Here, in our vast Audio Archive, you can find links to past Sound of Young America radio broadcasts in downloadable and streaming MP3 form.
Programs since February of 2006 each have their own page with detailed show notes, links, and an embedded audio player. We're working on creating pages for earlier shows, but in the meantime, you'll mostly find direct links to the MP3 file. Shows posted in 2007 have only one guest and are labeled by guest, previous programs typically had 2-3 and are labeled by theme.
Shows and interviews from before 2005 (there are about 75 of them) are housed in our pre-podcasting archive. There are lots of great treats there, and all have been converted to downloadable MP3s, so be sure to check it out sometime.
February 8th, 2008 --
Zach Rogue of the indie rock band Rogue Wave plays a few songs at the live show at SF Sketchfest. Click for show notes and audio!
February 4th, 2008 --
Danny Hoch The playwright and actor discusses Whole Foods and his life as a New Yorker, among other things, at our January live show at San Francisco Sketchfest. Click for show notes and audio!
February 4th, 2008 --
Bucky Sinister The poet and comedian performs a poem at the live show at San Francisco Sketchfest. Click for show notes and audio!
December 10th, 2007 --
Wyatt Cenac the LA-based stand-up comedian was a guest at TSOYA Live! at the Westside Eclectic Theater in Santa Monica. Click for show notes and audio!
December 6th, 2007 --
Steve Albini the legendary music producer, joins Jesse live on stage at Chicago's Second City. Click for show notes and audio!
November 18th, 2007 --
Tim and Eric Comedy duo Tim and Eric, creators of the Cartoon Network's "Tim and Eric, Awesome Show, Great Job" and "Tom Goes To The Mayor" are this week's guests. Click for show notes, video and audio!
November 11th, 2007 --
Ira Glass Fan of the show and host of This American Life, Ira Glass is this week's guest. Click for show notes and audio!
November 6th, 2007 --
The Upright Citizens Brigade Matt Besser, a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, gives some interesting insights into the history of the group. Click for show notes and audio!
October 30th, 2007 --
Colin Hay The former lead singer of Men At Work talks about his current singer-songwriter career and stage show. Click for show notes and audio!
October 25th, 2007 --
Dan Deacon He's an electronic pop musician with a background in electronic art music. His latest album of frenzied ecstatic tunes is 'Spiderman of the Rings'. Click for show notes and audio!
October 22nd, 2007 --
Kenna Rock and roll singer-songwriter Kenna talks about his musical inspirations and his latest album 'Make Sure They See My Face'. Click for show notes, video and audio!
October 11th, 2007 --
Ask the Optimist An adaptation of George Saunders' hilarious story "Ask the Optimist," from his most recent collection, The Braindead Megaphone. Click for show notes, video and audio!
October 4th, 2007 --
George Saunders A live stage conversation with George Saunders at the Beverly Hills Public Library Auditorium. Click for show notes and audio!
September 11th, 2007 --
Austin Grossman Austin Grossman is the author of the new novel "Soon I Will Be Invincible," a literary look at a team of superheroes and their nemesis. Click for show notes, video and audio!
August 31st, 2007 --
Jarrett Grode Comedy from standup comedian Jarrett Grode, recorded live at the Westside Eclectic in Santa Monica. Click for show notes and audio!
August 28th, 2007 --
Paul F. Tompkins Paul F. Tompkins has been performing standup comedy for 21 years, and just released his first CD, called "Impersonal." He's appeared on TV on Mr. Show, and as a talking head and commentator on VH1, Real Time with Bill Maher and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Click for show notes, video and audio!
August 25th, 2007 --
John Sellers John Sellers is the author of the book "Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life." Click for show notes and audio!
August 20th, 2007 --
Brian Coleman Brian Coleman is the author of "Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies." It's an oral history of many of the greatest records of hip-hop's "golden age." Click for show notes and audio!
August 13th, 2007 --
Mick Brown on Phil Spector Mick Brown was the last journalist to interview the reclusive super-producer Phil Spector, before the night in 2003 when he allegedly killed a young actress. His new book, "Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector," documents Spector's life.
Click for show notes and audio!
August 6th, 2007 --
The Lifesavas For the past 15 years, underground hip-hop trio The Lifesavas have blended smartly intricate rhymes with socially-conscious and self-aware lyrics. Their new album is Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack. Released in April of this year, the ambitious full-length is imagined as the soundtrack to a (non-existent) blaxploitation film.
Click for show notes and audio!
August 1st, 2007 --
Dan Mintz Live stand-up from hilarious comedian Dan Mintz - recorded for The Sound of Young America at the Westside Eclectic theater in Santa Monica, CA.
Click for show notes and audio!
July 27th, 2007 --
Miranda July Miranda July is the very definition of a multi-media artist. She started in theater, made her name as a performance artist and came to broader national prominence as the writer, director and star of the film "Me, You and Everyone We Know." Her latest endeavor is a book fo short fiction called "No One Belongs Here More Than You."
Click for show notes and audio!
July 23rd, 2007 --
TSOYA: Live in LA! This special live show from the Westside Eclectic in Los Angeles features comedy from Brent Weinbach, an interview with Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas and music from
Eleni Mandell.
Click for show notes and audio!
July 18th, 2007 -- They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants are giants in a field of their own creation. Their funny art-rock has it's roots in the New York performance art world, but it's gone through many incarnations in 25 years. The band's most recent record, The Else, is largely produced by The Dust Brothers. Click for show notes and audio!
