Singer, songwriter and front woman of the band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, first saw the film Scott Pilgrim Vs The World as a teenager while living in her home state of North Carolina. She loved the energy of the music and the film's depiction of queerness. The way the onscreen bands played their interest has had an effect on her own playing throughout her career.
The new Rainbow Kitten Surprise album Love Hate Music Box is out now.
Bethenny Frankel doesn't really watch much TV, but she found The Handmaid's Tale during the pandemic and was so drawn to its compelling performances and topical themes that she breezed through the entire series. Bethenny finds The Handmaid's Tale to be both a cautionary tale about the world we could be heading towards and a reflection of the world in which we live.
Bethenny appears in the Lifetime Original Movie Danger In The Dorm, which is out now.
Our Tribeca Film Festival coverage concludes with a look at mesmerizing music documentary They All Came Out to Montreux, neo-noir crime dramedy Lake George and US Narrative Competition winner Griffin In Summer, a coming of age story about a 14 year old playwright.
Listen to Bethenny's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Judith Hill has loved Captain EO, the Michael Jackson starring short film that accompanied an attraction at Disney's theme parks, since she was a small child. She loves it's message of spreading joy and positivity through music and has used those principles throughout her career.
The first of a two part Tribeca Film Festival series kicks off with a look at queer buddy comedy Rent Free, heart wrenching family drama Color Book, straight buddy comedy Sacramento and moving documentary I'm Your Venus.
Listen to Judith's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!
Singer, songwriter and queer icon Daphne Guinness first listened to David Bowie's sensational fourteenth album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) when she bought it with her saved up pocket money as a child. Little did she know she'd later work with the man himself on her own debut album! Scary Monsters provided a template for Guinness' musical output, her work ethic in the studio and her willingness to push the boundaries of her sound.
Daphne Guinness' new album Sleep is out on June 21st.
Listen to Daphne's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!
Singer/songwriter Girli started watching the classic Reese Witherspoon movie Legally Blonde as a small child and loved that it embraced a traditionally girlie femininity while still embraces feminist principles like the right to self-determination and self-sufficiency. Legally Blonde mostly adheres to a romantic comedy structure and Girli loved that the romance wasn't between two people, but rather between the lead character Elle Woods and herself.
Girli's new album Matriarch is out now!
Listen to Girli's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!
This week on The Spark Parade, the multi-talented Maya Hawke celebrates Chaos Angel by diving into an old, and we mean old, piece of art that has remained a source of inspired for years -- Euripides' classic Greek tragedy The Bacchae. Listen now.
Hawke first became aware of Euripides, expectedly, in school. As a teen, she appeared in a high school production of The Bacchae, and she's been absolutely entranced by the work ever since. The Stranger Things star continues to marvel at the universality baked into the ancient storytelling, as moments in her life consistently echo the themes of the play.
Shannon and The Clams vocalist Shannon Shaw has been drawn to Patsy Cline's smooth, sad, devastating voice since she was a small child and the songs on Patsy Cline's 12 Greatest Hits have had a huge impact on her own songwriting. The desperation in the storytelling, the songs' soaring bridges and choices in Cline's vocal delivery have provided a writing and performing template for Shaw. The album also had an profound effect on her personal life by providing an early source of artistic connection with her mother.
Dark Matter author, screenwriter, and showrunner Blake Crouch was more than familiar with Cormac McCarthy's bleak but beloved novel No Country for Old Men by the time the Coen brothers adapted it for the big screen. Even still, those dang Coens blew his expectations out of the water. On this episode of The Spark Parade, Crouch gushes about the film No Country for Old Men.
Crouch talks about the film adaptation's bold choices, like eschewing a traditional score and downplaying the use of dialogue, as well as how such decisions helped elevate the film's visceral impact. Crouch has since drawn inspiration from the Coen brothers' artistic fearlessness, especially when it comes to adapting the written word, as is the case for his new Apple TV+ series Dark Matter.
Canadian singer-songwriter Jade Bird first took the jagged little pill as a kid -- yes, that Jagged Little Pill. It might have tasted bitter at the time, but ever since, her admiration for Alanis Morissette and her groundbreaking album has only grown. Listen to her chat about the Morissette and her seminal 1995 record on this episode of The Spark Parade.
While Bird's first introduction to Jagged Little Pill was as a child, it wasn't until she began to embark on her own creative journey that the record's power truly revealed itself. The more she listened, the more she was in awe of the album's energetic songwriting, feminist themes, and confessional lyrics.
Rapper Rico Nasty and producer/DJ Boys Noize are both in awe of multi-talented musician Arca's work, so Boys Noize was thrilled when she appeared on his Boys Noize Records signee Safety Trance's track El Alma Que Te Trajo. Rico and Boys Noize love the genre-melding music that Arca and Safety Trance created, combining reggaeton and techno to create a unique sound. They also both love Arca's fearlessness and her ability to work seamlessly with artists from all sides of the musical spectrum.
Be sure to check out the Rico Nasty and Boys Noize's HVRDC0RE DR3AMZ ep is out now.
What drives a musician to play music overtly rooted in traditional ska and rocksteady? And how do they honor those roots while simultaneously giving it a contemporary flavor? This week on In Defense of Ska, Jeremy Peña of The Bandulus talks about he sought to do just that with the band's new record Tell It Like It Is.
Both lush and raw, rickety and tight, Peña walks the hosts through the recording of the album, the thought process behind the songwriting, and the influences that went into the record. Before he can get to where he is now, however, he has to explain where he comes from.
Be sure to check out the new X Ambassadors album Townie.
Listen to X Ambassador's frontman Sam Nelson chat on this episode of The Spark Parade wherever you get your podcasts.
Also, make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.
Fallout actors Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten understand the power of artistic re-interpretation. So, when it comes to their respective 'sparks,' both actors chose songs performed by someone other than who originally wrote the piece. Purnell gravitated towards Brandi Carlile’s breakout hit “The Story,” which was originally recorded by members of her band, while Moten picked Glenn Gould’s recording of the “Goldberg Variations,” which was originally penned by, well, Johann Sebastian Bach. Listen to the two chat on this episode of The Spark Parade wherever you get your podcasts.
Also, make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.
Riddle Of Fire director Weston Razooli first watched Hayao Miyazaki's animated classic Princess Mononoke on a laptop at his boarding school. Even on a small screen, the film transported him to a strange and wonderful world that has inspired his work ever since. He loves detailed storytelling, gorgeous animation, and unforgettable voice work in equal measure, but he also admires the strength of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's negotiating tactics when dealing with difficult Hollywood distributors.
Night Court actor Nyambi Nyambi was enthralled with Kim Jung Gi's sprawling, interconnected covers for Marvel Comics' Civil War II series not just for their artistry, but for the masterful artistic practices used to create it. He attended multiple live demonstrations of Kim's work before his untimely death and has applied his details to his work as a visual artist and an actor.
Be sure to check out Nyambi Nyambi in Night Court on Tuesday nights on NBC.
Ghosts actor Asher Grodman loves everything about Sidney Lumet's classic Al Pacino starring film Dog Day Afternoon. The story and its themes touch him deeply, but its the legendary performances by the incredible ensemble that really stick with him. Pacino's unselfconscious, honest portrayal of a complicated real-life character is a masterclass in screen acting. The film has aged incredibly well and was tackling subjects like gay and trans rights in a thoughful and nuanced way nearly fifty years ago.
Check out Asher Grodman is in Ghosts, which airs on CBS on Thursday nights.
Ever since hearing their self-titled debut, SHAED felt a special kinship with Sylvan Esso. Both bands came from a folky, acoustic background and were experimenting with electronic sounds -- not to mention they were both family ventures. On this episode of The Spark Parade, SHAED explains how Sylvan Esso helped to further shape their musical style. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
SHAED originally started as a straightforward folk band, but after running into trouble finding a drummer, they began looking for other outlets. When they heard Sylvan Esso’s electronic flourishes and programmed percussion, though, a whole new world opened up for them, and the solution to their troubles became clear. Ever since, they've been following their own passion for folktronica.
Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto loves everything about Missy Elliott’s second album Da Real World. The non-stop bangers, the icy production from Timbaland, the tight vocal harmonies -- it's basically flawless. More than just quality music, though, the record also reminds Ditto of a time when her musical taste was starting to truly develop. On this episode of The Spark Parade, Ditto explains how the album shaped her young mind. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Missy Elliott as a whole would go on to heavily influence Gossip, as the group looked to Southern soul music for inspiration.
Comedian Bassem Youssef, known for his sharp wit and political commentary, discovered Billy Joel's "Pressure" in an unlikely place -- midway through an episode of Amazon's superhero satire The Boys. From the first notes, he knew he had to seek out the song for himself. On this episode of The Spark Parade, Youssef explains how he fell in love with the track once he did. Listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The more Youssef dove into "Pressure," the more he connected with its energetic synth-rock vibe, soaring melodies, and themes of dealing with stress.
Self-described drag clown and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner JIMBO first got into Pee-wee's Playhouse, predictably, as a child. And yet, even as an adult, the program's unparalleled creativity continues to have a huge influence on her outlook, art, and even home decor. On this episode of The Spark Parade, JIMBO explores her deep connection with the TV show. Listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Talking about Pee-wee's Playhouse, JIMBO takes particular note of the show's queer -- or at least drag -- aesthetic, as well as how its content boldly treated kids like adults.
Singer, songwriter, and visual artist Allie X loves Christopher Guest’s highly influential mockumentary Waiting For Guffman so much that it’s become a somewhat of litmus test for her. If she meets someone and they love Guffman, she knows they’ll get along. On this episode of The Spark Parade, Allie X explores her deep connection with the film. Listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The artist touches on the emotional component of the film, zoning in on how even though it's hilarious, it also reflects the real struggle of being an artist in an industry that often crushes dreams.
The artist also explains her link to the world of theater and recalls the concentrated communities that develop during a production -- something she feels Guffman nails.