The Organist

The Organist is a monthly experimental arts & culture program produced by the editors of the Believer - the award-winning monthly magazine published by McSweeney's.

2013 / Andrew Leland / Jenna Weiss-Berman / Ross Simonini / KCRW.com, USA

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The Organist is a monthly experimental arts & culture program produced by the editors of the Believer - the award-winning monthly magazine published by McSweeney's.

Inspired by its sibling publication, the Organist explores pop culture and sasses high culture, covering everything from philosphy to daytime TV, from poetry to martial arts. Episode One includes:

  • Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman holding forth on the true nature of podcasts
  • George Saunders talking about 'voice' in fiction
  • Greil Marcus reviewing Bikini Kill and Percival Everett
  • Amber Scorah's story of her defection from the Jehovah's Witnesses in China
  • Pitchfork editor Brandon Stosuy's five-word record reviews
  • Electronic duo Matmos deconstructing a song from their new album
  • A feature about sound design in an indie film about a sound designer in an indie film

Host Andrew Leland shares How the Organist Came To Be, and implores you to call the hotline, Behind the Scenes.

The Organist is produced and distributed by KCRW, along with host Andrew Leland, executive producer Ross Simonini, associate prodcuer Jenna Weiss-Berman, engineer J.C. Swiatek, KCRW's Harriet Ells and writers: Kevin Moffett and Matthew Derby.

Follow the Organist on twitter, like it on Facebook, or engage the old fashioned way - via a website.

Check out the Organist's older sibling, the Believer, parental unit KCRW, and beloved godparent, McSweeney's.

Hey look! Organist producer Ross Simonini also has a band-project, NewVillager.

produced by

Andrew Leland

Andrew Leland (@quality) hosts and produces the Organist, an experimental arts-and-culture podcast from KCRW and McSweeney’s.

Ross Simonini

Ross Simonini is the interviews editor at the Believer, a contributor to Interview and The New York Times, and a musician whose most recent project is NewVillager.

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