July 11th, 2007 -- Patton Oswalt Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt makes his record-setting twelve-kwajillionth visit to The Sound of Young America. He's now a movie star -- voicing the rat Remy in the new Pixar Animation film Ratatouille. He's also got a brand new comedy CD, called "Werewolves and Lollipops," out on the Sub Pop label. Click for show notes and audio!
July 3rd, 2007 -- Elmore Leonard Elmore Leonard is one of America's most treasured and acclaimed writers of popular fiction. He's written 41 novels, having started writing westerns for magazines in the 50s. His latest, "Up in Honey's Room," is set on the homefront during World War II, a war of which Leonard is himself a veteran. Click for show notes and audio!
June 27th, 2007 -- Dave Hill Comedian Dave Hill's stage-show "The Dave Hill Explosion" has gained massive popularity in the New York comedy world over the past three years. His new show on the HD Mojo Network is "The King of Miami". Click for show notes and audio!
June 21st, 2007 -- Betty Davis On this week's show, soul/funk music legend, and one time wife of Miles Davis, Betty Davis. This is her first radio interview in over 30 years. Click for show notes and audio!
June 19th, 2007 -- Soul Sides with Oliver Wang We're joined by Oliver Wang, professor at the California State University at Long Beach and recent producer of the second in a series of classic soul compilations, "Soul Sides Volume Two: The Covers." Click for show notes and audio!
June 13th, 2007 -- Michael Cera We're joined by Michael Cera, who played "George Michael" on the cult television program Arrested Development, and is currently co-starring in the web series "Clark & Michael", as well as the upcoming film, Superbad, co-written by Seth Rogen. Click for show notes and audio!
June 5th, 2007 -- Comedy-Copia It's a comedy stew with Jen Kirkman, Jonathan Coulton, Kasper Hauser, Greg Proops, and more! Click for show notes and audio!
June 1st, 2007 -- Greg Saunier We sit down with Greg Saunier, drummer of the rock band Deerhoof. Click for show notes and audio!
May 29TH, 2007 -- Sa Ra Creative Partners Sa-Ra Creative partners are Taz Arnold, Shafiq Husayn, and Om'Mas Keith, three producer/performers out to revolutionize urban music. Click for show notes and audio!
May 22nd, 2007 -- Marty Krofft We talk with Marty Krofft, puppeteer and creator of many memorable children's television programs, including HR Puff n' Stuff and Land of the Lost. Click for show notes and audio!
May 16th, 2007 -- Bob Odenkirk We talk with Bob Odenkirk, co-creator of the cult TV show Mr. Show with Bob and David, and writer and director of films such as Melvin Goes to Dinner and The Brothers Solomon. His latest project is a series of internet shorts entitled "Derek and Simon". Click for show notes and audio!
May 11th, 2007 -- Celebrity Snark We talk with Amelie Gillette of the Onion's AV Club and Alex Blagg of BestWeekEver.tv about the celebrity snark industry, and their roles therein. Click for show notes and audio!
May 8th, 2007 -- The Lobotomist We talk with Jack El-Hai, author of "The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and his Quest to rid the World of Mental Illness." Click for show notes and audio!
May 4th, 2007 -- Sarah Thyre We talk with Sarah Thyre, actress and author of the memoir "Dark at the Roots." Click for show notes and audio!
May 1st, 2007 -- Anne Beatts We talk with Anne Beatts, original Saturday Night Live writer, first female editor on the National Lampoon, and creator of the cult sitcom Square Pegs. Click for show notes and audio!
April 27th, 2007 -- Louis Theroux We talk with Louis Theroux, television host ("Weird Weekends") and author of The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures. Click for show notes and audio!
April 17th, 2007 -- Ted Leo We talk with indie punk rocker Ted Leo. Click for show notes, video, and audio downloads!
April 12th, 2007 -- Brian Stack We talk with Brian Stack, a long-time writer and performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Click for show notes and audio!
April 10th, 2007 -- Jack McBrayer We talk with Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, the lovable NBC Page, in the NBC sitcom "30 Rock." Click for show notes, audio and video!
April 5th, 2007 -- Faking It We talk with Yuval Taylor, author of "Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music." Click for show notes & audio!
April 3rd, 2007 -- The Human Giant We talk with Rob Heubel, Aziz Ansari and Paul Scheer of MTV's new sketch comedy series The Human Giant. Click for show notes & audio!
March 31st, 2007 -- Cornucopia We hear an exclusive-to-TSOYA sketch from Clifford & Kidd, then a track from Jonathan Katz's great new album Caffeinated, and then the first episode of our newest podcast, Coyle & Sharpe: The Imposters. Click for show notes & audio!
March 26th, 2007 -- Scott Dikkers Scott Dikkers is the editor-in-chief of The Onion. We talk about the Onion's newest project, a venture into video called The Onion News Network. Click for show notes, video & audio!
March 20th, 2007 -- Simon Lovell Simon Lovell is a former professional con man and card shark. His book is called: "How to Cheat at Everything: A Con Man Reveals the secrets of the Esoteric Trade of Cheating, Scams and Hustles." Click for show notes & audio!
March 13th, 2007 -- Dan Harmon Dan Harmon is the co-creator of Channel 101 and of the new VH1 series Acceptable.tv. He and his writing partner Rob Schrab also created the cult un-aired pilot "Heat Vision & Jack." Click for show notes & audio!
March 6th, 2007 -- Zach Galifianakis Zach Galifianakis is an innovative standup comedian, best known for his piano-playing one-liners. Click for show notes & audio!
March 1st, 2007 -- Rhymefest Rhymefest is a Chicago based rapper. He won a Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks," and his debut album "Blue Collar" was one of 2006's most critically acclaimed hip-hop releases. Click for show notes & audio!
February 27th, 2007 -- Maria Bamford Maria Bamford is a standup comedian and actress. She's been seen nationwide as part of "The Comedians of Comedy." Click for show notes & audio!
February 23rd, 2007 -- Neal Pollack Neal Pollack is the author of "Alternadad." His previous books include "Never Mind the Pollacks" and "The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature." Click for show notes & audio!
February 20th, 2007 -- Jackson Publick Jackson Publick is the creator of The Venture Brothers, and a former writer for "The Tick." Click for show notes & audio!
February 13th, 2007 -- Vendela Vida Vendela Vida is co-editor of The Believer magazine and the author of the books "Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name" and "And Now You Can Go." Click for show notes & audio!
February 6th, 2007 -- This American Life Julie Snyder is the senior producer of the public radio program This American Life, as well as an executive producer of the television version of that show. Click for show notes & audio!
February 2nd, 2007 -- Andrew W.K. Andrew W.K. is a rock star and an old friend of The Sound of Young America. Click for show notes & audio!
January 30th, 2007 -- Brandon Bird Brandon Bird is an artist best known for his surreal paintings of semi-celebrities in curious contexts. Click for show notes & audio!
January 18th, 2007 -- Jeff Chang on Jay-Z Jeff Chang is the author of "Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation." We talk about rapper Jay-Z. Click for show notes & audio!
January 17th, 2007 -- Omar Soul singer Omar started the new classic soul movement in the late 1980s in the UK. It's taken fifteen years and the professed admiration of US stars like Erykah Badu and D'Angelo to bring him to US audiences. Click for show notes & audio!
January 12th, 2007 -- The Naked Trucker & T-Bones David Koechner (Anchorman, SNL) and Dave (Gruber) Allen (Freaks & Geeks) talk about their new Comedy Central series, "The Naked Trucker & T-Bones Show." Click for show notes & audio!
January 9th, 2007 -- Jamie Hewlett Jamie Hewlett is co-creator of The Gorillaz, as well as an award-winning designer and the creator of Tank Girl. Click for show notes & audio!
January 5th, 2007 -- Brendan Canty Brendan Canty is drummer of Fugazi, as well as the creator of the music film series Burn to Shine. Click for show notes & audio!
January 1st, 2007 -- Knights of Prosperity Guests Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett, creators of the ABC television series "The Knights of Prosperity," as well as the cult favorite "Ed." Click for show notes & audio!
December 15th, 2006 -- Holiday Special 2006 Guests Paul Feig, Mike Birbiglia & Kasper Hauser. Paul Feig is the director of the new film Unnacompanied Minors, as well as the creator of Freaks & Geeks. Click for show notes & audio!
December 8th, 2006 -- Live in New York City (2) Guests Kurt Andersen, Andres du Bouchet, Elephant Larry and Jonathan Coulton. Kurt Andersen is the host of PRI's "Studio 360" and was the co-founder of Spy Magazine. Andrew du Bouchet is a New York comedian. Elephant Larry are a sketch comedy group, also from New York. Jonathan Coulton sings songs, and I believe lives in Connecticut. Click for show notes, audio & free music downloads!
December 1st, 2006 -- Live in New York City (1) Guests David Wain, Heather Lawless, Mike Daisey and Tanya Morgan. Our first live-on-stage program, recorded at The People's Improv Theater in New York City. Click for show notes, audio & free music downloads!
November 17th, 2006 -- Zines Guests V. Vale and Josh Karp. V. Vale is the legendary underground publisher behind Re/Search Publications, a series of zine-like books on the counter-culture. Josh Karp's new book examines the history of the National Lampoon, and how it changed American comedy. Click for show notes, audio and bonus audio!
November 10th, 2006 -- Entertaining Guests Amy Sedaris and Jimmy Carr. Amy Sedaris is an entertainer and now, a home economics maven. Jimmy Carr is a British comic and the author of a new book on jokes and comedy. Click for show notes & audio!
November 3rd, 2006 -- New York Stories Guests Bill Hader and Roz Chast. Bill Hader is a star of Saturday Night Live. Roz Chast is a long-time cartoonist for The New Yorker. Click for show notes & audio!
October 27th, 2006 -- Worlds of Wonder Guests Chris Elliott and Terry Gilliam. Chris Elliott is an actor and author, best known for his work on "Get A Life" and "Late Night with David Letterman. Terry Gilliam is a filmmaker and member of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Click for show notes & audio!
October 20th, 2006 -- Your Brain on Music Guests Matmos and Dan Levitin. Matmos are avante-garde electronic music artists, who create music from non-musical sound. Dan Levitin is a neuroscientist, and the author of "This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession." Click for show notes & audio!
October 13th, 2006 -- Best Friends Guests John Hodgman and Jonathan Coulton. Our guests were college classmates, and remain close friends today. Hodgman is an author and is regularly seen on The Daily Show. Coulton is a comic singer-songwriter. Click for show notes & audio!
October 6th, 2006 -- Grind Time Guest Killer Mike. Killer Mike is an Atlanta-based rapper, and a protege of the legendary duo Outkast. Click for show notes & audio!
September 29th, 2006 -- Let's Put On A Show Guests Joe Flaherty & Allison Silverman. Joe Flaherty was a cast member on the seminal sketch comedy program SCTV. Allison Silverman is the Emmy-winning co-head writer and supervising producer of The Colbert Report. Click for show notes & audio!
