The LIFERS Podcast

Latest Episodes:

229. LIFERS - Our Dinner With Dino or: The Great Chips & Salsa Incident Aug 07, 2025

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The fallout from the Great Chips & Salsa Incident continues as we invite Dino Proserpio from the I EAT MOVIES podcast to help us stage a cultural intervention for Gabe. As most of you are aware, interventions are never pretty — so we’ve lightened things up with some petty squabbling over East Coast vs. Third Coast, Sean Connery impersonations, Jennifer vs. Bailey, Greg Giuffria, potatoes vs. tomatoes, and we pick the best(?!!) uses of food in pop culture. You’ll understand when you hear it.

228. LIFERS - Larry Karaszewski Jul 31, 2025

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Picture the scene: You’re a young screenwriter getting your first taste of success — but it’s with a movie that didn’t quite come out the way you wanted and the victory feels hollow. Suddenly, you find yourself being typecast as a writer of silly comedies while the industry boxes you out and the opportunities and (self)respect begin to slip away. What do you do? If you’re Larry Karaszewski (and long time screenwriting partner Scott Alexander) you swerve hard out of that lane and typecast YOURSELF as auteurs of your own re-invented genre: The Anti-Biopic! Out of this savvy strategy the enduring classic ED WOOD is born and you are swept up in Hollywood’s warm and loving embrace. Cut to a montage of THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, MAN ON THE MOON, BIG EYES and a lifetime of accolades, happiness and total fulfillment. THE END! On this episode we talk to Larry about going to inappropriate movies at the drive-in with his dad, a college experience that actually paid off, writing PROBLEM CHILD and then watching Robert DeNiro watch it, having a roommate that wrote HEATHERS, resurrecting Frank Perry, producing AUTO FOCUS, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, orphan films, Milos Forman, and we pick the best(!!!) New York movies.

227. LIFERS - Ozzy Jul 25, 2025

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R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne.

226. LIFERS - Ken Andrews Jul 17, 2025

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More than any other band from the ‘90s, Failure was a perfect fusion of technology and art. If you put on a Failure record — you knew it was gonna sound great. So it stands to reason that Failure’s new documentary — EVERY TIME YOU LOSE YOUR MIND (now on HULU) — is gonna LOOK great. Perfectly shot. Perfectly edited. But what really elevates it above the current glut of streaming documentaries is an innate understanding of the simple art of storytelling. It sucks you in and never allows itself to become a cheap advertisement for the band. It helps that singer-guitarist-director Ken Andrews has a background in film and video production, but it also speaks to Failure’s entire career of meticulous high-production values and DIY quality control. It’s an ethic that persists to this day with a remarkable run of post-hiatus classics that began in 2014 with their comeback album THE HEART IS A MONSTER — an album that kicked off a successful and well deserved second act for one of America’s finest rock bands. One that actually merits a documentary about itself. On this episode we talk to Ken about ALL that stuff. We even touch on some stuff that ISN’T in the doc. ALSO: We pick our favorite documentaries.

225. LIFERS - Fig Dish Promotional Obligation Part 2: The Revenge Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

This week it’s the conclusion of our special Album Imploder episode commemorating the 30th anniversary reissue of Fig Dish’s THAT’S WHAT LOVE SONGS OFTEN DO. Rick, Mike and Blake are still on hand as we take a deep dive into side two (or at least what we assume is side two) of the band’s beloved major label debut. FINISH IT!!! Elsewhere: Scott’s mad at Sharon Osbourne, Ben loves Yungblud, and Gabe’s afraid of pompadours.

224. LIFERS - Hotdogs, Fireworks, and Fig Dish! Jul 04, 2025

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It's 4th of July - so that means it's time for hot dogs, fireworks, and Fig Dish! On the eve of the 30th Anniversary re-issue of That's What Love Songs Often Do (first time on vinyl), 3/4s of Fig Dish (Blake Smith, Rick Ness, and Mike Willison) stop by to shoot the shit about their upcoming live gigs opening for Letters to Cleo, and stick around for a special edition of Album Imploder!

223. LIFERS - The Boys of Summer Jun 27, 2025

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This week on the podcast: We’re babysitting. We’re also protesting on the mean streets of Madison, talking about Danzig at 70, watching the trailer for the Bruce Springsteen movie, pondering Puff Daddy, calling Pegboy, disparaging fake Father’s Day, wondering who the hell Fun Boy Three is, and picking the best songs of summer.

222. LIFERS - Ben Kweller Jun 20, 2025

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Ben Kweller’s excellent new record COVER THE MIRRORS comes with a heartbreaking back-story —it was borne out of the tragic death of his teenage son Dorian— but in typical Kweller fashion, the album is an inspirational and life affirming collection that also happens to be the best thing he’s ever recorded. On this episode we talk to “the kid” about producing himself, growing up in Texas with a drummer dad, Face Time collaborations, his first slug-bugging meeting with Scott, Jewish rockers, Nirvana and Garth Brooks, why you’ll never make it through his new song “Letter To Agony” with dry eyes, and we pick the best(!?!) Beach Boys songs. Upcoming Ben Kweller Tour Dates: Tickets at benkweller.com Follow BK's socials @benkweller July 9, 2025 Wednesday Aspen, CO Belly Up July 11, 2025 Friday Denver, CO Bluebird Theater July 12, 2025 Saturday Fort Collins, CO Aggie July 14, 2025 Monday Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge July 17, 2025 Thursday Seattle, WA Neumos July 18, 2025 Friday Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret July 19, 2025 Saturday Portland, OR Mississippi Studios July 21, 2025 Monday San Francisco, CA Independent July 22, 2025 Tuesday Venice, CA The Venice West July 23, 2025 Wednesday Los Angeles, CA Troubadour July 25, 2025 Friday San Diego, CA Casbah July 26, 2025 Saturday Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom

221. LIFERS - Good Jaws Atlanta Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

After a week off, the boys are back on their mics (Gabe's is working!) for a fond look back on an iconic Local H morning television appearance. Also: An informal What's the Best Spielberg?!? What's the Best grilled cheese?!? Gabe contemplates breaking his exclusive LIFERS contract, Ben goes third person, Scott stays limber, and Justine dares Gabe to say it to her face. Enjoy!

220. LIFERS - The Tush Push Boogie or: It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Panel May 22, 2025

Show notes

After an attempt at a laid-back hangout episode is marred by Gabe’s faulty computer — things get out of hand when the guys engage in an escalating game of Uninvited Guest that quickly spins out of control. Will anyone survive? Cast of characters: SCOTT LUCAS — The helpless host. GABE RODRIGUEZ — The careless computer operator. BEN REISER — The hapless tech “expert”. MAHMOOD SHAIKH — The outside agitator. DEANNA BELOS — The unwitting ingenue. STEVE REIDELL — The mysterious train passenger whose motives remain opaque (what does he want?). MIKE LUSTIG — The ‘original’ uninvited guest (what does he KNOW?!?). HERB ROSEN — Herb. JOE CARSELLO — The ominous spectator behind the curtain whose evil knows no bounds and maybe all of this is his doing and we’re just pawns in his sick game and we probably should’ve just taken the week off but here we are. Listen at your peril. You’ve been warned…

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