International Waters Episode 7: Live in London

Strap-in for conspiracy theories, national delicacies and an argument over cheese as special guest, Jon Ronson, joins contestants Holly Walsh, Jordan Morris, Ron Babcock and Tom Allen at the Leicester Square Theatre in London.

With both teams on the same continent for the first time ever we learn about British “mine food”, Gentleman’s Relish and The Big Dog Theory.

We’ve got more photos on our Facebook page and if you missed out on this one, we’ll be taping live International Waters episodes at MaxFunCon East and at The San Francisco Comedy and Burrito Festival.read more

Bullseye: Jeff and Steve McDonald of Redd Kross, Matt Braunger, and Todd Barry

Our show is guest hosted this week by Jordan Morris! Jesse Thorn will return next week. Check out more from Jordan on the podcast Jordan, Jesse, Go! or on his blog.

Jackie Siegel in The Queen of Versailles
Movie Recommendations from The AV Club
Our culture gurus over at The AV Club delve into film this week: head writer Nathan Rabin suggests the documentary The Queen of Versailles, which follows a billionaire’s family (and their undoing) in the wake of the economic crisis. Film editor Scott Tobias thinks you should look into two classic films, Body and Soul and Force of Evil, both written by screenwriter Abraham Polonsky. The Queen of Versailles is now in theaters nationwide. Force of Evil and Body and Soul are both available on Blu-Ray and DVD. (Embed or share Movie Recommendations with the AV Club)
Jeff and Steve McDonald of Redd Kross: Music as Pornography, A Lost Decade, and Punk Rock
What do The Partridge Family, Black Sabbath, and David Bowie all have in common? They all nurtured the music- and pop culture-obsessed minds behind the punk band Redd Kross. Brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald started the band as kids in the late 1970s, growing up in Hawthorne, California near a burgeoning LA punk rock scene. The band flew mostly under the radar of mainstream culture, but found a devoted fan base and was hugely influential to the punk, grunge, and indie rock scenes. Kurt Cobain regularly included their songs on his mix tapes, and they’ve been name-checked by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus of Pavement, and even Joe Elliott of Def Leppard. They’ve just released their first album in fifteen years, called Researching the Blues. (Embed or share this interview with Redd Kross)
Comedian Todd Barry on Germaphobia
You think you’ve got issues? Todd Barry might give you a run for your money. Todd Barry is a NYC-based veteran comedian. You can see him regularly at venues across the country. He collects mundane quotes, misprinted receipts, and subversive Tweets. His new stand up album, Super Crazy, is out now. (Embed or share Todd Barry on Germaphobia)
Comedian Matt Braunger on Hangover Foods and Growing Up in Portland
Matt Braunger began his career as an actor and stumbled into comedy, but now is known for both — he’s been a feature performer on MADtv and toured the country with his standup, and he’s scored a recurring role as the genial, dorky neighbor on NBC’s Up All Night. He talks to us about growing up in Portland and creating his own blend of stand-up comedy — observational stories, mixed in with fanciful musings. His new stand up album and DVD special, both entitled Shovel Fighter, are out now. (Embed or share this interview with Matt Braunger)
The Outshot: Tenacious D and Rize of the Fenix
Our guest host Jordan Morris recommends the duo Tenacious D, for both their comedy and musical prowess, and their new album Rize Of The Fenix . Got a favorite musical comedy album? Share it on the the MaxFun forum by picking your own Outshot. (Embed or share the Outshot on Tenacious D) Subscribe to Bullseye in iTunes or the RSS feed!read more

Reminder: MaxFun Meet-Up @ This American Life is THIS THURSDAY!

Just a friendly reminder that this Thursday, May 10th is not only the night Ira Glass brings This American Life to the stage (and movie theaters across the country), but it’s also the night of our massive, nation-wide MaxFun Meet-Up to celebrate! LA area MaxFunsters are encouraged to join us Buffalo Wild Wings Burbank after the show (which we’ll be taking in at the AMC Burbank 16) for a night full of new friends and maximum fun! Jesse Thorn, Jordan Morris, Erin Gibson, Bryan Safi and all of us behind-the-scenesters will be there. Will you? And fear not out-of-towners, as Burbank is hardly the only place to get in on the action. MaxFun listeners all across the country and organizing their own meet-ups: New York, Portland, Iowa City and Indianapolis are all onboard, with the potential for countless more meet-ups. If you live in a major American metropolis (or even a small one!), chances are there’s a MaxFunster in your area dying to see this show and chow on some chicken wings afterward. Organize yourselves by heading over to the MaximumFun Forums. Have fun everyone! We can’t wait to see you.read more

