Tue, 22 July 2014
Bill "Yancy" Holmes returns to the show, in an episdoe that not only runs the gamut, but runs it over. Trying to shock an unshockable world, othering through the ages, the evolution of barrel technology, the virtues of voice actors, a hearty round of spoon-feeding, the acknowledgement of a professional milestone or two, and the crazy dream of Spoon Action Figures. Plus, how many ways can you describe a bottle of tequila? Music by Matt Bunsen & The Burners, Abby Travis, and Kenny Howes.
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Wed, 16 July 2014
The men of The Spoon are nothing if not adaptable: faced with a last-second guest cancellation, they gleefully charge ahead into conversations both alien and familiar, simultaneously embodying the smartest kids in the class whilst also mocking them mercilessly. This week's mill grist: spelling bee hookups, literary Mt Everests, the semiotics of the mixtape, the mythos of green M&Ms, innovations in cannibal technology, and more. Music by Seven Deadly Five, Sun Sawed In Half, and The Vandalias.
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Wed, 9 July 2014
War. Disease. Necrophilia. Disney musicals. When such horrors are visited upon our world, it is important to remember the good in life...especially if you happen to be special guest Bill Funt, who had no idea what a seriously NSFW rotor blade of a conversation he'd be walking into when he agreed to appear on the show this week. Plus, tattoo negotiations, comic artist rotations, and the true meaning of Ringo Starr's birthday. Music by Martin Mull, The Abe Lincoln Story, and Los Abandoned.
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Fri, 4 July 2014
Let us now come together in praise sharpness, whether embodied by the sharp barbs of gallows humor, the sharp hook of a well-crafted pop song, or the the sharp sting of sparking wires near one's genitals while occupying a stolen car for fetishistic purposes. (No, really.) This week, all of those forms and more are employed to keep your Overhost from slipping too far down the sharp spiral of ennui and general misanthropy. Plus, metaphorical poo-throwing! Music by Bad Religion, Finland Station, and The Wondermints.
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Thu, 19 June 2014
WARNING: this week's episode may contain traces of the following: haircut etymology, microfame, heirloom seeds, gun talk, tribute band culture, Rob making Macca jokes, green M&Ms, Bobbygirls, German opera, baby piercers, Chris revealing his rap monicker, lurching buses, PB&J, death-related navel gazing, airport cross-dressers, Thom being defensive about Styx, more gun talk, moms without filters, shellac (to give it a glaze), insights & anecdotes from special guests Circe Link and Christian Nesmith, and music from The Proclaimers, The Monks, and The Radio Stars. Please listen responsibly.
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Wed, 11 June 2014
The Men of The Spoon can’t solve all the world’s problems, but many solutions begin with discussion, and that’s where we live. Gun violence is still on everyone’s mind this week, as well as the frustrating culture war cliches that surround it, but in between verbal jabs in that direction, there is also time for the evolution of social media, the future of artisanal cheese, the sublime satisfaction of a Scrabble victory, and a bevy of other topics rife with drinkability. Get to chugging! Music by The Orion Experience, Redd Kross, and The Wondermints.
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Thu, 5 June 2014
It’s all about recipes this week: the alchemy of combining separate ingredients into new and exciting creations. Cucumbers and ice cream. Guns and churches. Large vans and West L.A. parking. Our fair show and returning guest Karen Blankfeld Bassett. Any animal and any other animal, if Rob ever gets to fulfill his entrepreneurial desires. The list goes on and on, ‘till the break of dawn. Plus, the difference between Grammer People and grammar, people! Music by David Geddes, Suzi Quatro, and The Angels.
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Fri, 23 May 2014
After a brief forced hiatus brought on by extremely sucky real life events, the men The Spoon are back to navigate the perils of growing up aimless, the wonders of the microscopic world, the horror movie moments that stick with you forever, and the terrifying celebrity nexus of music and sport embodied by the 1985 Chicago Bears. We didn't come here looking for trouble, but....you know the rest. Spoon on!
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Thu, 24 April 2014
No show prep, no problem: anything is possible with a dose of vitamin Q! Actor/musician/co-Snozzberry Quinton Flynn returns to The Spoon this week with mucho gusto, and the sparks they do fly. The high wire of gallows humor, the delicious chaos slash fiction, the melancholy of Captain America, the likely fate of a retired David Letterman, and the white noise of over-documentation are all grist for the conversational mill. Plus, an impromptu musical performance by our own Chris Jackson!
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Wed, 16 April 2014
If specificity is the key to podcasting success, the men of The Spoon are giving it their level best this week by digging deep into their pop-musical dorkitude, getting granular on the magical combinations of slickrick-ness, slobrob-ness, and smartart-ness in their favorite artists, and championing random acts of stoopid. Plus, special guest Allen Lulu dispenses sage acting advice and wearily approves of the Marvel movies, all while on a mission to clean up Los Angeles -- literally! Music by Sorrows. Bruce Matis, and Pink Slip.
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Wed, 9 April 2014
For the first time in over a year, Robbie, Chris, and Thom meet in the same room to conduct their Spoony business, and there is much rejoicing, as well as much talk of music, mortality, microphone protocol, and alternative uses for human skin. (Hey, you bought your ticket, you knew what you were getting into...) Music by Plasticsoul, Patrolled By Radar, and The Neighborhood Bullies.
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Thu, 3 April 2014
At long last, the men of The Spoon welcome the mighty Matt Brown (resident of New Jersey and The Internet) to a special after-dark edition of our little show. Tales of many sizes, shapes, colors, and flavors are spun from this historic gathering, including but not limited to the genesis of Theme Music, the metastasis of Idiocracy, the resurrection of Cosmos, and the legend of Suzy Thunder. Plus, Rob's birthday is imminent, and Frankie finally gets a word in...or, at least, a snuffle. Music by Crazy Squeeze, Gameface, and Jimmer Podrasky.
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Wed, 26 March 2014
This week the men of The Spoon, along iwth the able assistance of multi-hyphenate mirth-making magnate Fletcher Rhoden, concoct a tasty stew made up of roughly equal parts righeous indignation, benign bemusement, and reality TV sausage. Plus, the death of pop fashion, the birth of the food replicator, and the proper number of strings for a bass guitar. Music by Mr Rhoden, as well as Chris Von Sneidern, and The Vampyre Bunnies.
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Thu, 20 March 2014
Dave Shalansky returns to The Spoon, his sunshine-fueled, coffee-flavored personality propelling the show to new heights of topic hopping merriment. We'd list them all here, but really, once the patent trolls take over, what's the point? Just keep in mind that it's always darkest before the Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk, and everything will be Ok. Plus, a new installment of Love Bites, and music by Uncle Green and Joe Giddings.
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Wed, 5 March 2014
It's a dark world out there. A lot of stuff going on. There are things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you ...shouldn't understand. This week, the men of The Spoon get to the bottom of an uncomfortably long list of those things, dancing around the ephemera of the fringes and questioning every answer. Also, a hefty dose of TV nerdery, and yet another cast member's medical malady. Music by Randy Burns, Jennifer Trynin, and Eytan Mirsky.
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Sun, 2 March 2014
After a week's hiatus, the men of The Spoon come roaring back to ruminate on adventures both individual and collective. Rob romances CNN, Chris combines snowblower technology and pest control, and Thom treats us all to the gory details of his recent eye surgery. Plus: the flashpoint of creation, the golden age of television, the debut of a new mid-show segment from Rob and Lisa Orkin, and the best/worst baseball song you've ever heard. Oh my stars and garters, what a lovely tea party! Music by The Running Jumps, Honeychain, and Scott Stapp.
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Tue, 11 February 2014
The men of The Spoon are feeling a little intellectually punch drunk this week. Need proof? Look no further than the sheer volume of motley, off-beat slang that permeates their discourse as topics veer wildly from Olympic fever to sangria-fueled snowmobiling to pondering the nature of poetry with semi-straight faces, and a hundred conversational hyperlinks in between. Plus, the return of Sodomizing A Legacy prompts a call for artistic death panels...of a sort. Music by Anni Celsi and Corin Ashley.
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Wed, 5 February 2014
This week finds the men of The Spoon striking a swell balance between whimsy and pragmatism, doggedly deconstructing deconstructionism, stacking things on top of other things, and just generally cheering on the nitty gritty nerdosity of topics ranging from songwriting alchemy to chickpea cookery, while also pondering the elastic nature of time in the pop culture realM and almost forgetting to mention the rise of the Superb Owls. Almost. Who is this episode for? No one and everyone. It's like the wind, baby. Music by Material Issue, The John Faye Power Trip, and Joe Armstrong.
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Wed, 29 January 2014
Our favorite frenemy Bill Funt returns to the show, and the sparks they do fly. This week's episode runs the gamut from cradle to grave -- literally! -- with stops along the way for pop culture groupie wars, underappreciated British comedy, a fantastic solution to the Happy Birthday problem, and a peek or two behind the Spoony curtain, whether you want one or not. Plus, traveling and fighting and traveling and fighting and traveling and fighting. And fighting some more. Music by Randy Burns, Ronnie Mack, and Johnny Angel Wendell.
