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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 13: Friends

Friends are super important–especially in our current situation. I’ve always valued my friends, and I’ve always tried to be a good friend. Carl also has some good buddies. They like to tell jokes, and play LEGO, and wrestle…but mostly jokes. Carl has so many pals, we forgot to mention his oldest friend Wally, who we haven’t seen in a long time! Carl says he likes wrestling with him the most, and he’s happy they’re friends. Come virtually hang with me and Carl over here.

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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 12: Space!

Before we recorded this episode, Carl predicted it would be the best one yet…and you know what, I think he’s right. Carl came up strong with his celestial knowledge, from Apollo missions, to planets, astronauts, and even the mother-effing Pillars of Creation (we even give a shout out to Katherine Johnson). I think we have an astronaut in the making. Buckle up, and get ready to join Carl and Daddy on their latest mission in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…blastoff!

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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 11: Books and Reading

We love to read. And Carl is becoming quite a good reader. It all started with his pals Curious George and the Little Gardener, and has grown to Wall-E and Flat Stanley. Friends forever! We talk about them, our friend LeVar Burton, books, and Carl even reads for you. Right here!

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Musics

Getting The Spins: Goblin – Profondo Rosso OST

(Death Waltz Recording Co., 2018)

One of the great horror soundtracks by one of the great prog bands of the last four decades. 1975’s Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) was the first collaboration between Italian director Dario Argento and Italian band Goblin (who were going by the name Cherry Five prior to recording the soundtrack). Goblin would go on to score Argento’s Suspiria two years later, universally considered the band’s best work. But Profondo is fantastic in its own right, bringing in elements of rock, jazz, funk and prog, with much of the focus on the rhythm section of drummer Walter Martino and bassist Claudio Simonetti. The mood throughout is unsettling, even when the band funks up, and the synthesizers used would become a blueprint for a decade of horror flicks to come. This expanded reissue from Death Waltz (and distributed by the fantastic Light In the Attic) sounds phenomenal. Goblin went on to cult status…and beyond, now performing somewhat regularly in the United States. I actually interviewed keyboardist Maurizio Guarini in 2013 for what was their first U.S. tour, who joined Goblin around the time of Suspiria, and also played on the band’s only American soundtrack, 1981’s St. Helens. Quite a career I’d say–imagine if Pink Floyd granted Argento’s wish to score Profondo Rosso 45 years ago?

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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 10: Dad Rock

We love music in this household, whether we’re listening and dancing, watching it, or even making it. Daddy picked this week’s topic as part of his Father’s Day gift. Of course, his best gift is the dude in the photo above. Rock with us right here.

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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 9: Empathy

While we’ve spoken to Carl about treating others with kindness, no matter if they look different, and have read books about the struggles of black people in this country, it was an intense and educational week as we attended a Black Lives Matter protest and march, and watched the Sesame Street Town Hall on fighting racism. It’s a lot for a 5-year-old to absorb. But we did our best in this episode as we talked about empathy, treating others fairly, and fighting racism. And the conversation is ongoing. Listen here.

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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 8: Dinosaurs

Come nerd out with a couple of nerds as we talk about dinosaurs and fossils, and shows about dinosaurs and fossils. The dino-nerding commences here.

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L-I-V-I-N

Change, Now

Over the past week I made the decision to shut my mouth. Part of it was I really didn’t have the words to grapple with what was happening–the heinous death of George Floyd at the hands of the very people who claim to “serve and protect” us, and a weekend where police showed once again they are not who they claim to be, that they simply do not possess the mental fortitude it takes to do their jobs properly. Force is their answer. I could go on.

This past Sunday I also received some jarring family news (turns out things will be fine). This in the midst of my own fragile mental state from months of being holed up in a working household with two small children due to a global pandemic, while many Americans begin to ignore the safeguards put in place simply because they’re bored. I spent a lot of the day in bed crying.

Meanwhile, the United States government continues to fail us at almost every level. We don’t have a president. We have a criminal. We have a liar. We have a thief. We have a dunce. We have a pig.

I’m unable to march and protest with my fellow brothers and sisters who are fed up, but I 100 percent support them. The main reason I haven’t posted or spoke out in the past week is because what I say doesn’t matter at this moment. For now I am going to listen. I am going to amplify the voices that need to be heard, and shout with them. And I am giving my support to black organizations. The time to keep momentum moving toward real change is now.

I’ve decided to use two of my DJ sets this week on Twitch to raise money for black organizations–organizations that need our support and our attention. Please join me. And please follow me on Twitch so I can avoid promoting this on fucking Facebook.

For Thursday night’s set (all genres; 9pm PST), tips will go to Black Lives Matter Portland and Campaign Zero, which works toward making policy to reduce police violence. If you’d like to donate independently, you can do so here:

PayPal: [email protected]

Campaign Zero

Saturday’s two hour set (2-4pm PST) will also be eclectic, but will focus on black artists with commentary from black voices. Tips from this set will go to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and Justice for Breonna Taylor  Minnesota Freedom Fund, which pays for bail for those arrested during the protests. If you’d like to donate independently, click the links above. (Minnesota Freedom Fund is no longer taking donations)

Please join. Please donate. Change. Now.

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Podkissed

The Carl & Daddy Show, Ep. 7: LEGO Masters

It would be an understatement to say LEGO (that’s LEGO, not LEGOs) is popular around these parts. It occupies a lot of our time, and Carl has become quite the LEGO master. Speaking of LEGO Masters…it’s our favorite show, and we talk a little about that, too. Now, get your brick on over here!

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Musics

Getting The Spins: The B-52’s – Wild Planet

(Warner Bros., 1980)

I’ve always had a soft spot for The B-52’s. Over the past few years, however, that soft spot has grown into a full-on love affair. OK, that’s a bit of an overstatement, but I really do adore these weirdos. And Wild Planet is such a killer record…I may even like it a touch more than their spotless self-titled debut; just don’t tell anyone. This record boasts songs like “Devil In My Car” and the better-known “Private Idaho” but I absolutely love the darker and more subdued trot of “Dirty Back Road,” with Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson reining in their vocals while still letting them perfectly melt together. No one sounds, nor looks, like The B-52’s–pure punk, new wave, surf, girl-group weirdness. And more influential than they get credit for. Time to rekindle your love affair with this Athens, Georgia, peach right now.