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In 2020, Joe Gatto struck out on his own. It was surprising turn, as the Impractical Joker left a beloved and lucrative TV series that found him performing alongside a trio of lifelong friends. The move, Gatto says, was about prioritizing what matter -- namely, his wife and children. Of course, a resume like his means starting over doesn't require a clean slate. Gatto has since launched a successful standup career with multiple tours culminating in his first special, September's "Messing With People." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jet lag is a drag, leaving Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak at a decided disadvantage during our conversation. Mercury Rev just got back from Australia, but the veteran guitarist happily powers through. It's just one of those annoying things that one grapples with, being one of two consistent members of a globe trotting band for the last 35 years. Grasshopper's answers are thoughtful and engaged, as we wade through Mercury Rev's celebrated history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Her coauthor and husband, Scott Marvel Cassidy, is at the dentist for an emergency root canal, so Maria Bamford and I push ahead. Decades after establishing herself as one of standup's sharpest -- and funniest minds -- she's trying her hand at yet another medium. In June, Fantagraphics released Hogbook and Laser Eyes, a collaboration between Bamford and Marvel Cassidy that recounts their meeting, marriage and lives through the eyes of their beloved elderly rescue pugs. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A-Side Graffiti includes, among other things, a surprisingly faithful cover of Dr. Frank N. Furter's "Sweet Transvestite." The song finds Jack Grisham dueting with fellow So. Cal. punk legend, Keith Morris. TSOL's career has been surprising, above all. Ever the consummate showman and raconteur, Grisham presided over the group's initial shift from hardcore to gothic rock, before exiting the band in 1983. By the turn of the millennium, he had returned to the fold. Outside the band, Grisham has maintained several other fascinating careers, as a writer, filmmaker and 2003 California gubernatorial candidate. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Apologies for poor audio quality on my end. Technical difficulties suck]Hate returns. So, too, does Peter Bagge. The cartoonist has joined us several times over the years. This time he's back to talk Hate Revisited, a return to form that reunites him with Buddy Bradley, Lisa and the rest of the crew in the modern day -- save for Stinky, that is. Poor, poor Stinky. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new album on a new label, The Well I Fell Into is a chance to consider and process the old and – hopefully – move on. A breakup album of sorts, Why’s eighth finds frontman Yoni Wolf processing the end of a years-long relationship. As relationships go, however, Why has been remarkably long lived and fruitful. After beginning life as a solo act in the mid-90s, Why became a full-fledged group in 2004, whose core remains 20 years later. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Magick Show bills itself as a “masterclass in modern occultism.” It’s hard to argue with the tagline. Richard Metzger is in his element interviewing dozens of experts on different aspects of the occult, in a bid to contextualize the centuries-old phenomenon for the modern moment. Metzger is the man for the job. At the turn of the century, he served as the host of UK interview show, Disinformation. The series gave rise to his first book, Disinformation: The Interviews, followed soon after by The Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult. For the past decade-and-a-half, Metzger has served as the cofounder and editor-in-chief of culture blog, Dangerous Minds. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dreamers On The Run marks BMX Bandits' 12th LP since the group was founded in the mid-80s. The record finds Duglas Stewart expanding his musical ambitions a 10 years after he began work on the project. The intervening decade was difficult on both Stewart and the world at large, making this latest release a true triumph for one of Scotland's most enduring indie pop acts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During our conversation, Brendan Canty makes it clear that he has no interest in revisiting the past. It's not bad blood. If anything, it's his continued relationship with his former Fugazi bandmates that keeps the band from doing the reunion thing. They simply like each other too much. Case in point, the The Messthetics, which reunites the drummer with bassist Joe Lally. The group's latest finds the trio joining forces with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis for a fantastic new LP that wholly embraces jazz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's a dozen or so years between friends? 