Best Joe Zappa Podcasts (2025)

1
Episode 415: Shea Serrano, Anthony Bourdain, Alix Ohlin

1d ago

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The one and only Shea Serrano talks about hip-hop…and other things. Also, writer and editor Laurie Woolever gives us an up-close and personal look at the life and career of […]

1
tvScientific CEO Jason Fairchild on Fundraising Strategy 30:02

4d ago30:02

30:02

tvScientific CEO and co-founder Jason Fairchild joins the pod a second time to discuss fundraising strategies. Tips for Open Marketers include taking more at-bats, choosing the right timing and making the success of the company feel inevitable, making strategics' success a part of your success, and surrounding yourself with the right people, especi…

1
Episode 308: Dwayne Kennedy, Hayao Miyazaki, Radiohead

8d ago

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Dwayne Kennedy on his socially piercing, provocative comedy. Author Susan Napier tells us how animator Hayao Miyazaki creates his magical cinematic universes. And music critic Steven Hyden on how Radiohead’s […]

1
Episode 807: Nick Lowe, Joe Boyd, Steven Hyden

8d ago

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Today on BETA we’ll look back at some of our favorite music conversations featuring Musician Nick Lowe on his latest record, Producer and author Joe Boyd dives into world music with his book, “And The Roots of Rhythm Remain.” And Music critic Steven Hyden considers the cultural significance of Radiohead’s 2000 album, Kid A.…

1
We Weren’t Invited w/ Michael “Loco” Locascio - Ep 281 1:44:01

9d ago1:44:01

1:44:01

Guitarist Michael “Loco” Locascio of "We Weren’t Invited" joins us on Episode 281. Michael talks about his favorite bands growing up, the current state of the Chicago music scene, his Mount Rushmore of death, and "We Weren’t Invited’s" new EP entitled “Not Well” Support the band here: https://linktr.ee/wewerentinvited?utm_source=linktree_profile_sh…

1
Tracii Guns on Sound, Survival, and Staying Power 1:07:12

10d ago1:07:12

1:07:12

Tracii Guns of LA Guns joins Greg Koch for a refreshingly honest exploration of what makes rock and roll endure through decades of industry upheaval. Their conversation weaves through Tracii's musical awakening at age five—hearing Led Zeppelin's theremin breakdown in "Whole Lotta Love" from the backseat of a car—to building and maintaining LA Guns …

1
Building and Managing Teams with PayPal Ads' Dan Robbins 36:30

11d ago36:30

36:30

PayPal's Dan Robbins joins Joe and the Italian Beef on the pod to discuss how management and collaboration changes as an organization grows from one person to over 100 (which Dan oversaw at Roku), heuristics and personality frameworks for understanding people's tendencies and motivations, and why marketing should be an input, not just an output. Pl…

1
Episode 723: Susan Morrison, Leah Kardos, Maggie Su

15d ago

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Susan Morrison joins us to discuss her definitive biography of SNL creator Lorne Michaels.Author Leah Kardos tells us why Kate Bush’s album, “Hounds of Love,” is as fresh as ever 40 years after its release.Also, Maggie Su on her very funny and very moving debut novel,“Blob: A Love Story.”

1
Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna on Collaborative Leadership and International Adtech 31:48

18d ago31:48

31:48

Onetag Co-CEO Filippo Gramigna joins Eric and Joe on the pod to discuss running Onetag as co-CEO with founder Daniel Pirchio, Italian vs Nordic vs American debate styles, and how and when to expand a European adtech company to the US. Filippo gives Joe and Eric some tips on how to navigate intergenerational disagreements, and the trio dives into th…

1
Episode 722: Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul de Jong, Karen Russell

22d ago

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This week on "BETA," ...Master of horror, Clay McLeod Chapman joins us to discuss his latest novel, “Wake Up and Open Your Eyes.”And musician Paul de Jong talks to us about his captivating found sound music.Also, MacArthur Genius Karen Russell sits down with us to talk her about her incredible novel, “The Antidote,”…

