Talkhouse Podcast

The Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Interpol frontman Paul Banks (together Banks and Steelz) recently sat down for what may be the Talkhouse Podcast's most freewheeling conversation to date. Their talk includes: music production hardware versus software, RZA’s enthusiasm for a recent Donald Trump speech, the President of the Philippines, Banks’ feelings about Suicide Squad, why Bill Clinton was at a Chance the Rapper set, Jessica Alba, confusing Bill Hader and Johnny Depp, and, oh yeah, their collaboration on their debut record, Anything But Words. Check it out and subscribe now on iTunes orStitcher to stay in the loop! — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

Representing two generations of game-changing hip hop production technique, DJ Shadow and Clams Casino recently caught up in New York City to tape an episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast. They discussed their new records, Shadow’s Endtroducing..... remake, the ways that recording and sampling have changed over the years, and how it’s sometimes worth giving a great MC (like A$AP Rocky) a beat you were saving for your own record. Take a listen and subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

On this week’s episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast, Andy Rourke of the Smiths and Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries sit down to discuss their new supergroup, D.A.R.K, and we give their song, "High Fashion," its world premiere. The new bandmates and old friends talk Dolores’ teenage Smiths fandom, Stephen Street (who helmed production duties on iconic records for both groups), initial reaction from their legendary bands’ diehard fans to the new project, and getting pelted onstage at festivals back in the day by a half-eaten apple and a packet of sausages adorned with the note "Meat is Murder." Take a listen and subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer NB: If you can’t contain your excitement and need to hear "High Fashion" before the talk, skip ahead to 4:30. We don't blame you.

Songwriter/composer Julia Holter and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew sat down backstage at Pitchfork Fest earlier this summer to discuss the difference between writing solo and with a group, how the next Broken Social Scene record needs some Bobby McFerrin-esque acapella… and a possible collaboration. Take a listen and subscribe now on iTunesor Stitcher to stay in the loop on future Talkhouse Podcasts. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

Spencer Tweedy of the bands Tweedy and the Blisters sat down with Julian Ehrlich and Max Kakacek of Whitney backstage at Pitchfork Music Festival and talked about Chicago’s young rock scene, Wilco’s legendary studio, embarrassing moments with Wayne Coyne and Snoop Dogg, and, in an exciting twist, potentially collaborating. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop! — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

R&B singer BJ the Chicago Kid made his name guesting on tracks by Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre and more. Now, he's dropped his own excellent new album, In My Mind. Rapper Mick Jenkins, also from Chicago and also a Chance collaborator, draws on his poetry background to deliver lyrics that are breathtakingly constructed. BJ and Mick caught up backstage at Pitchfork Fest earlier this summer and discussed violence in Chicago, the way rappers talk about women and much more. Bonus: There's an amazing story about working with Dr. Dre. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, standup comedian and Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani sits down with DANIELS (aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), the directors of one his recent favorite movies, Swiss Army Man. The trio talk about their latest projects – the aforementioned “farting corpse” movie, DANIELS' new interactive short Possibilia, and Nanjiani's upcoming feature as writer-actor The Big Sick – as well as the insurance-related impact of action thrillers and superhero movies, the effect ADHD and anxiety on Kwan and Nanjiani's careers and creativity, the perennial arguments Scheinert and Nanjiani have with their respective partners, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Shamir and Porches’ Aaron Maine sat down backstage at Pitchfork Music Festival to talk Taylor Swift, songwriting, Taylor Swift again, and how both started with guitars but are known for their electronic sounds. We recorded even more podcasts backstage at Pitchfork Music Fest, including Julia Holter and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, BJ the Chicago Kid and Mick Jenkins, Spencer Tweedy and Whitney, and last week's episode with Brian Wilson and Carly Rae Jepsen and Kamasi Washington and Thundercat. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop!

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, White Reindeer director and regular Talkhouse Film contributor Zach Clark sits down with one of his filmmaking idols, John Waters, whose second feature Multiple Maniacs is now on release in a beautifully restored new version. Clark and Waters' highly entertaining conversation touches on such topics as Waters' encounters with people as diverse as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Justin Bieber, the theatrical stunts he used to pull to get publicity for his films, why he loves Terrence Malick's movies (even though he really shouldn't), his mother's reaction to seeing his first film, recent movies he and Clark have enjoyed, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

At Pitchfork Music Festival, we gave Carly Rae Jepsen the chance to ask head Beach Boy Brian Wilson any question she could dream of. Hear the "Call Me Maybe" singer kick off today's Talkhouse Music Podcast with her choice. Next, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner and Kamasi Washington sat down to talk growing up playing music together, working with Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus, the last conversation Thundercat ever had with J Dilla, and much more. We recorded even more podcasts backstage at Pitchfork Music Fest, including Julia Holter and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, Porches’ Aaron Maine and Shamir, BJ the Chicago Kid and Mick Jenkins, and Spencer Tweedy and Whitney. Subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop!

