Podcast: Hear some bands, then go see 'em

This week I've compiled a bunch of new music into another Pop Candy podcast, and the good news is that all of these artists are either touring right now or about to hit the road.

A quick rundown of the folks you'll hear:

- Ben Kweller. The singer-songwriter just released a new album called Changing Horses, and it's his most down-home sounding music yet. I play the first single, a catchy ditty called Fight. (Here's the video.)

- Alice Russell. Comparisons to Amy Winehouse might be inevitable, but Russell is a soulful singer who makes you dance within seconds. I play the first track from her latest, Pot of Gold.

- Cotton Jones. The duo just released a cool, psychedelic-sounding debut called Paranoid Cocoon. My spouse snagged this CD from my desk because he liked it so much -- and, let me tell you, that does not happen all the time.

- The Deep Vibration. You should hear this Nashville band's self-titled EP, which includes a guest appearance by Gillian Welch. In the podcast, I play that lovely tune, Tennessee Rose.

- Loney Dear. You'll hear a melodic track from the Swedish musician, who just released an album called Dear John.

- Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band. These Seattle indie rockers release their debut March 10, but you can catch them on tour right now. They'll also perform at South by Southwest this year.

So don't wait another second -- listen now:

- Download the free podcast from iTunes

- Stream it as a .wma file

Thanks for listening, and feel free to leave more music recommendations in the comments.

Return of the podcast: Covers, Waylon and more

Have you missed the Pop Candy podcast? It has missed you.

This week, the podcast makes a triumphant return with an episode recorded from my bathroom -- as I discovered, the acoustics are quite nice in there. You'll hear a mix of new music that features a handful of new bands and a couple familiar songs.

A quick preview:

- I play a tune from the great Waylon Jennings' final album;

- You'll hear The Bad Plus cover How Deep Is Your Love and The Postmarks cover You Only Live Twice;

- I spin a track from the forthcoming Joker's Daughter album, Worm's Head. (Danger Mouse collaborated with Joker's Daughter on the record);

- Sweet-sounding Swedish-Japanese singer Maia Hirasawa is spotlighted, as is songwriter P.T. Walkley. If you like Audrey Macy, you can watch the video.

Ready to put it in your ears? Head to iTunes for the free download. Thanks so much for listening!

Podcast: Hotline calls! New music! Oh, wow!

This week the Pop Candy podcast returns with a super-sized installment that'll make your ears look like Rob Pattinson's glistening, magical skin in Twilight.

First of all, you'll hear some recent calls to the Pop Candy hotline from readers like BIG BUSINESS, who organized that shindig in Cleveland a few weeks ago. Terrastrana talks about a humiliating experience that involved alcohol, tvpam dares to speak about Gossip Girl, Zack S. gives a ton of comic-book recommendations and more.

I also play a bunch of new music from bands that will make you dance. (OK, some might make you pause and ponder the universe.) They include:

- Phosphorescent, which has a great record out called Pride;

- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, which has been all over the television with a song on the recent iPod Touch ad;

- Vic Chesnutt, who recorded a great album with Elf Power and the Amorphous Strums called Dark Developments (left);

- Escape Mechanism, which creates several cool sound collages on Emphasis Added; and

- Heartless Bastards, which will release The Mountain next month.

Listen, enjoy and please pass it on:

- Download the free podcast via iTunes

- Stream it as a .wma file

As always, thanks for listening!

The Candy Hotline returns Friday!

Remember me? It's been a long time since we've talked.

Before I head to the Big Apple, I wanted to have one more session of the Pop Candy Hotline. Please talk pop culture with me tomorrow, Nov. 14, from 3-5 p.m. ET. The number to dial is 1-800-872-4992.

We can talk about whatever you want: The downfall of Heroes, the greatness of Slumdog Millionaire, New York City, mustaches, your first concert, the last time you got horribly drunk ... Just remember that several other readers will be waiting on hold, so calls are limited to a couple minutes. To help ease the pain of waiting, I've chosen some special hold music for the occasion.

