Primus Tracks

It's a double dose of delirium! We've packaged both the Cricket and the Genie tracks together, as they were released as one to promote the release of Monolith of Phobos, and these two tracks have always been performed together at every single CLD show thus far . Josh's longtime pal Jerry Roscher drops by the pod to discuss why these tracks and this album as a whole speak to him so deeply; for him,...

What do you get when you put on the early Pink Floyd, pair it with Carl Sagan's Cosmos, and throw Buzz Aldrin in for fun, then drink loads of red wine with Sean Lennon and Les Claypool? You get the title track to The Monolith of Phobos, a journey of whimsy and wonder. Get ready for psychedelic delights of all sorts! Buzz Aldrin on CSPAN Get involved Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money 

In 2016, Les Claypool had some time away from Primus and invited Sean Lennon to Rancho Relaxo; Sean had guested on some Primus encores during their 2015 summer tour and jammed backstage with Les, where a connection was born. They fished, drank pinot, discussed nuggets from newspapers and periodicals, in the process birthing The Claypool Lennon Delirium. We get into the details of how these two got...

Tim Slowinkski, the man behind the excellent Oysterhead album cover art, tour poster and iconography, joins Primus Tracks to talk about his dinstinctive art style and subject matter, as well as the entire Oysterhead experience, which brought him some notoriety and remains a project that earns recognition. What does he think of all of it, 25 years down the line? Give a listen to find out! Find Tim...

The Duo de Twang album is a fun listen, but the shows were where the guys really let loose and silliness reigned. Soya and frequent Twang contributor Wylie Woods drop by to talk about their experience on the road with DDT, including a show that Josh attended which they described as one of the worst of the tour, lousy conditions at Jam Cuirse, and an unexpected success in Europe. The big question:...

We turn our attention to Duo de Twang, the "vacation fuck-off band" that Les Claypool started after a couple special California gigs gave away to a full-blown vision for a sit-down campfire acoustic project. We chart the project's logisitical and inspirational origins, and discuss the album track-by-track. Grab some cowboy beans and don't squat with yer spurs on! Get involved Instagram Facebook Em...

WE WERE THERE at the Fox Theater on December 30 & 31, 2025, to witness Primus send in the clowns over two nights of inspired musical madness. We detail how it all went down, and preview what we already know for 2026: Claypool Lennon Delirium record, Claypool Gold tour, and Primus in Europe.  Get involved Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money 

This week on the podcast we welcome Robi Bean, who drummed with Primus for about half of 1986. Although he doesn't appear on any demo tapes, and live footage of his playing with Primus is scarce, Robi played an important part in the formation of many early Primus songs that would become fan favorites, including Tommy The Cat. Robi details how he first worked with Les Claypool in a band called Manx...

For our next entry in the Primus DNA sub-series, we swing for the fences by daring to take on the mighty Rush as a major component of the Primus makeup. Gerry Schramm of the Something For Nothing podcast joins us to make sense of it all, including where to hear elements of each band's hallmarks in the music of the other, the enduring friendship between the two bands, and their commonalities, inclu...

We end our Of Fungi And Foe review with Ol' Rosco, who may be one of the more abhorrent characters in the Claypool lyrical universe, perhaps for being all too real. This is the final "fungi" track in the sense that it was initially written for the Mushroom Men video game; Les later added vocal and percussion tracks for the OFAF record. Frankie provides a loving sendoff to this record, which he hol...

This week, we cover tracks 10 and 11 from Of Fungi and Foe: Pretty Little Song with guest Bryonn Bain, as well as the title track. These tracks are buried on the back end of the record and have never been performed live, so they're obscure nuggets in the catalog. Wail and gnash your teeth along with us as we explore the agony of Pretty Little Song and what the title tracks tells us about the whole...

Primed By 29 has a fetching title for a Primus fan exploring the solo works of Les Claypool. Although the lyrics don't necessarily refer to anything Primus-related, they're certainly in the wheelhouse of Claypool, who pens another cautionary tale about going too far with recreational drugs in an attempt to create excitement from the mundane. It also happens to be Frankie's favorite track on the al...

