Best Curt Vance Podcasts (2025)

1
The Life & Crimes of Roy Cohn (w/ In Bed with the Right) 53:17

3d ago53:17

53:17

Recently Matt joined Moira Donegan and Adrian Daub of the excellent In Bed with the Right podcast to record what turned out to be two episodes about Roy Cohn—the "lawyer, closet case and ratfucker extraordinaire," as they describe him. These days Cohn is perhaps most infamous for being Donald Trump's lawyer and mentor, but this first episode focuse…

1
The Meaning of Pope Francis 1:24:24

10d ago1:24:24

1:24:24

The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked not just the end of a papacy but the end of an era in global politics. The moment in which Francis spoke before Congress a decade ago and identified Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King as models of Christian moral witness feels like another universe — far from the cruel, cramped, s…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 182 03/08/2024 1:01:30

10d ago1:01:30

1:01:30

The Needmores - Lookin' Chris Church - She Looks Good In Black Silver Synthetic - Happy Ever After Nick Frater - Dreaming Of A Wonderland The While - Frozen To The Core Push Puppets - This Whole Endeavor Hot Dates -The Heart Of You The Rage - Girl Like You The Native Tounges - Can't Say Go The Lifesavors - Fourteen Indiscreet - American Nightmare T…

1
The Madness of Trump’s Tariffs (w/ John Ganz) [TEASER] 4:50

20d ago4:50

4:50

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Speaking in the Rose Garden on April 2, or as he called it, "Liberation Day," President Trump unveiled his plans to impose a new minimum tariff on nearly every country in the world, along with country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs for those nations Trump deemed t…

1
UNLOCKED: How the Pandemic Changed Everything (w/ David Wallace-Wells) 1:49:58

27d ago1:49:58

1:49:58

In response to several requests from our (wonderful) Patreon subscribers, we're unlocking this episode from behind the paywall. Consider subscribing at Patreon.com/KnowYourEnemy to never miss an episode. March 2025 marked five years since the formal start of the pandemic in the United States, when the federal government declared the arrival and spr…

1
How the Pandemic Changed Everything (w/ David Wallace-Wells) [TEASER] 4:55

1M ago4:55

4:55

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy This month marked five years since the formal start of the pandemic in the United States in March 2020, when the federal government declared the arrival and spread of the novel coronavirus to be a national emergency. The official Covid death toll in the United St…

1
Becoming Elon Musk, Part Two 2:01:16

1M ago2:01:16

2:01:16

If there's ever been a Know Your Enemy subject worthy of two episodes, it is Elon Musk—currently the world's richest man, CEO and leader of several pathbreaking companies, ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and (for now) Donald Trump's co-president. In other words, to understand what's happening in the United States during the s…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 181 03/01/2024 1:01:48

1M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

The Cynz - Heartbreak Time The Modbeats - Fairweather Friends Dom Mariani - Jangleland Marveline - Words Won't Come Librarians With Hickeys - Ship To Shore Sorrows - Never Mind Brandy - Treating Me Bad Musical Chairs- Because It's You Rave - Take Me To The Movies The Toasters - Stuck On You (1979) The Wet! - It's Allright (1980) The Sighs – She's N…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 180 02/22/2024 59:56

1M ago59:56

59:56

The Speedways - Visiting Hours The Spindles - How to Love Nick Frater - My Heart's In Stereo Creem Circus - Keepers Of The Good Mix Brian D'Addario - Till the Morning The Rallies - Comes And Goes (promo) True Hearts - All My Time The Spies - Bad Girl The Boys (UK) - Cool Toby Redd - More Time The Jags - Woman's World The Rattlecats - Back To Life G…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 179 02/15/2024 1:01:59

1M ago1:01:59

1:01:59

The Spindles - Ruthy Ann The Tearaways - Or Something Like That Steve Moss - Twice As Hard As Yesterday Brad Marino - On The Brink The Shang Hi Los - Monsieur Valentine The Laissez Fairs - Duke F 1842 The New Romans - Loving Touch (1980) The Girls - I Beg Your Pardon (1988) Klepto - Rock'N'Roll (1976) The Absolute Beginners - Southern Beat (1984) T…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 178 02/08/2024 59:50

1M ago59:50

59:50

Chris Church - Sit Down Mitch Linker - Sandbar SUPER 8 feat. Lisa Mychols - Pop Radio The Boltons - Over the Garden Wall Midnight Callers - Saturday Night The Blusterfields - Julie is Gun Crazy The Ravyns - Hooked On the Radio Great Buildings - Hold On To Something Phil Seymour - Let Her Dance Tommy Tutone - Cheap Date The Elvis Brothers - Santa Fe…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 177 02/01/2024 1:00:30

2M ago1:00:30

1:00:30

Push Puppets - All Together On 3 20-20 - King Of The Whole Wide World The Jelly Bricks - Dreaming in Stereo The Grip Weeds - Conquer And Divide Dustaphonics - Hey Sister The Mayflies USA - Calling The Bad Ones Home The Haskels -Daddy's Girl Gary Valentine - Tomorrow Belongs To You The Next - Cheap Rewards 1979 Marching Girls -True Love Badbeats - O…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 176 01/25/2024 1:00:43

2M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

Gysai - Baby Blue The Bablers - Together Forever The Well Wishers - Shark Pretty (Game Theory Cover) Tony Marsico and the Ugly Thingz - No Future Go Time - What I Needed The Vapors - Hit The Ground Running The Comets - Pick Of The Litter The Tyrants - Attitude The Phoinz - She Wants To Be A Man Nervebreakers - Hijack The Radio Flaming Hands - I Bel…

1
Becoming Elon Musk, Part One 1:22:30

2M ago1:22:30

1:22:30

If there's ever been a Know Your Enemy subject worthy of two episodes, it is Elon Musk—currently the world's richest man, CEO and leader of several pathbreaking companies, ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and (for now) Donald Trump's co-president. In other words, to understand what's happening in the United States during the s…

1
"Exit From Within" (August 2022) 20:42

2M ago20:42

20:42

Here's something a little creepy. In a bonus episode from August 2022, Matt and Sam were discussing Sam's profile of Arizona Senate hopeful and Peter Thiel-protégé Blake Masters when we found ourselves imagining how a future union of MAGA nationalism and Silicon Valley libertarianism might try to run the government. A listener flagged it for us, no…

1
How Bad Is It? [TEASER] 4:27

2M ago4:27

4:27

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Just over a month into Trump's second term, Matt and Sam offer their thoughts on where we're at—and, to be blunt, the assessment is fairly depressing. They take stock of the troubling truth that Pete Hegseth's confirmation reveals about Trump's hold over the Repu…

1
Pay Attention! (w/ Chris Hayes) 1:01:37

3M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

We're all anxious, and none of us can pay attention. We don't read long books anymore; our kids don't read at all. When we watch TV, we scroll at the same time. And we absolutely cannot be alone with ourselves. These are the symptoms of a modern malaise that is everywhere diagnosed but rarely treated with the dire seriousness it deserves: an epocha…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 175 01/18/2024 1:00:58

3M ago1:00:58

1:00:58

Kurt Baker - Warm in the Winter Silver Synthetic - Yr Gonna Be Happy Sorrows - Out Of My Head Gyasi - Cheap High Dropkick - Snowflakes CMON CMON - Turn Off The Lights The Furys - Say Goodbye To The Black Sheep 2 Timers - Now That I've Lost My Baby The Zipps - Don't Tell The Detectives Regular Guys - Leave 1 Kid Courage - I'm A Fanatic Rudi - Crimso…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 174 01/11/2024 1:00:23

3M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

Supercrush - Following The Taillights The Sound Reasons - Today's Another Day The Knight Shades - Make You Mine Los Imposibles - Ronnie (The Story Teller) The Voltz - Taste It The Krayolas - Alex (Downtown Mix) The New Romans - Jenny (1980) Catch 22 - Scotty and D The Sleepers - Endless Cheap Cinema - A Loan Again (1983) I'm Numb - The Pointed Stic…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 173 01/04/2024 59:52

3M ago59:52

59:52

Svenssen - She's Into Bad Boys The Krayolas - Gonna Walk Downtown (Downtown Mix) Rad Venture - From a Boy to a Man Dislexia - You Were The Water Soft on Crime - Way Facing The James Baker Beat with Dom Mariani - Friday Night Friend The Jetz - Dance With Me (1983) The Arrangers -Would Yo Like To Leave Cleaver - Join Us Later (1980) Paradox - I Don't…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 172 12/28/2024 1:02:48

3M ago1:02:48

1:02:48

Benny Trokan - Fever Wesley Fuller - The Velvet Affair Luther Russell - Downtown Girls Jordan Jones - Can I Stay Cupid's Carnival - Horrible Human Being emperor penguin - Ladybird The Reflectors - All The Way Down The Second Summer - The Reason Creem Circus - Playgirl (Single) Supernova - Jim Trainor The Anderson Councel - Citadel The Low Sixes - R…

1
MAGA x DOGE, So Far (w/ John Ganz) [TEASER] 2:11

3M ago2:11

2:11

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy The first three weeks of Donald Trump's second administration have seen a flurry of vicious executive orders aimed at the federal workforce, trans people, government agencies, and others—all while Elon Musk and his deranged band of young sociopaths, otherwise kno…

1
Ayn Rand Against the World (w/ Jennifer Burns) 2:00:31

3M ago2:00:31

2:00:31

An atheist, a radical for capitalism, a caricature of a greedy libertarian, a best-selling novelist, a difficult partner and passionate lover, and the self-proclaimed greatest philosopher since Aristotle: Ayn Rand was many things, and we talk about almost all of them in this epic episode. To do so, we called upon historian Jennifer Burns, whose int…

1
How Republics End (w/ Mike Duncan) [TEASER] 2:36

3M ago2:36

2:36

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy A stock rhetorical trope on the right is to invoke ancient Rome when talking about American decline—often making direct comparisons between the Goth invaders and contemporary immigrants, obsessing over homosexuality and Rome's fall, and more. If their understandi…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 171 12/21/2024 1:01:00

3M ago1:01:00

1:01:00

The Grip Weeds - Welcome Christmas The Empty Hearts - It's Christmastime (Official Music Video) The Peppermint Kicks - It's A Peppermint Christmas The Librarians With Hickeys - Jingle Jangle Heart Swag - Everyday Is Christmas The Krayolas - Giddy Up Santa Stephen Lawrenson - Glad It's Christmas The Poppermost - Mr Johnson's Christmas Party Material…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 170 12/14/2024 1:01:03

3M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Nick Piunti - Sea Sick The Genuine Fakes - Unhand Me Nick Frater - One Minute Skyscraper Stan and the Commission Flats - Let Me Be Frank 20/20 - Laurel Canyon Phil Angotti - False Alarm The Heartbeats - Don’t Want Romance The News - Popular Boy Time Wasters - It Can Be Love Little Murders - She Lets Me Know Linear Decent - Sheila The Limit - Candy …

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 169 12/07/2024 1:00:00

3M ago1:00:00

1:00:00

The On and Ons - Been There The Heats - You Know Luther Russell - Wanna Be Your Lover Jupiter Motel -Make Time Kevin Robertson - Fortune Teller Lied Carla Olson and Tall Poppy Syndrome - Is It True Suspects - Talking Loud (1979) Dance Set - Melody Smiles (1981) The Rave- Take Me To The Movies! (1982) Jupiter - Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay (1980) T…

1
The Entrepreneurial Ethic & How We Work Today (w/ Erik Baker) 1:36:26

3M ago1:36:26

1:36:26

This is a fascinating episode that takes up thinkers that the podcast has covered before—the Koch brothers, Austrian economists like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and others—but from a different angle: that of the entrepreneurial work ethic. Historian Erik Baker's superb book on the topic, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Eth…

1
UNLOCKED: Are Progressives to Blame for Urban Disorder? (w/ Hayes Davenport) 56:24

4M ago56:24

56:24

A bunch of you requested that we un-paywall this recent bonus episode, which features some highly practical insights for organizers, volunteers, and public servants. So we have! (All the other bonus episodes are good too; please subscribe.) — Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of …

