Sergio Mendes and The Pogues’ James Fearnley

Episode 145

4th November 2014

For a time, Mendes was probably the most famous Brazilian musician in the world. Mendes will talk to Jesse about why bossa nova has such a universal appeal. Jesse will also talk to James Fearnley. He plays accordion for The Pogues. Fearnley will talk about mixing traditional Irish folk with punk music. He’ll also talk about when he knew that lead singer Shane MacGowan’s hard-drinking ways had gone too far. Then later you’ll hear comedian Brent Weinbach’s set from MaxFunCon. Lastly Jesse will talk about tell you about a great new thing on adult swim: What if Jesus lived in America, in 2014? In Compton? Well on this show, he does.

Episode notes


Courtesy of Sergio Mendes

Sergio Mendes on the, “very sensual, very romantic,” Sounds of Bossa Nova

For a time, Sergio Mendes was the most famous Brazilian musician in the world. He grew up learning classical piano, heard Dave Brubeck’s “Take 5” and took a turn towards a jazzier sound. His band Brasil ’66 was at the forefront of a bossa nova explosion that introduced the genre to listeners across the world.

Throughout his career, Mendes has collaborated with many artists, including saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and Janelle Monae. But he also once collaborated with Harrison Ford… in an unexpected way. He’ll explain.

Mendes will talk about how his music has evolved over the years, why his encounters with other musicians have been so important, and why the sensual, romantic sound of bossa nova has such universal appeal.

Sergio Mendes’ new album is called Magic. To find out where he’s going next on his tour, check out his website.

If you liked this, share it! Click here for a streaming, embeddable version of this interview.


Karl Walter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Comedy: Brent Weinbach at MaxFunCon 2014

Abstract. Experimental. Weird. Funny. Those are all good words to describe Brent Weinbach. But none of them come close to summing up how special he is. Or the faces he made during this set. You’ll just to have to imagine those.

He performed for us at the most recent MaxFunCon — as part of a comedy showcase in the woods. We present part of his set here to you.

Tickets for MaxFunCon 2015 go on sale November 28th. You can find more of Brent Weinbach’s upcoming shows on his website.

If you liked this, share it! Click here for a streaming, embeddable version of this interview.


Mike Cappola/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

James Fearnley: Heavy Drinking in a Minivan and Navigating Irish-English Relations

James Fearnley plays accordion for the English folk/punk band The Pogues. The band formed in the early 1980s, and made a name for themselves with a Celtic-inspired sound.

Fearnley will talk about his time with the Pogues, how they finally decided that frontman Shane MacGowan had gone off the rails, and whether as an Englishman, Fearnley feels secure in the band’s Irish heritage.

Fearnley’s memoir is called Here Comes Everybody: The Story of The Pogues.

If you liked this, share it! Click here for a streaming, embeddable version of this interview.

Outshot: Black Jesus

Courtesy of Facebook: Adult Swim

What Jesus lived in America, in 2014? Jesse will tell you why Black Jesus, a new show from Adult Swim, is so affecting.

If you liked this, share it! Click here for a streaming, embeddable version of this interview.

In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow
Video Editor

Guests

  • Sergio Mendes
  • James Fearnley
  • Brent Weinbach

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

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.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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Senior Producer

Producer

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Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Video Editor

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