of manga. Since the mid-aughts, she has jumped between creator-owned work for publishers like Image such as Pretty Deadly and Bitch Planet, and work-for-hire at Marvel and DC, including a defining run on Captain Marvel. Most recently, she created FML for Dark Horse. It returns this July, and is easily one of the best comics in the last year!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 682: Michael DeForge

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 05:16:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Michael DeForge. Originally from Ottawa, Michael had been making mini- and webcomics for years before he created his first "real" comic Lose, which was published by Koyama Press in 2009. Since then, he's published over a dozen books and collections through publishers like Koyama and Drawn & Quarterly, and also worked as a designer on Adventure Time for six seasons. His latest book Holy Lacrimony was published through Drawn & Quarterly just a few months ago, and it is fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 681: David Bazan of Pedro the Lion and Headphones

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 04:39:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician David Bazan. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, David started Pedro the Lion in 1995, and his first full-length album It's Hard to Find a Friend was released three years later on Jade Tree. In 2005, David recorded a more synthesizer-focused album as Headphones, and then a year later, Pedro the Lion broke up. David continued to record music under his own name, releasing albums on labels like Barsuk and Polyvinyl, and then in 2017, Pedro the Lion got back together and began a five-album cycle, with each album focusing on a city that David grew up in. The most recent was last year's Santa Cruz, which came out on Polyvinyl/Big Scary Monsters. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Headphones' lone album, and to commemorate the occasion, Suicide Squeeze just released a remastered edition at the end of May, and folks, it's just as fantastic as it was back in 2005!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 680: Tune-Yards

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 05:38:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner of the band Tune-Yards. Started by Merrill in the mid-aughts, Tune-Yards first official release Bird-Brains came out in 2009 on 4AD. Almost immediately, the band began to garner acclaim from Pitchfork, the Village Voice and many other publications. After the release of Bird-Brains, Merrill moved to Oakland where Nate lived, and since then, the two have recorded five more albums, a number of singles, as well as the score to the Boots Riley film Sorry to Bother You. Their latest, Better Dreaming, just came out a few weeks ago on 4AD, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 679: M(h)aol

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 May 2025 05:35:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Constance Keane, Jamie Hyland and Sean Nolan of the band Dublin and London-based band M(h)aol. Formed in 2014, the band released a few EPs and singles in their early days, but it wasn't until 2023 that they released their first, full-length album Attachment Styles. A mere two years later, they've put out their second album Something Soft on Merge Records, and it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 678: Maia Friedman of Coco and Dirty Projectors

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 May 2025 06:15:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Maia Friedman. Originally from Los Angeles, Maia's family moved around to different California locales, and eventually after college Maia ended up in New York. She formed the band Uni Ika Ai in 2016, joined Dirty Projectors in 2018 and began the band Coco around 2020. As a solo performer, she's released two albums, her first Under the New Light in 2022 and her latest, Goodbye Long Winter Shadow just came out on Last Gang Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 677: Mr. Fish

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 May 2025 05:38:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to political cartoonist Dwayne Booth AKA Mr. Fish. For over 20 years, Dwayne has been creating political cartoons for publications like Harper's Magazine, Truthdig.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Village Voice, Vanity Fair, Mother Jones, The Advocate, and many, many others. In addition, he was an animated character designer for Bento Box Entertainment and is the subject of a 2017 award-winning documentary by Pablo Bryant called Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End. HIs books and collections include Go Fish: How to Win Contempt and Influence People, WARNING! Graphic Content, And Then the World Blew Up, Long Story Short: Turning Famous Books into Cartoons, and his most recent Nobody Left, which was published by Fantagraphics.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 676: David Longstreth of Dirty Projectors

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 May 2025 06:09:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician David Longstreth. Originally from Southbury, CT, David recorded his first album The Graceful Fallen Mango after dropping out of college. After returning to finish his degree, he began recording under the name Dirty Projectors, and in 2003, Western Vinyl released their first album The Glad Fact. They continued to record albums and slowly built a name for themselves in the thrumming Brooklyn music scene of the aughts. In 2009, Domino released their album Bitte Orca to a great deal of acclaim, and in all, the band has released 20 albums and EPs; their latest, Song of the Earth, is a collaboration with the German orchestral group s t a r g a z e, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 675: Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 May 2025 07:02:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Krisitin Hersh. Originally from Atlanta, Kristin's family moved to Newport, RI when she was six. Here she met Tanya Donelly, and they formed Throwing Muses when they were teenagers. After moving to Boston years later, they quickly became part of the burgeoning scene that produced everyone from the Pixies to the Lemonheads, and the band similarly found success. Since 1986, they've released eleven albums on labels like 4AD, Rykodisc and Fire Records. In addition, Kristin has also recorded a dozen albums under her own name and as 50 Foot Wave, she has recorded two wonderful albums as well. And as always with guests who have had prolific careers, this is just the tip of the iceberg!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 674: Tina Halladay of Sheer Mag

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:26:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Tina Halladay. Originally from Long Island, Tina met Matt Palmer, and Kyle and Hart Seely in college, and formed Sheer Mag in 2014 after they had all moved to Philly. From 2015 to 2016, the band released three EPs - titled I, II and III - and then performed at Coachella and on Seth Meyers, and since then, they've steadily built a following. Their next two albums were released on Wilsuns Recording Company, and their latest, Playing Favorites, just came out last year on Third Man, and it's incredible!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 673: John Davis of The Folk Implosion

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 06:19:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician John Davis. Growing up in Cambridge, MA, John formed The Folk Implosion with Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr.'s Lou Barlow in the early 1990s. Their first album 1994's Take a Look Inside was a brilliant lo-fi pop record, and then a year later, a song of theirs on the Kids soundtrack blew up, and in the diverse atmosphere that had been created in Nirvana's wake, the band was noticed by a number of larger labels. Their third album would be released by Interscope, after which John left the band. As a solo artist, John has released many albums under different names on labels like Shrimper, and just last year, Lou and he got back together to make a new Folk Implosion album. Walk Thru Me was released on Joyful Noise last June, and it is quite wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 672: Anders Nilsen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 06:32:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Anders Nilsen. Growing up between Minneapolis and the mountains of Northern New Hampshire, Anders is the artist and author of ten books including Big Questions, The End, and Poetry is Useless. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Poetry Magazine, Kramer's Ergot, Pitchfork, The New Yorker and elsewhere. His comics have been translated widely overseas and his painting and drawing have been exhibited internationally. Anders' work has received three Ignatz awards as well as the Lynd Ward Prize for the Graphic Novel and Big Questions was listed as a New York Times Notable Book in 2011. His most recent work Tongues vol. 1 was just published by Pantheon and like everything else he does, it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 671: Daniel Warren Johnson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:51:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Daniel Warren Johnson. Originally from Massachusetts, Daniel started in the world of cartooning with his web-comic Space Mullet, which ran from 2012 to 2017. This led to work at Dark Horse, and eventually Image published his comic Extremity, which netted him an Eisner Award nomination (he would go on to win four for other things). Since then, he's created a number of other series for Image including Murder Falcon, Do a Powerbomb and his latest The Moon is Following Us. In addition, Daniel is writing (and doing some of the art for) the new Transformers series for Skybound, and it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 670: Jeffrey Lewis

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 05:59:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and cartoonist Jeffrey Lewis. Originally from the Lower East Side, Jeffrey has bounced back and forth between his two loves comics and music for most of his professional life. As a cartoonist, Jeffrey's longest project was Fuff, which he wrote and drew from 2004 to 2020. He also created Revelations in the Wink of an Eye (My Insane Musings on Watchmen, from Conspiracies to Stupidities), and his most recent project is called Statics, which he started writing and drawing in 2022. As a musician, Jeffrey began as part of the New York antifolk scene that would play at the SideWalk Cafe in the 1990s. He released his first album When Madman Was Good - Version One in 1997, and four years later he was signed to Rough Trade, who released his first "official" album The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane. Since then, he's released over two dozen albums and EPs, and his latest The Even More Freewheelin' Jeffrey Lewis just came out on Blang Records, and it's a banger!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 669: Jack Pendarvis

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 06:19:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Emmy Award-winning writer Jack Pendarvis. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Jack has been writing books, articles and TV for decades. HIs first book of short stories The Mysterious Secret of the Valuable Treasure was published in 2005 by MacAdam/Cage, and since then he's written eight other collections, novels and books of poetry including Awesome, Your Body is Changing, and Shut Up, Ugly. As a TV writer, he's written for Adventure Time, SpongeBob SquarePants, Summer Camp Island, the Steven Universe movie and many other shows. Most recently, he created a pilot for Adult Swim with Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward called Mystery Cuddlers, which can be seen on YouTube.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 668: Bob Mould

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 06:28:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Bob Mould. Originally from Malone, New York, Bob attended college in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he formed Hüsker Dü in 1979 with Grant Hart and Greg Norton. One of the most well-known bands of the hardcore punk era, Hüsker Dü released six albums, mostly on SST and then on Warner Bros. before breaking up in 1988. After this, Bob began performing under his own name, and then formed Sugar in 1992. While Sugar was only together for three short years, they released two albums, an EP and a B-sides collection, and their first album Copper Blue, was a big hit. Since Sugar's dissolution, Bob has kept quite busy, releasing over a dozen albums on labels like Anti- and Merge, and his latest album Here We Go Crazy was just released on Granary Music/BMG Records, and folks, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 667: Jamie McKelvie

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 06:22:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to artist Jamie McKelvie. Born in London, Jamie came to prominence in the world of comics through his collaborations with Kieron Gillen. In 2003, the two started a comic strip in PlayStation Magazine that lasted for three years. This led to their book Phonogram in 2006, and its subsequent sequels, as well as Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine. He's also illustrated stories and designed characters for Marvel on books like Cable, The Defenders, X-Men, Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel among others and created art for bands such as CHVRCHES, Art Brut and Tegan & Sara. Most recently, Jamie has been writing and drawing his own series One for Sorrow, which is being published by DSTLRY!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 666: Josh Zetumer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 07:32:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Josh Zetumer. Originally from San Diego, Josh broke into screenwriting on the back of a script that got on the Black List. This led to working on Quantum of Solace, which led to the 2014 RoboCop reboot and the Peter Berg-directed Patriots Day in 2016. Most recently, Josh adapted and showran the FX show about the Irish Troubles, Say Nothing, which was easily one of the best shows of 2024!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 665: Tim Midyett of Silkworm, Bottomless Pit and Mint Mile

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:33:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Tim Midyett. Originally from Havre, Montana, Tim started the band Ein Heit in 1985 with his friends, and two years later, they changed their name to Silkworm. In the 20 years the band was together, they released over two dozen albums, EPs and singles on a variety of labels including C/Z, Matador and Touch and Go. In 2005, Silkworm stopped performing after their drummer Michael Dahlquist was killed in a car accident. Tim and Silkworm's guitarist Andy Cohen would go on to form Bottomless Pit, who released four albums and EPs on the wonderful record label Comedy Minus One, and most recently, Tim has been writing and performing with his latest group Mint Mile!

(FYI this was taped back in late December; I meant to put it out earlier and then the city caught on fire for a couple weeks - anyway, I only note this because we're a lil' flippant about the current political atmosphere in a way that I don't think we'd be if this was taped today!)

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 664: Dave Holmes

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 06:38:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and podcaster Dave Holmes. Born in New Jersey, but raised in St. Louis, Dave came to national prominence when he lost the inaugural MTV Wanna Be a VJ contest in 1998. Although very soon after, he was hired by the video channel to host a number of shows including 120 Minutes and TRL. Since then, Dave has led an incredibly varied career, acting in things like the first Fantastic Four film and Reno 911!, hosting podcasts like Homophilia and Troubled Waters, writing the book Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs, as well as creating and producing the wonderful limited podcast series Waiting for Impact: A Dave Holmes Passion Project. Just last year, Dave hosted another limited podcast series Who Killed the Video Star: The Story of MTV and currently, continues to be an editor at large for Esquire Magazine!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 663: Guy Maddin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 07:30:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to director Guy Maddin. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Guy did not set out to be a filmmaker, but after working odd job after odd job, he eventually started taking film classes in his later 20s and became part of the Winnipeg Film Group. After making some short films and a surreal cable access show, he wrote and directed his debut feature, Tales from the Gimli Hospital, in 1988. It became a cult success and established Guy's reputation in independent film circles. Since then, he has written and directed over a dozen other films including The Saddest Music in the World, My Winnipeg, Keyhole and his latest Rumours starring Cate Blanchett, which had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Festival!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 662: David Cross

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:32:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedian and actor David Cross. Originally from Roswell, GA, David started as a stand-up at the age of seventeen, first in Boston and then in New York in the '90s. David's television career began with a writing job on the The Ben Stiller Show. It was around this time that he met Bob Odenkirk, and they started performing together, eventually creating the brilliant sketch show Mr. Show, which ran on HBO for four seasons. Since then, David has done a million awesome things including Arrested Development, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, as well as smaller parts in everything from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to What We Do in the Shadows. He's also performed eight stand-up albums and specials; his latest Worst Daddy in the World just came out last year on 800 Pound Gorilla, and it's a delight! And of course, you can see him touring this spring, if you live in Canada or Europe.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 661: Seth Gordon

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 07:00:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to director Seth Gordon. Originally on the path to be an architect, Seth's life took a detour into documentary filmmaking when he picked up a camera while teaching abroad in Kenya. After working in different positions in filming and editing, he eventually made his acclaimed doc The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, about rivals in the world of competitive Donkey Kong playing. From there, Seth became a comedy director, directing some of the best sitcoms of the 21st century including Parks and Rec, Community, The Office, The Goldbergs and more, as well as films such as Four Christmases, Horrible Bosses, Baywatch and, his most recent film, which just debuted on Netflix last week, Back In Action starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 660: Sunroof

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 06:10:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones of Sunroof. Daniel and Gareth have had long, varied careers for decades - as musicians, music producers and more. Daniel is the founder of Mute Records, which has released albums from numerous groups including Depeche Mode, New Order, Wire, Nick Cave and many others. And as a producer, Gareth has worked with many of those same bands and more including Interpol, Grizzly Bear, Madness and that's just a small sampling. The two began collaborating together in 1982 when Daniel asked Gareth to work with him on what became Depeche Mode's Construction Time Again. After Depeche Mode had gone home for the day, the two would stay on to work on their own sessions. This became Sunroof, and they worked mostly as a remix project. However, in 2019, they started improvising together with modular systems as a lark and enjoyed the results. They've recorded three fantastic albums, and their latest, Electronic Music Improvisation Vol.3, came out at the end of November, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 659: Brian Blomerth

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 07:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to illustrator and comics creator Brian Blomerth. Brian grew up in Newport News, Virginia, and in college started to move towards making art for a living. Some of his early work was for Vice, as well as making tour posters for bands like Phish or album artwork for musicians like Ryley Walker. Since 2019, he's been working on a series of books about 20th century psychonauts starting with Bicycle Day, about the discovery of LSD, and the follow-up, Mycelium Wassonii, about the scientist couple responsible for popularizing the use of psychedelic mushrooms in the US. His most recent book, Lilly Wave, about the life of scientist and psychedelic dolphin tormentor John C. Lilly, came out in October, and it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 658: Jason Aaron

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 09:28:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics writer Jason Aaron. Originally from Piney Woods, Alabama, Jason started writing comics professionally after winning a Marvel Comics talent search contest in 2001. This opened the door for him, and soon after in 2006, Vertigo published his first major work The Other Side, which netted him an Eisner Award. Since then, Jason has written acclaimed runs on both mainstream and his own creator-owned comics, some of which include Wolverine and the X-Men, The Punisher, The Avengers, Thor, Scalped, Once Upon a Time at the End of the World, Southern Bastards and many, many more. Currently, Jason is writing the fantastic Superman reboot Absolute Superman, as well as a brilliant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series for IDW!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 657: Ed Herro

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 07:34:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Ed Herro. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Ed fell in love with improv in middle school. He started doing comedy in college and moved to New York where he performed on house teams in the early days of UCB. Eventually realizing that one couldn't make a living yes and-ing, he became a touring stand-up and then a TV writer, writing on shows like Jeff & Some Aliens, American Housewife, and The Neighbors. Most recently, he created, with his writing partner Brian Donovan, the series The Sticky starring the incredible Margo Martindale, and it is airing now weekly on Amazon Prime!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 656: Brian Ennals and Infinity Knives

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 09:03:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to rapper and musician Brian Ennals and Tariq Ravelomanana AKA Infinity Knives. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland and Tanzania respectively, Brian and Tariq made music separately for years, and after reading about Brian in the Baltimore Sun, Tariq reached out to him and eventually asked Brian to feature on his album Dear, Sudan. This led to their debut Rhino XXL in 2020. While the album was a local hit, it did not prepare them for the reception their second album King Cobra would receive. Released on Phantom Limb in the middle of 2022, it became a word of mouth sensation, organically making everybody's end-of-year lists, deservedly so, as it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 655: Fred Thomas

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 07:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Fred Thomas. Originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Fred started playing music as a teenager, and in 1994 founded the math rock band Chore. The band broke up two years later, and he joined the brilliant His Name Is Alive, and in 1999 started the well-known indie rock band Saturday Looks Good to Me. They would release eight albums, mostly on Polyvinyl, before Fred retired the band in 2013. As a solo artist, Fred has been recording albums since 2002, and his 14th album Window in the Rhythm was just released on Polyvinyl, and it is fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 654: Jake Xerxes Fussell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 07:20:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Jake Xerxes Fussell. Originally from Columbus, Georgia, Jake is the son of folklorist Fred Fussell, and as a teenager began playing and studying with elder musicians in the Chattahoochee Valley, apprenticing with Piedmont blues legend Precious Bryant, with whom he toured and recorded. In 2015, Jake released his debut self-titled album composed entirely of adapted folk and blues songs on Paradise of Bachelors, his home for his next three albums: What in the Natural World, Out of Sight, Good and Green Again. Earlier this summer, Fat Possum Records released his latest album When I'm Called, and listeners, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 653: John Pham

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 07:59:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist John Pham. Born in Saigon, John's family immigrated to the US towards the end of the Vietnam War. In the year 2000, John received a self publishing grant from the Xeric Foundation for his comic Epoxy, and later in the aughts, Fantagraphics published his books Sublife vol. 1 and 2, the latter of which was nominated for multiple Ignatz Awards. In between books, John works as an art director on some of your favorite cartoons including Lucas Bros Moving Co, Axe Cop and the new animated Everybody Still Hates Chris. His latest book J + K was published by Fantagraphics in 2020, and a new paperback edition was released mid-summer this year, and folks, it's terrific!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 652: Tsunami

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 07:08:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson of the band Tsunami. Tsunami formed in Arlington, VA in late 1990, when Jenny and Kristin were housemates at Arlington, Virginia's legendary punk-activist Positive Force house. Over the next seven years, Tsunami wrote and recorded prolifically, releasing three full-length albums (Deep End, The Heart's Tremolo and A Brilliant Mistake) and over a dozen seven-inch singles and EPs, most on their own Simple Machines label. And next week Numero Group will release Loud As Is, a 5-LP box set reissue of their entire catalog, and buddy, you better believe it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 651: Roy Montgomery

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 06:30:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to guitarist and composer Roy Montgomery. Originally from London, Roy grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, and his first band, The Pin Group, was part of the forefront of the New Zealand post-punk scene in the early-1980s, that, along with bands like The Clean and The Chills, centered around Flying Nun Records. After this, he began recording on his own, and he began to draw acclaim by his second solo album, Temple IV, which was released on Kranky. Since then, he has recorded any number of fantastic albums, collaborated with groups like Bardo Pond and Flying Saucer Attack, and become a lecturer - and head of the Environmental Management Department at Lincoln University. His most recent work Camera Melancholia was released on Grapefruit a few years ago, and like everything else Roy does, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 650: Meredith Scardino

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 06:02:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedy writer Meredith Scardino. Originally from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Meredith first got into the business of show as an animator before landing her first writing job on Best Week Ever in 2004. This led to a series of gigs including Late Night with David Letterman, Human Giant and the Daily Show before she landed at The Colbert Report, which she wrote on for six years, netting a handful of Emmy Awards for her work. Meredith's streak continued writing for SNL, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, At Home with Amy Sedaris and Mr. Mayor before creating one of the best shows of the last decade Girls5Eva, all three seasons of which are streaming now on Netflix!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 649: Rose Melberg of The Softies

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 05:39:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Rose Melberg. Originally from Sacramento, California, Rose has been a performing musician since high school in the early '90s. While only lasting a year, her first band Tiger Trap garnered a cult following and put out a self-titled album on K Records. Her next band Go Sailor lasted from 1994-1996, but in that short time, recorded a number of albums and singles for Slumberland and Lookout! At the same time, Rose formed The Softies with Jen Sbragia. While it was originally meant to be a side-project, it became the main musical focus for the pair, and between 1995 and 2000, they released three fantastic albums on K Records: It's Love, Winter Pageant and Holiday in Rhode Island. Since then, Rose has released a number of incredible solo albums and performed in different bands, but most recently, she and Jen started writing music together again, and their latest album The Bed I Made was just released on Father/Daughter Records, and it's the best!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 648: Angry Blackmen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 05:09:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to rappers Brian Warren and Quentin Branch AKA Angry Blackmen. Both living in Chicago in the mid-20-teens, Brian and Quentin met through a mutual friend and eventually a few years later began making music together. Brian asked Quentin to form a duo saying, "I was looking at probably like, OutKast or something, and I was like, 'If they can do it, we can do it'." Their first album TALKSHIT! in 2019 netted them an online following, and subsequent albums were released on Deathbomb Arc. This includes 2020's HEADSHOTS!, 2021's REALITY! and their most recent, the fantastic The Legend of ABM, which was released back in January.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 647: Kishi Bashi

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 05:45:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Karou Ishibashi AKA Kishi Bashi. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Karou grew up in Norfolk, Virginia and although he wanted to make music professionally, it wasn't until he flunked out of college that he began to pursue it in earnest. In 2003, he formed the band Jupiter One, and they were together for a decade and released three albums. Also, during this time, he was a member of Of Montreal for a number of years. In 2011 though, Karou released his first album as Kishi Bashi, 151a, on Joyful Noise, which has been his label ever since. His fifth album Kantos was just released at the end of August, and it is fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 646: Los Bitchos

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 05:18:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Josefine Jonsson and Agustina Ruiz of Los Bitchos. Originally from Sweden and Uruguay respectively, Josefine and Agustina formed the London-based Los Bitchos in 2017 along with Serra Petale and Nic Crawshaw. Their first album Let the Festivities Begin! was released in 2022 to widespread acclaim, and their latest Talkie Talkie just came out at the end of August on City Slang Records, and folks, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 645: Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 06:15:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and academic Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings. Originally from Stevens Point, WI, Dylan is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. As an academic, he received his Masters from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and is currently completing his PhD. He's also on the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board and is associate director of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College. As a musician, Dylan began singing at pow-wows when he was a kid, in drum groups like Midnite Express and IronBoy, with fellow singer Joe Rainey. But it wasn't until 2015, when he and Joe were given free reign to do what they wanted at the Eaux Claires Festival that Bizhiki was born. Their first album Unbound was just released on Jagjaguwar in July, and folks, it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 644: Lia Kohl

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:55:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cellist and composer Lia Kohl. Growing up in the Bay Area, Lia began playing the cello when she was eight-years-old and is trained as a classical musician. However, after moving to Chicago in the early 20-teens, she began improvising and making her own music. Her first full album Too Small to be a Plain was released in 2022 on Shinkoyo, which was followed by The Ceiling Reposes in 2023 on American Dreams Records, and her latest Normal Sounds is out now on Moon Glyph records, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 643: Matt Bors

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 05:56:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner-winning comics editor and two time Pulitzer Prize Finalist in cartooning Matt Bors. Originally from Canton, Ohio, Matt attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he first began drawing editorial cartoons for the student newspaper. At 23, his work became syndicated by Universal Features, making him the youngest syndicated cartoonist in the country at that time. Since then, his comics have appeared in The Nation, The Guardian, Village Voice, CNN, The Intercept, and were collected in the book We Should Improve Society Somewhat. In 2013, Matt founded the wonderful political comics site The Nib and ran it until it ceased operating in 2023. Most recently, Matt created the fantastic dystopian satire Justice Warriors with Ben Clarkson and is writing an upcoming Toxic Avenger series for Ahoy Comics.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 642: Mabe Fratti

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:18:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Mabe Fratti. Originally from Guatemala, Mabe studied cello from a young age, but was on a path to become a journalist before a Goethe Institute residency took her to Mexico to work on her music. There she got involved in the Mexico City improvisational music scene. Mabe produced her first album Pies Sobre La Tierra in 2019, which was followed by Será Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos in 2021, Se Ve Desde Aquí in 2022, and her latest Sentir Que No Sabes was just released in June on Unheard of Hope, and folks, it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 641: Asher White

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 03:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and artist Asher White. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, Asher has built an immense discography since she was a teenager, recording over a dozen self-released albums since 2015. Starting with 2023's New Excellent Woman, the wonderful label Ba Da Bing began putting out Asher's music, and her latest Home Constellation Study was just released at the end of June, and like everything else Asher's done, it's excellent!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 640: Doug Henwood

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 04:36:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to journalist and political writer Doug Henwood. Originally from Teaneck, New Jersey, Doug has been writing publicly about politics since he started his newsletter Left Business Observer, which ran from 1986 until 2013. He's also written for Harper's, The Village Voice, Jacobin and is a contributing editor at The Nation. In addition, Doug has written four books: State of the U.S.A. Atlas, Wall Street, After the New Economy and My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the Presidency. Currently, he hosts the weekly KPFA Berkeley radio show and podcast Behind the News.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 639: Colin Meloy of The Decemberists

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Colin Meloy. Originally from Helena, Montana, Colin played in a few bands in high school and college before eventually forming The Decemberists in Portland, Oregon at the turn of the century. They released their first album, Castaways and Cutouts a few years later on Kill Rock Stars, who they continued to work with until eventually signing with Capitol Records. Since 2002, the band has released nine albums, and in addition, Colin has recorded a number of solo cover albums, starting with Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey almost two decades ago. The Decemberists latest album, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, was just released in mid-June on YABB Records, and like everything else the band does, it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!

Episode 638: Sour Widows

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 05:34:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Maia Sinaiko and Susanna Thomson, the founders and 2/3 of the Bay Area band Sour Widows. Originally meeting and becoming friends at Camp Winnarainbow in their youth, Maia and Susanna formed Sour Widows in 2017, when they found themselves living near one another for the first time. Eventually they invited drummer Max Edelman to join them in the band, and since then, they've released two fantastic EPs, a self-titled one in 2020 and Crossing Over in 2021. In 2023, they recorded their first full-length album Revival of a Friend at Tiny Telephone, and it will be released on Exploding In Sound Records at the end of the month!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 637: Marina Allen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 04:34:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Marina Allen. Originally from New Jersey, Marina's moved back and forth across the country a couple times, and now lives in Los Angeles. She began to write music in earnest her late-teens/early-20s, and her first album Candlepower came out in 2021, followed one year later by Centrifics and her latest Eight Pointed Star was just released last week on Fire Records, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 636: Jim Mickle

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 06:08:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and director Jim Mickle. Originally from Douglassville, PA, Jim studied film at NYU and then worked his way up in the industry, eventually deciding to make his own film in 2006, Mulberry Street, with frequent collaborator Nick Damici. Each film they made got a little more attention: Stake Land, We Are What We Are and Cold In July, which premiered at Sundance and was scooped up by IFC Films. From 2016 to 2018, Jim and Damici showran the Sundance TV show Hap and Leonard, and most recently, Jim has showrun three seasons of the Netflix Jeff Lemire adaptation Sweet Tooth, whose third season debuts today!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 635: Susan Coyne

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 31 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to playwright and TV writer Susan Coyne. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Susan studied intellectual history before pivoting to acting. She acted in several seasons of the Stratford Festival (which was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival) and then became a playwright. In the early aughts, Susan - along with Mark McKinney and Bob Martin, created the brilliant TV show Slings & Arrows, and over the three seasons won numerous Gemini Awards for writing and acting in the show. Since then, Susan has worked in TV and film both in the US and Canada, and most recently wrote on Mozart in the Jungle and Daisy Jones & the Six.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 634: Jeff Martin of Idaho

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 May 2024 05:40:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Jeff Martin. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Jeff started playing piano when he was but a mere toddler. In 1992, he formed the band Idaho with his high school friend John Berry, though Berry would leave a few years later, making Idaho primarily Jeff's project. The band first signed to Caroline, who released their first three albums and an EP, but with their breakthrough album in 2000, Hearts of Palm, they began releasing music on their own Idaho Music label. And their latest, Lapse, will be released at the end of May.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 633: Vicky Farewell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 May 2024 05:49:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Vicky Nguyen AKA Vicky Farewell. Originally from Garden Grove, CA in Orange County, Vicky has played piano since she was a child and worked as a music writer and producer for a long time, notably with a writing credit on Anderson .Paak's Grammy winning single "Lockdown" and production credits on Paul McCartney'a album McCartney III. But it wasn't until the pandemic hit that she really began writing music for herself. Her first album Sweet Company came out in 2022, and her latest Give a Damn just came out on Mac's Record Label, and folks, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi, Couples Therapy, can be found here!

