Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Charlie Wilson made hits in the 80s as the frontman of the Gap Band. In the 90s he was homeless on the streets of LA. Then, he turned it all around. Jesse talks with Charlie Wilson about his astonishing career with The Gap Band and his later collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Tupac and more. Plus hear stand-up comedy from The Daily Show's Al Madrigal, culture picks from Mark Frauenfelder, and which Mountain Goats song you should listen to immediately. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

[r] "Weird Al" Yankovic is a master of parody music and one of the all-time bestselling accordionists. He and Jesse talk about Yankovic's multi-decade career. Plus, Bullseye's rap contributor Andrew Noz talks about some his all-time favorite tracks. Then Geoffrey Nunberg discusses the origins of the word A-hole, and how its cultural significance has changed over time. Lastly, Jesse reveals who, for his money, is the all-time king of late night talk shows.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Christopher Guest talks about the origins of his signature style of parodic filmmaking. He'll also talk about why music pops up in his movies so much. Guest explored folk music in A Mighty Wind and community musical theater in Waiting For Guffman. His new TV show on HBO is called Family Tree. After that, Dan Kennedy will talk about his new novel American Spirit. Plus, the AV Club tells us about the new Mikal Cronin and Vampire Weekend records, and Nick Krill from the Spinto Band reveals the song that changed his life.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Nile Rodgers, musician, songwriter, and producer, reflects on his decades of hit writing and collaborating. Topics discussed include his involvement in disco, crafting songs, and the meaning of music in his life. They also touch on the origins of 'I'm Coming Out' and its significance to the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the impact of a song after disco's decline, collaborating with David Bowie, and the role of jazz in their work. The episode wraps up by mentioning upcoming events and sponsors.

Jesse talks to Mel Brooks about his unparalleled career — from writing for Sid Caesar on television in the 1950s to working with Gene Wilder on The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein in the 60s and 70s. Then later, Jesse talks to the directors of a documentary that follows the transformation of a man from WWII flying ace into Father Yod - the leader of a 1970s commune in the Hollywood Hills. Plus hear some of the psychedelic music that Father Yod made with his followers: the Source Family.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Jesse talks to Huey Lewis about his pub rock beginnings, his multi-platinum success with the album Sports, and how he wrote songs for movies like Back to the Future and Pineapple Express. He also talks about the time he snuck onto an airplane bound for London. Then, from free flights to free phone calls. Find out how "phreakers" were able to use computerized tones to unlock an entire phone network. Heck, one guy did it just by whistling the right way. Phil Lapsley will talk about his book "Exploding The Phone: The Untold Story of The Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell". See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We revisit Jesse's interview with the delightful stand-up comic Simon Amstell. On TV, he prods at the powers that be and has even caused a few walk-offs. But despite the escapades, Amstell spends much of his time on stage and off looking inward, at himself. The self-doubt got so deep that he went on a shamanic quest to South America for answers. Then Brian K Vaughn talks about his comic book series SAGA. It's a space fantasy about parenting with a deep, engaging mythology. Plus, AV Club contributors Erik Adams and Claire Zulkey talk about some all-time TV favorites: the serial drama Twin Peaks and the British sitcom Spaced. [Portions of this episode previously aired in December 2012.] See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We're talking Veep this week with the HBO comedy's showrunner, Armando Iannucci, and its star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Iannucci talks about geeking out on American and British politics and recreating them on-screen. Then, Louis-Dreyfus talks about her days on Seinfeld and her favorite dirty phrase from Veep. Plus, British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg talks about the song that changed his life. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Jesse talks to the director Shane Carruth. His new movie Upstream Color has almost no dialogue, involves a kind of abstract science fiction premise, but keeps you fully engaged. Then Jesse talks to Rodney Ascher, who directed Room 237. It's a documentary about The Shining. But it doesn't go behind the scenes. It features interviews with people who have radical theories about the movie. One guy even says that the film contains signs of a faked moon landing. Rodney and Jesse talk about how plausible all this stuff is, and whether the authorial intent even matters. Plus, comedian Kyle Kinane offers tips on keeping down your cab fare.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Actress Catherine O'Hara talks about her start with the Second City's SCTV, blockbuster success with Beetlejuice and Home Alone, and her perfect encapsulation of comic absurdity in Christopher Guest films like Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind. But first, Jesse talks to Big Boi — one half of OutKast. The hip hop duo swung back and forth across the spectrum of popular music — zigging with cult favorites like "ATliens", and zagging with top 40 hits like "The Way You Move". Plus, pop culture advice from the hosts of My Brother, My Brother and Me.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy