Primus Tracks

It's a double dose of delirium! We've packaged both the Cricket and the Genie tracks together, as they were released as one to promote the release of Monolith of Phobos, and these two tracks have always been performed together at every single CLD show thus far. Josh's longtime pal Jerry Roscher drops by the pod to discuss why these tracks and this album as a whole speak to him so deeply; for him, it's the sense of melody and songwriting that Sean Lennon brings and how it incorporates with all things Claypool. Great talk about the musical influences and the lyrical narrative!Find Jerry's band, Bluebirds:https://bluebirdsmusic.org/BandcampYoutubeGet involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

What do you get when you put on the early Pink Floyd, pair it with Carl Sagan's Cosmos, and throw Buzz Aldrin in for fun, then drink loads of red wine with Sean Lennon and Les Claypool? You get the title track to The Monolith of Phobos, a journey of whimsy and wonder. Get ready for psychedelic delights of all sorts!Buzz Aldrin on CSPANGet involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

In 2016, Les Claypool had some time away from Primus and invited Sean Lennon to Rancho Relaxo; Sean had guested on some Primus encores during their 2015 summer tour and jammed backstage with Les, where a connection was born. They fished, drank pinot, discussed nuggets from newspapers and periodicals, in the process birthing The Claypool Lennon Delirium. We get into the details of how these two got together and give an album overview of Monolith of Phobos, a proggy/psychedelic album name if there ever was one. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Tim Slowinkski, the man behind the excellent Oysterhead album cover art, tour poster and iconography, joins Primus Tracks to talk about his dinstinctive art style and subject matter, as well as the entire Oysterhead experience, which brought him some notoriety and remains a project that earns recognition. What does he think of all of it, 25 years down the line? Give a listen to find out!Find Tim at www.slowart.com and on Instagram.You can also visit Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY!Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

The Duo de Twang album is a fun listen, but the shows were where the guys really let loose and silliness reigned. Soya and frequent Twang contributor Wylie Woods drop by to talk about their experience on the road with DDT, including a show that Josh attended which they described as one of the worst of the tour, lousy conditions at Jam Cuirse, and an unexpected success in Europe. The big question: Who drank the most beer? Find out in this episode!Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

We turn our attention to Duo de Twang, the "vacation fuck-off band" that Les Claypool started after a couple special California gigs gave away to a full-blown vision for a sit-down campfire acoustic project. We chart the project's logisitical and inspirational origins, and discuss the album track-by-track. Grab some cowboy beans and don't squat with yer spurs on!Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

WE WERE THERE at the Fox Theater on December 30 & 31, 2025, to witness Primus send in the clowns over two nights of inspired musical madness. We detail how it all went down, and preview what we already know for 2026: Claypool Lennon Delirium record, Claypool Gold tour, and Primus in Europe. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

This week on the podcast we welcome Robi Bean, who drummed with Primus for about half of 1986. Although he doesn't appear on any demo tapes, and live footage of his playing with Primus is scarce, Robi played an important part in the formation of many early Primus songs that would become fan favorites, including Tommy The Cat. Robi details how he first worked with Les Claypool in a band called Manx, and how a visit to psychic presaged his later involvement in Primus, and recalls some choice moments with Les and Todd. If you're in the Bay Area, you can catch Robi drumming for numerous blues bands around town, including regular gigs at The Saloon on Grant Avenue: https://thesaloonsf.com/the-bandsGet involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

For our next entry in the Primus DNA sub-series, we swing for the fences by daring to take on the mighty Rush as a major component of the Primus makeup. Gerry Schramm of the Something For Nothing podcast joins us to make sense of it all, including where to hear elements of each band's hallmarks in the music of the other, the enduring friendship between the two bands, and their commonalities, including killing the party by putting on their albums. Rush fans: Where should Primus fans unfamiliar with the band start?Primus fans: Where should Rush fans unfamiliar with the band start?Hit us up to help with this unscientific study. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

We end our Of Fungi And Foe review with Ol' Rosco, who may be one of the more abhorrent characters in the Claypool lyrical universe, perhaps for being all too real. This is the final "fungi" track in the sense that it was initially written for the Mushroom Men video game; Les later added vocal and percussion tracks for the OFAF record. Frankie provides a loving sendoff to this record, which he holds in high regard. Get your skin care routine ready. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

