It's a buy one, get one free episode! First up is Cub Sport frontman Tim Nelson, who was so drawn to Jay Hulme's poem Jesus At The Gay Bar that the band's new album shares its name. Nelson grew up in a devout Christian community and struggled to reconcile his religious upbringing with his queerness. His mother has fully embraced his identity and Nelson saw parallels to the strength of their bond in Hulme's depiction of Jesus' compassion. In the second half of the episode, TEKE::TEKE bassist Mishka Stein shares his love for Ridley Scott's magnum opus Blade Runner. Since childhood, Stein has been drawn to the beauty in every frame of Blade Runner, its poetic dialogue, and the atmospheric soundscape provided by Vangelis' legendary score.
Two Comedy Legends On... Two Comedy Legends: Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar And Kevin Heffernan Are Sparked By 48 Hrs And A Wild And Crazy Guy
Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan have created some incredible comedy classics like Super Troopers, so it's no surprise that they're both sparked by other legendary comedians. For Jay, it was love at first sight when he first experienced Eddie Murphy's big screen debut 48 hrs. He's drawn tons of inspiration from the movie's delicate balance between a gritty cop thriller and a light-hearted buddy comedy. Kevin has been obsessed with Steve Martin's classic comedy album A Wild And Crazy Guy from the moment he first heard it as a kid. It's a snapshot of a rock star comedian at the peak of his powers and it's massive success provided a template for decades of stand-up comedy specials.
When Robots Taught The World To Dance: Michael Brun's Spark Is Daft Punk's Discovery
Michael Brun happened upon "One More Time," the lead single from Daft Punk's seminal album Discovery, and was instantly transported to an exciting new musical realm. That feeling was enhanced tenfold when he heard the entire album. He was influenced by so many aspects of the album and its promotion: the diverse group of influences that were apparent in the music, Daft Punk's futuristic/robotic aesthetic, and the anime videos that created a narrative structure for Discovery. His mind was blown by the creative ingenuity on display and it set him on a path that would come to define his career as an artist.
When Pop Punk Bangers Met Skater Style: Palehound's El Kempner's Spark Is Avril Lavigne's Let Go
As a tween, Palehound’s El Kempner had their tiny mind blown by Avril Lavinge’s smash hit debut album Let Go. Packed full of pop-punk bangers, it helped Kempner break out of the Disney radio lane they had inhabited to that point. They loved Lavigne’s relatable lyrics and resonated with queer-coded skater style. Even 20 years after its release, Kempner still has Let Go on repeat.
Buckets Of Blood And Unlimited Laughter: Kid Koala's Spark Is Peter Jackson's Dead Alive
For its debut episode on Consequence Podcast Network, Unze is joined by the wonder that is Kid Koala to talk about Dead Alive (also known Braindead).
Kid Koala has loved Peter Jackson’s (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) legendarily gory and hilarious third film since the moment he first laid eyes on it. It’s since become a part of his artistic DNA. He’s drawn inspiration from the black humor, incredible practical special effects, and unique visual style that have been imitated by genre filmmakers for over 30 years.
“It definitely is one of those films you feel like your brain’s growing new synapses, because it doesn’t really have anything for it to link to that you witnessed before,” Kid Koala, aka Eric San, says. “It’s one of those films that really just changed forever what I thought was possible in a film — not just in that range, but just in art in general. I think that, raised on a steady diet of that, raised on a steady diet of The Muppet Show or Monty Python… It was just like, ‘Oh, okay, so this is an album?’ It’s not just 10 songs that are tailor-cut for radio plays; they could literally go all over the place and enjoy the universe that they’re in.”
The Emotional Heart Of Design And Architecture - Róisín Murphy On Conran's The House Book
So... this happened! I had the enormous pleasure of speaking with Róisín Murphy (one of my musical and artistic heroes) about Terence Conran's classic The House Book, a guide to home interior design and decoration. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. We spoke about Róisín's love of design and architecture, a formative road trip she took as a teenager and so, so much more. This one is an absolute delight! Talk about ending the year on a high note!!
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The Music That Connects Us All: Marcus Strickland Is Sparked By A Love Supreme
Jazz saxophonist Marcus Strickland joins me to talk about his Spark, John Coltrane's legendary magnus opus A Love Supreme.
How does music convey complex ideas when it contains no words? Marcus and I talked about Coltrane's ability to infuse his music with meaning and his unique ability to replicate the live music experience on his albums.
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The Future Is The Past: Amtrac's Spark Is Escape From New York
DJ, producer and recording artist Amtrac joins me to talk about his Spark, John Carpenter's seminal 1981 film Escape From New York.
The way we imagine the future changes constantly, but how accurate were the predictions made in the past about a future that's already happened to us? What difference does it make to a film when the director also writes the score? Will any other director ever have a run as incredible as the string of films Carpenter released in the '80's and 90's?
Amtrac and I tackle all of these questions and more!
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The Man, The Myth, The Legend: HAUSER Is Sparked By Elvis
Superstar cellist HAUSER spoke to me about his Spark, Baz Luhrman’s smash hit biopic Elvis.
