An hour-long TSOYA special featuring our favorite comedy of 2009, including Maria Bamford, Dana Gould, Patton Oswalt, Tig Notaro and more.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest and the directors of Until the Light Takes Us, about Norweigan black metal, join us for a brutal metal holiday special.

Donald Glover is a writer, comedian and actor.  He was a writer for NBC's 30 Rock, and now acts on NBC's Community.  His sketch group, Derrick Comedy, has a new feature film called Mystery Team.

Mark Duplass is an actor and filmmaker.  He stars in the new FX comedy The League, and with his brother Jay has written, directed and starred in several acclaimed films, including The Puffy Chair and Baghead.

Jordan Morris ranks America in his own inimitable way.

Alex Patsavas has been been filling up your portable music device with the non-mainstream/indie rock music you love without you even knowing it.
She's mostly known for being the music supervisor for notable television series like The O.C, Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl & Mad Men. She talks about her most recent venture as music supervisor for the popular teen film The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

Ian MacKaye is a punk rock legend.  His bands have included Minor Threat, Fugazi and most recently The Evens.  He joined us live on stage in Washington DC.

Scott Schuman is the proprietor of the street photography blog The Sartorialist.  His new book is a collection of the best of his photos.

Nick Hornby is the author of numerous novels; his most recent is called Juliet, Naked.  He also wrote the film An Education.

Music from our recent East Coast trip from Andrew WK, Nellie McKay and The Spinto Band.

MaxFunStore.com is the place to go for all your stuff-related needs.  Go for it!

Live comedy from our shows in Philadelphia and New York City.

Charles Burns is a cartoonist and illustrator whose best-known work is the graphic novel Black Hole.  We spoke with him at the Philly Improv Theater in Philadelphia.

Dr. Robert Hicks is the director of the Mutter Museum at the College of Physicians in Philadelphia.  It's a museum of medical history - and oddities of the human body.

Rik Cordero helped revolutionize hip-hop videos with clips for artists like Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, The Roots and Nas.  He's also the director of the feature film Inside A Change.

Scott Adsit is a veteran of Chicago's Second City and plays Pete on NBC's 30 Rock. We'll also talk about how Scott's involvement in the series Moral Orel almost caused a rift in his family. This episode taped live at WNYC's Jerome L. Green Performance Space.

Ricky, Julian and Bubbles are the stars of the Canadian documentary-style sitcom The Trailer Park Boys.  For years, the show has tracked their charming inability to make anything of themselves.

Langhorne Slim plays songs from his new album Be Set Free.

Bucky Sinister is the author of Get Up: A 12-Step Guide to Recovery for Misfits, Freaks, and Weirdos

In a commentary, Marc Maron says he's not so sure that someone in India should be pre-distressing his belts.

Nathan Rabin is head writer for The AV Club and author of The Big Rewind: A Memoir Brought To You By Pop Culture.

A full, hilarious hour with the San Francisco comedy group Kasper Hauser, plus a bonus sketch for podcast listeners.

The filmmaker behind the typeface documentary Helvetica talks about his new film Objectified, which explores our interactions with everyday stuff. 

Inside comedy writing with Mike Sacks and his new book about comedy writers And Here's The Kicker: Conversations With 21 Top Humor Writers About Their Craft.

There's odd standup comedy, and then there's standup comedy so odd it gets you banned from a network late night show... after you've already taped your appearance. Comedian Brent Weinbach is my guest.

Al Madrigal talks about his new comedy record Half Breed and the career he held before becoming a comedian: firing hundreds of people from their jobs.

Jon Friedman is a comedian, writer, and  host of the The Rejection Show, New York City's live showcase of rejected work. His new book is Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped and Cancelled. We'll hear about Friedman's early days screening unsolicited submissions for The New Yorker and Comedy Central, plus what it's like at his new gig blogging for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. 

Rob Siegel is a former editor for The Onion and penned last year's Mickey Rourke vehicle The Wrestler. He's just written and directed Big Fan, a dark film starring Patton Oswalt as man beaten up by his favorite player on the New York Giants. Siegel's characters seem to find fulfillment on the fringes of society -- listen in to find out why. 

Chris Anderson is editor-in-chief of WIRED and is also the author of Free: The Future of a Radical Price which explores how the price for delivering content is trending towards zero. We'll talk about the repercussions that's having on the creative industry and those whose job it is to create thoughts.

