Bandsplain - 24 Question Party People: Jeff Rosenstock

Episode Date: October 31, 2023

Jeff Rosenstock has been making good, heartfelt music for most of his life. The singer, songwriter, and composer for children’s show 'Craig of the Creek' stops by the show to talk about his new record, 'HELLMODE,' the good and bad ways to get rockognized, and the enduring glory of “Bump” by Spank Rock. All that and much more this week on '24 Question Party People.' Host: Yasi SalekGuest: Jeff RosenstockProducer: Jesse Miller-GordonAssociate Producer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Hether Fortune Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, this is Ben Lindbergh. And Jessica Clemens. And we are the hosts of Buttonmash, the ringer's video game podcast on the ringerverse feed. We are in the midst of the biggest blockbuster gaming month, either of us can recall. We're talking about Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros, Alan Wake, Five Nights of Freddy's, Assassin's Creed Mirage. We will have our hands full, you can have your ears full with us talking about these wonderful video games. On the ringerverse feed, weekly throughout this month, on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. Podcasts.

24 question party people. Four question party people. Hello and welcome to 24 question party people. I am your host, Yassi Salick. This is a show where I invite an interesting person on for a little talk. I ask the same 23 questions every time, more or less, plus one wild card. The guess is allowed to skip one question. Sometimes the questions change a little.

I'd just be like that, babe. You guys, I heard something over the weekend in one of the 12 to 3. 15 hours of Huberman Lab I listened to while I was deep cleaning and organizing every closet and room in my house. I'm in my productive shut-in era. Like, you know what I mean? Like if you're going to be in the bell jar, babe, you could at least tidy it up. You know what I'm saying? Anyway, I was spending that time with my close personal parisocial friend, Andy Hubes, and he was interviewing Tim Ferriss. And I don't even remember what they were talking about when Tim Ferriss said this thing that I heard. But what he said was something to the effect of. Before I do,

something I like to ask myself, if I couldn't tell anyone about this, would I still do it? Brub. The way that that simple, elegant little question just knocked me the fuck out, bitch. It's like I'd have been waiting years to hear something like that. Just like, I know it's not like a novel concept, but just having this like really easy rubric to apply to things. I don't know. It's just like, I feel like it's so easy to tell yourself that you want to be authentic, that living as purely authentically as possible is the best way, be yourself, everyone else is taken, et cetera, et cetera. And of course, it is the best. But at least for me, and maybe not for you guys, maybe it's fucking perfect for you guys, no problem. I'm myself all the time. Great,

fucking skip ahead, bitch, good for you, happy for you. But for me, it's like a constant practice, right? To just like sift through all of my things. thoughts and reactions and feelings and to try to determine which of them is really me and which are just like the detritus of any number of outside forces. Nefarious or not, but outside forces that have just been around your whole life. Like parents who wanted you to be different, what was cool in your middle school, fashion magazines, what crowd you wanted to fit in with in high school or what crowd you were already in in high school and they're like social norms what the internet says you should look or be like hello darkness my old friend

Instagram you know what I mean like just like what you want other people to think of you based on some mysterious and complicated web of subconscious values that you've internalized deep down that actually have nothing to do with what you truly want or who you truly are if you're still like Babe, I don't know what you're talking about. Once again, fucking skip ahead, forward. I don't know what to tell you. We're having a moment here, me and my fellow people who have this. So anyway, whenever I happen upon a little shortcut like this, it's like a divining tool, right? It's like magic. You can just apply it. And I think it can help you cut through that nebulous stuff to sort of get to that authenticity. And it's such a gift. And I thought, hey, maybe I can pass this little gift from Andy Hubes and Timmy Fares to you guys. So I hope it helps. And yeah, sometimes for me, the only answer I have is, yes, I would empty and wipe down and vacuum my hallway closet on a Saturday if I couldn't tell anyone about it, which is really my version of dancing like no one's watching. You're like, okay, well, what does this have to do?

I'm getting there. Anyway, watch this. Watch this fucking tie-in. An artist that I suspect would absolutely definitely be making his work even if he couldn't tell anyone. Do you see what I did there? Is my guest today, Jeff Rosenstock. I really do find Jeff's approach to music and just his artistic output. And honestly, just his life in general to be like so unique and inspiring. And maybe you will too. Here's our talk. Jeffrey Ernest Rosenstock. Hello. How are you? Welcome to 24 question party people. Is that your real middle name? Why would that be a fake middle name? I was about to say like, ooh, you know my middle name. Yeah, well, I mean, I have access to Wikipedia. It's a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have, but I do have it. I was just thinking what a beautiful middle name it is for someone like you who does seem quite earnest. Oh, thanks. It was growing up, it was a, uh,

I got a lot of Bert and Ernie shit. Why did people know your middle name growing up? Because you got to say in elementary school. Oh, do you? I don't have a middle name, so I was left out of this. Oh, for real? Oh. Yeah. You know what? I can't say my memories are too clear of why people do my middle name growing up, but it's not like I was screaming it out, you know.

Jeffrey Ernest Rosenstock, the last punk alive. I'm so honored to have you. The final punk. The final one. Yeah. The last one. And debatably, so I guess I would say at this point. too. I mean, we talked about this off, Mike, but I do need to let everyone know that you're the only the second ever 24 question party people guest to not have your camera on after Stephen Jenkins of third-eyed blind. And so you've joined the hallowed halls of the divas. You know, my diva move is that my monitor is fucked up. But I'll take it, though. This is an audio only podcast. It is now.

Maybe if you didn't do pay what you will for albums, you could have a new monitor. It's hard to fucking like, so I have a, this is so boring, but I have an Apple computer and it's hard to buy the monitor because it costs $1,600. And every other monitor costs like 20% that. So how do you spend that money? Are you guys listening? You say you love Jeff Rosenstock. You say you're a fucking fan. Well, you need to pay a little more for these albums.

No, I didn't say that. I said that. Okay. I'm doing some business management here. Because somebody's got to do it because it's not me. I just have a recorder here. Oh, I could hear that. Wow. Oh, like a tonette. That was the first and last instrument I ever learned how to play. Oh, shit. I don't know what a tonnet. Is that a kind of recorder? I think it's just a different name for it. It's like a regional difference. Cool. A tonnet. I don't know. Perhaps that's maybe only in Torrance, California. We called it that. But I remember playing Ode to Joy on there. Nice.

I'm not very musically talented. Yeah, I just played this thing on some Craig of the Creek score shit, and I am not good. So if you know how to play tonette, I want to just send over some tracks, I'll take them. Send over some hot tonnet tracks. Yeah, please, please. I'll look into that. I'll work on that for you. Thank you.

Appreciate it. Jeffrey Ernest, what do you know about this here podcast? Anything? I know that there's 24 questions. Sure. I am loosely familiar with Bansplaine. It's an honor to be here. Be more specific.

What are you talking about loosely? Like, you know it exists, but you've never bothered to listen to an episode. Well, I don't, well, and this is going to make me sound like a certain type of person. And maybe I am, but I don't really listen to too many podcasts. I don't know. To music. Same. I have, we never quite finish it.

I have a podcast with a friend Chris where we've watched every episode of Lost Out of Order called Back to the Island and in doing a podcast and I don't know if you feel the same but once I started doing a podcast I was like I don't want to listen to these anymore I got to fucking get through my own enough

you know. Bitch I talk all fucking day as a job I don't want to hear anyone else talk I don't care I want white noise actually I want to walk around listening to white noise that's it like no just smooth brain No, I don't listen to a podcast either, but I will, I think it is an offense to your personal friend, Dan Ozzie, who has been on Bansplain that you didn't listen to this episode. I know he's been on Bansplain. And you've had my friend Brian Fallon on Bansplaine too.

Your dear friend, Brian Fallon has also been. Yeah, they're both great. And I, when I say loosely, like, I've poked in for like little bits of that because I wanted to check it out. I was like, oh, that's cool. And also, people fucking love Bansplaine, by the way. They do. I hope you know that. I do know that. It's so yeah, it's an honor To be here Amongst Stephen Jenkins Who also didn't turn his camera on

The Jenks, babe It's a good place to be I just remember it I think I did meet you very briefly At the Gaslight Anthem show in New Jersey Does that sound right to you? Last year Oh, what at that arena?

Yes Yeah, yeah In the back we probably did meet briefly I was like for like five seconds But I feel like I remember Brian was like, this is Jeff Rosenzok. And I was like, hi, Jeff Rosenzok. Yeah.

That was a crazy day. Playing the PNC Arts Bank Center like two days after found out that the show I worked on got canceled. It was a crazy mix of emotions. Like, wow, I'm here. And also, uh-oh. You know what I love to say is life is a highway.

Whoa. And you, is that you? Well, I think it was, um, what's his name from the 1991 song? I can't remember his name right now, the singer. of that song. Tom Cochrane. Tom Cochran, thank you. But I have adopted it as my own life philosophy. That's very bold and brave. Yeah, thank you. You're welcome. That was a really fun show. I will say just a brief

antidote about our friend Brian Fallon before we got into the questions. The first time I went to a gaslight anthem show after we became friends. Weirdly, I missed Gaslight Anthem, even though it's like very much my shit. So like, once we became friends, I went and listened and I was like, what the fuck? This shit is amazing. Cool. And then he was like, oh. That's the best. I know, it was the best. And then he was like, what if it would be the other way around? What if I was like, ooh? I mean, that it would probably be like 99% of those experiences that you have.

That's true. But he was like, okay, we'll come to the L.A. show. And I was like, great. So I go to the L.A. show. And he's like, okay, come with me. You're going to hang out with me in the dressing room. I was like, cool, love this. Not that I haven't been in dressing rooms, but, you know.

And then they play. And he was like, oh, no, come here. And he had the tour manager put a chair on the stage for me to sit in. for me to sit in. And that is where I sat. You're talking side stage, right? Yes. Not like in the middle of the, you know,

between the bass and the drums or whatever. But like, he's a funny guy. I don't know. He might do it. People could see me. And I was just like, I was like,

wow, I've never had such like white glove service at a show. It was a dream come true. Yeah. It's where you stand if you're, if you're back there. And also it sounds less good. So win when.

We love it when it sounds less go. Yeah, but we don't have to be, we don't have to hop in up with the Hoypooi, you know. Oh my God. Poitloi. Don't get me started.

Don't get me started on them. Okay, Jeff Rosenstock, are you ready to party? Let's just, let's fucking go. Let's go. Okay, question number one. What's your sign? I'm a Virgo.

Yeah, you are, bitch. Earth sign, but also a mutable sign. What does that stuff mean? Earth, very, so Earth signs are like, you know, what they sound like, down to Earth, grounded, you know, salt of the earth, all that stuff. Mutable, though, means like a little more flexible, a little more easy to change your mind.

Virgo's in particular are very, like, logical, practical, systematic. Oh. They're perfectionists at heart. Do you relate to this? I relate to some of this. I hate to be in the diva club and also say I think I'm a perfectionist at heart. But anybody who has worked with me on anything knows that that is true to an extent. but I don't think of like

systematic or practical or any of those things. It's usually a stupid idea I'm trying to do, you know? Yeah, but you're probably practical and systematic about the implementation of your stupid idea because listen to this. Here's the thing. Virgo's, another thing about them

is they really want to help and they're always sort of like striving to provide workable solutions to improve broken systems. Does that not sound like you? I think the first part does. I think the second. apart.

Like so, and this is just, we are, we're trying to figure out what to do for lights on our most recent tour. And my suggestion was we get these LED strip lights that you could control with your phone. And we give everybody in the audience the password to the lights. Right. So everybody has control of the lights. And I got a lot of logistical questions about how much that would not work. Right.

You were breaking a system that was actually already probably working. working quite well. Yeah, there's millions of easy ways to do it. And yet I was like, well, but what if we gave like a thousand people a password to an LED light strip and just see what happens? Well, I was more thinking about your recent, not to bring up tweet gate of September, but your recent, you know, casual mentioning of the, of the evil merch cut practices that did create an entire fight with propaganda. I know. that you didn't fight with. Wasn't that you? Was that a different one? I'm like too online and like honestly like I can't keep track anymore of like what has gone in and out of my years. It was a weird

couple of days. Yes. That was I. That was I. Well I'm just, you know, it was I think it was a good thing, right? Like sure. In some ways, yeah. Trying to prove broken systems. You know, I think it's a, it's a little bit. It would be lofty and arrogant, honestly, of me to think that like if I posted what we, what merchandise were, what percentage is, we're being taken. by the venues from merchandise that we produce and sell, it would be pretty arrogant to be like, and now that I shared this, everything's going to change. Dan Ozzy did say that you have trouble taking ownership of your achievements.

He has trouble not saying that. I don't know. I mean, whatever. I don't know. I mean, sure. I don't know. I think you can just be proud of yourself. Hey, how'd I do in this first question? So was that Virgoly of me to act this way? Honestly, yes. Virgos are like very well, actually. My dad is a Virgo.

Hell yeah. Gorgeous. Are you an astrology girly? Jeff Rosenzaki doesn't sound like you are. No, no, I'm not. I feel, I, you know, I like my friends who are and I think it's cool. But for me, it's just kind of a thing of like, one, just wanting to be able to be in control of my life is part of it.

Virgo's love to be in control of their life. I'm serious. Virgo's are very dedicated to control. While I'm like, oh, all of this can be like blanket things that can, like, you pick certain things and you apply them to your life and whatever. That's kind of how I feel about stuff like that or like horoscopes or whatever.

I mean, there's self-reflection tools. But also anything I've ever heard described as Virgo, like most things, I'm like, oh yeah, that's me. So I don't know how I feel. They make excellent musicians, goes. Oh, so that doesn't track. It doesn't track them all.

You're terrible. I heard you play the term. I'll let you know in Mercury retrogrades or... It just went out of retrograde, babe. Don't even bring this up. We just got clear of this, okay? Are you a person who feels that shit? Yes, I do.

I mean, I think I do believe in astrology, but I also think like, and I've said this before on this old pod, I think they're all just tools for self-reflection. So whatever works for you. The more you can self-reflect, the better off you are. And if it's not astrology, fucking pick something else. Who cares? Like, does it matter if it's real? Not really. You know, like, all that matters is, like, your experience of it

and if it betters your life. Sure. Yeah. I feel you 100% on that. I mean, and you're, you know, you're talking about if it's real, like, what's real? What's not real? Like, what institutions that we participate in are actually real. If you think about money is not real. That's what I'm saying. Money's not real. Money's not real, babe. And I love to say that when I go shopping all the time because it really helps me justify my averages. I'm like, who cares, money? Not real. All right.

Jeff Rosenstock, Jeffrey Ernest. Yes. Number two, what did you eat today? I had an egg sandwich, which is called the basic B at a coffee. I hate that. You live in a gentrified neighborhood. Actually, I know where you live. You live in the most gentrified neighborhood.

Highland Park. You think Highland Park is the most gentrified neighborhood? NPR once did a three-part story on gentrification centered exclusively around Highland Park. That was their sample. Honestly, that's a pretty good. I don't know how you can measure most or least, but I will say that was like the shining star that NPR used as their example to explain gentrification. It's hard to argue with that. I'm not even, it's not even a, I'm not, you know, I'm not, there's no judgment. I'm not a, no connotation. I'm simply saying it is, if you, if you live in a place where the coffee shop sells the basic B breakfast sandwich. Well, I should say that this coffee shop, K&M, which rules is a POC owned and female owned. So, you know, they're, they're good, they're good old people. They're trying to do stuff. I don't fucking know. Anyway, sandwiches, but I will say the sandwich is too expensive. What was on the sandwich? Um, eggs, cheese, arugula, and mayo. It's on a, it's on a pandasol bun. It's a very good sandwich and it's a little treat every now and then. And our bass player, John, was in town working and spent the night and we got some nice sandwiches in the morning. Is it rude of me to say that I'm a little surprised you're not vegan? No, I mean, I'm vegetarian. I'm vegetarian. So I think I made the choice before I understood that I like, I've been vegetarians as well, like 16 years old. And I made the decision. I feel like I've found, I realize like, oh shit, you could go harder on this, like a little too late after I was already set in my veggie little ways and stuff like that. I don't know. I've tried it every now and then. I don't like reading labels, but so that kind of like gets veganism out for me. But you know, I try to not eat animals. Try to do a little something. Try and not be judgmental about it. But support for anybody who doesn't eat meat out there, of course. Hell yeah.

You need to read labels, Jeff Aronis, because they'll be putting. shit in your food that you should not be eating, that it's past veganism. How much shit am I breathing in every day that I shouldn't be breathing? Who fucking cares? I can't be fatalistic. I'm gonna die. I mean, we're all gonna die, but you can have a beautiful quality of life in the meantime. Yeah, I can eat all this tasty stuff with all these chemicals in it. You're like, I love seed oils. Yeah. Give me my microplastics, please. Give me my fetal dust in my flavored celtzers, please. Oh my God, don't. You know about that shit? Yes, I do. I'm so sad. It's no good. You still drink them?

No, after the TikTok, I saw it on a TikTok. TikTok will be educating me. They were like, here's the five worst seltzers to drink. And I think number two or three was LaCroix, which I was like, that's interesting. I've probably drank six million cans of that in the last five years.

I tried to switch to Spindrift, which I do think is a little bit better. Am I wrong? It's not the same thing. I don't know. I don't think, I bet all of them are not good. Like, what the fuck you think is in fucking Gatorade? I don't drink that.

ship. You've never, no? I have, but I don't. What if you're running a marathon? What if you're playing a basketball event? There's a thing called Element. Hey, Element. If you're listening, if you'd love to sponsor this pot, I would love to have you. They are electrolyte packets, sugar-free. What do you think is in that shit, though? Potassium, magnesium, and salt. Salt is good for you. It's, it's good for you. People have demonized salt, but salt is important for the ingestion of minerals, and especially if you eat very clean and, and, you you don't eat a lot of processed food. You're probably not getting enough salt. Interesting. Well, then it's good for me that I'm probably getting enough salt with my like morning star, Buffalo wing, popper sandwiches or whatever. Oh my God. Do not eat that stuff.

Do not. I have to. It's in there. I got to do it. It's in the contract that I signed when I decided to not eat meat anymore. Oh, boy. Okay. Well, this is going to take us down a dangerous path where I, I'm going to get worked up.

And nobody wants to hear me pontificate about my health views. We'll move on. I'm sorry. I'm not a particularly healthy person. Let's just get you a little less morning star, a little more eggs. Just like, you know, a little less things that come in packages, a little more like things that are just whole foods. Yeah. I do some of that too.

I love that. Also, you live in L.A. Morningstar egg sandwiches. You have access to raw milk and you can drink that. It's very good for you. Have access to raw milk? That's right. What does that mean?

Like hue milk? No. It's like an unpasteurized cow milk. Oh, okay. But in California, it's legal, whereas many other states, it's illegal, or you have to like buy it straight from a farmer or something. But in California, you can get it sprouts. If I'm a bit lactosey.

It's way better. You'll have no problem with it because raw milk. Okay. Because unpasturized, all the digestive enzymes in it are fully intact. I'm the same. I couldn't ever drink regular milk. and then raw milk changed my life. Change your life.

This is like the 13th episode that I've talked about raw milk where people are like, why am I listening to this podcast? You're trying to get sponsored by big raw milk. I'm trying to get sponsored by a literal cow.

Like some sort of pasture-fed cow, I need a direct line. Don't you think for your sprouts shout-out you should like at least get like a $400 gift card? I do. I do. Come on, Sprouts.

Step up the fuck up. Hook it up, bitch. Come on. Or airwone if we're shooting for the moon. Yeah, that you could get one, one container of raw milk. Yeah.

Well, it is a little more expensive at one because it comes in a glass container. Okay, Jeffrey Ernest. Number three. Yes. Did you listen to music today? And if so, what was it? Kind of.

The first, I was thinking, so I looked over this. This is the only question I really had thought about because I was like, oh shit, big pressure. You got to listen to music today. And then I didn't. But I think my friend, John, who I told you was here,

who played base in my band, was humming that, song that. Da-da-da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na. And we were trying to figure out like, what's that fucking from? Is that a fucking e-trade commercial? What's that fucking from? And then we went down the shortest rabbit hole ever.

It's like a mid-2000s, like, rock song, right? Yeah, it's the Fratellis. It's the Fratellis. Wow, it's crazy that I knew that. Yeah. But my friend singing the Fratellis was the first thing we listened to. But what was the band we thought it was. Fuck!

We thought it was someone else. And that was what I listened to. The hive. No, no. No, you're in the ballpark, but think Lamer. Shit. We're not going to get there. Okay. So that's the only music you listen to today is your friend humming the Fertelli's song. Yes, yeah. Wow. Okay.

It's pretty good. He's pretty good at humming. Okay. So before you judge me. I'm not judging, but I think it's also early. It's 1130, I think, right where you are? Is that right? I listened to a bit of your appearance on Friend of the Pod, Jeremy Bollms podcast. And I think he asked you if you wake up early and you said, no. No.

I mean, I do. I could tell you that. So today is a big old press day. So I'm not working on the cartoon. So I woke up at nine. Well, I was actually up like 845. And I feel like that would be early to nobody anymore. No.

No. You're like today. 8.45s early to me. Do a bunch of annoying shit like this. And so I woke up. Oh. No, I'm just kidding. Um, 8.45.

I can't even sleep in that late if I tried. Isn't that crazy? I'm like unwell. Like, I can't. I wake up at 5.45 in the morning. I, I set my alarm for late times because I wake regularly wake up when it's still dark outside. And it takes me about two, two and a half hours to fall back asleep. Why?

I just get up. I don't know. I don't know. Part of it is because my job. includes, it's on my own schedule, but includes, it includes making a lot of music like composing for the show. Oh, like being loud.

So I can't like be loud that early. And also it's just because I think there's always just part of me as like, God damn it. I wish it wasn't an insomniac. I want to get some more sleep. Please give me some more sleep. So I'm always just trying to get more sleep.