What makes a great biopic? How can an actor channel the essence of a performer when the entire world knows their every move? How can artists persevere and make great art in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds? HAUSER and I have tackle these questions and so much more!
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A Queer Fantastia: CHRISTEENE Is Sparked By Pink Narcissus
My guest is New York underground scene legend CHRISTEENE whose Spark is the New York underground queer film classic Pink Narcissus.
We talked about the impact Pink Narcissus has had on other art forms, the radical queerness depicted in it and the magical ability of artists to create incredible work with very few resources.
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Finding Joy In What You've Got: Captain Kirk Douglas' Spark Is Soul
The Roots' guitarist and vocalist Captain Kirk Douglas joins me to talk about his Spark is Pixar’s animated feature film Soul.
Kirk and I speak about the meaning of happiness and how artists in particular are affected by the universal desire to achieve it. We also talk about finding your purpose in life and what that means to each of us as individuals.
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Where The Magic Started: Phoenix's Thomas Mars' Spark Is It Was Twenty Years Ago Today
Phoenix front man Thomas Mars joins me to talk about his Spark, It Was Twenty Years Ago Today is a 1987 British-made television documentary about the 1967 Summer of Love.
We talked about the beginnings of Phoenix and how they drew inspiration from the Beatles' process and sound. We touched on the singular nature of The Beatles influence and they're lasting impact on culture at large. And most importantly, I hung out with one of my favorite musicians!
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A Land Of Magic And Wonder: Cavetown's Spark Is Adventure Time
Hello, World!
Singer, songwriter and producer Cavetown joins me to talk about his Spark, the incredible animated series Adventure Time.
How can TV aimed at children change the minds and hearts of adults? Cavetown sees so much for adults to learn from Adventure Time and he's gained a greater appreciation for it from repeated viewings.
We talk his favorite characters, the show's storytelling and world building and its broad emotional range.
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Life In The In Between: Lissie's Spark Is Katherine May's Wintering
Singer/songwriter Lissie spoke to me about her Spark, Katherine May's autobiographical book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times.
How can we cope with times of transition? What can we do to live in the moment when our lives are in flux?
Lissie and I talked through the concept of liminal space and how relevant it feels to events of the last few years. Heartbreak and despair, hope and joy... all of life's biggest emotions are on the table in this deeply personal conversation.
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Launch Your Career With Your Greatest Hits: MARO's spark is Simone's Face A Face
Portuguese singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist MARO spoke to me about her spark, Brazilian singer Simone’s breakout album Face A Face.
Simone's voice is era defining and Face A Face is a genre melding collection of beautiful and romantic songs. She is a legendary song interpreter, as famous for covering songs by other artists as she is for recording original music.
MARO and I talked about Simone's extraordinary ability to bring new life into old songs and the genderless quality of her voice, as well as marveling over her incredible, near 50 year career.
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Intimate Moments, Seismic Change: Rexx Life Raj's Spark Is Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon
Oakland rapper and vocalist Rexx Life Raj was inspired by Kid Cudi's major label debut Man On The Moon: The End Of Day from the moment he heard its lead single Day And Night.
He joins me to talk about the personal connection Cudi creates with his listeners and the process of creating deeply personal music. We also dig into the different approaches hip hop artists take, from Cudi's confessional singing/rapping/humming hybrid to Kendrick Lamar's dense and highly exalted poetry.
I also touch on my surprising Spark of the week: the reboot of Chip And Dale: Rescue Rangers on Disney+.
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Even Wheat Can Be Moving: Goon's Kenny Becker's Spark Is Vincent Van Gogh's Wheatfield With A Reaper
Goon's Kenny Becker's joins me to talk about his Spark, Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece Wheatfield With A Reaper.
How can a two dimensional painting feel like a vast three dimensional world? How did Van Gogh find beauty in the most mundane landscapes? Exactly how long did it take for Van Gogh's gloppy, impastoed paintings to dry? We tackled these important questions and so much more.
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Our Truth Must Be The Whole Truth: Cocoa Brown Is Sparked By Leroy Campbell's Standing Tall
Comedian and actor Cocoa Brown who joined me to chat about her Spark, Leroy Campbell’s mixed media piece Standing Tall.
Cocoa was moved by Leroy Campbell's commitment to creating uplifting representations of the Black American experience. We spoke about the importance of representation in art, the dangers of omitting painful parts of our shared history from schools and the importance of building on the progress of our forebears.
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Live Long And Proper: Helen Hong Is Sparked By Star Trek The Next Generation
Comedian and actor Helen Hong speaks with me about her Spark, the sci-fi TV classic Star Trek: The Next Generation.
We talked about representation in entertainment, we talked about in fighting between Star Trek fans and Helen schools me on the pronunciation of George Takei’s name.
Plus bonus some bonus Reading Rainbow chat get thrown in for good measure.
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Escaping A Black Hole: UPSAHL Is Sparked By Interstellar
Singer/songwriter UPSAHL joins me to chat about her Spark, Christopher Nolan's mind-bending space odyssey Interstellar. UPSAHL and I pondered both the nature of the universe and our love of movies.
How do art and science intersect? How can we reconcile our emotional impulses with the limits of our scientific knowledge? And most importantly, would you go on a space mission to colonize another planet?
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