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film Podcast, Zac Stuart-Pontier, the editor of Catfish, Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Jinx, chats with his former collaborators Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the directing team behind Catfish and the new thriller Nerve. In a wide-ranging conversation, the three old friends talk about the genesis of Catfish, favorite New York films, their movie tattoo tradition, the crazy dare inNerve Lionsgate thought they’d done for real, their upcoming projects – including a surprising left turn from Stuart-Pontier – and their colorful memories of the Meatpacking District from back in the day. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, two legendary figures of the New York independent film scene, Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton and The Toxic Avenger director and Troma mastermind Lloyd Kaufman, sit down for a chat at Samsung 837. Their highly entertaining conversation touches on such subjects as how to survive as an indie filmmaker, their cinematic idols and influences, the advantages and disadvantages of working outside the system, all things scatological, Comic-Con, and Leni Riefenstahl's body odor. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, two of the funniest people around – Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant and Inside Amy Schumer's head writer, Jessi Klein – meet for the first time. Talking on the day Klein's new book, You'll Grow Out of It, is published, the two have a hilarious conversation about the very specific discomfort of SNL writing nights, Emmy awkwardness, casting nightmares, their SNL host crushes (which leads to a great story about Drake), the celebrity Jessi recently drunk-dialed, hot guys, bras and breasts, and a whole bunch more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

New York band Hollis Brown recently sat down with the legendary English group The Zombies for a Talkhouse Music Podcast recorded live at Samsung 837. Over the course of the conversation, Hollis Brown’s Mike Montali and Jonathan Bonilla drew out a history of The Zombies’ singular career as told by key members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone. Get ready for tales of meeting The Rolling Stones in their hardcore R&B purist days, how the Zombies tried to meet Elvis while in Memphis but hung out with his dad instead, and how it feels to have their new record, Still Got That Hunger, in six Billboard charts after not touching those hallowed heights for 50 years. You’ll also hear about Hollis Brown singer Montali writing Aaron Neville’s new song “I Wanna Love You”, and how guitarist Bonilla got a little too drunk one night in Memphis… and ended up with an Elvis tattoo.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, filmmaker and regular Talkhouse Film contributor sits down for an intimate conversation with one of his favorite directors, Michel Gondry, whose latest film, Microbe and Gasoline, is in theaters now. The two discuss a variety of topics – including deep dives into music and romantic relationships, as well as film – and touch on such topics as the secret to Dave Chapelle's comic genius and to Noam Chomsky's romantic appeal, how Gondry played the drums with Paul McCartney and Kanye West, Gondry's fear of jokes and his love of the word "both,” and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On this latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, to mark the release of Nicolas Winding Refn's dark, stylish thriller The Neon Demon, filmmaker and Talkhouse Film contributor Aaron Stewart-Ahn sits down with the Danish director. In a highly entertaining conversation, Refn opens up about such diverse subjects as embracing narcism, how overcoming dyslexia taught him to turn his weaknesses into strengths, the filmmaking advice he received from Elia Kazan, the near-spiritual experiences he had communing with master auteurs Alejandro Jodorowsky and Dario Argento, his time as a club kid in New York City in the 1980s, his surprising home-viewing habits, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Sean Lennon (The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) and Les Claypool (Primus) have formed the proggy psych supergroup the Claypool Lennon Delirium. The two recently recorded a Talkhouse Music Podcast live at Samsung 837 in New York City, where they discussed their new record, The Monolith Of Phobos, Les’ musical beginnings playing in Hells Angels bars, and the origin of Sean’s surname. Their conversation also covers Trump, Noel Fielding, Sean’s beliefs about body odors, how indie musicians will rule the planet and spirochetes. The Monolith Of Phobos came out June 3 on ATO Records, and the band is currently touring America.

On this latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, musician, actor, writer and broadcaster Henry Rollins sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Alex Winter, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker also known for playing Bill in the Bill and Ted movies. In an inspiring, wide-ranging discussion touching on their many creative pursuits, the two talk about numerous subjects, including: how Crispin Glover encouraged Rollins to pursue acting, Winter's classic response to MTV's request for him to VJ in character as Bill, Rollins' story about taking a bus to a catastrophic audition for The Lion King, his planned documentary which was nixed in record time by National Geographic. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry have a mutual appreciation society, and in today’s episode of The Talkhouse Music Podcast, they meet for the very first time. The two discuss songwriting, the Glasgow and Seattle music scenes, life on the road, and the co-headlining tour they were about to embark on (which is underway now).

