Dylan chats with Bob Mehr (2X Grammy Winner and Author of ‘Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements’) about all things ‘Mats and more. Dylan and Bob discuss the upcoming Replacements reissue, “Tim: Let It Bleed Edition” and the behind the scenes work that helped this project come to fruition.
Dylan talks to Nathan Price about the new Jenny Besetzt record and organizing Hopscotch Music Festival. The song featured in the episode is “Abridged Dream (Disintegration)” off of the album Goner by Jenny Besetzt.
Dylan and guest host Brett Nash sit down with Bob of the legendary band Pavement. Come one, come all, hear horse talk, tennis talk, and even some music talk!
The talented Lori Goldston was kind enough to sit down and chat with Dylan about her outlook on music and life. Enjoy!
Michael “Mookie” Blaiklock is a hilarious actor, writer, comedian, and podcaster. You may know him from a million things but one that stands out to me is his role as Eli in “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.” Enjoy!
We’re back with Ross Harris (https://rossangeles.net/) talking to Dylan about his career behind a camera, making music videos and other visual art along the way.
Welcome back to Season 3 of the Comfort Monk podcast! So excited for what we have in store this year. Today, Dylan sits down with Nick Thorburn and talk about his approach to art in all of its forms. Thanks for everyone’s ongoing support for CM!
Guest host John Furr talks to Hudson Bell about his upcoming album, Psychic Breaks coming out November 26th! Check out comfortmonk.com for the video premiere of “Big City, Small World”!
Eddie and Paul have a nice chat about his new album “Words Are Fragile Vessels,” labor issues, and southern Brutalism. Read his newsletter Brutal South here.
Guest host (almost a regular host at this point!) Nick Black has a short chat with Bay Area legend Ross Farrar about his history with Ceremony’s changing output and how Spice came to be. Spice’s new self-titled album is available here!
Tim Baltes joins guest host Michael Crawford to give shape to his career, from becoming a bearded tech-death drummer to becoming a groove player. Tim has constructed a positive and fun Instagram community, where he plays drums joyfully and eats snacks critically. Check out his website at timbaltes.com!
Nick Black has a late night chat with Mark Burgess, pioneering post-punk vocalist and bassist for The Chameleons. They trace a lineage from Alice Cooper to The Chameleons to Soft Kill.
Comfort Monk is psyched to present our interview with Milo & Bill of the Descendents! Guest host Nick Black talks to these legends of the early hardcore/punk rock scene in California about coffee, touring, and growing up on a band’s music. Their new record ‘9th & Walnut’ is out July 27th via Epitaph!
Celebrate our 70th episode with special guest Gerald Casale! Gerald and Dylan talk Rolling Stone(s), devolution, and his new Record Store Day release.
Dylan and Kiefo talk about his wildlife photography, playing his father’s music, and the intersection between comedy and music. **Bumper music is Rainmaker by Harry Nilsson, performed by Kiefo Nilsson**
Guest Host Nick Black talks to Tobias Grave. They talk about a scene’s revival vs revitalization, Spotify vs Bandcamp, and Brittney Spears vs. Modern Art. Their spectacular live record “Live at the Crystal Ballroom” came out earlier this month!
Julianna and Dylan do a deep dive into her songwriting philosophy and process! Check out her J.R. EP here! Featuring a surprise guest. **Bumper Music – “BE MY MAN” by J.R.**
“Sometimes humans get a bad rap” – The psychedelic guitar wizard Stephen McBean joins Eddie today for a talk about growing up in Vancouver, punk rock, his musical journey, and what it’s like being a music fan in 2021. Enjoy!
“I think maybe what life is about is doing the things you want to do, and maybe doing them as best as you can or as hard as you can.” – Derek Erdman talks to guest host Dana Witkowski about painting, rapping over the telephone, and going on tour to sell art. Derek is hitting Columbia on his art tour this month! Check out Derek’s art here.
