KPODD 101.3

The 90s Are Alive and Well. Machine Bolt and Él Farto take a moment to look back on some special guests from Season 1 of KPODD 101.3 Some people (Gene) say that these are some of the most brilliant people in public radio, literary culture, or TV writers and producers simply playing funny characters in a period comedy about a Los Angeles radio station in 1997-1998. Literally, is Gene insane? Is he, like, from the future? Guests: Jesse Thorn (NPR's Bullseye, “Jordan, Jesse, Go!”); Laurie Kilmartin (Conan/Team Coco, Author and Comedian); Mike Sacks (Vanity Fair, Author); Paul Myers (Gravelberrys, The Paul & John, Author); Jessica Lee Williamason (Netflix's “F is For Family”, Showtime's “I'm Dying Up Here”, The Moth, This American Life); Lauren Weedman (HBO's “Hacks”, “Arrested Development”, “The Daily Show”, Comedian); Alison Rosen (“Upworthy”, “Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend”, The Angoras); Colin Nissan (McSweeney's, The New Yorker); Josh Gondelman (Showtime's “Desus & Mero”, HBO's “Last Week Tonight” Author, Comedian); Dave Holmes (Editor at Large, Esquire Magazine, Author, Co-Host of “Homophilia” and “Troubled Waters”); Ophira Eisenberg (The Moth, NPR's “Ask Me Another”, Author, Comedian); Tim Stevens (Automotive Journalist at CNET and Author). And last but not least, Nathram! (Ted Travelstead from F/X's “The Great North”, “Making History” and “Wilfred”). We love you, Tim from Tower.

Él Farto and Machine Bolt have an announcement. Super Caller Mike is milking a venomous spider into thimbles and condoms after the spider was smuggled to him in a Band Aid box. The competition is out of their coma and you'll never guess what jump-started them. Plus: Listener Review! Also: The phone line is sponsored by Fruitopia® and everyone in the world is filled with deep regret and painful awareness with regard to this. God save us all.

Radio consultants Genevieve Haas and Andrew Walsh, hired by Gene to whip the morning show into shape, give on-air advice to Machine Bolt and Él Farto on how to get jiggy with it and bring the ratings fight to Chudd and Carl (still in comas). Get your whips and your latex, and tune in for weather, listener calls, and some deeply inside-baseball radio strategy on this morning's broadcast!

There's never been a better time to buy a Toyota, but time is a construct. Rocktober came in without warning and is winding down with a certain flair as Machine Bolt and Él Farto wade into a swag swamp of Bacardi guitars and KPODD T-shirts! Heavy Kevy calls in! New details emerge about Chudd Cuddler and Carl Cannibal's dirt bike crash in Elsinore! Machine Bolt and Él Farto hover near number two in the ratings while Chudd and Carl hover near death in comas! The phrase that truly pays: As long as you're free from fear and the tyranny of your brain, you're truly free and you'll be fine!

Call 818-85-FARTO and tell us all your thoughts on ROCKTOBER! Él Farto and Machine Bolt (real names) have been accused of stealing their format from a competing morning team, and they start the broadcast getting a lot off their chests about that. The new AlternativeRockMobile™ has been christened, and is out there on the 405 this morning! If you're a lucky listener with the KPODD bumper sticker you could get a free guitar! Tune in to this morning's broadcast for a sad update on local radio heroes Chud Cuddler and Cannibal Carl, plus some static the guys are having with Anthony Loud's sidekick Stump.

Consider that forgetting your dreams each morning may be the key to happiness. While you're doing that, Whiskey Dick is writing a hard-hitting prison memoir about his time (3 days) in prison (County lock-up), and Él Farto and Machine Bolt are giving you hacks to make people like you instantly. Plus! More unvarnished truths are spoken while Lynn is out of the room, women and drugs and fake fame on the tuba player scene, and the most dangerous live remote in the 818 is happening Friday and it will be 60 below zero Fahrenheit. We're Sorry We Tried to Hire Your Baby®

October 1st 1998 is another day full of excitement and chill vibes for Machine Bolt and Él Farto, who are down one Morning Zoo Butt Nugget after a riot broke out at that vegan restaurant. They take a moment this episode to reflect on some of the morning FM broadcasters who blazed the trail that the third most popular morning team in LA is honored to walk. That plus weather, snake attacks and dogs!

Él Farto and Machine Bolt definitely are not aware of 17th century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. They have, however, come into a bit of a windfall and upgraded at The Oakwood. Mike's having Black Feather meetings at the new apartment, Tim from Tower is on the line this morning, plus things go sideways at Seth's Bar and Grill and Whiskey lands in the slammer. Epic!

