Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
Bullseye from NPR is your curated guide to culture. Jesse Thorn hosts in-depth interviews with brilliant creators, culture picks from our favorite critics and irreverent original comedy. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world." (Formerly known as The Sound of Young America.)

Our real page...

This isn't our actual webpage!! If you'd like to learn more about the show, please visit us at maximumfun.org. For regular updates, visit The Sound of Young America Blog.

Categories

podcasts
general
Podcast

Archives

2024
March
February
January

2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2013
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2012
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2011
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2010
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2009
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2008
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2007
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2006
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2005
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April

Blogroll:

Syndication

Dr. Paul Mullins is a cultural anthropologist and the author of Glazed America: A History of the Donut.

Direct download: tsoya081230_donuts.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:03pm EDT

Rob Corddry is an actor and comedian.  For four years, he was a correspondent on The Daily Show.  His most recent project is a web series for thewb.com called Children's Hospital.

Direct download: tsoya081222_robcorddry.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:15am EDT

Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan talk about their post-apocalyptic Santa Claus story The Last Christmas, plus a holiday sketch from Elephant Larry.

Direct download: tsoya081218_thelastchristmas.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:40pm EDT

Patrick Borelli and Douglas Gorenstein are the authors of Holy Headshot, a book of bizarre and amazing head shots from actors and performers across the country.  Note that this podcast is in .m4a (enhanced podcast) format, and should play in iTunes, on iPods and on Zunes.  An MP3 of this show can be found at our website.

Direct download: tsoya081216_holyheadshots.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:51pm EDT

Singer-songwriter Ben Folds' new album is called Way to Normal.

Direct download: tsoya081211_benfolds.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:14pm EDT

Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald are founding members of The Kids in the Hall.  The group has reformed for a national tour of the US and an upcoming miniseries on Canadian television.

Direct download: tsoya081208_kidsinthehall.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:21pm EDT

Alan Zweibel was an original writer on Saturday Night Live, a co-creator of the groundbreaking sitcom It's Garry Shandling's Show, and is a producer on and contributor to Curb Your Enthusiasm.  His new book is Clothing Optional.

Direct download: tsoya081204_alanzweibel.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:17pm EDT

John Hodgman is a contributor to the Daily Show and the author of two books, the more recent of which is More Information Than You Require.

Direct download: tsoya081126_johnhodgman.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:55am EDT

Gideon Yago is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist, best known for his work on MTV News.  He's the host of The IFC Media Project.

Direct download: tsoya081124_gideonyago.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:55am EDT

The Dirtbombs are a Detroit-based rock and roll band.  Their newest album is We Have You Surrounded.

Direct download: tsoya081118_dirtbombs.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:19am EDT

Raphael Saadiq is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.  He was a founding member of the groups Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl.

Direct download: tsoya081118_raphaelsaadiq.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:06pm EDT

Pete Rothbart is an editor at Found Magazine, a magazine composed exclusively of things people have found -- from shopping lists to personal notes to (once) a dead frog.

Direct download: tsoya081112_peterothbart.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:33pm EDT

Dan Savage is the writer of the sex and relationship advice column Savage Love, which runs in alternative newspapers around the country.  He also edits the Seattle newspaper The Stranger.  This interview was recorded live on stage at Seattle Sketchfest.

Direct download: tsoya081106_dansavage.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:10pm EDT

Graham Linehan is an Irish comedy writer, who co-created the sitcom Father Ted, and created the series The IT Crowd.  He also worked on shows like Big Train, Brasseye, and The Day Today. 

Direct download: tsoya081102_grahamlinehan.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:17pm EDT

Election comedy from Jordan Morris, an essay from Simon Rich and a SPOOKTACULAR sketch from Elephant Larry.

Direct download: tsoya081031_comedycast.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:22pm EDT

Mikita Brottman is the author of The Solitary Vice: Against Reading.

Direct download: tsoya081030_againstreading.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:01pm EDT

Sarah Vowell is the bestselling author of numerous books of memoir and popular history.  Her most recent is The Wordy Shipmates.

Direct download: tsoya0810278_sarahvowell.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:14pm EDT

Calexico are a Tucson, Arizona based band known for their unique blend of traditional Mexican music and Southwestern sound. 

Direct download: tsoya081022_calexico.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:05pm EDT

Marianna Palka is the writer, director and star of the independent film Good Dick, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is currently in theaters.

Direct download: tsoya081020_mariannapalka.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:24pm EDT

Music from Bumbershoot, with Jonathan Coulton, PWRFL Power and Rhett Miller of the Old 97s.