1
Blis President Alex Boras on AI Media Planning 19:31

25d ago19:31

19:31

Blis President Alex Boras joins the pod to do a live demo of Blis AI, the location-based DSP's new AI media planning and audience building tool. Alex walks Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa through the tool, showing how audience building has changed with AI from a manual, step-by-step process into a synthetic, highly customized, streamlined exchange betwe…

1
Episode 721: Alan Sepinwall, Rachel Yoder, Kris Delmhorst

29d ago

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Alan Sepinwall joins us to discuss “Saul Goodman v. Jimmy McGill: The Complete Critical Companion to “Better Call Saul.”And Rachel Yoder on her surreal novel, “Nightbitch,” which is now a major motion picture starring Amy Adams.Also, singer/songwriter Kris Delmhorst discusses her latest album, “Ghosts in the Garden.”…

1
Dweezil Zappa 1:19:16

1M ago1:19:16

1:19:16

Greg Koch sits down with guitar virtuoso Dweezil Zappa for a fascinating deep dive into musical authenticity, technical mastery, and the challenge of preserving a legendary legacy. Their conversation reveals the extraordinary dedication required to perform Frank Zappa's intricate compositions, with Dweezil candidly sharing his 14-year journey to tr…

1
The Cluely Marketing Playbook 25:30

1M ago25:30

25:30

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa dive into the tenets of the Cluely marketing playbook, focusing specifically on lessons for adtech and martech founders and marketers. In short: Tell a provocative story about heroes and villains, leverage the CEO as chief evangelist, and capitalize on social channels. Also, Joe shares a big idea for scaled adtech compani…

1
Deftones Live Performance & New Single Review w/ Vince Romero - Ep 280 1:13:49

1M ago1:13:49

1:13:49

With the help of Vince Romero, we talk about our discovery of Deftones, how many times we’ve seen Deftones live, and review/rate our most recent experience catching Deftones live on their 2025 arena tour. We close out the episode reviewing Deftones first single in five years: My Mind is a Mountain. To join us on the upcoming Private Music album rev…

1
Episode 806: Janine Turner and Rob Morrow, Megan Abbott, Damon Young

1M ago

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Rob Morrow and Janine Turner revisit their hit comedy series, “Northern Exposure” with their new podcast, “Northern Disclosure.”And the Edgar Award-winning author of eleven crime novels, Megan Abbott, joins us to talk about her latest book, “El Dorado Drive.”Also, Pittsburgh writer Damon Young sits down with us to discuss “That’s How They Get You: …

1
Tom Bukovac 1:41:50

1M ago1:41:50

1:41:50

There's something uniquely captivating about listening to two master musicians simply talk shop. When Nashville session legend Tom Bukovac (affectionately known as "Uncle Larry") sits down with Greg Koch for this episode of Chewing the Gristle, their conversation unfolds like a masterclass. Bukovac pulls back the curtain on the Nashville session sc…

1
Everything About Boards with Aperiam Partner Corey Ferengul 48:07

1M ago48:07

48:07

Serial CEO and board member Corey Ferengul joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to teach the audience everything they need to know about boards, especially from the founder's perspective. When do you assemble a board? Who should be on it? How do you structure it? What types of questions are great for boards? How do you prepare for updates? And how does…

1
Episode 514: Jena Friedman, The History of Cheap Trick, “Blazing Saddles”

1M ago

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Comedian Jena Friedman on her Peacock comedy special, “Ladykiller.” Also, author Brian J. Kramp on the history of the legendary Midwest band Cheap Trick. And Milwaukee’s Patrick McGilligan on Mel […]

1
Tyler Bryant 1:04:34

1M ago1:04:34

1:04:34

Tyler Bryant's musical journey embodies the purest essence of artistic dedication. From the moment he left his tiny Texas town of 1,700 people at age 17, armed with nothing but talent and determination, his singular focus has been creating authentic music that resonates. That unwavering commitment has evolved into a Grammy-winning career spanning p…