It's September 17, 1998 and Machine Bolt and Él Farto are consulting crystal balls, entertainment news reports and super callers during the 8 o'clock hour of the morning show today. Tune in so you don't miss the latest from Crazy Sign Guy, a plea for information on the whereabouts of Bloodhound, and information about the first remote the KPODD morning show will be doing at a bar since the incident! Very little discussion of gangrenous wounds or animal inseminations gone wrong. Just some great, positive alternative rock vibes to start your day!

Fall takes its time finding The Southland, and Él Farto takes the high road about Machine Bolt selling his car while he was out of town. More rips in the space time continuum as the guys get to the bottom of this Wil Wheaton World Wide Web posting and a weird card from Lynn, plus: The struggle to find euphemisms! Crazy Sign Guy's wisdom and insight! And remember: The harder you try to deny your true pants, the more humiliating they become. This episode is brought to you by Sevan II: The Big Picture® "Makes most economy sedans appear to be a van from most angles! Now with side panel murals!"

It's 09/03/98! Really just music from Matthew Sweet, Super Furry Animals, Hole — maybe an ad for SeVan II ®. Oh, and Él Farto calls in from the Airfone on his Continental Airlines flight. Definitely not a recon mission into a shadowy underworld. And no food-based vandalism. Pretty basic, really. Doesn't end on a note of ominous struggle or anything.

It's August 27th, 1998 and The Southland is seeing continuing showers as Él Farto continues bathing in sinks after hours at the WPODD offices and studios in Chicago. Things have gotten even stranger with Super Roommate Mike's visit to his gang of seafaring outcasts, and Tim from Tower Sunset is in the land of the ice and snow where the midnight sun and the hot springs flow, or whatever they call Dublin. What the hell is going on with Lynn, and what's the story on the weird wild card? The guys finally come down once and for all on Super Roommate Mike for having bobcat urine, shoulder-length cattle insemination gloves, and bulk bat guano sent to The Oakwood. Come on people, be adults.

Good morning from 08/20/98 where life at The Oakwood is torn asunder. Machine Bolt tries to stay anchored in Van Nuys, Él Farto continues camping in an office, and Super Roommate Mike is still M.I.A. in Clearwater, Florida at the center for nautically themed occult gangs. Plus: listener calls! Brought to you by Blockbuster Video® See “Press Hard: The Dixon Ticonderoga Story” now available on home video.

It's August 13, 1998. Él Farto calls in from Chicago and Super Caller Mike calls in from Clearwater while Machine Bolt watches the fort in Van Nuys because he doesn't believe in the physics of air travel. The morning team experiments with pulling on the emotional heartstrings of each other, their former roommate, and the audience. Also, Él Farto spoke with Crazy Sign Guy again, and got a lot more of the backstory. Mike's menagerie is not doing great, but he has a new employee to take care of them during his billion year contract.

It's August 6th, 1998! Apparently the live remote at the West Valley Taekwondo College didn't go so well, but let's not regret the past! Today, we have a special guest! Maybe you know Alison Rosen from her writing in Rolling Stone, Vibe, SPIN, Elle, and more. Or from her stint as newsgirl and co-host of "The Adam Carolla Show", or awesome shows like "Upworthy Weekly", "Childish" with Greg Fitzsimmons, or her podcast "Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend". But this is 1998 and Machine Bolt and El Farto just met her at Sam Goody in the mall and will later realize they're trying to hire her while she's still in High School. Hey, at least they've stopped trying to hire Wanda's baby! Listener calls, Crazy Sign Guy, The News, plus upcoming live remote alert, and The News! Epic! Brought to you by ScreenSack®

It's July 30th, 1998 and Paul Myers of the Gravelberrys is sitting in with the morning crew to discuss sobriety, Toronto and Ladies who are Bare and Naked. We also listen to a demo tape from an aspiring local radio personality. Intern Derek gets a field commission to run the carts, and everyone talks about their various regrets and whether San Francisco was their locus or refuge.

It's July 23, 1998! In the future, Colin Nissan will go on to become a very funny writer celebrated for his work in The Onion, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and more. But today, in 1998, he makes his living as a dead guy in the background on the hit show “E.R.” Machine Bolt and Él Farto will get the inside line on show biz from a very alive-and-well Colin Nissan! Plus: Machine Bolt does a bit of sleuthing and discovers Él Farto hitting Casa Vega for lunch... with Steph! Listener Calls, Apple FM Broadcast reviews, and more! This episode is paid for by Pasadena County College's Stand Up Comedy Course®.

It's July 16, 1998! Machine Bolt and Él Farto are moving on up, the cops are in Merkin's pocket, and Gary Shadow from KHJ knows that when the police fail DJs, society's collapse is not far behind. Your calls on the MCI Worldcom Rock Talk Line™. Also, Taekwondo remote to promote! Plus: Versace is dead, crazy sign guy is god, and a couple of big male and female reticulated Pythons are nesting in the heavens above. Lastly, we're organizing breakout groups of listeners who will fight each other, please place only educated wagers.

This podcast is sponsored by Tear Bucket®. Machine Bolt and Él Farto realize the upside of feeling down is getting over things! What we're trying to say is, ÉL Farto went on a date with Steph. Super Roommate Mike calls in, asking the guys if they could get dressed in the morning at The Galpin instead of The Oakwood. And like all philosophers have pondered since the dawn of time, the raddest morning team is Los Angeles asks: Does the one-eyed monkey live a life of walking in circles? No, according to Mike. Also, Mike is apparently guided by aliens or the dead. He has something called an e-meter and he's hooked himself and Menthol/Karen up to it. Plus News!

It's on July 2, 1998, and the guys are rolling calls starting with one disgruntled employee named Whiskey Dick. Then they spend some time shooting the breeze with Tower Records' number one salesman (of blank journals and media). All in all, regrets are out and optimism is in for the raddest morning team in the southland. Get us on!

It's a heavy morning commute as the guys dive into Crazy Sign Guy's latest maxim, Él Farto debuts his new segment, and Machine Bolt drives halfway to hell and ends up nearly diabetic just to listen in on rival broadcaster Kurt Merkin on San Bernardino's KDNG 107.7 FM. Producer Lynn thinks we're culturally illiterate apparently. Plus, your calls, and the news!

It's June 18, 1998 and famed psychiatrist Dr. Lauren Weedman (not a psychiatrist) returns to the show promoting a new book, and she'll attempt to settle a few bets between Machine Bolt and Él Farto about whether or not the behavior in their friendship is appropriate. Crazy Sign Guy has a real gem, and the guys get sideswiped by a bunch of 4th graders. Plus your calls, and the news! Gooood mental health! Alternative Rock Radio! They're doing their best.

It's June 11, 1998 and Josh Gondelman (HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver", Showtime's "Desus & Mero", and author of the book "Nice Try") drops into the studio to give the guys a peek into the world of gonzo rock journalism and the degenerate desperadoes (pop stars) he embeds himself with. Machine Bolt and El Farto are here to chase your blues away! The Sign Guy has an oddly life affirming message, and some comped Stank Beanies are laying around the booth! Plus your calls and The News!

It's the 4th of June 1998, and the gloom is trying to set in, but Machine Bolt and Él Farto refuse to let anything sour their mood! A brief detente between Él Farto and radio legend Kurt Merkin has collapsed back into active vitriol, meanwhile Machine Bolt has leaked a track from the new Beastie Boys album, tempting the fates of rock radio. This broadcast also covers lots of entertainment news, station drama, and you may or may not hear an update on what it's like to share a studio apartment with Super Caller Mike. Get us on!

It's May 28, 1998, and how you think things are going for you is none of your business. Machine Bolt and El Farto continue their savage journey toward better living, legendary Kurt Merkin wants to grab lunch in San Berdoo, and Super Caller Mike is really up against it after crashing his invention plus losing one of his hedgehogs last month (and also his mother). Whiskey Dick phones it in auditioning for the job of News Girl, the guys do the math in their head and it turns out they're spending $15,000 a year at the laundry machines, and Mike just might move in to reduce their overhead a bit. Epic!

It's May 21, 1998! Because the annual FM/AM Personality Conference and Tradeshow is happening in Tempe, AZ this year, Él Farto is broadcasting remote. The guys take a call from Whiskey Dick, run down some of the fallout from last week's remote at the Rainbow Aquarium and Pond, read some sports scores and an obituary, but mostly just play some awesome jams from some of the hottest alternative rock bands out there because they're both in a great mood and not talking past each other or being weirdly avoidant around their feelings! Epic!

It's May 14, 1998, and because of a health kick, Machine Bolt is eating from ramekins, which dovetails nicely with a call from a local Olive Garden server who wants to jump into Wanda's old job. The hosts get pretty fixated on behind the scenes Olive Garden intel. That plus weather, news, and info about the next live remote which Lynn is pretty sure is going to be a much better fit for the morning show.

It's May 7th, 1998! Laurie Kilmartin (Conan, Dead People Suck, Corset) drops by to interview for Wanda's position and suggests we fire Lynn (She's joking, so just relax, Lynn). El Farto kicks us off into the morning drive as the nation faces the grim reality of Seinfeld ending its run on NBC. A new segment "Riddle Me This with Machine Bolt Kennedy" debuts, the guys are star struck, listener calls, and more!

It's April 30th, 1998! After last week's defeat at the Pacoima Branch of the Los Angeles Library, Machine Bolt and Él Farto are still reeling, but one thing is for sure: the on-air names of the Morning Zoo Butt Nugget Dream Team are locked in. The guys field a listener phone call, get a visit from Doctor Farto, and promote a live remote that might be an even worse fit for the show than a library. Why is there a repair guy in the studio while the show is on air? Why can't the hosts blame their mistakes on substances anymore? Why won't Wanda come back? It's 1998 and everything is epic!

It's April 23, 1998! Why does empathy and understanding feel like death? Who cares, keep the positivity and volume high. The control room window is shattered again so it sounds weird when we laugh. Machine Bolt attends Stephanie's Prison Party, El Farto reads your Apple FM Broadcast Listener Cards, Whisky Dick and Monster Mike are growing as people, a relapse into Night Nugs and Red Hot Chili Peppers have some relapses of their own. Plus Shakespeare, and more!

It's April 9th, 1998! El Farto drops a bomb and a horse in the weather report, the guys are still inspiring middle schoolers, Whisky Dick calls in for some clarification on his new name, and if Arizona can just invent a Major League Baseball team called The Diamondbacks then Machine Bolt and El Farto may consider starting The Van Nuys Garbage Possums. News goes well but then everything goes south announcing this week's live remote. Paint it on, suck it in, prop it up, and Look Your Best® as we welcome sponsorship dollars from The Mop Shop Rock and Roll Performance Hair Center For Men in Studio City.

It's April 02, 1998! Malibu® Rum is sponsoring 5th Period lunch at the middle school with free drinks and a Tom Petty tribute band called Free Fallin', as Machine Bolt and El Farto push their luck right up against Vice Principal Garibaldi's ban. And the 1998 version of Tim Stevens (Editor in Chief of "Roadshow" on CNET) tries to educate the guys about Electric Cars and the future! Nooner mini kiwi smoothies from Simi Hibachi on Doheny! Plus: Gasland® Amusement Park, News, your listener calls, and more!

It's 3-26-98, and this episode is brought to you by Buddy Björn: "Buddy Björn. Now you don't have to be a baby to get a break"®. Mornings with Machine Bolt and El Farto has been banned from being played by parents in the pickup area of Gaspar De Portola Middleschool, and now there's a news chopper circling the station. A creature called Chixor7 comes from space to give us the stars, "Titanic" sweeps the Oscars and El Farto is beside himself, plus: News! Weather! Cho Cho San remote!

The Rock Mobile is dead so the street team has gone fully two-wheel, someone is calling himself Dr. Farto and he has Alternative Viewpoints, Machine Bolt secretly stumbles into Ginsberg's essays, plus: thinking is depressing at the Orange Coast School of Philosophy, Muffler King Redux, News, Weather, and more! Epic!

It's March 12, 1998! The future of home video delivered right to your door, and this is no scam! The RockMobile is officially dead, but KPODD is getting represented on the streets of LA by our in-studio guest Nathram! The guest appearance turns into a job interview, which could spell trouble for Whiskey Pete and Precious Keepsake. Plus: Listener Calls, and News! No regrets.

It's March 5th 1998, once again Lynn has the mics on when the guys are discussing personal matters and that's not professional behavior. Super Caller Mike sheds light on sending weird drawings to the station, living with hundreds of animals, accidentally driving his Buick Electra onto a Little League field, and more. Plus listener calls, El Farto's advertising debut, News, Live Remote... Epic!

Here comes the future! It's February 26, 1998 and technology is taking over more and more of our lives. Ophira Eisenberg, tech consultant extraordinaire, is in studio to tell the guys about how to adapt to a modern world where 41% of Americans are projected to use Internet. There's news, station drama, Nostradamus-like predictions and more on today's KPODD morning show! Hello end users!

It's 2/19/98 and Lynn has booked local TV greengrocer Jesse Thorn on the morning show. What seems like it would be an onion in the fruit basket ends up pairing with Machine Bolt and Él Farto like ice cold brew dogs and a morning commute. The interview touches on Mexican Chip Sauce, seasonal produce, building wealth, news, traffic and weather. Tensions seem to be rising between Producer Lynn and Program Director Keith, but at least the Raddest Morning Team has gotten to the bottom of why they're suffering from scurvy. Gnarly!

