FYIz - Podcasts by John

30/06/2024

Okay then! If looking at the attached images makes you think of the word "recidivism" and the names "Jason, Caleb, or Tab," respectively, then I've got a podcast for you. My dear friend Ronald James sat down to chat all things Raising Arizona for the second episode of Coentelpro - A Podcast About the Coen Brothers, and both of our late fathers loved the movie so there's plenty of dad stuff, as well as stuff about the inventive camerawork and memorable characters that've made this surreal, sweetly subversive, dialogue-driven comedy a modern classic. (Linked below!)

17/02/2024

The podcast that refuses to die is back again! And kicking off a fresh, diverse batch of shows is a new episode featuring the one and only Polly Schattel, here to talk about her apocalyptic novella, 8:59:29. This chat was recorded last year when the book was new but it's still 100% new to you—and Polly is always a candid, insightful, and lively guest. Enjoy! (Link in comments.)

03/05/2023

NEW PODCAST ALERT! Filmmaker, musician, and general cool guy Chance Shirley pops in to discuss favorite moments from the whole six season run of Better Call Saul, now available in its entirety on Netflix! It's an epic final farewell to this beloved show, and now it's yours for the low low price of (link in comments).

11/02/2023

The previously multi-show FYIZ feed is being relaunched today as a single podcast, simply called FYIZ, and the guest is author Jeff VanderMeer (pictured here assimilating with pixels and plantlife simultaneously), whose lush, vibrant fiction knows no easy genre designation. In this episode, Jeff digs into the sorts of creative decisions that lead to work as singular as his. Specific books discussed in-depth include Dead Astronauts, City of Saints and Madmen, and Bliss, but the conversation touches on lots more—a must-listen for his many fans, most of whom are probably human. Link in comments!

28/11/2022

Presto Change-o! The alluring musical entity known as doubleVee magically appears on a brand new episode of Playing Records with John, only on the FYIz feed! Barb and Allan Vest talk about the origins of their project and highlight some key recordings as well as some of the experiences and people that made them who they are. It's a special conversation, ranging from family history to shop talk, just the way we like it. Link in comments.

03/11/2022

New Playing Records with John podcast! Brian Woodbury stops by for an extensive conversation about his various musical projects and the stories behind many songs from his latest salvo, Anthems and Antithets—a collection of four lengthy, consistently melodic, occasionally humorous albums, each one arranged around a thematic conceit, but mixing musical genres all the same. It's a ton of music and there's a lot to say about it. Dig in! Link in comments.

30/10/2022

New SKEERT podcast! This time award-winning author Ramsey Campbell stops by to talk about childhood influences; his latest atmospheric slow burn of a novel, Fellstones; the thoughts behind a couple of his classic short stories, and more! Link in comments.

18/10/2022

WAAAAAY Back in the summer I promised new episodes of Playing Records with John and while they didn't come out in July as indicated ("life happened") they are coming very soon—as well as not one but TWO SKEERT Halloween Specials! That's a lot of candy for your bucket. Subscribe to FYIZ wherever you get podcasts and wait for the goodness.

28/08/2022

Finally! Forgive the tardiness and the crudeness, but MY PODCAST WILL REAM UR EARS; it's time for Saul Searching. Bekah and Jonathan Eaton are on tap to co-host and hopefully lend the proceedings a little class as we discuss the very last episode of Better Call Saul, which we found at the bottom of a dumpster after thinking we lost it. Hands up! Link in comments

25/08/2022

The Saul Searching that deals with the final episode of Better Call Saul will be released from its holding cell soon. It's just been a busy time here at Podcasting for Free, Inc. Patience is appreciated. :)

12/08/2022

New Saul Searching podcast! As Better Call Saul winds down, none other than fellow Saul-head James Brown joins John to discuss "Waterworks," an emotional episode that catches up with Kim and generates a palpable sense of dread around shifty, reckless Gene. [LINKED BELOW]

08/08/2022

Going to bed now but getting perilously close to finishing up a couple Playing Records with John episodes that are really special! Two inventive, singular artists (one a man and one a band) whose only real similarity is that their music entertains and inspires me. Get psyched.

06/08/2022

PLEASE INSERT MORE COINS TO CONTINUE LISTENING TO LIVELY CHATTER ABOUT THE NEWEST EPISODE OF BETTER CALL SAUL WITH GUESTS BEKAH EATON AND JONATHAN EATON. LINKED BELOW.

31/07/2022

What you see here is a Murderer's Row of comedy and character actors! All in the service of great drama. Bob Rose comes back to Saul Searching and we dig into this perfectly-baked episode of Better Call Saul, complete with a messy but delicious core. Linked below.

22/07/2022

Lighten up, Mister Goodman, there's a new Saul Searching podcast! This time Erin Oliver-James and Ronald James are here for a deep dive into "Fun and Games," a devastating and pivotal episode of Better Call Saul. Link below.

15/07/2022

Lalo only gave us a minute to discuss the new episode of Better Call Saul, but we took about 55 of them, and weirdly he just stood there and let us ramble! What an accommodating guy. Super-guests Jonathan Eaton and Bekah Eaton are in the Super-lab for a brand new Saul Searching Super-podcast. Link below.

10/07/2022

Saul Searching returns in just a few days, as well as new episodes of Playing Records with John and Alpha Flight Support Group later in the month!

