I know I’m well past the age of someone who should be doing this, but every once in a while I like to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Last weekend while watching “Jane and the Dragon” (great show, by the way), I saw a commercial for a new cereal called Raisin Brahms.

As in the 19th century German composer Johannes Brahms.

Ok, so it’s not a real cereal. It’s actually a public service announcement created by an organization called Americans for the Arts. As part of their “The Arts. Ask for More.” campaign, they partnered up with the NAMM Foundation and the Ad Council to produce commercials that encourage parents to get their kids interested in the arts. Because Brahms really is part of a complete breakfast. Take that Frosted Flakes.

- Alana Harper

We were quite taken with Jill Sobule when she came into the studio for a performance chat with Kurt earlier this summer:

Jill Sobule: Please don't steal from her. It's for your own good.

Jill’s new record, California Years, has been getting great reviews – and she’s been hailed as a pioneer of truly independent music by getting her fans to finance the record. Still, the question she gets asked most frequently doesn’t have anything to do with the future of the music industry: everyone wants to know what she thinks of pop superstar Katy Perry. Perry cribbed the title of Jill’s 1995 single “I Kissed a Girl” and turned it into a gigantic hit. Jill’s been mum so far, until this interview that went up a few days ago on the Rumpus, where she says that she has tried very hard to be polite:

It did bug me a little bit, however, when she said she came up with the idea for the title in a dream. In truth, she wrote it with a team of professional writers and was signed by the very same guy that signed me in 1995. I have not mentioned that in interviews as I don’t want to sound bitter or petty… cause, that’s not me. Okay, maybe, if I really think about it, there were a few jealous and pissed off moments. So here goes, for the first time in an interview: F— you Katy Perry, you f—ing stupid, maybe “not good for the gays,” title thieving, haven’t heard much else, so not quite sure if you’re talented, f—ing little s–t.

Yikes! Our advice: don’t cross Jill Sobule. She might just independently finance your butt-kicking.

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down get up on the roof

Ever since we ran this piece about Thao Nguyen, we’ve been hooked on her music–”Bag of Hammers” is so catchy! Our reporter went to visit Thao at her mother’s Laundromat in Virginia, where she grew up practicing guitar and making change.

Earlier this week, the folks at the Rumpus posted a short memoir that Thao wrote about the Laundromat, getting into the music business, and lots more. In it, she talks about how little her father was around during her childhood–she mostly remembers how charming and suave he looked to her:

When I drink alcohol I hold the glass the way he does because I watched it so much as a kid. And the way he leans onto, into the table while holding a drink. I do that. I didn’t realize I did that until I realized it.

The whole piece is very good. Includes music videos!

The inimitable Miss Spektor

We’re big Regina Spektor fans here at Studio 360, and so we were psyched when she dropped by the studio last week to play some songs from her new album, Far. We would have loved to run the entire interview but, alas, some gems had to be cut for time. For example, we loved how she referred to her superstar line-up of producers as her “professors”:

What did make the cut? Spektor’s ruminations about her faith — or lack thereof. Listen to the interview and hear a live in-studio performance of her new single “Laughing With.” For anyone counting, we’re pretty sure she mentions God 33 times. But check our math.

- Annie Minoff

Back in 2006, I declared my love for Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal on our radio show. He was just starring in his first English role, and I was afraid he would be catapulted from indie brilliance into mainstream cheesiness, much in the way of Antonio Banderas. I’m thrilled that three years later, Bernal is still starring in Mexican films, and remains unafraid to portray characters in awkward, less-than-flattering situations.  Witness this music video.  It’s from the new movie Rudo y Cursi, where Bernal plays a soccer star who longs to be a norteño singer. (His talent only lies with the former.) This is his performance of “Quiero Que Me Quieras,” aka Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me.”

Rudo y Cursi is a somewhat predictable rags-to-riches fable, but the soundtrack (out May 19) is actually full of refreshing alt-Latin tunes that are sung on-key. One is by Bostich and Fussible of the electronica-meets-folk group Nortec Collective, whom Kurt interviewed last week. ¡Viva México!

- Leital Molad

The SXSW music festival in Austin has an absurd number of bands play every year — this time it was up to 1900. So to find the gems, needless to say, is challenging — and wonderfully refreshing if you succeed. I saw the amazingly inventive soul/funk singer Janelle Monáe play at a small club in Boston back in the fall and was determined to try to interview her for Studio 360. In the end, I got 6 minutes with her backstage after her Austin Music Hall show. My story airs this weekend. Meanwhile, check out this video of her performing “Sincerely Jane.” One catch: the bass was so loud in the venue that it blew out my recording. So I synced it up with the audio from her CD. It ends up working quite nicely, and you still get a sense of her dazzling stage persona.

- Leital Molad

When Studio 360 recently caught up with the up-and-coming BLK JKS in Los Angeles we stumbled onto a bit of a musical scoop. Hanging out “back-stage” with the South African band before their show at the LA Natural History Museum, we were fortunate enough to hear a brand new unreleased song from their forthcoming full-length (expected this summer).

“Banna Ba Modimo” is roughly translated as “Man of God” according to lead singer and guitarist Lindani Buthelezi who sings the chorus in his native Sepedi.

Buthelezi went on to say, “it’s about zombies, a corrupt priest, which president to vote for in South Africa.” Band mate Mpumi Mcata chimed in, “Man of God who now walk unafraid, man of God who now walk unawares.” We’re unaware of exactly what that means, but we like how it sounds, especially live and unplugged. Special thanks to sound engineer Claes Andreasson for the hi-fidelity recording. And make sure to check out the complete interview w/ host Kurt Andersen which includes a live unplugged performance of their first single “Lakeside.”

-Derek L. John