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, Tim and Eric's Tim Heidecker sits down in the Samsung 837 studio for a chat with Chris Gethard, of Broad City and The Chris Gethard Show. The two comedians discuss Heidecker's new record, In Glendale, their unusual career paths, Andy Kaufman, the SNL theme music, and more – before chaos (and even greater hilarity) ensues when they invite wave after wave of audience members to join them in the studio. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

Two of experimental music's most important figures — Ian Williams of Battles and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth — talk lyrics, writing for bands versus scoring orchestral music, and the profound musical influence of the cheerleading movie Bring It On in this edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast, recorded live at Samsung 837.

Two of the Talkhouse Music Podcast’s most beloved guests — the Roots’ Questlove and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Portlandia — reunited onstage recently to celebrate Questlove’s new book, Something To Food About: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs. Joined by celebrated Chef Dominique Crenn at Urban Outfitters’ Space Ninety 8 in Brooklyn, they discussed Madonna, soul food and how eating on tour gets a lot better once you get some real success… unless you’re Eminem. Many thanks to Urban Outfitters and Space Ninety 8 for allowing The Talkhouse to record and release this conversation.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, Jason Reitman talks with fellow director Karyn Kusama, whose fine new film, The Invitation, is out now. Over the course of their fascinating and intimate conversation, Kusama and Reitman discuss misleading trailers, the impact of TV's golden age on cinema, the pros and cons of test screening, how parenthood affects their approach to filmmaking, the end of the world, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the new episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, as she winds up the Kickstarter campaign for Axis, her debut feature as director, the multi-talented Aisha Tyler talks with fellow actress-turned-director Amber Tamblyn, whose Paint It Black premieres in June at the LA Film Festival. In their very entertaining and funny conversation, the two discuss their respective paths to the director's chair, great L.A. movies (and Keeping Up with the Kardashians), why Amber is Aisha's "Oreo tit," how Aisha is a “machine,” and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On a very special new episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, to coincide with the release of Pee-wee's Big Holiday, hip-hop star, actor and longtime Pee-wee Herman fan Kid Cudi is in conversation with Pee-wee himself, Paul Reubens. The topics they talk about include how they first met, Reubens' journey to bring Pee-wee Herman back to the big screen, Cudi's strong dislike of skunks (and recent encounter with a mountain lion), plus a discussion by both of planned creative projects that they've never talked about before. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

When Brandi Carlile was an up-and-coming songwriter, she waited outside the Indigo Girls’ tour bus to meet her heroes. Fast forward a few years, and the Indigo Girls appeared on her 2007 album, The Story. By 2010, young musicians were waiting outside Carlile’s tour bus to meet her — including Mackenzie Scott, a.k.a. Torres. These two women are songwriters with a deep country influence who write lyrics that explore dark feelings — and deliver them like Armageddon is at their heels. They’re also huge fans of each other’s music. Hear Scott and Carlile discuss meeting their heroes, attempting to lead balanced lives while living on the road, and what it’s like being “gay Christ followers” on this episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast.

The latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast is a conversation between Ari Shaffir, stand-up comedian and host of Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, and one of the most recent guests on that show, Artie Lange, best known for The Howard Stern Show and MADtv. In a funny, provocative talk, the two share war stories about their lives as comics, such as Shaffir eating "tarnished" baked goods and receiving death threats for his videos, and Artie doing time in L.A. County Jail, working as a Santa in a strip club, and having a very memorable encounter with Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

This episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast — our first in a series of live recordings at New York’s Samsung 837 space — is a Broadway takeover. It features Hedwig and the Angry Inch co-creator and star John Cameron Mitchell in conversation with Javier Muñoz, who starred in In the Heights and is currently Lin-Manuel Miranda’s alternate in the runaway smash hit hip-hop musical, Hamilton. These two truly believe musical theater can change lives and push society forward; their lives, and this talk, echo that sentiment. Muñoz and Mitchell cover a lot in this conversation: rock & roll and hip-hop on Broadway, sure, but also Pussy Riot, New York City’s constant evolution, Glee, the way social media can inhibit artistic development, and David Bowie. Oh, they also discuss figuratively — and literally — peeing yourself on stage. You don’t want to miss this chat. — Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast producer and engineer