1
Mobian CEO Jonah Goodhart on Another Bite at the Adtech Apple 48:05

2M ago48:05

48:05

Jonah joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss the key factors that allowed his company Moat to exit for $850M to Oracle and how he's approaching GTM differently this time around with his marketing measurement company Mobian. Joe, Eric, and Jonah riff on the Mobian story in real-time, and Joe scintillates the audience with a detour into French p…

1
The Regulars w/ Rabib Hasan - Ep 279 1:23:40

2M ago1:23:40

1:23:40

Singer/guitarist Rabib Hasan joins us on Episode 279 with Musically Meditated Podcast. Rabib talks about his early musical journey in Virginia/DC, his move to Philadelphia, his time in TAGABOW, his love for The Replacements & Wipers, and The Regulars' new EP that just dropped by Julia’s War. Please support The Regulars here: https://linktr.ee/the_r…

1
Episode 720: Maclain and Chapman Way, Ripley Johnson, Richard Price

2M ago

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Documentary film directors Maclain and Chapman Way talk about their incredibly weird Netflix documentary, “The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga.”Also guitarist Ripley Johnson sits down to discuss the new record from his current project, Rose City Band.And novelist/screenwriter Richard Price joins us to discuss his explosive novel, “Lazarus Ma…

1
Joe Bonamassa Returns 1:09:44

2M ago1:09:44

1:09:44

Guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa returns to Chewing the Gristle, bringing his characteristic wit and wisdom as he prepares for an ambitious European tour season. This conversation between two master guitarists reveals the realities of sustaining a music career with both artistic integrity and business savvy. Bonamassa takes us behind the scenes of his…

1
Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger on Building a Creative Business 40:04

2M ago40:04

40:04

Big Happy CEO Jonathan Frohlinger joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss how he got a mobile creative tech business off the ground, learnings in GTM and hiring from his agency days, and what an adtech moat looks like in the AI era. Plus, Jon shares some news: Big Happy's expansion from mobile to DOOH.…

1
Episode 504: John Waters, The Kids in the Hall, Befriending Frank Zappa

2M ago

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Today, director John Waters, joins us to discuss his debut novel, ‘Liarmouth,’ Also, Scott Thompson and Dave Foley of The Kids in the Hall stop by to talk about their […]

1
Ben Eller 1:03:34

2M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Greg Koch welcomes YouTube guitar sensation and touring musician Ben Eller (Uncle Ben) to the Gristle fire for a conversation that meanders from lighthearted Waffle House tales to profound insights about musical authenticity. Ben shares how his guitar journey and popular YouTube channel were born from simple boredom - first as a homeschooled kid wi…

1
Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin on a Hybrid Approach to Adtech GTM 23:21

2M ago23:21

23:21

Duration Media CEO Andy Batkin joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to discuss why and how his company evolved from a focus on viewability to curation and combining old-school sales and marketing tactics with more modern approaches.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Mike Irish 1:08:30

2M ago1:08:30

1:08:30

What happens when two guitar virtuosos reunite after years apart? Greg Koch welcomes his former mentor Mike Irish to Chewing the Gristle for a masterclass in musical wisdom that spans far beyond technique. Mike Irish, who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point when Greg was a student, shares his refreshingly inclusive teaching philosop…

1
How AI Disruption Will Affect Advertising Jobs and Romanticizing the Open Web 21:45

2M ago21:45

21:45

First, Eric shares a prediction from Anthropic's CEO on AI-fueled labor disruption and examines how that will affect jobs in advertising, media, and adtech. Then, Joe shares his critique of romanticizing the open web and clarifies three things adtech companies should be thinking about when considering the future of the open web: what consumers want…