Greg Kot is the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, host of the public radio program Sound Opinions, and has written for the likes of Rolling Stone, Details, Blender, and Encyclopaedia Britannica among others. His new book is Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music. We'll talk about how the music industry got to where it is today, and what might be next.

Paul Rust has just made his big break starring in the teen romp I Love You Beth Cooper, but he's been a long time friend of the show and was named one of Variety's 10 Comics To Watch in 2008. Rust will talk about how the silliness of Pee-wee Herman remains a seminal influence and the best parts of working with a big time, earnest filmmaker like Chris Columbus.

Charlyne Yi made her first on screen appearance playing the stoned girlfriend of Martin Starr's character in the Judd Apatow flick Knocked Up. Now, she's written Paper Heart a documentary and narrative film in which she also stars opposite Michael Cera. Hear from Yi about why she doesn't believe in love, and from Paper Heart director Nick Jasenovec about the choice of casting someone else to play himself.

Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon and Ken Marino talk about the history of the sketch comedy group The State.

Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black are the stars of the new Comedy Central series Michael & Michael Have Issues.  They're also founding members of The State.

Armando Iannucci is one of the UK's most prominent comedy writers, producers and performers, having helped create shows like The Day Today and I'm Alan Partridge.  His new film, In the Loop, is headed to theaters here in the US.

Marc Maron is a veteran standup comic whose new CD is entitled Final Engagement.  He hosts the Air America web show Break Room Live.

Bill Withers is the singer-songwriter behind soul classics like Ain't No Sunshine, Lean on Me, Use Me, Just the Two of Us, Lovely Day and more.

Paul and Storm offer a cultural commentary in song.

Au Revoir Simone are an all-female, all-keyboard indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York.  Their new CD is Still Night, Still Light.

Deyan Sudjic is the director of the Design Museum in London, and the author of The Language of Things.  He talks about the history and significance of design.

Oliver Wang and Jay Smooth join Jesse to consider the life and music of Michael Jackson.

Comedy from Chris Hardwick, Kasper Hauser and Jordan Morris, recorded live at MaxFunCon.

Merlin Mann talks about the process of doing creative work.

John Hodgman welcomes attendees to MaxFunCon 2009 with remarks on Malort &etc.

Pharoahe Monch is a legend of underground hip-hop.  His most recent album is "Desire."

Brother Ali is a Minneapolis-based MC with a reputation for raw, soul-searching lyrics and passionate delivery.

Jonathan Coulton is a singer-songwriter known for his heartfelt, hilarious songs.  He talks with us and performs a number of tunes from his catalog.

Jimmy Pardo and Matt Belknap are the hosts of the popular comedy podcast Never Not Funny.

Comics writer Brian Michael Bendis joins us from the stage of the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland.

Comedian/singer/artist Reggie Watts performs on The Sound of Young America Live! at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival.

Mirah performs live on the Sound of Young America at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland.

Blitzen Trapper perform live in Portland on The Sound of Young America.

Nick Kroll has been featured in the television shows Cavemen, Sit Down & Shut Up, The Human Giant and The Life & Times of Tim.  He's also the author of Bar Mitzvah Disco.

Rian Johnson is a film director best known for his 2006 film Brick.  His new film is The Brothers Bloom.

A short video directed by Adam Lisagor for maximumfun.org.

Mike Clattenburg is the creator of The Trailer Park Boys, a Canadian sitcom that has become an international phenomenon.

Last year we made a TV pilot, which was ultimately derailed by a network format change.  As a special pledge drive treat, I've uploaded it.

Bun B is half of the legendary hip-hop group UGK.  His partner, Pimp C, died in 2007.  Their new album is UGK For Life.

Hey friends --

If you're reading this, you're subscribed to the podcast feed of The Sound of Young America in a feed reader like Google Reader or bloglines.

Bully to you for that, says I.

I'm writing to remind you that May 1st-15th is our annual MaxFunDrive.  We only ask you for money once a year, and now is that time.

There are tons of amazing thank-you gifts, and pledge levels from $2 a month to $200 a month.  If you care about this show, please support it.

Click here to donate.

Jesse

In a commentary, Scott Simpson says he'll never go into the family business.

Lloyd Kaufman is co-founder of Troma Entertainment, one of the oldest continuously operating independent film companies in the country.  Troma are best known for their often bizarre cult films, like the iconic Toxic Avenger series.

Eleni Mandell is a Los Angeles singer-songwriter.  She talks with us and performs some songs from her new album, Artificial Fire.