Also keep in mind that all calls will be recorded for possible inclusion in a future podcast.

I hope to hear from you all tomorrow. Come on, we'll make memories.

Podcast: Hear Ed Asner, CMJ artists and more

Yesterday I shared my interview with legendary actor Ed Asner. Today you can hear it in the Pop Candy podcast.

Asner reflected on his favorite roles, talked about future projects and made me laugh quite a bit. You can see him next week in a TV movie called Generation Gap, which airs Oct. 25 on the Hallmark Channel.

Aside from that chat, this podcast is chock full of music you must hear! Above all else, I want you to listen to my current obsession, 19-year-old Jessica Lea Mayfield. The first time I heard her, I could've sworn she was from Tennessee, but it turns out the singer/songwriter hails from Kent, Ohio. I think I've listened to Kiss Me Again every day for the last two weeks, and I'm anxious to see her at CMJ. Mayfield's new album is called With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, and it was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

I also play a new tune by Gang Gang Dance, another band that will perform at the CMJ Music Marathon. I think their new album, Saint Dymphna, is their best yet. It comes out Oct. 21.

You'll hear a live track from Mavis Staples and a song from hip duo Herman Dune as well.

Put this in your ears, and you won't regret it:

- Download the free podcast from iTunes

- Stream the podcast

Thanks for listening!

A Q&A; with ... Ed Asner

To know me is to understand my various obsessions: I like a certain kind of shoes. I like mustaches and pimento cheese sandwiches. And I like Ed Asner.

Asner's long, impressive body of work includes his years as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant. He has won seven Emmys and continues to work steadily in TV and film as both a comedic and dramatic actor.

During our conversation last week, I literally did not want to get off the phone. Ed was very kind and chatted about his life and career:

Ed Asner: Hello?

Me: Hi, this is Whitney Matheson from USA TODAY ...

Not the Whitney Matheson. I'll be damned!

Haha, yes. Is this the Ed Asner?

Ahh, lemme check. Where's my mirror?

I'm so excited, you have no idea.

Well, don't be. I'm a decrepit old fogey.

So where are you right now?

Now that I'm talking to you, I'm in heaven. Where am I? I'm in Valley Village, Calif.

I can't believe that you have any free time, because it seems like you're working constantly.

If the paychecks reflected that, that would be nice. What you probably see are free donations of my time or reruns.

Well, you have a lot of stuff coming up ...

I've got a few things. I did a movie (Gigantic) with John Goodman and Zooey Deschanel and Paul Dano and Jane Alexander. It's a very good script, and of course, they're wonderful performers. But I don't know what kind of distribution deal it got. Then I've got this Hallmark thing at the end of the month (Generation Gap, airing Oct. 25 on the Hallmark Channel). Then I'm working on a Pixar picture (Up), which will be out May 29. And a big company has decided to put my Pope John XXIII on DVD. That got the highest rating in Italy ever, but they couldn't sell it over here for broadcast, so I'm delighted it's going to DVD. And I did a cartoon feature, and I guess it'll be out by Christmas, because it's a Christmas cartoon.

And have you also been politically active lately?

Not a lot. I'm going out to San Bernardino to campaign for the guy running against Jerry Doolittle -- eh, Jerry Lewis.

I did want to ask you, out of all the things you've done in your long career, what work are you most proud of?

Well, the 12 years of being a person called Lou Grant has to stand by itself. Rich Man, Poor Man to me ... I had an epiphany there. I loved -- what the hell was the name of the Henry Denker play I did with Dan Travanti? -- A Case of Libel. Family Man, a picture I made with Meredith Baxter and Ann Jackson. A black comedy called Heads. Daniel, JFK, even Fort Apache the Bronx.

Did you start out being a comedic actor?