Guest host Michael Crawford spends some time talking to José Medeles about his philosophy of art and relationships! José is the author of “The Stoic Drummer,” a musician, and the owner of Revival Drum Shop (Portland, Oregon). He is also involved in producing the Deep Happening gatherings in Portland, multi-disciplinary avant garde art events. **Bumper Music is “New Means Now” By Michael Crawford and Gabe Madden**
“The whole point of that band was to heal a little bit…” Paul fills Eddie in on the artistic & life lessons he learned from Screamers and The Germs, leaving his mark on the 80s LA DIY punk scene and SST community, which lead into his immense recorded output of the 90s and studio and production work of the present.
Ale and Dylan talk about record stores, Iggy Pop, and the minimum tour length it takes just to leave the state of Florida. Along the way, Ale gives her musical history and a look into the Miami DIY scene. **Bumper Music is “Deposit Slip” by Las Nubes, available here!**
Dylan chats with London guitarist and songwriter Andy Cortes. Andy shares his experiences growing up as a young guitarist hanging out at blues jams all the way to opening for the Rolling Stones. They also discuss the freedom of stepping outside of the traditional music business. *Please forgive the background noise for the first 10 minutes of the interview* **Bumper music is “Traffic” by Andy Cortes**
Austin and Eddie talk a lot about movement – both of people through space & motion through music – which isn’t surprising given Austin’s background in Human Geography. Hear about the creative and technical process that brought us the excellent new Valley Maker record, “When The Day Leaves,” which is out now via Frenchkiss Records! *Bumper music: “Line Erasing” by Valley Maker, photo by Bree Burchfield*
Dylan chats with Langhorne Slim about life on the road, the ups and downs of creative impulse, and his huge new record Strawberry Mansion (available here!!). *Bumper music: “The Mansion” by Langhorne Slim, photo by Harvey Robinson*
Tony takes Eddie on the wild ride from making raps at middle school lunch tables to recording his latest masterpiece “Exotica” in Jamaica. Buy his new record and be sure to check out the video for “Gambling Man (Mariachi Remix)”!
Prepare yourself for a world of gunslingers, vaudeville actors, and the combined nostalgia & embarrassment of your old high school band. Eddie talks to Shane about his journey to the newest Wayfarer record (A Romance With Violence, out now on Profound Lore). *Bumper music by Wayfarer, photo by Elizabeth Marsh*
John Furr (Grand Republic, EZ Shakes) guest hosts this week, chatting with Neil Gust about his roots in the Portland music scene and everything he’s been doing since then!
“Both sides of the Atlantic, everybody got fed up with the same old things at the same time… there was a real air of despondency.” – Glen Matlock gets on mic with Dylan to describe the conditions in which punk arose and how they mirror the present.
Cameron & Dylan talk about the highs and lows of touring: vintage Levis in Japan, falling apart at frat parties, and watching the sun rise in Brazil after a late set. Enjoy the soothing sounds of a light rain during this episode!
Grammy-winning musician and composer Danny Weinkauf joins Eddie on today’s episode to talk about his musical journey that brought him to TMBG and how it took him into his solo career – making children’s music. Enjoy!
Guest host Brett Nash chats with Lars Finberg about his new record, Tinnitus Tonight! They run down the record track by track and then talk about Lars’ career and artistic philosophy.
“‘Did the world get any heavier when you were born?’ We’d rather that the book gets shut and you talk to your kid about what that means” – Thomas Berkau talks to Dylan about his musical background and what it’s like being a children’s author.
We’re celebrating our 50th episode on the last day of the year. Joe Lally and Dylan talk about the new Coriky record and Joe’s musical journey since his Fugazi days. We hope you have a better year next year!
Two guests on this episode! You’ll get some background on the writing and recording processes of Aaron (Gláss) and Chuck (Bing Krosby) and their respective contributions to Gratitude Vol. Two. And you’ll get to hear Eddie and Dylan chat about the compilation and the first year of Comfort Monk. (Chuck Treece at 4:20, Aaron Burke at 35:58)
“We don’t know anyone who played drums… so the Casio keyboard drums.” Eddie and Thom chat about starting bands when you’re young, loud old heavy beasts of amps, and the joy of finding undiscovered art.