This lounge jazz number is an ode to the dog, in particular, Les Claypool's hound, Kazoo. It's another musical departure for the man, and it sounds like Skerik wasn't available, so Sam Bass filled in on cello. It's not the deepest track, but we don't have to get deep with our dogs, right? They love us, we love them, now let's go for a walk, a run, or a ball toss.  For another great story about a d...

Do you know a boy who's taken a bite out of life? I suppose that description qualifies guest performer Eugene Hutz, a man of fire and energy whose work with Gogol Bordello has delighted audiences the world over. Eugene brings a jolt to the side two opener of Of Fungi And Foe in the form of guitar strumming (the only guitar on the record!) and unintelligible wailing mixed with what might be Ukrania...

This week, we tackle a track that could easily appear on a Tom Waits record, most notably Real Gone, which Les Claypool actually guested on. There's something about the percussive backbeat and dirty upright that screams Waits, but Les puts his own spin on it with tripped-out high register upright and clean vocals. Josh and Frankie agree that this is one of the more memorable tracks from the record...

On this OFAF track, Les Claypool ponders what one of his heroes might do in numerous situations around a trip to London in which the airline loses Les's luggage, he's without UK currency, but he gets to screen a film with George Martin in the room and parties with George's son Giles until Les's pal Jason pukes on someone. It's certainly not your standard Claypool lyrical fare! Tune in to learn a b...

The fourth track of the Of Fungi and Foe record, Boonville Stomp was composed specifically for the film Pig Hunt, which takes place in and around Boonville in the woods of northern California. Les Claypool has a small role in the film, as well, if you're at all curious. This tune has cinematic elements to it, which stands to reason. Does it all come together as a standalone song for an album? That...

Remember 2008? What do you mean, you'd rather not? Yeah, me either, but Les Claypool won't let us forget the person who helped define the year and the followers who molded themselves in her image, or something like that. Red State Girl is a curious track with a music video and a live performance on national TV to boot, so it qualifies for the lead track from Of Fungi and Foe, as well as the first...

Fungi or Foe? Both! Amanitas is another cautionary tale that has a few unexpected twists and turns. It's another tune originally intended for the Mushroom Men soundtrack repurposed for release on OFAF. Mushrooms sure are wacky!  Get involved Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money 

Of Fungi and Foe's opening track is solidly on the Fungi side, as the music for this track is exactly as Les Claypool conceived and recorded it for the Mushroom Men video game, with vocals added to the album version. We sample the video game music, instrumentation, and get behind the story of the lyrics, and evaluate the tune as a harbinger for the record, and try to categorize it for the Claypool...

As we chug along in the Claypool chronology, it's time to address 2009's Of Fungi and Foe, the second album to be credited simply to Les Claypool. Frankie has it on regular rotation; Josh listened to it once upon release, wasn't interested, and shelved it. WILL THIS SOW DIVISION IN PRIMUS TRACKS TOWERS? No, but it will provide a study in contrasts as the album unfolds.  In this week's overview we...

At long last, we welcome the legendary Toaster to Primus Tracks. Toaster is a prolific Primus/Les taper who started toasterland.com over 20 years ago as a respository for show recordings and a way to catalog performances for the masses. It's proved to be a priceless resource to hardcore fans, and we reference it regularly on the podcast.  Toaster joins to share his experience at Tipitina's in New...

Primus have completed their first headlining tour with drummer John Hoffman, who has been plenty busy since his hire in January 2025. This latest tour spanned 25 dates in 24 cities over 35 days, in which the band played 47 different songs! We dig into those numbers, the stage production, and the general excitement from the fanbase as Les, Ler, and Hoffer made a mad dash across the United States to...

Sometimes, Primus Tracks listeners have questions that we cannot answer, and that's when we fire up the Soya Signal for a round of your queries. Soya joins from yet another hotel room, this time teching for Oasis, and if you've seen their tour schedule, you know the man has some time to fill. Questions this time range from Primus lyrics to beer to skateboarding to perms and Taco Bell. Do you have...

Tim Wright drummed in Primus from 1986-1988 as Primus gained a larger following in the Bay Area, and played a key role in helping advance the band's fortunes via endless practice and rehearsals and a grinding gigging schedule. Tim shares sme wild stories from that time period, the origins of his nickname, and some watershed moments from his own band, Curveball. Thanks to Tim for taking the time. G...