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Tue, 21 January 2014
As any toddler or general will confirm, sometimes you have to break something in order to build something else, and this week the men of The Spoon aim to do their share: Chris breaks into the rough and tumble Kerhonksen music scene, Thom has his esophagus broken for him in Vegas, and Rob continues to break the spirits of superfans everywhere. Plus a fit of futurism, a cadence of conservatism, and a taste of TV talk. Music by Chris McKay, Irene Pena, and Hot Pink Racers
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Wed, 15 January 2014
Any time that Bill "Pee Paw" Holmes appears on the show, it's a bracing experience. Whether questioning the selective squick of human-based foodstuffs, suggesting alternate uses for yellow ribbons, pondering the eternal mystery of Bata Inu, or talking up his new favorite tequila, Bill's customary comedic rocket sauce permeates the proceedings, and we are all better for it. Plus, Google gets a side-eye, 70s music gets a teary hug, and Morgan Freeman gets...a recurring bit? Oh, boy. Music by The Fabulous Miss Wendy, The Orion Experience, and Rich Dart.
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Tue, 7 January 2014
The Spoon stirs once again! Rob, Chris, and Thom hoist themselves back into the podcasting saddle and embark on a voyage over Skypey waters, under Youtube algorhythms, through polar vortexes, and around the rare case of diphallia. Plus the usual potpourri of politics and pop culture. One thing's for certain: the more things change, the more Rob still hates Beatles fans. Music by Jeff Jensen, Steven Shumate, Joe Giddings, and the Theme Music Collective.
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Fri, 22 February 2013
In January of 2013, three raconteurs disappeared in the sprawl near Woodland Hills, California, while recording a podcast...Six weeks later, their conversation was found.
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Mon, 26 November 2012
Looks like we'll have to buy The White Album again.Thanks for everything, NDR.
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Mon, 19 November 2012
You want words? We've got words! Enhance your vocabulary with coterie, behest, and rubicon! Learn how to pronounce coven! Discover the joy of baining! Plus, stories of shocking variety and transience! NDR overlord Johnny Dam's presence unleashes a neutron bomb of jocular tangents, and guest Mike Simmons provides a heavy dose of contrapuntal wit as well as all of this week's music, via his band Sparkle*Jets UK. This one's a barn burner, folks...strap in and hang on!
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Mon, 12 November 2012
It's the first trio show in a few months, and the men of The Spoon are more than happy to spend their "alone" time decompressing from a stressful election season while marveling at linguistic remix value, celebrity mustache clout, youthful vehicular insanity, half-assed secessionist movements, and cinematic jingoism through the ages. Plus, Rob gets phished, and the glory of the cutbuzz is revealed! Music by The Condors, 3D Picnic, and Sun Sawed In Half
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Mon, 5 November 2012
Last time we had Kelly Murphy on the show, we kept the fact that she is Chris's significant other on the down low, but in this episode their love is both acknowledged and celebrated. And when assailed by killer storms, relentless robo-calls, traumatic celluloid, and confusing joke boundaries, we think everyone could use a little more love. Especially if it's accompanied by food. Not in that way. Ok, sometimes. Music by The Mockers, Phil Seymour, and Cliff Hillis
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Mon, 29 October 2012
When we asked musician Karen Basset to visit The Spoon, she was warned of its cat-with-a-laser-pointer aspects, and prepared herself accordingly. Ironic, then, that this turns out to be an unusually focused outing, largely concerning the nature of cool, the alchemy of pop, and the and the arc of the show business curve. Plus, kitties on Roombas! Music by our esteemed guest, via The Pandoras, The Rebel Pebbles, and her own self.
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Mon, 22 October 2012
What do we want? Respect! When do we want it? Soon! How do we get it? Uh... we'll get back to you on that. In the meantime, Seth Gordon and Tony Leventhal of The Mockers are here with a flurry of New York stories and impossible dreams, documentary defenses and copyright conundrums. Plus, a little pre-Christmas backlash to counter the pre-Christmas hype, and at least one well-timed bikini joke. Music by The Mockers, Patrick Clark, and The Popravinas.
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Mon, 15 October 2012
Joe Armstrong of Independents Day is our guest, and with a fellow musician and radio man in the room, it makes sense that issues of creativity, identity, and media modeling in the 21st century crop up and take center stage. Fortunately, sidetracks into fetish culture, Disney propaganda, and chaos theory, not to mention a couple of left-turn phone calls, keep the baseball from getting too inside. Plus, Freddy flute! All music by Mr Armstrong.