I should just get up. I was talking to my wife about that. Like, fucking, I look out the window. I see the sun is rising. I'm like, God. Damn it, it's dawn. I better get back to sleep. You should probably just look at that sunrise, huh? I mean, your body is probably just waking up with the sun

because that's a very natural way to live. Yeah, probably. But when I'm on tour, you know, I'm like getting to bed at like 3 o'clock because that's just what the deal is. So like it fucks up my schedule, you know? This is my Joker origin story. Like if I was to take on something in the music industry,

it would be set times. Oh, your band is playing at 11? Yeah. That's fucking funny, bitch. We don't play at 11. You fucking thought. Not you personally. I'm just saying, like, in general,

bands should play at 7 p.m. Are you a New Yorker or a Los Angeles? I'm a Los Angelino. That tracks. See, I feel like in New York is just like, okay, fucking whatever time, because everybody's kind of out till one or two anyway. Listen, if you're some sort of like young person noise band,

fine, play it fucking one in the morning and give a shit. But when it's like my generation of music and you're playing your fucking set at 10.30 p.m. on a Tuesday, you, bitch, you already know your crowd is old. Yeah. I'm not coming. I'm not doing this. I would say you might know your crowd is old,

but if you're in a band, you probably do not know what day of the week it is when you're playing. Okay. Well, now that we've handled that, that you listen to the humming of the fatalities, number four, Jeffrey Ernest. What is the first song

that made a meaningful impact on you as a child? I think it's up between a few songs. Is that fine? I'm trying to think of the chronology of things, and it's difficult because I was a child. We feel it.

We play it fast and loose here on the party people. Wow. Wow, that's fun. Okay, so when I was a kid, I guess La Bamba, the movie had come out. Sure. The Los Lobos version of La Bamba was being played like all over the radio and being played in my house a lot. And I, and my kids.

dad had a guitar and I think it was like five and I kind of just like I don't know how good it was but I kind of like plucked out La Bamba and my parents like oh this kid likes playing the guitar and that was kind of like the seed for me playing music potentially um so I would say that's important but I don't know that that song is particularly like whatever you know what I mean so richie valence as played by leu diamond phillips as played by los lobes so los lozobos being richie valet played by a little slowbo. Sure. Yeah, yeah.

But I think like I also remember like waking up in the middle of the night and walking into the living room and turning on MTV and the song Rock On by Michael Damien was on. Like, hey, kids, rock and roll, rock on. Oh, yeah. Very familiar. And me being like, this is the best thing I've heard in my life. And then also around the same time, a babysitter showing me the song, My Progative by Bobby Brown. and remember being like, this is,

just wanting to listen to it over and over and over and over again. So those were the big three for me. Do you feel that you could sort of triangulate your music output now back to those three songs in any meaningful way? A little bit.

Yeah, I mean, like I think probably the pop, how I still love a pop song. Because pretty quickly after that, I devolved into like discovering metal through like hair metal bands and then through death metal bands before like I found punk and scott and stuff like that just because you mean like hair metal are we talking like Mottley Crue

and like poison who are my favorite? It's like I like poison I liked white lion a lot I liked slaughter and through those I think a babysitter was like you like that you should like this and showed me anthrax hell yeah and I was like oh I do like this

this fucking rules and then and then like from there finding like Metallica and Megadeth of course but also like Pantera also death also deicide also cannibal corpse and like kind of going further down that hole or whatever.

I think it like happened all but that's like back to back with my Bobby Brown experience so I think more so than those three songs I think like those two things like as I've thought more about how music affected me as a kid and shit

because I've been making music for a for a show with kids. And I was like, okay, well, what's my connection there? I've thought about how, like, oh, yeah, that I like, you know, like fucking Madonna and Paula Abdul and also I liked Dicide. That is like my, that's the connection for me, you know? Yeah, I can hear it. I see what you're saying.

We're the exact same age, so I feel like we probably experienced a lot of the same MTV at the very least. Probably, yes. It was a good era. It was the best. all sorts of shit. I mean, I think about like, people... We're so blessed, honestly. I mean, MTV, obviously, is a giant

corporate entity, so like, it's not like, oh, thank God for it or whatever, but like... I do thank God for it. I feel like when we were growing up, it was like I was exposed to rap music and metal and pop music and like indie music and all

of this stuff all in the same breath. And it's not... And now you really just... They try and figure out how to corral you into like what do you like what's more stuff like that that you like and it doesn't particularly suit people like me who

like all sorts of shit. You have eclectic taste. I think so. Yeah. I like it all. If it's good, I mean, who wouldn't? If it's good why wouldn't you like it? Like who gives it fuck what genre it is, you know? Same. I controversial opinion, but I think the monoculture was actually good and I think

gatekeeping is actually good. What? Just because everyone can does not mean everyone should. Are you being sarcastic? No. Yeah, but that's some, okay, and I'm, and I'm not trying to say this the wrong way, but don't you think that's some music journalism shit? We're like, you are getting fed. I'm not a music journalist though. Yes, you are. You interview bands. You talk to people. Like, do you not get sent to music all the time? Like, please listen to this. Please put this band on your thing. Please, please, please. And then all of a sudden, it's work and it's not joy. And it's like, yeah, it's still joy.

Oh, my God. You don't listen to bands plan, but I'll tell you, music brings me the most joy. It's, it's not that. It's more that like there's there was positive aspects to monoculture particularly that like you got to have things like MTV you got to have things like you know budgets for huge music videos so then you as a kid could see like Nirvana you know like it was just it's just a thing that doesn't exist anymore and that's fine but can I ask the dumbest question we are missing something from it now you know what is I kind of was fired up about gatekeeping but what the what is monoculture what do you mean about that? I think gatekeeping's bad. As a gatekeeping is neutral and it can be used nefariously or for good. It's like the internet. Sure. But

monoculture is like when we had, the internet basically broke monoculture, right? Because it splintered all of the channels for access to information. But before we had monoculture, we had MTV. We had like four music magazines, Rolling Stone Spin, whatever. And through those channels, everyone sort of experienced a similar culture. You know, like, that's why bands can get so big. You can't, it's very rare now for an artist or a band to be able to get that big because there's no monoculture to sort of make them that big, you know, to give them the access to that many people.

Yeah, but like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodriguez and Olivia Rodriguez was fucking huge. Olivia Rodriguez is one of the exceptions. Taylor Swift sort of predates. You know, she's, she's been around for a long time. But yeah, no, I'm saying there's not, it's not that there's not people. But, I mean, remember the 90s. Alice and Chains and Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and live. And I'm just talking about alt rock, but like, there was like hundreds of artists that were massive, you know, in a way that Oasis, third eyeline.

Like, there was so much. And they weren't pop. Yeah, but that's more about the fucking that, oh, God, I'm going to get the year wrong. But what is it? the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Like, that's more about Clear Channel. That's more about making it so that every, that there's a playlist of like 500 songs, you know?

You don't think there was huge bands in the 80s? No, I think, what? Yeah, no, I'm not, that's not what I'm saying. Yeah, no, I'm saying that shit before the Telecommunications Act, bands could get big because people would take chances on these bands. And now it's like, the radio is just completely out of the picture because it's just like, all right, we're going to play these 500. songs. We've had this list and we're going to pull from it. And if you step out a line at all,

you don't get played. On this podcast, we hate the telecommunications act. Me and all my homies, we hate the telecommunications act. I tell you, I might have it. You're wrong. So, you know, I'm not smart. It is 96. Producer Jesse. Yeah. But yeah, that really ruined everything. We've digressed. Okay, sorry. I don't even remember how we got here. What were we even talking about? Are we talking about the Fertellis? No, meaningful impact song. My friend humming the Fertellis is my most meaningful impact song. As a child. I knew it was going to happen today.

The prophecy has been fulfilled. Number five, what is the first album you bought with your own money or shoplifted with your own two hands? I'm pretty sure it was the first biohazard CD. If not, it was Duky by... Green Day. I can't exactly remember the situation surrounding purchasing the biohazard CD, but I can very much remember recycling like cans of my parents' house and going to Tower Records with like an empty bubble tape case full of like quarters and being like, give me Doogie, please.

You would have been 12. Yeah. How did you find Dookie? Like, how did you find out about Green Day with the MTV? Yeah. I found out about them because MTV, uh, definitely. And I probably bought that record. I liked it and I knew it was cool. I knew there was something there. But like that was before like basket case happened and the Woodstock performance happened. And like once that happened, that is when I like kind of lost my shit. But I bought that CD before that.

Yeah. Is that when you first sort of like transitioned from thrash fetal over to more of a pop punk world? Kind of. I mean, I still like, even when I was listening to metal, like, I still like Nirvana and Soundgarden and all that shit, which is, you know, in arguably, like, those are pop songs, you know? Definitely Nirvana. Soundgarten's, like, still kind of metal. Soundgarten's fucking sick. Soundgarden's, they put out all these singles with crazy, like, time signatures that, like, you don't realize it's crazy until you try and play it. And you're like, fuck. Kim Thelahel, the God, babe. So good. But I don't know. Like, I think that biohazelahs. Hazard and Green Day both kind of because from Biohazard it was like I think Biohazard were playing a show and I could not go to that show because I was child and my parents were like no. Because you were 12 years old. They were like absolutely the fuck not. Yeah but I saw that a band that Biohazard was playing with

this band Tension was playing like a local show and my parents were okay with me going with some friends. They dropped us off. They picked us up. Like you know you could be getting into worse shit. It was like there's music. And from that, I kind of discovered Long Island Hardcore. I discovered Long Island Hardcore. I discovered that local music exists. I discovered that hardcore music exists. There are like punk bands playing those shows. So it was like, I discovered a whole, the whole thing there, weirdly through biohazard. But then also Green Day was obviously making like pop punk music. And I was like finding compilations and all those kinds of things. And just like, what are more bands that are doing this thing? And like, because I really loved it. You know? So I think it's both those. things. Damn, Chad Gilbert was in tension. What? I think that's false. From Newfound Glory? Christian hardcore band Tension. Tension star. It's got an asterisk at the end of it. I think because of the Christian hardcore band Tension. Well, Chad Gilbert was in one called Tension from South Florida. Yeah. I never knew who the other tension was. Now I know. Now you know. Did Green Day lead you to ska music?

I'm curious how you fell into ska music. That was kind of like Mr. Bungle and Fishbone. I heard Fishbone on the last action hero soundtrack, I think. The song Swim.

Really fantastic movie. It's a great movie. But I liked it because it was chuggy and I liked Mr. Bungle. Now I'm thinking about it, that tape, the fucking Faith More

real thing might have been the first. That, it might have been a Faithmore tape now that I think about it. Anyway. But like Bungle My friend's brother had a CD of it And I remember really

He was a Faith No More guy and taking it home And be like there's so much swearing on this This fucking rocks But then like it was this kind of like Horn driven music and I was like in concert band So I was like oh this is awesome And then I heard the mighty mighty boss tones And I was like oh this is sick

This is like a hardcore band But like what's this other thing And then slowly I was like Oh that's ska music and then I was like, oh, maybe that's the thing that I like. And then I kind of got into ska from there. It just felt a lot less aggressive. And I was not like much of an aggressive kid or am I much of an aggressive adult, you know?