1
Albert Castiglia 1:03:24

2M ago1:03:24

1:03:24

When blues powerhouse Albert Castiglia crossed paths with Bill Murray, neither could have predicted the musical partnership that would follow. In this captivating conversation with Greg Koch, Castiglia pulls back the curtain on how a Hollywood legend became his unexpected bandmate through a series of serendipitous connections that began with Murray…

1
Are Ads or Micropayments the Future of the Open Internet? 24:42

2M ago24:42

24:42

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss whether micropayments will overtake ads as the default monetization model for the open internet as well as OpenAI's big hardware bet and its implications for advertising. Plus, Joe provides three marketing tips on staying the course, when to respond to criticism, and how the advertising echo chamber works. Finally…

1
(A Tribute to Deftones) For the Song You Saved w/ Robert "Woody" Nelson - Ep 278 1:10:39

3M ago1:10:39

1:10:39

Robert “Woody” Nelson of Change in the House of Pods joins us for the third time on Musically Meditated. Woody talks about the Deftones community, the future of his podcast, and For the Song You Saved (A tribute to Deftones). Please listen to this episode to get the full scoop about Woody’s awesome musical fundraiser idea, and with Deftones as the …

1
Dave Hill 1:04:00

3M ago1:04:00

1:04:00

Dave Hill seamlessly blends virtuosic guitar playing with razor-sharp comedy, creating an entirely unique performance experience that defies categorization. In this captivating conversation with Greg Koch, Dave reveals the unexpected path that led him from his Cleveland roots as a rock musician to becoming a multifaceted comedian, author, and perfo…

1
LUMA Recap and the 4 Big Advertising Trends 28:08

3M ago28:08

28:08

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa break down what happened at DMS by LUMA, highlighting four trends: the Outcomes Era, AI transformation, the war for the open internet, and the explosion of creators. They dive deep into how open internet adtech companies can position themselves against the walled gardens by leaning into transparency and whether creators r…

1
Seth Rosenbloom 1:05:37

3M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

Seth Rosenbloom, the fiery young blues guitarist from Massachusetts, brings his wealth of musical knowledge and performing experience to the Chewing the Gristle podcast. What begins as a gear chat about Two Rock amplifiers quickly evolves into a fascinating exploration of musical authenticity and the hard realities of making a living as a performin…

1
SWYM Messaging Workshop with CEO Ravi Patel 38:07

3M ago38:07

38:07

Joe Zappa and Eric Franchi workshop to SWYM story in real-time, unearthing with Ravi Patel how to describe SWYM's differentiated approach to its eponymous mission: helping advertisers to stop wasting their money. They discuss the many curation / quality plays out there and how SWYM differs as well as the evolution from ad buying 1.0 to 2.0 to (now)…

1
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) Rock Legend Series #16 - Ep 277 57:49

3M ago57:49

57:49

Part 16 of the Rock Legend Series focuses on vocalist and guitarist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. We talk about Chris’s upbringing, musical journey, death, and his impact on the music industry. Follow us at: https://instagram.com/musically_meditated Contact: [email protected]

1
Daniel Kimbro 1:07:04

3M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

What does it take to become a musical chameleon who commands respect across diverse genres? Daniel Kimbro delivers a masterclass in musical versatility on this episode of Chewing the Gristle. From his beginnings in a family folk band called Mountain Soul to his current status as bassist for Jerry Douglas and session player on Eric Clapton records, …

1
Retail Media Messaging Workshop with Kevel CEO James Avery 29:35

3M ago29:35

29:35

Kevel CEO James Avery joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa on the pod to discuss how Kevel has evolved over the years, the current retail media landscape, and what the space will look like in five years. Also, Eric and Joe do a deep dive on Kevel's story, and the three workshop the company's messaging in real-time.…

1
How to Turn Your Value Prop into a Story 26:55

3M ago26:55

26:55

Joe rants at Eric about how to turn a company's value proposition into a compelling story that brings more customers and those who influence them into a company's circle. Also, Joe and Eric cover how to optimize for a team of smart folks who make complicated things simple, the value of playing long-term games with long-term people, and the emerging…

