Points of Reference

How the New Pornographers Built 'Whiteout Conditions' with Krautrock and Legos

AC Newman chats about how Neu!, the Feelies, and his son's toys influenced the band's new record.

04/11/2017 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Shelby Earl Turned to 'Twin Peaks,' Cody Chesnutt, and Jesus (Sort of) When Crafting Her New Album

The Seattle singer-songwriter pushes things away from her folky roots on 'The Man Who Made Himself a Name.'

02/28/2017 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How the Head and the Heart Turned Commune Vibes and Classic Rock Influences Into 'Signs of Light'

Charity Rose Thielen chats about how Leonard Cohen, the Eagles, and a German set designer helped in the creation of the band's latest album.

12/06/2016 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Jon Stewart, 'Beakman's World,' and 'BoJack Horseman' Shaped 'Adam Ruins Everything'

Adam Conover discusses the pop culture influences on his comedic fact-checking truTV show before its live tour stops in Seattle.

09/09/2016 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

Dan Auerbach and the Internal Inspiration of the Arcs

The frontman for the Black Keys discusses how Captain Beefheart, a poorly produced gospel record, and the prior works of his bandmates influenced his new band.

04/07/2016 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How '70s Rock Solos and Ludicrous News Reports Shaped Eugene Mirman's Insane New 7 LP Comedy Album

Take a long, strange trip of standup, sound effects, meditation, and digital drugs with 'I'm Sorry (You're Welcome).'

11/09/2015 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

The Path to Making 'The Best Show' Possible

Tom Scharpling, the host of the comedy cult hit call-in program, breaks down how Howard Stern, Patton Oswalt, and conservative talk radio influenced the show.

08/25/2015 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Ernest Cline Mixed Star Wars Fantasy and Classic Video Games to Create 'Armada'

The bestselling author discusses his follow-up to 'Ready Player One,' a pop culture-fueled tale of video gaming and alien invasion.

07/14/2015 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Morrissey's Moping and the Bee Gees' Style Inspired Jen Kirkman's Standup Special

The comedian discusses the pop cultural homages in her new Netflix special I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine).

06/23/2015 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How George Carlin, Ken Burns, and Stevie Wonder Influenced Allen Stone

The Seattle soul singer preps for his new album Radius and the Evolution of the Artist concert series by sharing his inspirations.

04/13/2015 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How David Foster Wallace and INXS Inspired OK Go's 'Hungry Ghosts'

OK Go frontman Damian Kulash discusses what led to the new sounds on the band's latest album.

03/19/2015 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

Andy Daly's 5-Star 'Review' Influences

The comedian chats about how Louis C.K. and Hunter S. Thompson shaped his new Comedy Central show.

04/09/2014 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

Chelsea Peretti's Beautiful Twisted Dark Comedy

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star and standup chats about how Tarantino and Monty Python shaped her comedic voice.

04/07/2014 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Margaret Atwood and Heavy Metal Influenced Rob Delaney's New Book

The comedian and Twitter star discusses the music and literature that shaped his new book.

12/02/2013 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

The Secret Ingredients of 'Bob's Burgers'

The creator of the Fox animated series tells us how Disney, Monty Python, and Gordon Ramsay helped shape his hit show.

04/29/2013 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Picasso, IBM, and Jazz Shape Demetri Martin's Comedy

Yes, Picasso informed his doodles.

03/25/2013 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

Nerd Alert: The Making of 'Lizard Boy'

How Justin Huertas's new play combines his love of comics, the cello, and musicals.

01/22/2013 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

How Louis C.K. Shaped Ben Gibbard's 'Former Lives'

The Death Cab for Cutie frontman tells us how John Lennon and the perfection of 'Louie' informed his new solo record.

11/14/2012 By Seth Sommerfeld

Points of Reference

Trieu Tran's True Story: From Saigon to The Newsroom

We chat with the actor-playwright about the influences on his new solo show Uncle Ho to Uncle Sam.

09/13/2012 By Seth Sommerfeld

Power of Pop Culture

Points of Reference: Sharon Van Etten’s 'Tramp'

The melancholy songwriter shares the pop culture that shaped her latest album. (Two words: Iggy Pop.)

08/02/2012 By Seth Sommerfeld