Sure. I kind of, I liked going to shows. I liked just going in the pit or whatever. I liked being like in like pylons and shit like that. But like they were like tough guys at those shows. There were meatheads at those shows. And that was just like jocks at school. and ska seemed like it had no place for jocks

so I think that that kind of it seemed more it seemed more connected to like concert band to me than it seemed connected to like football so I think that might have brought me there it's not that ska wouldn't welcome the jocks yeah that's true the jocks were like we're not interested in this thank you very much

what what instrument were you playing in concert band probably the time I was probably playing alto sax I got started on clarinet well, I got started for like a week on Obo and I was just like in the backyard just like smashing that double read and my parents were like, this is not going to be cost effective. And I got moved over to clarinet

and then I wanted to play sex probably because of Lisa Simpson. So I played Alto Sex. Because you've always been an ally. That's why. You know, it's very brave of me to be an ally of Lisa. Yes, yes. Yeah.

Damn, Mr. Bunker. and Fishbone, that's so interesting. I mean, Fishbone rules. Were you ever like an Operation Ivy guy? Did you, like, kind of like dance around to any of that kind of stuff? Certainly. And Operation Ivy was probably the band that really locked it all in because lyrically what Operation Ivy was saying, I was like, oh, fuck, fine, like.

Shout out Jessica Nichols. I mean, you know, I'm a, I was a kid. I had and have depression and anxiety and socializing. anxiety and my sleep shit was getting started. And hearing Operation Ivy and hearing just songs that were speaking to things like that, I hadn't really heard anything that had done that so explicitly before where it felt like somebody understood me. And the music was fucking sick.

And that just kind of, that kind of like broke it all for me, you know? Yeah, totally. Yeah, it makes sense. I mean, I think like it is sort of, appreciated how important it was to feel seen in that way by music. That was also sort of like upbeat and fun. I don't know how to say it. Yeah.

Like, yeah, of course, grunge and, you know, there's plenty of music that kind of predates that. That was, like, dealing with anger and stuff like that. But, like, to have sort of like a really clear-eyed, succinct lyricism about issues that you were dealing with in a music that was still fun and sort of teenage. That was really cool. Yeah.

And also, I think, like you just said, there was music that dealt with anger. And, like, obviously, these bands are dealing with depression, but a lot of the time was, like, in vague, lyricky ways. And I feel like Operation Ivy is just running at you, screaming like, something's wrong with me. And like, that is how I felt, you know. And it was very explicit.

It didn't like mince words about it. It wasn't like, this is open for interpretation. It was like, this is about this. And yeah, coupling it with fun music, you know, but that's what punk bands do. And that's kind of like how I figure, that was like one of the first bands that I heard do that. And I was like, I like that, you know.

And I don't have to practice guitar and learn how to play metal. This rules. Yeah. I mean, honestly, it seems way harder. It sucks. It's hard to do. Solos and stuff.

It'd be sick to be able to do it. Now that I'm old, I'm like, shit, maybe I should have practiced. You could have, you know, Kirk Hammett took guitar lessons from Joe Satriani. Maybe I could take him from Kirk. Or from Joe Satriani. He's not dead, is he? Well, I could take him for both. Zoom?

Oh, my camera doesn't work. Yeah, I don't think you're going to be able to do any sort of on-camera, tell-a-lossons. You're going to have to go in person. Damn. Let me ask you a question about Scott, because you're probably kind of an expert, right? I don't know if I'm an expert, sure. I read a theory, and I've talked about this on two different episodes of Bandsplain,

but I'm curious from a Scott expert's point of view, that the origination of Scott had a lot to do within Jamaica. They were listening to R&B radio stations from New Orleans. and because of the weakness of the signal being picked up in Jamaica, the audio would cut in and out, and that had a direct effect on the sort of like syncopated guitar and like sound of ska. That's interesting. I've never heard that before.

I don't know if it's true. It's more of a theory, but doesn't it kind of make sense? A little what? Like it would cut out on the downbeat? So it would just be like, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, coming through like that. They would hear it that way and maybe like if anything gave the idea of like, oh, that sounds cool. You know, like we could do it that way or whatever. It makes sense to me. Maybe. I mean, it definitely like I've always thought of like that first wave of ska or or end reggae. That was like the Motown of Jamaica. You know what I mean? That was like where the pop songs were coming from. And it's and it's all really great, incredible songs that sound so fucking cool and the bands are just shredding on them. So it would definitely. It would definitely. makes sense that it was inspired by that. Whether it's inspired by the radio cutting out

in the downbeat, that's a cool story. I don't know if it's true, though. As a Sky expert, I don't either. I am staying from casting a vote. Okay. All right, I guess we'll never know. Number six. Jeffrey Ernest, did anyone in your childhood ever tell you, listen, you're never going to make it buddy

or something like that, like they do in the movies? No? I mean, I've been like underestimated like just generally like I don't know not getting put on shows when I was in a younger band there was one music teacher in

school who did but he's since passed away so I kind of feel weird like holding a grudge so you're not going to like print out your pitchfork reviews and like bring them to his gravestone and just leave them in lieu of flowers No, no, that seems like a bit much. You know, I'm sure it wouldn't be past some people.

It's doing a lot, honestly. I don't know, yeah. I mean, like, I was in a punk band where we were deliberately abrasive and playing fast as possible and like trying to break shit when we were playing. Right. Just trying to be exciting. So, like, sure, there were people who were like, this will not work.

You're not going to make it. And I was like, what do you mean make it? Was that even mean? And I think later on, when I said, when I started bomb the music industry. And I was like, we are not going to make merch. We are not going to sell anything. We're going to go on the goodness of the people.

We're going to bring CDRs. And if people bring a blank CDR, we'll burn them a CDR. People bring a shirt. We'll make them a shirt. We will take donations for all this. And that's how we'll go. And we'll make sure we get gas money and food money. And like, that's all.

Like when I was doing that ship, plenty of people were like, you are being disgraceful to the music business. This is not going to work. This is like not only not going to work. Like fuck you for doing this. Like some of us are trying to do this as a job. And I was just like,

I don't want to do this as a job. I just want to play music with my friends. And like, I'll have a job. And then, you know, when I could take time off, I'll do some touring because that's what I love to do. And like, I don't want to, and I want to like separate my love for this with like how I make money. Like, I don't want those two things to be together.

and there was plenty of discouragement there. I don't have anything to say to any of any of these people. I don't fucking care. I feel so lucky with how the rest of shit worked out. Like, who gives a shit? Totally. What did success mean to you then when you were like kind of setting out to do this? Like what would have been success on your terms?

For bomb the music industry? For whatever, for yourself, for yourself in your musical life? I don't know. like, I just want to be happy playing music and I don't want to lose the passion for it. And I still want to make it from an honest place. And as my current man is like grown more,

you know, scaled up, so to speak, that's turned into like, I just want to play good meaningful shows. I just want to be good every time we play. I want to fucking bring it every time we make a record. Like,

I just want to make stuff that's good. because music has hit me so hard and has, like, saved my life. Like, and it's, I'm like, that's what I want to do. Like, I want to say, return the favor is a bit of a lofty way of saying it. But, like, you know, I understand what it's meant to me, and I wanted to keep meaning that, and I want to make something that could possibly mean that for another person. And that's pretty nebulous, so I'd never really feel quite successful.

Wow. Interesting. I'm just joking. I'm joking. But like, I don't know. Like, I don't, as more shit started happening. Yeah, yeah, but like, it's out of the thing. I really did not anticipate how this was going to go. Like, I kind of just figured, like, I was going to be a graphic designer and being a band. And I was like, cool, hopefully I'll be successful as a graphic designer.

Like the dudes from the national. Is that guy a graphic designer? They were. Oh, yeah. I guess so. Yeah. Yeah. You know, but I'm really proud of the records we made.

I love playing music with the people I play music with. We've kept everything within our circle of friends as much as we possibly have kept everything in-house have not really like bowed to anybody's demands or made any decisions that were based on like, you know, we haven't made any whack decisions, I feel like, and that's good. And I get to write music or got to write music for a show

that I think is fucking awesome called Craig of the Creek that was on Cartoon Network for like, is still on. It's been on for like six years. It's like, that's crazy. I didn't expect to do any of this shit. So, like, yeah, like, that feels successful to me. And, you know, I don't know. I think it'd be hard to argue that that's not.

I could try. I could give the old college try, trust me, but I think it would be annoying to everybody. You would be able to. Because it's like, am I truly happy? Did I lose the thing? That was my escape? Because now it's my job, you know? Or I was not to think about.

Yeah. Is it? I'm always thinking about it. Yeah. I try to just keep, but I try to keep it good. I don't. I don't know. Okay. I don't know.

I don't think so. I don't like being stressed out about making music though, you know? Sure, of course not. I mean, I think there's a small level of stress,

maybe not even the right word, but like, I don't know, preoccupation or concern or care that is good to have, right, for making anything because you do want to care about it

and want it to be good, but it can very quickly balloon into a thing that is so detrimental and so antithetical to what you're trying to do and pointless. And yeah, it's like, it's a fine balance. Because you also don't want to be like super who cares about it because you want, like you said, you want it to be good. I want my podcast to be good.

You know, like that takes a level of care and a slight bit of stress. Yeah. I think that that stress is okay. Like the search, the hunt, like that's cool. But then there's stress of like, oh, shit, I have to like, finish this episode by this day because that is when it gets delivered and I have to finish writing this music and I am way behind and I haven't slept but I have to do it. That is like, oh, that kind of sucks. But also it's like, whatever. Everybody's job is annoying

sometimes. It gives a shit. You know? Life is annoying. Could be worse. Part of it. Could be way worse. There has to be some friction for there to be happiness. If not, there wouldn't be, you know? I don't know. Do you think Eddie Vedder experiences any friction when he's, lives in Hawaii. You think so? Of course. Yeah. I just imagine him on a beach surfing all the time.

Like, wow, man, Pearl Jam really worked. And he's like, yeah, yeah, Sponger. No, every, I mean, as my therapist loves to say,

relativism never helped anybody. And like, at wherever you are in life, like, experiencing friction is the human condition. It's what makes life life. Yeah. That's why am I always searching for no friction,

huh? Well, that's part of it. you have to be motivated by something, even though you're never going to achieve it. That's rude. I'm sorry. I didn't create it.

I didn't create the system. You can get a lobotomy. I think that kind of stops the searching. Maybe I could... In its tracks. Get Kirk Hammett to give me a guitar lesson and a lobotomy at the same time. And a lobotomy.

Yeah. Come on, man. Can you give me a lobotomy, babe? I bet you'd be like, sure, I'll try. I'll do it. Why not? I'm not. Your bomb the music industry,

CDRs, the thing that you explained earlier, was there like a direct sort of like influence or inspiration for that? Like were you a big Ian Mackay guy? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, but like I was before that. It was more that like I was a big, you know, Fagazi fan, big Discord records fan.