Direct download: tsoya081014_bumbershootmusic.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:26pm EDT

Comedy from Greg Behrendt and Tig Notaro, plus a bonus interview with Behrendt.

Direct download: tsoya081008_bumbershootcomedy.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:22pm EDT

Janeane Garofalo is an actress and standup comic.  She's currently a co-star on the FOX series 24, and is working the road as a standup as part of the "Satiristas."

Direct download: tsoya081006_janeanegarofalo.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:24pm EDT

Sandra Tsing Loh is a performer, commentator and writer based in Los Angeles.  Her most recent book, about sending her daughter to school, is Mother On Fire: A True Mother*#$(ing Story About Parenting.

Direct download: tsoya081003_sandratsingloh.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:53pm EDT

Louis CK is a comedian, writer and director.  His new Showtime comedy special is Louis CK: Chewed Up.  He created and starred in the HBO series Lucky Louie and wrote and directed the cult film Pootie Tang.

Direct download: tsoya080929_louisck.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:44pm EDT

Andy Daly is an actor and comedian.  He's probably best known as a former cast member on Mad TV, or as a mad announcer in last summer's Semi-Pro.  He's just released his first CD, Nine Sweaters.

Direct download: tsoya080925_andydaly.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:46am EDT

Ratatat are an instrumental music duo whose their album, LP3, was recently released.  Their sound combines elements of rock, hip-hop and dance music.

Direct download: tsoya080924_ratatat.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:14pm EDT

Chip Kidd is one of the world's best-known designers; he's designed book covers for innumerable authors.  He's also a comic novelist.  His most recent novel is The Learners.

Direct download: tsoya080922_chipkidd.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:38pm EDT

The Human Giant are a sketch group whose eponymous series airs on MTV.  We talked with them live on stage at Bumbershoot.

Direct download: tsoya080916_humangiant.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:17pm EDT

Comics artist Adrian Tomine is the creator of the series Optic Nerve.  His most recent book is "Shortcomings."

Direct download: tsoya080913_adriantomine.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:46pm EDT

Chris Bowman interviews the Los Angeles indie pop group The Submarines.  Their most recent album is Honeysuckle Weeks.

Direct download: tsoya080904_thesubmarines.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:24pm EDT

Robert Popper was co-creator of the British comedy series "Look Around You."  He's also the author, as "Robin Cooper" of "The Timewaster Letters," which are smash bestsellers in the UK, and have just been released in the US.

Direct download: tsoya080828_robertpopper.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:06pm EDT

Seun Kuti is the leader of the band Egypt 80, which was founded by his father, the legendary creator of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti.

Direct download: tsoya080825_seunkuti.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:57pm EDT

Bob Powers is the author of the new choose-your-own-adventure-style book "You Are a Miserable Excuse for a Hero."

Direct download: tsoya080822_bobpowers.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:57pm EDT

The Hold Steady are a Brooklyn-based, Minneapolis-bred rock and roll band.  They're known for grand songs about teenagers and tough times.

Direct download: tsoya080819_holdsteady.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:17pm EDT

Chris Parnell is an actor best known for his long stint on Saturday Night Live.  He's also appeared in films like Anchorman and recently, Kabluey.

Direct download: tsoya080730_chrisparnell.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:08pm EDT

Roger Bennett is co-author of "Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies."  It's a collection of reminiscences and ephemera related to summer camp.

Direct download: tsoya080724_campcamp.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:48pm EDT

The Explorers Club are a South Carolina-based rock band, whose music recalls the Southern California rock of the 1960s and the melodramatic pop of Phil Spector.

Direct download: tsoya080821_explorersclub.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:37pm EDT

Ze Frank is an internet super-celebrity, and the principal of zefrank.com.  His year-long daily video blog project, The Show, was one of the first great successes of the video blog world.

Direct download: tsoya080717_zefrank.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:39pm EDT

Jay Smooth is a hip-hop radio host, blogger and vlogger.  This interview was recorded live at Sketchfest NYC at the UCB Theater in New York.

Direct download: tsoya080715_jaysmooth.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:44pm EDT

Comedy from Michael Showalter and Pangea 3000, music from Dawn Landes.  Recorded live in New York.

Direct download: tsoya080711_nyc.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:55am EDT

Scott Prendergast is the writer, director and star of the indie comedy Kabluey.  The film, which also stars Lisa Kudrow, concerns a young man helping tend to his brother's children while his brother is serving in Iraq.

Direct download: tsoya080707_kabluey.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:58pm EDT

Blu is the MC half of the hip-hop duo Blu & Exile.  They released their critically-acclaimed first album, "Below the Heavens," last year.

Direct download: tsoya080703_blu.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:55pm EDT

John Reiss is the director of the documentary film "Bomb It". The film focuses on the world wide phenomenon of graffiti.

Direct download: tsoya080630_bombit.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:10pm EDT

David A. Price is the author of The Pixar Touch: The Making Of A Company. The book traces the history of Pixar from technology company to entertainment behemoth.

Direct download: TSOYA080626_Pixartouch.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:22pm EDT

Benjamin Nugent is the author of "American Nerd: The Story of My People," a combination of memoir, sociology and reportage on the nerd in American life.

Direct download: tsoya080623_americannerd.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:05pm EDT

Ariel Schrag wrote the autobiographical comics Definition, Awkward and Potential while still in high school in the late 90s.  The books were just re-published.

Direct download: tsoya080621_arielschrag.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:08pm EDT

Mark Oliver Everett, sometimes known as E, joins us.  He's the frontman of the rotating cast that makes up the rock band The Eels.

Direct download: tsoya080617_eels.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:34am EDT

Richard Zoglin is the author of "Comedy at the Edge: How stand-up comedy in the 1970's changed America".

Direct download: tsoya080612_comedyattheedge.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:29pm EDT

Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby talk about their book "The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts."

Direct download: tsoya080609_chrisfarleyshow.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:52pm EDT

TSOYA is live at Sketchfest NYC at the UCB Theater in New York on June 14th, with guests Ze Frank, Jay Smooth, Pangea 3000 and Dawn Landes.
Direct download: sketchfestnyc.pdf
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:10pm EDT

The Grouch is a fixture in the West Coast independent hip-hop scene, as a solo artist and as a member of The Living Legends.  The group help blaze the trail for independent, underground hip-hop in the early to mid 1990s.

Direct download: tsoya080602_grouch.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:21pm EDT

Jack Handey is the creator of "Deep Thoughts," and now the author of "What I'd Say To The Martians (and Other Veiled Threats)." 

Direct download: tsoya080530_jackhandey.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:56pm EDT

Hey!  You there who reads the podcast feed with a feed reader!  Have you donated to support Maximum Fun yet?
Category:general -- posted at: 11:09am EDT

Kenny Mayne is a long-time ESPN personality.  He's now also an author, with "An Incomplete & Innacurate History of Sport."

Direct download: tsoya080527_kennymayne.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:31pm EDT

Guests Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant and Kerri Kenney-Silver are the co-creators and stars of Reno 911.  The Comedy Central series, which spoofs COPS-style reality shows, is entering the second half of its fifth season.  The trio also collaborated on the series "Viva Variety," and first worked together as members of the MTV sketch series The State.

Direct download: tsoya080522_reno911cast.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:11pm EDT

Nellie McKay is a singer-songwriter who's garnered broad acclaim for her spectacular singing voice and her wry, funny songs.

Direct download: tsoya080520_nelliemckay.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:48pm EDT

Mike Birbiglia is a standup comedian.  His new special "What I Should Have Said Was Nothing: My Secret Public Journal Live" adapts stories from his popular online diary.

Direct download: tsoya080515_mikebirbiglia.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:38pm EDT

Mark Evanier is that author of Kirby: King of Comics, a lavishly illustrated biography of comic book legend Jack Kirby.  He also worked with Kirby in the 1960s and 70s.

Direct download: tsoya080509_kirby.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:23pm EDT

David Hajdu is an award-winning cultural historian.  His book The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America, about the censorship of comics in the mid-1950s.

Direct download: tsoya080502_tencentplague.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:20am EDT

Bill James is the father of sabermetrics, that objective analysis and study of baseball.  His bright, funny writing brought baseball analysis to the masses in the 1980s, and helped revolutionize the management of baseball teams in the 21st century.  Today, he works for the Boston Red Sox.

Direct download: tsoya080429_billjames.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:56pm EDT

Sloane Crosley is author of the humorous essay collection "I Was Told There'd Be Cake."  It recently debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.

Direct download: tsoya080423_sloanecrosley.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:26pm EDT

Gaberiel Alvarez and Brent Rollins are members of the hip-hop media collective Ego Trip.  The group produced the acclaimed magazine Ego Trip in the 1990s, and has since written two books and created several series and specials for VH1, the most recent of which is Ego Trip's Miss Rap Supreme.

Direct download: tsoya080422_egotrip.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:14pm EDT

John Moe is the author of Conservatize Me: How I Tried to Become a Righty With The Help of Richard Nixon, Sean Hannity, Toby Keith and Beef Jerky.  He's also a contributor to American Public Media's Weekend America.

