WHEEL OF RANDY - A Randy Newman Podcast

Live from the Randy Newman surfing-themed amusement park (under construction), we have Australia's favorite Randy Fan, Max Easton. Max and I talk about Australian politics, climate change communication, and his delightful podcast Barely Human. Max could have brought a hit to discuss, but he went deep and brought out the delphic Laughing Boy. Then the WHEEL decides that wasn't enough of a curveball. Thanks for spinning, Max!

Tune up the banjo, patch up the accordion, and get free oil changes for life. Lucas Ross (KFOR, KAUT, American Banjo Museum) joins us to talk about the latest in banjo news, the perils of being THAT GUY ON TEEVEE, and Muppets Muppets Muppets!!! Lucas and I then talk about that Tin-Pan-Alley classic, Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear. Then the WHEEL takes us to the Bay of Pigs. Thanks to Lucas for coming - you're a champ....

Ford! Chevy! FORD! CHEVY! No, you're not back in the high school cafeteria, it's the beef between Randy and John Mellencamp. Pat Stubbs, the Mad Saxer himself, joins us to discuss Randy's working man's rally, "Piece of the Pie." We discuss crazy Uber customers, local marihuana ordinances, and the theology of poverty. Then Dan plays old commercials (AGAAAAAIN) to give "Piece" some much needed context....

Singer / Praisedowner / All-Around Great Guy Randy Heyer (Chat Pile, Randy Rulz) joins us this week to talk about Randy's anthem to fathers doing the bare minimum, Memo To My Son. Dan hijacks the episode to make it about his pet project, deceptive 1980's commercials, but Randy's a good sport about the whole thing. Then Randy makes a CLASSIC WHEEL BLUNDER by saying what he hopes the wheel DOESN'T land on, and wouldn&...

Where you been lately? There's a new kid in town. If by town you mean Northwest Arkansas, that is. BradChad Porter is one of the funniest guys out there, and we're tickled pink that he joined us to talk about his new adventures in the Land of Opportunity, including the challenges of running a comedy club during the PLAGUE.

For his Randy pick, BradChad gets historicable on us and brings in The Great Nations of Europe. We talk...

Y'all ready to get weird? We welcome Jarvix, the custodian of MAKE OKLAHOMA WEIRDER, performing artist, and all-around cool dude. We talk about the hip-hop scene in rural Oklahoma, challenges for performers in COVID, and what drives artists in an age where "Everything is Free."

Jarvix throws some culture at me, and we review the soundtrack to Seabiscuit - including Dan mixing up James Horner and Hans Zimmer.. Then the wh...

Holly Wade Matter joins the show today, as we talk about her new book "Damned Pretty Things", now available from Aqueduct Press and your local bookseller. 

Holly talks about the post-punk scene in Seattle, the perils of growing up with such a devilishly handsome younger brother, and how creative persistence pays off.

Then we tune in to 70's AM radio for a breakdown of Short People, Randy's one-hit-wonder. 

There was ne...

A sleep trance, A dream dance, A shared podcast: Synchronicity. 

We kick off Season Two of Wheel of Randy with a podcast partnership. Mike McVey from"Nobody's a Nobody" spins the wheel, while simultaneously I appear on his show! Which one to listen to first? Oh dear listener, some choices I can't make for you.

Mike's a great guy, and we talk about high school bullying, the Toastmasters circuit, and his philosophy ...

FOTs, rejoice! The Best Show may still be on hiatus, but you can now once again hear the dulcet tones of Dave from Knoxville. Dave and I talk about his extensive music collection, including his prodigious Spotify playlists. Dave reveals his personal connection to Knoxville's legendary World's Fair, I share my distaste for STEM programs, and we discuss whether or not the term "osculating plane" is scandalous. Dave al...

Pixar Month plunges on, and this week we have a composer, musician, worship leader, educator, and all-around-great guy Mark Burrows. Joining us in the WHEEL Studios (Nichols Hills auxiliary) is my co-host Suzann Wade. Whilst Mark Suzann and I would normally catch up with some chips and salsa at Blue Mesa, these are unprecedented times, so we catch up on the zoom and let you nosey people listen in.

Mark talks about the challenges of ...

It's two weeks until election day, and the WHEEL has brought in some of our favorite candidates to talk about Randy's Watergate love letter, "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man). Joining us is wheel alumnus Michael Ross (OK House District 68) and newcomer Spencer Hicks (Oklahoma County Commissioner District 2). I grill them on the tough issues: Mr. Ross, your campaign seems to have the momentum of a runway frei...

PIXAR month continues on the WHEEL, and this week we have the multi-talented Hannah Eakin. She and our avuncular host talk about her series The Sara Teasdale Project, the power of poetry, and how much Dan misses the meth-heads in the Plaza District. Then we break down When She Loved Me, the tearjerker from Toy Story 2. After that, the WHEEL sulkily reminds me I haven't mentioned Harry Nilsson on the show for over two weeks. Han...

The WHEEL welcomes Funkmeister Michael Bendure for a spin! Maybe you know him from his bands (Whiskey Gingers, Heartbreak Rodeo....) or as the DJ of KGOU's Friday Night Bo-hemoth, "Tonic: The Funky Groove Show." Or maybe he lent you five bucks in 1993. Regardless, you're in for a treat.

Michael goes instrumental and reviews "The Scare Floor" from Monsters Inc. and gives us a clinic on movie scoring, the swing...

Look sharp, the boss is here! Dalton Stuart calls in from Good Trash Media's international headquarters, and I (apparently) call in from the bottom of a well. Whatever my microphone issues, Dalton more than makes up for it by being a great guest, and a good sport when I make him play RANDY OSCAR TRIVIA.

Dalton talks about "You've Got a Friend in Me," and seasons the talk with all sorts of Toy Story factoids that I di...

A bonus episode. Definitely not the first episode you should try. And if you're related to me, you might want to sit this one out.

"Dan doesn't talk about Rednecks," the old song goes. But after Donald Trump's overt appeal to white supremacists last night, I think it's time I make an exception. No guests, no malarkey today, just me ranting about Rednecks for 45 minutes. If that's your thing, dig in. If no...

Singer-songwriter Becky Warren takes a spin this week. My wife and I first discovered Becky when she opened for Indigo Girls in Tulsa last year. Is this just a sneaky way for me to get Indigo Girls on this show? Of course not! Are such tactics beneath me? Possibly!

Becky talks about her first two albums; War Surplus and Undesirable. Her upcoming album, The Sick Season, drops in October.

Becky and I talk Faust, Randy's doomed thea...

Deep cut alert! We have singer-songwriter Al Riggs on the show this week, and they went for a tough one --- The Great Debate, Randy's longest song, and one of his most complicated.

Join me and Al as we discuss Tulsa barbecue vs. Carolina barbecue, Durham gentrification, and other, much less-important issues (e.g., God).

And like so many of Randy's fans, Al jumps from song to song to song.

Thanks for coming Al - and congrats on...

Double your pleasure. Double your fun. Two guests spin the wheel today - Lucas Wilson from Supersphere, along with Doug (from Parts Unknown). Lucas confesses that he thought this podcast was an elaborate prank, and sometimes I kind of wish it was. We talk about how VR is changing the face of concerts, both Lucas and Doug CASUALLY mention that they've met Paul McCartney, and then things go nucular when we discuss Political Scien...