The Merlin Show

020: Interview: Jesse Thorn, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:52:17 -0700

Merlin talks with The Sound of Young America’s Jesse Thorn about how podcasts let him engage with a wider audience, the greying of public radio’s average listener, and how radio can be programmed to become almost unnoticeable.

Note: This is the second segment in our six-part interview with Jesse Thorn. Don’t miss the other segments.

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Also mentioned in (or related to) this segment: UC Santa Cruz; KZSC; Maximum Fun Forum; WNYU; photos from Jesse’s recent meetup; TSOYA Flickr Group; Spiderman 3; KKSF (San Francisco’s Smooth Jazz); WFSU; WFSQ, and their playlist; Scott Simon (Scott, we kid because we love.); Fresh Air; MC Solaar; Killer Mike; Andrew W.K.; Jesse’s somewhat infamous letter to Weekend ATC; Matisyahu, a hasidic hip-hop artist; Orientalism; Google Answers: Average listener age for public radio; Jesse’s MaxFun post: NPR Listeners: Exactly How You Picture Them; Kelefa Sanneh; KPCC.

Jesse Thorn (a/k/a, “America’s Radio Sweetheart”), is a nationally syndicated public radio host, raconteur, and podcaster who’s best known for The Sound of Young America and several other programs under the aegis of his “Maximum Fun” site:

The Sound of Young America
Episode Archive, Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Jesse’s terrific interviews with comedians, writers, actors, and other people he finds awesome.

Coyle & Sharpe: The Impostors
Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
More info at their site. Vintage street terrorism from the skinny-tie 60s. Classic bits from the original and quintessential “man on the street” comedy put-on team.

Jordan, Jesse, GO!
Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Jesse and his pal, Jordan Morris (Boy Detective), do free-form. And it’s really funny. Seriously.

Kasper Hauser Comedy Podcast
Episode Archive, Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Sketch comedy from San Francisco’s hilarious “Kasper Hauser” comedy group, perhaps best known for their “Sky Maul” catalog parody.

The College Years
Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Santa Cruz-era episodes of The Sound of Young America, decanted for your present-day enjoyment.

Merlin’s personal picks for a few Sound of Young America episodes to get started with:
- 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.”
- April 10th, 2007 — Jack McBrayer - “We talk with Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, the lovable NBC Page, in the NBC sitcom ‘30 Rock.’”
- 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.”

019: Interview: Jesse Thorn, Part 1

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:32:13 -0700

Merlin talks with The Sound of Young America’s Jesse Thorn about his roots in radio at UC-Santa Cruz and how having to borrow his Mom’s car led to him putting his radio shows on the web. We also learn some surprising things that Jesse has in common with basketball superstar, Manute Bol.

Note: This is the first segment in our six-part interview with Jesse Thorn. Stop back soon for more.

Jesse Thorn (a/k/a, “America’s Radio Sweetheart”), is a nationally syndicated public radio host, raconteur, and podcaster who’s best known for The Sound of Young America and several other podcasts under the aegis of his “Maximum Fun” site:

The Sound of Young America
Episode Archive, Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Jesse’s terrific interviews with comedians, writers, actors, and other people he finds awesome.
Coyle & Sharpe: The Impostors
Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
More info at their site. Vintage street terrorism from the skinny-tie 60s. Classic bits from the original and quintessential “man on the street” comedy put-on team.
Jordan, Jesse, GO!
Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Jesse and his pal, Jordan Morris (Boy Detective), do free-form. And it’s really funny. Seriously.
Kasper Hauser Comedy Podcast
Episode Archive, Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Sketch comedy from San Francisco’s hilarious “Kasper Hauser” comedy group, perhaps best known for their “Sky Maul” catalog parody.
The College Years
Recent Episodes, Subscribe, iTunes
Santa Cruz-era episodes of The Sound of Young America, decanted for your present-day enjoyment.

Also mentioned in this episode: Bob Odenkirk (TSOYA episode), The Human Giant (TSOYA episode), Manute Bol, Ira Glass, Terry Gross
Jesse has dibs on the term “The New Sincerity” - "A perfect example of the New Sincerity is Evel Knievel. There's no way to take Evel Knievel literally. It's impossible."