Episode 632: Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 May 2024 05:32:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Eric Earley. Originally from Salem, Oregon, Eric and his friends formed the band Garmonbozia in the year 2000. Gamonbozia eventually became Blitzen Trapper, and after self-releasing their first few albums, including their breakthrough Wild Mountain Nation, the band signed to Sub Pop. Over the next four years, the label released three albums to acclaim, and since then they've released about a dozen albums and EPs on different labels, including their own. Blitzen Trapper's latest recording 100's of 1000's, Millions of Billions will be released in mid-May on Yep Roc, and folks, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 631: Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 May 2024 05:19:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Ben Chasny. Born in Los Angeles, Ben's family moved to rural Northern California when he was young. His recording debut was a heavy, free rock project named Plague Lounge, whose album The Wicker Image, was released conjointly between the New World of Sound and Holy Mountain labels in 1996. Holy Mountain released many of Ben's albums as Six Organs of Admittance as well, starting with his first self-titled album in 1998. Since then, he's released just about three dozen albums and EPs as Six Organs. Ben also plays in the wonderful psyche/noise rock band Comets on Fire, who have four albums on labels like Alternative Tentacles and Sub Pop, and Ben's latest album as Six Organs of Admittance, Time Is Glass, was released at the end of April on Drag City, and folks, it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 630: Chris Black

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 05:09:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Chris Black. Originally from Toledo, OH, Chris went to USC, which eventually led to him working in television. He started on the USA adaptation of Weird Science, and since then has worked on some of the best shows of the last three decades including Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Invincible, Mad Men, Severance, and a personal favorite of mine, Sliders. That is just a small sampling of his CV, and currently, he co-developed with Matt Fraction and showruns the absolutely wonderful Apple TV+ show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which is coming back for a second season!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 629: Peyton Pinkerton

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 01:00:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Peyton Pinkerton. Originally from Pleasantville, New York, Peyton formed New Radiant Storm King in 1990 while at Hampshire College. Over the next two decades, the band released nine albums on labels like Grass, Rainbow Quartz and Darla, and in 2010 played their final show. Peyton has also played and toured with Silver Jews, playing on perhaps their best album The Natural Bridge, as well as with the Pernice Brothers. As a solo artist, Peyton has released Rapid Cycler and a self-titled album on Darla, and his last album Ex Tomorrow was released in 2019, and folks, it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 628: Friko

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 05:29:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Niko Kapetan AKA one-half of the band Friko. Originally from Evanston, IL, Niko had been writing songs since he was a teenager and formed Friko with his bandmate Bailey Minzenberger in 2019. After self-releasing a number of singles and EPs, the band signed with ATO Records, and in mid-February, ATO released their debut album Where We've Been, Where We Go from Here, and it's a delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 627: Rafael Toral

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 05:40:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Rafael Toral. Born in Lisbon in 1967, Rafael has been intrigued by the potential of sound and the functions of music since he was a teenager. Working with electric guitar and electronics, in the 1990's he pioneered a blend of Ambient and Rock and recorded acclaimed albums like Wave Field or Violence of Discovery and Calm of Acceptance. In 2004, he began the ambitious 15-year project entitled Space Program, which used experimental instruments to explore an approach to electronic music based on silence. Rafael has performed and recorded with everyone from Jim O'Rourke to Alvin Lucier, Phill Niblock, Sonic Youth and so many more, and his latest album, Spectral Evolution, a synthesis of everything he's explored over the course of his career, was just released in February on Drag City.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 626: Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 05:42:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Tracyanne Campbell. Originally from Glasgow, Tracyanne founded Camera Obscura in 1996 with John Henderson and Gavin Dunbar. Their first album, Biggest Bluest Hi Fi, came out half a decade later to acclaim, and since then, they've released four other albums on labels like Elefant and 4AD. On May 3rd, Merge Records will release Camera Obscura's latest album Look to the East, Look to the West, and folks, it's a banger!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 625: Linda Smith

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 05:52:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and home recording pioneer Linda Smith. While Linda had started playing out in New York in the late 1970s, it was really when she returned home to Baltimore that her artistic life blossomed. Starting in the late 1980s, she began recording what is now known as bedroom pop and releasing her albums on cassette. Through word of mouth and distros like K Records, she gained a great deal of acclaim, and in the 1990s, labels like Slumberland, Shrimper and Harriet began to release her albums. In 2021, Captured Tracks released an anthology of Linda's music entitled Till Another Time: 1988–1996, and at the start of March, they re-released two more of her early albums, Nothing Else Matters and I So Liked Spring, both wonderful and well worth your time!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 624: Dan Abnett

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to seven-times New York Times bestselling author and award-winning comic book writer Dan Abnett. Originally from Maidstone, Dan began working in the editorial department of Marvel UK before starting to write his own comics. Dan's CV is too extensive to cover here, but a highlights reel includes his incredible work for 2000 AD, which includes comics such as Sinister Dexter and Brink, his revamp of the Guardians of the Galaxy with writing partner Andy Lanning, which became the basis for the MCU films, his work with Lanning on The Authority, Warhammer 40K, and my personal favorite, his Wild's End books, which are some of the best comics I've read in forever!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 623: Mark Robinson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:41:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and founder of TeenBeat Records Mark Robinson. Originally from New Jersey, Mark moved to Washington DC as a child, and in high school formed the indie rock group Unrest. From 1985 to about 1994, the band released seven albums, many on Robinson's own TeenBeat Records, as well as Caroline and 4AD. Since then, Mark has played in a number of groups including Air Miami, Flin Flon, Grenadine, Cotton Candy and many others. As previously mentioned, Mark is also the founder of the very influential indie rock label TeenBeat which has released albums from bands like Bratmobile, Versus, Barbara Manning, The Rondelles, Velocity Girl, True Love Always, Gastr Del Sol and so many other incredible musicians!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 622: Madeline Link of PACKS

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 07:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Madeline Link. Originally from Calgary, Madeline Link initially started PACKS as a solo project, but it eventually coalesced into its current four-piece configuration. In 2020, they were signed to Fire Talk Records, and the label has since released all four of their albums and EPs. This includes 2021's Take the Cake, 2023's Crispy Crunchy Nothing and their latest, Melt the Honey, which came out towards the end of January and is just wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 621: Andrew Kenny of The American Analog Set

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 07:12:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Andrew Kenny. Originally from Fort Worth, Kenny formed The American Analog Set in 1995 and over the next decade, released six albums on labels like Emperor Jones, Tiger Style and Arts & Crafts, after which the band went on hiatus. In 2009, Kenny released the first of two albums as The Wooden Birds, but since 2011's Two Matchsticks, he has been rather quiet. That is, until this last year. In 2023, The American Analog Set released their first album in almost two decades For Forever, and most recently, Numero Group released New Drifters, a comprehensive box set of the band's first three albums, and folks, it is worth your time!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 620: Juel Taylor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 06:45:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and director Juel Taylor. Originally from Tuskegee, Alabama, Juel at first wanted to design video games, but in college he shifted his focus to filmmaking. He did different jobs in sound while he was waiting to break through, and in 2018, he co-wrote Creed II. Directing gigs on Boomerang and Twenties followed, as well as co-writing Space Jam: A New Legacy in 2021. This all culminated in Juel's first project as co-writer and director They Cloned Tyrone, which was released last year on Netflix and was one of the best films of 2023!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 619: ISMAY

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:11:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Avery Hellman AKA ISMAY. Originally from the Bay Area, Avery grew up surrounded by music - their grandfather founded the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival - but didn't think they would pursue making music professionally until a crisis propelled them in that direction. Their first album Songs of Sonoma Mountain was released in 2020, and their latest album Desert Pavement was just released last week, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 618: Jonathan Lethem

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 07:09:00 +0000

On today's 14th Anniversary episode, I talk to MacArthur Genius Grant-winning author Jonathan Lethem. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Jonathan at first thought he was going to be a visual artist until some existential realizations about class and art in college in the early 1980s left him disillusioned. He dropped out, hitchhiked to California and started writing while he worked as a clerk in used bookstores. In 1994, Harcourt Brace published his first novel Gun, with Occasional Music, and since then he's written a dozen more - just a sampling: Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City, The Feral Detective - as well as a number of short story collections, and this is just scratching the surface. Currently Jonathan is the Roy Edward Disney Professor of Creative Writing and Professor of English at Pomona College, and his most recent book, Brooklyn Crime Novel, was published last October by HarperCollins, and like everything else Jonathan writes, it is great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 617: Arnold Dreyblatt

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 06:59:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to composer and artist Arnold Dreyblatt. Originally from New York City, Arnold is part of the second generation of New York minimal composers, having studied with Pauline Oliveros, La Monte Young, and Alvin Lucier. His first album Nodal Excitation was released in 1982, and since then, he's recorded almost a dozen more, including 1995's Animal Magnetism, which was released on Tzadik. Based in Berlin since 1984, Arnold was Professor of Media Art at the Muthesius Academy of Art and Design in Kiel, Germany for almost a decade and a half and is currently deputy director of the visual arts section at the German Academy of Art. His most recent album Resolve was released last August on Drag City, and it is fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 616: Evan Dando

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 08:01:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Evan Dando. Attending the CommonWealth School in Boston in the early 1980s, Evan met Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, and in 1986, they formed The Lemonheads. The band released three great albums on Taang!, but it wasn't until after signing to Atlantic and releasing It's a Shame About Ray in 1992 that the band broke through. While there have been numerous ups and downs, personnel changes, a six-year hiatus, during which Evan released a wonderful album under his own name, The Lemonheads have endured through the decades. They've recorded a number of new singles, and starting in early February, Evan will be touring across the US!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 615: Tanya Donelly

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 06:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Tanya Donelly. Originally from Newport, Rhode Island, Tanya founded not just one, but three, incredible 20th century bands. As a teenager in the 1980s, she formed Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh and performed with them through 1991. During this same time, she founded The Breeders with Kim Deal and co-wrote the first album Pod. Tanya left both groups though to form Belly, where she was the principal songwriter and frontperson. Their first album Star was a huge hit, although the group then broke up after their second album, which started Tanya's solo career. Since then, she's released numerous albums and EPs on 4AD, performed again with Throwing Muses & Belly, and contributed to more albums than I can possibly list here in a short bio!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 614: Doug Bielmeier

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 07:40:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to composer Doug Bielmeier. Originally from Buffalo, Doug started out playing in indie rock bands before shifting his focus to composition, which he received both bachelors and masters degrees for. His music has been described as an "extension of Xenakis's early electroacoustic tape pieces", and his albums include 2017's Betty and the Sensory World, 2018's Costa Mesa Rocking Chair, and 2019's Beast of Bodmin Moor. Doug also holds a PhD in education and is a professor at Northeastern University in Boston. In addition to this all, Doug is the creator and host of The Process, a podcast that focuses on the creative process for experimental music. His most recent album Music for Billionaires was released by New Focus Recordings at the end of October, and it is great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 613: J. Blakeson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:53:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to filmmaker J. Blakeson. Originally from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, J. started out making low-budget shorts of his own. This eventually led to him being able to make a slightly larger film, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, in 2009, starring Gemma Arterton and Eddie Marsan. Over the next 14 years, J. wrote and directed many other films and TV shows; some highlights include the Gunpowder miniseries for BBC One/HBO and 2021's I Care a Lot for which Rosamund Pike won a Golden Globe. Most recently, J. wrote and directed the Disney+ series Culprits, which just debuted last week, and it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 612: Arone Dyer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:01:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Arone Dyer. Originally from Willmar, Minnesota, Arone began writing songs in high school and even won a contest to perform at the Minneapolis Lilith Fair when she was 18-years-old. But soon after, she developed carpal tunnel syndrome and had to give up playing guitar for many years. After moving to New York, where she took up work as a luthier and bicycle mechanic, Arone met Aron Sanchez, and the two eventually formed the group Buke and Gase, which is named after the instruments they created to play in the band. In the last 13 years, the two have released nine albums and EPs, as well as a documentary about performing live during the first summer of the pandemic. Most recently, Arone recorded a collaboration with the European classical-contemporary ensemble, s t a r g a z e, entitled, appropriately, Arone x s t a r g a z e, and it is out now via Transgressive Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 611: Nina Nastasia

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:59:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Nina Nastasia. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Nina began writing songs in 1993 but initially had no real ambitions to be a professional musician. She ended up recording many of those songs with Steve Albini, and they became her debut album Dogs, which was released in 2000. Albini sent the record to John Peel, who championed it on his radio show, and Nina began to garner both fans and acclaim. Since then, she's recorded and released seven albums on labels like Touch and Go and Fat Cat Records, and her latest project, Jolie Laide, is a collaboration with musician Jeff MacLeod, and their self-titled debut album was just released on Oscar St. Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 610: Jordan Morris

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 07:12:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and comedian Jordan Morris. Originally from Mission Viejo, Jordan attended UC Santa Cruz, where he met his future podcasting partner Jesse Thorn, and in 2007, the two started one of the longest-running podcasts still going, Jordan, Jesse, Go! on the Maximum Fun network. As a writer, he's worked on everything from @midnight to Earth to Ned, and has also penned two graphic novels. The first, the Eisner-nominated Bubble, was based on his scripted podcast series of the same name, and his latest, Youth Group, a YA horror-comedy is available now for pre-order and will be out next year!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 609: Matt Fraction

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 05:51:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-winning comics writer Matt Fraction. Originally from Chicago, Matt started out in comics writing for publishers like IDW in the early 2000s and broke into wider recognition with his 2006 series Casanova. This led to both more creator-owned work like Sex Criminals, Satellite Sam, and November as well as stints on Marvel books like Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and a defining run on Hawkeye with David Aja. Matt also works in television, and most recently, he was the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the brand-new Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which is out now!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 608: Mike Sweeney

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 05:17:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Emmy-winning comedy writer Mike Sweeney. Since childhood, Mike wanted to be in showbiz, but family issues prevented him from pursuing stand-up until his late 20s. Stand-up led to writing on shows like Short Attention Span Theater and Politically Incorrect, and in 1995, he joined the writing staff of the then two-year-old Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In 2002, Mike became the head writer for Conan and stayed with the show through its transition to the Tonight Show in 2009 and then after that, to the TBS version, which ended in 2020. Since then, Mike has stayed busy doing many things, among them working as the head writer for That's My Time with David Letterman and as a producer on Conan Without Borders.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 607: Marnie Stern

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 06:24:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Marnie Stern. Originally from New York City, Marnie didn't start out trying to pursue music professionally, and her first album In Advance of the Broken Arm came out in 2007 on Kill Rock Stars when she was 30-years-old. It instantly garnered acclaim, and was followed by This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That in 2008, a self-titled album two years later and The Chronicles of Marnia in 2013. The previous year, she made Spin Magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time", and after Seth Meyers took over Late Night, Marnie eventually joined the 8G Band for a number of years. Most recently, Marnie has recorded her first album in ten years; The Comeback Kid is out now on Joyful Noise, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 606: Derek M. Ballard

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 06:06:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Derek M. Ballard. Originally from Mobile, AL, Derek was an artist from the jump. As a storyboard artist, he's written for shows like Adventure Time and The Midnight Gospel, and as a cartoonist, he wrote comics for the wonderful and sadly defunct site The Nib. Most recently, he created a zine called The Shape of Comics to Come, and his first graphic novel Cartoonshow was just published by Oni at the end of the summer!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 605: Will Butler

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 08:36:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Will Butler. Originally from Floriston, California, Will mostly grew up in Texas, and after college moved to Montreal to join his brother's band Arcade Fire. The band was a sensation: their debut Funeral is widely considered by music critics to be one of the greatest albums of the 2000s, and all of Arcade Fire's studio albums have received Grammy nominations. However, Will left the band in 2021 to pursue other projects. As a solo artist, Will has released three albums on one of the best labels out there, Merge Records, and his latest record is no different! Recorded with Sister Squares the self-titled Will Butler + Sister Squares was just released towards the end of September on Merge, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 604: A. Savage

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:17:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and painter Andrew Savage. Originally from Denton, TX, Andrew began playing music seriously when he formed the band Teenage Cool Kids in college in 2006. By the time the group officially disbanded in 2011, Andrew had already been writing music in a new band, Parquet Courts, which he started with his college friend Austin Brown. Since that time, they've released seven albums on labels like What's Your Rupture? and Rough Trade, and Andrew was even nominated for a Grammy for Human Performance's artwork. As a solo artist, Andrew has released two albums, 2017's Thawing Dawn, on his own label Dull Tools and his latest, Several Songs About Fire, which was just released on Rough Trade last week!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 603: Greg Rucka

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:03:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-winning comics writer Greg Rucka. Originally from San Francisco, Greg grew up in Salinas, California, AKA "Steinbeck Country", and worked a number of jobs - EMT, fight choreographer - until his writing career took off. His first published novels were his Atticus Kodiak books, which were published by Bantam starting in the mid-'90s. Soon after, Greg began writing comics, creating Whiteout, Queen & Country and Stumptown for Oni, writing things like 52 and Wonder Woman at DC, Wolverine and Punisher at Marvel, and Lazarus and The Old Guard at Image, the later of which, he also wrote the screenplay for. And this is just a small sampling of his work! Most recently, Greg created The Forged with his co-writer Eric Trautmann at Image, and like everything else he does, it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 602: Fat Tony

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:47:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Fat Tony. Originally from Houston, Texas, Anthony Obi started his musical career performing with a number of different rap groups in high school, but it wasn't until his early 20s that he began writing and releasing albums under the name Fat Tony. Since 2010, he's released over a dozen albums and EPs on labels like Young One and Don Giovanni, and his latest I Will Make a Baby in This Damn Economy was just released on Carpark Records at the end of August, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 601: Rod Argent of The Zombies

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:22:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Rod Argent. Originally from St. Albans, Rod became the founder, keyboard player and one of the principal songwriters of the seminal 1960s British rock band The Zombies at the age of 16. While the band only stayed together a little more than half a decade, they became international stars, and their final album Odessey and Oracle is both one of the most acclaimed albums of the 1960s and of all time. After The Zombies broke up, Rod formed the brilliant prog band Argent, which played through the mid-70s, and since then, Rod has recorded ten albums under his own name. While The Zombies have reformed here and there, in 2004, they began to record music together again, and their latest album Different Game was just released in March this year, and like everything the band does, it is a real delight!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 600: Ben Edlund

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 06:53:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator and TV writer Ben Edlund. While still in high school, Ben began developing the satirical superhero The Tick, who became the mascot of the New England Comics newsletter. After a production error led to them needing a new title quickly, the New England Comics folks invited Ben to create a series around the character. The Tick has had numerous comic runs, as well as a cartoon in the 1990s and two live action series, the most recent of which ran on Amazon Prime from 2016-2019. In addition to his comics work and creating The Tick TV shows, Ben has also written on over a dozen other shows, some of which include The Venture Bros., Firefly, Angel, Clone Wars and many others!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 599: Will Oldham

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:12:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and actor Will Oldham. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Will was an actor before becoming a musician, appearing in John Sayles' Matewan as a teenager, as well as in films like Old Joy, Junebug and The Guatemalan Handshake, as well as TV shows like Wonder Showzen. In the early '90s, he began playing music as Palace - or more accurately, as different permutations of the name Palace - but a few years later, adopted the Bonnie "Prince" Billy moniker which he's used ever since his 1999 album I See a Darkness. In the last two plus decades, he's released almost two dozen albums, some collaborations with artists like Bill Callahan and Matt Sweeney, and his latest Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You was just released in August on Drag City, and like everything else Will does, it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 598: Geoff Garlock

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:11:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and musician Geoff Garlock. Geoff has been playing music since high school, first with the hardcore punk band Switchstance, and eventually with the seminal screamo band Orchid, who in their five short years together released ten albums and 7"es, mostly on Ebullition. After Orchid broke up, most of the members started Panthers, who released four albums on labels like Troubleman Unlimited and Dim Mak, but after they broke up, Geoff began pursuing comedy. He wrote sketch and taught at UCB from 2002 until the theater was bought by private equity, and has written series for IFC, Adult Swim and numerous other outlets. Most recently, Geoff co-founded and co-hosts the sketch/improv podcast 108.9 The Hawk, which is easily one of the best comedy shows out there!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 597: Teenage Fanclub

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:44:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley of Teenage Fanclub. Emerging from the Scottish C86 scene of the 1980s, Teenage Fanclub formed out of the ashes of their previous group The Boy Hairdressers. While they immediately garnered positive reviews with their first few albums, released in America on Matador, it was with their third album Bandwagonesque that they broke through to a wider audience. In the thirty-some-odd years since, they've never lost that original creative spark, releasing nine more fantastic albums, and their latest, Nothing Lasts Forever, will be released next month on Merge Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi, Couples Therapy, can be found here!

Episode 596: Bush Tetras

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 07:49:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Pat Place and Cynthia Sley of Bush Tetras. Both art students, Cynthia and Pat moved to New York in the 1970s and were soon sucked into the music scene. Pat became one of the founders and the guitarist of James Chance and the Contortions, and then in 1979, the two formed Bush Tetras. Their debut 7-inch EP, "Too Many Creeps", was released in 1980 on 99 Records, and even though they only stayed together for another three years, the band was an integral part of the downtown New York no wave scene. The band has reformed twice since then, once in the late-'90s and most recently in the mid-aughts, and they've been going strong since. Their latest album They Live in My Head was just released at the end of July on Wharf Cat Records, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 595: Locate S,1

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:33:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Christina Schneider AKA Locate S,1. Originally from Westchester, New York, Christina began her career making music in various projects, such as C.E Schneider Topical, Christina Schneider's Genius Giant, and Jepeto Solutions., and in 2018, she began recording as Locate S,1. She's released three albums, Healing Contest, Personalia and her latest, Wicked Jaw, which was just released at the end of July by Captured Tracks!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 594: Jad Fair

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 07:44:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and artist Jad Fair. Originally from Coldwater, Michigan, Jad began playing music with his brother David in 1974 as the band Half Japanese. As an art rock group that charted its own path, Half Japanese soon began to be celebrated by tastemakers, and this led to their first record contract. Over the next fifty years, they released over two dozen albums and EPs, and as a solo artist, Jad has a discography as numerous as the stars in the sky. He's collaborated with everyone from Thurston Moore to Daniel Johnston to Teenage Fanclub to Yo La Tengo, and his latest album Jump Into Love just came out at the end of July on Fire Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 593: Heather Trost

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Heather Trost. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Heather really started taking music seriously in college, often touring whenever she wasn't in class. In the early 2000s, she met her now husband, Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jeremy Barnes and joined his fledgling project A Hawk and A Hacksaw, making it a duo. Since that time, they have released six albums, the latest of which is Forest Bathing in 2018. As a solo musician, Heather has released four albums, and her latest Desert Flowers, was released late last year on Ba Da Bing Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 592: Matt Christman

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 06:38:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and podcaster Matt Christman. Originally from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Matt wasn't pursuing anything specific when he started the left political podcast Chapo Trap House with two friends he met online. But the show struck a nerve in the general zeitgeist and turned into a career for Matt. The show has been going strong for seven years now, and through Chapo and their producer Chris Wade, Matt has created a number of fantastic miniseries: Hell of Presidents, which looks at the ways America has changed by looking at who has been in power, and most recently Hell On Earth, which tells the story of the Thirty Years' War, both as a history lesson and as a analogy for our own era.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 591: David Bizzaro

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:05:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Emmy Award-winning puppeteer David Bizzaro. Originally from Fresno, CA, David moved around a lot as a child. He fell in love with theater, and eventually began working in a field adjacent to that, as a visual generalist, making videos and other things for the live shows of bands like The Flaming Lips. Puppetry, though, was something he came to in adulthood, when he needed to learn the skill for a TV ad. He found that puppetry just felt right for him, and since then has worked on a number of great shows, performing as Mochi in the hit show Waffles + Mochi and most recently, Gerald Teeth Sr. in The Muppets Mayhem.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 590: Salami Rose Joe Louis

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:49:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Lindsay Olsen AKA Salami Rose Joe Louis. Originally from San Diego, Lindsay worked in the sciences as a lab tech and made music on the side until Flying Lotus' label Brainfeeder released her third album Zdenka 2080 in 2019, which gave her the courage to pursue music professionally. This was followed up by Chapters of Zdenka the next year, and her most recent, Akousmatikous, was released in May, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 589: Rob Mazurek

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:06:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and composer Rob Mazurek. Originally from Jersey City, Rob started playing trumpet and cornet in high school after his family moved to Naperville, Illinois. He first learned the foundations of improvised music while studying jazz theory and practice with David Bloom at the Bloom School of Jazz in Chicago, and then became a mainstay of Chicago jazz in the 1980s. In 1994, Rob formed the Chicago Underground Collective with guitarist Jeff Parker and a cast of revolving players, which in turn birthed Isotope 217, both groups releasing albums on the seminal label Thrill Jockey. In the decades since then, Rob founded the Exploding Star Orchestra, has earned numerous commissions and awards, and in general has created more music and art than a short bio can properly elucidate. Earlier this spring, Rob's most recent work for Exploding Star Orchestra, Lightning Dreamers, was released on International Anthem, and like everything else Rob creates, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 588: John Grant

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:21:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician John Grant. Originally from Buchanan, Michigan, John moved to Germany in 1988 to study German, but eventually moved back to the States, where he formed the band The Czars, who released seven albums in the 12 years they were together. After a four-year hiatus, John began making music again under his own name, and the five albums he's recorded since have garnered both critical praise and commercial success. In 2013, John moved to Iceland, where he works as a translator, and just last week Creep Show, John's collaboration with the synth group Wrangler, released their second album Yawning Abyss on Bella Union!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 587: Zeena Parkins

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 06:41:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and composer Zeena Parkins. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Zeena is a pioneer of contemporary harp practices and has essentially "reinvented the harp". Since moving to New York in 1984, Zeena has collaborated with countless musical luminaries like John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Elliott Sharp and Bjork, recorded over a dozen fantastic albums and collected more accolades than you could count in a week, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. For 13 years, Zeena held the prestigious Darius Milhaud Chair in Composition at Mills College, and at the end of June, her latest album of compositions LACE will be released on Chaikin Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 586: J. Holtham

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:05:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV and comics writer J. Holtham. Originally a playwright, J. moved to Los Angeles in the early 20-teens to pursue screenwriting, eventually landing a staff writer position on the show Pitch. Since then, he's written for Cloak and Dagger, Jessica Jones, Supergirl and The Handmaid's Tale. As a comics writer, the final issue of J.'s first miniseries Bishop: War College just dropped, and it is delightful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 585: Half Gringa

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:16:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Isabel Olive AKA Half Gringa. Originally from Carbondale, Illinois, Isabel has been playing as Half Gringa - a nod to a childhood term of endearment as "la Gringa" in her Venezuelan family and her bicultural experience growing up in the United States - since the late 20-teens. Her first album Gruñona was released in 2017 and her second Force to Reckon in 2020. Earlier this year, she released the Ancestral Home EP, and this summer she'll be on tour supporting Iron & Wine!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 584: Joey Alison Sayers

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 May 2023 06:08:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Joey Alison Sayers. Originally from Colorado Springs, CO, Joey has drawn comics for most of her life, but only really started publishing them as minicomics in her mid-20s. This led to many other opportunities, such as her strip "The Machine That Travels Through Time", which ran in Mad Magazine for almost a decade and "Thingpart", which was syndicated in a number of newspapers in the late-aughts. Currently, Joey writes the syndicated comic Alley Oop, and her own comics run on the wonderful left-wing political comics site The Nib.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 583: Bobcat Goldthwait

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 May 2023 07:07:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait. Originally from Syracuse, Bobcat's career is so full of hyphens that "multihyphenate" doesn't even scratch the surface. From acting in films like Police Academy and Scrooged to directing TV for shows like Community and Jimmy Kimmel to directing comedy specials for folks like Marc Maron and Patton Oswalt to directing his own films like World's Greatest Dad and God Bless America. But since the start of his career, Bobcat has been a stand-up. His special with Dana Gould Joy Ride was released in 2021 and his latest album Soldier for Christ was just released at the end of April by Pretty Good Friends, and it is great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 582: Carl Newman of The New Pornographers

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 May 2023 05:59:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Carl Newman. Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Carl began his musical career in the early '90s as a member of Superconductor, but it was really with his next band Zumpano where he began to find his voice, a style that would come to fruition with The New Pornographers. Since their first album Mass Romantic in 2000, the band has become one of the preeminent indie rock groups of the 21st century, with nine albums to their name, all of which are great. Carl has also recorded three wonderful solo albums, and most recently The New Pornographers' latest album Continue as a Guest was released on Merge Records, and like everything else they've done, it is just delightful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 581: Jeff Lemire

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 05:50:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-winning comics creator Jeff Lemire. Originally from Woodslee, Ontario, Jeff wrote and drew comics for years while working day jobs, until he eventually self-published his book Lost Dogs in 2005. This led to making Essex County for Top Shelf, and since then he's written and drawn a veritable slew of fantastic comics, both creator-owned works for publishers like Image and Dark Horse and for-hire books for companies like Marvel, DC and Vertigo. This includes comics like The Underwater Welder, Sweet Tooth, Animal Man, Extraordinary X-Men, Descender and Ascender, Black Hammer, and Royal City. It should be noted that this is just a small sampling of his work, and currently, he is writing Little Monsters and Phantom Road for Image.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 580: Rachel Brown of thanks for coming & Water From Your Eyes

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 04:46:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Rachel Brown. Originally from Chicago, Rachel attended NYU where they studied film and television. However, instead of ending up in TV, Rachel's life took a different path, and they became enmeshed in the New York music scene. As thanks for coming, they've released dozens of albums, and their latest, You Haven't Missed Much, was released late last year on Danger Collective Records. As half of Water From Your Eyes, Rachel has released six albums, and their latest Everyone's Crushed will be released on Matador at the end of May.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 579: Satomi Matsuzaki

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 06:05:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Satomi Matsuzaki. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Satomi moved to San Francisco in 1995 to study film production, but within a week of immigrating, she joined the nascent rock group Deerhoof, and has been a member ever since. In the intervening years, the band has released over two dozen albums, EPs and live albums on labels like Kill Rock Stars and Polyvinyl, among many others, and their latest, Miracle-Level, was released at the end of March on Joyful Noise Recordings, and like everything they do, it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 578: Jerry Minor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 06:07:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor and comedian Jerry Minor. Originally from Flint, Michigan, Jerry came up doing comedy at Second City in Detroit, Chicago and Toronto before joining Mr. Show for the fourth season. This was followed by stints at SNL, Primtetime Glick, The Daily Show as well as appearances on basically every great comedy from the last two decades: Delocated, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Arrested Development, Community, Detroiters, Special and honestly, more than I have time to list here in this intro. Most recently, Jerry has been recurring on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 577: Oren Ambarchi

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 05:34:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Oren Ambarchi. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Oren began playing free jazz as a drummer in the late '80s, eventually moving from there to New York, where he became integrated in the experimental and jazz scene. Oren's collaborations and albums are too numerous to mention here, but he's played with everyone from Sunn 0)) to John Zorn to Jim O'Rourke to Phill Niblock, and released albums on labels like Kranky, Tzadik and his own, Black Truffle. Oren now lives in Berlin, and his most recent album is Shebang, which was released on Drag City last year, and it is incredible!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 576: Stimmerman

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:43:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Eva Lawitts AKA Stimmerman. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Eva has been playing music for most of her life. She played in the band Sister Helen for 14 years, and when they broke up she formed Stimmerman in 2017. As Stimmerman, she's recorded a number of albums and EPs, and her latest Undertaking will be released this May, and it's incredible!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 575: Kate Fagan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 06:41:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kate Fagan. Growing up in Wisconsin and then outside DC, Kate made many more stops before ending up in Chicago in the late '70s and early '80s. There she became the Founder and frontwoman of long-running Chicago second wave ska trailblazers Heavy Manners, and on her own, she recorded and self-released the new wave single "I Don't Wanna Be Too Cool, " which became the best-selling single ever by a local artist at the legendary Wax Trax! Records. 35 years later, Captured Tracks has released an expanded, re-mastered edition of I Don't Wanna Be Too Cool as a full-length album, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 574: Farel Dalrymple

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 06:34:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Farel Dalrymple. Originally from Tulsa, OK, Farel Dalrymple has been creating comics for over two decades. While attending the School of Visual Arts in New York, he was one of the founders of the Meathaus Collective, who published the Meathaus comics anthology. And since then, he's written and illustrated a wide range of comics, worked with Jonathan Lethem on Omega the Unknown and created numerous creator-owned books like The Often Wrong, Proxima Centauri, It Will All Hurt, Pop Gun War and The Wrenchies. Many of these are on Image; all of them are worth your time!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 573: Avey Tare

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:42:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Dave Portner AKA Avey Tare of Animal Collective. Originally from Baltimore County, Dave met his future bandmates Josh, Brian and Noah in high school where they played music together, but it wasn't until they all found themselves in New York in the early-aughts that they officially became Animal Collective. The first album as Avey Tare, Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished, also doubles as the first Animal Collective album, and since its release on FatCat in 2000, they've written 10 more albums, the latest of which, Time Skiffs was released on Domino last year. On his own, Dave has written and collaborated on over half a dozen albums and EPs, and his latest, 7s, came out just last week, also on Domino!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi, Couples Therapy, can be found here!

Episode 572: Emma Paetz

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 07:47:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actress Emma Paetz. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Emma realized she wanted to act for a living while au pairing in Paris. She moved to London where she studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and was primarily a theater actor for a long time. While she's had roles in shows like The Looming Tower and Gentleman Jack, her first starring role was as Martha Kane in the canceled-too-soon show Pennyworth, all three seasons of which you can still watch on HBO Max!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 571: Elina Löwensohn

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 06:49:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actress Elina Löwensohn. Originally from Bucharest, Romania, Elina emigrated to the US as a child under somewhat harrowing circumstances. She studied acting and started performing in theater productions in New York and was hired by Hal Hartley after he saw her in play. She starred in a number of his films including Simple Men, Amateur and Flirt, and in the last 30 years, has acted in everything from Schindler's List to Seinfeld to Basquiat to A Very Long Engagement, and this is just a small sampling of her work! Most recently, Elina starred in the excellent experimental sci-fi film After Blue (Dirty Paradise)!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 570: Damian Abraham of Fucked Up

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 06:27:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Damian Abraham. Originally from Toronto, Damian has been playing in punk bands since he was a tween. In 2001, he formed Fucked Up with Mike Haliechuk and has been the lead singer ever since. They've recorded six albums and dozens and dozens of EPs and other recordings on labels like Arts & Crafts, Merge and Matador. Damian is also the host of the interview podcast Turned Out a Punk, which has featured many of the same wonderful guests you've heard on Beginnings. Fucked Up's latest album One Day was just released last week on Merge, and like everything else they do, it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 569: Terence Winter

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 03:52:00 +0000

On today's 13th anniversary episode, I talk to Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning TV and film writer Terence Winter. Originally from Brooklyn, Terry became a lawyer before giving it all up to move to LA to pursue a career in screenwriting. Starting on shows like Xena: Warrior Princess and sitcoms like Sister, Sister, Terry eventually became a writer for The Sopranos, which he wrote on for most of its run. Since then, he created the wonderful HBO show Boardwalk Empire, wrote the screenplay for The Wolf of Wall Street, and co-created both Vinyl and the new Taylor Sheridan/Sylvester Stallone show Tulsa King, which just wrapped up its first season on Paramount+.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 568: Jim Zub

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 07:52:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated comics creator Jim Zub. Jim began his comics career making webcomics starting in the early aughts, but it was with his Image book Skullkickers, which allowed him to break through to a wider audience. Since then he's written other creator-owned work for Image like Wayward and Glitterbomb, as well as numerous books for DC and Marvel including most notably The Avengers and Thunderbolts. Speaking of Thunderbolts, Jim is currently writing the latest series of that, as well as a Murderworld miniseries, a Conan series for Titan Comics and much, much more!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 567: ALMA

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 08:09:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Alba Torremocha, Melissa Carter, and Lillie McDonough AKA the band ALMA. Hailing from all over the world, the New York-based trio officially formed in 2019 out of a shared delight in harmonizing and experimentation. Later that year, they were named an NYFA Fellow for their genre-pushing work and the following year, were awarded an Awesome Foundation Grant. Then in 2021, they released their first album MOSAIC to acclaim!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!

Episode 566: Daniel Wyche returns

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 07:18:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician and scholar Daniel Wyche. Daniel is a visiting assistant professor in Albion College's religious studies department and a brilliant guitarist - his album Earthwork was one of my favorites in 2021, and after his first appearance on the show back in episode 514, we've become friendly. As a former philosophy professor and current philosophy dilettante, I thought it might be fun to go off-topic-ish for an episode and have an actual PhD on to bounce my well-thought out yet unresearched ideas off of, but mostly to ask: is there a way out of our society's current irrational tailspin???

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 565: Sheldon Epps

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 08:47:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to theater and TV director Sheldon Epps. Originally from Compton, CA, Sheldon's decades-long career in entertainment has spanned both the stage and television. He was a co-founder & the associate artistic director of the off-Broadway theater The Production Company, conceived and directed the Duke Ellington musical Play On!, which received three Tony Award nominations, and was the artistic director at the Pasadena Playhouse for two decades. For television, Sheldon has directed episodes of Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Hannah Montana, Sister, Sister, and many, many more, and he was a producer/director for the hit UPN/CW show Girlfriends. Most recently, just this fall, Sheldon's memoir My Own Directions: A Black Man's Journey in the American Theatre was published - check it out!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 564: Cliff Chiang

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 08:44:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Cliff Chiang. Originally from New Jersey, Cliff wasn't sure of his direction in life, but wanted to give his dream of making comics a try and got an editorial job at DC/Vertigo after college. This led to drawing anthology stories and single issues which led to higher profile gigs on books like Human Target and Wonder Woman. In 2015, Cliff co-created the Eisner Award-winning series Paper Girls with Brian K. Vaughan, which was turned into a canceled-way-too-soon series on Amazon this year, and most recently, he wrote and drew the fantastic miniseries Catwoman: Lonely City, which just wrapped up at the end of October.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 563: Breeda Wool

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 07:12:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor Breeda Wool. Originally from Urbana, Illinois, Breeda moved to New York City after college to pursue acting, where she did everything from sketch comedy to guerilla theater to acting in indie films. This all led to roles in more mainstream work like Vice Principals, The Affair, GLOW, and The Walking Dead, as well as regular roles on shows like Mr. Mercedes and UnREAL. Breeda is also one of the stars of the new Disney+ show National Treasure: Edge of History, which debuts next Wednesday!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 562: Kurt Wagner of Lambchop

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 06:26:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kurt Wagner. Originally from Nashville, TN, Kurt was an artist and musician working a day job. But through the late '80s into the '90s, his band Lambchop began to become popular, assisted in some part by Vic Chesnutt enthusiastically talking about them in the press. Since 1990, Lambchop has released almost 20 albums, most of them on Merge Records, and their latest The Bible, came out at the end of September, and like everything else Kurt makes, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 561: Jerry Stahl

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 08:16:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer Jerry Stahl. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jerry won a Pushcart Prize early in his writing career before taking a detour into writing erotica and for magazines like Hustler. This led to another detour writing for TV and movies, although "detour" here might be incorrect, considering this has been a large chunk of his professional career. Jerry penned scripts for ALF, Thirtysomething, Moonlighting, Twin Peaks, CSI, Maron, Escape at Dannemora as well as films like Bad Boys II. As an author, Jerry has written a number of incredible books and memoirs including Perv: A Love Story, I, Fatty, Permanent Midnight and his latest Nein, Nein, Nein!: One Man's Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 560: Homeboy Sandman

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:44:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to rapper Homeboy Sandman. Originally from Elmhurst, Queens, Angel Del Villar II AKA Homeboy Sandman started making albums while he was in law school. This led him to leave the judicial path he was on to focus on music, and since 2007, he has recorded over two dozen albums, EPs and mixtapes, including a number of incredible EPs with Aesop Rock. His latest, Still Champion, was just released today - Deca produced it, and it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 559: Bill Orcutt

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:17:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Bill Orcutt. Originally from Miami, Florida, Bill made films and played music in various groups before co-founding the noise rock group Harry Pussy in the early '90s with his then-wife Adris Hoyos. After releasing a number of albums and EPs on labels like Siltbreeze, the group broke up and Bill moved to San Francisco to focus on filmmaking and other endeavors. In 2009, he began making music publicly again, and in the last 13 years, has produced a number of incredible experimental albums. His latest, Music for Four Guitars, was just released back in September, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 558: Robin Holcomb

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 04:51:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Robin Holcomb. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Robin grew up in the Bay Area and began playing piano when she was six. In 1977, she moved with her partner, composer Wayne Horvitz, to New York City and was one of the foundational members of the NY downtown art scene. Since then, she has composed works for orchestras from Portland to Philly, has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to the League of American Orchestras, and recorded albums for labels from Tzadik to Nonesuch. Her latest album, One Way or Another, vol. 1, was just released on Westerlies Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 557: Tara Jane O'Neil

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 05:06:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to artist and musician Tara Jane O'Neil. Tara cut her teeth in the 1990s Louisville music scene as the bassist of the influential post-punk group Rodan. After their breakup in 1994, she moved to New York, where she performed in a number of fantastic bands including Retsin, Ida Retsin Family, The Sonora Pine, and The Naysayer. She's also released over a dozen albums and EPs under her own name on labels like Kranky and K, and as a visual artist, she's been exhibited all over the world. In early November, The Sonora Pine's second album II will be reissued on Ryley Walker's label Husky Pants Records, and I can't recommend it enough!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 556: Microwaves

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 06:18:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Dave Kuzy and John Roman of the prolific Pittsburgh band Microwaves. Growing up in and around Pittsburgh, Dave and John formed Microwaves with Zombi's Steve Moore, after John left the brilliant noise rock band The 1985. In the last 20-odd-years, the group has released 10 fantastic albums and EPs and undergone a number of line-up changes, though they are always grounded by John and Dave's presence. Their latest album Discomfiture Atlas invites former vocalists/bassists Steve Moore and Adam MacGregor back, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 555: Tony Molina

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 05:35:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Tony Molina. Constantly juggling hardcore and pop projects, veteran Bay Area musician Tony Molina has won over fans in both camps. Since 2002, Tony has played in several bands including Dystrophy, Ovens, Lifetime Problems, Caged Animal, Violent Change, as well as his own solo work which lives somewhere between early Weezer and Guided by Voices. These albums have been released on labels like Matador and Slumberland, and his most recent In the Fade came out in early August on Run for Cover, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 554: Dear Nora

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 04:53:00 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Katy Davidson AKA Dear Nora. Originally from Arizona, Katy has been making music for decades now under the name Dear Nora, starting with the Make You Smile 7" in 2000 on Magic Marker Records. They took a long break from the moniker after 2008's Three States, but picked it up again with 2018's Skulls Example which is one of the best albums Katy's ever recorded. Their new album, Human Features, will be released on Orindal Records at the end of October, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 553: Kieron Gillen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:58:25 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-nominated comics writer Kieron Gillen. Originally from Stafford in the West Midlands of England, Kieron began his writing career as a games journalist, writing for publications like PC Gamer UK, Wired, The Guardian among others. HIs early comics work included a comic strip with Jamie McKelvie, which started their long and celebrated working partnership that led to incredible comics like Phonogram, Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine. While Kieron's works are too numerous to name, some of his best knows comics include his Uncanny X-Men run, Die, Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Loki: Journey Into Mystery, and most currently Eternals, Immortal X-Men and the massive crossover Judgment Day!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 552: Laura Veirs

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 02:00:29 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Laura Veirs. Originally from Colorado Springs, Laura first thought she was going to follow her family into the sciences. However, an artistic life called to her, and in 1999, she released her first, self-titled album. Since then, she has released almost a dozen more albums, become an international success, and recorded with Neko Case and K.D. Lang as case/lang/veirs. Her latest album Found Light was just released this summer on Raven Marching Band!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 551: Lean Year

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 01:15:12 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Emilie Rex and musician/filmmaker Rick Alverson AKA Lean Year. As a musical duo, Emilie and Rick have been making music together for a number of years, and their first self-titled album was released in 2017 to acclaim from publications like Pitchfork and NPR Music. In addition to their musical work, Rick is also a lauded indie film director, whose movies include The Comedy starring Tim Heidecker and The Mountain starring Jeff Goldblum. Lean Year's latest album Sides was just released on Western Vinyl, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 550: Lincoln Michel

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:14:19 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to author Lincoln Michel. Originally from Virginia, Lincoln's fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, Pushcart Prize anthology and his essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times, The Believer, The Guardian and many other places. His debut story collection, Upright Beasts, was published by Coffee House Press in 2015, and his debut novel, The Body Scout, was published by Orbit just last year!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 549: Attia Taylor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 05:39:18 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Attia Taylor. Originally from Philadelphia, Attia is a writer and musician based in New York City. She is the founder of Womanly Magazine, a publication dedicated to providing accessible health information to women and non-binary people through visual and literary art. She is also half of the psych-pop band Strange Parts, and has been writing and releasing music under her own name since 2009. Her first full album, Space Ghost, was just released this summer on Lame-O Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 548: Karl Blau

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 05:47:58 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Karl Blau. Originally from Samish Island, WA, Karl grew up in a family of amatuer musicians and at first thought he was going to be a fine artist. But by the end of high school, Karl was all in on music, and his band Captain Fathom began playing in Anacortes. It was there he met Beat Happening's Bret Lunsford and a pre-Microphones/Mount Eerie Phil Elvrum and they formed the band D+. Being part of the Anacortes music scene eventually led Karl to joining Laura Veirs' band, to working at K Records' Dub Narcotic Studios, and to write and record dozens of albums of his own since the late '90s, which were released on labels like Lunsford's Knw-Yr-Own, K Records, Bella Union, and though Karl's own recording series Kelp!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 547: Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 05:38:29 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Tim McIlrath of Rise Against. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Tim grew up about an hour outside Chicago in the suburbs where he started playing in punk bands. In 1999, Joe Principe and Dan Wieklinski formed Rise Against out of the break-up of their former band 88 Fingers Louie, and invited Tim to join. Though the early days were tumultuous, they persevered and released the Transistor Revolt EP a year later. And since those early days, the band has risen to international acclaim releasing albums on Fat Wreck Chords, Geffen, DGC/Interscope and their most current album, the Nowhere Generation II EP was just released on Loma Vista in June!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 546: Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 06:10:16 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal. Originally from Ohio, Kevin eventually ended up in Athens, GA where he became part of the Elephant 6 collective, a group that included Apples in Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control and many others. Kevin's music has transformed over time, as his own aesthetic beliefs have changed. Starting off as a Kinks/Paul McCartney-esque surreal indie pop group with albums on Bar/None and Kindercore, morphing from there into electronic pop and then dance pop, the entirety of the band's output given a throughline by Kevin's psyche. Since 2004, Kevin has almost exclusively released albums on Polyvinyl and his latest Freewave Lucifer Fck is out now!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 545: Half-handed Cloud

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 06:28:28 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician John Ringhofer AKA Half-handed Cloud. Based now in Helsinki, Finland, Half-handed Cloud started as a home-recording project in Chattanooga, TN in 1999. Since then, John has released almost two dozen albums and EPs, many of them on Asthmatic Kitty and Sounds Familyre. He's also been a member of Sufjan Stevens' touring band, and his latest album Flutterama is out now!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 544: Britt Lower

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 08:03:28 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor Britt Lower. Originally from Heyworth, Illinois, Britt's first big role was on the short-lived 2010 Comedy Central show Big Lake. This launched her into the world of being a working actor, which included a regular role on Man Seeking Woman, as well as recurring roles on shows like Casual, Ghosted, and High Maintenance. Currently, Britt stars in the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series Severance, which is easily one of the best things on TV!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 543: Mike Allred

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 06:48:58 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics creator Mike "Spike" Allred. Originally from Oregon, Mike began his career in comics while working as a journalist. He created his well-known character Madman in the early '90s, and since then has drawn on books like Sandman, Fables, Silver Surfer and numerous others. He co-created two wonderful series: iZombie and X-Statix, and is currently drawing Superman: Space Age and a new X-Statix series.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 542: Casper Kelly

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 03:55:39 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Casper Kelly. Originally from Burlington, North Carolina, Casper started working at Adult Swim in the early 2000s, writing for shows like Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Squidbillies, as well as non-Adult Swim shows like Archer. He's co-created two series, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell and Stroker and Hoop, as well as the incredible Adult Swim infomercial Too Many Cooks. In addition to his TV work, Casper is a wonderful short story writer, and his book More Stories About Spaceships and Cancer is very much worth your time!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 541: Pictoria Vark

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 08:10:02 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Victoria Park AKA Pictoria Vark. Originally from Cresskill, NJ, Victoria started playing in bands in high school and then college, eventually becoming the touring bassist for indie rock bands like Squirrel Flower and Pinkshift. A few months ago, her first album The Parts I Dread was released on Get Better Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 540: Steve Keene

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 17:27:33 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to artist Steve Keene. Originally from the DC metro area, Steve wanted to be an artist from an early age, taking off on a path that eventually led him to Yale art school. But it wasn't until his early 30s that he realized what he actually wanted to do as an artist, and since then Steve has become the most prolific American painter of all time, producing more than 300,000 hand-painted works via his studio/chainlink fence cage where he paints more than 50 paintings at a time.Time Magazine even gave him the moniker of the "Assembly-Line Picasso" because of his unique mass-production painting style. In addition to his affordable mass produced paintings, Steve's also painted the album art for many indie rock bands, including Pavement, The Apples in Stereo, The Silver Jews, as well as many others, and a new book about Steve, produced by photojournalist Daniel Efram, was recently published on Hat and Beard Press!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 539: Kisskadee

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 02:03:48 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kasie Shahbaz AKA Kisskadee. Originally from San Diego, Kasie first started playing music under the name Coyote Run. As Kisskadee though, her first release was just last year, a short EP entitled Ambient Music For Bedrooms. And her first full album Black Hole Era just came out in May on Anxiety Blanket Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 538: Joe Rainey

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 05:30:36 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Joe Rainey. Originally from South Minneapolis, Joe is A member of the Red Lake Nation of Ojibwe people and began attending and singing at pow wows from an early age, as well as becoming a pow wow singing archivist. Eventually ending up in Wisconsin, Joe began guesting with different musicians, working with people like Alan Sparhawk of Low, Bon Iver, Chance the Rapper, among many others. This eventually led to his debut album Niineta, which he composed with producer and artist Andrew Broder and which was released at the end of May on Justin Vernon's label 37d03d!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 537: Diane Coffee

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 07:14:19 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Shaun Fleming. Originally from Agoura Hills, CA, Shaun started out their creative life as a child voice actor on shows like Fillmore!, Kim Possible and Lilo & Stitch. As a musician though, they first started playing professionally as the touring drummer for the indie rock band Foxygen. Soon after, Shaun formed Diane Coffee as an outlet for their own music, and since then have recorded five albums and EPs, the latest of which, With People, was just released on Polyvinyl!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 536: Ryan North

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 May 2022 07:14:51 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics writer Ryan North. Originally from Osgoode, Ontario, Ryan was on a path to a career in computational linguistics before a small webcomic he started, Dinosaur Comics, launched him in a somewhat different direction. Since then, he's become a New York Times-bestselling and Eisner Award-winning writer whose work includes the non-fiction book How To Invent Everything, the semi-fictional graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, and the so-far-fictional Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comic and podcast for Marvel. He's also written Adventure Time, Jughead, The Midas Flesh and many other comics as well, and his most recent work is another non-fiction book How To Take Over The World!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 535: Gabriel Kahane

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 May 2022 06:13:30 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to composer and singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane. Originally from Venice Beach, California, Gabriel has been making albums for almost a decade and a half, starting with his self-titled album which was released on Family Records in 2008. Gabriel comes at much of his songwriting from a conceptual standpoint - on his 2014 album The Ambassador, he used ten addresses in LA to write songs from the perspectives of characters both real and imaginary, his 2018 album Book of Travelers was based on a cross-country train trip he took, and his first concert work Craigslistlieder set real Craisglist ads to music. In addition to his songwriting, Gabriel has also been commissioned to write dozens of pieces for orchestras, festivals and theaters, and his latest album Magnificent Bird was just released at the end of March on Nonesuch Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 534: Kelly Thompson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 May 2022 06:44:08 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award-winning comics writer Kelly Thompson. After graduating with a degree in Sequential Art from The Savannah College of Art & Design, Kelly began her career as a novelist, penning two books in the early 20-teens, The Girl Who Would Be King and Storykiller. She soon began writing comics with some creator-owned series through Dark Horse and Boom, as well as on the IDW series Jem & The Holograms, among many others. This led to writing for Marvel, where she's written many critically acclaimed and well-loved books including Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Rogue & Gambit and Hawkeye, among many others!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 533: Frontperson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 May 2022 07:32:14 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Kathryn Calder and Mark Andrew Hamilton. Kathryn and Mark have been making music in different bands for years. Kathryn is a member of The New Pornographers, has released three albums under her own name and was in the indie pop group Immaculate Machine from 2003 to 2011. Similarly, Mark's primary band since the mid-aughts has been Woodpigeon, who have released over two dozen albums and EPs since their formation. After a chance meeting in the hallway of a recording studio, the two vowed to form a band together one day, and in the late 20-teens, they did just that! Their first self-titled album was released in 2018, and their latest Parade was just released last week on Oscar St. Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 532: Linqua Franqa

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 05:00:43 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to rapper, academic and politician Mariah Parker AKA Linqua Franqa. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Mariah wears many hats. As an academic, they earned their master's in Linguistics at the University of Georgia in 2017 and are currently a doctoral student in Language and Literacy Education at the University. As an activist and politician, Mariah ran for and won county commissioner in District 2 of Athens, Georgia. And as a rapper, they've released two wonderful albums, Model Minority in 2018 and their latest Bellringer, which was just released on Ernest Jenning Record Co., and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 531: Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 06:43:40 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Carey Mercer. Originally from Okanagan, British Columbia, Carey formed the band Frog Eyes in the early 2000s out of the ashes of his former band Blue Pine. From 2003 until 2018, they wrote and released almost a dozen albums and EPs on labels like Absolutely Kosher and Dead Oceans. And in that time, Carey also released a number of solo albums, as well as with the supergroup Swan Lake featuring Destroyer's Dan Bejar and Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug. In 2018, Frog Eyes disbanded, but four years later they are back with a new album The Bees, which is out on Paper Bag Records, and as usual, it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 530: Andrew Farmer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 05:41:25 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer and actor Andrew Farmer. Originally from Florida, Andrew is a recipient of the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant, and his work has been produced at The Museum of Modern Art, Ars Nova, Playwrights Horizons Downtown, Joe's Pub, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Walker Space, Theater Aspen and The Yale School of Drama. As a podcaster, he hosted the long-running Forever Dog podcast Scary Stories to Tell On the Pod, and as a TV writer, he's written for Miracle Workers and the forthcoming animated show Praise Petey.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 529: Dan Erickson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:46:05 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Dan Erickson. Originally from Olympia, Washington, Dan earned a Masters in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch School before moving to LA where he worked a number of day jobs and journeyman writing jobs for places like Super Deluxe and things like Spike's Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show. In 2016, his hourlong pilot, Severance, became the first TV script ever included on The Bloodlist, an industry list of the best unproduced scripts. This led to a meeting with Ben Stiller's production company, and eventually the show Severance, which is easily one of the best of the last decade. Its first season on Apple TV+ is just wrapping up, and it's already been renewed for a second!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 528: Lennon Parham

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:17:40 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor, writer and improviser Lennon Parham. Born in Marietta, GA, Lennon was acting from a young age, but it was when she moved to New York and started improvising at UCB that her career began in earnest. Performing on a number of house teams at the theater, Lennon eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she booked a regular role on the sitcom Accidentally On Purpose. Since then, Lennon's been a working actor, has had recurring roles on shows like Veep and Lady Dynamite, has had other regular roles on shows like Bless This Mess, and co-created and co-starred in two fantastic shows Best Friends Forever and Playing House. Currently, Lennon is part of the cast of the HBOMax series Minx, airing now!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 527: Cadence Weapon

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 05:52:38 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to rapper Rollie Pemberton AKA Cadence Weapon. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Rollie began rapping as a teenager, and released his first mixtape Cadence Weapon Is the Black Hand at the age of 19. He released his first album Breaking Kayfabe just a little later, and since then he's released four more albums, all of which were nominated for Polaris Music Prizes, with his latest Parallel Worlds winning the award in 2021. Rollie was also named as Edmonton's Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2011, and today, the deluxe edition of Parallel Worlds is out via MNRK Music Group!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 526: Kevin Huizenga

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 05:29:26 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Kevin Huizenga. Originally from South Holland, a small town of Dutch immigrants in the suburbs of Chicago, he attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is where he started drawing the influential mini-comic Supermonster. After moving to St. Louis, Kevin started the comic book series Or Else, the strip Leon Beyond with Dan Zettwoch, as well as his acclaimed series Ganges. Much of Kevin's work has been published by Drawn & Quarterly; he's won five Ignatz awards and been nominated for Harvey and Eisner awards; and he's constantly creating mini-comics which you can get on his website - one of my most recent favorites is his Rumbling series, but you'll never go wrong with anything he makes!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 525: Jim Starlin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 06:24:46 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner Award Hall of Fame comics creator Jim Starlin. Originally from Detroit, Jim broke into comics in the 1970s, first as an art director at Marvel, and then moving into being an artist and eventually a writer, working on books like Iron Man and Captain Marvel. During his decades at Marvel, Jim created or co-created many of the characters and wrote many of the stories that eventually made up the backbone of the MCU, including Shang-Chi, Adam Warlock, Drax the Destroyer and Thanos, his work eventually leading to the Infinity Gauntlet. And this is just a small sampling of the things he's written and drawn. At DC, he wrote Batman, including the famous story Batman: A Death in the Family, and currently he is working on a new Dreadstar graphic novel!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 524: Julie Doiron

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 05:11:17 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Julie Doiron. Originally from Moncton, New Brunswick, Julie's musical career began with the acclaimed indie rock group Eric's Trip which formed when she was just 18. While the band was only together six short years, they put out a number of albums on Sub Pop, as well as numerous EPs and 7"es, and just before they stopped playing together, Julie began to record songs on her own. Since then, she's released over a dozen solo albums, as well as collaborations with groups like Wooden Stars and Mt. Eerie. Her last album I Thought of You was released late last year on You've Changed, and in April, her latest album Julie & Dany, which she recorded with her partner Dany Placard, will be released on Simone Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 523: Basia Bulat

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 08:15:37 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Basia Bulat. The daughter of Polish émigrés, Basia was born and raised in Toronto's Etobicoke neighbourhood and grew up listening to her mother's piano students. She attended the University of Western Ontario where she received a degree in English and began an MA in English at Western in 2006 but moved to Montreal to record "an audible memory" of her time there which resulted in her debut album. Since then, she has recorded five more albums, is a three-time Polaris Music Prize finalist, and has been nominated for three Juno Awards. Her latest album is an orchestral reimagining of a number of her songs entitled The Garden, and like the rest of her work, it's great!

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Episode 522: Nels Cline

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 05:34:49 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Nels Cline. Nels is best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco, but his recording and performing career — spanning jazz, rock, punk and experimental — is well into its fourth decade, with over 200 recordings, including at least 30 for which he is leader. Nels has received many accolades including Rolling Stone anointing him as both one of 20 "new guitar gods" and one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.

Beyond Wilco, Nels performs in a duo project with guitarist Julian Lage in addition to a quartet, The Nels Cline 4, collaborates with his partner Yuka Honda as the duo CUP, leads The Nels Cline Singers and that is just a brief survey of his many projects. His most recent albums are Wilco's 2019 record Ode to Joy and The Nels Cline Singers' 2020 album Share the Wealth.

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Episode 521: Martha Wells

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 07:59:39 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to author Martha Wells. Martha has been a sci-fi and fantasy writer since her first novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, The Death of the Necromancer, the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, The Murderbot Diaries series, as well as media tie-in stories for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering. And this is just a sampling of her work, which it should be noted, has appeared many times on the New York Times Bestseller List. As well, over the last few decades, Martha has been recognized for her writing with numerous Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards, as well as a Philip K. Dick Award nomination or two. And most recently, The Murderbot Diaries novel Network Effect won the 2021 Nebula Award and Hugo Award for Best Novel, while the series itself won the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Series.

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Episode 520: Matthew Herd of Seafarers

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 06:01:50 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Matthew Herd. Originally from Glasgow, Matthew is a Scottish songwriter, composer, and saxophonist living in east London. He's the Musician in Residence at Habs Boys' School and co-directs the Habs Jazz Summer School, and plays in a number of different groups. One of these is his band Seafarers, which he formed in 2013 while studying saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music. Their debut album Orlando was released in November 2020 to widespread acclaim, and their second album, II, is out now, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 519: John Linnell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 06:39:04 +0000

On the 12th anniversary episode of Beginnings taped back in December, I talk to John Linnell of They Might Be Giants! Raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts, John Linnell began writing music with his friend John Flansburgh in high school, and after playing in a number of bands formed TMBG with Flansburgh in 1982. From 1986's self-titled album to today, the band has released over fifty albums, compilations and EPs, has won two Grammys and was even nominated for a Tony Award. John hasn't produced a lot of solo work, but his State Songs album is great, and I wish his Roman Songs EP (sung entirely in Latin) would have been released in the '90s so I could have played it in Latin class to the bemusement of my teacher. Most recently, They Might Be Giants have released a 144 page book and album entitled BOOK, and much like everything else from their 40 year career, it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 518: Logan Lynn

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 07:02:47 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Logan Lynn. Born in York, Nebraska, Logan eventually moved to Portland after a tumultuous childhood. His musical career began there when he was discovered by The Dandy Warhols.Since 1998, he's released over a dozen albums and EPs on labels like EMI and Caroline, hosted NewNowNext Music on the Logo Network, and in 2021 was named one of the OUT100 in the Performers of the Year category by Out Magazine. This is just a small smattering of his accomplishments. His latest album New Money is out now on Kill Rock Stars!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 517: Wendy Eisenberg

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 07:16:12 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Wendy Eisenberg. Wendy is an improviser and songwriter who uses guitar, pedals, the tenor banjo, the computer, the synthesizer and the voice. Though often working solo as both a songwriter and improviser, with acclaimed releases on Tzadik, VDSQ, Out of your Head, and Garden Portal, they also perform in the rock band Editrix, and in endless other combinations. Towards the end of 2020, Ba Da Bing! released their album Auto, and their latest, Bent Ring, was just released at the end of last year on Dear Life Records. Both are great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 516: John Vanderslice

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 06:48:27 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician John Vanderslice. Raised in rural North Florida, Vanderslice was forced into piano lessons as a young child, and eventually picked up the guitar and started writing songs as a teen. After moving to San Francisco in 1989, John made three records as a part of the experimental band MK Ultra, including the critically-acclaimed The Dream is Over. His obsession with recording craft persisted: while working as a waiter at Chez Panisse in 1997, he opened Tiny Telephone Recording as an affordable outlet for the Bay Area's indie rock community. Between 2000 and 2014, John released 10 records on Barsuk, Dead Oceans, and Secretly Canadian, and collaborated as a producer and musician on records by Spoon, the Mountain Goats, Okkervil River, Death Cab for Cutie and Tune-Yards. Taking a break from his own recording, he became a full-time producer for a number of years, and in 2018, John decided to leap back into his solo career with full force, releasing a number of albums and EPs, the latest of which is a tribute to Dave Berman entitled "John, i can't believe civilization is still going here in 2021! Congratulations to all of us, Love, DCB"

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Episode 515: Robert Haimer AKA Artie Barnes

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:42:17 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Robert Haimer AKA Artie Barnes. Born in Los Angeles, Robert began playing music with his friend, actor Bill Mumy, in high school, recording songs for their own amusement as Barnes & Barnes. But when Dr. Demento began playing their music in the late-'70s, they started to think of Barnes & Barnes more professionally, bolstered by the popularity of their track "Fish Heads" among a number of others. Since then, they've released over a dozen albums, mostly on Rhino Records, and their latest Pancake Dream is now available on Demented Punk Records.

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Episode 514: Daniel Wyche

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 02:00:40 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and Professor of Religious Studies Daniel Wyche. Daniel is a Chicago-based guitarist, composer and improviser. Working with a wide range of physical preparations, extended techniques, and pedal instruments, his solo recorded work and live performances are characterized by long-form structured improvisations. Both by himself and with a number of collaborators (including former guest Patrick Shiroishi), Daniel has released a number of albums, and his latest, Earthwork, just came out towards the beginning of November. As an academic, he specializes in a number of areas including the works of Michel Foucault, and his first book On the Care of the Self and the Care of the Other concerns Foucault's ethical ideas around self-change.

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Episode 513: Modern Nature's Jack Cooper

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 05:57:52 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Jack Cooper. Originally from the Fylde Coast, Jack began playing music professionally in the early 2000s, where after signing to Twisted Nerve Records, he began playing with musician Jim Noir. From 2009 to 2018, Jack played in two bands - Mazes and then Ultimate Painting - releasing a number of albums as well as some solo records, and in 2019, he formed Modern Nature. Their latest album Island of Noise was just released on Bella Union, and it's fantastic!

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Episode 512: Rebecca Gibney

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 06:08:34 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor Rebecca Gibney. Originally from Levin, New Zealand, Rebecca grew up the youngest of six children, and after a somewhat tumultuous childhood, eventually found her way into acting. She first acted in shows like Zoo Family and The Flying Doctors, and in the 1990s starred in shows like Snowy and Halifax f.p. Without going into her full IMDB, Rebecca continued to star in shows and movies including a number of Stephen King miniseries, and in the mid-20teens co-created and co-starred in the wonderful show Wanted. Currently, Rebecca can be seen here in the States every Monday for the next month and a half on the AcornTV show Under the Vines.

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Episode 511: René Kladzyk AKA Ziemba

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 06:54:13 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician René Kladzyk aka Ziemba. Originally from Michigan, Rene is an El Paso-based musician and writer. As a journalist, she works for El Paso Matters and frequently reports on the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. She is also an advocate for music industry reform and creator of the Future Music Industry (a compendium of music industry orgs run by women and non-binary people). And of course, as Ziemba, she's written a number of albums and EPs, including last year's True Romantic and her latest album Unsubtle Magic, out next week on Sister Polygon Records!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 510: Lionlimb's Stewart Bronaugh

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 08:12:17 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Stewart Bronaugh. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Stewart has been playing music for a majority of his life. Professionally, he played for many years as a part of Angel Olson's backing band, and on his own, he's been recording as Lionlimb for over a decade. They released their fantastic first EP Turnstile in 2016, and since then have released two more great albums Shoo and Tape Recorder. Their most recent album Spiral Groove was just released in mid-November on Bayonet Records, and it's an absolute delight!