I was a big Asian man records fan. I was a somewhat big fat records fan. Me too, babe. And like, damn. And then propaganda came for you in the, not your childhood self being like, not propaganda. Andy. Dude, I fucking, I stopped eating meat because I read the liner notes of less talk more rock. And I was like, oh shit, I should try not eating meat for a month. And then I did. I was like, I could keep doing this and I still have. Well, I saw you guys made up. I'm not trying to, I'm not trying to blow this up into some sort of huge feud. You had a beautiful resolution. He did not mean for that to turn into a crazy thing. And I honestly maybe came out, I'm a little bit hot because I was just like arguing with my heroes all day. Like, why are you? You were. You were.

activated that day. Why don't we all agree that the corporation is bad? I know. Albany was like, it is what it is, bitch. Just get over. It's not what he said. But he's a nice guy. Look, all these men are nice. Anyway, all the men in the world are nice. All the men in the world are nice. But like, I was in a band before that and it started to get, like, we had to made a record in a while and like I'd written a record and I felt like I was getting like, I felt like I wasn't like moving at the pace I wanted to move. And the reason we were to make, The records was because we were making shirts and then selling those shirts, but then we'd have to pay for more shirts.

It was like, we were on tour and, like, we weren't making enough money to guarantees. So, like, that had to be where we made the money from, but we still weren't making money from it. We're arguing a lot about this. And it was a day on tour, and we were at a friend's friend's place, just listening to records, and she had put on the bikini kill record, reject all-American. And I remember hearing it. And I guess, because I've tried to think about this a lot over last, couple weeks, because people just asked me, but, like, I think I, like, heard that. And I was like,

fuck another fucking band like this. Fuck this. I'm not doing this shit anymore. And, like, I was just like, hey, guys, I don't think we should sell stuff anymore. I think we need to figure out how to do this in a way where that isn't the case. And if this isn't our jobs, that's fine. And everybody in the band was like, no. And then our band broke up and I started bomb music industry. Got it. Everyone else was like, no heart. And then you were like, okay, I'm going to It wasn't like no heart. They were just like, how does that, how do you expect that to work? And I was like, I don't know if it'll work. I don't care. I just don't want to do this anymore. I think this does not work. And I want to do things that are more like the things that I've always thought were cool when I'm listening to music, you know?

Yeah. I think that's you're a bit of a bit of a visionary because carving new ground in and of itself means that you can't know how it's going to work. There isn't a precedent, right? Like, you still have to go ahead. I mean, it helped that I lived in my parents' house at the time. You know what I mean? Always helps. Always helps. Always helps living your parents' house.

But it also, at some point you got to get rid of the- Minimize costs. Minimize overhead costs. Yeah. Yeah. No rent living with your parents' helps. But also, like, yeah, it was weird. And there was not a ton of support.

But there was a ton of support for the DIY community. So that was great. So then I was like, oh, cool. This is where I want to be anyway, you know? Do you think that other artists can look to you and be like, oh, wow. like I can do it that way. I don't have to do it the normal way. I don't know about look to me,

but like, yeah, yeah, you could do it whatever way you want to do it, you know? I think you're one of the most successful examples of that. I've had, that's kind of you to say. I understand what you're saying. I'm sorry I'm proving Dan Ozzie right. But like, I also just, you know, I had a lot of luck with a few things.

And I guess I just hung around long enough to experience that luck, but also I know a ton of great songwriters who are just doing it on their own terms who have not experienced the luck in the same way. You know? Right. I don't know. Anyway, I would say anybody should look to me

as an example of doing anything. I eat a lot of chemicals in microplastics. Definitely not your diet. Absolutely do not look at him as an example for a healthy diet. I drink a lot of water, though. That's good. Is that good? Is water fine?

A lot of water good still? Five gallons a day. You don't drink five gallons a day. Watch me. I think there's a thing called water poisoning. Is that what I forgot? I think that you're like, is that why I'm like this? Yeah, I've been all fucked up.

Babe, maybe you can't sleep because you have to piss every two seconds because you're drinking five gallons of water. I just go in the bed at this point. It's a plastic. Christine does not like it. She's fine with this. She's like, I'm like, I'm divorcing you about it. Yeah, she's just like, but every day I'm like, I'm not going to do it again tonight.

And then the next word, like, she's not into water sports. No. Okay. Well. Now that we've got water sports out of the way. Now that we've got sports out of the way. Number seven, Jeff Rose in Stock. Jeffrey Ernest.

Yes. I have a feeling I can guess the answer to this But when was the last time you lied? Oh, I just don't know, but I don't know Either, I don't know, but it's potentially At any point throughout any interview that I've given That somebody will be like, wait a second But this happened like this and I'd be like, oh shit, that's true

Right. Just now I lied to you. I'm not much of an active liar. It's stressful to me. I don't lie, I'm not much of an active liar. I don't like shit talking. All of that just feels me with anxiety and stress. and I think it's easier to just not do it.

You're Jeffrey Ernest. Jeffrey Ernest. Nobody is crazy. No one calls me Jeffrey and certainly nobody calls me Jeffrey Ernest. This is fun. Well, I too like to do things a little differently around here. You're a trailblazer. I too like to carve my own path.

Fucking visionary. Number eight, what character in a book or film do you relate to the most and why? This is a hard question. Do you have an answer for this question for yourself? Um, that's good to turn it on me. I'm just curious. I don't even know the playing field. Yeah, there's, there's, there's, I could probably have like a couple of answers.

Just one that I thought of recently. And I don't know if it's like all encompassing was like, I read the Razors Edge by Somerset mom a long time ago. And I really kind of constantly relate to the character and that. Have you read that? I have not read that. You might really like it. His whole thing is just that he doesn't. subscribe to the value system around him and people find it really weird and sort of a little bit

ostracized him for it, but he doesn't seem to care. And he's sort of like has like a very like vibe-douist like way of going about life. It's, it's a, I haven't read it in a while, but it's a really good book. They also made a movie out of it with Bill Murray and like, I don't know, the 80s or something. Oh, whoa. The book you described did not seem like it was going to be a 80's Bill Murray comedy. It's not a comedy. Oh, the Bill Murray one is. He's drama, Bill Murray?

I've never seen it. Yeah. Well, is he good? He's probably good, right? Yeah, it's great. He's a great actor. He's a great dramatic actor. Cool.

Okay. What would I pick? I'm trying to think of, like, books. Like, I kind of, when I started reading my year of rest and relaxation, I was related to the main character's sleep issue and just going to a doctor and being like, just give me fucking anything.

don't care, just knock me out for forever. But then that book went kind of off the rails. I think maybe not. You could not be further from that character. You don't know that. I just want to sleep, man. That character is a liar, cynical. I mean, I love that book. People shit on that book. I think it's one, the ending is so profound and beautiful. I think it's an amazing book. That book's such an fucking awesome. Thank you. People are always like, and I'm like, first of all, you write something like this, A, and B, most of the people that say they don't like it, never got to the end. Like, it's one of those books that you have to experience

the entire book, including especially the ending to understand the like feeling of it and the ramifications of it. People don't like it because Otessa Moshvuk writes shadowy, unlikable character. Yeah, she's great at writing a shitty character. But it's not even shitty. It's just, we all

have that in this. I mean, I joke that you're not like that, but you probably are in some parts. Like, we all have shadow, you know? And I think some people are really activated by seeing parts of their shadow reflected because they don't want to deal with it. They don't want to integrate that part of themselves. They'd rather just pretend it doesn't exist, but that's not helpful. I agree.

And that's what I'm saying. Like I see that shadow on myself. I mean, like I was saying, as the book goes on, it gets a little further than I think I would. But like, read at the beginning of that, like, I don't know. You know, that hit me too. It's such a good meditation on depression, too. Like, if you're depressed, what do you want more than anything? to just not be around for a while.

Like, maybe you don't want to die, but you're like, can I just like take a time out, like a long time out? And like the idea of that was really, I thought that was like such a smart way to present it. I thought it was cool to read somebody doing that. And, you know, I don't know. That's a dark thing to say, but whatever.

You know, I was like, oh, you know. It's honest. It's cool. Also, maybe the shit monster and spirited away is me. and like, then someone, then maybe the plug is, is music and then it all, the shit all flies out of me and out other people,

and then I'm like a clean, transparent, nice thing, bopping along, being like, ah, isn't life nice now that I got all that shit out of me? It's a really good metaphor. Hey, I love a metaphor. I don't know. I'm figuring gunning at the camera. You never know.

You wouldn't know, but I finger-gunned. Look, I offered to send repeated live photos that I upload and email to you, or posting the chat throughout this conversation. I didn't say no, you're just not doing it, but I do think it would cause a slight syncopation of, this makes this episode a bit more scaw, like, than where we would have a bunch of interruptions.

Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up. That's true. I still haven't figured out how to screen share, so maybe I'm making an empty offer. Uh-oh, you some water? I got five gallons. I have my element right here in water, citrus, citrus salt. So you're always drinking those things, huh?

I save him for just before when we play because I don't want to get too used to having too many vitamins. I usually drink this while I work out and I did hot yoga today and I drank about half of it while I did hot yoga so it's just left over I want to finish it. Hot yoga was literally an experience

where somebody came up to me and was like, you can't do this, you should go. Oh, because you were so bad at it? I was sweating and slipping and also bad. I have no control over my body. And the guy came up to me and was like, hey,

looks like you're having a really hard time, huh? And I was like, you should leave me alone. Jeffrey Ernest, that's just the beginning. Everything is hard when you first start. You have to just get used to it. No, you got to find the thing that's easy right away. It's literally why I don't play guitar because I thought that was how I, like, structured my whole life when I was young because I was good at things really easily.

And then when I came to guitar, because it's not cerebral, I was like, this is hard. And I just stopped because I hated being bad. And I found it embarrassing. And now I really regret it. That's embarrassing to be bad. I don't actually subscribe to the fact that you should only do. do things that you're good at. I was just joking around. But yeah. Okay, Jeffrey Ernest, I'm going to, I'm going to Highland Park. We're going to hot yoga together. There's definitely hot yoga and MPR's

most gentrified neighborhood. For sure. We're going to get you back on the mat. You can have the basic being. You can be like, you know what? This name is stupid, but this good sandwich. I don't eat that stuff. Sandwiches? But I'll eat something else. Not often. I had one actually last week at Wawa, and I will tell you, it was a transcendent godlike experience because it's so good. But I probably eat a sandwich like three times a year. Well, I'm glad that was a good experience. I don't want you to deprive yourself with the joy of sandwiches. It's not a deprivation. It's a balance thing. In general, they make me feel bad. So while it's transcendent, it's like drugs, you know, like sure, drugs make me feel really good, but I don't do them all the time because

there's also a bad feeling that comes afterwards. I think there's some just weird with my body. Like, I used to be the kind of person that, like, when we were on tour, I would eat Waffle House. I would feel better the next day. I'd be like, oh, nice. I got a clean dump out of me. And I'm feeling great. Like, and nobody else in the history of the world that I've spoken to ever feels that way. So I think my body just likes trash a little bit.

