Comfort Monk Podcast

Dylan chats with London guitarist and songwriter Andy Cortes. Andy shares his experiences growing up as a young guitarist hanging out at blues jams all the way to opening for the Rolling Stones. They also discuss the freedom of stepping outside of the traditional music business. *Please forgive the background noise for the first 10 […] The post Ep. 61 – Andy Cortes (Cortes, James Bay) first...

Austin and Eddie talk a lot about movement – both of people through space & motion through music – which isn’t surprising given Austin’s background in Human Geography. Hear about the creative and technical process that brought us the excellent new Valley Maker record, “When The Day Leaves,” which is out now via Frenchkiss Records! […] The post Ep. 60 –...

Dylan chats with Langhorne Slim about life on the road, the ups and downs of creative impulse, and his huge new record Strawberry Mansion (available here!!). *Bumper music: “The Mansion” by Langhorne Slim, photo by Harvey Robinson* The post Ep. 59 – Langhorne Slim first appeared on comfort monk .

Tony takes Eddie on the wild ride from making raps at middle school lunch tables to recording his latest masterpiece “Exotica” in Jamaica. Buy his new record and be sure to check out the video for “Gambling Man (Mariachi Remix)”! The post Ep. 58 – Fat Tony first appeared on comfort monk .

Prepare yourself for a world of gunslingers, vaudeville actors, and the combined nostalgia & embarrassment of your old high school band. Eddie talks to Shane about his journey to the newest Wayfarer record (A Romance With Violence, out now on Profound Lore). *Bumper music by Wayfarer, photo by Elizabeth Marsh* The post Ep. 57 – Shane McCarthy (Wayfarer, Lykotonon) first appeared on comfort mon...

John Furr (Grand Republic, EZ Shakes) guest hosts this week, chatting with Neil Gust about his roots in the Portland music scene and everything he’s been doing since then! The post Ep. 56 – Neil Gust (Heatmiser, No. 2) first appeared on comfort monk .

“Both sides of the Atlantic, everybody got fed up with the same old things at the same time… there was a real air of despondency.” – Glen Matlock gets on mic with Dylan to describe the conditions in which punk arose and how they mirror the present. The post Ep. 55 – Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, Rich Kids) first appeared on comfort monk .

Cameron & Dylan talk about the highs and lows of touring: vintage Levis in Japan, falling apart at frat parties, and watching the sun rise in Brazil after a late set. Enjoy the soothing sounds of a light rain during this episode! The post Ep. 54 – Cameron Gardner & Dylan Lee (Washed Out, The Heist & the Accomplice) first appeared on comfort monk .

Grammy-winning musician and composer Danny Weinkauf joins Eddie on today’s episode to talk about his musical journey that brought him to TMBG and how it took him into his solo career – making children’s music. Enjoy! The post Ep. 53 – Danny Weinkauf (They Might Be Giants, Fountains of Wayne) first appeared on comfort monk .

Guest host Brett Nash chats with Lars Finberg about his new record, Tinnitus Tonight! They run down the record track by track and then talk about Lars’ career and artistic philosophy. The post Ep. 52 – Lars Finberg (The Intelligence, Thee Oh Sees) first appeared on comfort monk .

“‘Did the world get any heavier when you were born?’ We’d rather that the book gets shut and you talk to your kid about what that means” – Thomas Berkau talks to Dylan about his musical background and what it’s like being a children’s author. The post Ep. 51 – Thomas Berkau (Author, Musician) first appeared on comfort monk .

We’re celebrating our 50th episode on the last day of the year. Joe Lally and Dylan talk about the new Coriky record and Joe’s musical journey since his Fugazi days. We hope you have a better year next year! The post Ep. 50 – Joe Lally (Fugazi/Coriky) first appeared on comfort monk .

Two guests on this episode! You’ll get some background on the writing and recording processes of Aaron (Gláss) and Chuck (Bing Krosby) and their respective contributions to Gratitude Vol. Two. And you’ll get to hear Eddie and Dylan chat about the compilation and the first year of Comfort Monk. (Chuck Treece at 4:20, Aaron Burke […] The post Ep. 49 – Gratitude Vol. Two Retrospecti...