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Episode 509: Brent Jennings

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 07:16:05 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor Brent Jennings. Originally from Little Rock Arkansas, Brent got his start acting professionally in the New York theater scene of the 1970s, both on and off-Broadway. From there, he became a working screen actor appearing in films like Witness, Another 48 Hrs., and Moneyball, as well as TV shows like Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among many others. Most recently, Brent starred in Lodge 49, one of the best shows of the 21st century, and currently recurs on the CW sports drama All American.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 508: Cedric Noel

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 06:52:32 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Cedric Noel. Montreal-based artist Cedric Noel has spent the past decade creating music informed by his unique worldview: He was born in Niger to Canadian and Mozambican/Belgian parents, spent his upbringing around the world, and is currently based in Canada. During this time, Cedric has released a number of critically praised full-length albums, EPs and collaborative works of his own, while also playing bass for acts like Ada Lea and many others. His latest album Hang Time is out now on Joyful Noise, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 507: Ram V

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 05:30:02 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comics writer Ram V. An author and comic book writer from Mumbai, India, Ram V's comics career began in 2012 with the award-nominated comic series, Aghori. Since then, he's written a ton of great comics including Paradiso and Blue In Green for Image, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr for Boom, Grafity's Wall for Dark Horse, Swamp Thing, Justice League and Cat Woman for DC, and is co-writing the next run of Venom with Al Ewing!

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Episode 506: Patrick Shiroishi

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 07:01:41 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Patrick Shiroishi. For years, Los Angeles-based saxophonist and composer Patrick Shiroishi has been playing music in numerous bands and ensembles crossing a number of different genres. These include groups such as Corima, Upsilon Acrux, Nakata, In the Womb, Oort Smog, as well as many others. Patrick also records solo under his own name, and this includes his latest, Hidemi, a solo multilayered woodwind journey, about his grandfather's personal experience after getting out of the Japanese-American concentration camps. And it is easily one of the best albums of the year!

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Episode 505: Katelyn Tarver

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 06:48:14 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician and actor Katelyn Tarver. After getting her start performing in prestigious talent competitions as a child in Glennville, Georgia, Katelyn moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She promptly made her TV debut with a recurring role on Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush, then began independently releasing her music while penning songs for other artists. In 2014 she experienced a major breakthrough when "Crazy Stupid Love" (a song she'd co-written for British pop star Cheryl) shot to #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Since then, Katelyn's released a number of singles and EPs, recurred on shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Ballers, and her latest album Subject to Change will be released very soon, in early November!

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Episode 504: Buzz Osborne of Melvins

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 05:58:34 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Buzz Osborne. Originally from Morton, WA, Buzz founded the rock band Melvins in the early '80s, and in 1986, C/Z Records released their first EP Six Songs. Since then, they've released over 40 more albums, EPs and compilations on record labels like Alternative Tentacles, Sub Pop and Ipecac Recordings, and while never achieving mainstream success - if that's even something they sought - the band is both sustainable and hugely influential, influencing everyone from Nirvana and Soundgarden to Helmet, Tool, Mastodon and many others. Their latest album, Five Legged Dog, a 36-song acoustic reimagining of their discography, is out now!

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Episode 503: Keith Knight

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 05:56:17 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Keith "Keef" Knight. Starting with his K Chronicles in the early '90s, Keith has been a professional cartoonist for almost three decades. In that time, he's started two other series - (th)ink and the Knight Life - and written almost 20 books of cartoons. Keith has been syndicated everywhere, won awards like the Harvey Award and was named one of 2015's History Makers by the NAACP. In addition to all of this, he co-created the TV show Woke, which is partially based on his life, and whose second season debuts on Hulu later this year!

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Episode 502: David Thomas of Pere Ubu

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 05:19:10 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician David Thomas. Raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, David is one of the founders of the short-lived but influential punk band Rocket from the Tombs, who split up after about a year, with some members going off to form the Dead Boys, while David founded Pere Ubu. While David would record on and off with the self-described avant-garage Pere Ubu over the next 40 years, he has also recorded with a number of different collaborators under a number of different names, such as David Thomas & the Pedestrians, David Thomas & the Wooden Birds and David Thomas & Two Pale Boys. Earlier in September, Fire Records reissued two classic Pere Ubu albums Pennsylvania and St Arkansas!

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Episode 501: Indigo De Souza

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 06:36:10 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Indigo De Souza. Originally from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, and later based in Asheville, Indigo recorded her first EP, Boys, in a friend's garage in 2016. Following another short-form release, she delivered her debut album, I Love My Mom, in 2018. She then signed with Saddle Creek, which reissued the debut just weeks before releasing the tempestuous Any Shape You Take at the end of August. And it's one of my favorite things released this year!

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Episode 500: Arthur Mathews

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 06:00:06 +0000

On today's special 500th episode, I talk to BAFTA Award-winning comedy writer Arthur Mathews. Originally from Navan, Co Meath, Ireland, Arthur was originally on the path to become a graphic designer until his writing partner suggested they go to London to try their hand at professional comedy writing. Since that day, Arthur has co-created the seminal comedy Father Ted, wrote on some of the best UK comedies of the early 2000s, including Jam, Brass Eye and Black Books, co-created the Simon Pegg-starring sketch show Big Train, and later, with Matt Berry, created Toast of London. And just creating any one of those would have put him in a rarefied pantheon, let alone Father Ted, Big Train AND Toast of London!

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Episode 499: McKenzie Chinn

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 06:04:44 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician/poet/actor McKenzie Chinn. Originally from Fort Washington, McKenzie is a true triple threat. As an actor, she has appeared on Fox's Empire and The Big Leap, is a 2021 fellow in the Sundance Directors Lab, and wrote, produced and acted in the film Olympia, which made its debut at the 2018 LA Film Festival. As a poet, her work has appeared in numerous publications and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and as a musician, she is part of the Growing Concerns Poetry Collective, whose second album BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES was released last fall.

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Episode 498: Nite Jewel (Ramona Gonzalez)

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 06:35:37 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Ramona Gonzalez AKA NIte Jewel. Born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, Ramona studied philosophy at Occidental College. She remained involved in music throughout her studies, playing in a series of rock bands with her then husband, and eventually starting her solo career as Nite Jewel. After a self-released six-song CD-R titled My CD, which caught the ear of New York's taste-making Other Records, Nite Jewel issued the full-length Good Evening through Human Ear Music. Since then, Ramona has released over a dozen albums, EPs and singles on record labels like Mexican Summer and Secretly Canadian, and her most recent album No Sun was released just last week on her own label Gloriette, and it's great!

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Episode 497: Bill Oakley

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:27:54 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Bill Oakley. Originally from Union Bridge, Maryland, Bill attended Harvard where he spent most of his time writing for the Harvard Lampoon. After graduating, Bill took on a number of different jobs until he and his longtime friend and writing partner Josh Weinstein were eventually hired to work on The Simpsons. Together, the two wrote some of the most classic episodes of the show including "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and "22 Short Films About Springfield", and were subsequently promoted to executive producer and showrunner during the seventh and eighth seasons. Since then, Bill co-created Mission Hill, wrote for Futurama, Portlandia and Disenchanted, and currently is the showrunner for the delightful HBO Max series Close Enough!

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Episode 496: Kath Myers

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 06:04:22 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kath Myers. Originally from Ohio, Kath had a roundabout route into making music that took her from the world of high finance in New York all the way to living the "artist's way" in Los Angeles. Her first album under her own name, Sensitive Groups, was just released in June, and it's fantastic!

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Episode 495: Terry Riley

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:51:35 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to modern composer Terry Riley. Originally from Colfax, CA, Terry began studying composition and performing solo piano in the 1950s. He befriended and collaborated with composer La Monte Young, and through the '60s further refined his sound. Terry's 1964 revolutionary composition "In C" essentially launched what is now known as the Minimalist movement. The piece's interlocking repetitive patterns changed the course of 20th century music, and its influence has been heard in the works of prominent composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, as well as in the music of rock groups such as The Who and Soft Machine, as well as in collaborations with everyone from John Cale to Pauline Oliveros to Kronos Quartet. Since the '60s, Terry hasn't slowed down a moment, and he continues to compose and perform, and his latest recording is 2019's The Lion's Throne, a collaboration with singer Amelia Cuni.

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Episode 494: Robert Popper

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 01:00:52 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedy writer Robert Popper. Robert Popper is a multiple award-winning writer, producer and performer. He's the creator, writer and producer of Channel 4's six-series Friday Night Dinner, he co-created and starred in BBC 2's Look Around You with Peter Serafinowicz, produced the Bafta-winning Peep Show, wrote on season 14 of South Park, script-edited The Inbetweeners, The IT Crowd, and Him & Her, and co-wrote several episodes of Channel 4's Stath Lets Flats, with Jamie Demetriou. Robert also wrote the massive bestselling The Timewaster Letters books under his pseudonym, Robin Cooper, and most recently, created The Timewaster Letters Compendium on Audible!

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Episode 493: Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead Milkmen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:00:26 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Joe Jack Talcum. Originally from Wagontown, PA, Joe Genaro AKA Joe Jack Talcum is the guitarist and co-lead singer of the seminal punk band The Dead Milkmen. Formed out of his home recording project dating back to the late '70s, the group didn't really coalesce until Joe went to college at Temple University. Starting with 1985's Big Lizard in My Backyard, they recorded dozens of albums and EPs, and though they broke up in 1995, they've reunited a number of times since for various shows. Outside of The Dead Milkmen, Joe is prolific, recording a number of albums on his own and with groups like The Low Budgets. His latest album Joe Jack Talcum sings Railroad Bill and Other Songs was just released late last year!

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Episode 492: Anna McClellan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 04:27:59 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Anna McClellan began performing original songs in her hometown of Omaha, NE at the age of seventeen and has been actively recording and touring ever since. Her debut, Fire Flames, earned her an opening slot on a Frankie Cosmos tour. Through the doors that tour opened, McClellan eventually met Father/Daughter Records which led to the release of her second full-length record, Yes and No, in 2018. After a stint in NYC, several subsequent tours and meandering, Anna returned to Omaha and recorded I saw first light, her latest effort for Father/Daughter.

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Episode 491: Steve Aylett

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 07:42:37 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer Steve Aylett. Born in Bromley, Steve is the author of over a dozen novels, comics and collections of short fiction. He started to get acclaim for his writing with his third novel Slaughtermatic, which was shortlisted for the 1998 Philip K. Dick Award. Slaughtermatic was part of his Beerlight series, and this, along with the Accomplice series, make up the bulk of his most well-known work, although one of his best works, Lint - a satirical, Zelig-like biography of a Philip K. Dick/Hunter S. Thompson/Ken Kesey pastiche - stands relatively alone. His latest comic, Hyperthick, will be released at the end of July by Floating World Comics.

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Episode 490: Lou Barlow

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 06:47:42 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Lou Barlow. Originally from Ohio, Lou formed his first band Deep Wound in 1982, while attending high school in western Massachusetts. Deep Wound's drummer was J Mascis, and when that band broke up, Lou and J formed Dinosaur, later to become Dinosaur Jr. The early years of the band were acclaimed but tumultuous, and after their third album, he was asked to leave the band. Lou then turned his attention to his other band Sebadoh, his side project Sentridoh, and later his other group Folk Implosion. Throughout the years, these projects - including Dinosaur Jr. - have all waxed and waned, but most recently, Lou recorded songs for Dinosaur Jr.'s latest album Sweep It Into Space, which was released in April, and his own solo album, Reason to Live, which was released at the end of May on Joyful Noise!

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Episode 489: Michaela Watkins

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 05:41:02 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actress and comedian Michaela Watkins. Originally from Syracuse, NY, Michaela's career really began when she moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, where she joined the Groundlings. She was cast on SNL for the 2008 season, and while she only stayed a year, this led to many other incredible roles on shows like New Adventures of Old Christine, Enlightened, Trophy Wife, New Girl, Veep, Wet Hot American Summer, Catastrophe, Get Shorty, Transparent, Search Party, The Unicorn and many other programs. In 2014, Michaela created the show Benched, and while it only lasted one season, it was a delight. And from 2015 to 2018, Michaela starred in the brilliant dramedy Casual, which is easily one of the best shows of the last decade and the spiritual successor to Six Feet Under. Most recently, Michaela co-stars in (friend of the show, friend IRL) Josh Ruben's latest film Werewolves Within.

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Episode 488: Melvin Gibbs

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:45:10 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to bass guitarist and record producer Melvin Gibbs. A native of Brooklyn, He has been called "the greatest bassist in the world" by Time Out New York magazine and was last year's winner of JazzTimes Magazine's Critics Poll in the Electric Bass category. Melvin's wide-ranging musical resume includes membership in bands ranging from the no-wave of Defunkt to the avant-jazz of the Decoding Society, to Power Tools with Bill Frisell & Ronald Shannon Jackson, Rollins Band (where he was nominated for a Grammy), Socialybrium with Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Bernie Worrell, and the Zig Zag Power Trio with Vernon Reid and Will Calhoun of the band Living Colour. As a bassist and producer, he has worked with Femi Kuti, Caetano Veloso, dead prez, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, and Sonny Sharrock. He is currently a member of the band Harriet Tubman, who The New York Times twice called "The Best Jazz Performance" of the year, and his latest album is 4 + 1 equals 5 for May 25, an EP he recorded reflecting on the murder of George Floyd, was just released a little while ago, and it's great!

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Episode 487: Isobel Campbell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 06:21:11 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Isobel Campbell. Originally from Glasgow, Isobel's musical career began with the acclaimed indie rock group Belle and Sebastian. She played cello, keyboards and sang in the group, and after five hit albums, she left the band to pursue a solo career as The Gentle Waves. She kept The Gentle Waves moniker for a few albums, afterward deciding to record music under her given name. Between 2006 and 2013, Isobel also made three albums with Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, and her most recent album There Is No Other, was released on Rough Trade right before the pandemic crushed society for a year!

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Episode 486: Michael Cerveris

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 06:11:12 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Tony Award-winning actor and musician Michael Cerveris. Originally from Huntington, West Virginia, Michael got his start acting in the early '80s downtown scene, and his career has flourished from there. As a theater actor, he's won two Tony Awards, one for playing John Wilkes Booth in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins and the second for his role in Fun Home. Beyond the official accolades though, he's acted in dozens of productions including Hedwig And The Angry Inch. As a TV and film actor, he's had recurring roles in shows like Mindhunter, Gotham, The Tick, The Good Wife, Treme and Fringe, as well as many other roles. And as a musician, he's been working professionally ever since he backed Bob Mould on his Last Dog And Pony Show tour in 1998. Michael's first solo album was released in 2004, but for the last eight years, he's been writing and recording with Kimberly Kaye under the moniker Loose Cattle, and their first official album Heavy Lifting is out now, wherever you get your records from!

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Episode 485: John Allison

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 May 2021 04:33:49 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner-award winning comics creator John Allison. John started creating webcomics in 1998 with Bobbins, a series which ran on the early webcomics portal Keenspot. When Bobbins ended, he followed that up with Scary Go Round and then Bad Machinery. In 2013, John pitched a spin-off from Scary Go Round, Giant Days, to Boom! Box, a newly formed imprint of Boom! Studios for established artists outside the comics industry. In 2016, Giant Days was nominated for two Eisner Awards and three Harvey Awards, and in 2019, it won two Eisner Awards, for Best Continuing Series and Best Humor Publication.The success of Giant Days led to further work with independent presses. John went on to write the series By Night for Boom! Studios and is now writing and drawing Steeple for Dark Horse.

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Episode 484: Bonnie McKee

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 May 2021 05:13:34 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Grammy nominated musician Bonnie McKee. Raised in Seattle, WA, Bonnie had been singing and writing her own songs from a young age, and as a teenager was signed to a label and moved to Los Angeles to record her first album. While critically praised, the album was commercially unsuccessful, and after a while, Bonnie began a second career as a songwriter for artists like Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Adam Lambert, Ke$ha, Christina Aguilera, Cher, Carly Rae Jepsen as well as some of Katy Perry's most famous songs. Recently, Bonnie embarked on a new direction writing, directing, editing, producing and scoring her own short film April Kills the Vibe!

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Episode 483: Trevor Kampmann AKA hollANd

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 May 2021 07:12:26 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Trevor Kampmann. Born in Naperville, IL in the early '70s, Trevor began making music under the name Sea Saw in the early '90s on the indie label Simple Machines, after that recording as hollAnd. Aside from releasing over 12 CDs and DVDs under the hollAnd moniker - many of them on TeenBeat Records, he has worked on countless recordings for bands such as Explosions in the Sky, Cat Power, and Flin Flon (whose song 'Floods' became the theme for CNN's Anderson Cooper 360). Trevor has collaborated often with photographer Mark Borthwick both in music and in various art installations, and he has also produced music for avante-garde fashion designers such as Martin Margiela and ZERO by Maria Cornejo. Kampmann is currently owner of Analogous Digital, a mastering studio in Washington, DC.

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Episode 482: Peggy Seeger

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 May 2021 07:39:01 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Peggy Seeger. Sister of Pete Seeger (the great-grandfather of USA folk revival) and partner of the late Ewan MacColl (theorist and practitioner of UK folk revival), she has carved a special niche for herself in both these countries. Trained in both classical and folk music, her experience spans 55 years of performing, travel and songwriting. A multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, 5-string banjo, autoharp, English concertina and Appalachian dulcimer), she is probably best known for her feminist songs and for The Ballad of Springhill, which is rapidly becoming regarded as a traditional song.

Born in 1935, she regards herself as "seasoned and in my prime". She has made 23 solo recordings and has participated in over a hundred recordings with other artists. Her 24th album FIrst Farewell was just released on Red Grape Music, and she is playing a number of dates in the UK in May and October, please check her website for when those are happening.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 481: Clay Tarver

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 05:03:36 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician and TV writer Clay Tarver. Clay first came to prominence as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Boston hard rock/punk band Bullet LaVolta in the late 1980s. They recorded a few records for Taang!, RCA, and Matador Records before disbanding in 1991. He then formed Chavez with Matt Sweeney, Scott Marshall and James Lo, and they released two incredible albums and an EP on Matador. As Chavez was waning, Clay's writing career started to take off. Around this time, he wrote Joy Ride, with J. J. Abrams, and later, Clay wrote for all six seasons of SIlicon Valley. His directorial film debut Vacation Friends with John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, and Yvonne Orji will be released this summer!

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Episode 480: Matt Sweeney

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 05:49:39 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Matt Sweeney. Originally from northern New Jersey, Matt started playing in bands in high school with his first group Skunk, who released two albums on Twin/Tone records. In the early '90s, he formed Chavez, which went on to release two incredible albums and an EP on Matador. When the band stopped playing together, Matt became a sideman touring with GBV and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, until he formed Zwan with Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Although Matt has continued to be a sideman and session musician, his most extensive musical collaboration in the 21st century has been with Will Oldham. Their album Superwolf came out in 2005, and now their latest record Superwolves will be released on Drag City next week!

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Episode 479: Jana Schmieding

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 05:20:09 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and actor Jana Schmieding. Originally from Oregon, Jana cut her teeth performing sketch, improv and characters at the Magnet Theater in New York City. After moving to Los Angeles in 2016, Jana started the Woman of Size podcast, which she hosted until 2019, and most recently, she writes on and co-stars with Ed Helms in Peacock's newest sitcom Rutherford Falls, which debuts on the streaming network next Friday!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 478: Bob Nastanovich

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 05:09:15 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Bob Nastanovich. Born in Rochester, but raised in Richmond, Virginia, Bob spent the early part of his life playing tennis and listening to punk rock. While attending college at the University of Virginia, he met his future bandmates Steve Malkmus and Dave Berman, and the three formed the band Ectoslavia with future Yo La Tengo member James McNew. After college, the three moved to Jersey across from Manhattan, where the first Silver Jews songs were recorded. Malkmus formed Pavement around this time with his old friend Spiral Stairs, and Bob joined a little later, essentially as the utility player of the band. Though Pavement broke up in 1999, the band occasionally reunites for live shows, and since then, Bob has spent a lot of his time with his other passion, horse racing, as well as running the record label Broker's Tip Records.

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Episode 477: Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jamie Stewart. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jamie played in a number of bands as a teenager, including a parody band and a Bauhaus cover group. However, he didn't really find his voice until he formed Xiu Xiu in his mid-20s. The release of the band's first album Knife Play on the Kill Rock Stars imprint 5RC cemented their style, but it was with 2004's Fabulous Muscles that the band really started to break through. Since then, Xiu Xiu has recorded and released another nine albums, toured the world, and their latest album Oh No, was just released at the end of March on Polyvinyl!

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Episode 476: Hans-Joachim Roedelius

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 06:25:54 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Hans-Joachim Roedelius. A pioneer in the field of electronic music, Hans-Joachim Roedelius is considered one of the founders of contemporary popular electronic music. Born in Berlin in 1934, Hans-Joachim starred as a child in a number of UFA films, and during the war was an unwilling member of the German Youngsters in the Hitler Youth, membership being mandatory for all boys from the age of ten. During this time, he also appeared in several propaganda films. He fled Berlin in 1943, moving from one place to another before being conscripted into the National People's Army of East Germany. Again he took flight, only to end up in prison. WHen he got out, he trained as a male nurse, then as a hospice orderly. Having relocated from East to West Berlin, he went on to meander through Europe (as a thatcher, detective, masseur, bartender, janitor and many other things), before finally becoming a freelance artist, with avant-garde music his prime focus. In 1968, Hans-Joachim co-founded the music commune known as "Human Being" and co-formed Zodiak Free Arts Lab, the center of Berlin's underground culture at the time, with conceptual artist Conrad Schnitzler. He formed Cluster a year later, and then Harmonia with Neu! guitarist Michael Rother. In the decades since then, he recorded dozens upon dozens of albums, both solo and in collaboration with everyone from Brian Eno to Tim Story (their album Lunz 3 from 2019 is spectacular), and his latest album Drauf Und Dran, an album of piano compositions, was released late last year.

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Episode 475: Tobin Sprout

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 05:19:17 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician and painter Tobin Sprout. Born in 1955 in Dayton, Ohio, Tobin is an American artist, musician and children's book creator. As a musician, he was well known as a founding member of the indie rock band Guided by Voices before going out on his own, releasing his first solo album, Carnival Boy, in 1996. As an artist, Tobin is famous for his photo-realism large format paintings, especially the "Superchrome" series, although he does paint in other styles as well. His children's book, Elliott, about a magician's rabbit who finds the courage to leave his top hat, sold out of its first print run. His latest album, Empty Horses, was released late last year on Fire Records, and like everything else Tobin does, it's great!

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Episode 474: Sarah Mary Chadwick

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 06:36:42 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Sarah Mary Chadwick. New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, Sarah Mary Chadwick has been making music since she was a teenager. In the early 2000s, she formed the band Batrider in Wellington with guitarist Julia McFarlane (now of Twerps). After a number of albums and line-up changes that left Sarah as the only original member, she began writing music on her own. Her first album as herself, Eating for Two, was released in 2012 on Bedroom Suck Records, and since then she's released half a dozen albums on labels like Siltbreeze Records, and her latest Me and Ennui Are Friends, Baby was just released in February with Ba Da Bing Records, and it's fantastic!

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Episode 473: Bobby Previte

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 05:26:51 +0000

On today's episode I talk to drummer and composer Bobby Previte. Originally from Niagara Falls, New York, Bobby was one of the seminal figures of the 1980s New York 'Downtown' scene that included John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, and Elliott Sharp, and his original compositions have been recorded and released on labels like Sony, Elektra, Tzadik. He's also led a plethora of diverse ensembles from behind his drums and has collaborated with many of the leading lights in and beyond the world of music, including master composer John Adams, iconic singer Tom Waits, pantheon filmmaker Robert Altman, and most recently, rock legend Iggy Pop. He's also the recipient of the 2015 Greenfield Prize for music and was a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow in 2012, and his latest albums are a series of live recordings called Groundtruther, which you can get on his Bandcamp site now!

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Episode 472: Ron D. Moore

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 05:05:46 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and showrunner Ron D. Moore. Originally from Chowchilla, CA, Ron broke into TV writing when he passed a spec script he had written to one of Gene Roddenberry's assistants during a tour of the Star Trek: The Next Generation set. This eventually led to him being hired on the show, and from there he wrote on Deep Space Nine, Roswell, Carnivale, and many otherTV shows until eventually he had the opportunity to reboot Battlestar Galactica for Syfy. The show was a critical and commercial success, ran for four seasons and garnered a number of Emmy nominations. Since then, Ron created the spinoff Caprica, adapted the Outlander novels, and most recently, he co-created and showran the great Apple TV show For All Mankind, which just started it's second season last week!

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Episode 471: Chip Zdarsky

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 08:00:18 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician James Yorkston. Originally from the village of Kingsbarns, Fife in Scotland, James has been playing music since he was young, and was an integral early member of the Fence Collective, a collaborative group of musicians that included groups like The Beta Band. James spent years honing his craft was eventually championed by John Peel and John Martyn after he sent them tapes of his music. This led to him being signed by Domino who have subsequently released most of his albums including 2019's critically acclaimed The Route to the Harmonium and his latest album with the Second Hand Orchestra The Wide, Wide River, which is already one of the best albums of the year.

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Episode 470: James Yorkston

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 06:06:47 +0000

Episode 469: Frances Quinlan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 06:13:28 +0000

On today's episode I talk to solo artist and principal songwriter of the band Hop Along, Frances Quinlan. Growing up in Boyertown, PA, Frances recorded their first album as Hop Along during their freshman year of college at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Hop Along soon became a full band and with their third album Painted Shut, the group signed to Saddle Creek. Their fourth album Bark Your Head Off, Dog was met with near-universal acclaim, and just one year ago right before the pandemic, the label released Frances' solo album Likewise, which is just wonderful!

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Episode 468: Mark Little

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 08:52:26 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and actor Mark Little. Originally from New Westminster, British Columbia, Mark has been writing and performing comedy for almost two decades. His sketch group Picnicface gained some acclaim during the heyday of internet videos, leading to their own series, which was executive-produced by Mark McKinney. He's also known for the popular shows Mr. D, Gary and His Demons, and one of my favorites Cavendish, a show Mark co-created that is easily one of the funniest things of the last few years.

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Episode 467: Richard Dawson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 08:15:16 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Richard Dawson. Originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, avant-garde folk musician Richard Dawson has been performing and releasing albums for over a decade, each one released to great critical acclaim. Starting with 2014's Nothing Important, Domino began releasing his music, and his latest album 2020, which was released in 2019, is absolutely one of the best albums of the last few years.

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Episode 466: Ian MacKaye

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 06:53:25 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Ian MacKaye. Originally from Washington DC, Ian is a guitarist and singer who founded Dischord Records as a teenager in 1980 with Jeff Nelson. Ian and Jeff went on to form the defining DC hardcore band Minor Threat, and in 1986, Ian then formed Fugazi with Joe Lally, Brendan Canty and Guy Picciotto. Over 20+ years the band has released seven albums and toured the world extensively covering all fifty United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Japan and many points in between. Ian has also played with a number of other bands including Teen Idles, Egghunt and Embrace, and since 2001, he's played in The Evens, a duo with Amy Farina, and most recently the trio Coriky, whose first album was released just last summer.

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Episode 465: Mary Timony

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 08:43:32 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Mary Timony. Originally from Washington DC, Mary began playing in bands in the early '90s, first with Autoclave, and after they broke up, with Helium. Between 1992 and 1997, they released two full-length albums, three EPs and several singles on Matador Records. After Helium split up, she released a number of solo albums, as well as albums with two other bands Wild Flag and Ex Hex, both of which were released on Merge. On January 15th, Matador will be re-releasing her first solo album Mountains!

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Episode 464: Si Spurrier

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 08:37:30 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comics writer Si Spurrier. Raised just outside London, Si had a number of different jobs before he began writing for comics. He started with the British small press, after which, he created a number of series for the beloved UK cult comic 2000AD. This success led to work in the American mainstream, which includes runs on Hellblazer, X-Men: Legacy, X-Force, The Dreaming, and the GLAAD award-winning Star Wars: Doctor Aphra. It also led to the opportunity to write a great deal of creator-owned work here, such as The Spire, Coda, Alienated, Six-Gun Gorilla and much more - all of which are well worth your time. Recently, it was announced that Si would be writing a new book as part of Jonathan Hickman's revamped X-Men line!

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Episode 463: Chris Hedges

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 07:35:23 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Chris Hedges. Chris is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. In addition, he writes a weekly column for the online magazine Scheerpost and is host of the Emmy Award–winning RT America show On Contact. Hedges, who holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard University, is the author of the bestsellers American Fascists, Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, and was a National Book Critics Circle finalist for War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, Princeton University, and the University of Toronto and currently teaches college credit courses in the New Jersey prison system. (His column that we discuss in this episode can be found here!)

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Episode 462: Steve Conrad

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 08:30:57 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer and showrunner Steve Conrad. Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Steve has been writing screenplays for over two decades, with his notable films including The Weather Man, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Secret Life of Walter MItty and Wonder. In 2015, he started developing one of the first shows on Amazon Prime, Patriot. Though it only lasted two seasons, it is easily one of the best series of the last decade. His latest series Perpetual Grace, LTD debuted on Epix last year.

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Episode 461: Chad Clark of Beauty Pill

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 08:06:12 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Chad Clark. Originally from Harlem, Chad moved to DC as a teenager, where he eventually became part of the DC punk scene. He formed his first band Smart Went Crazy while still in high school, eventually releasing two albums on Dischord, the second of which - Con Art - was named by Pitchfork as one of the best albums of the 1990s. After Smart Went Crazy broke up, Chad formed Beauty Pill in 2001. Since then, they've released a number of EPs and albums, and their latest, 2015's Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are, garnered accolades from NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and numerous other publications. Their latest single "Instant Night" was released at the end of October, and it might well be the best song released in 2020!

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Episode 460: David Sirota

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:24:11 +0000

On today's episode I talk to journalist David Sirota. In David's long career, he has done a great deal of work both inside politics and outside, reporting on politics. In the early aughts, he worked as a political strategist and campaign advisor on a number of progressive campaigns, soon after transitioning to journalism, which included everything from a nationally syndicated newspaper column to investigative reporting. His work has garnered him a number of awards including the prestigious Izzy Award for Journalism, and he has written three books, two of which are New York Times Bestsellers. This last year has been a busy one for David, not only did he serve as the speechwriter for Bernie Sanders' primary campaign, but in addition, he is the publisher of The Daily Poster, an editor at large at Jacobin Magazine and a columnist at The Guardian.

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Episode 459: Diane Cluck

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 08:48:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Diane Cluck. Originally from Lancaster, PA, Diane began playing music in grade school. She started to perform publicly in New York in the early 2000s, in the same LES folk scene that included Jeffrey Lewis, Regina Spektor and Kimya Dawson, and since then has recorded and released over a dozen albums and compilations. Her latest Common Wealth was just released in June, and it's just wonderful!

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Episode 458: Thurston Moore

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:53:39 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Thurston Moore. Originally from Coral Gables, Florida, Thurston eventually ended up in New York in the late-70s, just as a vibrant musical scene was exploding, which included post-punk, new wave, no wave, jazz and numerous other styles. After playing in a few different bands, he met Kim Gordon and they eventually formed Sonic Youth in 1981. Over the next three decades, Sonic Youth released 15 amazing albums and became one of the most well-known indie rock bands. Outside of Sonic Youth, Thurston founded and runs the Ecstatic Peace! record label, has collaborated with everyone from Glenn Branca to Yoko Ono, and started the band Chelsea Light Moving in 2012. In addition to all this, Thurston has recorded a number of albums under his own name, and his latest By the Fire was just released at the end of September as part of the Daydream Library Series.

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Episode 457: Silas Howard

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 07:45:01 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and director Silas Howard. Silas is an award winning director and writer whose recent work includes executive producing and directing on FX's Emmy-nominated series Pose. Other TV credits include directing on multiple seasons of Amazon's Emmy award-winning Transparent, NBC's This Is Us, HBO's High Maintenance, Netflix's Tales of the City, Apple TV's Dickinson, as well as the new Josh Thomas show Everything's Gonna Be Okay. In addition to all of his directing work, Silas was a founding member of the seminal queer punk band Tribe 8 and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2015.

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Episode 456: Owen Pallett

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 06:00:12 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Owen Pallett. Since the age of three, Owen has been playing violin, and as a young teenager, he composed his first piece. This started him on the path to making music for a living. On his own, he's written and recorded a number of great albums both as Final Fantasy and under his own name. Additionally, Owen's written for and toured with a number of great bands including Jim Guthrie, The Hidden Cameras, Beirut and perhaps most notably Arcade Fire for their albums Funeral, Neon Bible and The Suburbs. Back at the end of May, Domino released Owen's fifth album Island, and it's absolutely wonderful!