Well, when's last time you got a physical? Oh, it's pass. Jeffrey Ernest. I did get a physical, but I didn't get the results a little bit. while ago. It's been a minute. Okay, we need to talk. You know, I don't need to stress you and everybody listen to this podcast out. I'm

genuinely stressed. I run. I drink water and my health is probably fine. In general, you should be getting a physical every year, though. It's important. Yes. I know this. I'm going to call your wife after this. She hasn't gotten to physical and longer than me. You both. I'm going to come to both of your houses and

drive you to the doctor. Please. I love the ride. It'd be nice to meet you. 24. Number nine. What was your biggest sliding doors moment? Have you seen the film? No, but I've seen the Bob's Burgers episode

where they do the film. So I get the concept. Great episode. Honestly, love Bob's. Great episode. I also love Bob's Burgers. Great show. Probably a really big one

was when my current band, the Death Rosenstock band, the Jeff Rosenstock family band, whatever. You should call them the Jeffrey Ernest. I don't like it what people call. It's fun in this context. I'm so sorry. No, no. This rocks, but like, that's like I'm being disciplined.

I see. I hear you. Yeah, yeah. You're right. Okay. Yeah, so we made a record called We Cool. And a friend of mine was getting married in Las Vegas. And we were like, okay, so we'll make this record in Oakland, and then we'll book a little tour so we could go to our friend's wedding.

And along that tour, when we were in Los Angeles, like the day before we were in Los Angeles or when we're in Los Angeles, Christina from Side One Dummy Records, reach out to us. It was like, hey, your merch guy, the person who prints your merch,

prints our merch, and he said that you have demos that are good. and we want to hear him. And I was like, oh, shit. And, like, this is, like, labels don't, like, I was in a band called Bond the Music Industry, so labels just never got in touch with me.

Like, they're just like, no. And I was like, fuck, this is a terrorist organization. Yeah, basically. They're going to explode our thing. Anyway, like, so we were like, oh, fuck, should we meet these people? We were like, oh, that's crazy. I was like, yeah, come out to the show. I was like, I'm not going to say you demos,

because that record's going to be mixed in, like, five days. And then all, and then we, I met Christina and Jamie. Did Joe Sib himself not come? the comedian. No, Joe Sib himself did not come to that. This was just, you know, two people who worked there coming to see our band and check it out. And we got along like really well. And then it so happened that like punk rock bowling was happening in Las Vegas when that wedding was happening. And then I, then I did meet Joe and I met everybody. They're like, yeah, you should come down to the gold nugget and meet everybody. And then it was like, oh shit, is this happening? And then like,

that was like, it took a lot of like, I wasn't sure what the fuck to do because I was planning on kind of putting it out, I was planning on, putting it out on Asian Man Records, was planning on doing things pretty DIY again. I was like,

but I've never done this this way before. Just kind of curious what it would be like. And that all happening was like, well, fuck, I guess give it a shot and see what happens. And like, I think very largely, the success that this band has had

is based on like how specifically Sidewin Dummy, Jamie, Christina, did with We Cool and got us in front of our people who like usually I had a hard time finding and I don't know

I guess if we had not decided to go to that wedding or if we had not made that record in Oakland if we almost made the record in Philadelphia with a different band there are a lot of things that like we're going to be different because this is just something I demoed at home and I was like I should just play it with people in a studio and it just turned into everything that my life

is now so probably that Damn, that's a really good one. That's some fate shit. Yeah, it's crazy, huh? Kevin, who didn't know any of us at that point, our drummer was like, this is like being in that thing you do. And the rest of us are like,

we've been like grinding away like this. Not grinding away. I don't want to call it that. I don't mean it's not hard work. I didn't consider it work. It was exhausting, but it was fun. You know what I mean?

Yeah, making bands playin is exhausting, but fun. It's definitely work. Well, it's to, How much income you think on the music industry was making or any of us were making. Oh, I see.

Because it wasn't an exchange of labor for capital. It's not work. You know what? No. It was an exchange of labor for joy. Forgive me, I'm thinking through something.

It is that like there was no goal. It wasn't like, we are going to do this so that we can do this. No ambition, just vibes. We're not like playing house shows because someday we'll play

Madison Square Garden. We were just like, isn't this house show sick? Let's play. Have you played Madison? Square Garden. No, but I've been backstage because a friend plays keyboard in that band, Dawes,

who opened up for ELO. And I got to see ELO at Madison Square Garden, and we went backstage, and backstage is just a bunch of, like, cubicles. Yeah, I've been there, too, for Houdia and the Blowfish, longstray. Isn't it lame-outes backstage? It is, yeah. I think at all venues of that size, like, you think it's going to be something, like,

spectacular, and it's just, like, very functional. I guess it makes sense because all the bands have their buses. But, like, what about me? What about the hangar-on who's trying to find some free beers? What about my experience? Yeah. What about the fun part? Well, you didn't get to go to that little, there's always like a little banquety thing where

like, you know, all the like industry people have access to where there's like snacks and drinks. You didn't get to go to that part. No. Support band, you know? Me and Hootie did. Oh, that's nice. Yeah.

Yeah, it was nice. You and Hootie. I saw the hooty was on this and I was like, whoa. He was, it was a fantastic episode. I would, producer Jesse can back me up, but I, but I, I think I can safely say, hey, very much enjoyed himself. Aw, that's nice. He said if we lived in the same city, we would be friends.

Aw. Hey. Which sounds like just a nice way to be like, I don't really want to be your friend because we do have ways of being friends, you know, through other means besides physical presence and proximity, but I'll take it. I could be your friend, but it's the city thing. It's the long distance. I can't do it.

I can't do it. I can't make that work. I bet Darius Rucker will be nice to you when you see him next time. Of course, he's the nicest. He's truly the nicest person. That's nice. You're also pretty nice, Jeff Ernest, so you're up there. I'm up there. Me and Darius, baby. You and Darius. He said he doesn't mind when people call him Hooty, either. Isn't that crazy? Sure. I mean, you call your band Hootie and the Blowfish, you must know what's going to happen. It's been 30 years, though. You think that, you think like 30 years later, you wouldn't, people, you wouldn't want people to move on a little bit.

Maybe. You know, I'm sure he's made a lot of money off Woody at the Blowfish. That's the 16th highest selling album of all time. Whoa! Cracked Rearview? That's right. Of all time. Damn. Good for Darius. He also has another crazy, like, thing. I think his cover of Wagon Wheel has also some, like, insane metric that it crossed. Like, he's doing just fine. Good for him. Yeah. Scrooge McDuck producers. That's why he says. Yeah. Well, that's not ways. Sorry. A lot of rich people. I think you know better than anyone. A lot of rich people who are very much not nice. Why do you think I know that better than anyone? Well, it seems like part of your, like, worldview.

Oh, true. I don't know that. That, my worldview is that... I don't mean that you personally know these rich people. I just feel like, you know, perhaps that's part of your... Well, I think there's a difference between, like, a rich person and a CEO who indiscriminately fires a bunch of people because they need to, like, have quarterly earnings shoot up, you know? Like a sinister billionaire, you mean? Well, you know, yeah.

But aren't all... A little bit of a redundant statement, right? Yeah. Okay. Number 10. What characteristic are you most drawn to in other people? I like people who are funny. And I like, or maybe funny, yeah, but also just have a good sense of humor and who are chatty. I like a good chatty person with a sense of humor. I feel like that's all day long. I will talk to a person like that. Like you? Like me? Like you? And honestly, I feel like you and me, like we could be good friends, but we don't.

But we live too far away from each other. If I lived in New York still, or if you lived in L.A. still. I don't live in New York, but I actually literally live. I'm not going to docks myself, but I live within a 15-minute radius of that part. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. We're going to see each other at stuff now. Now you... You won't know who I am because my cams off.

I've met you before. Also, you're famous. I've seen your picture. I had to read a bunch of your interviews today. I'm very familiar. You like to wear tie-dye. I know exactly what you look like. What the fuck interviews are you reading?

I don't know, but you seem to be wearing tie-dye and so many promotional photos. Yeah. I am wearing tie-dye and a lot of the promo photos. Yeah. Represent Santa Cruz. Great city. Are you from there?

No, it's just nice. No, you're from the East Coast. We thought about moving there. And then it was, we didn't. Good story, right? It's a great place. Good story, yeah. Instead, you chose Highland Park. Instead, I chose Highland Park.

The Santa Cruz of Los Angeles. It's definitely not the Santa Cruz. It's definitely not the Santa Cruz. No, it's not. Okay. Yeah, sense of humor and chatty. Good answer. Number 11.

Who is the last person you met that you were star-struck by. I think it was Terry Cruz. That's a good one. Where did you meet Terry Cruz? He did a voice. He does or did a voice. No, he's on Craig of the Creek. He's Craig's dad. And I was recording the musical episode. I was directing it. And he just has a line in it. So I didn't direct him. But he was there for the record. And then I met him in the hallway. And he was very nice. And we talked about the fake, like, Bell Biv-Devo style song I made along to like an ad lib that he did in an episode. And then he

was talking about, you got to go to this club. They play all that kind of shit. And I was like, I'm not going, I don't go to clubs. I don't live here and I don't go to clubs. That's very nice of you to let me know Terry Cruz. Thank you. He was very, very nice. And then I learned he made a fucking chair. You know about the chair? Do I know about Terry Cruz's chair? I don't. But please tell me. When this is done, Google Terry Cruz chair. He invented a chair type. Anyway, he was very nice to me when I met him And that's the last time I was probably starstruck meeting somebody So you don't you don't hobnob with a lot of celebrities

No, I don't think so What about it like punk rock bowling? Well, I was at a wedding Oh, okay And I only went that one time and I just met my future employers basically Right Well, you, I mean, you hang out with Brian Fallon, he's a celebrity That's true

But I also, I know Brian Fallon as a mutual friend of Chris Farron before I know him as a celebrity. Chris Farron is also in some circles considered a celebrity. Yeah, that's true. But, like, I know that Brian's in a band with Benny and I'm in a different band with Benny,

so it's just kind of like... Are you? Yeah. What's your other band of Benny? It's called Antarctica Vespucci. It's me, Benny, and Chris Faron. That's our band. Antarctica Vespucci.

Yeah, the guy who discovered Antarctica. I thought his name was Amerigo Vespucci. No, that's guy I discovered America. Two different guys. Were they related? This is a fake person that I'm talking about. Oh, got it. Okay, I'm sorry.

Okay, I've got it. So sorry. I can't believe how far down we went, though. Wow. We love to do this here on this program. I'm constitutionally incapable of staying on track. Okay. Number 12.

When was the last time you slid into someone's DMs? I don't know if it's sliding into anybody's DMs, but me and me and Steve Albini talked a little bit more about the merch cut stuff because I was just like, hey, I don't know. It felt like a conversation that needed to continue and also a conversation that needed to not continue in front of everybody. Sure. Because it was in the public arena.

Slowly becoming a thing is like, no, I think what you do is sick. Just like, why are you not listening to me? You know? So I don't know. Probably that would be sliding into Albania's DMs. Sorry, Steve. Did you at some point sort of be like, hey, off topic, but how did you get that drum sound on that Pixies album?

I made a record. was Steve Albini. So you know how he got the drum. So you already knew him when you were having this public conversation? Yeah. But like I knew him as in the context of I was the lead guitar player in a band that recorded with him for five days. So I was probably the most annoying person to deal with because of the lead guitar player. And, you know, I met him as he meets hundreds of bands in his life.

Was this Antarctic of Espucci? No, this is the Mikey Erg band. And it's the record, Love It Leads. And it is a kickout. record. It rules. And the drum sounds sick. And they're in this giant room with huge ceilings. And for overheads, he puts two microphones on the ground. And I'm like, what the fuck is this? And then it just is that fucking, that sound. Yeah, but he probably didn't remember you. The best part of that jawbreaker documentary, I don't know if you've seen it is when they come to interview him about

working with them. And he goes, yeah, jawbox. I do really like jawbox. I do really like jawbox. I don't know. Jawbreaker. And he's like, oh, jawbreaker. And he's like, I can think about it for a It's amazing. No, he's honestly, he's a really nice guy. He liked our band a lot, but, you know, I was just a guy in the band, so I'm not sure how much that had to do with me, you know. He knows you now, bitch. He knows me now.

I know. Okay, number 13. What is the horniest song ever, in your opinion? Okay, I don't know if it's the horniest ever necessarily. Whatever. One of one. Look, I just don't want to be fucking taking a court over this. Sure, sure.

this song Bump by Spankrock is horny. Oh my God, shout out my girl, Amanda Blank and my guy Naim. We love them on this program. That's one of my favorite songs of the planet. It absolutely is extremely horny. Amanda Blank, the sickest rapper, honestly, that verse is one of my favorite rap verses of all time. Yeah, it is one of the best. When it goes into double time, and it's just filthier.

It's just like. She's incredible. She's a national treasure. Yeah. Well, sick. I'm glad you like it too. I thought that was going to be a weird deep cut. Although it should be,

because I set a fucking song in a Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing commercial. Yeah. That's crazy that that song is in that. It's definitely the horniest song has ever written a salad dressing commercial. Well, maybe that'll change one day, but I do like the Hidden Valley Ranch was like,

you know what's horny? Ranch. Then they're not wrong. Are they? I'm not going to elaborate. Okay. Great answer. Number 14

What? This is going to be interesting Coming from you What is the biggest money You've ever turned down? I don't know. Probably none. You're like all of it.

You're like every time they've offered me any money I've said no. No, it's just like offering me big amounts of money. I turned down probably like I don't know Should I look it up in my email?

This is probably it. Let me just look it up real quick. Gorgeous. I love this. It's called journalism. Some amount of money for some ad. What kind of ad?

name name. I want to tell you more, but it was a while ago, and I just said no so quick. You don't even remember, you don't remember what the ad was for? No. It was a blanket.

You're just never doing an ad. Oh, Nike, this isn't big money. Nike wanted to use a song of mine for a skateboarding ad, and I was going to make $1,500. And I said, no. I would have said no, too.

That's insulting. $1,500 are you out of your fucking money. Nike corporation? But I also just didn't say anything because I was like, I'm not even, I'm not trying to. that's not what I'm trying to do.

Let me ask you hypothetically. What if it was $15,000? No. I don't know what amount. If it was what? 150,000. I would have to talk to my bandmates because that's all of our money because we'd be splitting that up.

But I would err on the side of no. What if it was $1.5 million? If it was $100, what million? $1.5 million. I don't know. I feel like that conversation with that. the band would be almost unanimous in that situation. And that you'd say yes, yeah.

And that everybody would be like, why would we not do this? Although, I don't know. Huguenora, maybe Huguenor would say no, too. I don't think, I think, you know, that's something like that. It's like, you're taking that money and you have that money, but how long does that last? And how long do you last? And what's more important, you know? Yeah.

I think it's one of those at this point, like, unanswerable sort of like, really nuanced situations. I think it used to be the fact that, like, there was such a thing as selling out in that way, but I don't know that it fully exists in the way that people used to think about it. No, people don't care anymore because it's so fucking expensive to be alive that people are just like, yeah, man, get your money, whatever.

Unless you start arguing to, like, get your money from, say, like, a venue who's just stealing from you. You're like, oh, I'd like that money. people were like, don't you even care about the people at the venues giving you a space? Right. Oh, God, leave me a fuck alone. You don't know anything about what I do with my life. Literally.

Literally. Okay. Sorry, I keep repeating you. Is that good for podcasts? I think so. I think it's good. I mean, it's very scaw. It's very scoff.

It's very pick it up. Pick it up. Okay. You turned down money all the time. I don't get offered money very, very often is the answer. Number 15. What's the best live show you've ever seen? It's tricky.

I would say that when I saw weirdly just the encore of Q&Not You at the knitting factory in New York City, because the show was sold out and we got there late, but we just waited around until people left and they would let us in. That was like the fucking sickest 15 minutes of music I ever saw in my life. They just played a bunch of rippers. They like dismantled the drum set, handed it out to the crowd. the singer just left by walking out the door, counting everybody in the audience.

And I just remember seeing it just be like, music could be fucking anything. This rules. Music can be... Q&A was pretty sad. And I saw Blood Brothers at Spirit in New York, which was a short-lived venue, and just, oh my God,

just the energy that they had and, like, the way their energy was. It's like a hard thing to describe. It was fucking sick. I saw out the driving at a bowling, alley, but I couldn't see them, so I don't know. Good answers. I love blood brothers. Okay, number 16. When in your life were you the most fucked up wasted hammered trash? Again, I keep not rewording this question, but people seem to interpret it as a time period. I just mean one

instance. I understood it to be that way. But I also now understood it. Oh, the 2010s and I'm like, okay. I'll say my 20s and 30s. I got roofied recently. Does that count? Oh my God. What? Yeah, in Highland Park. Jeffrey Ernest. Yeah. What? Yeah. I think that was, that, I can't think of any time I've been more just like,

were you like at a bar? Yeah. We were there late and, we were drinking, but it was an amount that I would, we were drinking, but it was an amount that I generally would drink on a night that I'm going out drinking. And karaoke was happening. And I was there with my friend Sean from Agent. Jay and my wife, Christine. And Sean went up and sang,

and then I was talking to Christine, and then I went up and sang, and then this person, this guy started talking to, like, Christine and Sean while I was singing. I was like, well, that's rude. There's like five people in here. Can you let my two friends see me sing the Smashy Pumpkin song?

And then... What was it? What's a smashing poem? I sang today. Good, gorgeous. Okay, karaoke song. Okay. It's all right.

Yeah. And then I sat down. and this lady started talking to me and was just like, oh, where do you live? Do you live around here? Like, ask me questions. And I'm like,

I'm here with my wife, but I'm a friendly person. I was like, oh, I don't know. I moved here from New York and like, I live just up the road. And time goes on, and I think eventually,

like, and then she goes away. She's like, I don't know why I'm trying to talk to this person. He's very friendly and yet saying nothing at all. And then I, remember stepping out of the bar and like everything just like all the lights looked crazy. And I was like, oh my God, you guys, how fucked up are you right now? They're like, not that fucked up. I was like, oh, man, I don't know. Shit. And then we saw those two people talking to each other outside the bar. And also it's important. I left my drink there when I was singing karaoke.

Sure, of course. I don't know if that goes without saying. Anyway, and then we started driving home. and it felt like we were driving through like a laser light tunnel, and then I was just, and I am not a vomiter. I have a vomit phobia, and a lot of the times when I need to, I just can't do it. But I, like, went to the bathroom, sit down, tried to take my drunk shit or whatever, and I was like, oh, yeah, what the hell's going on? And I remember, like, leaning back a little bit,

and the entire room just, like, started rotating. and then I was like blacking out a bunch and then I just eventually was just like on the bathroom floor at my head in the toilet or blacked out or head in the toilet or blacked out and it was like lasted for kind of a while and then yeah so that was the most wasted I've ever been

was when I got roofied. It was not great I was happy that it happened to me and not my friend Sean who was out there producing a record and had work the next day and of course happy it didn't happen to my wife you know, at least I could be a dumb idiot and be like, I don't take care of myself too good anyway. So just kind of like, you know, I'm just like, well,

it sucks that happened. It sucks that does happen. I'm a lot more cautious now when I go out and I like watch my drinks and shit. But yeah, anyway, that's the answer. What do you think their end game was? So there is a thing happening where people are just following people home and robbing them. Oh, I see.

So he thought that like he could, follow you home, but you were with other... I think he slipped the thing into my drink. I think she thought the two of them were together because I was in karaoke. Got it. I think she was trying to follow me home because they were talking outside. Like when we're in there,

the two of them were not with each other and then outside they were with each other. Damn, so sinister. I'm so sorry that happened to it. That's awful. It's fine. Thanks. I don't know. Again, like I'm just, I'm happy. It happened to me and not someone else.

Right. Right, right. That's a dark story. You must get dark stories with that question. Yeah, I probably should rethink the question. Number 17, number 18, number 17, number 18, tandem question. Love it. What do you love about being famous and what do you hate about it?

And don't say you're not famous because you have some level of fame or else you wouldn't be on this podcast. I don't love that people just come at me. sometimes. When you get recognized? No, no. More so when people like...

On the internet? Yeah, I think internet-wise. The people come at me as if I'm not a human being, as if I'm just a vessel for whatever opinion they think I'm supposed to have that I don't exist,

then I'm not a real person. Because that just sucks. I don't know. I don't need to go into it. That makes sense. Yeah, we all know what you're talking about. And I guess and the best time is like,

the best thing about it is that occasionally I get discounts on stuff, I guess. Get some discounted musical instruments. It's very rare because I get recognized every now and then. Right. Like the one in 100 time that I get recognized, and they're like, hey, like somebody at the show in North Carolina was like, I worked at a brewery next door and was like,

hey, if you take a selfie with me, I'm a fan of your band. If you take a selfie with me, I'll give you guys all tater tots. And we're like, hell yeah, we're loading in. We'll take some tater tots.

So I like that. I like the free stuff and I don't like not being treated like I exist. Seems like a not a real even trade. I'm going to need you to aim higher than tater tots. For a one photo,

I feel like that's pretty even. Just in general. I mean, you should be getting all sorts of free stuff. Let's get you some element electrolytes, perhaps some athletic greens. Oh my God. Our band,

would take the fucking, we would take a green juice sponsorship and an element sponsorship any fucking day. It sounds like you guys need it. That's rude. But not inaccurate. It's true. It's trude. Number eight, 19.

This is the wild card. Okay. Why do you think of all the genres, and maybe it's not the most, but it's up there, ska is so maligned. Why do, why do people love to make fun of ska music? I think it's a few things. Okay, tell me. It is outwardly not like aggressive macho jock music.