Not at all. I was afraid of it -- I did it when I had to. Not until I did The Mary Tyler Moore Show was my fear lessened by constant repetition in learning how to do it. You're never totally comfortable: I always cite the Edmund Gwenn story where's he's dying in the hospital in an oxygen tent, and the director George Stevens comes to visit him. He says, "How goes it, Eddie?" (Gwenn) says, "I'm dying, George." He says, "I know, Eddie. How do you find that?" He says, "It's hard, George. But not as hard as comedy."

Podcast: Your fall music mix

Are you looking for new music? If so, I think you'll really dig this week's podcast, which includes a bunch of stuff I've been listening to lately. Here's a rundown of the artists, who all have new albums either out or on the way:

- Juana Molina. Last week I said her new disc, Un Dia (left), was the best thing I'd heard lately. It arrives in stores today, and it will transport you to magical places!

- Pelle Carlberg. This is probably my second-favorite CD right now. If you're a fan of Belle and Sebastian, I think you need to hear this Swedish singer. I play one of my favorite tracks from his new album, The Lilac Time, out now.

- The Mojomatics. This band crafts great little punk songs and has a new record out called Don't Pretend That You Know Me. This is the song that made me stop what I was doing and ask, "Who are these guys?" (It turns out they're from Italy!)

- Lady Dottie and the Diamonds. Word is spreading about the San Diego blues singer's electric shows, and her new album with the Diamonds showcases her power.

- Tracy Shedd. The singer-songwriter should be heard by fans of Exile in Guyville-era Liz Phair. I'll see her at the upcoming CMJ fest, and she recently made a video for the song I play.

- School of Seven Bells. I've been listening to this beautiful Brooklyn band whenever I need a stress reliever at the office. It works like a charm, and this song might leave you in a trance. See them on tour now.

Listen before it gets cold:

- Download the podcast via iTunes (anyone can do it, and it's free)

- Stream the podcast

Thanks for listening, and I hope it makes the day go by a little faster!

Chatting with ... Girl Talk, aka Gregg Gillis

When Girl Talk's Feed the Animals was released this summer, it caused quite a frenzy: For one thing, the album was offered as a "pay what you want" download. (You can still get it via Illegal Art's website, or you can stream it on MySpace.)

But what got more people talking was the work itself. Feed the Animals consists almost entirely of samples -- about 300 of them, if you dare to count. Though they are used without the original artists' permission, so far no legal action has been taken against Girl Talk, aka Gregg Gillis.

A CD release of Feed the Animals is set for Oct. 21, and a fall tour kicks off next month. I chatted with Gillis about his work, his legendary performances and his future. For more of this interview, please listen to this week's podcast:

- Download the free podcast from iTunes
- Stream the podcast as a .wma file

Below is a portion of our conversation:

Me: Your shows are getting pretty popular. Do you feel the need to take them to an even bigger level?

Gillis: Yeah, to a small degree. For Lollapalooza, I had a couple people onstage in policemen uniforms doing live visuals with toilet paper and confetti. They're going to be coming on tour with me. ... Last time I did a full U.S. tour, I had a guy helping out with visuals -- like actual overhead projections -- so he'll be there as well. For most of the year when I do the weekend (shows), I'm usually alone. I think a lot of people can get into it because of how simplistic and raw the setup is. It's just a guy playing a few computers. So I don't feel any pressure to have a million dollar light show or anything like that, but I'm doing my best to step it up when the shows are getting a little bigger.

How much time do you spend worrying about possible legal action? Because, frankly, I worry about it for you.

You sound like my mom. (Laughs) I mean, it's not something I wake up and think about. I talk to people about my work and my music just about every day, and it's something where leading up to releasing an album, it's on my mind. I believe it should be legal, and I don't think we're technically violating anything because of the fair use doctrine. As the days roll by, you stop stressing about it as much.

How much do you think Feed the Animals is worth to a consumer?

I don't know, I guess that depends on what you make. I really enjoy buying albums, and I come from the world where CDs are worth $10 or $15 typically, so that's what I think it would be worth for a physical product. ... But that's completely different for different people, and I understand that. I think a lot of young kids grow up having no money and are used to having access to the Internet and getting music for free. That's their world, and I don't really think there's a problem with that.

So are there any samples that you really wanted to use but couldn't, or do you always find a place for everything?

I'd say the majority of samples I want to use I do not find a place for. I always just sample songs without knowing what I'm going to do with them. On this album there are 300 samples, but going into it I probably sampled 2,000-3,000 songs. So yeah, most of the time I'm working is just failure after failure. ... I really wanted to use samples from the Cars song Drive, which is one of my favorite jams. I've used that in my live show a lot, it just happened to not work with the energy that I wanted in that particular point in the album.

Are you always keeping up with new music, or do you tend to go back and listen to older stuff?

I'd say maybe 75% of my time is spent listening to older music these days. Right now I have a boombox in my bathroom, and every day I wake up and turn on the oldies station and jump in the shower.

Podcast: A very 'Sunny' chat

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia kicks off its fourth season Thursday, and I'm happy to report it hasn't changed a bit.

In this week's podcast, you'll hear my interview with stars/executive producers Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day. They preview upcoming episodes, which include a Charlie-penned musical about the "Night Man" and a trip back to 1776. They talk about their new sci-fi comedy series for Fox, which will be set on a spaceship. And they reveal their dream guest star: Kurt Russell.

"We're just waiting for him to call us and say he wants to be on the show," Day says. "We would write something fantastic for him."

The gang also discusses what it's like to work with director Fred Savage and how they manage to keep the series fresh.

"For me, I think there's an element of surprise that's missing in a lot of comedy these days," Howerton says. "I think people have gotten very comfortable and complacent with a certain formula, and I think in order for something to be truly, genuinely funny, it needs to be surprising on some level. We're just constantly trying to surprise each other and go to those strange, dark weird places."

Also this week: You'll hear some punk rock from Brimstone Howl and a tune from Koufax's great new album, Strugglers, out Sept. 23. Also, I play a new song from the talented Joseph Arthur. He releases Temporary People with the Lonely Astronauts Sept. 30.

Hear it now:

- Download the free podcast from iTunes (and subscribe!)

- Stream the podcast

Thanks for listening! I appreciate it, and I am sending you a telepathic handshake in gratitude.

Podcast: Do you like mustaches?

First of all, I'd just like to thank you for helping me reach 100 Pop Candy podcasts! I can't believe I've already achieved this milestone, and I appreciate your support over the years.

That said, this week's edition might be one of the weirdest yet. (It's definitely among the funniest.) Don't miss my chat with Aaron Perlut from the American Mustache Institute. If you thought I liked 'staches, you won't believe this guy.

An excerpt:

Me: So, if somebody shaves their mustache, do you instantly write them off?

Aaron: "Well, I think the biggest concern is that when a mustache is shaved, an angel in heaven dies and falls to Earth. We just realized that when they found the Dead Sea Scrolls and it was actually written in there. Secondly, as long as someone is willing to continue to champion the mustached American, I think we are willing to work with (them). Certainly, people have to make sacrifices. While it's a concern to us, we understand people have to do things for their own rationale."

And where do you come down on ladies with mustaches?

"We've actually worked very closely with the 1964 East German women's shotput team. We support anyone with a mustache, whether it's a woman or a man. Our goal is to see as many mustaches across the world as possible, so whether that's on the face of a woman, a man or Gary Coleman, we're thrilled to have it."

On a more serious note, the Institute is holding a charity event in October that sounds like a great time. (Free 'staches at the door!) Also, they have just launched a search for the Mustached American of the Year.

As for this week's new music, don't miss a song from That Handsome Devil, a band highlighted in my recent DJ set. I also play a new tune from the lovely Jolie Holland. Her new album, The Living and the Dead, arrives Oct. 7. Nerf Herder's Parry Gripp makes an appearance as well with a song from his new album of crazy jingles, Do You Like Waffles?.

Listen now:

- Download the free podcast from iTunes

- Stream the podcast

Thanks again for helping me reach three digits, and keep your 'staches clean until next week!