The MC Lars Podcast

Back in 2000, Atom & His Package changed my view of what punk rock could be. Mixing comedy, humor, intelligence, catchy pop choruses, punk and a QY700 sequencer, Atom Goren started performing and touring the world with just his guitar and "package" (the QY700). I met Atom at a show in Monterey, CA in 2000 and kept in touch; he would often give me advice along the way. A few year ago, I got to open for him at FEST in Florida, a career highlight. On today's episode, we talk about teaching, family, spirituality and how music fits into his life these days. We also premiere an unreleased song of his! Awesome episode. Special Guest: Atom and His Package.

16 Feb 20191h 38min

Back in 2008, Timothy Crist (a.k.a. ShoEboX, a.k.a. Worm Quartet) and I collaborated on an Atom & His Package cover for my "This Gigantic Robot Kills" album. This week, Crist and I talk about his work with VH1, his success on the Dr. Demento show and his upcoming album. We discuss similarities between nerdcore rap and the Dr. Demento-inspired comedy music scenes and the intersection of music and convention culture. Be sure to look for more collaborations between me and Worm Quartet! Thanks Tim! Special Guest: Worm Quartet.

11 Feb 20191h 16min

When I was in seventh grade, Sam Salerno bought me Rush's "Test for Echo" on CD, and it changed my life. He showed how literature (in this case, Ayn Rand) could be translated to music, and this was deeply influential on me both personally and professionally. This week, we talk about his career as a teacher / poet / musician, and how he balances everything while continuing to release albums and books of poetry. Thank you Sam, for being a guest, and for your inspiration and love. Sam currently teaches at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California, my alma matter. His new book "the Soul Collects Its World" is available locally at bookshops on the Monterey Peninsula. Special Guest: Sam Salerno.

4 Feb 20191h 17min

Boy Pierce got his start as a mashup artist, before going on to create viral rap tributes to Nick Foles, Phish, Family Matters and AOL. This week, we talk about our respecitve experiences as fans of rap, Phish and creating digital content. We speculate on the future of platforms like YouTube and talk about our respective dreams for the future. When Pierce is not making hilarious rap videos in his kitchen, he works doing marketing for a company in Manhattan. We talk about balancing work with art and the importance of being geunuine and real. Aweosme inteview with an inspring young artist! Special Guest: Boy Pierce.

28 Jan 201953min

Without D Lyrical, there would have been no ICP. On this episode, I talk to Detroit rap legend Dale Miettinen Jr., a.k.a. D Lyrical! We connected online when I started my Hatchet Chat series and reviewed the EP he and Violent J released in 1990, "Intelligence and Violence". We met at the Gathering and did this interview when I came to Cleveland with I Fight Dragons late last year. A great interview about the origins of the Dark Carnival and Dale's solo career. Special Guest: D Lyrical.

21 Jan 20191h 13min

I found out about Marcelo Vignali's work after seeing his skecthes for the Roger Rabbit ride at Disneyland, and reached out to him diretly to see if he would be interested in letting me interview him. We met at his office at Sony Animation in Culver City; Vignali had recently finished working on "Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse", which was getting amazing reviews. We talked about his journey from designing rides for Disney, to doing 2D animation to his current role as a 3D animator for Sony. He gave me a tour of Culver City and we had dinner afterwards, talking about Hollywood history and his spiritual beliefs. A very special episode. Thank you, Marcelo! Special Guest: Marcelo Vignali.

14 Jan 20191h 22min

Quelle Chris got his start in Detroit in 1996 as part of the Wasted Youth Collective. After meeting Proof, Quelle was determined to push his lyrical boundaries to surprise his mentor. A fan of ICP and the Juggalo world, Quelle would later produce beats for Danny Brown before getting signed ot Mellow Music. Quelle's album “Everything’s Fine” with his wife Jean Grae was the number one most downloaded and streamed album on Bandcamp in 2018. We talk about Quelle's approach to rapping and his inspirations, as well as how he and I met and began to work together. A very interesting episode with an awesome artist. Special Guest: Quelle Chris.

7 Jan 20191h 39min

I connected with George Watsky in 2012 on Twitter when we both realized we were mutual fans of each other's work. Being from the Bay and growing up with a librarian mother as well, he and I collaborated on a song and video for my 2015 "Zombie Dinosaur LP" called "Never Afraid". Watsky has toured the world, written an incredible book ("How to Ruin Everything"), acted in films like "Blindspotting" and had his music videos watched millions of times. Be sure to check out his upcoming album and tour! Thanks again, George! Special Guest: Watsky.

31 Des 20181h 10min