Sunday, October 30, 2016

O.P.P. #6: The Long Shot Podcast

It`s time again for O.P.P., that`s right, Other People`s Podcasts! This week we join Amber Kenny and Jamie Flam around Sean Conroy's table for funny and at times surprisingly touching conversations in The Long Shot.

Who? The Long Shot consists of three comedians of different ages and backgrounds all living and working in Los Angelese. Amber Kenny is a comedy writer and performer and a founding member of sketch teams Super Kudzu, The Coat Club, and Hot Dog Volcano. Jamie Flam is a comedy writer, producer, and performer who currently books the Improv Lab at the LA Improv. Sean Conroy is an improv performer and writer, he is a founding member of The Swarm, performs regularly at the UCB Theater as well as performing and writing on Mr. Pickles.

What Is This Show? Every week these three comedians gather around Sean Conroy's table with a special guest. Supposedly each week has a theme but they diverge from those onto other topics very quickly. The chemistry of these three is unparalleled in podcasting. Amber Kenny is "a ray of sunshine" as Sean Conroy says, an up and coming comedian who's positivity comes beaming through and is both the supply and cause of nearly endless giggling. Jamie Flam is a stand up comedian who sometimes spends too much time on the funny voices and anti humour but is a genuinely funny person albeit the kind that is constantly having revelations about their life. Sean Conroy is the anchor and host of the show. Sean is the most reserved of the three, but also the funniest and he loves ship novels which are generally poo pooed.

Best Way In?: The Long Shot is all about the chemistry between the three hosts. They play off  each other well and balance each other. Choose an episode with a guest you are familiar with, Paul F Tompkins is always a solid bet, as is Jen Kirkman or Joe Wagner. 

Marc-André Larivière - 2016 - Farewell, Supernova

Marc-André Larivière is a musician from Gatineau, Quebec. Farewell, Supernova is his debut LP. This LP is an instrumental concept album about the future of humanity and space travel. Aside from spoken vocals this LP is a collection of progressive rock songs on guitar both electric and acoustic heavy on the solo's & noodling.



This LP is at it's best when there is a chugging, distortion generating riff that evolves several times before turning into a solo. The playing could be a little heavier but Larivière can really rock that guitar. My main complaint about this album is the production style. Too frequently there is only one guitar soloing with little or no rhythm backup underneath it. The sound could do with a serious beefing up.

My favourite tracks like Denying Gravity & Isolated Drift remind me of John Petrucci's solo LP Suspended Animation. These songs are filled to the brim with riffs that change & evolve before launching into kick ass solos. Other highlights include Miscalculated Malfunction; Ascensions - Defying Gravity and DescensionMarc-André Larivière has crafted an exciting debut of progressive rock in Farewell Supernova.