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Episode 455: Tim Smith of Midlake and Harp

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 06:24:17 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Tim Smith. From 1999 to 2012, Tim was the singer, guitarist and principal songwriter for the indie rock band Midlake. During his tenure, the band recorded a number of EPs and three highly-regarded albums Bamnan and Slivercork, The Trials of Van Occupanther, and The Courage of Others. In 2012 though, Tim left the band to pursue his own projects, and since then has been recording under the name Harp.

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Episode 454: Psalm One

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:46:58 +0000

On today's episode I talk to rapper Psalm One AKA Cristalle Bowen AKA Hologram Kizzie. Originally from the Southside of Chicago, Cristalle was set to be a chemist before creating a hip hop album for her junior Creative Writing project. That album led to some meetings, and eventually she signed with Minneapolis indie hip hop label Rhymesayers. They released her album The Death of Frequent Flyer in 2006, but after a number of years, Cristalle parted ways with them. She started releasing music on her own under a few different monikers, and her latest as Psalm One, Flight of the Wig, is one of the best of her entire career.

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Episode 453: Brian Gallivan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 06:19:15 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Brian Gallivan. Originally from the Boston area, Brian was a middle school language arts teacher before taking a risk to perform and write for a living, starting first with Boston's Improv Asylum and then, after moving to Chicago, with Second City. Since moving to Los Angeles, Brian has written for a number of shows including Happy Endings, Future Man, Splitting Up Together and created the CBS series The McCarthys.

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Episode 452: Shirley Collins

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 05:41:38 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Shirley Collins MBE (Yes, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire!). Shirley is an English folk singer, song collector and perhaps the greatest living embodiment of the musical threads that connect England with its history. In 1959, she assisted Alan Lomax on his famous folk song collecting trip in the Southern US, and as a significant presence during the Second English Folk Revival in the 1960s, Shirley formed a duo with her sister Dolly, who accompanied Shirley's raw and direct voice on piano and portative organ; together they recorded the startling Anthems In Eden and Love, Death & The Lady. After almost four decades of silence though, Shirley started recording and releasing material again, starting with 2016's Lodestar and her latest Heart's Ease, which was just released on Domino in July!

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Episode 451: Josh Radnor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 08:19:04 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and musician Josh Radnor. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Josh got his start in New York theater before being cast as the lead in the wildly-successful CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother in 2005. He has written and/or directed two films, Happythankyoumoreplease and Liberal Arts, and starred in two series since How I Met Your Mother ended: Mercy Street and Rise, and is currently part of the ensemble cast of Amazon's new show Hunters. In addition to all of this, Josh has been writing music with Australian indie rocker Ben Lee for a number of years. Their first album as Radnor and Lee was released in 2017, and their latest, Golden State, was just released in May on Flower Moon Records!

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Episode 450: Mac McCaughan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 07:46:46 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Mac McCaughan. Mac is a singer, songwriter and the co-founder of Merge Records, one of the most influential labels in indie rock. As a performer, he's the lead singer and guitarist of the genre-defining indie rock group Superchunk, who have released 11 albums since 1989, including the most recent 2018's What a Time to Be Alive. On his own, he's released numerous albums as both Portastatic and under his own name, and in addition to all of this, he also scores films.

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Episode 449: Sabrina Ellis of Sweet Spirit and A Giant Dog

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 07:37:03 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Sabrina Ellis. Originally from Houston, Sabrina has been a mainstay of Austin indie rock for years. In 2008, they formed the indie rock band A Giant Dog, and since then, the band has released five albums, including a full-length cover of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. Sabrina also co-founded the bands Heart Bones, with Har Mar Superstar, and Sweet Spirit. Sweet Spirit have released three albums, and their latest, Trinidad, was just released on Merge a few months ago. And it's fantastic!

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Episode 448: Andrew Becker

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:16:33 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Andrew Becker. Andrew began his musical career with the post-Faraquet Dischord Records band Medications, drumming on their first few records before moving to New York to form the band Screens. But it was with his move to Los Angeles that Andrew began recording mostly on his own under the moniker Human Potential. He's released four albums under this name. I'm Glad You're Alive, his most recent, produced by Woods' Jarvis Taveniere, was just released earlier this year on What Delicate Recordings!

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Episode 447: Sam Prekop

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Sam Prekop. Sam grew up in Chicago and while he went to art school, forming the band Shrimp Boat sent him off in a completely different direction. When the band broke up in the early '90s, he formed The Sea and Cake with Archer Prewitt of The Coctails and Tortoise's John McEntire, and over the last two and a half decades, they've released 11 albums, the most recent being 2018's Any Day. As a solo artist, Sam has released four albums, all on Thrill Jockey, and his latest Comma will be out this September!

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Episode 446: Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 07:14:44 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jason Williamson. Originally from Grantham, Lincolnshire, Jason spent several years pursuing music unsuccessfully both with various groups and as a solo singer-songwriter and working as a session musician with a number of bands including Spiritualized. It was when Jason met Andrew Fearn though and they formed Sleaford Mods that things started to take off. Since 2007, they've released ten albums to much acclaim, and their latest All That Glue (a collection of crowd pleasers, B sides and rarities) was just released in May on Rough Trade.

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Episode 445: David Hill

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 06:14:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Dave Hill. Dave is originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he was raised in a family of carnies, gamblers, hell-raisers and story-tellers. He spent over a decade traveling the United States and Canada as a union organizer before settling down in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and three children. He was a regular contributor to Grantland and a writer for the UCB Theater in New York City, and his work has been featured on This American Life, in New York Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, GQ, McSweeneys, and many more. David's first book, "The Vapors", a hybrid memoir/history of Hot Springs was just published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and I can't recommend it more!

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Episode 444: Shamir

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 07:06:33 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Shamir Bailey. Originally from North Las Vegas, Shamir's music career took off relatively quickly after signing to XL Recordings at the age of 19. The push and pull between what Shamir wanted to do and what the label wanted him to do though eventually ended with them dropping him a few years later. After a psychiatric hospitalization, Shamir began making the music he wanted to make, and his latest album Cataclysm, just released in March, is incredible.

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Episode 443: Greg Saunier of Deerhoof

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 07:20:13 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician, producer, composer and founding member of Deerhoof, Greg Saunier. After graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1991, Greg formed the band Nitre Pit, which a few years later became Deerhoof, and in the last 25 years, the band has released 15 albums on labels like Kill Rock Stars and Joyful Noise. Outside of Deerhoof, Greg has played with many bands, including Nervous Cop with Zach Hill and Joanna Newsom, and Rolling Stone called Greg, Zach and Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale "a generation of trailblazing 21st-century avant-rock percussionists". Deerhoof's latest album Future Teenage Cave Artists was just released at the end of May.

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Episode 442: Ben Passmore

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 17:51:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to cartoonist Ben Passmore. Originally from Massachusetts, Ben has been writing and illustrating comics since he was a child. He's created comics like Daygloayhole, the Eisner Award-nominated and Ignatz Award-winning comic collection Your Black Friend, and BTTM FDRS with Ezra Claytan Daniels, which was published by Fantagraphics last year. In addition, he is a regular contributor to the daily satirical publication The Nib..

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Episode 441: Dan Levy

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 23:01:47 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and stand-up Dan Levy. Originally from Stamford, CT, Dan has been performing comedy since he was nine years old, and while in college, performed stand-up as much as possible. This lead to him winning "Funniest College Comedian in America" at the 2001 Aspen U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, which jumpstarted his career. He's hosted shows on MTV, has his own Comedy Central Presents special, and has written for numerous shows including Whitney, Mulaney, and The Goldbergs. This all culminated in the creation of his own show Indebted, based on his relationship with his parents, which is now streaming on Hulu.

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Episode 440: Thao Nguyen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 05:40:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Thao Nguyen. Originally from Falls Church, VA, Thao began playing music as a young teenager, but it was with the release of her first album Like the Linen in 2005 that her actual career began. Her next album We Brave Bee Stings and All, her first with the Get Down Stay Down, was released on Kill Rock Stars to general acclaim, and since then, her albums, whether with the Get Down Stay Down or collaborations with musicians like Mirah, are all fantastic and well worth your time. Her latest, Temple, was just released in May by Ribbon Music.

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Episode 439: Rob Guillory

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 29 May 2020 07:27:40 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Eisner-Award winning comics creator Rob Guillory. Born, raised and currently based in Lafayette, Louisiana, Guillory is most known for his eight-year run on Image Comics' Chew. The book went on to achieve much success, winning two Harvey Awards (including Best New Talent for Guillory), two Eisner Awards, and has been translated into a dozen or so languages. Rob is currently the writer & artist on his hit creator-owned series Farmhand from Image Comics.

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Episode 438: Jimmy Flemion of The Frogs

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 May 2020 08:24:21 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jimmy Flemion. Jimmy and his brother Dennis began playing music together in the late '70s in a number of different groups, eventually forming the band The Frogs in 1980. Since then, the band has vacillated between cult status and mainstream success, championed by such musicians as Billy Corgan, Kurt Cobain, Beck and Eddie Vedder, and releasing albums on labels like Matador and Scratchie. Though Dennis passed away in 2012, Jimmy continues to write and record music, recently touring backed by Even Dando of The Lemonheads. At the beginning of April, The End of All Music released The Frogs' previously-unreleased very first studio album 1st.

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Episode 437: Michael R. Jackson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 May 2020 22:14:22 +0000

On today's episode I talk to playwright and composer Michael R. Jackson. Originally from Detroit, Michael holds a BFA and MFA in playwriting and Musical Theatre Writing from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He wrote book, music, and lyrics for the musicals White Girl In Danger and A Strange Loop, which received its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in New York City in 2019. A Strange Loop became an off-Broadway hit garnering Michael a number of nominations including the Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards among many others. For his work Michael has also received a Whiting Award for drama, a Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, and most recently, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

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Episode 436: Dennis Callaci

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 May 2020 17:35:57 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Dennis Callaci. Raised in Upland, California, Dennis has bounced around Southern California his entire life. He runs the legendary indie record label Shrimper, noted for bringing forth the earliest recordings from Amps For Christ, Woods, Franklin Bruno, Lou Barlow's Sentridoh, The Mountain Goats, Dump, and a few hundred other releases over the course of the last thirty years. He is also in the band Refrigerator who have released twelve records over those thirty years, as well as solo records by Callaci & collaborations with John Davis, The Debts, and Simon Joyner. Dennis' latest project, 100 Cassettes, which is a quasi-memoir based on his installation at the dA Center for The Arts, was just published in February by Pelekinesis.

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Episode 435: Anna Burch

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 17:48:41 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Anna Burch. Originally from St. Joseph, Michigan, Anna began touring with her band Frontier Ruckus at the age of 18, and eventually went on to play in the Ann Arbor-based Failed Flowers. But it wasn't until she was almost 30 that she started to write and record her own music. Her first album as herself, Quit the Curse, was released by Polyvinyl in 2018, and her latest If You're Dreaming, was just released at the beginning of April.

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Episode 434: Jeff Parker

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 08:29:24 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jeff Parker. Originally from Hampton, Virginia, Jeff has been playing music since he was 8-years-old. Eventually ending up in Chicago, he became a member of the experimental post-rock group Tortoise in 1996 and also co-founded Isotope 217 and The Chicago Underground Trio. He's worked with everyone from Meshell Ndegeocello to Smog, and has released six solo albums. His latest, Suite for Max Brown, was released earlier this year on the Nonesuch imprint International Anthem.

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Episode 433: NIIKA

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 06:40:36 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Nika Nemirovsky AKA NIIKA. Born in Uzbekistan in the wake of the USSR's dissolution, Nika and her family immigrated to Chicago when she was very young. Her music reflects being at the nexus of a number of different cultures, both on her 2017 EP Honest Dancing and her debut album Close But Not Too Close will be out May 15th.

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Episode 432: Larry Hankin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 08:28:38 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and actor Larry Hankin. Originally from Long Island, Larry got his start doing stand-up in Greenwich Village as a contemporary of Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen. After moving to Chicago and joining Second City, he and a number of other improvisers formed The Committee in San Francisco. Larry is one of the most well-known character actors in Hollywood, and trying to list his numerous credits is nigh impossible, but a few of the more well-known ones are Escape from Alcatraz, Friends, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, Barry, Billy Madison, Star Trek: Voyager, Laverne & Shirley and over a hundred other roles. In addition, The Loopholes Dossier, a number of writings based on characters he created on stage, was released late last year by BookBaby!

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Episode 431: Sarah Bolger

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 09:38:52 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actress Sarah Bolger. Originally from Dublin, Sarah started acting at a young age, and since then has been in many films and television shows. Early in her career, she starred in Jim Sheridan's Academy Award nominated film In America and she received a number of critics association nominations as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her role. Other films include The Spiderwick Chronicles, End of Sentence and the upcoming A Good Woman Is Hard to Find. On Television, Sarah's been in a number of great shows including The Tudors, Into the Badlands, Agent Carter, Counterpart and currently, she stars in FX's Sons of Anarchy spin-off Mayans M.C.

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Episode 430: Jamie Drake

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 08:37:31 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jamie Drake. Based in Los Angeles, Jamie has been making music for a long time, though only released her first album When I Was Yours in 2010. She's performed in the Off-Broadway folk musical Lonesome Traveler and collaborated with everyone from Ed Helms to Moby to Tim Robbins. Her latest album Everything's Fine was released late last year, and it's great!

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Episode 429: Stephin Merritt

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 06:40:02 +0000

On today's special 10th anniversary episode, I talk to musician Stephin Merritt. Stephin is the founder and primary songwriter behind the band The Magnetic Fields. Started in 1991 in Boston, the band has released 11 albums including the three-volume 69 Love Songs and his most recent 5-LP collection 50 Song Memoir. In addition to The Magnetic Fields, Stephin also performs in The 6ths, The Gothic Archies and Future Bible Heroes; has scored a number of films and TV shows; and has even collaborated on a handful of musical theater productions.

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Episode 428: Josh Siegal

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:28:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Josh Siegal. Originally from Niskayuna, New York, Josh took a non-traditional route into TV writing, but that route led to some amazing jobs on shows like Viva Variety, the original UCB sketch show, Crossballs, Monk, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News and currently The Good Place, which is in the middle of finishing up its final season on NBC.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 427: Ada Lea

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:50:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Alexandra Levy AKA Ada Lea. Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Alexandra was on the path to become a professional competitive skater, but the end of her skating career led to an artistic one as a painter, visual artist and musician. Her debut album what we say in private was released last summer on Saddle Creek, and it is incredible!

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Episode 426: Mikal Cronin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 06:48:53 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Mikal Cronin.Originally from Laguna Beach, CA, Mikal's been playing music professionally for almost a decade as a member of bands like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, King Tuff, Shannon & the Clams and many more. He also has been playing bass in Ty Segall's touring band for the past 8 years. On his own, he's recorded four albums: Mikal Cronin on Trouble in Mind Records and MCII and MCIII on Merge. Merge also released his latest album Seeker at the end of October, and it's really wonderful!

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Episode 425: Alexandra Stréliski

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 08:12:49 +0000

On today's episode I talk to pianist and composer Alexandra Stréliski. Raised between Paris and Montreal, Alexandra didn't set out to make music for a living, but after a long night of the soul, so to speak, dedicated herself to writing and performing. In 2010, she recorded her first album Pianoscope and late last year, her latest album Inscape was released on Secret City Records. In addition to these, she's also composed the soundtracks for a number of director Jean-Marc Vallée's projects including the films Dallas Buyers Club and Demolition and the HBO series Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects.

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Episode 424: Magdalene Visaggio

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 06:20:10 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comics writer Magdalene Visaggio. Born in Long Island but raised in Richmond, VA, Magdalene has been making comics for over a decade, but it wasn't until 2016 that she began to garner acclaim thanks to her series Kim & Kim, which netted Magdalene both an Eisner Award nomination and a GLAAD Award nomination. Since then she's written a number of great comics including Eternity Girl, Morning in America and currently, she writes Doctor Mirage for Valiant. In addition to all this, her series Vagrant Queen was bought by Syfy and will be premiering on a television near you sometime in 2020.

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Episode 423: Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:51:25 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Patrick Stickles of the band Titus Andronicus. Originally from Glen Rock, New Jersey, Patrick started Titus Andronicus in 2005. Since then, the band has garnered a great deal of critical praise and commercial success. Their first three albums were released on Troubleman and XL, but starting with The Most Lamentable Tragedy, they've been part of Merge Records. Their latest album, An Obelisk, was just released this past June, and it is wonderful!

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Episode 422: Cara Beth Satalino of Outer Spaces

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 07:45:54 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Cara Beth Satalino of the band Outer Spaces. Originally from the small rural town Pittstown, NY, Cara has been playing music since she was young. She moved to Athens, GA after college and formed the band Witches, a fantastic punk trio which put out two 7"s and a full-length record, Forever, and a few years later formed the band Outer Spaces. As Outer Spaces, Cara's written a number of EPs as well as two LPs, 2016's A Shedding Snake, and her latest Gazing Globe, which was released earlier in the summer on Western Vinyl.

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Episode 421: Vagabon

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:35:22 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musicians Lætitia Tamko AKA Vagabon. Originally from Yaoundé, Cameroon, Lætitia and her family immigrated to the US when she was 13. While she graduated from CUNY with a degree in engineering, a chance event led her to playing music full time. Her first album Infinite Worlds was released in 2017 to general acclaim, and her latest album, the self-titled Vagabon, will be released on October 18 on Nonesuch Records!

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Episode 420: Redd Kross

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 08:02:23 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musicians Jeff and Steve McDonald of the band Redd Kross. Originally from Hawthorne, CA, brothers Jeff and Steve started playing music together in 1978, in a band called The Tourists while both were in middle school. A few years later, they changed the name to Red Cross (and eventually Redd Kross), and since then have released seven albums and a number of EPs. In addition to Redd Kross, the brothers perform in a number of other groups, including Ze Malibu Kids with Anna Waronker of that dog and Steve himself is a member of The Melvins. Redd Kross' most recent album Beyond the Door was released at the end of August this year on Merge.

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Episode 419: Punam Patel

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 06:07:41 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor Punam Patel. Originally from Florida, Punam took a circuitous route to the world of acting that eventually led her to performing with Second City in Chicago. After moving to Los Angeles, she booked her first major role in 2015 in the ABC Family sitcom Kevin From Work. And since then, she's acted in Adam Ruins Everything, Alone Together, I Feel Bad, as well as many other shows, and next season will be playing opposite Kenan Thompson on NBC's The Kenan Show. Currently, Punam is one of the star's of Netflix's Special, a role which garnered her an Emmy Nomination earlier this summer.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 418: Alexander Noice

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 08:11:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Alexander Noice. Based in Los Angeles, Alex is a composer, guitarist, producer and bandleader who has toured the world performing with many notable artists from Charlie Haden to Art Ensembles of Chicago's Famoudou Don Moye. From 2008-2013, he led the highly revered art rock/punk trio Falsetto Teeth, and in 2016, he released his first solo electronic album called Music Made With Voices. His newest project is simply called NOICE, and their self-titled debut album was just released last week on Orenda Records!

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Episode 417: Jim Gavin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 08:52:57 +0000

On today's episode I talk to author and TV writer Jim Gavin. Based in Los Angeles, Jim's fiction has appeared in numerous publications including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope and many others. His book of short stories Middle Men was published in 2013 by Simon & Schuster, and the TV show he created, Lodge 49, just debuted its second season on AMC.

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Episode 416: Dre Babinski of Steady Holiday

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 07:43:54 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Dre Babinski of Steady Holiday. Originally from the Los Angeles area, Dre is a singer, songwriter, violinist, and guitarist. From the mid-2000s on, she played in a number of bands including Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Miracle Days, Hunter Hunted, The Elected, and more. In 2015 though, she started her own project Steady Holiday, and since then, has released two albums, 2016's Under The Influence on Infinite Best Recordings, and her latest Nobody's Watching on Barsuk, which came out last summer.

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Episode 415: Sasami

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 07:22:03 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Sasami Ashworth. Raised mostly in Los Angeles in a religious household, Sasami has been making music in the LA area for over a decade. This includes playing French horn in orchestras and studios; playing keys, bass, and guitar in local rock bands like Dirt Dress and Cherry Glazerr; and contributing vocals/string/horn arrangements to studio albums from artists like Vagabon and Wild Nothing. But only recently has she started to record music on her own, and her debut self-titled album was released earlier this year on Domino. It's fantastic!

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Episode 414: Bleached

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 08:34:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Jennifer and Jessica Clavin of the indie rock band Bleached. Born in California and based in Los Angeles, Jessica and Jennifer began playing music as teenagers, and eventually formed the punk band Mika Miko in 2003. The band released a number of albums and EPs on labels like Sub Pop and Kill Rock Stars, but broke up in 2009 due to band members' wishes to return to school and work on other projects. Two years later, Jessica and Jennifer formed Bleached, and since then have released three albums on Dead Oceans, including their latest Don't You Think You've Had Enough?, which is out tomorrow!

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Episode 413: Ellen Kempner of Palehound

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 08:12:11 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Ellen Kempner. Originally from Westport, Connecticut, Ellen began playing music as a pre-teen, and even formed a band in high school. However, it's when she moved to New York for college that she really began making music in earnest, and in 2013 debuted as Palehound with the Bent Nail EP. Since then, she's made three albums: 2015's Dry Food, 2017's A Place I'll Always Go, and her latest Black Friday, which was released by Polyvinyl earlier this month.

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Episode 412: Andy Hull and Kevin Devine of Bad Books

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:34:37 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Andy Hull and Kevin Devine of the indie rock band Bad Books. While both Andy and Kevin have successful careers with other bands - Andy with Manchester Orchestra and Kevin as a New York-based singer-songwriter, Bad Books is their decade-long collaboration that formed after Kevin began touring with Manchester Orchestra in 2007. Together they've written three albums, a self-titled LP in 2010, 2012's II and III, which will be released this Friday.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 411: Nick Turner

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 30 May 2019 07:18:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian Nick Turner. Originally from Virginia, Nick has been performing stand-up for 15 years, and you can see him on Late Night w/ Seth Meyers as well as Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, and his own Comedy Central Half Hour special. He was a regular cast member on VH1's Best Week Ever and I Love the 2000's and is an undefeated champion on TruTV's Comedy Knockout. In addition to all this, his debut album Yelling was released in 2016 on Comedy Central Records, and you can hear his weekly podcast Recently Added, which reviews everything released on Netflix that week.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 410: Will Fox

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 23 May 2019 09:55:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Will Fox. Born in Houston, TX, and raised in London, Paris, and the American South, Will spent his adolescence moving from country to country with his family. Back stateside, destined to operate a historic gristmill in the Shenandoah Valley, he instead moved to Los Angeles to become a troubadour. After his stint as a member of the now-defunct LA indie rock band Los Angeles Police Department, Will turned his attention to his own pursuits. His first solo work was the Cosmic Dusting EP in 2018, and his latest Which Way is out July 12 on Twosyllable Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 409: Chris Cohen

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 09 May 2019 07:51:53 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Chris Cohen. Originally from Los Angeles, Chris has been playing in bands since the early 2000s. He played with Deerhoof from Apple O' to The Runners Four, as well as in bands like The Curtains and Cryptacize, as well as on a number of Cass McCombs albums. As a solo artist, Chris has recorded three albums, 2012's Overgrown Path, 2016's As If Apart and his latest self-titled album, which was just released at the end of March on Captured Tracks.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 408: H. Alan Scott

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 May 2019 06:21:51 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and comedian H. Alan Scott. Based in Los Angeles, H. Alan has been writing and performing for over a decade. He's appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Ellen, CNN, Fusion and MTV and written for TV Land, VICE, Fusion, Out Magazine, Newsweek and Nerdist. He's the subject of the forthcoming documentary Latter Day Jew, and he also co-hosts two wonderful podcasts: Out on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Podcast and You're Making It Worse Starburns network.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 407: Anna Connolly

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 07:50:37 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Anna Connolly. Originally from Los Angeles, Anna grew up going to punk shows as a young teenager, and when her family moved to DC in the 1980s, she and her sister Cynthia became part of a small, nascent punk scene, which later became what everyone knows as "DC punk rock." Anna spent many of her high school years working at a record store, buying records, and going to shows. Though many of her friends were in bands (Minor Threat practiced in the basement of her mom's house), she didn't feel a compulsion to play until much later in life, after she had kids and got divorced. Her first album After Thoughts is out now!

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Episode 406: Michael Collins of Drugdealer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 08:02:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Michael Collins AKA Drugdealer. Originally from Boston, Michael much more identifies an an artist rather than a musician, even though his music is quite wonderful. He moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and began making music under different drug pun monikers including Run DMT and Salvia Plath, and eventually formed Drugdealer, which he thinks of as more of a collective than a band and includes folks like Ariel Pink and members of Weyes Blood. Their first album The End of Comedy was released in 2016, and his latest Raw Honey will be released by Mexican Summer on April 19th.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 405: Natalie Palamides

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 04:20:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian Natalie Palamides. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Natalie's path to comedy started with clowning and devised theater with the Obie-Award-Winning Pig Iron Theatre Company. After moving to Los Angeles, she became an official performer at UCB, and since then, has garnered a number of accolades including being named a Just for Laughs New Face in 2016 and Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2017. Natalie is also a voice actor working on a number of cartoons like Bob's Burgers, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and most notably voices Buttercup on the reboot of The Powerpuff Girls.

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Episode 404: Ben Cooper of Radical Face

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 04:59:09 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Ben Cooper AKA Radical Face. Hailing from Jacksonville, FL, Ben has been making music since he was a teenager, originally as a way to escape his difficult upbringing. Since 2003, he's released six albums and eight EPs. His latest EP Therapy is out on April 26 via Bear Machine Records, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 403: Megan Neuringer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 07:41:32 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and writer Megan Neuringer. Originally from New York, Megan got her comedy start at UCB, where she was an official performer for over a decade. As an actor, she was a panelist on Best Week Ever and a number of other VH1 shows, and has appeared on Flight Of The Conchords, Fringe, Strangers With Candy, @Midnight, Kroll Show, Comedy Bang! Bang! and much more. And as a writer, she written for numerous shows including Portlandia and Netflix's new show The Fix with Jimmy Carr.

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Bonus Episode 42: Andy Daly from 2014

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:34:42 +0000

I am trying to finish one of the biggest projects of my career so far this week, so I thought I'd put out an episode from the archives! Andy Daly is one of my favorite comedians, and he stopped by the Harlem studio in 2014 while promoting Review. We discuss The Monkees, the fragility of existence, fatherhood, "Cookies On a Shelf", neighborhood games, living in your imagination, the character of Ridgewood, NJ, trouble with school, and more!

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Episode 402: Mike Deni AKA Geographer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 09:48:07 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Mike Deni AKA Geographer. Originally from New Jersey, Los Angeles-based musician Mike Deni has been writing music for most of his life, and for over a decade as Geographer. In that time, he's released a number of EPs and albums including Innocent Ghosts in 2008, Myth in 2012, and Ghost Modern in 2015. His latest EP New Jersey will be out March 22nd, and it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 401: Solomon Georgio

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 07:31:43 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and TV writer Solomon Georgio. Born in a refugee camp in Sudan, Solomon immigrated to the US at a young age, and his family eventually ended up in Seattle. As a stand-up he performed on Conan, This Is Not Happening, Viceland's show Flophouse, The Meltdown, 2 Dope Queens on HBO and his own Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special. As a TV writer, he's written for a ton of shows including Spongebob Squarepants, Adam Ruins Everything, Crashing and the upcoming reboot of High Fidelity. Solomon's first stand-up album Homonégro Superior was released in 2017 on Comedy Central Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 400: Scott Thompson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 08:05:34 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and comedian Scott Thompson. Originally from Brampton, Ontario, Scott is 1/5 of the iconic sketch group The Kids in the Hall, whose show ran for five seasons. They also made the film Brain Candy, the series Death Comes to Town, and continue to tour. In addition to this, Scott has also acted on dozens and dozens of shows including The Simpsons and Tim and Eric. He also played his character Buddy Cole on the Colbert Report and was a regular on two of the best shows of the last couple decades, The Larry Sanders Show and Hannibal. Scott's comedy album Not a Fan was released last year on Comedy Dynamics, and he also wrote a book as Buddy Cole called Buddy Babylon. His latest live show Après le Déluge: The Buddy Cole Monologues is running from March 19th to the end of April here in Los Angeles at the Lyric Hyperion.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 41: Aaron Burdette on TV Development

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 07:52:46 +0000

To celebrate the upcoming 400th episode of the show, I thought I'd drop a bonus episode this week! What's a "bonus episode" of Beginnings? These are episodes that deviate from "let's talk to a creator I admire about their childhoods" and instead take a peek behind the curtain of showbiz. As I get deeper into the business part of this industry, I learn so much more about the real structures underpinning why certain TV shows get made or why certain actors become household names, and I think it's worth talking about those things.

So on today's episode, I talk to my old friend and TV writer Aaron Burdette. Aaron and I have been friends for almost a decade, and he was on the very first episode of Beginnings. Not only this, but our careers have been following somewhat parallel paths, and we both went through the development process this last year. What does "the development process" mean? Find out on today's episode!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 399: SOAK

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 08:44:05 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Bridie Monds-Watson AKA SOAK. Originally from Derry in Northern Ireland, Bridie began making music when she was 13, and quickly found acclaim. Her first album, Before We Forgot How to Dream was released in 2015 on Rough Trade. It won the Irish Choice Music Prize Album of the Year and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize as well. Her latest album, Grim Town, which is also on Rough Trade, will be out this April.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 398: Rosie Tucker

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 06:42:42 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Rosie Tucker. Originally from the San Fernando valley, Rosie is now based in Los Angeles proper. She is 1/4 of the post-rock band Gypsum, and though only in her early 20s, she's written two albums under her own name. Lowlight was released in 2015, and her latest Never Not Never Not Never Not will be released this March on New Professor Music.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 397: The Blow

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 08:55:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Khaela Maricich and Melissa Dyne of the band The Blow. Originally from Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, Khaela is an artist, writer and musician, and has been part of the Olympia/K Records music scene for a long time, as a solo artist, as a member of The Microphones, and for a number of years with YACHT's Jona Bechtolt as The Blow. However, since the mid-aughts, The Blow has been Khaela and artist/musician Melissa Dyne. Melissa classically trained on the cello as a child, and went on to study physics and fine arts at The College of Santa Fe, NM. Since the band's inception, they've released ten albums and EPs, and their latest Brand New Abyss, was released in 2017.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 396: St. Lenox

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 07:23:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Andrew Choi AKA St. Lenox. Originally from Ames, Iowa, Andy has lived many lives. In the mid '90s, he was a Juilliard-trained violinist. He then quit music to get a degree in Philosophy and went on to receive his PhD from Ohio State. And after this, he moved to New York City, where he now works as a singer-songwriter and a lawyer in Manhattan. As St. Lenox, Andy has released three albums: Ten Songs About Memory and Hope, Ten Hymns From My American Gothic, and his latest Ten Fables of Young Ambition and Passionate Love which was released last fall on Anyway Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 395: Alison Tatlock

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 09:36:39 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Alison Tatlock. Originally from Brookline, MA, Alison has taken a circuitous route to television from actor to non-profits to playwright. And while Alison only started her TV career less than a decade ago, she's written for a number of the best dramas of the 21st century. This includes shows like In Treatment, Stranger Things, Halt and Catch Fire, and Better Call Saul, the latter of which has been nominated for a 2019 Writer's Guild Award in Drama.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 40: Let's Get Metaphysical pilot

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 05:27:55 +0000

I'm taking a break for the holidays, so I thought I'd put up this pilot I did for Earwolf late last year called Let's Get Metaphysical. LGM is a hybrid philosophy discussion/sketch show (maybe from that combo you can see why it didn't get picked up), but besides some of the usual awkwardness in a pilot, it's pretty fun and interesting - I got to talk to some funny people, plus a philosopher that was a real inspiration to me, and the sketch actors are some of my favorite performers, and I got to have my good friend and UCB sketch writer extraordinaire Geoff Garlock contribute a sketch in the middle. Kind of a dream! Hope you enjoy it, and see you in 2019!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 394: Adeline

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 03:17:10 +0000

On today's episode I talk to singer, bass player, model and actress Adeline Michèle. Born and raised in Paris to a French mother and a father hailing from the Caribbean island of Martinique, Adeline started singing at the ripe age of five and was accepted in a professional choir and grew up performing live around Europe and on T.V. In 2006, Adeline moved to New York City to more actively pursue her music career. She joined legendary acid jazz/hip-hop band Us3 and her self-written single, "Say You Belong to Me", received rave reviews. Currently, Adeline performs as the lead vocalist and bass player of the 17-piece nu-disco phenomenon, Escort. Earlier this fall, her first eponymous solo album was released, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 393: Black Belt Eagle Scout's Katherine Paul

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 04:06:42 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Katherine Paul of Black Belt Eagle Scout. KP grew up in a small Indian reservation, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. From an early age, she was singing and dancing at powwows including her family's own powwow, called the All My Relations Powwow. In 2007, KP moved to Portland, OR, to attend college and get involved with the Rock'n'Roll Camp for Girls. Inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement, KP dove deep into the Portland music scene, playing guitar and drums in a bunch of bands while evolving her artistry into what would later be Black Belt Eagle Scout. She released a self-titled EP in 2014, and her first full-length album Mother of My Children was just released by Saddle Creek earlier this fall.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 392: Kether Donohue

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 05:12:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actress Kether Donohue. Originally from New York, Kether has been a working actress for over twenty years. She began doing voiceover for anime like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! as a teenager, and since then has been in a number of great shows and movies including Pitch Perfect, High Maintenance and unsung sitcom LA to Vegas. Currently, Kether stars on one of the best shows on TV You're the Worst, which returns for its fifth and final season on January 9th on FXX.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 391: Chapman and Brocker Way

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 08:44:51 +0000

On today's episode I talk to filmmakers and musicians Brocker and Chapman Way. Originally from Thousand Oaks, CA, Brocker and Chapman, along with their third brother MacLain, are responsible for the wonderful documentary The Battered Bastards of Baseball, as well as the six part Emmy Award-winning documentary Wild Wild Country about the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his community of followers that emigrated to a small town in Oregon.

