OWAW - Vernon The Company Man w/ Gene Meyer

Sam Stewart of Flagman returns to discuss Filipino Ray, an acrobatic bass jaunt that comprises the penultimate track of Of Whales and Woe. The bass lines go hard, but there is a lot of open space as well, which can be tricky for many musicians. Sam helps us with those intricacies, and regales with his own tales of whales and woe around procuting and hearing this record for the first time. We also share what we know about Ray Wing, the lyrical subject of the song, who Les played with in the Tommy Crank Band in the 1980s. Plus, can we borrow your old iPod cable? Thanks. Find Sam @salmonsamstew and @flagmanband on Insagram.Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

We all know about the South Park theme, but were you aware that Les Claypool wrote and performed the theme to Robot Chicken, another long-running animated television program? Probably. We discuss his involvement in the show theme, its inclusion on this record, and Frankie takes the "miscellaneous instrumentation" quiz. Bob with keyboards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raehRGepI4w&t=6546sGet involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

The hips of the record have arrived! This utterly accessible, catchy track doubles as a slice-of-life study of a commercial fisherman, whose solace is the sea, despite its diminishing economic returns. We weigh how officially unofficial this track stands as a Fisherman's Chronicle, and and explain why it's the most-performed track from the record, although that's fairly clear to aficionados. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

The great Kello Gonzalez returns to the podcast on short notice to discuss Nothin' Ventured, which we interpret as our version of a Les Claypool motivational speech, particularly because the spirit of the song (bass solos) and lyrics (taking risks to achieve something) mirrors what LEs did with his career path. IT's also chock-full of cultural idioms amd a sneaky masturbation joke; everyone's favorite Claypoolism. Kello demonstrates the "five minute" interpretation of the bass line, and we dig into taking risks, the rewards, and why it matters. Find Kello on Youtube and Instagram. Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Les Claypool's ode to his wife, Chaney, starts side two of Of Whales and Woe, and there's certainly no woe to be found in this joyous track, which reflects the irrational emotional highs of fulfilled love, through the Claypool lens. Josh, a native Iowan, sheds some light on the lyrical references and discusses agricultural exports, because that's all Iowans talk about aside from the weather. We also play an excerpt from Les's book tour in Iowa City. That evening was captured by the radio program Live At Prairie Lights and is archived here: https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/node/797265Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

This week, we offer up a commentary track on the hour-long Primus Interstellar Drum Derby finale. Receiving this much video footage of the band auditioning, practicing, rehearsing, jamming, and recording music is so rewarding after years of shelved video-based projects. You can join in the fun by simply listening in, syncing the youtube video with the podcast ep at the 12:52 mark in the audio, or viewing the synced video at the Patreon site (see "Burn your money" link below).Drum derby finaleGet involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

NEW TRACK ALERT! Primus have released Little Lord Fentanyl, the first track to include newly-minted drummer John Hoffman. The track was a part of the final drum auditions for Hoffman and Borlai, who each composed drum tracks for the song. We discuss the workings of the tune and the lyrical content in a knee-jerk reaction mode, and what it possibly portends for Primus. Little Lord Fentanyl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4NGvSR2waUDrum Derby finale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFtaNtSYNYAGet involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Today's track tells the tale of Richard McCaslin, a self-proclaimed superhero, who, disguised as the Panthom Patriot, invaded the Bohemian Grove in search of child sacrifices and other horrific crimes...in the off-season when the economic and political elite were not present. We provide the background on the story, as does Les Claypool in our associated live cuts. We also have with us regular contributor Matt Hunter, who models the bass riff, discusses the dynamics of the song, and helps us find where the pinky finger fits into the whole thing, as Les infamously broke his pinky finger during filming of a movie, and was unable to play this tune on tour for weeks as a reult. Lots to explore in this one - don't get radicalized!Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

The great Gene Meyer (@genemeyelol on the socials) of Bandit fame returns to the pod to discuss Vernon the Company Man. We get literary with some associations to Kerouac, Ginsberg, Arthur Miller, but we even it out with jokes about PRimus shirts being more effective than chastity belts. This tune is certainly a unique departure in terms of this record, but also for Claypool in general, thanks to excellent tabla and sitar provided by Mike Dillon and Gabby La La, respectively. Dig?Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

We tackle the title track this week with the help of old friend Lalo Fierro, who, even as a seasoned gigging bassist, maintains an uneven relationship with Claypool's bass playing, mostly due to its unpredictable nature, which is emblematic of today's track. We also consider the eternal question: Do you humor the crusty old guy's stories, or do you not engage? Plus, commentary on the recently completed drum search series (more to come?!) and killer live cuts. Buy me a theremin.Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money