Coming from a world of fanzines and hanging out with your favorite musicians for hours on end and moving into a decade-long stint as a host on a free form radiok station, it was really only a matter of time before Tom Scharpling created this: Low Times. The new podcast is all about long conversations with musicians. There’s the freedom of zines and the vast frontier of podcastlandia, which means gives the creators (Tom is joined by Daniel Ralston and Maggie Serotaand)   a great creative freedom. Says Tom:

There’s an elasticity to what this podcast is going to be that really excites me. I have no idea what episode ten of this thing will be. But I do know that episode one is pretty awesome and it’s only going to go up from here.

There’s no puppets or weirdo call-ins (sorry Best Show fans), but don’t think that means there’s not going to be a flood of content different from any podcast you currently subscribe to.

Here is the trailer for John Hodgman’s new book That is All. It was directed by comedian/Best Show host Tom Scharpling, music by They Might be Giants, and features literally a room full of celebrity cameos. The book is out on November 1st, 2011. The world ends December 21, 2012.

The book is out on November 1st, 2011. The world ends December 21, 2012.

I’m a little stuck in thinking that this Wild Flag video is part of a larger Portlandia skit. Partially because Carrie Brownstein is in it (and shredding), and partially because it is just that kind of weirdo style. Tom Scharpling directed this clip and it is completely up to par with his ever-growing catalogue of videos (see also: Ted Leo’s “Bottled in Cork,” New Pornographers “Moves,” et al.) This video will make you want to leave your day job, start a punk rock girl group and go to yard sales.

The record this song is from (Wild Flag) is streaming on NPR right now. Get to it!