1
Kaleidoscope Crux w/ Max Binet - Ep 276 1:32:44

4M ago1:32:44

1:32:44

Episode 276 features guitarist, vocalist, audio engineer Max Binet of the band Kaleidoscope Crux. Max and I talk about his Louisiana roots, his musical background, NOLA sludge, gear and new Kaleidoscope Crux EP “Through the Portal”. Through the Portal drops August 11 Julia’s War, Pleasure Tapes, and Candlepin Records. We close out the episode with …

1
Is It POSSIBLE for Jeff Green to Crush it on LinkedIn? 38:52

4M ago38:52

38:52

Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa discuss POSSIBLE joining the ranks of adtech’s tentpole events, how many brands were there, the two ways to approach events (spontaneous connections or maniacal planning), brand-startup connections, and Joe Zawadzki’s recognizable floppy hair. Plus, Joe analyzes The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green’s LinkedIn presence and explai…

1
The Next $1B Commerce Media Business with PayPal Ads GM Dr. Mark Grether 32:40

4M ago32:40

32:40

Dr. Mark Grether joins the pod to talk about the four components of a massive commerce media business, how to maximize the opportunity for advertisers, why he joined PayPal to build their commerce media network after building Uber's ad business to $1B in revenue, and how AI is changing commerce media for advertisers, media owners, and consumers.…

1
From Brand Safety to Suitability with Michael Bishop and Rich Raddon 30:19

4M ago30:19

30:19

OpenAds CTO (and former Moat engineer) Michael Bishop and Zefr CEO Rich Raddon join Eric and Joe to discuss the evidence-based case (or lack thereof) for brand safety, why we should shift our mindset from safety to suitability and contextual targeting, the link between suitability and performance, and how AI is changing the space. Plus, Michael dro…

1
AI, Work Productivity Gaps, and Customer Experience with Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson 48:44

4M ago48:44

48:44

Friend of the pod and Crosshatch CEO Soren Larson joins Eric and Joe to discuss how AI is transforming venture scaling and bootstrapped business building, the hot sectors of adtech, and how LLMs will change the customer experience. Plus, Soren is now a car guy, and Joe presses Eric on the dark secrets of VC secret society.…

1
The OpenAI Ad Opportunity, Second-Time Founders, and Reading Your Coworkers 48:31

5M ago48:31

48:31

OpenAI says it won’t build an ad business. Joe and Eric say it will — and it’ll be massive. Plus, how AI is boosting margins, why adtech disproportionately rewards second-time founders, and what Eric’s Enneagram type reveals.By Joe Zappa & Eric Franchi

1
Lynn Strait (Snot) Rock Legend Series #15 - Ep 275 51:48

5M ago51:48

51:48

Part 15 of the rock legend series focuses on vocalist Lynn Strait of Snot. We talk about Lynn’s upbringing, musical journey, funny stories, and his impact on Nu-Metal and beyond. Follow us at: https://instagram.com/musically_meditated Contact: [email protected]

1
AI for the Open Web and Product-Market Fit Is Like ... Porn? 41:56

5M ago41:56

41:56

Eric dons his professorial glasses and trots out his most sumptuous-sounding microphone to hold office hours as he and Joe discuss the performance TV thesis' equivalent for the open web, how Joe can work with early-stage startup founders, and how you know you have product-market fit (hint: it's like porn).…

1
A Deep Dive into Adtech M&A with Azerion’s Matt Newcomb 41:57

5M ago41:57

41:57

Matt Newcomb, head of Azerion in the US, UK, and APAC, joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to dive deep into mergers and acquisitions. They discuss how the CEO can maximize a company's chances of a favorable exit, integration best practices, what will drive adtech M&A over the next couple of years, and war stories. Joe promises to visit Eric in his nu…

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