Direct download: tsoya080418_johnmoe.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:25pm EDT

David Mitchell is half of the British comedy team Mitchell & Webb.  They're the stars of the acclaimed UK TV series "Peep Show" and "That Mitchell & Webb Look," the latter of which is running in the US on BBC America.

Direct download: tsoya080409_davidmitchell.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:58pm EDT

Dan Kennedy is the author of "Rock On: An Office Power Ballad."  It's a comic memoir about his time in the music industry.

Direct download: tsoya080403_dankennedy.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:22pm EDT

Prof. Eric Hoffman and Dr. Gary Rudoren are comedy researchers who've created Comedy by the Numbers: 169 Secrets of Humor and Popularity.

Direct download: tsoya080330_comedybythenumbers.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:45pm EDT

We're having a t-shirt contest, looking for a design for a special, super-limited-edition T for our upcoming Maximum Fun Drive.  Anyone can enter and anyone can vote on the entries.  Visit pixish.com and search for TSOYA.
Direct download: tshirtcontest.pdf
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:56pm EDT

Ben Karlin was editor of The Onion, Executive Producer and Head Writer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a writer on America: The Book and co-creator of The Colbert Report.  He's just edited a book called Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me.

Direct download: tsoya080313_benkarlin.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT

One of the LA alt-comedy scenes newest faces and one of its veterans perform standup.

Direct download: tsoya083010_kindlermurphy.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT

A special video request from Jesse: ask your local public radio stations to carry The Sound of Young America.  The stakes are huge for the future of the show, and a quick phone call or email can make a huge difference.
Direct download: jesseipod.m4v
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:30pm EDT

Tony Millionaire is the creator of the cartoon strip Maakies, which runs in alternative newspapers around the country.  The strip has recently been picked up as a television series on adult swim called The Drinky Crow Show.

Direct download: tsoya080303_tonymillionaire.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:24pm EDT

Joel Hodgson was the original host of Mystery Science Theater 3000.  He and his cohorts J. Elvis Weinstein and Frank Conniff discuss their new venture, Cinematic Titanic, which is, format-wise, a followup to MST3K.

Direct download: tsoya080227_cinematictitanic.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:25pm EDT

Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are the hosts of the public radio program RadioLab.  It's a boldly artful show about big ideas, seen largely through the lens of science.  The program's aesthetic combines Krulwich's extensive reportorial background with Abumrad's history as an experimental radio producer and music composer.  (If you got a partial download of this show last week, delete that file and re-download.)

Direct download: tsoya080215_radiolab.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:42pm EDT

Ken Freedman and Andy Brechkman are the hosts of the cult comedy-talk radio program Seven Second Delay on Jersey City freeform radio giant WFMU.  Their show might be the highest concept talk show in the world.  Ken also manages WFMU; Andy is the creator of the USA series Monk.

Direct download: tsoya080211_7seconddelay.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:41pm EDT

Zach Rogue is frontman of the San Francisco indie rock band Rogue Wave.  High-quality downloads of his songs can be found online at our site, maximumfun.org.

Direct download: tsoya080207_zachrogue.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:20am EDT

Danny Hoch is an Obie award-winning actor and writer, and the founder of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival.  His newest show, Takin Over, concerns the gentrification of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Direct download: tsoya080205_dannyhoch.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:04am EDT

Bucky Sinister performs a poem from his collection All Blacked Out and Nowhere to Go.

Direct download: tsoya080204_buckysinister.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:36pm EDT

Merlin Mann is the founder of 43folders.com and a leader in the field of "lifehacking."

Direct download: tsoya080201_merlinmann.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:03pm EDT

Jeffrey Blitz is the director of the film "Rocket Science."  He also directed the documentary "Spellbound."

Direct download: tsoya080128_jeffreyblitz.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:27pm EDT

Comedy from Stephen Bropy as self-help guru Bill Weatherall.

Direct download: tsoya080128_billweatherall.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:05pm EDT

Swamp Dogg is a soul legend, both as a performer and as a songwriter and producer.  His eccentric and funny albums are beloved by soul afficianados.

Direct download: tsoya080122_swampdogg.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:35pm EDT

We are joined by Tim Harrington and Syd Butler of the band Les Savy Fav.  Their new album is called Let's Stay Friends.

Direct download: tsoya080118_lessavvyfav.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:54am EDT

Eric Lax is the author of Conversations with Woody Allen as well as Woody Allen: A Biography.

Direct download: tsoya080115_ericlax.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:40pm EDT

Wendell Pierce and Andre Royo play Bunk and Bubbles, respectively, on HBO's The Wire.

Direct download: tsoya080107_thewire.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:33pm EDT