Going Off Track

Our guest bailed and it was April Fools Day, so Jonah and frequent guest host Benny Horowitz (The Gaslight Anthem, Bottomfeeder) decided to interview each other. They discuss current sports controversies, the upcoming presidential election and the proper airport etiquette for 2016. Crack a tallboy and listen up.

The Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, screenwriter and playwright talks about his fantastic new music-driven novel Know Your Beholder and how he’s seen New York City's East Village transform over the past two decades. We also discuss loneliness, basketball and being a touring musician.

The Lawrence Arms frontman and Alkaline Trio drummer help us celebrate our 200th episode with guest host Dan Ozzi (Noisey)! They discuss their early ska roots in Slapstick and the Suicide Machines and spend way too much time on masturbation: specifically, old school stimuli vs new school.

The sought-after bassist talks about growing up as a "stereotypical loner-goth-girl" in a remote mining town in Canada, why she quit high school to move to England and how he she eventually met her childhood idol, Courtney Love and started playing with her live.

The Nada Surf frontman discusses what it was like growing up in New York attending a French-speaking public school, recording Nada Surf's debut album High/Low with the Cars' Ric Ocasek back in 1996 and the genesis of the band's hit "Popular".

Rooney's frontman discusses the existence of ghosts, the possibility of the afterlife and impermanence of the universe. He also tells how his brother Jason encouraged him to pick up a guitar, and about starring in The Princess Diaries as a teenager.

The guitarist for Thursday talks about his time in the band and his second career working on reality TV shows. Jonah manages to take if off track towards The Singularity, Godspeed and YouTube.

The Hold Steady frontman, with guest host Benny Horowitz (The Gaslight Anthem) discusses the musical kinship he feels with Paul Simon, the changes he's experienced living in different neighborhoods in Brooklyn over the past fifteen years and David Foster's Wallace's prescient prediction that virtual reality would eventually mimic "real life" so closely it will be hard to tell the difference.

The Gaslight Anthem frontman discusses his upcoming solo album, why your favorite musician probably still has a day job and his frustration with some aspects of music criticism. Fallon also talks about his love of Tom Waits, why signifiers like "popist" and "rockist" are so ridiculous and why he decided to strike out on his own after spending the past decade with Gaslight.

The comedian, activist and musician talks about his new band, The Agenda and how Robin Williams kept him in comedy. Then we preview his tune, “Fuck the NRA” from his debut album What Alive People Do.

The Haim bassist discusses how she grew up listening to emo icons Taking Back Sunday and Brand New. She also talks about her short-lived career as a waitress, the impact that Say Anything's ...Is A Real Boy had on her life and the merits of pop music.

The founder of Glamour Kills clothing line discusses how he got started designing his own merchandise, the secret to dealing with haters and why he decided to migrate back Upstate after living in Manhattan. We also talk about his collaboration with bands ranging from All Time Low to Hot Water Music and people who rip-off his aesthetic.

The Armor For Sleep frontman talks about their anniversary shows for “What To Do When You're Dead”, and what it's like transitioning from a musician to a manager. He also discusses Ray Kurzweil's theory on The Singularity and his fascination with virtual reality.

The talentented booker for Saint Vitus, singer for Primitive Weapons and White Widows Pact discusses the politics behind Brooklyn's hottest venue, the genesis of his own bands and why you shouldn't ask him to be on the guest list unless you've got a good reason.

Chris Mansfield with guest host Steak Mountain, looks back on his major-label saga, his personal and collaborative relationship with Macklemore and why he's more excited about his music right now than he's been in a long time.

Title Fight bassist/vocalist along with guest host Benny Horowitz (The Gaslight Anthem) discusses record collecting, moving to New York and whether violence is an inherent part of hardcore music.

The singer-songwriter, with guest hosts Vanessa Bayer, (Saturday Night Live) and Benny Horowitz (The Gaslight Anthem) discusses reality television, the class system in Europe, the brilliance of the Counting Crows and what it was like opening for the Offspring armed solely with an acoustic guitar.

Patrick and Anna Troxell with guest host Norman Brannon (Texas Is The Reason) discuss what it's like being in a band with someone you're married to; living in a haunted house and why they avoid Waffle House.

The Pelican guitarist / music publicist discusses what it's like playing in one of metal's most celebrated instrumental bands while also doing press for high-profile acts like Run The Jewels, why there's no such thing as guilty pleasures and the genesis of his awesome new band RLYR

One of our favorite guests returns alongside Yuuki Matthews (The Shins) to talk about the nature of music criticism, Bazan's rules to curb his problem drinking and how he manages to balance his career in a way that makes equal time for his art and family without sacrificing productivity.

Powerviolence icon Mark McCoy (Charles Bronson, Das Oath) with guest host Steak Mountain discusses his insanely regimented artistic process, why creativity precedes commerce when it comes to his record label Youth Attack! and why he spends 90 minutes every morning writing in his journal even if it's in a font that's undecipherable to everyone else.

The Thrice frontman and solo artist talks about what it was like to be signed to a major-label during 2002's summer of screamo, why the worship music he creates for his church shouldn't be confused with the music he creates with his band and how technology has changed the way he's able to tour and stay in touch with his family.

One of our favorite musicians, and her producer (both formerly of Bomb The Music Industry!) returns to discuss her brand new album Cocksure. There’s also her traumatic experience of viewing Mel Gibson film Apocalypto after eating a weed brownie and how to the duo met as Long Island ska kids.

The Alkaline Trio bassist/singer talks about why mild-altering drugs can eventually dull your senses, what it's been like relocating from Chicago to St. Augustine, Florida, and how he's mellowed out in general after playing in a punk band for nearly two decades.

Author and musician Tim Kinsella (Cap'n Jazz, Jooan Of Arc, Owls, Make Believe) with guest host Norman Brannon (Texas Is The Reason) discusses starting a band with his brother when he was 12 years old, and why Chicago is still a viable place to survive as an artist.