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Mon, 8 October 2012
If there is a point to this week's show - and, as regular listeners know, that's a one hell of a big "if" - it's the semiotics of nomenclature. Names have power, whether given at birth, chosen for porn, used as verbs, or applied to fictional plumbing tools. This week's holiday-themed SAL only confuses matters, so we're glad to have Eric Dean Boydston on hand to help us hack through this tricksy linguistic jungle. Music by The Knack, and A Fragile Tomorrow.
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Mon, 1 October 2012
It's not often the case that all three men of The Spoon can be so easily hoodwinked, but guest Jimmer Podrasky sweeps in tonight like a comedic Keyser Soze and practically breaks the show in twain with the greatest of ease. Musical musings, dating drama, the proper preparation of monkey meat... no matter the topic being tossed out, it comes back with one hell of a topspin. Enjoy the ride! Music by Finland Station, Elton Duck, and The Rebel Pebbles.
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Mon, 24 September 2012
Bill Funt's latest round of thrills and spills as the show's favorite frenemy is augmented by the arrival of musician/TV host/restauranteur Bobby Bognar, and the rising conversational tide lifts boats right, left, and center, with talk of unlikely media heroes, unfortunate cartoon voices, the My Way Murders, the Spoon as Beatles metaphor, and the ever-mysterious question of where meat comes from. Music by Extra, Elton Duck, and Otis Gibson & The Rockhounds
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Mon, 17 September 2012
With Chris away on adventures both amorous and aeronautical, Rob and Thom navigate the maturity curve of world religions, the fractal nature of social groupings, the telltale portents of Christian pop songs, and, perhaps most importantly, whether a remake of Red Dawn is workable in 2012. Plus, unexpected visitors, backward backbeats, and what Thom really does while everyone else is talking. Music by Uncle Green, Big Fish Ensemble, and Paul Melancon.
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Mon, 10 September 2012
There are things we love too much, things we could stand to love more, things we want to love but are forced to fear, and things which should never be approached in the first place. In this episode, Michele Ivey, Timmy Cupps, and a grip of callers help the men of The Spoon cover all these bases and more with tales of songbird stalkers, hellish houses, TMNT traitors, and adventures in our nation's capital. Music by The Orion Experience, The Rooks, and Jonathan Coulton
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Mon, 3 September 2012
Rob, Chris, and Thom are reunited for the first time in six weeks, and balance is restored to the Spooniverse! In between the catch-up, our heroes turn their attention to the history of pagers, metal bands, and zombie flicks, and still find time to praise Cab Calloway, eulogize Michael Clarke Duncan, research Burt Reynolds, and herald the glorious return of Sodomizing A Legacy. Beat that with a (virtual) stick. Music by Frank Royster and Sparkle*Jets UK.
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Mon, 27 August 2012
Where conventional wisdom fails, The Spoon prevails! Rob, Allen Lulu, and Johnny Dam explain how politics are more than sport, how sports are surprisingly political, the upside of steroids, the downside of childlike enthusiasm, and why unusual attraction is often the most potent. Plus, the tsunami of crazy that is the Republic National Convention meets a real-deal hurricane, and Chris and Thom check in from their assignments in the field. Music by Trinket and Mark Fletcher
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Mon, 20 August 2012
With so many cooks in the kitchen this week (Rob welcomes Dave Berges, Johnny Dam, and Bill Holmes to the mic, not to mention a boatload of callers, including Chris & Thom) you'd think the resulting dish might be unpalatable, but somehow the wheels stay on the wagon -- barely -- while topics fly past the windows with great velocity and ferocity, including the curse of Oliver, the idiocy of Akins, and the rapid depopulation of leather-helmet celebrity. Plus, poetry corner! Music by Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings
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Mon, 13 August 2012
For all of those who argue that the Spoon is not educational, prepare to be proven wrong. While Thom vacations, Robbie, Chris and guests Dave Shalansky and Johnny Dam ACTUALLY cover all of the following topics: the art of pooping in cups, diarrhea and foreign medical care, anus tattoos, the refreshing taste of Coors Qatar, shameless Nice Guy Eddie promotion, 25 Years of Shark Week, abused wanna-be Olympians, who to consult when in need of Chinese food, the downside of midnight breakfast, Moms passing wind and dealing with the "swamp ass" that follows, urination at 10,000 feet, Yankees spoiler alerts AND the perks that come with Russian hotel rooms. You're welcome, Planet Earth... you're welcome. Music by Tin Cat, Matt Brown and Lazy Balls.