2012's Tarnished Gold found Beachwood Sparks in fine form. Eleven years had passed since the band's first two records were released within a year of each other. It was a reunion of sorts, though this time 12 years would pass before the Los Angeles group reunited. Released earlier this month, Across the River of Stars marks another dreamy return to the band's alt-country ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At 12, Joe Bonamassa was opening for the BB King. Twelve years later, his career was a at a crossroads. He's been through a pair of major label deals and suddenly found himself tasked with releasing his third album on his own. "There was no plan B," the guitarist says. Blues Deluxe, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, was precisely the shot to the arm his career needed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like many of us, Tracy Bonham's been through it over the last couple of years. Her latest single, “Damn The Sky (For Being Too Wide)," processes some of those feelings of isolation and disconnect. It's also her first studio release since 2017's Modern Burdens, which found the musician reconnecting with the debut album that put her on the map back in the mid-90s. Throughout it all, she's managed to reconnect with the people and things that matter most. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ukulele was a gimmick, as Dent May is the first to admit. It did the trick on the Mississippi-born musician's second album, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. The LP -- his first for the Animal Collective-run Paw Tracks -- established May as a musical force. These days he continues his hunt for the perfect pop song. Nowhere has he come closer than on this year's What's for Breakfast? Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to Beat the Champ, Leela Corman hadn’t drawn much wrestling. The 2015 record would be the first two Mountain Goats covers drawn by the cartoonist. Corman’s passion for bodies in motion would resurface in this April’s Victory Parade, as wrestling plays a key role in the World War II era graphic novel. The book tells the story of personal and societal trauma of the era. It’s an important reminder of lessons our world is doomed to relearn. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s not easy being a pioneer, but Jim Skafish came out of the gate swinging. In the late-70s, the Chicago musician became the first American signed to Miles Copeland’s hugely influential IRS records. His band’s first LP, 1980’s self-titled Skafish, failed to catch fire, owing to delays and poor production. Three years later, Conversations, was met with its own pushback, as it marked a major sonic departure. Skafish, a classically trained pianist whose current work is more easily classified as jazz, is long overdue for a reexamination and a pioneering force in musical, political and non-conforming.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year, Drawn & Quarterly is reissuing Curses. Now 20 years old, the book represents Kevin Huizenga at his finest. The book features a collection of stories united by the cartoonist's long time lead, Glenn Ganges, exploring history, fiction, folk tales and more, backdropped against a seemingly mundane suburban midwestern backdrop. It presents a true master at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the decades, Collective Soul has managed to avoid many of the pitfalls that torpedoed their contemporaries. The Georgia-based band saw a quick rise in the early 90s, on the backs of hits like "Shine" and "December." More than 30 years on, the band remains as solid a unit as ever, have maintained an extraordinarily consistent lineup. Longtime bassist Will Turpin joins us to discuss the band's rise and what keeps the group together all these years later. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most recent stage of Bruce Sudano’s career began in earnest just over a decade ago. His wife and long-time creative partner, the legendary Donna Summer, passed in 2012. With their children now grown, Sudano restarted his solo career. The move, he notes, felt like nearly restarting a decades-long musical journey from scratch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a hard few years for most of us, but Pearl Harbour has managed to stay positive throughout. It's no small feat, given struggles with lung cancer that have indefinitely sidelined her singing career. The musician recently penned linear notes for the re-issue of her great unsung 1980 rockabilly LP, Don't Follow Me, Im Lost Too. The album features an all-star cast of musicians from The Clash and Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Habour's friends and tourmates at the time. And while she's not one to get hung up in the past, she happily recounts some terrific stories from the era. Transcript available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Summer 2022, Jon Batiste left his longtime role as band leader for Stephen Colbert's Late Show. Longtime bandmate and sometime replacement Louis Cato stepped into the role, breathing new virtuosic role As Colbert noted at the time, "Give him an afternoon, he'll learn how to play Mozart on a shoehorn." Cato joins us to discuss his journey, music school, becoming a parent at 19 and his soul new record, Reflections, for which he played every instrument. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.