Merlin’s personal picks for a few Sound of Young America episodes to get started with:
- 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.”
- April 10th, 2007 — Jack McBrayer - “We talk with Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth, the lovable NBC Page, in the NBC sitcom ‘30 Rock.’”
- 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.”
Merlin Show/Jesse Thorn trivia: Jesse and TSOYA are mentioned in the first sentence of Merlin’s first interview with Jonathan Coulton.
Super-nerdy Merlin Show trivia: This is the first set of interviews shot with our new HV-20s (amazon). That film look comes from the tasty new 24p functionality. Hope you all like the new fanciness.

018: Interview: John Roderick, Part 4

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sun, 20 May 2007 19:53:35 -0700

In the final episode of Merlin’s talk with John Roderick, Hotrod explains the the perils of self-producing a record and Ken Stringfellow’s method of punching-in vocals, three words at a time.

Pick quote: “The Wrens made a whole career out of an ADAT and a 12-pack.”

Note: This is the final segment of our epic 4-part interview with John Roderick; don’t miss part one, part two and part three.

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Here is the web site of The Long Winters
John wrote and performed The Merlin Show’s theme song, “Blue Diamonds,” which is the first track on 2003’s wonderful When I Pretend to Fall
The Long Winters’ latest record, Putting the Days to Bed is out on Barsuk Records and is available for purchase on the Barsuk site
You can download high-quality MP3s (including “Blue Diamonds”) from The Long Winters’ web site
Musical acts mentioned in this segment include The Wrens, My Bloody Valentine, Ken Stringfellow (from The Posies, R.E.M., and the reunited Big Star), and, of course, The Vienna Boy’s Choir.
Here are photos of John Roderick wearing a cape

017: Interview: John Roderick, Part 3

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 03:29:18 -0700

Merlin talks with John Roderick, the singer and songwriter for “The Long Winters” (and the man behind The Merlin Show’s theme song, “Blue Diamonds”). John and Merlin discuss string art, learning how to play guitar, and the surprising achievability of most people’s dreams.

Note: This is the third segment of a 4-part interview with John; don’t miss part one and part two.

Click To Play

Here is the web site of The Long Winters
John wrote and performed The Merlin Show’s theme song, “Blue Diamonds,” which is the first track on 2003’s wonderful When I Pretend to Fall
The Long Winters’ latest record, Putting the Days to Bed is out on Barsuk Records and is available for purchase on the Barsuk site
You can download high-quality MP3s (including “Blue Diamonds”) from The Long Winters’ web site
String Art can include owls
Both John and Merlin deny being French
Stripper Shoes have high heels and are often clear
“Grok” was coined by Robert A. Heinlein (not Arthur C. Clarke)
Here’s the tablature for Pinball Wizard, She Said, She Said, Bringin’ on the Heartbreak, La Grange, and Breaking the Law
Here are photos of John Roderick wearing a cape

Preview of Through with Love Long Winters movie

016: Interview: John Roderick, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:15:28 -0700

Merlin talks with John Roderick, the singer and songwriter behind “The Long Winters” (and the man behind The Merlin Show’s theme song, “Blue Diamonds”). John and Merlin discuss the myths of celebrity, bullshit, and the problem of Ben Affleck’s hair.

Note: This is the second segment of a 3-part interview with John; don’t miss part one.

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015: Interview: Peter Hughes, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 21:04:10 -0700

Merlin talks with Peter Hughes of The Mountain Goats about building a sustainable career in independent music, how prolific recording and touring keeps the lights on, and how having the right fan base (and a little bit of luck) makes all the difference.

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014: Interview: John Vanderslice, Part 3

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 12:04:48 -0700

Merlin talks with San Francisco indie rocker (and longtime Mac user) John Vanderslice about how he manages his fan email list, as well as JV’s tips on taking a Mac on tour, and how internet access in Australia can be like a vibrating bed. Bonus footage includes the video for John’s song “Exodus Damage,” by Brent Chesanek.

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013: Interview: Chris Wetherell, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:47:31 -0700

Merlin talks with Google's Chris Wetherell about working from the road, the surprisingly modest stakes of touring, opportunity costs, and failing utterly at email.

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012: Interview: John Roderick

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:21:17 -0700

Merlin talks with John Roderick, the singer and songwriter behind "The Long Winters" (and the man behind The Merlin Show's theme song, "Blue Diamonds"). John curses at on-set hippies, wonders about making money on the web, and demands that indie rockers learn to behave more like building contractors. Roffle, roffle, roffle. (Contains PG-13 language, ribald exchanges, and frank discussion of show business ["it's not 'show friend...'"])

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011: Interview: Peter Hughes

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:30:20 -0700

Merlin talks with Peter Hughes of The Mountain Goats about the logistics of wired touring, keeping a tour diary on LiveJournal, and why The Mountain Goats don't have a MySpace page.

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010: Interview: John Vanderslice, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 08:20:40 -0700

Merlin talks with San Francisco indie rocker John Vanderslice about giving up on a large volume of email, meeting the people you admire, and having no patience for people who act like rock stars. 2nd of a 3-part interview. (FYI: Contains PG-13 language)

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009: Interview: Jeffrey Veen, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:35:47 -0700

Merlin talks with Google's Jeffrey Veen about making the best of meetings (and the time around them), lofi capture, and the beauty of simple tools. We also learn how Jeff has learned to use his commute for firewalled time.

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008: HOWTO: Quicksilver: Application Menus

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 21:09:02 -0700

Learn how to access drop-down menus in every application via Quicksilver.

007: Interview: Jonathan Coulton, Part 2

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:38:14 -0800

Merlin talks with singer and songwriter Jonathan Coulton about becoming a role model for his daughter, juggling roles at home, and occupying a coffee shop as a satellite office. Be there for the Oprah-like moment where Jonathan breaks down and admits his email system is not working.

006: HOWTO: Quicksilver: The Comma Trick

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:17:21 -0800

Learn how to create a temporary stack in Quicksilver, so you can do stuff to (or with) a big pile of objects all at one time.

005: Interview: Chris Wetherell

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 07:41:34 -0800

Merlin talks with Google's Chris Wetherell about email overwhelm, embracing mediocrity, and coding features for Google apps while on tour with his bands, "Dealership" and "Citizens Here and Abroad."

004: Interview: John Vanderslice

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 05:13:27 -0800

Merlin talks with San Francisco indie rocker John Vanderslice about life as an independent musician -- the siren song of advance money, the ascendance of the MP3 blog, and how to try and craft a long career in the face of "sleazy merchants." (Note: Contains PG-13 language)

003: Interview: Jeffrey Veen

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:07:42 -0800

Merlin talks with Google's Jeffrey Veen about working with teams, workplace culture, and how to get things done with an engineering notebook (and without a phone).

002: Interview: Jonathan Coulton

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:31:27 -0800

Merlin talks with singer, songwriter, new father, and former code monkey, Jonathan Coulton about life as an independent internet troubadour.

001: Hello.

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:20:15 -0800

Merlin says, "Hello," and welcomes you to his new show.

000: Thirty theoretically productive frames per second

themerlinshow@gmail.com (Merlin Mann) — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:43:00 -0800

Teaser for "The Merlin Show," coming Monday 2/26

The Merlin Show

020: Interview: Jesse Thorn, Part 2

019: Interview: Jesse Thorn, Part 1

018: Interview: John Roderick, Part 4

More Long Winters on Video

Preview of Through with Love Long Winters movie

Video for “Fire Island, AK”

Video for “Blue Diamonds”

”Pushover,” Live @ Easy Street Records

017: Interview: John Roderick, Part 3

Preview of Through with Love Long Winters movie

016: Interview: John Roderick, Part 2

015: Interview: Peter Hughes, Part 2

014: Interview: John Vanderslice, Part 3

013: Interview: Chris Wetherell, Part 2

012: Interview: John Roderick

011: Interview: Peter Hughes

010: Interview: John Vanderslice, Part 2

009: Interview: Jeffrey Veen, Part 2

008: HOWTO: Quicksilver: Application Menus

007: Interview: Jonathan Coulton, Part 2

006: HOWTO: Quicksilver: The Comma Trick

005: Interview: Chris Wetherell

004: Interview: John Vanderslice

003: Interview: Jeffrey Veen

002: Interview: Jonathan Coulton

001: Hello.

000: Thirty theoretically productive frames per second