“I want you to know…”

This was recorded a couple years back when my friend Rykarda was in town, she graciously came by my old Hollywood apartment. I remember my dog Zelda was being impolite to her, yet we sat in my kitchen and had a delightful discussion about creative growth, our mutual love of pop songs from a certain period, and lyrics/songs we hate. I feel I talked too much in this episode. I think I was just excit...

This is one of the many archival/remix episodes we will be playing until I return from some life stuff (my movie, my health, work). I wanted to get this started with a special episode I did with one of my closest friends. I hated how the original version sounded, I was still finding my footing on the show. So, enjoy this less edited, remixed, encore episode of I Want You To Know with Actor/Voice A...

This week on I Want You To Know --we close the year, we close the season, and sort of end the show with lots of voices from the past, friends of mine, and people I love and respect—when they tell me their favorite films from the first quarter of the 21st century. I thought it would be a fitting send off—to hear the wide array of guests sharing their lists. I will also play some tunes from the afor...

My next guest is an art historian, and an educator. I want to talk to her about the culture of art in an academic space, and how folks are digesting art, especially art that predates the student, she’s always had great taste, I mean this as a compliment— but her personality even seems curated of only the best and smartest stuff. To the donors out there, and future donors…I hope you enjoy this elev...

This week on I Want You To Know, I take a look at last week, and my nearly complete meltdown mentally and physically, and how this station, here, saved my life…again. Right in time for pledge month, We need your donations at KPCR.ORG/JOIN We neeed ten k for repairs, transmitters, licensing, and just to keep the ship afloat. I’m going to tell you all about that, and my week from hell, and we have a...

This week on I Want You To Know—one of my best friends in the world is getting married, and it got me thinking about music and it’s association with weddings., Today, I provide a mixtape about weddings, marriage, husbands, wives, divorce. Songs that put those awful songs— associated with marriage and weddings to shame. You will not hear bland and overcooked songs that are as bland and overcooked a...

My next guest and I met when I was working at a comedy establishment we both occupied in different capacities. She performed some wonderful pieces within a bigger show. It was great. What wasn’t great was one of those pieces were not captured on video (in my defense I was only indirectly involved in uploading the shows I captured for the theatre). I was pretty bummed because I knew she gave her al...

This week on I Want You To Know I talk with filmmaker/ video director, and musician Dylan Greenburg. We talk about their new comp Music For Gaza Soup Kitchen . Dylan rallied their musician friends and social network to put together a comp to generate money for Gaza Soup Kitchen ( a grassroots organization committed to feeding Palestinians in the Gaza Strip). Dylan tells me how any of us can put to...

Purity and authenticity is a tricky thing in life...but it’s especially daunting when it comes to making art. Most of art is balancing a pose and presentation, with purity, and revelation, and confession. So, if you make a wrong turn aesthetically you can dilute the confession, or muddy the waters. But, my next somehow crept out of the conventional place of indie singer songwriter, into real life...

My next guest makes music that places you on the fringes, on the outside, rooted in some sort of Americana like story, but also relentless, unhinged, cinematic, in some place we have never seen, but know all to well. The recordings are personal, intimate, and seemingly losing itself at the seams…I really enjoyed the conversation. I Want You To Know Puckett Electric and his new record Bone Conducti...

Dark themes, dark music, dark talk

This week on I want you to know. We celebrate Lou Reed, with who else, but musician Caio Ara. We explore how two guys, can have such a strong connection with an artist who seemingly and superficially-- have nothing in common with said artist. Warning: lots of record store dude, and I remind you this is not the manosphere, or brocast...

This week on I Want You To Know-- I talk with writer and journalist Jeff Pearlman . Jeff wrote a dazzling, exhaustively researched, and insightful book called 'Only God Can Judge Me (The Many Lives Of Tupac Shakur)', a bio about the rapper, actor, activist, icon— Tupac Shakur. Jeff uncovered some jaw dropping info on the characters in 2pac’s life, and the man himself. I Want You To Know Jeff Pearl...

A lot is happening in the world, the government is shut down, and massive kookery all around. I work a lot, no days off, if you know me personally you’ve heard me complain about all the working. But, but, this week is my birthday, in the past I’ve done a joint bday show with Jeff Shuman, live from Musso & Frank, we also did a live from Disneyland. I’ve had my mother and sister on. Maybe it’s a...

Singer/songwriter/screenplay writer Hashemi is returning to talk about her new EP, the progress on her script, and the link between songwriting and scriptwriting, and for the first time ever—we have a live performance on our show—she I Want You To Know singer songwriter/writer Hashemi

My next guest is the returning champ, audience favorite, and I think we may be a little buzzed in the interview…full disclosure. She’s a film columnist, and a writer, she recently finished her book “Born to lose: The misfits who made dog day afternoon”. We dig into all sorts of talk in this episode—from 90’s crime films, our writing rituals, and we offer a mix to send off a summer. I Want You To K...

My next guest is a time traveller. She manages to make melodies that sound familiar, classic, predetermined in the souls of the soulful, she has a folksy accent, modest demeanor… yet She seems other worldly, esoteric, with futuristic arrangements, and sensibilities, blending several genres at once—to create her own genre, she seems almost alien, wearing clothes that appear like a costume…a costume...

I talk with content creator, comedian, disruptor, and social critic— Chelsea Gods . Chelsea and I unpack the current social climate, contemporary politics, comedy, her ability to enrage the right, and hear her critique of the left. Chelsea brought some songs that shaped her life, and tells her story, and she shares some personal truths.

My next guest is a visual artist, not quite a musician (he makes music), a radio host and jock—at times. But, above all else, he’s someone with an artistic mind. When you’re with him, talk to him, or working with him—he doesn’t quite process things in a conventional and linear way. He brings his entire life story into his process. It’s truly an artistic mind. I had a mentor once tell me “treat eve...

This is a remixed episode. It’s sort of a rerun with footnotes, updates, and revisiting themes. Since a lot of my show is interviewing my friends, or people I’m criss crossing within projects—often themes and events are revisited. In some cases, a show’s theme will change with time—I guess that’s the nature of life, but reverberations can be tracked, lines (jagged and linear) drawn back to an even...

This week on I Want You To Know—It’s a mailbag show, I answer your pressing questions like: Do I still wrestle with insomnia? What was my happiest childhood moment? Rivette or Rohmer? And why do I diss David Bowie sometimes? And many more! Also, we have new music by The Kerosene Hours, For Joris, Sunny Moonshine and Indigo, and a world premiere by Ssleepiing Desiress

This is a remix episode. We are reprising and remix the episode with guest Katy Atchison (she's since released a coloring book!!) Katy and Nero initially discussed the fall of nightlife in San Francisco, notably Edinburgh Castle. Since this episode has aired--"The Castle" has officially closed. Thus, Katy and Nero added some thoughts and memories about the old pub.

Musician/Writer Gabriel Ramos of Ssleeping DesiresS and Nero discuss Eno's 40 Infallible Tricks For Successful Songs Mindless dives and absurd jumps (steel guitar, whammy pedal) Sonic hooks (Telstar, the snare on 'she drives me crazy' fyi, Del Shannon instrumentals) Lap-steel or Hawaiian guitar (or anything else slide and unsquare) Sliding up or down to the right note (appoggiatura) (2...

This week on I want you to know—I talk with actor, singer, performer, teacher-Darby Vincent Darby and I discuss the winding road to becoming a performer and want kind of opportunities it brings, she also reflects on the influence of her family, and the influence she has now on young performers. Plus, Darby brought a bunch of tunes and artists I was not familiar with, and some classic artists in a...

RERUN: Here's a summer episode from last year. Jeff, Annie, and Nero make a summer mixtape--they explore their process, and talk summer jams.