Beginnings

On today's episode, I talk to Will Schwartz and Roddy Bottum of Imperial Teen. While they grew up in different decades, both Will and Roddy cut their teeth in Los Angeles and individually moved to San Francisco. In 1981, Roddy joined the fledgling band Faith No More, playing keyboards and writing lyrics - famously for their hit "We Care a Lot" - until the band broke up in 1998. In the 1990s, Will and Roddy met through a mutual friend and the two along with Lynn Truell and Jone Stebbins formed Imperial Teen. They recorded their first album Seasick half a year later, and it became an instant classic. In the years since, the band has released over a dozen albums and EPs, and their latest, All Over You, just came out a few weeks ago on Merge 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!  

On today's episode, I talk to musician Rob Crow. Originally from New Jersey, Rob moved to San Diego when he was a teenager. In the early 1990s, he formed the band Heavy Vegetable, and while the group was only together for a few short years, they were extremely well-liked in the San Diego scene. Rob continued to perform and make records under a number of different names including Optiganally Yours and Physics, and in 1998, he formed Pinback with Zach Smith. This propelled him into the limelight, and the band released five incredible albums on labels like Touch and Go, TRL and Absolutely Kosher. While they haven't released an album since 2012's Information Retrieved, Rob continues to record in different bands and under different names, and most recently, his group Goblin Cock released their fifth album Traumanaut on Joyful Noise Records, and folks, 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!  

On today's episode, I talk to musician Chris Brokaw. Originally from Scarsdale, NY, Chris attended Oberlin College, a scene that birthed much of the indie rock of the 1990s. After graduating, he played drums for a number of bands, most notably with G.G. Allin, and in 1989 he formed the band Codeine with his fellow Oberlin grad Stephen Immerwahr. The group released two albums on Sub Pop before breaking up, but by that time, Chris had formed the band Come with Thalia Zedek. Starting with their acclaimed record 11:11, the band would go on to release four records in total on Matador before breaking up towards the end of the millenium, though both bands have reunited at various times over the intervening years. Since then, Chris has released over two dozen albums, scored numerous film soundtracks, played in bands like The New Year and Consonant with Mission of Burma's Clint Conley, and this is just a fraction of his expansive CV! 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!  

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comics creator Evan Dorkin. Originally from Brooklyn, Evan has been making comics since 1986. One of his earliest books Pirate Corp$ was published by Eternity Comics and then after that Slave Labor Graphics, who later published his series Milk and Cheese. Other notable comics include Dork, Eltingville and Beasts of Burden, which are all well worth your time. As a TV writer, Evan has written for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Batman Beyond, Yo Gabba Gabba and many more. This is all just a small sampling of his CV. Just this year, Dark Horse published Nerd Inferno; The Essential Evan Dorkin, an anthology of Dork, Milk and Cheese and Eltingville, and folks, 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!  

On today's episode, I talk to musician Hutch Harris. Originally from New York City, Hutch's family moved to San Jose, California when he was still a kid. After high school, he met Kathy Foster, and they played in various bands until moving to Portland, where they formed The Thermals. In 2003, they released their first album More Parts Per Million on Sub Pop, who would release their next two albums as well. The next four albums were released on Kill Rock Stars and then Saddle Creek, and in 2016, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Until recently, that is. A few weeks ago, The Thermals released their latest album Under Crushing Rain, 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!