Author: Mike Katzif

First Listen: The Arcs, ‘Yours, Dreamily,’

The Arcs' new album, 'Yours, Dreamily,' is out Sept. 4 (Richard Swift/Courtesy of the artist)
The Arcs’ new album, ‘Yours, Dreamily,’ is out Sept. 4 (Richard Swift/Courtesy of the artist)

Here’s a rather long-ish review I wrote for NPR Music’s First Listen series about Yours, Dreamily, the new record by The Arcs.

Don’t know that band? Well, it’s a new supergroup fronted by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, the amazing Richard Swift and a bunch of top tier sidemen from Daptone Family and a lot of other stuff. This record is pretty cool — tons of great sounds and soul and R&B and influences all mixing together with some killer attitude. There was a lot to parse on this record, so I sorta went deep and got lost in its pulpy world. But check it out.

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Mac DeMarco Sings In A Rowboat

I’ve shot countless videos of musicians — be it in-studio performances, live concerts, or Tiny Desk Concerts. But one of the most fun things I’ve played a part in is NPR Music’s Field Recordings series. I was there from the get-go when my brilliant, wildly talented colleague and pal Mito Habe-Evans and I took two bands (David Wax Museum and Mountain Man) into the crumbling ruins of Fort Adams at the Newport Festival to play the first two videos that eventually became this series. And I got to take part here and there over the years since.

So it was a ton of fun to be brought back into the fold and work alongside the video team — Mito, Adam Wolffbrandt and Josh Rogasin — to shoot this video of Mac DeMarco. At his house that sits on the bay across from JFK airport in Far Rockaway, Queens. In his rowboat.

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First Listen: Palehound, ‘Dry Food’

Palehound's new album, Dry Food, is out Aug. 14. (Courtesy of the artist)
Palehound’s new album, Dry Food, is out Aug. 14.
(Courtesy of the artist)

I’ve been lucky enough to catch Ellen Kempner perform many times now — solo and with her band, Palehound — and every time I’m blown away by her killer guitar playing and wry songwriting sensibility. Needless to say, I was excited to be able to write about the fantastic new Palehound album, Dry Food, for NPR Music’s First Listen series.

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Ask Me Another: Wet Hot American Summer…Stage

David Wain and David Hyde Pierce talk about the new Wet Hot American Summer series on NPR's Ask Me Another at Summerstage in Central Park. (Michael Katzif/NPR)
David Wain and David Hyde Pierce talk about the new Wet Hot American Summer series on NPR’s Ask Me Another at Summerstage in Central Park. (Michael Katzif/NPR)

A few weeks ago, Ask Me Another — the pub quiz-meets-comedy-meets-variety show I work for at NPR — went to Central Park to put on a show at Summerstage. The episode finally went up today — and it features a big portion of the sprawling cast of Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp, the Netflix series prequel of the amazing movie.

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Pop Culture Happy Hour: On Trainwreck, Ant-Man, Wilco And More

Trainwreck. (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)
Trainwreck. (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Once again, for a second week in a row, I had the pleasure of appearing as the “fourth chair” guest on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. In this episode, we discuss the new Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck, directed by Judd Apatow. Then the latest Marvel superhero movie, Ant-Man — a palette-cleansing heist comedy with Paul Rudd. And, what what was making me happy this week? Star Wars — no, not THAT Star Wars — the new surprise record from Wilco. Plus, the PCHH gang talks about stuff, and they’re great, so take a listen.

Krill, ‘Torturer’

Krill's album, A Distant Fist Unclenching, is out now. (Courtesy of the artist)
Krill’s album, A Distant Fist Unclenching, is out now. (Courtesy of the artist)

Wrote a thing for NPR Music and All Songs Considered about Krill and its eerie and surreal music video for “Torturer” — a fantastic song from the band’s killer 2015 album, A Distant Fist Unclenching.

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NPR Music Front Row: Desaparecidos, Live In Concert

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to help NPR Music shoot the Desaparecidos show at the Bushwick DIY venue Shea Stadium here in Brooklyn. The political punk band is fronted by Conor Oberst — known best as the folk and indie rock songwriter and Bright Eyes mastermind — put on a wild and frenzied show full of moshing and fist-pumping songs that pack a punch. Check out my short essay about the band and the show — and check out the insane video above!

Pop Culture Happy Hour: On Bojack Horseman, The Royals And More

Bojack Horseman. (Courtesy of Netflix)
Bojack Horseman. (Courtesy of Netflix)

This week, I got the thrill and honor to return to Pop Culture Happy Hour, the NPR podcast I helped create and produce for a few years. This show has always been one of my proudest achievements, so it was cool to be added back to the mix or rotating guest “fourth chairs” after three years away.

In this episode, we discuss the amazing and surprisingly moving Netflix series Bojack Horseman; then an old favorite segment People We’re Pulling For — where I make a case for this little team called the Kansas City Royals, who inexplicably are, like, good now. And then, what’s making me happy. Oh, yeah, and the whole PCHH gang talks, too. Take a listen: