Something (rather than nothing)

Episode 112 - Anika Orrock

Anika Orrock is an award-winning illustrator, writer, designer, cartoonist, storyteller & author of The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and the illustrator of “Birdie Can, Too!” by Malaika Underwood.

Anika’s work is included in the Society of Illustrators 62nd Annual exhibition & book and has been featured in national publications, including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post and on NPR.

Her illustration work has been commissioned by The Worcester Art Museum, National Pastime Museum, ABC News & FiveThirtyEight, Merrill Lynch, Resy & American Express, The International Women's Baseball Center, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association, Major League Baseball organizations and international sports publications, as well as by a variety of musicians and record labels.

 

Episode 111 - Laryssa Birdseye

With her ever-growing and enthusiastic fan base, Portland-based pop-soul singer-songwriter Laryssa Birdseye is probably most known for her emotionally- powerful, sometimes scathing “break-up” songs. Laryssa’s ballads and pop anthems effortlessly tap into the universal psyche of women her age around the world who have all experienced heights and pitfalls in that rocky battlefield called love.

But, Laryssa’s innate talent as a songwriter, accomplished vocalist and skilled instrumentalist prove she’s much more than just the latest incarnation of an eternally lovelorn female pop artist. She builds a depth into her songs and live performances inspired by soul and folk/roots influences, without taking herself too seriously while letting her decidedly wicked sense of humor shine.

All-in-all, one could say Laryssa is a next-gen musical artist with a dirty mouth and a heart of gold. Vocally, she’s been in line with the likes of Norah Jones (perhaps with an itty-bitty anger problem), and has been known to elicit comparisons to hit-maker pop sensibilities of singer-songwriters Katy Perry, Pink, and Adele. Laryssa will have you shouting right along with her during one of her empowering anthems, yet can also emotionally-clutch you in the palm of her hand during a somber, intensely moving ballad. Along the way, listeners should be prepared to laugh - a lot, and to feel - a lot.

Backed by her dedicated full band, Laryssa has been gaining recognition as a rising star in her home turf of the Pacific Northwest and – increasingly – the West Coast and wide World beyond. Her 2nd official album, 'Press Play', is a concept EP exploring grief -and its different stages - and was released late 2019. A prolific live show performer, fans can catch her while touring regularly up and down the West Coast and other cities.

This episode features the tracks 'Shame' and 'Barely Friends.'

 

Episode 110 - The Music Episode

The Music Episode 🎼 

Music from:
Kym Gouchie
Spaaceweed

Kinneret Ely 
Peter Sund 
Well Bred Mongrels
Theo B. Veeus

Greg Clifford

Episode 109 - Ricardo Levins Morales

Ricardo Levins Morales is an artist and organizer based in Minneapolis. He uses his art as a form of political medicine to support individual and collective healing from the injuries and ongoing reality of oppression.

He was born into the anti-colonial movement in his native Puerto Rico and was drawn into activism in Chicago when his family moved there in 1967.

Ricardo left high school early and worked in various industries, and over time began to use his art as part of his movement work. This activism has included support work for the Black Panthers and Young Lords and participating in or acting in solidarity with farmers, environmental, labor, racial justice, antiwar and other struggles for peoples empowerment. He was a founding member of the Northland Poster Collective (1979-2009).

He also leads workshops on creative organizing, social justice strategy and sustainable activism, and mentors and supports organizers. The worker members of RLM Art Studio are represented by the Newspaper and Communications guild/CWA.

Ricardo’s work is widely used by grassroots movements, organizations and communities.

Episode 108 - Emily Coupe

Emily Coupe is an Australian born Eurasian actress, singer, model, and film producer who has worked consistently in both Australia and Los Angeles. 

Emily's 1st acting credits include a co-star role on Channel 10's 'Offspring' and lead in short films ‘Heavy Tackle’, ‘The Story of Jack’, ‘I Remember The Future’, & ‘Cybersmart’ directed by Tropfest award winner Chris Benz. She made her theatre debut in the sold out season of 'Tales of a City by the Sea' At La Mama Courthouse.

She has recently been cast as the lead in feature films 'The New Hands', 'Lilith', 'House Bound' and 'Dark Haven', as well as booked co-star roles on A&E's Cold Case Files and Netflix's Corrupt Crimes. She also appeared in the latest online McDonalds Commercial.

Emily recently completed feature film The Crossroads in Arizona, in which she played one of the leads, and is co-writing/producing the music. Emily is also developing multiple pilots/feature length projects through her company Couped Up Entertainment. She has been cast in upcoming film 'The Locket' shooting mid May 2021.

She released her first album 'Revolutuon' in late 2019. In the past couple of years Emily has also played over 100 gigs at various venues around L.A, including to 3,000+ people at Warner Center Park & sold out show at The Viper Room. She is currently working on her second album, which she will be releasing through 2021. She is signed with music management co. Sparam Entertainment.

Episode 107 - What If Comic Book Geeks Took Over an Episode of SRTN? Starring Martin Michaud-Couch, Sean Wynn, Ethan Slayton and Ken Volante

This episode is a Team-Up including Martin Michaud-Couch, Sean Wynn, Ethan Slayton and Ken Volante. Featuring the following characters - Conan, Spider-Man, Shang Chi, Nick Fury, The Punisher, Gwen Stacy, The Green Goblin, and so much more!

The premise is that we each describe a WHAT IF issue of Marvel Comics. What If comics explore different chains of causality in Marvel Comics in order to entertain alternate realities. These comics are really strange and run from the profound to the half-assed.

Strap yourself in for this carnival ride. 4 issues of WHAT IF. 4 geeks recording in the pure and natural environs of Portland, Oregon USA. 

This episode was deeply fun and it is still tough to believe that this team was able to sit down together for the first time, in the same spot, EVER.

 

 

Episode 106 - Gabe Valentin

“My name is Gabriel Valentin and when it comes to comics and video games, I am a hopeless romantic. I’m talking rose petals on the bed, champagne in the ice bucket and of course a little bit of mood lighting before I stock up on potions and head into the next dungeon. My deepest passions have forever been music and storytelling. I’ve spent over a decade touring, working with writers and assisting music producers in their recording sessions. In 2014 I decided to unite my loves of music and storytelling together, to create the live art show known as Digital Lizards Of Doom. It has and always will be a love letter to the sci-fi/fantasy genre. At every D.L.O.D. performance I feature silly songs that build upon the world of the two main characters, a heroic lizard named Dizzy Doom and an evil robot named Commander E.K.O. Within the first year of D.L.O.D.’s conception, I had completed three national tours, was showcased on six different cable networks, secured a record deal with Noize Cartel Records and was asked to create a pop culture YouTube series for Meltdown Comics and Collectibles, a noted Hollywood comic store. Having the chance to work with Meltdown only added fuel to my passion for the arts and gave me the ingredients needed to feed my hunger for all things nerdy. I have helped develop entertainment for channels like Nerdist, SYFY, SPIKE TV, Warner Bros and Nintendo. With all of the relationships that I have made in the entertainment industry, I sincerely believe I have the ability to work in any environment of the entertainment world, so lets get together and write another sappy love letter to all things wonderful and exciting.”

Episode 105 - Kristina King

Kristina King is an amateur weirdo based out of Portland, Oregon.

Professionally, she is a former English teacher who now manages a technical support team for a leading developer of effects plugins and 3D software. While she’s had a video camera in her hands for much of her life, she is most passionate about making community and getting folks to create together.

She’s been producing for Fetus in Fetu Productions for a dozen years and will say “Yes" to any project a Fetoid asks her to take part in, whether it’s acting as a fighter in a D&D play or opening her house for some pickup shots for a schlocky vampire movie. Creating art with any medium is awesome, but it’s even better when you build relationships at the same time—at least, that’s how she copes with existential crises.

Episode 104 - Frances McKee

Frances McKee is a Scottish singer / songwriter best known for her work with the band, The Vaselines.

Frances is also a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and runs her own studio at The Yoga Extension, based in Glasgow.

Episode 103 - Betty Jaeger (Dame Peaches von Killingsworth/Baroque Betty)

Betty Jaeger is a self taught vocalist and seasoned performance artist hailing from Kalispell, Montana and writes the entirety of the group‘s song repertoire. Daughter of Montana’s Poet Laureate 2017-2018, Lowell Jaeger, she is naturally groomed to be the captivating vocalist and songwriter she has become. Her own lyrics are replete with animal and nature imagery, but it’s a fairy tale more in the fashion of Grimm than Disney, with minimalistic guitar styling to accompany them. She also graces stages across the Pacific Northwest as a burlesque performer.