Key Change: David Chang

“I See a Darkness” by Bonnie “Prince” Billy

My guest today is Chef David Chang. He founded Momofuku Noodle Bar in 2004. That was just the start of his incredible career – he’s opened several restaurants, winning awards and Michelin stars along the way, and becoming a fixture in the upper echelon of food. He’s the host of the Netflix shows Ugly Delicious and Dinner Time Live, as well as his own podcast, The Dave Chang Show. For this episode, I talked to Dave about the song “I See a Darkness.” It’s the title track on the album by Bonnie “Prince” Billy, aka Will Oldham, which came out in 1999. Later, Johnny Cash would cover “I See a Darkness” in 2000, as a duet with Will Oldham, as part of Johnny Cash’s acclaimed American series.

You can get Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s “I See a Darkness” on vinyl or digital here.

footnotes:
Anthony Bourdain
The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon
Darkness Visible by Will Styron
Eat a Peach by David Chang
I See a Darkness – the album by Bonnie “Prince” Billy

· · ·

Key Change: Jia Tolentino

“I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis

My guest today is Jia Tolentino. Jia is the author of the essay collection Trick Mirror, which was named one of the best books of 2019 by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Paris Review, and more. She won a National Magazine Award for her work at The New Yorker, where she’s been a staff writer since 2016. Her writing covers so many different topics, from Roe v. Wade, to the internet, to pop culture and music. And today, we’re going to talk about the 1996 pop hit “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis.

You can buy or stream “I Love You Always Forever” here.

footnotes:
Addison Rae
Jewel
Mariah Carey
The Spice Girls
Alfonso Cuarón’s A Little Princess
Pocahontas
Mario Kart Rainbow Road
Neon Gold
The Hairpin
Emma Carmichael
Whitney Houston
“Sorry”Justin Bieber
“Teenage Dream”Katy Perry (produced by Max Martin)
“Run Away With Me”Carly Rae Jepsen
“Pink Pony Club”Chappell Roan
“Shake it Off”Taylor Swift
Olivia Rodrigo

· · ·

Key Change: Jason Schwartzman

The ‘Rushmore’ Soundtrack

Jason Schwartzman, actor, songwriter, and musician, talks about how the soundtrack to Rushmore—his first film—changed his life. I met Jason briefly in 2017, as he was leaving the room where I was supposed to interview the band Phoenix. I was shocked when he stopped on his way out to tell me he loved Song Exploder. Eight years later, I reached out to him to see if he’d want to be a guest on Key Change, and we ended up talking for almost two hours, just on the phone. By the time he came over to record, I felt like I’d met a kindred spirit who’d also been cataloguing his whole life through the songs he’d encountered along the way. The fact that we got to talk about one of my favorite movies, Rushmore, made the experience even more meaningful and thrilling for me.

You can buy or stream the Rushmore soundtrack here.

footnotes:
Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Phantom Planet is Missing – Phantom Planet
Davia Nelson of The Kitchen Sisters
Pinkerton – Weezer
The Kinks
“A Quick One, While He’s Away” – The Who
“Making Time” – The Creation
“Rue St. Vincent”
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
“Puttin’ on the Ritz” – Taco

· · ·