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, stand-up comedy hero and Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani talks with Michael Showalter about his new movie, Hello, My Name is Doris (in which Nanjiani has a small role). As well as that film, the two longtime friends discuss their first collaboration, the differing paths their careers have taken, Showalter's tremendous love of money, the practical joke that former colleague Jessi Klein is still mad about, their upcoming movie together, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, filmmaker, prolific screenwriter Max Landis — whose first film as director, Me Him Her, is out now — talks with one of his favorite filmmakers, Joe Dante. In a wide-ranging, rapid-fire conversation, Landis and the Gremlins director discuss Max's corny '80s movie-style altruism, the ultimate screenwriter tattoo, fake film announcements, the death of big movies with personality, and much more, including Landis' awesome pitch for a reboot of Gremlins. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, filmmaker, actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead marks the release of her new movie, 10 Cloverfield Lane, by sitting down with Togetherness star Melanie Lynskey. Over the course of a frank and entertaining conversation, the two discuss everything from the inevitable insecurities that come from watching yourself on screen, to improvisation, their beginnings in the film business, the perils of making audition tapes, and their differing approaches to timekeeping. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

The latest episode is the first in a series of podcasts brought to you by Talkhouse Film and Soho House, with whom we are teaming up to curate a regular series of special advance screenings followed by a conversation between the director and another filmmaker. Here, Re-Animator director (and regular Talkhouse Film contributor) Stuart Gordon talks with Robert Eggers, director of the horror phenomenon The Witch, with the two touching on such topics as the influence of Kubrick and silent cinema, the experience of casting witches and the need for a "Ken Loach time machine to the 17th Century." For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, filmmaker, photographer and author Alix Lambert talks with her friend of almost 30 years, Fred Armisen. In a lively, wide-ranging conversation, the two touch upon such subjects as their mutual love of Bitmoji and airport texting, why Fred insisted The Wizard of Oz was a documentary to Alix's CalArts class, the incredible story surrounding Fred's half-brother's mother and the Stasi, and, of course, Portlandia, Documentary Now and his upcoming Spanish-language comedy show for Más Mejor. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Film podcast, in a special conversation recorded after a screening of Laurie Anderson's documentary Heart of a Dog, the acclaimed musician, artist and filmmaker talks onstage with fellow New York director Darren Aronofsky, best known for his films Pi, Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan. The pair discuss Anderson's new film, which ponders questions of love, death and language, and touch on such other diverse subjects as Herman Melville's discussions with his editor about Moby Dick and the problems that can come from putting batteries in one's mouth. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film at talkhouse.com/film.

In 2000, Tunde Adebimpe and Dave Sitek formed TV on the Radio, one of the most creative, inspired and influential bands of their era. Fifteen years, five albums and a whole lot of ups and downs later, they've still managed to preserve that energy and vision. Which is pretty remarkable. Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Ruban Nielson has also sustained a very long creative streak. He'd played guitar in a hard-edged New Zealand post-hardcore band called the Mint Chicks, and when that ended, he found himself in Portland, Oregon, around 2010. He began messing around with music again — making highly wrought, idiosyncratic basement recordings with an odd psychedelic feel. This new project — Unknown Mortal Orchestra — got a record deal, and Nielson began touring and gathering crowds and critical praise. The UMO sound has broadened and morphed over the course of three albums, right through this year's release, the acclaimed and addictively strange Multi-Love. In retrospect, it's no surprise that Adebimpe and Nielson are huge fans of each other's music — they have a similar creative spirit — and they have lots of other things in common too, as you're about to hear. But, aside from the Mint Chicks opening for TV on the Radio many years ago, they'd never really met. What a great excuse to put them together and see what they talk about. And the answer is: a whole lot of very interesting things, like, when you write a song that comes from a deep emotional place, how do you find it in yourself to sing that song on stage, night after night — and sometimes for year after year? Where does inspiration come from? What does success do to creativity? And there's a lot more where that came from. Give a listen.