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Mon, 30 July 2012
Rob & Chris are both away this week, but as it was decided long ago that The Spoon is bigger than any one man (or two men, for that matter) Thom finds himself alone at the wheel, wrangling a rogues gallery of guests (including Allen Lulu, Bill Funt, and Fletcher Rhoden) and teeing off on the news of the day. A Spoon episode unlike any other, yet tinged with the eerily familiar. Music by The Mockers, Tess Dunn, and Nice Guy Eddie.
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Mon, 23 July 2012
Set momentarily adrift without their overhost, Chris, Thom, and special guest Eric D Boydston attempt to fill the Robbie-shaped hole in the show -- and our hearts -- with excursions into beverage science, apnea analysis, further tales of nerdy con culture, and a scintillating expose on... weather in the Midwest. How much more badass could things get? The answer is none. None more badass. Music by 3lb Thrill, Barely Pink, and Galileo.
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Mon, 16 July 2012
This week, we bring you grievous bodily harm, alarming collisions with total strangers, and revolting imagery that will haunt your dreams for all time... and that's just Chris & Thom recapping Comic Con. (Ba-dum!) Also, learning to draw, scary books gone by, the lost art of the fade-out, and thoughts on changing the show's theme music. Music by Pride Of The Garage, Kyle Gray Young, and Let's Active.
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Mon, 9 July 2012
As the title suggests, it is with no disingenuity (that's a word, right?) that we applaud Circe Link and Christian Nesmith for being delightful guests in a conversational capacity, bringing to the show new games to play and a wealth of topics ranging from to the underrated appeal of bodily musk, all while managing to share the same microphone in an example of adorable couplehood. They even go to the trouble of providing all of the music this week. How bout them metaphorical apples?
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Mon, 2 July 2012
Travis Randall joins the show this week, and despite a touch of ennui, the topic-hopping quotient spikes considerably, from extolling the virtues of beef salads and fan-owned bands to warning of digital tissue and energy vampires. Also, medical advice that you absolutely should not follow, advice on pruning the un-awesome from one's life, and, just to spice things up... a last minute caller! Music by Cotton Mather, Adam Schmitt and The Beat Farmers.
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Mon, 25 June 2012
We here at The Spoon (a joint venture of NDR and BobCo) live by a cardinal rule: the key to entertainment is to jump up and down on the tightrope until it snaps. What happens afterward... ah, that's the prize! As you'll hear in this episode, we tend to lead by example, while our guest Eric Dean Boydston absorbs the lesson and throws out a few choice kernels of his own wisdom along the way. Heads up, class! Music by D.L. Byron, Loveless, and Vader Vader.
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Mon, 18 June 2012
Chris is back, Bill Holmes is in the 4th chair, and... ya' know folks, there are times when so much comedy and conversation gets packed into this show that it can't be detailed in a single paragraph description without collapsing on itself and becoming a gravitational singularity which would threaten the safety of all lifekind. This is one of those times. So do the universe a favor and just make with the listening, huh? Music by Paul Melancon, Jensen Bell, and Terry Anderson & The Olympic Ass-Kickin' Team.
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Mon, 11 June 2012
Chris is off-duty this week, leaving the show feeling more Sporky than Spoony, but Regent St Clair gamely steps into the breach and helps us to navigate the conversational waters from nitpicky nerdfights (mild spoilers for Prometheus) to Craigslist conundrums, with a brief salute the lascivious 70s in between. Plus, multiple calls, including The Couch Report! Music by The Pills, Something Happens, and Jim Basnight.
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Mon, 4 June 2012
Guestless for the first time in months, the men of The Spoon start out with a mission statement spot check before moving into discussion of group dynamics in situations ranging from rock bands to superhero teams, then cap things off with a rousing chorus of Stuff That Used To Be Cool (Before They Tried To Make It More Cool, Which Wound Up Making It Embarrassingly Uncool) augmented by a hilariously heartbreaking SAL. Music by The Orion Experience and Kingsauce.
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Mon, 28 May 2012
You know, perhaps it's time to retire this whole hazing ritual that we put Bill Funt through when he appears on the program. Perhaps the approach is losing steam. Perhaps it's played out. Perhaps it's unfair to Bill himself, and we ought to just admit that his caustically witty presence and deep well of pop culture knowledge are the true reasons we welcome him back time and again, and stop perpetuating this impression that he's a needy, ball-hogging chump whose only goal is to usurp the show for his own nefarious objectives. Perhaps...nah, we're having too much fun. But at least Thom's birthday provides a distraction and paints a target on his chest for a while, too. Plus, adventures in the Monkeeverse, and stories of parental inflagrante! Music by The Monks, Panic At The Disco, The Beatifics
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