Episodes

Episode 46: Das Racist, Ripple Rock & Alicia Silverstone

Das Racist/Courtesty Das Racist

This Week: Victor Vasquez of rap savants Das Racist talks bop… Canada politely explodes… and Alicia Silverstone tries to veganize Brendan.

Icebreaker: David Gedge, the man behind britpop stalwarts The Wedding Present, casts a funny line.

Small Talk: Poor Fake Money, Zombie Trees, and NYC, CN
The staff at Marketplace tell you about some news items your dinner guests probably missed.

A History Lesson With Booze: Ripple Rock and the “Detonator
This month back in 1958, Ripple Rock, an underwater mountain in Canada that caused hundreds of shipwrecks and deaths, is blown up in the largest non-nuke peacetime explosion ever. We asked Jay Jones, of the Pourhouse in Vancouver to create a drink that will blow our minds.

The Detonator, as mixed by Jay Jones at the Pourhouse in Vancouver, BC.

In a shaker add:

  • 1.5 oz. Knob Creek
  • a splash of Fernet
  • fresh lemon juice
  • dash of simple syrup

Add ice, shake and strain into a chilled champagne coupe. Top with champagne. Peacefully destroy any social obstacle which comes between you and happiness.

Guest of Honor: Das Racist
Das Racist is a postmodern (our word, not theirs) rap trio known best for their addictive hit single “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,” a song that is both a Dadaist critique of capitalism and pure idiocy. They just released a mixtape entitled Shut Up, Dude (download it, gratis, here) that’s hysterical, political, lyrical and nonsensical. Oh yeah, and it has good beats. Rico talks to the band’s Victor Vasquez about rap as a Rorshach test, and using Auto Trader as a weapon.

The Main Course: Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone (yes, her) wrote a book about veganism that’s clear, compelling and non-preachy. Brendan found himself liking it despite himself and he’s not alone — it’s been on the NYTimes bestseller list for thirteen weeks. Brendan reached out to her to see if she could veganize him. (Hint: She couldn’t)

One For The Road: Harlem – “Gay Human Bones”
It’s spring, so let us sing. A great song from an Austin based duo who play strummy loose singalong garage songs that make your bangs shake. Their new album comes out on Matador next week.

Music in this week’s show:

The Sea And Cake – “The Argument”

The Wedding Present – “Signal”

Link Wray – “Jack The Ripper”

Tipsy – “Liquordelic”

The London Symphony Orchestra – “Canadian Sunset”

The Evaporators – “Ripple Rock”

The Grateful Dead – “Ripple”

Das Racist – “Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell”

Das Racist – “El Shaneesh”

Das Racist – “Fake Patois”

Aerosmith – “Cryin’”

Harlem – “Gay Human Bones”