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn: Rachel Dratch, the creators of Eagleheart, Jason Kottke and Jordan Morris

Internet Recommendations from Jason Kottke
This week’s pop culture picks come care of Jason Kottke, of Kottke.org — a site that’s been called the New Yorker of internet links. Jason tracks down the best the internet has to offer, and he shares two of his favorites with us this week: Jerry Beck’s list of the 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected By 1,000 Animation Professionals, a Warner Bros.-heavy list topped by some Looney Tunes classics, and What the Space Shuttle booster saw, an HD video journey out of Earth’s atmosphere. (Embed or share Kottke’s Internet Picks)
The Creative Team of Eagleheart: Michael Koman, Andrew Weinberg and Jason Woliner
Michael Koman, Andrew Weinberg and Jason Woliner are the creative team behind [adult swim]’s hilariously funny and blood-soaked action-comedy Eagleheart, starring Chris Elliott. Koman and Weinberg had worked together as writers on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, where they were responsible for culling the clips played whenever Conan pulled the Walker Texas Ranger Lever. It was a job that required them to wade through hundreds of hours of Walker, Texas Ranger, and the inspiration for Eagleheart was born out of a desire to parody the show. But to call Eagleheart a parody of WTR sells it way short, as the show is much crazier and more comically-inspired than that. Koman, Weinberg and Woliner join us to discuss the show’s ability to cram an absurd amount of story into an eleven-minute run-time, making magic happen fast on Eagleheart’s wild production schedule, and what inspires them about the show’s star, Chris Elliott. Eagleheart has just begun its second season on Cartoon Network’s [adult swim], airing Thursdays at midnight. (Embed or share this interview with the creators of Eagleheart)
Jordan Ranks America, for April 2012
It’s an upside-down world out there, and some days you just don’t know what to make of it. Luckily for us, there’s one man who can keep this country in order! Comedian Jordan Morris puts America in its place for the month of April 2012. You can find Jordan on Twitter @Jordan_Morris. (Embed or share Jordan Ranks America)
Comedian, actress and author Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch is a comic actress best known to audiences as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006, and from recurring roles on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Her new book is the very funny memoir Girl Walks Into A Bar…: Comedies Calamities, Dating Disasters & A Midlife Miracle. While there are a number of behind-the-scenes stories from her days at SNL in the book, it’s mainly the story of life after the show, as Dratch dove head-first into the dating pool after years of using being busy with SNL as an excuse not to date. The titular miracle was an unexpected pregnancy at age 44, having been in a long distance relationship with the father for just six months prior. Dratch joins Jesse to discuss her comedy background in Chicago, the development process of getting some of her most famous SNL characters to air, and the inherent humor of balancing midlife motherhood with a romance still in its infant stages. Girl Walks Into A Bar… is available now in bookstores everywhere. (Embed or share this interview with Rachel Dratch)
The Outshot: “Swiss Movement”, by Eddie Harris & Les McCann
For this week’s Outshot, Jesse digs into the record collection and pulls out a vibrant classic: Swiss Movement, by Eddie Harris and Les McCann. The live album, recorded in 1969 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, was the first time the band had ever played together, and the record captures the feeling-out process as the group pioneered the soul-jazz genre. It crackles with life. Is there a classic record that never fails to get your toe tapping? Let us know! Head on over to the MaxFun Forum and pick your own Outshot. (Embed or share this Outshot on Swiss Movement) Subscribe to Bullseye in iTunes or the RSS feed!read more

International Waters Episode 2: And the Prince of Thieves

Special guest Susan Orlean joins Isy Suttie, Elizabeth Laime, Dan Antopolski, DC Pierson and host, Jesse Thorn in the transatlantic comedy quiz where land laws do not apply. We learn what Katy Perry took Russell Brand under, compare Hunger Games quotes with 80s pop lyrics and chat about Alsatian-themed fashion. Plus, since it’s the Maxfun pledge drive, some bonus Jordan, Jesse Go!

Think you’ve got what it takes to write a round of International Waters? Pitch us your round – email it to iw@maximumfun.org. Give us the theme and some sample questions, and maybe it’ll pop up on the next episode. Or donate to our pledge drive and we’ll write it for you.

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