“We don’t know anyone who played drums… so the Casio keyboard drums.” Eddie and Thom chat about starting bands when you’re young, loud old heavy beasts of amps, and the joy of finding undiscovered art. The post Ep. 48 – Thom Wasluck (Planning for Burial) first appeared on comfort monk .

“Skateboarding is like the words you choose when you speak; everyone has their own way.” This episode of Comfort Monk features French skate pro Bastien Salabanzi chatting with Dylan! The post Ep. 47 – Bastien Salabanzi (Pro Skateboarder/Guitarist) first appeared on comfort monk .

“She can hear music in the house. I wanted to make sure it was something to help her stay calm.” – Chuck Johnson on composing music to soothe his dog. Pre-order his new album “The Cinder Grove” here! The post Ep. 46 – Chuck Johnson (Composer/Musician) first appeared on comfort monk .

“I almost drove my car into Mitch’s house, not out of shock, but hours later… as an act of vengeance.” – Actors/Comedians/Musicians/Writers Paul Rust & Michael Cassady join our dual guest-hosting team of Brett and Henry to talk about their ongoing weekly songwriting show with DSOWD. The post Ep. 45 – Paul Rust & Michael Cassady (Don’t Stop or We’ll Die) first appe...

“There are these sentences that tear themselves out of these books… they keep themselves stuck in my mind” – Avant-garde composer and lute player, Jozef van Wissem talks with Eddie about letters from nuns, the resurgence in lute playing, and noise bands. His newest record “Ex Mortis” is out now on Consouling Sounds! The post Ep. 44 – Jozef van Wissem (Composer/L...

“Because we were on the same wavelength, sometimes things happened all at once…” The Columbia Beat’s Mike Jones hosts post-punk/new wave artist Vanessa Briscoe Hay! The post Ep. 43 – Vanessa Briscoe Hay (Pylon) first appeared on comfort monk .

“The classroom was a stifling thing, you have to raise your hand to speak, why are we not just fluidly talking about these things?” Junior Astronomer Terrence Richard talks to Dylan and a few unplanned guests make appearances. The post Ep. 42 – Terrence Richard (Junior Astronomers) first appeared on comfort monk .

James talks with Dylan about his early influences when he was playing with Weston, all the way through to the anthemic power pop of Beach Slang and the piano and strings of Quiet Slang. The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City is out now on Bridge 9 Records (featuring our very first guest Tommy Stinson)! The post Ep. 41 – James Alex (Beach Slang, Weston) first appeared on comfort monk .

Marissa and Eddie discuss supergroups, Motel Sixes, and what the sudden halt in touring this year means to someone who’s spent most of their adult life playing live music. Keep an eye out: Screaming Females is releasing a special limited run edition of Chalk Tape for the first time on vinyl! The post Ep. 40 – Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females) first appeared on comfort monk .

Bo White has fronted more bands and produced more records than could ever be neatly chronicled, but here he gives Dylan a tour through some of his varied career highlights and gives an insight into why he makes art the way he does. Patois Counselors’ new record The Optimal Seat is out now on Ever/Never! The post Ep. 39 – Bo White (Patois Counselors, Yardwork) first appeared on comfort monk .

Our friend Tyler Gordon hosts the show with guest Tommy Guerrero, Bones Brigade legend and prolific musician. They chat about music and skating and the inevitable blurred lines between both art forms. [Photo: Claudine Gossett] The post Ep. 38 – Tommy Guerrero (Skateboarder, Musician) first appeared on comfort monk .

Sam was kind enough to make the insanely cool album art for our new compilation, Gratitude Vol. 2! He tells Dylan about his career path, and how happening upon mini-comics gave him the artistic outlet he’d been looking for, before becoming a story board artist for Cartoon Network. The post Ep. 37 – Sam Spina (Illustrator, Regular Show, Infinity Train) first appeared on comfort monk .