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Ep. #151: Hari Kondabolu

Hari Kondabolu is a very funny and incisive stand-up comedian who hails from Queens, New York. He has written for shows like Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show among others. Earlier this year, Kill Rock Stars released his highly acclaimed and hilarious stand-up album, Waiting for 2042, which is out on vinyl December 2. On Friday December 5, he headlines a show at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver and here, Hari and I discuss Queens New York not Seattle Washington, how Canada’s not so great, cowardly Americans, indigenous eradication and white demonry, fighting not fleeing, agreeable Canadians, how Stephen Harper might be slicker than George W. Bush, the downfall and terrible truth of Jian Ghomeshi, being on Q, knowing Jian and how he used to always call me ‘buddy,’ Jian’s aggressive egotism, comedy and show biz power dynamics, Hari’s mom doesn’t think he listens anymore, people who think I should have a shot at hosting Q, people who think brown people can replace other brown people, Hari’s #vishonQ campaign, accusations of race obsession in observational comedy, Aziz Ansari’s take on mining one’s cultural heritage in their work versus someone like Russell Peters who does accents in his act, how Peters has galvanized South Asian communities, whitewashed accents and losing our parents’ voices, the situation in Ferguson and what it says about our social progress, white demonry, the remorseless Darren Wilson, people who actually listen, the Terry Gross interview might’ve been a little too great, #vishonQ, Back to the Future and the way forward to politely colonizing Mars, CIA seed money, Weezer’s decline and my lapsed membership (#1234) in their fan club, the Pixies have also been a let-down, more empathy for artistic evolution, really obsessing over Weezer’s trajectory, how and why we measure artists’ creative output, Radiohead, Fugazi, Shellac, the Beatles and others who have created an interesting, nearly flawless body of work, Weezer’s time and place post-Kurt Cobain/at the dawn of widespread internet use in the mid-90s, Pinkerton is messed up, “El Scorcho” and “Across the Sea” are both racist, taking online flak, how Hari’s completion of a B.A. in Comparative Politics and a Masters in Human Rights from the London School of Economics somehow led him to comedy, Paul Mooney, following his passion, you have to laugh when you want to cry, addressing the diaspora and telling his parents’ stories, my dad came here with nothing and now I’m an asshole, coming to Canada more, Sled Island, Northwest Canada and Vancouver, Todd Barry’s Crowd Work movie is great, #toddbarryonQ, Waiting for 2042 is on vinyl via Kill Rock Stars, and pandering to white people, not appreciating our parents’ cooking until white people tell us it’s good, “What’s that smell?,” thanks mom and dad, google.com, the comedy bit “Moving to Canada,” and also #vishonQ.

Related links: harikondabolu.com killrockstars.com vishkhanna.com

Hari-Kondabolu-2011

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News Podcast

Ep. #150: Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche

Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche is a really cool, mostly instrumental band from Montreal who formed in 2011. The brainchild of Fly Pan Am’s Jean-Sebastien Truchy, the quartet includes guitarist Sebastien Fournier, drummer Samuel Beaubonie, and guitarist Eric Gingras. This past September the band issued Zubberdust!, their wonderful debut album featuring hypnotic, interlocking musical pieces that reimagine funk and psychedelia from an energetic, emotional, punk perspective. Zubberdust! is out now via Constellation Records and here, Jean-Sebastien Truchy and Sebastien Fournier, and I discuss snow in Montreal, perpetuating myths about Canada, being a trickster, what zubberdust means in Urdu, separating long songs and sound collages, how this band came together, being spied on, keeping a groove going but in a pop sensibility, serious fun in Montreal, the jelly bean scene, the band Ought, wordless vocals, jazz scatting, the influence of Afrobeat and long-form Latino music, the Neu! part, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, Montreal’s west isles, disappointing dad, community and Constellation Records, Montreal’s old oppressive show bar culture, yellow waterproof Walkmen, Nirvana thanking Sonic Youth on In Utero, Panitopicon Eyelids and a great Montreal record store called L’Oblique, the homing beacon band that was Fly Pan Am, grinding, gatherings, fake parties, making new music, the band’s long-ass French name, the song “Super Pastiche – New Sun,” and then we say au revoir and ciao.

Related links: cstrecords.com/avec-le-soleil-sortant-de-sa-bouche vishkhanna.com

ALSartistpick

 

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Ep. #149: Run the Jewels

Run the Jewels is a tremendous hip-hop duo consisting of inventive New York MC and producer El-P and one of the world’s wisest and best rappers, Killer Mike from Atlanta, Georgia. After collaborating on each other’s solo albums, Run the Jewels released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut in 2013, as a free download. This past October, they shocked the world again, leaking their landmark new LP Run the Jewels 2 ahead of its release date on Mass Appeal and knocking fans and critics out with a next level record. They’re in the midst of a world tour right now, which brings them to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on November 26 and Montreal’s Club Soda on November 27. Here, El and Mike talk about being separate but together in Pomona, east coast dudes who love California, making a new album that was darker, harder, and more furious, outdoing yourself, carrying the vibe over, there’s more to life than fun, emulating punk, balancing serious and funny shit, shooting a poodle and police brutality, El introducing Mike to Bill Hicks and other comedians they both love, vibrant personalities and genuine friendship, you gotta laugh when you wanna cry, executioner farts, El appreciates Mike’s wisdom, twisted realities, Run the Jewels might be soulmates, family jewels, arguing about bagels, coffee, and weed, why El tends to work with people like Zack de la Rocha, Travis Barker, BOOTS, Trent Reznor, Cat Power, and Nick Diamonds among others, absurd moments, nervous on the Late Show with David Letterman, Meow the Jewels, the song “Crown,” now close your eyes…

Related links: runthejewels.net massappeal.com vishkhanna.com

2014 Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival - Lands End Stage - Day 1

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