1
Are Progressives to Blame for Urban Disorder? (w/ Hayes Davenport) [Teaser] 3:59

4M ago3:59

3:59

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of rampant crime, chaos, and iniquity. And often enough, it is progressives — with their overdeveloped empathy and concern for the poor and criminalized — who …

1
Women vs. The System (w/ Dorothy Fortenberry) 1:07:32

4M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

Back in October, before the 2024 election, we had on our friend—and brilliant screenwriter and playwright—Dorothy Fortenberry to talk about gender and the presidential campaign. Amid all the postmortems and Democratic soul searching, we wanted to have Dorothy back on to revisit some of those questions, starting with the difficulties women face in r…

1
Trump 2.0 and the Courts (w/ the 5-4 podcast) 1:05:00

5M ago1:05:00

1:05:00

It's been a while since we've had our friends from the 5-4 podcast on KYE, and we thought there was no better time to do so than the weeks before Donald Trump is inaugurated, again, as president. As listeners might guess, we wanted to talk to them about what opportunities Trump might have during his second term to reshape the federal judiciary—and …

1
Reagan, the Movie (w/ Jesse Brenneman) [Teaser] 4:11

5M ago4:11

4:11

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy We wanted to offer something of a palette cleanser for our subscribers, so we decided to watch the recent movie, Reagan, with our intrepid producer, Jesse Brenneman. Even better, it's based on the 2006 book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, …

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 168 11/30/2024 59:44

5M ago59:44

59:44

Standing Waves - Be So Nice The Glad Machine - I Wanna Drive (2024 Charity Single) The While - The Glimmering The Heats - Life of the Party Tom Baker -_Category 5 The Hollywood Stars - Can't Do It Right The Reasons - Take Me Back Born Ready - Tough Guy The Spikes - Tell It On Scooter - Easy Rebel - Ain't No Use The News - Don't Talk To Me Eyes - Is…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 167 11/23/2024 1:00:00

5M ago1:00:00

1:00:00

The Heats - I Hope You're Wrong Barry J Walsh - The Sound The Well Wishers - Walk On Water Ed Ryan - Along For The Ride CMON CMON - All The Other Kids Go Time - Asleep At The Wheel The Earwigs - She's So Naive 7'' (1982) The Reactions – Rebel Rousers Lifesavors - Fourteen Indiscreet - American Nightmare The Props - Diminished Capacity Fools Face - …

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 165 11/09/2024 1:01:31

5M ago1:01:31

1:01:31

This Week we speak with Singer/Songwriter Mark Bacino. We go into detail about his new album as well as what might be planned for the future and a whole lot more. We also feature tracks from his new album Top Of The World as well as a few songs from his previous albums. You aren’t gonna want to miss this so tune in……

1
Organizing in Rural America (w/ Luke Mayville) 1:07:51

5M ago1:07:51

1:07:51

This is a conversation we've wanted to have for a while, and it seemed like there was no better time than now, as many people on the broad center-left are asking tough questions about Donald Trump's strength in rural America—according to one post-election analysis, he won 62 percent of rural voters. To unpack what's happening in these parts of the …

1
Is Donald Trump a Hawk or Dove? With Curt Mills of The American Conservative 1:04:48

5M ago1:04:48

1:04:48

John and Justin sit down with Curt Mills, Executive Director of The American Conservative magazine. Curt, a former college classmate of John's, is an influential voice in the conservative intelligentsia's restrainer camp, advocating against the use of US military force abroad. The group discuss whether Donald Trump fits into this camp and what his …

1
Trump the Dove? Or Trump the Neocon? (w/ Curt Mills) 1:03:10

5M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

The second Trump administration hasn't started, but it's already proving chaotic, disturbing, and downright bewildering. (Not unlike the first!) Trump's picks for key staff and cabinet positions display a discordant, if not altogether surprising, mix of ideologies, experience, and scandalous baggage. (Indeed, one of his picks, Matt Gaetz for Attorn…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 164 11/02/2024 1:00:23

6M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

The Krayolas - Gordon Lightfoot (O Canada Version) The Gold Needles - I Don't Know About That Jupiter Motel - Summer Kids Gyasi - Sweet Thing Shake Some Action - Cut Loose Shopkeeper - Magpie The Know - Out Of Reach (Dreams) The Rockers - Comeback The Take - Tonight The Finders - It's So Insane The Bandables - Love Lies Down The Shout - I Wont Be T…

1
What's Wrong with the Democrats? [TEASER] 3:25

6M ago3:25

3:25

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy! In our first episode after the 2024 elections, we briefly considered what the results revealed about how Donald Trump won, and why Kamala Harris lost, before discussing what Trump's first picks for his White House staff and Cabinet meant for his second terms as …

1
Why Trump Won and How Dems Can Win the Working Class 1:13:10

6M ago1:13:10

1:13:10

On this episode, John and Justin discuss why Donald Trump won the election, Where VP Harris and Democrats went wrong, and how they can improve their messaging and approaches to campaigning to win back working class voters. Please subscribe and rate our podcast wherever you listen. Justin's X: https://x.com/Justin_Higgins2 Justin's BlueSky: https://…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 163 10/26/2024 59:59

6M ago59:59

59:59

20/20 - Back to California Jupiter Motel - Do Ya Think You're Right- The Tubs - Freak Mode The Cheap Cassettes - New Gun In Town Luther Russell - Downtown Girls Librarians With Hickeys - Listening Airship - Get Out, Take Your Mother With You Third Floor Strangers - Lorraine The Spongetones - Better Take It Easy The Modulators - She's So Cynical The…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 162 10/19/2024 1:00:00

6M ago1:00:00

1:00:00

Bram Tchaikovsky - Sarah Smiles The Kicks - Get Off The Telephone The Rudies - Sherri Goodbye The Pop - Down On The Boulevard The Bad Examples - Bad Girl Back Pages - I've Got A Heart Too Big Hello - Your Mad Mad World The Elvis Brothers - Ruthy Ann Material Issue - This Far Before Phil Angotti - You Say the Funniest Things The Blow Pops - My Carri…

1
Trump's Triumph (w/ Ian Ward) 1:10:41

6M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

As the reality of Donald Trump's decisive victory sets in, we wanted to talk to Politico's Ian Ward, who's done some of the very best reporting on post-liberal intellectuals, JD Vance, and MAGA-world, in addition to spending time on the campaign trail this fall. After breaking down the results of the presidential election, we discuss Vance's role i…

1
Will Puerto Rican Voters Help VP Kamala Harris Win the White House? 56:12

6M ago56:12

56:12

John and Justin discuss the state of the presidential election, the racist comments at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally, how Puerto Rican voters will impact the election for the White House, and Trump's lies about his anti-war record.By Justin Higgins and John Gunnison

1
UNLOCKED: Voting: What Is it Good For? (w/ Astra Taylor, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, & Malcolm Harris) 1:05:22

6M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

If you're on the left and you've spent time on the internet in the past few weeks, you've probably observe or participated in debates about the strategic value and moral status of voting in the 2024 election: Is it okay to vote for Kamala Harris even though her administration is complicit in a genocide? Is voting an exercise in signaling one's mora…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 161 10/05/2024 59:59

6M ago59:59

59:59

Creem Circus - Playgirlmp3 Orbis Max - Candy On The Hill Tony Marsico and the Ugly Thingz - Burning Questions Dany Laj And The Looks - Meet Me On The Floor Tamas Wells - It Shakes the Living Daylights from You Ed Ryan - Fine Art To Letting It Go The Pleasers - Lies THE NELSONS - Don't Tell Me So The Times - Goodbye Piccadilly Cowboy Twinkies - Swea…

1
Power Pop Overdose on Mad Wasp Radio 160 10/05/2024 1:00:29

6M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

1
Voting: What Is it Good For? (w/ Astra Taylor, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, & Malcolm Harris) [TEASER] 3:41

6M ago3:41

3:41

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy If you're on the left and you've spent time on the internet in the past few weeks, you've probably observe or participated in debates about the strategic value and moral status of voting in the 2024 election: Is it okay to vote for Kamala Harris even though her a…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Curt Vance Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen