Serj Tankian Talks Toxicity and Activism

System of a Down’s classic Rick Rubin-produced album, Toxicity, turns 20 this year. Released in 2001 one week before 9/11, the politically charged and wildly bizarre album provided the perfect soundtrack for a world descending into chaos. Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System, is no stranger to conflict. His family is Armenian and migrated to Los Angeles from Lebanon to escape a civil war when Serj was seven years-old. Today we’ll hear Rick Rubin talk to his good friend Serj about how hearing bombs drop outside his childhood bedroom turned him into a lifelong activist. Serj also explains how a funny line about a tapeworm almost caused System to break up, and why the first time Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine heard System play, he called it music for crazy people.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist of our favorite System of a Down songs HERE . And hear a playlist Serj put together of his favorite tracks HERE.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(379)

Natalia Lafourcade

Natalia Lafourcade

Natalia Lafourcade is a force. As you’ll hear when she sings during our conversation today she has a gorgeous voice. But she’s also a deft songwriter who’s able to weave together traditions that feel ...

19 Mar 202452min

Janelle Monàe and Nate Wonder: World Happiness Day Bonus

Janelle Monàe and Nate Wonder: World Happiness Day Bonus

In recognition of this month's World Happiness Day, we are presenting one of our favorite episodes from last year with Janelle Monàe and her longtime collaborator, Nate Wonder. Janelle's latest album,...

14 Mar 20241h 5min

Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon

At 70 years-old, Kim Gordon—the former bassist and founding member of Sonic Youth—is just now making the most abrasive music of her career. She just dropped her second solo album, The Collective, with...

12 Mar 202443min

PJ Harvey & John Parish

PJ Harvey & John Parish

To kick off our month-long celebration of Women's History Month, today we're featuring an interview with Polly Jean Harvey, a.k.a. PJ Harvey, who is without question one of the most gifted songwriters...

5 Mar 202446min

Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins

For the last installment of our Thursday Black History Month drops, how could we not revisit our episode with the incomparable Sonny Rollins? Listening to Sonny is like history coming right off the pa...

2 Mar 202439min

Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell

The last couple of years have been huge for Jason Isbell. The Alabama-born singer-songwriter’s latest album Weathervanes won the Grammy for Best Americana album this year. He also snagged a role in Ma...

27 Feb 202454min

Rhiannon Giddens: Black History Month Bonus

Rhiannon Giddens: Black History Month Bonus

We’re halfway through Black History month and although we didn’t intend to rerun some of our older conversations to celebrate the month, after realizing we needed to do something to mark Usher’s Super...

22 Feb 202449min

IDLES

IDLES

Since releasing their critically acclaimed debut album, Brutalism, in 2017, the British band IDLES have dropped four other albums in quick succession. The band’s bombastic sound brilliantly balances j...

20 Feb 202447min

Populært innen Underholdning

papaya
enkel-servering
harm-og-hegseth
storefri-med-mikkel-og-herman
tusvik-tnne
tore-og-haralds-podkast
konspirasjonspodden
topp-3-med-wold-og-fladseth
big-5-med-nils-og-harald-2
ma-pa-behandling-med-morten-ramm
hovla
folk-flest-med-linn-og-nils
kjendiscrush-med-sofie-karlstad
nare-venner
vitnemal
gi-meg-alle-detaljene
rss-gammal-maiden
feedback-med-egon-holstad
christine-dancke
rss-brassers