Actress Jane Lynch has been seen in films like The 40 Year Old Virgin, Role Models and Best in Show.  She's featured on the new show Party Down, and stars on the upcoming FOX show Glee.

Terry O'Reilly is the host of the CBC's Age of Persuasion, a radio program about the history and practice of advertising.

Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield are the hosts of On the Media, a weekly NPR show about the media industry.

Adam Scott is an actor who's been seen in films like Stepbrothers, and is now the star of the new Starz comedy series Party Down.

Martin Starr first rose to prominence as Bill Haverchuck on the cult series Freaks and Geeks.  He's now featured in both the Starz series Party Down and the new film Adventureland.

Dana Gould is a comedian and writer whose credits include six years as a writer and producer on The Simpsons.

John Mulaney is a standup comic and writer for Saturday Night Live. His first comedy CD is The Top Part.

Merlin Mann, The Bros. Chaps (Homestar Runner) and Jeff Olsen (adultswim.com) talk with Jesse about building a brand online at the 2009 Integrated Media Association conference.

Steven Johnson is a writer on the history of ideas whose books include The Ghost Map and Everything Bad Is Good For You.  His latest is The Invention of Air.

We talk with three of the writers behind the strange and irreverent basketball blog Free Darko.  Their new book is The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac.

The Whitest Kids U Know are a sketch comedy group based in New York.  Their eponymous television series is in its third season on IFC.

Jeffrey Tambor is a veteran actor best known for his roles as Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show and the patriarch of the Bluth family on Arrested Development.

Miss Piggy is a model, actress and now author.  Her new book is The Diva Code.

Jenna Fischer is an actress, best known for her portrayal of the secretary Pam on NBC's The Office.

Wedding Announcements from Kasper Hauser's upcoming book Weddings of the Times.

Sean Cullen is a Canadian comic, seen on Last Comic Standing and on his own Comedy Central Presents special.  Zion I are a Bay Area hip-hop group whose new album is The Takeover.  They performed at our live recording in San Francisco.

California State Assemblymember Tom Ammiano is a fixture of the San Francisco political scene.  He was the first openly gay man elected to a school board in California, and went on to become president of the City's board of supervisors.  He's also been a standup comic for over thirty years.

Jello Biafra is a legendary free speech advocate and punk rock vocalist.  We talked with him at our live show in San Francisco.

Jeffrey Tambor updates us on the state of the Arrested Development film.

How's Your News is a new series on MTV which follows a group of reporters with disabilities across the country.  Arthur Bradford created How's Your News many ten years ago at a summer camp for the disabled, and Jeremy Vest is a member of the reporting team.

Larry Wilmore is a comedy writer and performer.  He's the author of "I'd Rather We Got Casinos," and is The Daily Show's Senior Black Correspondent.  He also wrote for In Living Color and created the sitcoms The Bernie Mac Show and The PJs.

Poet Michael Robbins reads his poem  "Alien Vs. Predator."

Spike Feresten wrote for David Letterman, The Simpsons, Seinfeld and Saturday Night Live before going in front of the camera.  Now he's hosting an hour-long late-night talkshow on FOX called, appropriately, "Talk Show with Spike Feresten."

Neil Gaiman is the author of the dark children's fantasy novel "Coraline."  Henry Selick is the director of the new stop motion animated film based on Gaiman's book.

Meshell Nedgeocello is a soul singer and bass guitarist.  Her most recent album is "The World Has Made Me The Man of My Dreams."

Eric and Justin Stangel are the co-Head Writers of The Late Show with David Letterman, and Bill Scheft is a long-time monologue writer on the show.  The Letterman writers have just published a new book compilation of one of the show's recurring bits, Late Show Fun Facts.

Scott McCloud is the comics artist behind the seminal "Understanding Comics," among many others.  His newest is a collection of his 1980s series "Zot!"

Comedian Mike Birbiglia's one-man show, Sleepwalk with Me, was just extended at the Bleeker Street Theater in New York.

David Malki ! is the creator of the webcomic Wondermark.  It's a surreal gag strip, with pictures lifted from 19th century magazine illustrations.

Chris Onstad is the artist behind the web comic Achewood.  There's a new collection of the strip, called "The Great Outdoor Fight."

Stuart Schuffman is the author of "Broke-Ass Stuart's Guide to Living Cheaply in New York," a follow-up to his "Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco."