Speaking of which….

NEW EPISODE ON THE PATREON. We tackled sports. We do sports now.

We talked about one of my favorite movies on Fruitless. Go check it out

NEW EPISODE WITH @GNOMECHAMSKY.BSKY.SOCIAL AND @STEWIEGRIFFINDJ.BSKY.SOCIAL discussing Matt Johnson's 2013 black comedy, The Dirties, and what it has to say about the media environment surrounding school shootings. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey everyone, the newest episode is basically done. Unfortunately @transistor.fm’s website has been down since last night, so I haven’t been able to put this episode up. I’m gonna give it a bit, and if things aren’t back to running by tomorrow, I’ll just drop the episode on Patreon with no paywall.

At long last, I got to talk about John Darnielle on a podcast

It's lowa time! @josiahwsutton.bsky.social of @fruitlessmedia.bsky.social joins us to talk about John Darnielle's (of "The Mountain Goats" fame) Midwestern Gothic semi-horror, "Universal Harvester." Themes: lowa, corn, alienation, beer, more lowa, evil Blockbuster.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts!

@themountaingoats.bsky.social On the outside chance you read this, John: you wrote a fantastic book and we would be delighted to have you on the pod any time!

This was such a fun episode. Go give it a listen

NEW MUSIC EXCHANGE! This month, Josh and I discuss Steal This Album by System of a Down and Wildlife by La Dispute. Available on the Patreon.

This Tuesday: We are joined by @josiahwsutton.bsky.social of @fruitlessmedia.bsky.social to talk, “Universal Harvester,” the single most Iowa book to ever Iowa. Turns out John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats is as good at writing novels as he is songs, which is absolutely saying something!

I'm so sorry, but I don't listen to a lot of podcasts. I do listen to If Books Could Kill and Chapo Trap House time to time - both are at their best when they skewer the stupidity and consumerist brainrot of American society - but I have to give @fruitlessmedia.bsky.social a shout

We're back to talk about some more Gemstones. Check it out

NEW EPISODE ON THE FRUITLESS PATREON!! @grossonline.bsky.social @cigaretteliker.bsky.social @gnomechamsky.bsky.social and I reconvene to discuss season 4 of The Righteous Gemstones. Available on the Patreon now.

LETS BUCKING GOOOOOOOOO

Had a great time talking about the Buckley biography with @philipchristman.bsky.social. Go give it a listen

NEW EPISODE! I was joined by returning guest, @philipchristman.bsky.social, to discuss Sam Tanenhaus' recently published biography of William F. Buckley Jr.. Check it out! Available wherever you get your podcasts.

New episode out that finally gets to the bottom of who the Joe Rogan of the Left is

NEW EPISODE OF FRUITLESS! I was joined by @lukewsavage.bsky.social to talk about the state of Resistance liberalism under Trump's second administration. It was a really fun conversation, available wherever you get your podcasts.

New Patreon episode of Fruitless. We wrap up Christian Rock Summer 2025 on a somber note by exploring the legacy of the Columbine shooting in Christian media. Check it out.

The composer was Eddie DeGarmo, one of the early Jesus Music guys, and the cast was a veritable who's who of Christian music in 2005. There was a concept album, a live tour, the DVD of the tour, a comic series and even a novel trilogy

In case you missed it, I went on Fruitless this week to talk about the rock opera !HERO (not a typo) where instead of showing up 2000 years ago, Jesus appears today, in a USA that never had Christians. The country is therefore run by the UN One World Government for some reason

Finally someone was brave enough to make a Christian version of Rent

This was such a fun episode. Very thankful that @spocksbrian.worstpossible.world introduced me to the CCM rock opera.

CHRISTIAN ROCK SUMMER 2025 CONTINUES! On today's episode, @spocksbrian.worstpossible.world of @worstpossible.world joined Josh and I to discuss !Hero: a 2003 rock opera with a CCM star-studded cast including Michael Tait, Rebecca St. James, Mark Stuart, and more. This thing is a mess. Check it out!

Good God this is terrible lmfao

Because y’all discussed doing a Christian rap episode at some point, I felt you should hear this, a C tier Christian rapper and outspoken libertarian’s cover of an underoath song. It is the worst song I’ve ever heard without exaggeration. open.spotify.com/track/0WmyLH...

It's so funny how we see things so clear when we have no time left to live

CHRISTIAN ROCK SUMMER 2025 CONTINUES! On the Patreon, Nate Thiessen, @cigaretteliker.bsky.social, @gnomechamsky.bsky.social and I to discuss the kings of youth group post-hardcore/metalcore/scream: Underoath. Check it out!

Setting: 2 youth group kids sitting on folding chairs in the church rec room kid1: "hey did you hear the new Underoath song? they said the (looks over shoulder) (low voice) the eff word.." Kid2: waoh,

This was so much fun. Go give it a listen

TWOAPW #197: GHOSTS FROM THE INTERNET Online is a haunted place. We stand in the shadows of broken digital cities. Entire ecosystems have come and gone among the bits and bytes and shuttered servers. And does a part of us remain behind? Check out this chat with Brian and @josiahwsutton.bsky.social

Josh and A.J. are not on this one and I'm finally free! Do not ask about Josh and A.J.! They died! They are dead!!!

This week, Brian is joined by @josiahwsutton.bsky.social in a wide-ranging discussion about Kiyoshi Kurosawa's horror film Pulse, Brian's video essay about it, Josiah's video essays, German short stories, and "Breadtube"

I find the parallel ecosystem of Christian media to be really fascinating because it seems to me to be the most quintessentially American innovation of American Protestantism in that the main way I show my devotion to God is by purchasing the correct Goods and Services

Justice for Christian Metalcore, Norma Jean forever

This was such a fun episode. If you've ever wanted to hear @gotitatguineys.bsky.social's reaction to DC Talk, The O.C. Supertones, Family Force 5, etc., now is your chance.

Pay my friend $3 to hear us talk about cool music

CHRISTIAN ROCK SUMMER IS BACK! We are kicking this month off with an episode looking at the history of Christian rock, featuring @gotitatguineys.bsky.social. Do these incredible tunes convert Tom to American Evangelical Protestantism? You find out. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Fruitless NEW EPISODE OF THE MUSIC EXCHANGE! This month, @gnomechamsky.bsky.social and I discussed FIDLAR by FIDLAR and Freak Out! by The Mothers of Invention. This and more on the Patreon for a mere $3/mo. www.patreon.com/posts/freak-...

The only way to find out my NYT Top Films of the 21st Century ballot is by joining the Fruitless Patreon 😏

New Patreon episode with @stewiegriffindj.bsky.social!

NEW PATREON EPISODE! Alien and I did the NYT Top 100 Films of the 21st Century thing.

As I mentioned on my podcast episode with @josiahwsutton.bsky.social on @fruitlessmedia.bsky.social a couple days ago, this situation is what we were all worrying about. This is threat level midnight for oil markets. Only God knows what will happen next.

New piece on Substack: The "No Kings" protests last week and the potential for war with Iran are linked.

I joined @josiahwsutton.bsky.social on “Fruitless” to talk about what’s going on in Iran.

NEW EPISODE OF FRUITLESS! I was joined by @keanuheydari.bsky.social to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran and the logic of escalation. Available wherever you get your podcasts.