September 22nd, 2006 -- Science Fiction Guests Michael J. Nelson, Ron Moore and Steve Eley. Mike Nelson was the host of Mystery Science Theater 3000, now he makes commentaries for Rifftrax. Ron Moore is co-creator of the SciFi Network series Battlestar Galactica. Steve Eley is editor of the sci-fi podcast Escape Pod. Click for show notes & audio on the blog!
September 15th, 2006 -- Observations Guests Merrill Markoe and Caleb Crain. Merrill Markoe is the author of the novel "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down," and was co-creator of "Late Night with David Letterman." Caleb Crain writes for the New Yorker; we speak with him about the Mass Observation movement of the 1930s and 40s. Check out the bonus audio on the blog!
September 9th, 2006 -- Sticking it to the Man Guests Maz Jobrani, Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler. Maz Jobrani is an actor and standup comedian who's the star of the upcoming sitcom The Knights of Prosperity. Lisa Jervis & Andi Zeisler are the founding editors of Bitch Magazine, "A Feminist Response to Popular Culture." Check out the bonus audio on the blog!
August 26th, 2006 -- The Impostors Guest Mal Sharpe. Mal Sharpe was half of Coyle & Sharpe, a ground-breaking team of put-on artists who terrorized 1960s San Francisco.
August 19th, 2006 -- The Symphony Guests Patton Oswalt and Masta Ace. Patton Oswalt is a standup-comic, the creator of "The Comedians of Comedy," and the co-star of CBS' The King of Queens; he is also star of the upcoming Pixar film "Ratatouille." Masta Ace is a hip-hop legend and original member of the Juice Crew.
August 12th, 2006 -- Formed a Band Guests Eddie Argos of Art Brut and Paul Malmont. Paul Malmont is the author of "The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril." Eddie Argos is the frontman of the acclaimed rock band Art Brut.
August 5th, 2006 -- Wonder Guests Michael Ivins of The Flaming Lips and Lawrence Weschler. Michael Ivins is a bassist and idea man with The Flaming Lips. Lawrence Weschler is a long-time New Yorker writer, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and author of "Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences."
July 22nd, 2006 -- Two Sides of a Coin Guests Dave Attell and Michael Showalter. Dave Attell is a celebrated standup comedian, and the former host of Comedy Central's Insomniac. Michael Showalter is best know for his work on MTV's The State and Comedy Central's Stella; he also wrote and directed the feature film The Baxter.
July 15th, 2006 -- ComedyCopia Comedy from Jonathan Coulton, Hard n Phirm, The Hazzards, Todd Barry, Mike Birbiglia, Marc Maron, and Brent Weinbach.
July 1st, 2006 -- Klosterman & Foley Guests Chuck Klosterman and Dave Foley. Klosterman is the author of "Killing Yourself to Live" and other pop-culture commentary. Foley is a member of The Kids in the Hall, and was the star of the sitcom Newsradio and the Pixar film A Bug's Life.
June 24th, 2006 -- Found-stravaganza Guests Davy Rothbart and Jason Bitner. Davy Rothbart is editor of Found Magazine, a compendium of "lost and tossed" documents and items. Jason Bitner is co-editor, and the editor of the book LaPorte, Indiana.
June 17th, 2006 -- The Indies Guests Doug Martsch of Built to Spill and Bill Plympton. Bill Plympton is the Oscar-nominated animator of numerous short films. Doug Martsch is the frontman of Built to Spill, one of the indie rock world's most influential bands.
June 10th, 2006 -- What's Wrong with This Country Guests Henry Owings and George Saunders. Henry Owings is the editor of Chunklet Magazine; we talk about their new publication, "The Overrated Book: The Only Book You'll Ever Need." George Saunders is an acclaimed satirist, we talk about his new book of short stories, "In Persuasion Nation."
May 27th, 2006 -- Goofaround Gang Guests Paul F. Tompkins, Tim & Eric and Will Franken. Tim & Eric are the creators of the Cartoon Network [adult swim] series Tom Goes to the Mayor. Paul F. Tompkins is a standup, and has been a regular on series including The Daily Show, Best Week Ever, Mr. Show and Real Time with Bill Maher. Will Franken was recently chosen "Best Comedian" in San Francisco by the SF Weekly. Plus: web-only interview with Will Franken.
May 20th, 2006 -- Analog and Digital Guests John Vanderslice, Xeni Jardin and Mark Frauenfelder. Mark Frauenfelder and Xeni Jardin are among the co-authors of Boing-Boing.net, the weblog visited by 1.75 million people every day. John Vanderslice is a recording artist, producer, and recording studio owner who has worked with MK Ultra, Spoon and The Mountain Goats. His Tiny Telephone Recordings is the country's premier all-analog recording studio.
May 13th, 2006 -- Career Killers Guests Dan Clowes and Annabelle Hurwitch. Dan Clowes is the screenwriter of the film "Art School Confidential," which is based on a short comic story from his anthology series Eightball. Eightball was also the birthplace of "Ghost World." Annabelle Hurwitch is the former host of TBS' "Dinner and a Movie," and the author of "Fired," a collection of firing stories from "entertaining people," including David Cross, Felicity Huffman, and Robert Reich. Also: a comedy sketch from Free Love Forum.
May 6th, 2006 -- Joketacular Guest Brian Posehn. We're joined by comedian, writer and actor Brian Posehn (Mr. Show, Just Shoot Me, Seinfeld, Newsradio, Comedians of Comedy). We talk about his long career in comedy. Plus comedy from Todd Barry, Meat, Hard n Phirm, Jonathan Coulton, and Flight of the Conchords.