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Episode 390: Nnamdi Ogbonnaya

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 09:37:34 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician and rapper Nnamdi Ogbonnaya. The child of Nigerian immigrants, Nnamdi mostly grew up in Chicago, where he has been a member of the DIY music underground for many years. This includes drumming in bands like Monobody and Ittō, playing bass in groups like Nervous Passenger and Teen Cult, and rapping under his own name as well as Nnamdi's Sooper Dooper Secret Side Project. His most recent album DROOL was released last year on Father/Daughter Records, and it's fantastic!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 389: Becky Thyre

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 09:51:47 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actress Becky Thyre. Originally from Louisiana, Becky got her real start in theater in Chicago. Eventually moving to Los Angeles, she's acted and lent her vocal talents to a number of amazing shows and films including PCU, The Oblongs, Six Feet Under, The Sarah Silverman Program, Parks and Rec, Weeds, Arrested Development, Transparent, and nearest and dearest to my own heart Mr. Show. Most recently, Becky has performed roles on shows like New Girl and Modern Family.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 388: Maria Taylor of Azure Ray

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 09:38:10 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Maria Taylor. Originally from Birmingham, AL, Maria's been playing music for a majority of her life. Her first band, Little Red Rocket, which she formed with Orenda Fink as a teenager, was signed to Geffen in the mid-'90s and eventually morphed into Azure Ray. As Azure Ray, Maria and Orenda released four albums and numerous EPs, mostly on Saddle Creek Records. On her own, Maria has released seven solo albums, both on Saddle Creek and her own label Flower Moon Records, she's contributed music to numerous television soundtracks, and she's collaborated with everyone from Bright Eyes to Moby to Michael Stipe to Daniel Johnston. At the end of October, Azure Ray released Waves, their first new music in over half-a-decade. And it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 387: Amber Nelson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 08:07:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to stand-up and actress Amber Nelson. Born in Saudi Arabia and raised mostly in Louisiana, Amber has been performing comedy for many years, as both a stand-up and a sketch performer on numerous house teams at UCB as well as as a member of one of the best sketch groups of the last decade Murderfist. In addition to all this, Amber's appeared on Netflix's The Characters, Guy Code as well as Almost Genius on TruTV, and she co-hosts the wonderful podcast The Brighter Side on the Last Podcast Network.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 386: Tony Millionaire

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 06:48:20 +0000

On today's episode I talk to cartoonist, illustrator and author Tony Millionaire. Originally from Gloucester, MA, Tony's been drawing for most of his life, but it was his early-1990s comic strip Maakies that really put him in the public eye. Starting in the New York Press, Maakies was soon syndicated and became one of the most popular weekly comic strips in America, running in many of the largest U.S. weekly newspapers, including the Village Voice, the L.A. Weekly, the Chicago Reader and Seattle's The Stranger. He has won numerous Eisner and Harvey Awards, including "Best Syndicated Strip" in 2004 and "Best Writer/Artist — Humor" in 2007. Maakies was even turned into a wonderful show on Adult Swim called The Drinky Crow Show. In addition to all of this, Tony created the Sock Monkey books, illustrates for The Believer, and Fantagraphics has published a number of his collections. And this is but a small sampling of his credits and accomplishments!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 385: Howard

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:02:32 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Howard Feibusch of the band Howard. Howie is a composer, producer and engineer and has produced, mixed, and engineered records for many artists as well as composing for film and television, where his work has been featured on networks like CBS, MTV, A&E, and more! As the band Howard, Howie's recorded three albums and his latest Together Alone was released earlier this fall, and it is just lovely!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 384: Ohmme

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 07:54:18 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart of the band Ohmme. Based in Chicago - where they've been hailed as "the heart of Chicago's music community" - Sima and Macie are both classically trained musicians and established players within the Chicago music scene who have collaborated with everyone from Richard Thompson to Jeff Tweedy to Chance the Rapper to Ken Vandermark. Though they have collaborated together for many years, Ohmme is their first rock band, and their debut album Parts was just released this summer by Joyful Noise Recordings, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 383: Cirocco Dunlap

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 08:02:12 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and performer Cirocco Dunlap. Originally from San Francisco, Cirocco was a child actor for a short time, most notably in the movie James and the Giant Peach. As a writer, she's written a number of humor essays for places like the New Yorker, as well as a children's book and also for a number of TV shows including Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Tick, and Man Seeking Woman. Currently she writes for Netflix's Big Mouth and TBS's upcoming show Miracle Workers.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 382: Allison Crutchfield of Swearin'

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 06:27:54 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Allison Crutchfield. Originally from Birmingham, AL, Allison first started playing music with her sister Katie in the bands The Ackleys and then later P.S. Eliot. Eventually, the two felt the need to work on their own personal musical projects. Katie created Waxahatchee and Allison co-founded the wonderful indie rock band Swearin'. Allison has also recorded a self-released solo EP Lean In To It and her debut full-length Tourist in this Town was released on Merge last year. Recently, Allison's been part of the Waxahatchee live band, and Swearin's new album Fall into the Sun will be released by Merge in October.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 39: Mitski interview from 2016

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 05:16:11 +0000

I am traveling this week and weak from my Yom Kippur fast, so I thought I'd put up an old episode that people periodically ask about, my talk with musician Mitski Miyawaki from 2016. Originally from Japan, Mitski grew up all over the world, eventually settling in New York. Mitski has recorded five albums: Lush, Retired from Sad, New Career in Business, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, Puberty 2 and her latest Be the Cowboy, which was released by Dead Oceans in mid-August to great acclaim!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 381: Johnathan Fernandez

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 08:50:14 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor Johnathan Fernandez. Originally from the Poconos, Johnathan eventually moved to New York where he performed for many years at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on numerous sketch and digital teams. As an actor, he's appeared on a number of shows including Adam Ruins Everything, @midnight, GIRLS, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Younger and many more, and currently, Johnathan is a series regular playing the character Scorsese on Fox's Lethal Weapon, which is now entering its third season!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 380: Aleksa Palladino

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 05:48:14 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actress and musician Aleksa Palladino. Originally form New York, Aleksa got her start acting as a teenager, performing opposite Scarlett Johansson in the movie Manny and Lo. Since then, she's acted in numerous films, most notably Storytelling, Mona Lisa Smile, and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Sidney Lumet's last film, as well as a ton of TV shows, which includes regular roles in Boardwalk Empire, Rogue, and Halt and Catch Fire, as well as the new CBS All Access show One Dollar which just premiered. Aleksa is also one-half of the band Exitmusic, and their latest album The Recognitions was released earlier this year on Secretly Canadian.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 379: Keiko Agena

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:19:47 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and author Keiko Agena. Keiko is best known for the TV show Gilmore Girls, where she played Lane Kim for seven seasons and reprised the role in 2016 for the Netflix series. As a guest star, she has appeared on such shows as Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shameless, Scandal, House, ER, Better Call Saul and many others, and recently she has been recurring on Sweet/Vicious, Colony, the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and the upcoming Hulu series The First. Keiko is also a improviser, having studied at UCB, iO and the Groundlings, and she performs in and produces the UCB show Asian AF. In addition to all this, she recently wrote an artists workbook entitled No Mistakes, which was published by the Penguin/Random House imprint TarcherPerigee earlier this month!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 378: Todd Berger

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 07:57:47 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor, writer and filmmaker Todd Berger. Originally from New Orleans, Todd has been making movies since he was a teenager. Professionally, he's acted in numerous TV shows and films including Parks and Rec, Maron, and Southland Tales, and has written and/or directed dozens of shorts, shows and films including the wonderful 2012 film It's a Disaster and his latest film, the puppet noir The Happytime Murders, which stars Melissa McCarthy, was directed by Brian Henson and which opens this Friday!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 377: Brian Evenson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 07:14:28 +0000

On today's episode I talk to author Brian Evenson. Based in Los Angels, Brian teaches in the Critical Studies Program at CalArts and is the author of a dozen books of fiction, most recently the story collection A Collapse of Horses and the novella The Warren. Brian's work has garnered many nominations and awards. Two of his recent books, Windeye and Immobility, were both finalists for a Shirley Jackson Award. His novel Last Days won the American Library Association's award for Best Horror Novel of 2009, and his novel The Open Curtain was a finalist for an Edgar Award and an International Horror Guild Award. Other books of his include The Wavering Knife (which won the IHG Award for best story collection), Dark Property, and Altmann's Tongue. Additionally, Brian is the recipient of three O. Henry Prizes as well as an NEA fellowship.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 376: Jon Gabrus

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 06:35:42 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian Jon Gabrus. Originally from Long Island, Jon has been acting and podcasting for over a decade. He's been featured on MTV2's hit shows Guy Code, Girl Code, and Wild N Out, and recurs as Gabe on TVLand's Younger. He has also appeared on 30 Rock and one of the silent writers and has guest starred on numerous shows including Happy Endings, Workaholics, NewsReaders, and Comedy Bang Bang. Jon also hosted MTV's The Substitute for two seasons, TruTV's Hairjacked, and his own show, Gabrus on Rugby for BBC-America. In addition to all this, Jon also plays the popular character Gino Lambardo on the Comedy Bang Bang podcast, and hosts or co-hosts three podcasts of his own: High and Mighty, Action Boyz and Raised by TV.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 375: Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 08:44:26 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Matt Pryor. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Matt has been playing music professionally for over two decades. First with The Get Up Kids, who are generally thought of as one of the quintessential bands of the second-wave emo movement. They've toured the world and released five critically and commercially successful albums over their career: Four Minute Mile, Something to Write Home About, On a Wire, Guilt Show and There Are Rules. Matt has also released seven albums as The New Amsterdams, which began as his solo project before blossoming into a full band of its own, and two albums for kids as The Terrible Twos.

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Episode 374: Liz Stokes of The Beths

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 07:40:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Liz Stokes. Based in New Zealand, Liz is the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band The Beths. While a relatively new group - their debut EP Warm Blood was released in 2016 - they have a sense of self and chemistry that is utterly apparent from even a casual listen. Their first album Future Me Hates Me will be released on August 10th on Carpark Records, and it is truly delightful!

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Episode 373: Colin Newman and Malka Spigel (Wire, Minimal Compact, Githead, Immersion)

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 08:47:59 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musicians Colin Newman and Malka Spigel. Married since 1986, Colin and Malka are a post-punk power couple. Colin is a member of the seminal post-punk band Wire, whose early albums Pink Flag, Chairs Missing and 154 were the blueprints for decades of music. And Colin continues to be a vibrant creative voice with his solo albums, and his work with his wife Malka in Githead and Immersion. Before her collaborations with Colin, Malka was a member of the influential European rock band Minimal Compact, who released numerous albums in the 1980s on Crammed Discs. Immersion's latest album Sleepless was just released, and it is wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 38: Couples Therapy

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 06:11:57 +0000

This week my new podcast Couples Therapy debuts, so I thought I'd give y'all a taste of that! If you like it, subscribe and follow us on social media!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 372: Glen David Gold

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 09:14:43 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Glen David Gold. Glen is the author of the bestselling novels Sunnyside and Carter Beats the Devil, and his essays, memoir, journalism and short fiction have appeared in McSweeney's, Playboy, Wired, the New York Times Sunday Magazine, the Guardian UK and London Independent. He has written The Spirit for DC comics and The Escapist for Dark Horse and recently he has co-written episodes of The Thrilling Adventure Hour and Welcome to Nightvale. His three-part memoir I Will Be Complete is available now!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 371: Nora Singh of Hit Bargain

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 08:10:12 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Nora Singh. Originally from Texas, Nora nee Anna Barie started playing music over a decade ago with the Brooklyn experimental noise band These Are Powers. They released a number of albums on HOSS Records and Dead Oceans. In 2012, Nora moved to France and started the electronic duo DUBAI, and eventually ended up in LA, where she founded the "queencore" band Hit Bargain. Their debut album Potential Maximizer was released on Buzz Records back in May, and it's wonderful!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 370: Adam Zwar

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 07:10:59 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Adam Zwar. Originally from Cairns, Queensland, Adam is an award-winning Australian actor, voice artist, and writer. He is best known for co-creating the Australian comedy series Squinters, Lowdown, Wilfred and creating the popular factual series Agony Aunts, Agony Uncles, The Agony of Life, The Agony of Modern Manners and Agony. In addition to all this, he was a writer and actor on the sketch series The Wedge, acted in the wonderful series Top of the Lake, and co-wrote and co-starred in the movie Rats and Cats, which premiered to sell-out audiences and critical acclaim at the Melbourne International Film Festival and later SXSW. And all this is just a small sampling of his credits!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 369: Kara Brown

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 08:23:08 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and podcaster Kara Brown. Kara started out writing for magazines and websites like Glamour, Vanity Fair, Billboard and The Cut, and was a senior writer for Jezebel. She's written for the Black-ish spin-off grown-ish, contributes to Shondaland.com, is the co-host of Crooked Media's pop culture podcast Keep It, and this year, was named one of the "30 under 30 in Hollywood and Entertainment" by Forbes Magazine.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 368: Colleen Green

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 07:16:19 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Colleen Green. Based in Los Angeles (where she was voted best solo artist by LA Weekly), Colleen has recorded three albums in the last seven years, her first, Milo Goes to Compton, in 2011, and two subsequent albums Sock It To Me and I Want to Grow Up, which were both released by Hardly Art. She has toured all over the world, and this summer is playing all around the US.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 367: Cecil Castellucci

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 09:23:51 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Cecil Castellucci. Based in Los Angeles, Cecil is the author of books and graphic novels for young adults including Boy Proof, The Plain Janes, Soupy Leaves Home, The Year of the Beasts, Tin Star, and the Eisner nominated Odd Duck. In 2015, she co-authored Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure, and currently is writing Shade, The Changing Woman (formerly Shade, The Changing Girl), an ongoing comic on Gerard Way's Young Animal imprint at DC Comics. Cecil's short stories and short comics have been published in Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Womanthology, Star Trek: Waypoint, among others, and she is the Children's Correspondence Coordinator for The Rumpus, a two-time MacDowell Fellow and the founding YA Editor at the LA Review of Books. Her latest book, Don't Cosplay With My Heart, is out now!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 366: Nocando

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 31 May 2018 07:32:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to James McCall AKA Nocando. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nocando got his start rap battling in Leimert Park in the Crenshaw District of South Central, and In 2007, he won the MC Battle at Scribble Jam, the largest hip-hop festival in the nation. Since 2004, he's released a ton of EPs, mixtapes and featured on dozens of songs, as well as a number of collaborations including 2010's Flash Bang Grenada with Busdriver. In 2011, he founded the label Hellfyre Club, which has released albums by Milo, Busdriver and Open Mike Eagle among many others, and James has released three albums: Jimmy the Lock in 2010, Jimmy the Burnout in 2014, and Severed in 2017. His latest album Coyote will be released on June 13th!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 365: Amy Aniobi

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 May 2018 07:10:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Amy Aniobi. Amy is a TV writer originally hailing from North Texas. She is a co-executive producer on HBO's groundbreaking comedy, Insecure starring Issa Rae, and she also served as head writer/EP for the 2 Dope Queens stand-up specials on HBO. In addition, Amy has written for Silicon Valley, The Michael J. Fox Show and Trial and Error. Amy has a number of projects in development, including Homecoming Queen, a pilot at Amazon starring comedian Phoebe Robinson, Brown Girls, a pilot she's supervising for HBO, and an untitled comedy project produced by Reese Witherspoon. Amy also co-created, co-directed and starred in the web series, Lisa and Amy Are Black, created the web series, The Slutty Years, and wrote for both seasons of Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.

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Episode 364: D'Arcy Carden

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 17 May 2018 06:07:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor D'Arcy Carden. Originally from Danville, CA, D'Arcy got her comedy start at UCB where she was on a number of house sketch and improv teams. She's appeared on shows like Comedy Bang Bang, Veep, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Broad CIty, and currently, she is one of the members of the acting class on the incredible HBO show Barry and one of the stars of the fantastic NBC show The Good Place.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 363: Julia Wertz

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 May 2018 07:38:08 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Julia Wertz. Julia is a professional cartoonist, amateur historian and part time urban explorer/photographer. She made the comic books The Fart Party vol 1 and vol 2 (collected in Museum of Mistakes) and the graphic novels Drinking at the Movies, and The Infinite Wait and Other Stories, both of which were nominated for Eisner Awards. Her newest book, Tenements, Towers & Trash: An Unconventional, Illustrated History of New York City, was published by Black Dog & Leventhal/Hachette in Oct 2017, for which she won the 2018 Brendan Gill Prize. Julia currently does monthly comics and illustration for the New Yorker and her work appears semi-regularly in publications such as the New York Times, Harper's Magazine, the Believer, and Medium.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 362: Dan Gregor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 03 May 2018 08:06:04 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Dan Gregor. Dan is a TV and film writer and director, who got his comedy start as one of the founding members of the (now) long-running NYU sketch group Hammerkatz and as a performer at UCB. He's written feature films for Disney, Paramount Studios, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment; for shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Comedians, and NTSF:SD:SUV; and he currently writes for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on the CW. This year at SXSW, Dan's film Most Likely to Murder, which he co-wrote and directed, debuted. Starring Adam Pally and his wife Rachel Bloom, the film is now available online to rent or buy!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 361: Aisling Bea

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 08:37:28 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Aisling Bea. Originally from County Kildare, Ireland, Aisling has been acting and performing stand-up for over a decade. She's appeared on almost every TV panel show in the UK including 8 Out Of 10 Cats (where she was the first ever female team captain), Taskmaster, Qi, @Midnight and many others. As an actor, Aisling has been in many shows, both drama and comedy, including The Fall, Hard Sun, Damned, The Delivery Man, Dead Boss and many others, and her new show Happy, which she created with Sharon Horgan, was just ordered to series. And finally, as a stand-up, she's appeared on numerous shows and festivals. Her debut solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe, C'est La Bea, was nominated for the Foster's Best Newcomer Award and a year later, she won the British Comedy Award for Best Female TV Comedian. Her Netflix 15-minute special will be released later this year.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 360: Wayne White

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 04:21:56 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Wayne White. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Wayne is an artist, art director, illustrator, puppeteer, and much, much more. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, Wayne traveled to New York City where he worked as an illustrator for the East Village Eye, New York Times, Raw Magazine, and the Village Voice. In 1986, Wayne became a designer for the hit television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and his work was awarded with three Emmys. After traveling to Los Angeles, Wayne continued to work in television and designed sets and characters for shows such as Shining Time Station, Beakman's World, Riders In The Sky, and Bill & Willis. He also worked in the music video industry, winning Billboard and MTV Music Video Awards as an art director for seminal music videos including The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Tonight, Tonight' and Peter Gabriel's 'Big Time.' More recently, Wayne has had great success as a fine artist and has created paintings and public works that have been shown all over the world, and in 2009, Wayne's life and career were chronicled in an incredible 382-page monograph, edited by Todd Oldham.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 359: Carson Mell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 06:49:07 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Carson Mell. Originally from Arizona, Carson is a writer based in Los Angeles, who's worked on a number of shows including Eastbound & Down, Room 104, Silicon Valley and many others. Carson also created the webseries Tarantula, and in 2017, the first season of a show based on the webseries debuted on TBS. (It's great!) In addition to his TV writing, Carson is also an author having penned books like Field Notes from Dimension X and Saguaro: The Life & Adventures of Bobby Allen Bird, and he's also one-half of the band CAS'L, with Foxygen's Jon Rado.

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Episode 358: Anna Waronker of that dog

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 06:58:02 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Anna Waronker. Anna is a singer/songwriter, composer, and producer originally from Los Angeles. After graduating from high school, Anna formed the band that would eventually become That Dog. While the band was only active for six years, they released three great albums on DGC Records (That Dog, Totally Crushed Out and Retreat from The Sun) and toured with everyone from Beck to Weezer to Blur. The band reunited in 2011 and recorded a new album to be released in the future. As a solo artist, Anna has released two albums, Anna and California Fade, and scores music for film and TV, which includes shows like Clueless, Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Castle. Anna also now works in theater. Her last production was Lovelace: A Rock Musical, a collaboration with her sister-in-law Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 357: Josh Ruben

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 08:33:31 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Josh Ruben. Josh is a 5-time Webby award winning actor, writer, and director, best known for appearing in and/or directing thousands of shorts for comedy megasite, CollegeHumor. Josh's podcast, The Mindhouse, is a part of fellow CollegeHumor alums Jake & Amir's HeadGum network, and as an actor, he appeared opposite Adam Devine in Season 3 of "Adam Devine's House Party" on Comedy Central, as the son of Chris Elliott and Amy Sedaris in Go90's "Thanksgiving" and co-stars in feature indie, "What Children Do", an official selection of the 2017 Cinequest Film Festival. Josh is also one of the founding producers of The Woodstock Comedy Festival, a non-profit event in his home town of Woodstock, New York, which donates all proceeds to the fight against domestic violence and human trafficking. Most recently, Josh directed the Netflix action/comedy series, "The Green Beret's Guide To Surviving: The Apocalypse" executive produced by Matt Damon & Peter Berg.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 356: Ian Davis

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:30:34 +0000

On today's episode I talk to artist Ian Davis. Born in Indianapolis in 1972, Ian now lives in Los Angeles, after a long stint in New York. He has participated in exhibitions at museums and galleries throughout the U.S. including a solo exhibition in 2010 at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City. Ian's works are in the collections of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri; the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska; the Saatchi Gallery in London, and many distinguished private collections in the U.S. and Europe.

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Episode 355: Rachel Browne of Field Mouse

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 09:00:17 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Rachel Browne. Rachel is a musician, writer and visual artist living in Philadelphia, PA. She earned a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in studio composition from Purchase College and has been writing and performing in the band Field Mouse since its formation in 2009. The band self-released their first album You Are Here in 2010, and Topshelf Records released their next two - Hold Still Life in 2014 and Episodic in 2016. Rachel also writes and performs solo under the name Anomie.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 354: DeWanda Wise

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 08:28:34 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actress DeWanda Wise. Originally from Maryland, DeWanda graduated from the Tisch School at NYU in 2006, and began her professional acting career soon after with small roles on shows like Law and Order: SVU and The Good Wife. This led to larger parts on Underground and Shots Fired, and in 2017, she was the lead in Spike Lee's Netflix remake of his seminal film She's Gotta Have It. Currently, she's been cast opposite Brie Larson in the Captain Marvel film in an unspecified role.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 353: Dean Wareham

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 07:55:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Dean Wareham. Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Dean's family moved to New York in 1977 when he was a teenager. In college at Harvard, he formed the seminal indie rock band Galaxie 500 with Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang. They recorded three albums - Today, On Fire and This Is Our Music, which were released on Rough Trade - but broke up in 1991, when he formed Luna. Luna was one of the biggest indie rock bands of the 1990s, and Elektra released many of their iconic albums including Lunapark, Bewitched, Penthouse, and Pup Tent. Currently, Dean writes music under his own name and with his wife Britta Phillips as Dean & Britta. The two have recorded a number of albums and scored a handful of Noah Baumbach films like The Squid and the Whale and Mistress America. In addition to all of this, Dean wrote a memoir of about his years in indie rock called Black Postcards.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 352: Jo Firestone

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 09:02:08 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and writer Jo Firestone. Originally from St. Louis, Jo is a stand-up and the creator of dozens of live shows, including the pun competition Punderdome, the Inner Beauty Pageant, and the Unexpectashow at UCB. As an actor, Jo's been in everything from Broad City to Search Party to the Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice, and as a stand-up, she's performed on Night Train with Wyatt Cenac and her own Comedy Central Half Hour. In addition to all of this, Jo is also the host of her very own podcast on Earwolf, the loveable Dr. Gameshow, and co-hosts the weekly stand-up show Butterboy along with Aparna Nancherla and Maeve Higgins.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 351: Griffin Newman

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 09:07:32 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and comedian Griffin Newman. Raised in New York, Griff has been writing and performing for a lion's share of his life. In 2007, he started college, but left in his first year to pursue acting, and since then has appeared in a number of films and TV shows including Law and Order, Blue Bloods, Fort Tilden, Vinyl, Cop Show, Difficult People, Draft Day, Search Party, Our Cartoon President, and currently stars as the sidekick Arthur in Amazon's live action The Tick. In addition, Griffin co-hosts the popular podcast Blank Check with film critic David Sims.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 350: Ryan Lott of Son Lux

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 08:04:32 +0000

On today's episode I talk to composer and musician Ryan Lott. Born in Denver, CO, Ryan began playing music when he was relatively young. His first album as Son Lux, At War with Walls & Mazes, was released by Anticon in 2008, and since then they've recorded three other albums, We Are Rising in 2011, Lanterns in 2013, and Bones in 2015. In 2014, Ryan collaborated with Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti as the band Sisyphus, releasing a self-titled album that year. As a composer, Ryan has scored the soundtracks for a number of films, including Mean Dreams, Paper Towns, and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. This Friday, City Slang will release Son Lux's latest album Brighter Wounds (and it is great!).

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 349: Amy Hubbs

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 08:56:21 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Amy Hubbs. Originally from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Amy began her TV career as a writers' assistant on the original run of NBC's Will & Grace, and since then has worked on numerous shows including Raising Hope, The Crazy Ones, Ugly Betty, and Great News. Currently she is a writer and producer on the new Freeform show Alone Together, which stars Esther Povitsky.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 348: Tawny Newsome

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 08:49:03 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and musician Tawny Newsome. Originally from California, Tawny got her start in comedy in Chicago, where she was part of the Second City Mainstage, as well as the Second City National Touring Company. More recently, she was one of the stars of the wonderful Seeso show Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ and is a recurring character on BET's The Comedy Get Down. In addition, Tawny is a fan favorite on many Earwolf podcasts including Spontaneanation and Comedy Bang Bang. On top of all this, Tawny is also a musician, recording music on her own and with a number of other bands including Mekons-founder Jon Langford's Four Lost Souls, whose self-titled album was released late last year by Bloodshot Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 347: Brandon Bird

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 08:25:51 +0000

On today's episode I talk to painter and illustrator Brandon Bird. Originally from Sacramento, CA, Brandon paints pop culture figures in absurd situations, like Christopher Walken building a Transformer in his garage or the cast of Frasier in a 1970s pulp fantasy series. He's organized a number of arts shows around these ideas and created a Law and Order coloring book called Law & Order: An Adventure to Color! Brandon also contributes to the wonderful magazine The Believer, and in 2013 Chronicle Books released an anthology of his work called Brandon Bird's Astonishing World of Art.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 346: James Urbaniak

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 07:08:32 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor James Urbaniak. Originally from Bayonne, New Jersey, James was part of the flourishing 1990s New York theater scene. It was there he met Hal Hartley who cast him as Simon Grim in the wonderful film Henry Fool. Since then, James has been part of Hartley's unofficial repertory, acting in a number of his other films. Outside of these, James has also acted in dozens of roles for TV and the silver screen, turning out classic performances such as R. Crumb in American Splendor, Dr. Venture in The Venture Bros., Grant on Andy Daly's show Review, and Julie's boyfriend Arthur on Difficult People. In addition, James has his own radio drama podcast called Getting On With James Urbaniak.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 345: Dana Gould

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 06:19:02 +0000

On today's episode I talk to stand-up and writer Dana Gould. Originally from Hopedale, MA, Dana started performing stand-up at the tender age of 17, and since then has taped numerous late night appearances, specials (including an HBO Half-Hour), and four albums: Funhouse, I Know It's Wrong, Let Me Put My Thoughts in Your, and his latest Mr. Funny Man, which was just released earlier this year on the wonderful label Kill Rock Stars. As an actor, he's appeared in everything from Roseanne to Seinfeld to King of Queens, as well as most of the programs he's written for, which include The Ben Stiller Show, The Simpsons, Parks and Rec, and his own show on IFC, Stan Against Evil, which just finished its second season. In addition to all this, Dana hosts his own monthly podcast The Dana Gould Hour, which is just a delight.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 37: Naomi Ekperigin on Keeping Your Soul in Hollywood

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 08:06:31 +0000

We're stuck between Christmas and New Year's Eve, folks, so I thought I'd drop a bonus episode this week! What's a "bonus episode" of Beginnings? These are episodes that deviate from "let's talk to a creator I admire about their childhoods" and instead take a peek behind the curtain of showbiz. As I get deeper into the business part of this industry, I learn so much more about the real structures underpinning why certain TV shows get made or why certain actors become household names, and I think it's worth talking about those things.

So on today's episode, I talk to my fiancee Naomi Ekperigin, a wonderful stand-up and TV writer (perhaps you've seen her Half Hour or one of the shows she's written on like Broad City or Great News). We moved to LA halfway through the year, so we talk about some of the lessons we've learned in 2017 and also discuss ways we can stay ethical and keep our dignity in the face of the Beast we call ShowBiz!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 344: Karl Schaefer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 05:26:25 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer and showrunner Karl Schaefer. Originally from Downey, CA, Karl has been working in TV since the late 1980s, where he started off as the creator and showrunner of TV 101. In the '90s, he created and showran two supernatural programs Eerie, Indiana and Strange Luck, and then spent time writing on a number of different shows including Monk, The Dead Zone, Eureka and Ghost Whisperer. In 2014, he co-created the wonderful show Z Nation, which just finished its fourth season on SyFy.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 343: Jessica Gao

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:15:40 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Jessica Gao. Originally from Los Angeles, Jessica began her TV writing career in the world of animation, working on shows like Nickelodeon's The Mighty B and Kung Fu Panda, as well as live action shows for both Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel. In 2014, Jessica wrote for Silicon Valley on HBO, followed by the wonderful Seeso (RIP) show Bajillion Dollar Propertie$. Currently she is writing on the beloved Adult Swim show Rick and Morty and the upcoming Comedy Central show Corporate, and she also hosts a podcast about writing and race with Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon called Whiting Wongs.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 342: Sina Grace

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 09:40:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comics writer and artist Sina Grace. Based in Los Angeles, Sina is the author and illustrator of a number of books for Image Comics including Self-Obsessed, Not My Bag, and Nothing Lasts Forever. He acts as the artist for Shaun Steven Struble's cult hit, The Li'l Depressed Boy, and handles art chores along with co-writing the Image Comics hit series, Burn the Orphanage. Sina has also done illustrations for all-ages readers, including Among the Ghosts, written by Amber Benson, and Penny Dora & the Wishing Box, written by Michael Stock. His previous works include the slice-of-life Books with Pictures, and the neo-noir urban fantasy, Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic. For a time, he acted as Editorial Director for Robert Kirkman's Skybound imprint at Image Comics. And most recently, Sina has been writing Iceman for Marvel Comics, and it is easily the best X-comic currently being published.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 341: Steve Dildarian

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 09:03:22 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and painter Steve Dildarian. Originally from New Jersey, Steve spent many years as an advertising executive and created a number of well-known campaigns including the "Budweiser Lizards". In 2006, Steve created an animated short film called Angry Unpaid Hooker, which won the best animated short at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, which led to his show on HBO. The Life & Times of Tim ran for three seasons from 2008 to 2012 and is wonderful. Tim is also a painter and you can purchase his artwork online, and most recently, he created a pilot for Amazon called The New V.I.P.'s.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 36: Katie Walsh on Being a Film Critic

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 09:37:49 +0000

It's almost Thanksgiving, folks! So I thought I'd drop a bonus episode early so you could listen while you're traveling for the holidays. What's a "bonus episode" of Beginnings? These are episodes that deviate from "let's talk to a creator I admire about their childhoods" and instead take a peek behind the curtain of showbiz. As I get deeper into the business part of this industry, I learn so much more about the real structures underpinning why certain TV shows get made or why certain actors become household names, and I think it's worth talking about those things.