The date is 2/12/98, the RockMobile is nearly dead, but the Raddest Morning Team in the Southland is keeping spirits high…on life! Are you choosing pain? Special guest Dr. Lauren Weedman (who for legal reasons we have to stress is not licensed as a doctor) is in the studio to promote her self-help book... but who knows which direction the self-help advice will flow? Please note: the Taco Bowl competition is canceled, but we got the permit so we're going to the park anyway. No regrets!

It's 02-05-98 and Station Manager Gene is saying weird random stuff about time and space, El Farto complies with The California Prepackaged Meal Advisory Board, and in the news we've got "The Millionaire Next Door" and a story about a covey of Belgian performance artists throwing baked goods at Bill Gates. Plus! SeVan® Listener Complaints! Machine Bolt introduces "Unsung"!

It's 1-29-98 and the DJs of the KPODD morning show are taking your calls, reading FM Listener Review Cards, and to getting in trouble with the fuzz. Plus! Workshopping new slogans for the Raddest Morning Team in the Southland! Machine Bolt had an in-person interaction with Art Alexakis! And El Farto delivers a heartfelt apology. Epic! The Double D!

It's January 22, 1998 and Alternative Rock makes first contact with Alternative Comedy. Performer and Writer Beth Lisick is in the studio to coach Machine Bolt and Él Farto on a trend they just don't get. News, weather, and an update on what has happened to the Tercel since it was modified to look like a van (from most angles).

It's 1-15-98 and the news is a real déjà vu moment if you happen to be a time traveler! Plus, El Farto's dark past reveals that he's banned in more than one quality auto parts retailer, we hear a happy ending to a BackStack® Cold Rack injury claim, The Raddest Morning Team campaign rolls out on bus stops along Ventura Boulevard, Machine Bolt tries to get his nuggin' under control, The WetSack® Sleep Cap, and more! EPIC! WELL DONE!

01-08-98: Machine Bolt finally, really apologizes to Everclear, and the Raddest Morning Team begins a scintillating Thursday broadcast. El Farto's foot is broken due to a cheezy sauce incident, and the station's live room is out of commission because Machine Bolt was trying to make Steph laugh. It's January 8, 1998, and the news is bad, but the radio is so damn good. Awesome!

Happy New Year! It's 1-1-98 and Maggie Serota from SPIN and Rolling Stone joins Machine Bolt and El Farto in the studio. Dateline made the guys look like idiots, Machine Bolt and Steph are in love/Steph is seeing someone else. Apple FM Broadcast Audience Card reviews from listeners! Your calls/injury claims, Fullerton Municipal Airport: Orange County's Regional Relief Airport! Plus, Slash's baby mountain lion, and more! Epic!

It's 12-25-97 and the KPODD morning duo is in the studio despite it being Christmas morning. Fortunately, Producer Lynn let them take it easy, so they're looking back at a deep history of (until now) unheard clips! Well, at least unheard by their true fans. The haters in Chicago heard. Come along as Machine Bolt Kennedy and Él Farto play some poorly curated clips of their broadcasts before The Incident. Epic!

It's 12/18/1997 and Lynn gets Machine Bolt and El Farto to try their hand at ideas for public radio shows, Whisky Pete checks in from the RockMobile® after using it as a road block on the 405, Machine Bolt and Stephanie go to the movies, El Farto is Namin' Shamin' and Disdainin'. Also: PLEASE SET ALL BANJOS AFLAME!

It's 12/11/1997 and a settlement with Annie's Hallmark could force the guys to do on-air PSAs promoting exactly the opposite kind of behavior that forged their career. Él Farto is scheduled to move out at the end of the month, but in the meantime is storing some patio furniture in Machine Bolt's apartment and making a real hassle for everyone. Meanwhile, a deadly rock slide, Machine Bolt is in love, Microsoft is trading at an all-time high of $16.16, and it's really looking Lynn really has it in for our heroes. You win!

It's 12/04/1997 MCI Worldcom is formed, Machine Bolt slams a shot of Precious Keepsake's Truth Syrum, Jamiroquai tries some storytelling on Leno, Whiskey Pete is making $10,000 per corporate speaking gig, and the guys are doing their most humiliating remote to date down at the Studio City Ralph's. Segments include: News, This Day in Music History, and more! Epic!

It's 11/27/97. Machine Bolt and El Farto are forced to listen to motivational speakers, Whisky Pete calls in on the air, a car pins Poppo and Meemo to the wall, the guys witness the debut of "Alternative comedy" PLUS try to make an emotional connection with you. Perfect!