The Basements Were Stars

Episode 9: Gordon Raphael, Producer & Musician (The Strokes, Skin, The Cribs, Regina Spektor & more)

I'm finally back after taking another long unintended break. Regardless, I'm back and my guest is none other than, legendary producer, Gordon Raphael, the sonic wizard behind The Strokes' first three recordings (The Modern Age EP, Is This It, and Room on Fire) and a bit of their fourth album, First Impressions of Earth. We get into his upbringing in Seattle, his early bands, moving to New York, opening his studio in the Lower East Side, meeting/working with The Strokes, moving to London, and a whole lot more. Follow Gordon: * Instagram [http://instagram.com/GordonRaphael] * Facebook [http://facebook.com/GordonRaphaelMusic] * YouTube [http://youtube.com/GordonRaphael] * Bandcamp [https://shoplifterrecords.bandcamp.com/] Theme music & outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP The Basements Were Stars is a Caspian Seal production Get in touch and support the pod! [https://campsite.to/tbws]

Bonus Episode (Ep. 8): Psyops and sock puppets and indie bands, oh my!

This episode is a response to Rick Beato’s video⁠ [https://youtu.be/xdwDwiQLx-8] from last week, the latest offering to the discourse and talk around Wired’s now infamous article [https://www.wired.com/story/geese-chaotic-good-marketing-industry-plant/] on Chaotic Good Project’s illicit marketing tactics and their client, Brooklyn “indie” rock band, Geese. Hopefully this is the last time I have to talk about this. Somehow, I doubt it. Theme music & outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP Background music by HitsLab • Ievgen Poltavsky, BMI The Basements Were Stars is a Caspian Seal production

Episode 7: SayMo, Hip-hop artist/poet/writer

V. Paul welcomes SayMo, hip-hop artists/producer/poet/writer to the pod. They get into microphones, production techniques, the state of modern pop music, AI, System of Down, his upcoming Western Armenian project, and a whole lot more. Follow SayMo: * Bandcamp [https://saymobeendead.bandcamp.com/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/saymobeendead/] * Threads [https://www.threads.com/@saymobeendead] * Twitter [https://x.com/saymobeendead] Theme music & outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP Background music by HitsLab • Ievgen Poltavsky, BMI The Basements Were Stars is a Caspian Seal production

Episode 6: Matthew Zeitoun, Filmmaker/Photographer/Curator/Comedian|Prototype/Phenotype Paterson, NJ

We're switching things up a bit this episode. I had a good sit down with Matthew Zeitoun (filmmaker/photographer/curator/comedian), co-founder of Phenotype Stages and resident/co-manager of Prototype 237 in Paterson, NJ. We had a nice conversation over a few beers on the patio of our mutual friend Paul Larsen's gallery. We get into our favorite Middle Eastern Paterson spots (both of our families are from Lebanon), his filmmaking and photography background, standup comedy, his various projects at Prototype 237 and Phenotype Stages, and a whole lot more. Thank you to Paul Larsen for providing his space (Paul Larsen Gallery [https://www.paullarsengallery.com/]) for this episode. * matthewzeitoun.com [https://matthewzeitoun.com/] The Patersonian [https://thepatersonian.substack.com/] IG: @matthewzeitoun [https://www.instagram.com/matthewzeitoun/] • @zeitounpromotions [https://www.instagram.com/zeitounpromotions/] • @artistexhibitions [https://www.instagram.com/artistexhibitions/] • @openfilmscreenings [https://www.instagram.com/openfilmscreenings/] • @phenotypestages [https://www.instagram.com/phenotypestages/] • ⁠@prototypepaterson [https://www.instagram.com/prototypepaterson/] * Theme and outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP The Basements Were Stars is a Caspian Seal production

Episode 5: Dave Narcizo of Throwing Muses and Lakuna, Part 3

We last left things with Bernard Georges joining Throwing Muses and the recording of their live album, The Curse. In this final installment of my talk with Dave we discuss the recordings of University, Limbo & Throwing Muses’ reunion album ("Uses"), Kristin Hersh’s creative process, album art, Dave’s solo project, Lakuna (which is also the namesake of his and his wife’s design company), Jane’s Addiction, Tricky, Massive Attack, Dave’s future with Throwing Muses, and a whole lot more. * * * Throwing Muses: * W: https://www.throwingmuses.com/ [https://www.throwingmuses.com/] * Bandcamp: https://throwingmuses.bandcamp.com/ [https://throwingmuses.bandcamp.com/] * IG: @throwingmusesofficial [https://www.instagram.com/throwingmusesofficial/] * Facebook: @throwingmusesofficial [https://www.facebook.com/throwingmusesofficial/] * Bluesky: @throwingmuses.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/throwingmuses.bsky.social] * Twitter: @throwingmuses [https://x.com/throwingmuses] ≈≈≈ David Narcizo, IG: @davidjnarcizo [https://www.instagram.com/davidjnarcizo] Lakuna Design, IG: @lakunadesign [https://www.instagram.com/lakunadesign] W: https://www.lakunadesign.com/ [https://www.lakunadesign.com/] Lakuna on Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/castle-of-crime/3031444] * * * Theme and outro music by V. Paul Janbazian • Caspian Seal Sounds and Music, ASCAP Background music by HitsLab • Ievgen Poltavsky, BMI The Basements Were Stars is a Caspian Seal production