If you come out of the indie community and you make synth-based music, you owe a huge debt to an iconic duo called Suicide. In fact, if you come out of the indie community at all, you owe a huge debt to Suicide. Starting in New York’s East Village in the early ’70s, Suicide were confrontational, tough, and absolutely visionary, and they were one of the first punk rock bands. But they had no guitars: it was just Martin Rev on cheap electric keyboards and drum machines, and notorious singer Alan Vega. This revolutionary, very DIY approach initially influenced English synth bands from Erasure to Throbbing Gristle, and went on to become a huge influence on industrial dance music, and everything from noise to ambient. Suicide has been covered by everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Savages, and their influence extends to bands like LCD Soundsystem, Liars and MIA, who sampled them on her 2010 track “Born Free.” Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo is a big Suicide fan, and he recently commissioned Martin Rev to remix “Annie,” a track from his new album VEGA INTL. Night School. So we invited these two representatives of different, but related, musical generations to sit down for a Talkhouse Music Podcast. They talked about all sorts of things: how you know when your music is done, the economic realities of being an artist, the evolution of New York City as an artistic capitol, creative cycles and the effect of the internet, and the birth of punk rock. Palomo knows his stuff, and Rev throws down a whole lot of hard-earned knowledge and wisdom, so listen closely.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The iconic multimedia artist Laurie Anderson always has two or three projects going at any one time, and aside from her acclaimed new feature film Heart of a Dog, she’s unveiling an installation and performance called Habeas Corpus, which takes place at the cavernous Park Avenue Armory in New York, October 2nd through 4th, 2015. Among Anderson’s collaborators on the show are the great Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, ace multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily and Anderson’s partner in this Talkhouse Music Podcast, Merrill Garbus from Tune-Yards. Garbus and Anderson actually met through a Talkhouse Music Podcast, and you can hear them hit it off in the course of that conversation. If fact, they hit it off so well that Anderson invited Garbus to develop a musical piece with her for Habeas Corpus. So, on the occasion of their collaboration, we brought these two remarkable artists back together for another chat. They spoke mostly about the show, but when you get two such brilliant, interesting people, the conversation is going to go to some fascinating places, and it sure did — everything from Anderson’s experiences with a psychiatrist to the reason why Garbus wanted to become an artist.

If there's a running theme in London neo-post-punk band Art Brut's rock music, it's rock music. The band's leader Eddie Argos isn't just a musician, he's a big-time music fan. And one of the musicians he's a big fan of is indie-pop sensation Ezra Furman, whose new album Perpetual Motion People takes inspiration from brilliant, nasal auteurs such as Bob Dylan, the Violent Femmes and Jonathan Richman to make smart, heartfelt music. But his songs are all over the map: sure, it's indie-pop, but he works in all kinds of sounds: mid-'60s pop, countrified ballads, '70s glam, doo-wop and sounds from a more recent vintage, like Destroyer and Built to Spill. Furman and Argos struck up a mutual appreciation society a few years ago when their two bands played some shows together, and it blossomed into a long-distance friendship. With Furman beginning to break through in the United Kingdom, we put the two musicians together for a Talkhouse Music Podcast. The two musicians found a lot to talk about: the time Furman accidentally got filmed naked, playing live as an opportunity to do something weird, parenthood and its effect on one's music, the advantages of being pretentious, and why "no" always beats "yes."

Hiss Golden Messenger’s most recent album Lateness of Dancers came out in the autumn of 2014, and found frontman M.C. Taylor’s songwriting process still evolving. He obviously thinks a lot about the craft and inspiration involved, so it’s no surprise that the songwriting process was the main thing he talked about with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James in this edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast My Morning Jacket brings in some disparate outside influences — prog-rock and disco, for instance — while Hiss Golden Messenger mostly keeps it local, with roots in country-rock, folk and Memphis r&b, but both musicians make their acclaimed music with a pronounced southern flavor. They have plenty in common, and they’re fans of each other’s work, which made for an interesting conversation. The two spoke via Skype while both were on tour — Taylor in Toronto and James in Niagara Falls, New York — and together they delved into the enduring mysteries of how songs are made.

This edition of the Talkhouse Music Podcast features Fred Thomas, longtime mainstay of the beloved, idiosyncratic lo-fi indie-pop band Saturday Looks Good to Me, with musician, motivational speaker, producer, nightclub impresario, advice columnist, and TV and radio host Andrew WK. It's a little-known fact that Mr. Thomas and Mr. WK go back a long way — 20 years, to when they were teenagers in the very weird and wild Ann Arbor, Michigan underground music scene. They're still good friends, and WK even guested on a song on Thomas' debut solo album All Are Saved, which came out this spring. These are two very thoughtful, well spoken and very experienced musicians, and conversation is filled with really great insights about what it's like to be a musician — any kind of musician. This is the kind of thing you won't get in an ordinary interview, so listen closely for an explanation of why your audience is your enemy, a great discussion about the value of criticism, a realistic definition of artistic success, musings on the intersection of life and art, and an attempt to pin down the mysterious miracle of artistic inspiration.