“Skateboarding is like the words you choose when you speak; everyone has their own way.” This episode of Comfort Monk features French skate pro Bastien Salabanzi chatting with Dylan!
“She can hear music in the house. I wanted to make sure it was something to help her stay calm.” – Chuck Johnson on composing music to soothe his dog. Pre-order his new album “The Cinder Grove” here!
“I almost drove my car into Mitch’s house, not out of shock, but hours later… as an act of vengeance.” – Actors/Comedians/Musicians/Writers Paul Rust & Michael Cassady join our dual guest-hosting team of Brett and Henry to talk about their ongoing weekly songwriting show with DSOWD.
“There are these sentences that tear themselves out of these books… they keep themselves stuck in my mind” – Avant-garde composer and lute player, Jozef van Wissem talks with Eddie about letters from nuns, the resurgence in lute playing, and noise bands. His newest record “Ex Mortis” is out now on Consouling Sounds!
“Because we were on the same wavelength, sometimes things happened all at once…” The Columbia Beat’s Mike Jones hosts post-punk/new wave artist Vanessa Briscoe Hay!
“The classroom was a stifling thing, you have to raise your hand to speak, why are we not just fluidly talking about these things?” Junior Astronomer Terrence Richard talks to Dylan and a few unplanned guests make appearances.
James talks with Dylan about his early influences when he was playing with Weston, all the way through to the anthemic power pop of Beach Slang and the piano and strings of Quiet Slang. The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City is out now on Bridge 9 Records (featuring our very first guest Tommy Stinson)!
Marissa and Eddie discuss supergroups, Motel Sixes, and what the sudden halt in touring this year means to someone who’s spent most of their adult life playing live music. Keep an eye out: Screaming Females is releasing a special limited run edition of Chalk Tape for the first time on vinyl!
Bo White has fronted more bands and produced more records than could ever be neatly chronicled, but here he gives Dylan a tour through some of his varied career highlights and gives an insight into why he makes art the way he does. Patois Counselors’ new record The Optimal Seat is out now on Ever/Never!
Our friend Tyler Gordon hosts the show with guest Tommy Guerrero, Bones Brigade legend and prolific musician. They chat about music and skating and the inevitable blurred lines between both art forms. [Photo: Claudine Gossett]
Sam was kind enough to make the insanely cool album art for our new compilation, Gratitude Vol. 2! He tells Dylan about his career path, and how happening upon mini-comics gave him the artistic outlet he’d been looking for, before becoming a story board artist for Cartoon Network.
Guest host John Furr – local legend, podcast host (Cola Town Underground), musician (Grand Republic, E.Z. Shakes) – interviews Sean Eden of highly influential NYC indie rockers Luna. Also, make sure to catch Eddie and Dylan on Colatown Underground where we talk about Comfort Monk over beers!
Dylan talks to punk rock legend, inspiring visual artist, and Texas native Tim Kerr. They chat about doing-it-yourself-ism, how every musician wants more of themselves in the mix, and how a music scene without community can get taken over by sketchy characters.
Dylan chats with Seth Kauffman this week! They talk about hand drums, record labels, and the rich history and discography that Seth has achieved through his band Floating Action. His latest record “Outsider Art” is out now on People in a Position to Know!
Guests Mike Hanford, Tim Kalpakis, & Jefferson Dutton join us today, featuring guest host Brett Nash! We about their party rock band The Sloppy Boys, which arose out of their comedy troupe/TV show “The Birthday Boys.” Featuring a guest appearance by Margaret Bauknight.
You know we be house rocking! On today’s episode Eddie sits down with Dan Kroha, one of the primal driving forces behind the Motor City garage rock scene, to talk about music, home improvement, and growing up in Detroit.
In the best news you’ll hear this month, Derek Sheen, world class joke teller, joined us for a chat! We talked about everything from death (a lot of death, actually) to youthful transgressions (no threesomes) to skateboarding fall videos (and broken bones). Derek has a new special out now called “Macho Caballero” on Stand Up! Records. He also has a new record of music and a book coming out soon!