April 29th, 2006 -- Hollywood Outsiders Guests Philip Lopate, Sharon Waxman and Sean Uyehara. Philip Lopate is the editor of the Library of America's Anthology of American Film Criticism. Sharon Waxman is Hollywood reporter for the New York Times and author of "Rebels on the Backlot," which examines the indie film explosion of the mid-90s. Sean Uyehara is a programmer for the San Francisco International Film Festival. Also: a message from Jen Kirkman.
April 22nd, 2006 -- Jonathans Guests Jonathan Katz and Jonathan Goldstein. Jonathan Katz is a comedian, and the co-creator and star of "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist." Jonathan Goldstein is an acclaimed radio producer (This American Life, Wiretap) and the author of the novel "Lenny Bruce is Dead."
April 15th, 2006 -- Santa Cruz, You're Not That Far Guest Andrew WK. This week is our last broadcast from our long-time home base, KZSC in Santa Cruz. We bid an affectionate farewell to the station with two of our favorite segments from our six years in Santa Cruz. The first is a chat with Andrew WK -- he talks about his philosophy of life, and offers some rock & roll advice to Jesse's younger brother Brendan. Then, we hear the original old time radio-style serial "Mace Detective, Private Detective." Mace investigates the mystery of Popinjay's Whizbang, when he's not being distracted by Goofus & Gallant. Also: a brand new sketch from the Kasper Hauser Skit Club.
April 8th, 2006 -- Rip It Up & Start Again Guest Simon Reynolds. Simon is a British pop music critic, and the author of the book which gives our show its name. His book aims to retrofit the reputation of the rock music of the early 80s, describing the sonically disparate artists who created something new in the wake of the first punk movement's self-destruction.
April 1st, 2006 -- (Un)Clean Guests Jim Gaffigan and the creators of Wonder Showzen. Jim Gaffigan is an actor and comedian who's been seen in films like "Super Troopers," and is one of the most popular touring comics in America. John Lee and Vernon Chatman created Wonder Showzen, one of the most bizarre, dark, and hilarious half-hours on television.
March 25th, 2006 -- Elements of Style Guests Maira Kalman and George Pelecanos. This week, two looks at style. Maira Kalman created lyrical illustrations of the classic writing handbook The Elements of Style. George Pelecanos is a noted crime author, and a writer/producer for HBO's The Wire. Also: web-only interview with Nico Muhly.
March 18th, 2006 -- Joke Warfare Guests Terry Jones and Dino Stamatopoulos. Terry Jones is a founding member of Monty Python, as well as an author, historian, actor and director. We talk about Python and all that other stuff. Dino Stamatopolous is the creator of Moral Orel on Cartoon Network's [adult swim], and a former writer for Conan O'Brien, Mr. Show, and the Ben Stiller Show. Plus: expanded Dino Stamatopolous interview.
March 11th, 2006 -- Making Friends with Black People Guests Nick Adams and Calvin Levels. Nick Adams is a comedian and the author of the new book "Making Friends with Black People." Calvin Levels is a Tony-nominated actor and the star of the one-man show "James Baldwin: Down From the Mountaintop."
February 25th, 2006 -- Moustaches, Etc Guests Andy Daly and Richard Montoya. Andy Daly is a former castmember of MadTV, and a correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Showbiz Show with David Spade." He's also invented a "hip party game that's sweeping the nation," called "Mustache TV." Richard Montoya is 1/3 of the legendary Latino/Chicano sketch comedy group Culture Clash. Their newest play is "Zorro in Hell." He can also be seen in the upcoming Jack Black film "Nacho Libre."
Please note: downloadable shows below this point feature direct mp3 links. To save the file, right click and choose "save target as."
February 18th, 2006 -- The American Dream Guests Louis CK, Florian Keller, and Neil Hamburger. Louis CK is one of America's best standup comics -- we talk with him about his new kind of old-fashioned sitcom. Florian Keller writes in his book "Andy Kaufman: Wrestling with the American Dream" that Kaufman's work was a satire of that cherished ideal. Also, America's Funnyman, Neil Hamburger stops in to talk about his sad, sad, sad life.
February 11th, 2006 -- The Future Guests Chad Trujillo, Paul Moller, and Dippin Dots. A look deep into the future. We talk with the inventor of the Skycar, with the discoverer of a new planet, and with a representative of the Ice Cream of the Future, Dippin' Dots. Plus the future of scrapbooking, reptiles, and more, and relationship advice from The Evil Computer Bent on World Domination.
February 4th, 2006 -- All World Knowledge Guests John Hodgman and Fred Rees. Is it possible to contain all of the world's knowledge within the boundaries of one book? One radio show? We find out here. John Hodgman can be seen on the Daily Show, heard on This American Life, and read in his new book The Areas of My Expertise. The book is a compendium of made-up facts more valuable than the vastest library. Fred Rees is creator of The Book of Cool, a DVD set (and book) that teaches you every cool skill you need in life, from pen-spinning to behind-the-back dribbling.
January 28th, 2006 -- Rockets!
Guests Dan Piraro, Josh Kornbluth, Amanda Congdon, and Andrew Baron. This week's show features a mish-mash of folks. Dan Piraro is the creator of the popular newspaper comic "Bizarro." Josh Kornbluth is a monologuist and host of "The Josh Kornbluth Show." We talk with Josh about his show "Ben Franklin: Unplugged," in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth. Also, Andrew Baron and Amanda Congdon are the co-creators of Rocketboom, the world's most popular video blog, or v-log.
Web only bonus!Rocketboom Interview, uncut. Includes an extra ten minutes or so of the Rocketboom folks talking about turning a popular v-log into a succesful business model.
January 21st, 2006 -- Southern Soul Guests Rob Bowman and Devin the Dude. Devin the Dude is a Houston-based rapper whose self-depracating, hilarious, and sometimes profane raps has made him a favorite of Dr. Dre. DJ Premier, and other hip-hop insiders. Rob Bowman is one of the world's foremost experts on Stax Records. We talk to him about the DVD release of the concert film "Wattstax."
January 14th, 2006 -- Wholphin Guests Fred Armisen and Brent Hoff. Fred Armisen is a star on Saturday Night Live, and he's really, really nice (funny, too). Brent Hoff is the editor of McSweeney's new DVD magazine, Wholphin. Also, music from the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and a comedy sketch from Kasper Hauser.
January 7th, 2006 -- Dog Days
Guests H. Jon Benjamin and Demetri Martin. Jon Benjamin is best known as the voice of Ben, the layabout son in the long-running Comedy Central series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. He's also a stage comedian. Demetri Martin is a standup comedian, former writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and the winner of the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinborough Fringe. He's also a graduate of Yale University, and an NYU Law dropout. Also... how did that dog get in here? Web only bonus!Jon Benjamin interview, uncut. Twice the length of the aired version.
2005
December 31st, 2005 -- Vaudeville!
Guest Trav SD. This week, The Sound of Young America takes a magical trip back in time to the vaudeville era. Our guest Trav S.D. is the author of "No Applause - Just Throw Money," a book about the history of vaudeville in the US of A. We put on a variety show of our own, as well. It features Hard n Phirm, Dragon Boy Suede, Aziz Ansari, Brendan Thorn, Skillz, and more.
December 24th, 2005 -- Holiday Special.
Our syndicated holiday special features John Waters, Davy Rothbart, and Christopher Moore, as well as Mustaches for Kids and other holiday-themed hilarity.
December 17th, 2005 -- Holiday Party
Guest Chris Elliott. On this week's show, we sit down with Chris Elliott, the comedian who has retained his bizarre sensibility through a variety of media the past 25 years. Also, a vintage audio put-on by Coyle & Sharpe and Hang It Up / Keep It Up.
Web only bonus!Contest results! Alex Blagg of BlaggBlogg and Jarrett Krosoczka, author of "Punk Farm" help us pick winners of the New Sincerity Holiday Contest.
December 10th, 2005 -- The Movies
Guests Brendon Small, Mark & Michael Polish, and Peter Molyneux. Brendon Small is the creator of the Cartoon Network [adult swim] series Home Movies. Mark & Michael Polish are the directors of several films, including Twin Falls Idaho; they're also the authors of "The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking," a book about how to make an independent film. Peter Molyneux is the designer of the computer game "The Movies," which allows users to create films in-game. He's also designed quite a number of groundbreaking games, like "Populous" and "Black & White."
Web only bonus!Bonus interview with Brendon Small. We talk about his new project, a death metal comedy cartoon show called "DethKlok."
Web only bonus!Bonus interview with Lars Holm, author of the book "Fawlty Towers: The Worshipper's Guide." We talk about the classic Britcom. The PBS television special "Fawlty Towers Revisited" is airing this week on most PBS stations (click the link for details).
December 3rd, 2005 -- Canada, Et Al.
Guests Eugene Mirman, Kyle MacDonald, and Brandon Bird. Eugene Mirman is one of New York's top alternative comics. He not long ago released his first CD, "The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman." Brandon Bird is a painter, whose work has been celebrated across the country. It often features fringe celebrities and historical figures engaged in fantastical activities. Kyle MacDonald writes the blog "One Red Paperclip." He's been trying to trade up, little by little, from a red paperclip to a house.
Web only bonus!This is Eugene Mirman's Canada bit, in its real (video) form. It's from his wonderful Village Voice blog Hello, I'm Eugene.
November 26th, 2005 -- Comics and Comix, Pt. 3
Guests Sarah Silverman, Brad Meltzer, Kasper Hauser. We return to our nerdiest theme. Sarah Silverman is the hottest comedian in the country as her film "Jesus is Magic" hits theaters. Brad Meltzer is a best-selling novelist, and the author of the controversial DC Comics graphic novel "Identity Crisis." The Kasper Hauser Skit Club are San Francisco's favorite sketch comedy group... they perform a sketch and read some of their fake Craigslist postings. Web only bonus! A bonus Kasper Hauser sketch, recorded for the 2003 KZSC Laugh Riot Phone Call to the 14th Century (MP3, right click & save as)
November 19th, 2005 -- Belushi!
Guests Judith Belushi Pisano and Tanner Colby. John Belushi was one of the great comics of the late 20th century. Belushi Pisano and Colby are the editors of the new book Belushi, an oral history of his life and times. The show also features clips from the National Lampoon Radio Hour which feature Belushi. Web only bonus!
Hear Michael Palin, Harold Ramis, and Alan Zweibel talking about Belushi: Download (right click, save as) / Real Audio
November 12th, 2005 -- The Best Show.
Guest Tom Scharpling. This week's show is given over to our pal Tom Scharpling, host of the cult radio program "The Best Show on WFMU." We hear two tracks from Tom's new CD with partner-in-joke Jon Wurster, recorded live on The Best Show. The program features comics calling in with assumed personae, being interviewed by the unflappable Scharpling.