Right, right. And it regularly calls that kind of behavior out. And I think that kind of behavior, especially if we're talking about when Skah became maligned, which is like late 90s, early 2000s, that kind of behavior was normalized, was how you were supposed to be. And I think that like when it was popular, it's like, cool. but I think that like any second anybody got to be like like, what's this fucking loser shit?

These fucking nerds, these fucking whatever, you know, they did. And I think also, unfortunately, it's because when ska hit for when like the ska punk wave at the very least hit, a lot of bands decided to start doing it. A lot of them were bands that were not ska bands that would have their one ska song to, I think, try and like cross over to like ska kids. it seemed like there is just 12 bands on every show that were just ripping off less than Jake

and we're not good. And these are just like kids who were having fun. But like I think that there was just a lot of bad stuff that came immediately in the wake of its success and it was already kind of, and then also it kind of led to the swing revival. So I think all of these things are things that are easy to make fun of if you're like, fuck cool.

And if you're like, no, I don't like that. I like Radiohead. They're ambient now. Like, what are you? Like, Skah has no, like, cool competition with that. And I think, and I think it was easy, you know, it's easy to have a punching bag. It's fun to write negatively. As they say in Ratatouille, negative criticism is fun to write.

It's easy to write. And you look cool if you have a punching bag and then you have more of a platform. So, yeah, I think it was just, you know, gatekeepers are going to be gatekeepers. That's what I think. Those are good answers. I don't know if it would be gaking me, but I think you're right. I think like there's something earnest

about ska music and people in our culture and this is Jeffrey Ernest. Tend to bristle against earnestness. I don't know. It makes them uncomfortable. And horns are joyful. And, you know,

it sort of came post the rise of alternative culture being more hard and angry. And so to have this sort of buoyant joyful blah-b-bop people

it's easy to make fun of but that doesn't make it right still coupled with very sad lyrics though a lot of the time totally I was a less than Jake girly I love gets ignored but and also like yeah

you're right it was joyful it was unafraid unapologetically goofy there were some really bad outfits I think we can agree sure

at the very at the very least we can come together to agree that some of the outfits were very bad yeah but come on is any outfit good Yeah, I wear a lot of good outfits. Oh, damn.

Send me, email me some tips, please. I will. We're wearing the same fucking thing since junior high, I feel like. While we're talking about Scott, we should never let Travis Barker forget that he was in the Aquabats. I don't think he, I don't think he shies away from being in the Aquabats. I haven't seen Courtney Kardashian wearing Aquat's t-shirt yet. That's true.

He has an Aquabat tattoo, though. I mean, can't get rid of that. Yeah, he can. With Travis Barker money? I guess you could. He can get rid of it while he's playing a set. He could surgically remove that part of his skin. he doesn't have to use a laser.

Yeah, he just wake up and it's gone. And there's a thousand dollars in its place. All right, number 20. When was the last time you cried, Jeffery Ernest? I cried recently watching the series finale of Reservation Dogs. Have you watched Reservation Dogs? No, I've heard it's really good, though. It's fucking great.

Okay. Yeah, it wasn't like something happening to me and I cried. It was more of it just like, damn. It was a good real cry. I don't know. Everybody, watch all three seas of reservation dogs and know it in the comments if you cried. I love to cry to movies and TV because I think, contrary to what you're saying, it actually is about something that happened to you.

It's just something that happened to you that you stored and you're subconscious and didn't let yourself emotionally deal with. And then you have sort of a nice conduit to release and express that through the impetus of some sort of media. Sure. You know, I think you're right. And I undo what I said. But also, I just lied.

I cried for an emotional moment, which is a rare thing for me because something's wrong with me. But like, we've had this cat that's this outdoor cat that's been coming by our house. Nothing bad happened to this cat just before. Sounds like, don't you. dare come on. This cat did not die. But like, basically

this outdoor cat I've been coming by and meowing a lot and no tag, no nothing. We're just like, fuck. And so I got like some kibble and fed it and then the cat's coming by every day.

And then we're like, oh shit, are we going to go like, we were planned to go to like a shelter and be like, okay, is this cat of a chip? Is this our cat now? And Christine posted a picture of the cat on next door. A cat sitter.

basically is an outdoor, she's an outdoor cat, and she just stopped coming home, and she was very relieved that we had the cat. And you cried of joy. No, I was just thinking about it all and just like thinking about, like, for a while, I was like, we don't have pets or anything, and like, it was just like, I don't know,

she's such a sweet little cat, and I was just thinking about it. Like, am I ever, I didn't know the cat, and the cat still comes by every day to get fed, so that's sweet and cool. But like, I didn't know. And I was like, fuck, like, is that it? And I never going to see this cat again?

And I was just thinking about it and doing some writing stuff. And I got a little emotional about it. It's very sweet. I have to say it's very sweet. I'm a fucking cat-loving, Scott-loving loser, everybody listening. I think that sounds cool. Thank you. I was just saying that as a joke.

I'm not a loser. Worry you, words are powerful. Jeff Fierness, words are powerful. You should be careful how you use them. No. Yes. Never. Speaking of words being powerful,

number 21. What is your greatest regret? Um, I don't know. Well, we'll, we'll take out, uh, any like bad, uh, I don't know, drunk behavior when I was just shitty or obnoxious to people throughout my 20s. Uh, those are all regrets. Uh, okay. They're all fuzzy regrets. I don't know. I guess, I guess, I guess just all that stuff then. Okay. That's a fine answer. I'm trying to think about, like, I try to not like live with no. regrets, but I try to just like make, I don't know, not try and see those bad decisions as, like, their learning experiences, you know? Like, the bigger, the regret, the more you know not to fucking do it the next time. I just finished making, um, a, well, maybe this is a regret. I, I just

finished my first movie score, which is for the Craig the Creek movie and in the middle of it. Well, congratulations. Thank you. It was full of problems, full of regrets and things that would do different, basically. Like my computer started acting up, and I got a new computer to replace it, but like some of my stuff wouldn't work on us. I was like, fuck it, I'll use the old computer. And I was losing all this time every day to crashes. And then I brought it in to get a fix. And that person corrupted, like, a bunch of files on the drive. And then, like, luckily, I had it backed up. But then I was losing, like, four to five hours a day for crashes. So I think bringing my computer there was

probably my biggest regret that I can think of. But there was also, like, people who I, like, I don't know, who were like, I'm going to do this job. And then they just, didn't and then I was left holding the bag. So there's a handful of things wrapped up in scoring a movie that I would say are learning experiences disguised as regrets or the other way around. Lessons, if you

will. Sure. Yeah. All right. Number 22, Jeffrey Ernest. Yes. What song would you like to hear just before you die? I get the whole song.

Get the whole song. I have two thoughts. These are both plain takeoff songs for me. So I think either the song, Dream House by Deaf Heaven. Oh, fucking six songs. Shout out George and Kerry

and the whole gang. Hell yeah. Tracey, Shiv. We love you guys. Shout out, George. I've never met you, but thank you for screaming on Skoddream. I appreciate it very much.

Either that song or the song Farewell by Boris. which is the first song on pink, but only if it could go into the second song on pink when I'm actually dying dying, which is like, the first song is like this big, heavy, swelling, wide feeling, and then the next song just like fucking rips.

And I want to die during the part that rips. So you did think about this answer. I did think about this one, I guess. Although, no, but like these are both plain takeoff songs. You're afraid of flying? No, no. I think both of those are, that's, huh, I didn't make.

that connection. I just think both of those are both of those are big experiences. A plane taking off in your final breath. I don't even think at all about planes taking off. If you time it right and like the plane takes off when the shit kicks in, it's fun and cool and beautiful. I don't try that. Jeff Ernest. Okay. Try that for a song in the Boris record when a plane takes off. And we'll do that when I... It's cool. If you get it

right, it's cool. When I leave the Big Apple, I'll do that. Number 23. We're almost done. Can you believe it? We made it. Yay. Well, we didn't yet. Almost, yeah. Number 23, Jeffrey Ernest, what do you think about me? I think you're very nice. I think that you have a podcast that a lot of people like. I think that I appreciate that you didn't take it too personally that I've only heard bits and pieces of the ones my friends have been on. That's why I don't care about a podcast. I think that you're judging the gentrification level of Highland Parts. on an article in NPR, which is Suss.

And I'm curious what fucking neighborhood you live in because you live 15 minutes from me. I'm not going to tell you on air. Okay. But it seems like you are a person who is passionate about music, and in that we are kindred spirits before I am that person too.

Oh, that's nice. Thanks, Jeffrey Ernest. And again, I must tell you, I was not judging. I was simply observing. Low-key judging. Low-key judging. It was not a jerk. It was not judging.

When I did what I said, what the name of the sandwich was, which is fair. I don't go to bat for the name at the sandwich. I've been public about the fact that Highland Park is my least favorite neighborhood

in the world, but that has nothing to do with you or your sandwich. I live very close to Pasadena. There you go. That does help. Okay. Number 24, we made it.

We made it. What do you want to plug? Oh, I put out a record called Hellmode. Yeah, you did. My band made it. I think it's really good. It's very good.

Thanks. Do you like it? Did you hear it? I did hear it. first few seconds of every song. No, I listen to the whole thing. I am a completest. I didn't listen to all of your albums,

but I listened to a couple, and I really like Talmud. Oh, well, thank you. I'm a pop punk early, so, you know, it does it for me. Hell yeah. Not that what you make is pop punk, but I think I can hear the DNA,

the DNA. Yeah, it's part of it. I'm proud of the record. I don't know. I'm proud of everybody who worked on it. We all worked on it together, and I think it's a good one. And I think if you like my music,

check it out. And if you don't like my music, it's a place to start. That's as good as any. Is that a good sell? I mean, I think it's the best one. But, like, of course, I think it's the best one. I just made it. You're a little underselling yourself. Yeah, it's a great record. Thank you, Jeffrey Ernest, for coming on this podcast. I hope you had a nice time. I did have a nice time. I hope it didn't. I hope you could see me, see my feelings with my with my inoperable webcam. I hope it still worked. I could feel it. You have a very expressive voice. So it worked. Thank you. I'm sorry. I have maligned your neighborhood.

It's okay. I've always lived in maligned neighborhoods. I lived in fucking East Williamsburg. Where it was like, yeah, but which is it? And I'm like, okay, it's Bushwick. They're like, no. Like, okay, it's Williams. No.

Just like, okay, I don't fucking care. It's rough. That's rough. I too lived in Williamsburg many years ago, so my hands are also not clean. Thank you, Jeffrey Arness. Come back next week for a new episode of 24-question, party people. Me? I'm back next week. Thanks for listening to 24-question party people, and thanks to my guest, Jeff Rosenstock. Jeff's new album, Hell Mode, is out everywhere now.

It's also going on tour in November, and you can head to jeffrosenstock.com for dates. This episode is produced by Chris Sutton and Jesse Miller-Gordon, with help from Justin Sales. Our gorgeous theme song was composed by Heather Fortune. Special thanks to Nick Soltar, Sean Fennessey, Rob Parvilla, and the television character, Jack Leacher. Come back every Tuesday for a new episode of 24-question party people. on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 24 question party people.