This week, we cover tracks 10 and 11 from Of Fungi and Foe: Pretty Little Song with guest Bryonn Bain, as well as the title track. These tracks are buried on the back end of the record and have never been performed live, so they're obscure nuggets in the catalog. Wail and gnash your teeth along with us as we explore the agony of Pretty Little Song and what the title tracks tells us about the whole album experience. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Primed By 29 has a fetching title for a Primus fan exploring the solo works of Les Claypool. Although the lyrics don't necessarily refer to anything Primus-related, they're certainly in the wheelhouse of Claypool, who pens another cautionary tale about going too far with recreational drugs in an attempt to create excitement from the mundane. It also happens to be Frankie's favorite track on the album, and we wonder why it didn't make the cut for Duo de Twang a few years later. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

This lounge jazz number is an ode to the dog, in particular, Les Claypool's hound, Kazoo. It's another musical departure for the man, and it sounds like Skerik wasn't available, so Sam Bass filled in on cello. It's not the deepest track, but we don't have to get deep with our dogs, right? They love us, we love them, now let's go for a walk, a run, or a ball toss. For another great story about a dog, read The Mixer by PG Wodehouse.Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Do you know a boy who's taken a bite out of life? I suppose that description qualifies guest performer Eugene Hutz, a man of fire and energy whose work with Gogol Bordello has delighted audiences the world over. Eugene brings a jolt to the side two opener of Of Fungi And Foe in the form of guitar strumming (the only guitar on the record!) and unintelligible wailing mixed with what might be Ukranian phrases. Put some pep in your step with this track, and do something fun/wacky/thrilling. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

This week, we tackle a track that could easily appear on a Tom Waits record, most notably Real Gone, which Les Claypool actually guested on. There's something about the percussive backbeat and dirty upright that screams Waits, but Les puts his own spin on it with tripped-out high register upright and clean vocals. Josh and Frankie agree that this is one of the more memorable tracks from the record so far, and the lyrical story, while a variation on the standard Claypool lyrical themes, are engaging and delightful because of how the story is told. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

On this OFAF track, Les Claypool ponders what one of his heroes might do in numerous situations around a trip to London in which the airline loses Les's luggage, he's without UK currency, but he gets to screen a film with George Martin in the room and parties with George's son Giles until Les's pal Jason pukes on someone. It's certainly not your standard Claypool lyrical fare! Tune in to learn a bit about George Martin and why LC might hold him in such high regard, as does most everyone else in the music industry. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

The fourth track of the Of Fungi and Foe record, Boonville Stomp was composed specifically for the film Pig Hunt, which takes place in and around Boonville in the woods of northern California. Les Claypool has a small role in the film, as well, if you're at all curious. This tune has cinematic elements to it, which stands to reason. Does it all come together as a standalone song for an album? That's the question we grapple with in this episode. Plus, we spit some boontling at you brightlighters. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Remember 2008? What do you mean, you'd rather not? Yeah, me either, but Les Claypool won't let us forget the person who helped define the year and the followers who molded themselves in her image, or something like that. Red State Girl is a curious track with a music video and a live performance on national TV to boot, so it qualifies for the lead track from Of Fungi and Foe, as well as the first track on the album not to be music created for another medium. It's an actual straightahead piece of music for music's sake. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Fungi or Foe? Both! Amanitas is another cautionary tale that has a few unexpected twists and turns. It's another tune originally intended for the Mushroom Men soundtrack repurposed for release on OFAF. Mushrooms sure are wacky! Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Of Fungi and Foe's opening track is solidly on the Fungi side, as the music for this track is exactly as Les Claypool conceived and recorded it for the Mushroom Men video game, with vocals added to the album version. We sample the video game music, instrumentation, and get behind the story of the lyrics, and evaluate the tune as a harbinger for the record, and try to categorize it for the Claypool catalog, because that's, I guess, what our brains want to do. Mushroom Men soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BovgCknGwo4&list=PLE8D3E68CBA71B182&index=1Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money