Today’s episode of the Comfort Monk Podcast features avant-garde musician and performer Jarboe. She shares her experiences growing up with music and the life-altering decision to move to NYC and join Swans, and what it took to try to keep Swans together once she was there. Since then, her solo work has been breathtaking and all-encompassing in its scope. Her newest album “Illusory” is out now on Consouling Sounds.
Hometown hero and indie wrestling darling EFFY is here to tear the place up. He fills us in on how wrestlers, promoters, and fans are evolving alongside a society at large which is confronting its toxic masculinity and homophobia. Dylan and Effy talk about wrestling’s performative aspects and deconstruct the hero & villain dynamics of a good show.
Everyone’s favorite co-host, David Toole (Bluetile Skateshop) is back in the Comfort Monk universe, chilling with Dylan in this week’s conversation with Leo Romero, Thrasher’s SOTY 2010. They chat about Leo’s dual careers, empathy, and Randy Newman. Be on the lookout for a new Travesura record this year!
Start your weekend with Chuck Treece, one of the founding fathers of skate punk and the first African-American skateboarder to appear on the cover of Thrasher magazine. Dylan and Chuck talk about his youth, becoming a pro skater and playing drums in the band his father led. He explains the history of his band McRad and the DIY ethos he brought to it, and expounds on his relationship with Bad Brains. Listen to Chuck on Comfort Monk: Gratitude Volume One!
We were excited to converse with Angela from the genre-defying, chaotic and beautiful group Xiu Xiu! Angela & Eddie chat about Twin Peaks, techno music, and colonialism. Xiu Xiu’s newest record “Girl with Basket of Fruit” is available from Polyvinyl.
In today’s Very Special Episode, we talk about Gratitude: Volume One, the CM covers compilation that we released in May. To help us look back on the creative process, we asked several of the musicians involved to give us a run down on why and how they recorded and selected their tracks. (R. Barbee: 6:10, B. Nash: 45:19, M. Brown: 1:30:56, P. Alvanos: 1:46:58)
Guitar slinger and Americana singer Justin Osborne recounts his story of growing up as a touring musician in the Southeast. He and Dylan chat about all the effort it takes to pull off a fun quarantine show, as Justin reflects on building creative relationships and collaborative friendships.
Musician and visual artist John Herndon joins Dylan on the porch today to talk about his journey from playing folk music in a NC commune, to experimental post-rock in Chicago, to his solo electronic music and painting. Hear about the headaches of touring overseas with two drum kits plus a marimba and the joys of making music that you want to hear with people who share the same vision.
Gainesville-to-Richmond transplant Julie Karr talks with Eddie about her new solo album “what’s the saddest song you know?”, working in both public health and a band during a pandemic, and the philosophy of moving between cities and scenes. Listen to her new album and check out “Feeling Wild” by her punk band Sensual World.
A short chat stuffed to the brim with wild stories from the pioneering bassist Eddie Shaw! He reflects on the external forces that caused The Monks to explore noise and feedback, his literary and publishing career, and what it was like getting huge recognition for their accomplishments 40 years after the band broke up.
In episode 20, Andy is kind enough to talk to Eddie about his philosophy of DIY art. They chat about his month long Art War, the impact of COVID-19 on the art world, and why it’s important that people put their art out into the world. Andy has an new album out – “Even When The Cat Comes,” a album of cover songs written by his close personal friends.
Swedish skateboarding legend Ali Boulala joins Dylan Dickerson plus hometown skate patron/Bluetile owner David Toole to shoot the shit. They touch on Project Runway, skateboarding past your 20s, and Ali’s move to the states to become a professional skater back when he was a sixteen year old. (NOTE: This episode isn’t up to our normal standards of sound quality and contains some background noise.)
Our friend Travis Bland talks to punk rock legend Keith Morris. He takes us from the first seeds of Black Flag being planted at a Journey/Thin Lizzy concert, to full steam ahead debauchery and tragic losses in the 80s, all the way to getting the senior discount at Denny’s.
