The DoT EP112: Paul Hansen of The Grownup Noise On New Music, New Instruments, and Some Personal History
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Release Date: 06/03/2020
DoT Christmas Special - The Nutcracker for Novices
The Department of Tangents Podcast
I know I haven't dropped a new episode in a long time, but it's the holidays, and I love the holidays, so I wanted to present an audio version of my reaction to seeing The Nutcracker for the first time. This is my assessment of the story, using only the visual cues from the ballet as it was presented. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
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S2EP6 - Comedian and Late Night Writer Jon Rineman
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Jon Rineman started his career with as tumultuous and triumphant a 15-year run as a comic could envision for themselves. We address that, but we also talk about his new comedy card game, Anti-Social Skills, his post-Tonight Show gig teaching at Emerson College in Boston, and what he learned about the future of late night from his students.
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S2EP5 - Stay Scary Podcast Hosts Lisa and Yinh
The Department of Tangents Podcast
The Stay Scary Podcast is a silly podcast about serious horror, as described by host Lisa McGolgan. Every episode, Lisa and co-host Yinh Kiefer take a theme in horror films or horror lore, everything from insects to puberty, serial killers to doll parts, and have a ripsnorting good time going wherever that topic takes them. The show is as much fun to listen to as it is to be on, and taping this episode was the most fun I had in an interview this season.
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S2EP4 - Musician Rob Kovacs
The Department of Tangents Podcast
At first glance, Rob Kovacs seems to have wildly divergent interests in music. Let Go is lush and rhythmic piano pop, organic and melancholy, and tells a very human story. Look again, and you see his alter-ego, 88Bit, who orchestrates the mechanical soundtracks of throwback video games for piano. Keep listening, and you’ll hear how they blend together, how they merge in Kovac’s particular style.
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S2EP3 - Author Paul Tremblay
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Last spring, I read a Tweet from author Paul Tremblay apologizing for his upcoming horror novel, Survivor Song. When he had turned in his final edits for the book months before, he could not have known how prescient it would seem, especially to his friends in the New England horror writing community. Survivor Song is set in Boston in the opening stages of an epidemic. A virus is spreading, hospitals are overwhelmed, the government is providing an inadequate response.
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S2EP2 - Musician Jenee Halstead
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Being an artist often means you spend your life looking for a place that feels right, finding it, and then leaving it as quickly as you can. Creative fulfilment as Brigadoon. In 2021, Jenee Halstead released Disposable Love, an album that sounds in many ways like the one she was always meant to make. With producer Dave Brophy and collaborators like Susan Cattaneo, Halstead has crafted an elegant pop album with a rich sonic palette.
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S2EP1 - Comedian and Daily Show Writer Josh Johnson
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Josh Johnson is a smart joke writer at ease with his own vulnerability, and those are qualities that are only enhanced as he gets bolder as an artist. Most of this episode is centered around Elusive: A Mixtape, his album-length exploration of comedy and music. at turns silly and thoughtful, with live comedy punctuated by recorded music. Johnson shares how working with Trevor Noah has helped him both as a writer and a person.
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The Department of Tangents Podcast: A Brief (Re)Introduction
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Season Two of the Department of Tangents Podcast coming Tuesday June 29! Six episodes, guests are comedians Josh Johnson and Jon Rineman, Stay Scary Podcast hosts Lisa and Yinh, author Paul Tremblay, and musicians Jenee Halstead and Rob Kovac!
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The Artist Check-In EP8: Bethany Van Delft - Comedian, Storyteller
The Department of Tangents Podcast
This week I speak with comedian and storyteller Bethany Van Delft. Bethany hosts Artisanal Comedy every Wednesday on Instagram, which she adapted to the online comedy world very quickly. We also talked about taking care of a family under quarantine and taking some time to pause as creative people to prevent burnout. The last part of the conversation revolves around the Black Lives Matter protests and how this moment in history feels a bit different from other flashpoints.
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The DoT EP112: Paul Hansen of The Grownup Noise On New Music, New Instruments, and Some Personal History
The Department of Tangents Podcast
Paul is the songwriter at the center of The Grownup Noise, a beloved and hard to characterize indie rock outfit in Boston. Over the years, the band line-up has changed, but Paul has always been out front with his guitar and voice. This week, on June fifth, Paul is putting out a new Grownup Noise with a very new sound. If you’re a fan, you’ll notice the difference in sound immediately. But you may also notice that this is still very much a Grownup Noise album.
info_outlineWelcome back to the Department of Tangents Podcast, a special new episode with Paul Hansen of The Grownup Noise. You may have noticed I haven’t done an official episode of the Department of Tangents in several months. More recently, I’ve been doing the Artist Check-In Podcast which focuses on how creative people are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. That series has a very particular focus, and this episode didn’t quite fit that. Paul and I have been friends for nearly 30 years. I was the drummer in one of his first bands when he was in high school, and it has been amazing to see where he has gone since we were playing Aerosmith, Joe Walsh, and Eric Clapton covers at high school dances.
Paul is the songwriter at the center of The Grownup Noise, a beloved and hard to characterize indie rock outfit in Boston. Over the years, the band line-up has changed, but Paul has always been out front with his guitar and voice. This week, on June fifth, Paul is putting out a new Grownup Noise with a very new sound. The music was mostly constructed on an analogue synth, rather than Paul’s guitar. If you’re a fan, you’ll notice the difference in sound immediately. But you may also notice that, while Paul is challenging himself as a songwriter, this is still very much a Grownup Noise album.
In this conversation, we cover writing and recording the new album, working with a new instrument, the decision to keep using the Grownup Noise name, and some of our own history. Much of this is focused on the music, but this is very much a conversation between old friends who know each other well. Which means the very first thing you hear is Paul asking me about my own process for writing fiction. I debated cutting the stuff where Paul asked me about my own work, but I think that also shows Paul’s generosity and curiosity as an artist and a human being.
You will hear three songs from the album sprinkled through the conversation. You can look for the full thing Friday, June 5th on BandCamp, and look for more info on www.thegrownupnoise.com and search for The Grownup Noise on all your social media.