November 5th, 2005 -- On the Road.
Guests Henry Rollins and John Hodgman. Henry Rollins' 25 years on the road with Black Flag and The Rollins Band have left him really, really awesome. Also, John Hodgman, This American Life and McSweeney's contributor, talks about his new book, The Areas of My Expertise, and about hobos.
Web only bonus! John Hodgman reads all 700 hobo names with musical accompaniment. 700 Hobo Names (MP3, right click & save as)
October 29th, 2005 -- Comics & Comix Part Two.
Guests Andy Kindler and Harvey Pekar. Andy Kindler is a standup comic best known for eviscerating the comedy industry in his annual "State of the Industry Address" at Montreal's Just For Laughs festival. He's appeared numerous times on Letterman, and was a featured player on Everybody Loves Raymond. Harvey Pekar is the author of the celebrated comic series "American Splendor," which was made into a film starring Paul Giammatti. He recently published a comic memoir entitled "The Quitter."
October 22nd, 2005 -- Comics & Comix. Guests Matt Walsh, Art Spiegelman, and Chris Elliott. Matt Walsh is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, and has appeared in numerous films. He talks with us about "Martin and Orloff," a film he starred in and co-wrote. Art Spiegelman is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, among other books and comics. Spiegelman talks with us about his newest book, "In the Shadow of No Towers." Chris Elliott is a comedy hero for his work on the David Letterman show, as well as on his anti-sitcom "Get A Life," and the film "Cabin Boy." He's written a comic mystery novel, "The Shroud of the Thwacker."
October 15th, 2005 -- Dream Boogie.Peter Guralnick is the author of the new Sam Cooke biography "Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke." He is also the author of several other texts, including the two volume definitive biography of Elvis Presley.
October 8th, 2005 -- Perceived Sleights.Bruce Bridgeman is a professor at UC Santa Cruz, and recently published a paper on legenday Santa Cruz tourist attraction The Mystery Spot. Robert Weide is the executive producer of the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring Larry David. Also, we play some improvised Van Morrison recordings that are so bizarre, they must be heard to be believed.
October 1st, 2005 -- The Power of Love. Dan Savage is the creator of the nationally syndicated sex advice column Savage Love, and the author of the new book "The Commitment," about his family's deliberations over gay marriage. Neil Strauss is a writer for Rolling Stone and the New York Times. His new book is called "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists." It chronicles his years-long journey into the bizarre world of Masters of Pickup.
September 24th, 2005 -- The Gift of Gab. David Rakoff 's humorous essays enliven PRI's This American Life; his new collection is "Don't Get Too Comfortable." The hip-hop duo Blackalicious have been holding down the California alternative hip-hop scene for more than ten years. Their new album is "The Craft."
September 17th, 2005 -- International Waters. Dick Blasucci won two Emmy awards as head writer of SCTV. For the past seven years, he's been executive producer of Mad TV. John "Ol' Chumbucket" Baur & Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers are the creators of International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
September 3rd, 2005 -- Life changes.Matt Besser of the Upright Citizens Brigade talks about their new sieries on Bravo, "Asssscat Improv." Rodney Rothman, former Late Show with David Letterman head writer, talks about his memoir "Early Bird." He retired to Florida at age 28. Also, music from New Orleans music legends.
New Sincerity Love Contest Results -- Three talented listeners won copies of "Created in Darkness By Troubled Americans" for winning our New Sincerity love contest. Matt Besser helped us judge the results.
August 27th, 2005 -- People Helping People. We talk with Bob Edwards, long-time host of NPR's Morning Edition, and now host of the Bob Edwards Show on XM Satellite Radio. Also, we help a listener impress his girlfriend, and Jesse's little brother tells a joke.
August 20th, 2005 -- Real Vs. Fake. Ricky Jay is a magician, actor, and scholar of the history of strange performance. He talks with us about his book "Extraordinary Exhibitions" and his career. Also, Brian Copeland is a top-rated San Francisco radio personality and standup comic. He talks with us about his one-man show "Not A Genuine Black Man," which is the longest running solo show in San Francisco history.
August 13th, 2005 -- High and Low. We explore the dichotomy between high art and low. Louis CK talks with us about his standup comedy and his upcoming HBO series, "Lucky Louie." Chip Lord of the seminal art & architecture group The Ant Farm talks with us about their illustrious history -- even having a song written about one of their pieces by the Boss himself. Plus a song from New York sketch comedy group Elephant Larry.
August 6th, 2005 -- Revenge of the Nerds. Prince Paul talks about his career as a hip-hop and comedy producer, from De La Soul to Handsome Boy Modeling School to Chris Rock to Pootie Tang. Then, Maria Schneider hits us with Pathetic Geek Stories, her comic strip which presents what she calls "a concentrated weekly dose of humiliation." Also, Theresa, Jesse's girlfriend, hosts in a bizarre attempt to book Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner through dream magic.
July 30th, 2005 -- Odd Ends. Some of the strangest things that have ever happened on The Sound of Young America. Kasper Hauser, the brilliant San Francisco sketch comedy group, tell us about scamming internet scammers. We talk with Robert Hamburger, webmaster of realultimatepower.net about ninjas, and when we interview a scout for Steve Harvey's Big Time, everything goes horribly wrong. Also: Charlie Todd is the creator of Improv Everywhere, a group that plans the most elaborate and beautiful pranks one can imagine on the streets of NYC.
July 23rd, 2005 -- The Del Close Marathon.Del Close was the greatest comedy mind of the latter half of the 20th century, training the greats from Belushi to the Upright Citizens Brigade. We talk with Ian Roberts of the UCB, and Anthony King of the UCB Theater, about the Del Close Marathon, which honors his memory. We also talk with Jeff Griggs, author of "Guru: My Days with Del Close."
July 16th, 2005 -- Go! For It. We talk with Paul Feig, creator of the cult TV series "Freaks and Geeks," and author of the new book "Superstud: How I Became a 24-year-old Virgin." We also talk with the founder of the British rock/pop/hip-hop/dance band The Go! Team.
July 9nd, 2005 -- Way Into You. We talk with Greg Behrendt, comedian and author of the uber-bestselling book "He's Just Not That Into You." We also hear from Scott Aukerman and BJ Porter, also know as "The Fun Bunch", who as a writing team have written for HBO's Mr. Show, and as comedy empresarios run the world's best comedy night, Los Angeles' Comedy Death Ray.
June 18th, 2005 -- Dirty Mind with guests dirty R&B; legend Blowfly, the original foul-mouthed rapper and Legs McNeil, author of the acclaimed book "The Other Hollywood: The Oral History of the Porn Film Industry." (This show contains adult themes and a smattering of adult language)
June 4th, 2005 -- The Nucular Option. We talk with Stanford linguist and NPR commentator Geoffrey Nunberg about his book "Going Nucular." Then we have an odd chat with the odd trio (Michael Schowalter, Michael Ian Black, and David Wain) behind the new Comedy Central series Stella.
May 28th, 2005 -- New Sincerity Summer. We adjudicate the New Sincerity Summer contest, in which we asked listeners to contribute New Sincerity Summer activities. We also talk with Mike Veeck, minor league baseball empresario, son of baseball Hall of Famer Bill Veeck, and author of "Fun is Good." Mike talks with us about some of the promotions he's concocted, like "Disco Demolition Night" and "Mime-O-Vision." He also tells us about his son, who he has named "Night Train."
May 21st, 2005 -- Finders Keepers. We visit with our old pal Davy Rothbart, editor of Found Magazine, and hear a few of his audio finds. We also talk with Lorca Shepperd, co-director of the film Other Peoples' Pictures. The documentary covers the world of snapshot collectors -- people who are interested in vintage amateur photography. Plus! This week only, a contest for the best New Sincerity summer activities... email your ideas to me!
May 14th, 2005 -- Laugh Riot. We celebrate the second annual KZSC Laugh Riot with comedy from Brent Weinbach and Jasper Redd, and an in-studio chat and performance with Hard N Phirm.
May 7th, 2005 -- The Onion. We talk about The Onion with staff writer Joe Garden and editor-in-chief Carol Kolb. Also -- recorded comedy from the Sklar Brothers and Hard N Phirm.
April 23, 2005 -- Hip Hop Heads with actor Danny Hoch, founder of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, and Sway & King Tech, hosts of the World Famous Wakeup Show.
March 31, 2005 -- Hedberg, etc. Our guests are Marc Maron, host of Air America Radio's "Morning Sedition" and legendary standup comic, and Al Madrigal, up-and-coming standup. We talk with both about their experiences with the late Mitch Hedberg, and offer some of Hedberg's standup.
March 24, 2005 -- Rebirth -- Guests DJ Spooky on his "Rebirth of a Nation" remix of "Birth of a Nation" and Sharon Waxman on her book "Rebels on the Backlot," about the indie film explosion of the mid 1990s, and the directors behind it.
Downloadable Original Material (right click and "save as")
Theme Song -- The theme of the show, "Maximum Fun," composed and performed by Dan Grayson and Jesse Thorn.
Mace Detective, Private Detective -- Longtime Sound of Young America fans already know about Mace, the hard-boiled private detective with a penchant for booze, women, and Hilites For Children magazine. This adventure is his second, "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone."
Beer & the Boss -- As part of our continuing series entitled "American Dreamers," we present an odd story from listener Jesse Davis. It involves the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen and home-brewed beer. If you're inspired, share with us a strange dream you've had by clicking on the "contact" button above -- you may be the next American Dreamer.
Advice for John -- Every teen goes through some tough times on his or her journey to adulthood. Jesse's little brother John is no exception. Luckily, he has some help from his friends at The Sound of Young America.
Zombie Awareness Month -- February is zombie awareness month, and we put together this public service announcement on how you can help make this year's Z.A.M. a special one.
Alicia Keys -- When Alicia Keys calls, you shouldn't pick up the phone, because she is weeeeeird.
Dolphins & the Pope -- Jesse Thorn, "America's Radio Sweetheart" interviews one Santa Cruzian on the Pope's plans to use Santa Cruz as a staging ground for a new breed of Catholic dolphins.
Maximum Fun, by Indie Rockapella -- A Sound of Young America fan submitted this interesting remix of The Sound's theme, "Maximum Fun."
Downloadable Interviews (right click and "save as")
Dave Attell interview snippet -- We ask Dave Attell in what historical era he would most like to host his Comedy Central program "Insomniac."
Doug Benson's Oscar Recap -- We look at the 2004 Oscar broadcast with Doug Benson. (Warning this is a large file)
Mike Nelson -- We talk with former Mystery Science Theater 3000 host Dave Nelson
Patton Oswalt -- We talk with Patton Oswalt of TV's The King of Queens. (Warning: this is a large file)
Please do not rebroadcast or sell these recordings, which are the property of The Sound of Young America.
"While the modern indoor game of bowling contrasts markedly with these early examples, the most prevalent form of cheating still current on the lanes is the laying back of skill."