Dylan & Kyp Malone trace all of the roots – friends, musical groups and cities – that lead to TV on the Radio’s five groundbreaking records and his current work with Rain Machine and other projects. Kyp talks about the various types of touring he has engaged in, the nerdy synth records he’s into, and the collective action needed to confront climate change.
We jump right into philosophy in this episode! Topics include: existentialism & truth, our connection to our senses, the role of language in how we think, and the effect of landscapes on a person’s aesthetic growth. Frank also gives some insights into the lyrics and artwork of Fen’s new album “The Dead Light” and considers the spiritual nature of Scotch whisky!
On tonight’s episode, our friend Michael Crawford interviews the essential June Millington, a former member of the 70s all-women rock/pop funk band Fanny, and co-founder of the Institute for the Musical Arts, which provides an all encompassing music education for young folks! They chat about the early days and her deep archives of live music, all the way to her present involvement with fostering a positive creative environment for growing musicians.
Human music appreciator and record guru Peter Jesperson sits down and stands maybe for an interview with our own Dylan Dickerson. He talks about the early days of Twin/Tone, touring with The ‘Mats, and what he’s been busy with lately. He says he has a new favorite band every few weeks and we think that says great things about music and the world in general.
Comfort Monk’s thirteenth episode is full of hot takes. Lisa and Chuck draw a line in the sand against Scott Baio on Diagnosis Murder, take a stand against Marie Kondo, and rate the relative tastiness of varmints! All that and more!
One half of the duo Vundabar, Brandon Hagen joins us today to talk to Eddie about their new album “Either Light.” They chat about DIY music videos, Brandon’s lyrics and the duality of man (sir!), and the endless voice memos that go into writing an album. Enjoy and please subscribe if you haven’t already (and rate us if you have)!
Our friend – the multi-talented Peter Alvanos – settles into a chat with Dylan. They talk Athens music neighborhoods (‘Rock block!’), early bands, and the challenges and benefits of recording drums in mono. (Pre-interview music is from a live recording of Elf Power, thanks to Todd Larrabee, host of Memphis, Egypt W/ Aaron & Todd)
Live from the porch, complete with songbirds and chainsaws! Dylan interviews Kira Roessler, bass player and Emmy-winning sound editor. They chat about her early days in Black Flag as a college student and what projects she’s been busy with lately.
Hope you’re staying strong out there! Today’s guest is a house musician, DJ, and radio host from Melbourne, Australia! We chatted about the relationship between outdoor festivals and nature, Ozymandias, and lost music that doesn’t make it to physical formats.
Strap in for a wild trip through bass history, as our friend and resident bass expert Cam interviews the legendary Mike Watt. They talk James Jamerson (the SC Native who was the un-credited driving force behind a huge number of Motown hits), classic bass guitars, and composing music that makes place for bass. (Also some love for two of Eddie’s favorites: Lou Barlow and Glenn Branca!)
Eddie has a chat with Simon Barr of the British anti-fascist black metal band Dawn Ray’d. They talk about meeting fans, the politics of extreme metal, and the folk music that we grow up with.
Our very own Dylan Dickerson wields the cans and sits down to talk with multi-hyphenate art-maker and legendary skateboarder Ray Barbee! NOTE: We had a technical issue during the recording of this interview and it’s lower fidelity than usual. Thanks for understanding!
On today’s episode of Comfort Monk, our friend Marshall Brown gets mic’d up to speak with drummer Eric Slick about his work with Dr. Dog, his solo albums, and what continuing education means to a musician!
On this episode of Comfort Monk, our friend and singer/songwriter Cayla Fralick joins us in the studio to interview Amelia Meath! They talk about the meaning of pop music, close-knit artist communities, and the days of releasing music on MySpace.
For Comfort Monk 3, Dylan Dickerson has a chat with the power pop legend Jody Stephens. They talk about sneaking motorcycles into Ardent Recording Studio, touring without a booking agent, and Jody’s work after Big Star.
On episode 2 of the Comfort Monk Podcast, Eddie Newman talks to Grant-Lee Phillips about his recent Exile Follies tour (with Kristin Hersh and John Doe), an upcoming album this fall, and his forays into visual art.