So on today's episode, I talk to my friend Katie Walsh. Katie is a Los Angeles-based film critic and journalist, reviewing weekly film releases for the Tribune News Service, Los Angeles Times, and The Playlist. She is also a member of the LA Film Critics Association, has served on the jury for the Women In Film Finishing Fund grant, and has been a member of the nominating committee for Breakthrough Performance for IFP's Gotham Awards. Katie and I get into the nuts and bolts of being a film critic, the economics behind Hollywood awards, and tension that comes from commodifying your art.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 340: Carlos Alazraqui

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 07:11:36 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and voiceover artist Carlos Alazraqui. Carlos is probably most often recognized as Deputy James Garcia from Comedy Central's hit show Reno 911! A standup comic for over 25 years, he is also one of LA's top voiceover actors with hundreds of credits to his name, including The Taco Bell Chihuahua, Mr. Weed on FOX's Family Guy, Lazlo on Cartoon Network's Camp Lazlo, Bane in Justice League: Doom, and Mr. Crocker on Nickelodeon's long running series Fairly OddParents. Currently he is rebooting his role of Rocko in the New Rocko's Modern Life for Nickelodeon, due out next year. Carlos also recently won the prestigious Annie Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production" for his role of Ponce de León in The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 339: Javier Grillo-Marxuach

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 09:27:54 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and showrunner Javier Grillo-Marxuach. Originally from Puerto Rico, Javi earned his MFA in screenwriting from USC in the early 1990s, and soon after started his television career. He's written for a number of rad shows across many different genres including Charmed, Boomtown, Medium, Lost, Helix and The 100, and he created and showran the fantastic show The Middleman, which was based on his own comics. Javi's also the co-host with Jose Molina of the Children of Tendu podcast, which is an educational series that aims to teach newcomers how to navigate the entertainment industry with decency and integrity (and as far as I'm concerned is a must-listen for anyone that wants to work in this industry). Currently, Javi co-executive produces the Jim Henson Company's upcoming ten-hour prequel to their classic film The Dark Crystal for Netflix.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 338: Eliot Glazer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 06:33:50 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer and performer Eliot Glazer. Originally from Long Island, Eliot is now based in LA and has written for or contributed to shows like Billy on the Street, Difficult People, Best Week Ever, Younger, Broad City, New Girl, and currently Teachers. He also recently developed a show for Comedy Central produced by Will Arnett. As a performer, you've seen him on plenty of shows, such as playing Ilana's brother on Broad City, or at his wonderful live show Haunting Renditions, where Eliot takes some of pop music's most infamous songs and turns them into highbrow, sweeping ballads.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 337: Angelo de Augustine

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 07:15:11 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Angelo de Augustine. Angelo writes and records music in Thousand Oaks, California -- a suburb north of Los Angeles, where he grew up. His self-released debut album, Spirals of Silence, and 3-song EP follow-up, How Past Begins, earned praise from The FADER, Stereogum, Vogue, My Old Kentucky Blog, and more, and his music has been compared to Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, Vashti Bunyan and Judee Sill. His latest album, Swim Inside the Moon, was released by Asthmatic Kitty in August.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 336: Inara George of The Bird and the Bee

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 07:01:03 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Inara George. The daughter of Lowell George, who was a member of Frank Zappa's band and the founder of rock group Little Feat, Inara grew up in Topanga Canyon, in the outskirts of Los Angeles. Since the 1990s, she has been a member of a number of bands herself including Lode, Merrick, and starting in the early 2000s, the indie pop duo The Bird and The Bee with Greg Kurstin. The duo have released a number of amazing albums and EPs, including an self-titled record, Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future, and their latest, Recreational Love, which was released in 2015. Inara has also recorded a number of albums under her own name: All Rise in 2005, An Invitation in 2008, which she recorded with Brian Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks, Accidental Experimental in 2009, and her latest Dearest Everybody, which will come out early next year.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 335: Annie Mebane

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 08:18:41 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Annie Mebane. Originally from Florida, Annie came up in comedy at iOWest and UCBLA, performing on house improv teams at both theaters. As a writer, she's worked on a number of awesome shows including Happy Endings, Breaking In, Community, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Goldbergs, and currently the new Heathers series.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 334: Cord Jefferson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 06:49:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to TV writer Cord Jefferson. Originally from Tucson, Cord began his career as a print journalist, first as senior editor at GOOD magazine and then as the west coast editor at Gawker. His reporting and writing have appeared in numerous places including National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, The Root, TheNation.com, Jezebel, The American Prospect, and many others. As a TV writer, he started off on The Nightly Show, moved to Master of None, and currently writes on the wonderful NBC show The Good Place.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 333: Wand's Cory Hanson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 07:22:38 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Cory Hanson. Originally from Los Angeles, Cory began playing music professionally with Mikal Cronin and the bands, together PANGEA and Meatbodies. In 2014 he formed Wand with his former art school classmates Lee Landey and Evan Burrows, and they've gone on to record four albums: Ganglion Reef, Golem, 1000 Days, and their latest Plum (the last two were released on the wonderful label Drag City!). Last year, Drag City also released Cory's solo album The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo. All of these terrific!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 332: Andrew Ti

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 08:26:29 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and podcaster Andrew Ti. Originally from Michigan, Andrew is the creator and host of the Yo, Is This Racist blog and podcast, which has been part of Earwolf for many years. In both forms, Andrew takes fan-submitted questions about whether certain cultural phenomena are racist or not. Besides Yo, Is This Racist, Andrew's also a writer, and has worked on a number of projects including Problematic with Moshe Kasher.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 331: Eli Valley

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:27:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to cartoonist Eli Valley. Eli's work has been featured in The Nation, The New Republic, The Village Voice, The Nib, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Gawker among other places, and from 2011 to 2013, he was the Artist in Residence at The Forward, a progressive Jewish newspaper based in New York. His critically-acclaimed anthology Diaspora Boy: Comics on Crisis in America and Israel is available now from OR Books.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 330: Latasha Alcindor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 09:38:38 +0000

On today's episode I talk to rapper Latasha Alcindor AKA LA. Originally from Flatbush, Brooklyn, Latasha made her way into hip hop in a unique way: through performance art. In only six short years, she's put out a number of great albums including The Presentation and The LA Riots in 2011, Spark in 2014, Loosies and Blunts a year later, and two this year B(LA)K and Teen Nite at Empire. All are worth your time!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 329: Jill Eisenstadt

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 08:56:57 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Jill Eisenstadt. Jill is the author of the novels From Rockaway, Kiss Out and Swell and with her sister, director Debra Eisenstadt, the co- writer and co-producer of the feature film, The Limbo Room. In the 1980s, she was part of the 'Literary Brat Pack' whose members included Bret Easton Ellis, Jay McInerney, and Tama Janowitz. Other work of Jill's has appeared in such publications as The New York Times, New York Magazine, Vogue, Elle, The Boston Review, as well as many others. Jill is also the recipient of a Columbia University Writing Fellowship, a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Teacher Award and a National Endowment for the Arts Fiction Grant.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 328: Zhubin Parang

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:01:38 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Emmy-award winning writer and performer Zhubin Parang. Before coming to comedy, Zhubin graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and was a practicing lawyer in New York City. During this time, he studied at and eventually became a performer at UCB. In 2011, he joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as a writer, and eventually Zhubin became the head writer when the show transitioned to Trevor Noah.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 327: Miles Kahn

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 08:34:35 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Peabody Award–winning writer-director-producer Miles Kahn. Miles got his start in entertainment as a writer and director, and in 2008 joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He worked his way up to Senior Producer, and during his time there, also produced a number of specials for stand-ups like Wyatt Cenac and D.L. Hughley. In 2015, Miles left the Daily Show to serve as executive producer for Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, where he's been since.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 326: Mattie Lubchansky

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 08:51:29 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Queens-based cartoonist and illustrator Mattie Lubchansky. Mattie is the Associate Editor of the Nib, a daily political comics site under the First Look Media umbrella, which also houses the brilliant left-wing news site The Intercept. Mattie's work has appeared in VICE, Eater, Mad Magazine, Gothamist, The Toast, The Hairpin, Brooklyn Magazine, as well as their long-running webcomic Please Listen to Me. Additionally, they are the co-author with their wife of the book Dad Magazine, which was published by Quirk last year.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 325: Jeremy Pikser

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 09:21:00 +0000

On today's episode I talk to screenwriter and activist Jeremy Pikser. Originally on his way to be a teacher, Jeremy instead became a screenwriter after a series of events led him to be a "special consultant" and uncredited writer on the film Reds, which was nominated for an Academy Award for screenplay. He's written a number of other films as well, including The Lemon Sisters with Diane Keaton and Elliott Gould, War, Inc. with John Cusack and Bulworth with Warren Beatty. The screenplay for Bulworth was nominated for many awards including the Academy, Golden Globe, and WGA awards and was the winner of the LA Film Critics Best Screenplay award.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 324: Sam Sinyangwe

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 09:42:21 +0000

On today's episode I talk to policy analyst and data scientist Sam Sinyangwe. Sam grew up in Orlando, FL, and has been involved in organizing and advocacy since he was in high school. He's worked at PolicyLink helping to support a national network of 61 "Promise Neighborhoods" with the goal of building cradle-to-career systems of support for low-income families. He created the "Mapping Police Violence" project, which collects and uses data as a tool for fighting police violence. And most recently, he founded Campaign Zero with DeRay Mckesson and Brittany Packnett. Campaign Zero is a comprehensive organization dedicated to ending police violence by limiting police interventions, improving community interactions, and ensuring accountability. He's also the co-founder of two other activist organizations StayWoke and OurStates, the latter which is dedicated to connecting communities in order to combat the Trump/GOP agenda.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 323: Isaac Oliver

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:35:56 +0000

On today's episode I talk to award-winning playwright, author, and performer Isaac Oliver. His debut collection of essays, Intimacy Idiot, was named one of NPR's Best Books of 2015. His plays include Electra in a One-Piece, and the ten-minute plays "3, 2, 1," "Film Forum," and "Come Here", which won the New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Original Short Script. Additionally, he's written for The New York Times, W Magazine, Time Out New York, Out, and HBO's High Maintenance.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 322: Aye Nako's Jade Payne and Mars Ganito

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 08:25:14 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Jade Payne and Mars Ganito of the indie rock band Aye Nako. Formed in 2010, Aye Nako is a New York-based queer punk band who make dissonant and melodic punk music. In 2013, they self-released their first album Unleash Yourself, and in 2015, Don Giovanni Records released their EP THe Blackest Eye. The album saw the band explore personal themes such as abuse and racism, and it garnered a great deal of critical acclaim, ending up on several "best of" lists including both the New York Times and NPR. They were even voted "Best Garage Band in New York" in the Village Voice that year. Their latest album Silver Haze was also released on Don Giovanni earlier this year.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus Episode 35: A Beginnings Live Music Mixtape

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 07:13:13 +0000

I'm moving to LA this week, so I wanted to take a break from producing an episode to settle into the new digs and recover from having to take two cats on a cross-country flight. And while I was getting ready for the move, I was cleaning up my hard drive and found some of the music from when Beginnings was a monthly live show at UCB East (every month we'd have a musical guest perform and then be interviewed). These performances are really fantastic, and I don't know how many people have heard them, so this week, I thought I'd put out a mixtape of Beginnings live show performances (and a couple of in-studio ones too). Enjoy!

Hayden - Rainy Saturday

A.C. Newman - I'm Not Talking

Xenia Rubinos

Swearin' - What a Dump

ARMS - Comfort

Dan Friel - Ulysses

Savoir Adore - Loveliest Creature

Islands - Christmas Tree

Dump - New York City Tonight

Brother JT - Warm's the New Cool

Mike Pace and the Child Actors - McKinley

Xenia Rubinos

A.C. Newman - Drink to Me Babe Then

Swearin' - Crashing

Dan Friel - Thumper

Brother JT - Gliding

Islands - Right to Be Misbegotten

ARMS - Heat & Hot Water

Savoir Adore - Sara's Secret

Dump featuring Delocated's Jon Glaser - Night Moves

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 321: Jen Goma of A Sunny Day in Glasgow

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 06:51:30 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jen Goma. Based in New York City, Jen writes and produces music, comedy and videos. She is a member of the bands A Sunny Day in Glasgow and Roman à Clef and has collaborated with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Jherek Bischoff. Her first solo album Smiley Face, recorded under the name Showtime Goma was just released, and it's great!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 320: Joseph Kertes

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 07:58:12 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Joseph Kertes. Joe was born in Hungary but escaped with his family to Canada after the revolution of 1956. He studied English at York University and the University of Toronto and founded Humber College's distinguished creative writing and comedy programs. As an author, he's written a number of books including Winter Tulips and Boardwalk. His third book Gratitude won the Canadian National Jewish Book Award and the U.S. National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, and his latest book The Afterlife of Stars, based on his childhood in Hungary, is a New York Times Editor's Choice.

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Episode 319: Bill Scheft

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 06:32:03 +0000

On today's episode I talk to novelist, columnist, and Emmy-nominated television writer Bill Scheft. Bill started his career as a sportswriter and as a stand-up. After twelve years touring, he was hired as a monologue writer for Late Night with David Letterman where he remained for 24 years until the show's conclusion in 2015. In addition to writing for Letterman, Bill also wrote for the Oscars, ESPYs and almost every other major awards show, and he also contributed a popular weekly humor column to Sports Illustrated for a number of years. Bill is also an author, having penned four books: The Ringer, the Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist Time Won't Let Me, Everything Hurts, and his most recent Shrink Thyself, which was published by Rare Bird Books a few years ago.

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Episode 318: Stephen Falk

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 08:23:12 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and showrunner Stephen Falk. Born in Berkeley, CA, Stephen has been working in television for a number of years, starting off on the Showtime series Weeds. He then created the NBC show Next Caller, and went on to write for Orange is the New Black. In 2014, he created the wonderful FX series You're the Worst, whose 4th season will air sometime later this year.

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Episode 317: Joel Church-Cooper

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 05:20:20 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and showrunner Joel Church-Cooper. Born in Sacramento, Joel grew up in Santa Cruz, and eventually made his way down to LA where he started taking classes and performing at UCB and IO West. As a TV writer, he started on shows like The Onion SportsDome, as well as Up All Night, Ground Floor and Undateable, among many others. Most recently, he created and showruns Brockmire on IFC, which is based on a Funny or Die webseries he made.

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Episode 316: Damon Lindelof

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 25 May 2017 05:49:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and showrunner Damon Lindelof. Originally from Teaneck, NJ, Damon has been a successful television and screenwriter for almost two decades. He started on shows like MTV's Undressed and Nash Bridges, and in 2004 co-created Lost, the show that revitalized the possibility that network TV could be weird and labyrinthine. He's written many of the best studio sci-fi films of the last decade including World War Z, Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness, and most recently co-created and showruns one of the best shows on TV hands down, The Leftovers, whose final season is currently airing on HBO.

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Episode 315: Patrick Adams

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 18 May 2017 05:47:43 +0000

On today's episode I talk to songwriter, arranger and record producer Patrick Adams. Originally from Harlem, Patrick has applied his magic touch to more than four decades of music, earning thousands of credits for contributions to disco, boogie, soul and hip-hop releases both genre-defining and criminally underrated. In addition to mentoring Leroy Burgess and his seminal soul group Black Ivory, Patrick was a key contributor to innumerable disco LPs and hits like Musique's "In The Bush," and Inner Life's "I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)." Nicknamed the "Prince of Soft Soul", Patrick has earned 32 gold and platinum records and worked with or wrote for countless R&B, disco and hip hop groups including Eric B. & Rakim, R. Kelly, Sister Sledge, Keith Sweat, Salt-N-Pepa, Teddy Riley, Herbie Mann, Gladys Knight, Rick James, and many, many more.

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Episode 314: Chris Leo of The Van Pelt

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 May 2017 05:01:07 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Chris Leo. Originally from New Jersey, Chris started playing music in the early 1990s with his brother Danny in the groundbreaking hardcore band Native Nod. When they broke up, Chris formed the post-rock band The Van Pelt, whose two albums - Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves and Sultans Of Sentiment - were released by NJ indie record label Gern Blandsten. Chris then formed The Lapse with Van Pelt member Toko Yasuda (also of Enon and Blonde Redhead) and then the Vague Angels. A few years ago, La Castanya released a Van Pelt rarities album called Imaginary Third.

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Episode 313: Ronny Chieng

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 04 May 2017 08:05:11 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian Ronny Chieng. Born in Malaysia, Ronny was raised in New Hampshire and Singapore and graduated from the University of Melbourne in Australia with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce. That same year, he started performing stand-up, and since then he has toured four sold out global stand up comedy theater tours in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Canada and London and recorded four award winning comedy specials. In Australia, Ronny has written and acted in multiple television shows which include Problems, Legally Brown, It's a Date and more. He also co-created and starred in his own pilot International Student. Ronny is currently a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central and was recently named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 312: Nathan Lee Graham

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 06:38:26 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Grammy Award winning cabaret artist and actor Nathan Lee Graham. Originally from St. Louis, Nathan's notable film roles include Todd in Zoolander and Zoolander 2, Frederick Montana in Sweet Home Alabama and Geoff in Hitch and on TV has appeared as Peter in The Comeback, and had guest starring roles on Scrubs, Absolutely Fabulous and Law & Order SVU. His stage appearances include Phil D'Armano in the original Broadway cast of the Tony and Grammy Award nominated The Wild Party and as Miss Understanding in the original Broadway cast of the Tony nominated Priscilla Queen of the Desert. He received a Drama League Award nomination for the role of Rey Rey in the off-Broadway production of Wig Out! and won an Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Feature Performer in a Musical in The Wild Party LA Premiere in 2006. More recently, he has appeared in the role of Carson in Hit the Wall at the Barrow Street Theatre. He earned a 2005 Best Classical Album Grammy Award for Songs of Innocence and of Experience as a soloist and was just nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for "Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical."

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Episode 311: Negin Farsad

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 05:53:34 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer, comedian and podcast host Negin Farsad. Originally from Palm Springs by-way-of Virginia, Negin is highly accomplished in many domains. She's the director, writer and star of the romantic comedy 3rd Street Blackout, which starred Janeane Garofalo, Ed Weeks, and John Hodgman, as well as the director and producer of the feature film The Muslims Are Coming! which starred Jon Stewart and David Cross. Negin is also the host of a political comedy round-table podcast called Fake the Nation, which is on the Earwolf Network, and most recently is the author of author of a memoir-meets-social-justice-comedy manifesto entitled How to Make White People Laugh, which was published by Grand Central/Hachette.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 310: Caissie St. Onge

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 07:20:22 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Emmy nominated comedy writer Caissie St. Onge. Originally from Fitchberg, MA, Caissie is a prolific comedy writer. She's worked for The Late Show with David Letterman, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, VH1's Best Week Ever with Paul F. Tompkins, The Grammy Awards, The Tony Awards, and regularly wrote material for Joan Rivers. She's also a YA author having penned the novel Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. and is currently a Supervising Producer on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen.

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Episode 309: Amy Hoggart

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 04:43:59 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and comedian Amy Hoggart. Amy grew up in the suburbs of London, and though she received an advanced degree in clinical psychology, she ended up pursuing a career in comedy. She started in the famous Cambridge sketch group The Footlights and the London stand-up scene, and in 2014 was cast in the BBC America show Almost Royal. And in 2016, Amy became a correspondent on the weekly late night show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

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Bonus Episode 34: Naomi Ekperigin asks Is Showbiz a Meritocracy?

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 04:47:06 +0000

Every so often I do these "bonus episodes" where I talk to a showbiz professional about the actual nuts and bolts of different topics in the Entertainment Industry in an attempt to demystify these things. And on today's episode, I talk to the love of my life Naomi Ekperigin (former writer for Broad City, you may have heard her on 2 Dope Queens or on her own Comedy Central Half Hour), and we talk today about a topic that's been bothering me for a while: The Myth of the Meritocracy. I pose the question: Is Showbiz merit-based?, and we using that as a launching point to get in deep about this profession that we're in. Non-cynical networking, social connections and more on this week's episode!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 308: Tim Kasher of Cursive

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 05:14:30 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Tim Kasher. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Tim has been playing music since he was young. One of Tim's first bands, Slowdown Virginia was shortlived though they inspired other bands to form like The Faint and Bright Eyes, and Lumberjack Records, the record label that put out their one album, became Saddle Creek, one of the biggest indie labels around. In 1995, Tim formed Cursive, which in their 20 years together have released numerous EPs and seven albums, including their 2003 breakthrough LP The Ugly Organ. In 2000, Tim started a solo project called The Good Life, though this quickly grew into a full fledged band, leaving Tim to record albums on his own. Those solo works include The Game of Monogamy in 2010 and his latest No Resolutions, which was released earlier this year on 15 Passenger Records, a label Tim formed with some of his Cursive bandmates.

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Episode 307: NE-HI

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 04:11:43 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Jason Balla and Mikey Wells of the indie rock band NE-HI. Based in Chicago, NE-HI originally formed in 2013 to score a friend's film. But when the four of them realized they had a lot of chemistry together, they decided to make the band official. Their first self-titled album was released on Manic Static in 2014 and their latest album Offers was released earlier this year on Grand Jury Music.

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Episode 306: Jason Narducy of Split Single

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 06:53:26 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Jason Narducy. Jason began his rock career at the age of ten when he co-founded the band Verböten – one of the seminal acts in the Chicago punk scene. He then went on to become frontman/songwriter/guitarist for Verbow, another beloved Windy City outfit who signed a major-label deal with Epic/Sony during the '90s alt-rock bubble and followed that up with an ongoing, nearly decade-long run as indie-rock's secret weapon – serving as bassist and backing vocalist for indie-underground icons like Bob Mould, Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices, Telekinesis and Superchunk. In 2011, Jason started writing his own music again as Split Single, with Spoon's Britt Daniel and Superchunk's Jon Wurster as his backing band. He's released two albums as Split Single, Fragmented World in 2014 and his latest Metal Frames, which is just lovely.

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Episode 305: David Harrington of Kronos Quartet

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:48:39 +0000

On today's episode I talk to violinist David Harrington. Originally from Seattle, David is the founder of the renowned contemporary classical group Kronos Quartet. The group was established in 1973, and since then, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 50 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world's most intriguing and accomplished composers and performers - which include people like Terry Riley and Steve Reich - and commissioning more than 850 works and arrangements for string quartet. In 2011, Kronos became the only recipients of both the Polar Music Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize, two of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. The group's numerous awards also include a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance in 2004.

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Episode 304: Mara Wilson

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 06:12:01 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and actor Mara Wilson. Mara started off in showbiz as a child actor in such films as Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Matilda. After her mother passed away when she was 8 though, she lost some of her passion for acting, and eventually left that side of the business. While she infrequently acts now, appearing on shows like Broad City or BoJack Horseman, Mara is much more of a writer and storyteller. Her first book, Where Am I Now?, was just published last year by Penguin Books.

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Bonus Episode 33: Jesse David Fox of Vulture.com on Comedy Journalism

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 05:54:58 +0000

Every so often I do these "bonus episodes" where I talk to a showbiz professional about the actual nuts and bolts of different topics in the Entertainment Industry in an attempt to demystify these things. And on today's episode, I have a wide-ranging and frank talk about comedy journalism with Vulture.com Senior Editor and host of the new Good One Podcast Jesse David Fox. The conversation starts out with how his new podcast is really about the phenomenology of stand-up, and from there we get into the tangled friend/business relationships that make up showbiz, how they're difficult to navigate for neurotics like us, and how comedy journalism fits in to the "business" part of showbiz.

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Episode 303: Tim Kinsella of Joan of Arc and Cap'n Jazz

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 07:07:59 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Tim Kinsella. Originally from Chicago, Tim has been part of some of the best indie rock bands of the last quarter-century. In 1989, he formed Cap'n Jazz along with his brother Mike, who would go on to become a frequent collaborator with Tim and a well-know artist in his own right in bands like American Football and Owen. Even though Cap'n Jazz only put out one album - and later an anthology on Jade Tree Records - they became a cult band and helped define a kind of post-hardcore art-rock. After Cap'n Jazz broke up, Tim formed the even-more-experimental band Joan of Arc, which has been his main project since 1995. Since their first album A Portable Model of..., they've put out over 30 albums and 7"es. Tim's also played in many other memorable bands including Owls, Friend/Enemy and Make Believe, and that's just naming a few. Joan of Arc's latest He's Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands was just released by Joyful Noise.

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Episode 302: Nadia Sirota

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 07:16:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to violist Nadia Sirota. Based in New York, Nadia is a Juilliard-trained violist best known for her singular sound and expressive execution and she's worked with a number of amazing contemporary composers like Nico Muhly, Judd Greenstein, and Missy Mazzoli. Her debut album First Things First was released in 2009 on New Amsterdam Records and was cited as a record of the year by The New York Times. In addition to her work as a soloist, Nadia is a member of yMusic, ACME (the American Contemporary Music Ensemble) and Alarm Will Sound, and has lent her viola to recording and concert projects by artists such as Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Anohni and Arcade Fire. In 2015, she won a Peabody Award for her podcast Meet the Composer.

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Episode 301: Sammus

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 07:06:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to rapper and academic Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo AKA Sammus. Originally from upstate New York, Enongo currently lives in Ithaca where she is attending Cornell to pursue her PhD in Science and Technology Studies. Parallel to her academic work, Enongo is a rising star in the indie hip hop scene. She released her first EP Fly Nerd in 2010, and since then has released numerous albums and EPs, some on her own, some through the NuBlack Music Group and her latest Pieces in Space was released last year by Don Giovanni records.

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Episode 300: Chris Claremont

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 08:33:06 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Chris Claremont. Born in London, Chris' family moved to the States when he was a child, and though he originally studied acting and political theory, he eventually started writing comics after taking a job as a gofer/editorial assistant at Marvel while in college. Chris was originally given the low-selling series X-Men to write, which he did for the next 16 years, turning it into both a groundbreaking and best-selling series and revolutionizing the ways stories in comics were told. Not only did he create many beloved characters including Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde, Mystique, Emma Frost, Sabretooth, Strong Guy, Mister Sinister, Captain Britain, and Gambit, but he also scripted some of the most iconic stories of the X-Men's entire existence including "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Days of Future Past". Besides his work on the X-Men, Chris wrote the spin-offs The New Mutants and Excalibur, and has written for almost every character in the Marvel Universe. His relaunch of X-Men in 1991 is still the best-selling comic ever, and in 2015, Claremont and his X-Men collaborator John Byrne were entered into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame. And everything I've just said barely even scratches the surface of his career.

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Episode 299: Joel Kim Booster

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 05:49:36 +0000

On today's episode I talk to stand-up and writer Joel Kim Booster. Originally from South Korea, Joel was adopted at a young age and moved to the southwest suburbs of Chicago. He's written for Billy on the Street and Moshe Kasher's new Comedy Central show, and was one of the New Faces at the Just for Laughs Festival last year. He's also performed on Comedy Knockout, The Meltdown, and Conan, and recently sold a show to Fox based on his life called Birthright!

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Episode 298: Matt Pond PA

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 05:53:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Matt Pond. Originally from New Hampshire, Matt began writing and releasing music in 1998 as Matt Pond PA. Debuting with the album Deer Apartments, the band quickly gained momentum after claiming top honors in an unsigned bands competition sponsored by CDNOW. Since then, Matt - along with a rotating cast of musical collaborators - has released almost two dozen albums and EPs on labels like Polyvinyl and BMG. His latest, Winter Lives, was just released late last year on Matt's new indie label 131 Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 297: Amber Ruffin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 07:37:21 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and performer Amber Ruffin. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Amber began her comedy career studying at iO in Chicago. From there she moved to Amsterdam, where she performed with Boom Chicago all over Europe, eventually ending up at the Second City Mainstage back in the States. In 2014, she became a writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers - the first black, female writer in late night history - and she often performs on the show, most notably in the recurring segment "Jokes Seth Can't Tell".

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 296: Josie Long

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 06:10:29 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian Josie Long. Josie's originally from Sidcup, but grew up in Orpington, London. She began stand-up when she was 14, and since then has created or been part of an innumerable amount of cool projects. This includes numerous performances at the Edinburgh Fringe - where she was nominated for "Best Show" scads of times and won "Best Newcomer" in 2006 - as well as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Just for Laughs and more. Josie wrote for the awesome Channel 4 teen dramedy Skins, she's appeared on a number of panel shows like 8 out of 10 Cats, and her 2009 BBC Radio series All of the Planet's Wonders is absolutely wonderful, as is her literary podcast Book Shambles, which she co-hosts with The Infinite Monkey Cage's Robin Ince.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 295: Roy Wood Jr.