02/06/2022

There's a new mini-series on the FYIZ feed! ALPHA FLIGHT SUPPORT GROUP will delve into the debatably lasting appeal of the titular, semi-obscure, Canadian superhero team! The first episode is up now, featuring Alpha Flight devotee Michael Furr discussing the classic AF lineup: Guardian, Snowbird, Sasquatch, Aurora, Northstar, Puck, and Marrina. We are not making this up, but someone did. Linked below.

20/05/2022

Now that friend of the feed Gemma Files's book, In That Endlessness, Our End (Grimscribe Press), has bagged a well-deserved Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection, I think this means she's unstoppable and we've only to stand by and watch as her fearful reign lowers over the earth like a heavy curtain. You can also listen to her two episodes of the SKEERT podcast, which are great. Links below!

11/05/2022

When Ronald and Steve—John's co-hosts on the long-running Movie Schmovie podcast—pop in for a chat, you can count on two things: pure unbridled chemistry and fart jokes. So with that as a promise and a warning, listen in as the guys dig into "Black and Blue," the fifth episode of Better Call Saul's final season.

https://fyiz.podbean.com/e/saul-searching-better-call-saul-season-six-episode-five-with-ronald-james-and-steve-reter/

When Ronald and Steve—John's co-hosts on the long-running Movie Schmovie podcast—pop in for a chat, you can count on two things: pure unbridled chemistry and fart jokes. So with that as a promise and a warning, listen in as the guys dig into "Black and Blu...

27/04/2022

New Saul Searching podcast! This time Bob Rose of Thunder Grunt Podcast is the guest, and he tries to help process the latest intense episdoe of AMC's Better Call Saul! https://fyiz.podbean.com/e/saul-searching-better-call-saul-season-six-episode-three-with-bob-rose/

Podcaster and filmmaker Bob Rose crawls out of a giant oil puddle in an abandoned tanker to discuss the Nacho-centric third episode of Better Call Saul's sixth season, "Wine and Roses."...

11/04/2022

Our first guest ever on Playing Records with John is back! It's B.t. Armstrong and the occasion is the release of Heart Like a Sigil—his third solo album overall but his debut on Flower Moon Records, the label founded by frequent collaborator Maria Taylor. Songwriting shoptalk, recording secrets, and theories about the nature of the universe are contained herein. Proceed with caution! And for gosh sakes, don’t mess up the vibe.

https://fyiz.podbean.com/e/playing-records-with-john-brad-armstrong-returns-to-say-so-long/

Our first guest ever on Playing Records with John is back! It's Brad Armstrong and the occasion is the release of Heart Like a Sigil—his third solo album overall but his debut on Flower Moon Records, the label founded by frequent collaborator Maria Taylor....

04/04/2022

It's been a busy time at FYIz HQ! So much so that I'm a bit delayed in alerting you to a new episode of SKEERT, one of the best yet, because it boasts the return of author Polly Schattel, who arrives ready to analyze her new second novel, SHADOWDAYS, out now on JournalStone. If you remember Polly's appearance to discuss her debut book The Occultists, you know she's open, thoughtful, opinionated, and funny—and this episode only ups the ante. Don't miss it, or the book itself, which is a propulsive and disquieting crime thriller with a fascinating protagonist. LINK IN COMMENTS.

02/02/2022

The trilogy is now complete! The third and final episode of Star Wars Support Group covers the sequel trilogy and once again features Bekah and Jonathan Eaton, as well as a special segment with Mike White of The Projection Booth Podcast fame. Best of all, this podcast is guest co-hosted by Bebot, the adorable droid synthesizer! Link in comments...

14/10/2021

New podcast! Gemma Files, one of the most prolific and clever horror authors working today, pops in to chat about the processes and ideas behind Experimental Film, her 2015 novel about the horrors of Canadian arthouse cinema.

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-47eyt-110465a

Multi-hyphenated, autodidactic creative force Gemma Files writes horror fiction that is sharp-witted, often disturbing, and fun as hell. In this episode, she talks about her 2015 novel Experimental Film, from the development of the characters to the book’s themes of parenthood, artistic integrity,...

08/09/2021

The new Playing Records with John is here, and it features a career-spanning chat with music exec Sue Drew, who has been developing artists (like They Might Be Giants—pictured with Sue below—who signed their first and only major label deal with Sue and Elektra Records in 1989) since the late 80s. In this episode she talks us through all the twists and turns of her decades in the biz, with honesty and humor. Link in comments.

08/07/2021

Dreamy pop innovators Azure Ray (lifelong friends Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink) have a soul-stirring new album out called Remedy, and you can hear about it on the latest episode of Playing Records with John, only via the FYIZ podcast feed! The conversation goes all over the place and includes a detailed breakdown of the duo's songwriting process—you even get to hear some exclusive demos! This is the intimate and relaxed chat you need from these songwriting giants. Link below.

30/04/2021

Birmingham, AL-based rock band Dree Leer is here to hype their brand-new debut LP, Throw Hands, so a good time is guaranteed! Singer/guitarist Jackie Lo, bassist Mandy Graffeo, and drummer Mikey D Williams share tales about the forming of the current lineup, explain the logistics of finishing an album during quarantine, and reveal why they call Mikey The Living Sh*tzam. So, yeah, like I said, a good time. {LINK IN COMMENTS}

23/04/2021

The Spring season of Playing Records with John continues! This time it's a lively discussion with the venerable, legendary, and quite cool Velena Vego, who recently celebrated 30 years booking shows at the renowned 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. Whatever your favorite indie band of the last few decades may be, she probably put them on a bill, and literally has the receipts! Don't miss this one. Link in comments.