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 07:41:40 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian Roy Wood Jr. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Roy began his comedy career in 1998 at the age of 19 while attending Florida A&M University. In 2006, he was named one of the New Faces at the Just for Laughs Festival and made his television debut that year on The Late Show with David Letterman. Roy's also performed on Conan, Def Comedy Jam, Craig Ferguson, and he finished third in the 2010 season of Last Comic Standing. Even with all this success, 2016 might be called his breakout year. He was named one of Variety's "10 Comics to Watch" and has been a correspondent on The Daily Show since Trevor Noah took over. Stay tuned for future episodes with Josie Long, Amber Ruffin, Joel Kim Booster and a special 300th episode coming up soon!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 294: Baron Vaughn

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 07:57:17 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and comedian Baron Vaughn. As a stand-up, Baron's performed on Conan (twice), Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and he has his own Comedy Central Half Hour. As well, AST Records released his album Blaxistential Crisis earlier this year. As an actor, he's been featured in movies like Black Dynamite and Cloverfield, and is currently a series regular on the Netflix show Grace and Frankie. Baron will also be part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot, playing the part of Tom Servo! Stay tuned for future episodes with Roy Wood Jr., Josie Long, Amber Ruffin and a special 300th episode coming up soon!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 293: Mitski

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 07:55:01 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Mitski Miyawaki. Originally from Japan, Mitski grew up all over the world, eventually settling in New York. While studying at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music, Mitski self-released her first and second albums, Lush and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business. Her third album Bury Me at Makeout Creek was released by Double Double Whammy in 2014, and it caught the eye of everyone from Pitchfork to Rolling Stone to The New York Times. Mitski's latest, Puberty 2, was released by Dead Oceans earlier this year. Stay tuned for future episodes with Roy Wood Jr., Josie Long, Baron Vaughn, Amber Ruffin and a special 300th episode coming up soon!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 292: Azie Dungey

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 07:50:55 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and actor Azie Dungey. Azie grew up in Philly and the DC area. After graduating as a drama major from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, she performed the role of a slave as part of an ongoing historical reenactment of life at George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia. This was the basis for her acclaimed webseries Ask a Slave. In 2015, Azie was hired as a writer on the Tina Fey Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Stay tuned for future episodes with Mitski, Roy Wood Jr., Josie Long, Baron Vaughn and a special 300th episode coming up soon!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus episode 32: Andrew Ti on Irony and Appropriation

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 07:16:18 +0000

Hey y'all! Happy Thanksgiving! With everything going on in the news lately (ahem, neo-nazis, ahem), I thought I'd take the chance to re-post a conversation I had with Andrew Ti of the Yo, Is This Racist? podcast. This was part of an episode I had to take down from a couple years ago, and it seems like an apt time to repost the Andrew Ti part of that episode because we talk a lot about irony and privilege - and since the alt-right nazi shitbags are so into irony, I thought it was a timely discussion to revisit. Enjoy, and stay tuned for future episodes with Mitski, Roy Wood Jr., Josie Long, Baron Vaughn and a special 300th episode coming up soon!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 291: Matthew Shipp

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:11:10 +0000

On today's episode I talk to free jazz pianist Matthew Shipp. Originally from Delaware, Matt moved to New York in 1984 and quickly became one of the leading lights in the New York jazz scene. He was a sideman in the David S. Ware quartet and also for Roscoe Mitchell's Note Factory before making the decision to concentrate on his own music. Since then, dozens of his albums have been released, mostly on the labels Hatology and Thirsty Ear. His latest album Cactus, recorded with drummer Bobby Kapp, is available now from Northern Spy.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Bonus episode 31: Naomi Ekperigin and Election Depression

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 06:52:24 +0000

Well. If you're anything like me and my almost-wife Naomi Ekperigin (Broad City, 2 Dope Queens, Comedy Central Half Hour), you spent Tuesday the 8th into the 9th depressed, nauseous, crying, in a fitful and restless sleep, and generally trying to come to terms with the phrase "President Trump" and with the nightmare that was just unleashed. I was not in the mood to return to business as usual, so I thought maybe Naomi and I could - in the spirit of beginnings - record a bonus episode talking about the origins of the shit soup from which President Trump has emerged from. It felt good to talk out some of this stuff - hopefully it'll feel good to listen to it. Back to regular episodes next week.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 290: Chioke Nassor

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 07:11:09 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and director Chioke Nassor. Chioke's previous work includes writing and directing short films for NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, the feature film How to Follow Strangers, the TV on the Radio documentary Minor/Major, and his web series Storytime. Most recently, Chioke wrote and directed episodes of the MTV show Loosely Exactly Nicole starring Nicole Byer, and currently, he is producing a pilot for Comedy Central.

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Episode 289: Tom Snyder

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 04:44:10 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Peabody-award winning writer and animator Tom Snyder. Tom is a writer and director well known in the world of animation for creating the animation technique known as Squigglevision. His first Squigglevision success came with the Emmy winning show, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, which aired on Comedy Central. Tom later founded Soup 2 Nuts, an award-winning animation studio that produced a series of critically acclaimed shows, including Home Movies and Science Court. Tom continued his collaboration with Jonathan Katz with their show Explosion Bus, and currently, Tom has written the book, music and lyrics for an audio musical called Is Anyone All Right?, which was released by Audible.

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Episode 288: Affinity Konar

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 05:02:58 +0000

On today's episode I talk to author Affinity Konar. Affinity studied writing at SFSU and received her MFA from Columbia, and is the author of two books, The Illustrated Version of Things, which was published by Fiction Collective 2 in 2009, and her latest Mischling, which was published by the Hachette imprint Lee Boudreaux Books earlier this year. Mischling is the story of twins, Dr. Mengele, and the ravages of WWII and has been lauded by everyone from Buzzfeed to the Wall Street Journal.

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Episode 287: Anthony Atamanuik

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 05:05:08 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedian and actor Anthony Atamanuik. Over the last year, Tony has received a great deal of deserved acclaim for his accurately debauched Donald Trump impression, travelling the world with James Adomian in the Trump vs. Bernie Debate Tour. The two appeared on a special @Midnight episode and had two specials on Fusion. But before that, Tony was a house performer at UCB on the legendary improv team Death by Roo Roo and as a co-host of the theatre's flagship show ASSSSCAT 3000. You might also know Tony as one of the silent 30 Rock writers or from his appearances on Broad City, DIfficult People and Brett Gelman's Adult Swim specials.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 286: Sasheer Zamata

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 06:54:45 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and comedian Sasheer Zamata. Originally from
Indianapolis, Indiana, Sasheer moved to New York after college and began taking classes at UCB, eventually becoming a house sketch actor and improviser at the theatre. She was a cast-member of the short-lived MTV sketch show Hey Girl, and she created the webseries Pursuit of Sexiness with Nicole Byer. In 2014, Sasheer joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player, and two years later was promoted to repertory cast-member. She also serves as ACLU's Celebrity Ambassador for Women's Rights.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 285: Paul Hammer of Savoir Adore

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 04:08:21 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Paul Hammer. Paul is main singer/songwriter of the indie pop band Savoir Adore. Originally a duo with Deidre Muro - who left the band in 2014 - Savoir Adore began playing sometime in the mid-2000s. They released their first EP The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel and the Girl with Animals in her Throat in 2008, and since then have released three other albums: In the Wooded Forest, Our Nature, and their latest, which was released by Nettwerk Music Group earlier this summer, The Love That Remains.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 284: Jen Spyra

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 03:38:52 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comedy writer Jen Spyra. Originally from Pittsburgh, Jen was a senior writer for The Onion for many years. There she also headed the editorial video department as a writer, director and producer. Beyond The Onion, her humor writing has appeared in numerous places including The New Yorker and McSweeney's, and currently, she is a staff writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 283: Sarah Pappalardo

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 03:58:13 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer and performer Sarah Pappalardo. Based in New York City, Sarah is an improviser, playwright, and documentation whose short Reverence will be featured during IFC's DOC NYC Festival later this year. She's also one of the founders and editors of the satirical women's magazine Reductress. In the three short years since its inception, Reductress has become it's own cottage industry. Besides the online magazine, it's also spawned a wonderful podcast called Mouth Time, and on October 25th, their first book, How to Win at Feminism, will be released by HarperCollins.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 282: Beth Newell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 03:18:52 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer Beth Newell. Originally from Lynnfield, MA, Beth has been writing, performing and teaching sketch at The Magnet Theater for many years. She's also one of the founders and editors of the satirical women's magazine Reductress. In the three short years since its inception, Reductress has become it's own cottage industry. Besides the online magazine, it's also spawned a wonderful podcast called Mouth Time, and on October 25th, their first book, How to Win at Feminism, will be released by HarperCollins.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 281: Bhaskar Sunkara

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 03:09:20 +0000

On today's episode I talk to the founder of Jacobin Magazine Bhaskar Sunkara. Bhaskar is the son of immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago, and has written for a number of publications including Vice magazine, the Washington Post and The Nation. However, he is most well-known for being the founder, editor and publisher of Jacobin Magazine, which in its six short years of existence has become one of the leading publications of the left, drawing praise from everyone from Noam Chomsky to Chris Hayes. Bhaskar also started a book imprint called Jacobin Books in partnership with Verso Books and Random House.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 280: Nato Green

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 03:41:03 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer, stand-up and union organizer Nato Green. Nato lives and was raised in San Francisco, and the city's progressive atmosphere pervades everything he does. Nato wrote for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell on FX and toured nationally with Kamau & Janine Brito as "Laughter Against the Machine". He's the creator of Iron Comic, the Iron Chef-spoofing comedy game show, and was named San Francisco's Best Comedian by the SF Weekly, Huffington Post, and CBS. He also hosts a comedy segment on NPR's All Things Considered, and his first comedy album, The Nato Green Party, was released by Rooftop Comedy, and can be found online wherever comedy albums are sold!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 279: Elaiza Santos of Crying

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 05:12:48 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Elaiza Santos. Originally from Queens, Elaiza is the lead singer of the amazing chiptunes pop band Crying, who have two EPs out on Run For Cover Records, both of which are very much worth your time. Elaiza also records music on her own - originally under the name Whatever, Dad - and currently as 100%, which is wonderful bedroom pop in the K records tradition.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 278: Sofia Alvarez

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 03:21:50 +0000

On today's episode I talk to playwright and TV writer Sofia Alvarez. Originally from Baltimore, Sofia graduated from Juilliard for playwriting. She is a member of the Ars Nova Playgroup and Primary Stages Dorothy Streslin New American Writer's Group, and her work has been seen everywhere from Primary Stages to Ars Nova to The Rattlestick. As a TV writer, Sofia has written for USA's Sirens, and currently, she writes for the FX comedy Man Seeking Woman.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 277: Suki Kim

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 01:52:02 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Suki Kim, a novelist, investigative journalist and the only writer ever to go live undercover in North Korea to investigate and write a book from the inside. In 2002, she travelled to North Korea, where she witnessed both Kim Jong-il's 60th Birthday celebrations as well as his death, and she later wrote a number of pieces for Harper's about the country. Suki is a recipient of a Guggenheim, a Fulbright, and a George Soros Foundation Open Society fellowship. As well, her first novel, The Interpreter, was a finalist for a PEN Hemingway Prize, and her aforementioned book of investigative literary nonfiction, Without You, There Is No Us: Undercover Among the Sons of North Korea's Elite is a New York Times bestseller.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 276: Barbara Manning

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 06:02:24 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Barbara Manning. Barbara is prolific songwriter originally from California, where she spent part of her childhood on a commune. While attending Chico State University in 1983, Manning played bass with the seminal jangle-pop band 28th Day, and since then she's recorded a number of albums under her own name and has played with and fronted a number of amazing bands including World of Pooh, SF Seals, The Go-Luckys!. She's collaborated with everyone from Jon Langford of The Mekons to The Magnetic Fields' Stephen Merritt, and her albums have been released by some of the best indie labels around including SubPop, K Records, Matador and Teenbeat.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 275: Cole Escola

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 04:12:40 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Cole Escola. Cole is a comedian, actor, and writer; one of the 2014 OUT 100; as well as one of Time Out New York's Top Ten Downtown Cabaret Performers. He was the co-creator, writer, and star of the lo-fi cult-hit TV show Jeffery & Cole Casserole, which ran on Logo for two seasons, and also originated the role of Bridget Everett's fetus in Rock Bottom. Cole currently plays Billy Eichner's nemesis Matthew on Hulu's Difficult People, which is now in it's second season!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 274: Adam Wade

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 05:17:54 +0000

On today's episode I talk to storyteller Adam Wade. For the past thirteen years, Adam has been a fixture in both the New York City storytelling and comedy scenes. He is the winner of 20 SLAMS at The Moth, including two GrandSLAM Championships, and has toured across North America with The Moth Main Stage. In addition, Adam's Time Out Critic's pick solo show The Adam Wade from NH Show has been running since 2010, and his first album Adam Wade: The Human Comedy was just released last year!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 273: Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 04:29:49 +0000

On today's episode I talk to writer/directors Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss. Charles and SV broke out with their film Fort Tilden, a satire of Millennial Brooklyn, which won the Grand Jury Award at SXSW 2014. Since then, they've written on the first season of Netflix's Wet Hot American Summer revival, and are the co-creators of the forthcoming TBS series Search Party starring Alia Shawkat.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Field Guide episode 30: The New York Television Festival

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 02:55:07 +0000

I used to do bonus episodes of the show somewhat regularly called "Field Guides" where I'd talk to people about the actual steps they took to create a project or about a specific topic around the theme of creating things for a living. Like, I talked to Abbi and Ilana about how they actually made the Broad City webseries (back before it was even a TV show!) - and the idea is to try and demystify making TV, videos and other creative things on a professional level. Today on the show I talk to Terence Gray, the founder and executive director of the New York Television Festival, and Ian Thake, the director of programming for the festival. Founded in 2005, The NYTVF is a pioneer of the independent television movement, connecting its community of artists with leading networks, studios, agencies, production companies, and brands. Terence, Ian and I get in deep about the origins of the festival, how somebody starts a festival in the first place, as well as thoughts and tips on indie TV and the television development process!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 272: Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 02:20:11 +0000

On today's episode I talk to Wes Miles of the indie rock band Ra Ra Riot. Originally from New Jersey, Wes has been playing music for most of his life. Ra Ra Riot formed in January 2006, playing at houses and venues around the Syracuse University campus. After recording a demo, they started to attract attention, eventually getting signed to Barsuk Records, who's released all four of their albums The Rhumb Line, The Orchard, Beta Love, and their latest Need Your Light (all are very worth your time!). On the side, Wes has released an album with former-Vampire Weekend-er Rostam Batmanglij under the name Discovery. It is also awesome!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 271: String Noise

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 04:07:27 +0000

On today's episode I talk to avant-garde violin duo String Noise. For over half a decade, Conrad Harris and Pauline Kim, the husband/wife violin duo comprising String Noise, have built a reputation as relentless contemporary music advocates with a punk sensibility. They've done this through their covers of bands like Deerhoof, Bad Brains, Black Flag and Minutemen and through their classical performances, the two having premiered works by composers like Christian Wolff, John King, Phill Niblock, and John Zorn. String Noise has released an EP on Northern Spy Records called The Book of Strange Positions and are currently recording a full-length album.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 270: Oli Chang of High Highs

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 02:56:26 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Oli Chang. Originally from Australia, Oli is one-half, along with Jack Milas, of the celebrated ambient dream-pop band High Highs. Since 2011, they've released a self-titled EP and two albums Open Season and Cascades. All of them are wonderful. In addition, Oli also has his own solo project called Animal Feelings!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 269: Chris McCullough AKA Jackson Publick

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 08:03:14 +0000

On today's episode I talk to comic and TV writer Christopher McCullough AKA Jackson Publick. Chris began his comics career after a superhero spoof of his caught the eye of The Tick creator Ben Edlund, who asked Chris to write a spin-off, which then led to writing for the animated and live-action series. In 2003, Chris and his writing partner created the fantastic animated series The Venture Bros. for Adult Swim, which is currently their longest running original series.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 268: Will Sharpe

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 26 May 2016 05:32:27 +0000

On today's episode I talk to actor and writer Will Sharpe. Will grew up in Tokyo and London and went to university at Cambridge, where he was president of the Footlights Revue. After graduating, he began his acting career, first with the Royal Shakespeare Company and later on a number of TV shows including Casualty, Sherlock and Dirk Gently. As a writer, Will's written for Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and his first feature film Black Pond was nominated for a BAFTA award. Most recently, he wrote and directed the show Flowers (which can be seen in the States on Seeso) starring Julian Barrett of The Mighty Boosh and Olivia Colman from Broadchurch.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 267: Open Mike Eagle

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 May 2016 07:02:18 +0000

On today's episode I talk to rapper and podcaster Open Mike Eagle. Originally from Chicago, Mike moved to LA where his hip hop career began, first as part of the collective Project Blowed and the trio Thirsty Fish, and later as a solo artist. He's released five albums: Unapologetic Art Rap, Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes, 4NML HSPTL, Dark Comedy, and his latest Hella Personal Film Festival. As a podcaster, he hosts two great shows: an interview one called Secret Skin and an Adventure Time show with John Moe called Conversation Parade!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 266: Ohal Grietzer

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 May 2016 05:18:28 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Ohal Grietzer. Born and raised in Ashkelon, Israel, Ohal moved to New York in 2001, where she began collaborating on a number of musical projects with people like Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Tyondai Braxton, and Kyp Malone's Rain Machine. Her latest album Acid Park is out this month on Styles Upon Styles Records.

Separate from her work as a musician, Ohal is also a Palestinian-rights activist, a member of Anarchists Against the Wall, and is involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, having recently written an article with Brian Eno urging musicians to support the movement.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 265: Todd Goldstein of ARMS

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 May 2016 04:29:31 +0000

On today's episode I talk to musician Todd Goldstein. Originally from Boston, Todd started ARMS as a musical outlet for himself when he first moved to Brooklyn. ARMS was put on the backburner though when in 2006 he joined the indie rock band Harlem Shakes. They released one album on Gigantic Music before disbanding three years later, at which time, ARMS became Todd's primary musical focus. He's recorded a number of EPs under the moniker, as well as three albums: Kids Aflame, Summer Skills, and Patterns, his latest, which will be released in June on Paper Garden Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Field Guide episode 29: Karan Bajaj on Writer's Block and Travel

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 05:09:42 +0000

I used to do bonus episodes of the show somewhat regularly called "Field Guides" where I'd talk to people about the actual steps they took to create a project or about a specific topic around the theme of creating things for a living. Like, I talked to Abbi and Ilana about how they actually made the Broad City webseries (back before it was even a TV show!) - and the idea is to try and demystify making TV, videos and other creative things on a professional level. Today on the show I talk to Indian American author Karan Bajaj about how he overcomes writer's block through world travel. Karan is the author of three contemporary Indian novels, Keep Off the Grass (a semi-finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award), Johnny Gone Down, and The Seeker, and a super-interesting guy. And we talk about everything from growing up in a small, remote village in India to what it was like to live on an ashram and meditate all day.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 264: Bonnie McFarlane

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 03:30:57 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to stand-up and writer Bonnie McFarlane. Bonnie hails from Canada, where she grew up on a small farm in Alberta. An accomplished stand-up, she's appeared on everything from The Tonight Show to Letterman to Last Comic Standing and has her own HBO One Night Stand and Comedy Central Presents. In addition to being the director of the wonderful documentary Women Aren't Funny, Bonnie is also an author, and her memoir You're Better Than Me was recently published by Anthony Bourdain's Ecco imprint. (And it's quite fantastic!)

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 263: Josh Gondelman

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 04:29:13 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Peabody Award-winning and Emmy nominated stand-up and writer Josh Gondelman. Originally from Boston, Josh is currently based in New York where he previously wrote for Billy on the Street and currently writes for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. In addition, Josh is the co-author (along with Joe Berkowitz) of the book You Blew It, and his latest comedy album Physical Whisper was released just last month. (And heck is it wonderful!)

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 262: Dylan Marron

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 04:17:58 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and actor Dylan Marron. Dylan is a Drama Desk-nominated writer & performer based in New York City. He is the voice of Carlos on the hit podcast Welcome to Night Vale and the co-creator and performer of Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite, a 17-character middle school talent show, in which he and Jo Firestone play every role. Dylan's also an ensemble member of the New York Neo-Futurists, as well as the creator of Every Single Word, a video series that edits down popular films to only feature the words spoken by people of color.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 261: Larkin Grimm

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 06:22:49 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Larkin Grimm. A descendent of the Brothers Grimm themselves, Larkin grew up in a monastic order called The Holy Order of MANS. Spending her childhood in rural Georgia, Larkin eventually earned a scholarship to Yale, which she attended on and off for many years, using the intervening sabbaticals to travel all over the world. At Yale, she met Dave Longstreth and became a member of Dirty Projectors for a time, and after began recording music on her own, which includes four albums: Harpoon, The Last Tree, Parplar and Soul Retrieval.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 260: Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 06:07:34 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg. Scott grew up in Stockton, California where he met his childhood friend and future bandmate Stephen Malkmus. Along with drummer Gary Young, the two formed Pavement in 1989, and went on to release five albums and a number of EPs, eventually becoming one of the biggest indie rock bands of the time. After the band broke up in 1999, Scott went on to record two albums as The Preston School of Industry and one album under his own name. He is currently finishing up his latest as-yet unnamed record, which is his first in seven years.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 259: Curtis Gwinn

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 05:19:20 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to TV writer Curtis Gwinn. Originally from Chicago, Curtis grew up in the suburbs outside of New York City, eventually finding his way to UCB. There he became a teacher and performer, and co-founded the team Death by Roo Roo, one of the best improv groups to come out of the theatre. His first professional jobs included writing for The Man Show and Human Giant, and from there he went on to co-create the Adult Swim show Fat Guy Stuck in Internet. Since moving to Los Angeles, he's written for NTSF:SD:SUV, The Walking Dead, The Leftovers, The Bastard Executioner and the forthcoming NTSF spin-off Filthy Preppy Teen$.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 258: Gareth Reynolds

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 07:18:35 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedian Gareth Reynolds. Gareth's parents originally hail from the UK, but Gareth was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He's co-created The Travel Channel show Mancations and the MTV show Failosophy, he's written for the Comedy Central show Idiotsitter, and nearest and dearest to my heart, he's the co-host of one of the best podcasts around The Dollop, an American history podcast he does with stand-up and Maron-writer Dave Anthony.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 257: Jacqueline Novak

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 07:43:44 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to stand-up and writer Jacqueline Novak. Easily one of the best and most creative stand-ups in New York, Jacqueline has been performing for over a decade. She has her own comedy album Quality Notions, she's appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and recently Three Rivers Press published her first book How to Weep In Public, a part-memoir/part-comedic guide to dealing with depression.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 256: Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 07:46:35 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to the creators of the new HBO show Animals Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano. Phil and Mike are from New Jersey and Long Island respectively, and while working at an advertising agency together, the two created the webseries Animals, which was then shown at Channel 101 and garnered the "Best Comedy Pilot" award at the 2013 New York Television Festival. After a manager introduce the pair to the Duplass brothers, Mike and Phil moved to LA where the Duplasses helped them independently produce a season of the show, which then got sold to HBO (where you can now see it!).

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 255: Geneva Carr

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 06:14:21 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Tony-nominated actor Geneva Carr. Geneva is a film, theater and television actor originally from Jackson, Mississippi. After studying French at Mount Holyoke, she moved to Paris and began a career in the world of business. Banking proved to be a lackluster life though, and a chance rekindling of her childhood love of acting led to her pursuing it professionally. This has obviously paid off, as Geneva just ended a run on Broadway in the fantastic play Hand to God, playing the role of the newly-widowed Margery, a performance which earned Geneva a Tony nomination for "Best Performance by a Leading Actress".

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 254: Streeter Seidell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 09:21:34 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedian and writer Streeter Seidell. Streeter first gained popularity as part of the cast of CollegeHumor's online videos, including the viral series Prank Wars. This led to an MTV series with his fellow CollegeHumor colleague Amir Blumenfeld called Pranked. In 2013, Streeter wrote for the ABC sitcom Trophy Wife and a year later joined the writing staff Saturday Night Live.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 253: Alex Ross Perry

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 06:45:30 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to filmmaker Alex Ross Perry. Alex was raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and attended NYU, where he graduated from their film program. In 2009, he made his first feature film Imipolex on a shoestring budget, and since then, he's made three other films: The Color Wheel in 2011, Listen Up Philip in 2014 (which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival) and his most recent film Queen of Earth starring Elisabeth Moss, which had its world premiere last year at the Berlin Film Festival..

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 252: Rick Moody

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 05:48:57 +0000

On today's episode - the sixth anniversary of Beginnings - I talk to writer Rick Moody. Rick was born in New York City, and attended Brown and Columbia universities. His first novel, Garden State, was the winner of the 1991 Editor’s Choice Award from the Pushcart Press and his next novel, The Ice Storm, was published in May 1994 by Little, Brown and Company. The film version, directed by Ang Lee, was released by Fox Searchlight in 1997 and won best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, ten more of his novels have been published, including his memoir The Black Veil and two collections of short stories. Rick has been the recipient of many awards for his writing including the Paris Review Aga Khan Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and his latest novel, Hotels of North America, was published in 2015.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 251: Andrew Keoghan

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 05:47:38 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Andrew Keoghan. Originally from New Zealand, Andrew is a Brooklyn-based indie pop/folk artist. His first album Arctic Tales Divide was released in 2011, and was short-listed for a Taite Music Prize, which is an annual prize awarded for the best album from New Zealand. His latest album Every Orchid Offering will be out later this year.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 250: Laura Cantrell

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 05:13:10 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to New York-based country music artist Laura Cantrell. Born in Nashville, TN, she came to New York to attend Columbia, and found that her abiding interest in country music helped her stay connected with her family roots. That interest was the motivation behind her long-running radio program The Radio Thrift Shop, which was on WFMU for thirteen years. She began her career as a recording artist as part of one of Mac McCaughan's first groups Bricks, and she even sings on TMBG's Apollo 18. Her first album of her own Not the Tremblin' Kind was released in 2000, and John Peel said of it: "[It is] my favourite record of the last ten years and possibly my life". Five more albums of hers have been released since then, and her latest is 2014's No Way There From Here, which is simply brilliant.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 249: Xenia Rubinos

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 03:34:05 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist Xenia Rubinos. Originally from Hartford, CT, Xenia was raised in a multicultural household by a Cuban father and a Puerto Rican mother. And bits and pieces of her heritage show up in her music, along with everything from Deerhoof-inspired riffs to Caribbean rhythms to math rock like Hella and everything in-between. This is all showcased on her debut album Magic Trix, which is amazing and available on Ba Da Bing! Records.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Field Guide episode 28: Making a TV Show w/ Naomi Ekperigin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 05:32:33 +0000

Happy New Year's Eve, friends! Instead of a new guest this week - I didn't want them to get lost in the holiday shuffle - I thought I'd try something I haven't done in a few years. I used to do bonus episodes of the show called "Field Guides" where I'd talk to people about the actual steps they took to create a project. Like, I talked to Abbi and Ilana about how they actually made the Broad City webseries (back before it was even a TV show!) - and the idea is to try and demystify making TV, videos and other creative things on a professional level. So, my almost-wife Naomi Ekperigin and I are currently in the middle of creating a pilot presentation that could possibly become a TV series, so I thought we'd spend a little time talking about that, about how one gets the opportunity in the first place to make a TV show, about what does it mean to executive produce something and much more. Hope you enjoy it, and we'll see you next week for a new episode!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 248: Gabrielle Smith

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 06:45:27 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Gabby Smith, the woman behind the band Eskimeaux. As Gabby puts it in an interview with Stereogum, Eskimeaux began slightly to spite an ex-boyfriend that accused her of not doing anything. So overnight in 2007, she recorded her first album. Since then she's released a number of records, and her latest is the beautiful Two Mountains, which is available from Yellow K Records. Gabby is also a founding member of The Epoch, a Brooklyn-based songwriting and art collective.

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Episode 247: Daniel Kibblesmith

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 03:40:16 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedy writer Daniel Kibblesmith. Originally from Chicago, Daniel has has done many cool comedy things in his career. This includes being a contributing writer for The Onion News Network, writing for Buzzfeed and ClickHole, producing exclusive videos for Funny or Die and The Best Show, co-authoring the humor book How to Win at Everything, and writing the amazing Twitter feed GOPTeens. And that's just a selection! Currently, Daniel is a writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 246: Ed Askew

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 06:09:30 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to painter and singer-songwriter Ed Askew. Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1940, Ed left in the early '60s to attend Yale Art School. In 1967, he moved to New York in the middle of the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene, and met Bernard Stollman, the founder of the ESP-Disk label, which was dedicated to releasing uncommercial acts, which included Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman and Ed's own folk album Ask the Unicorn. With no organized tours however, and hardly any press support from ESP, Ed’s album soon descended into hardly-seen-or-heard obscurity status, before finally finding re-release in the mid-2000s on De Stijl Records. Since being rediscovered, Ed's past and current work has been celebrated with Pitchfork and many other high-profile music media praised his work, labeling him as a NY legend. His latest albums can be found on Spinning Gold Records, Tin Angel Records as well as Drag City.

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Episode 245: Mehran Khaghani

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 03:26:32 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to comedian Mehran Khaghani. Born in London to Iranian parents, Mehran grew up partly in Iran and mostly in the suburbs of Boston. In 2007, he began pursuing stand-up as a career and quickly became a Boston favorite, prompting his move to New York. And not only was Mehran on the latest season of Last Comic Standing, but he can now be seen performing regularly at the city's best stand-up club The Comedy Cellar.

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Episode 244: Kevin Barker

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 06:42:18 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kevin Barker. From 1995 to 2002, Kevin was a member of the wonderful indie rock band Aden, whose four albums were released on the fantastic label TeenBeat. At the same time, Kevin had his own solo-ish project called Currituck Co. In addition to these groups, he's played with Antony and the Johnsons, The Essex Green, Hercules and Love Affair, The Ladybug Transistor, Vashti Bunyan, Vetiver and as part of Joanna Newsom's Ys Street Band.

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Episode 243: Aya Cash

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 04:03:18 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to actor Aya Cash. The daughter of a poet and a Buddhist teacher, Aya grew up in San Francisco. After moving to New York, she was cast in a number of plays, films and TV shows, including Zoe Kazan's play Trudy and Max In Love, Law and Order: SVU, and The Good Wife. Currently Aya plays Gretchen, one of the lead roles, in the fantastic FX series You're the Worst.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 242: Kurt Heasley

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 04:47:55 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Kurt Heasley. A Floridian by birth, Kurt spent his early years in Hopatcong, NJ and in Virginia Beach. In 1988, he recorded a demo tape which he gave to Slumberland Records boss Mike Schulman. Schulman was so impressed with the demo that he released Kurt's first records, which were recorded under the name The Lilys. Between 1992 and 2006, Kurt would go on to record eight albums as The Lilys including A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns, Eccsame the Photon Band, and Everything Wrong Is Imaginary, which span genres from shoegaze to psych-rock to mod revival. Although Kurt stopped making music full time to concentrate on other pursuits, he plays every now and then, including some recent shows in Philly and New York.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 241: Anika Pyle

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 05:12:58 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Anika Pyle. Originally from Monument, Colorado, Anika moved to New York with some friends to play music. And in 2012, she, along with Drew Johnson, Doug McKeever, and Dan Frelly, formed the Superchunk-esque band Chumped. In 2013 and 2014, Anchorless Records released two of their EPs, one self-titled and the other named That's The Thing Is Like..., and then later that year, they released their first full-length Teenage Retirement. All are well worth your time.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 240: Ted Alexandro

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 05:19:55 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to stand-up and activist Ted Alexandro. A New York native, Ted has been performing comedy for over 20 years and was called one of the linchpins of New York comedy by Time Out. He's performed on Letterman, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, The View, and he has two half-hour specials on Comedy Central. Ted is also heavily involved in activism, including the Occupy Wall Street movement. He was also one of the founders of The New York Comedians Coalition, which helped organize New York stand-ups to fight for better pay.

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Episode 239: Briana Marela

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 02:50:36 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to musician Briana Marela. A Seattle native, Briana knew she wanted to be a musician from a young age. In 2010 she released her first album Water Ocean Lake, and two years later Bicycle Records put out her next one Speak From the Heart (which is wonderful). Her first album on a larger indie label All Around Us was recorded in late 2013 in Reykjavik, Iceland with some of the dudes from Sigur Rós and múm, and it was released in August on Jagjaguwar!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 238: Marina Franklin

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 04:12:54 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to stand-up and writer Marina Franklin. Originally from Chicago, she moved to New York in 1997 after getting her Master's degree in theater. Two short years later, she made the decision to pursue comedy as a career and since then has appeared in numerous shows including Chappelle's Show, Inside Amy Schumer, and The Nightly Show. Marina's performed stand-up on Last Comic Standing, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, the Showtime special Women Who Kill, and most recently killed it on Conan, as well as internationally at festivals like the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Montreal’s Just For Laughs, and Ireland’s Kilkenny Comedy Festival. Most recently, Marina has been working as a writer on the new Sharon Horgan HBO show Divorce!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.

Episode 237: Leslye Headland

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 02:52:46 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to writer and director Leslye Headland. Leslye began her career in showbiz as an assistant to film producer Harvey Weinstein. But her career as a professional filmmaker began in 2012 when her film Bachelorette with Lizzy Caplan and Rebel Wilson debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. Leslye is also a playwright and screenwriter - Bachelorette is based on one of the plays in her Seven Deadly Sins cycle, and she penned the screenplay for the Kevin Hart remake of About Last Night. This year, Leslye's second movie Sleeping with Other People premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and in September had a theatrical release by IFC Films.

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Episode 236: Ted Rall

andy@beginningspod.com (Andy Beckerman) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 04:30:30 +0000

On today's episode, I talk to political cartoonist and writer Ted Rall. Originally from Kettering, Ohio, Ted's cartooning career began at Columbia University, where he contributed to a number of publications. Since then, his comics have been syndicated in newspapers and alt weeklies around the country, and in magazines like Rolling Stone, Time, and Fortune, and he's edited a series of anthologies of alternative comics called Attitude. Ted's work has also won numerous awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award twice and was a finalist for both the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Ted's latest graphic novel Snowden is a look at the whistleblower's life and the surveillance state, and is available from Seven Stories Press.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter.