Best Art Ish Theory Podcasts (2025)

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Fiction and the Fantastic: J.G. Ballard and Angela Carter 14:59

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1d ago14:59

14:59

J.G. Ballard and Angela Carter were friends and co-conspirators in their witness to the postwar world and the liberation movements of the 1960s. Both were scathing in their antipathy towards the polite novels of manners and empire that still dominated English readers’ appreciation and expectations. Pioneers in the liminal spaces between literary an…

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# 698 - Fireside Chats with Todd Glass 1:37:35

6d ago1:37:35

1:37:35

I sit down with comedian, Todd Glass. We talk about the gifts he brought, childhood smells, The Event of a Lifetime, Paul Anka, and Todd sets the mood! Follow Todd: YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/thetoddglassshow IG: https://www.instagram.com/thetoddglassshow Get tickets to see “The Event of a Lifetime” Nov 7-16 at https://www.toddglass.com Come …

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Something’s Burning: Breaking Down Hip Hop + Hood Movies w/Big Boy, Jeezy + Eric Blake | S06 E09 1:30:47

7d ago1:30:47

1:30:47

It’s my favorite combination in the kitchen today–comedy and music. Radio legend Big Boy, Jeezy, and Eric Blake come by to eat oxtail and breakdown hip hop, hood movies, and my white boy energy. We also talk about Big Boy’s career, his weight loss and Jeezy’s residency in Vegas. Buy tickets to Big Boy’s Comedy Kings show at Yaamavá Theater on Decem…

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Conversations in Philosophy: 'The Fall' by Albert Camus 15:49

8d ago15:49

15:49

Never trust anyone who tries to be ethically pure. This is the message of Albert Camus’s short novel La Chute (The Fall), in which a retired French lawyer tells a stranger in a bar in Amsterdam about a series of incidents that led to a profound personal crisis. The self-described ‘judge-penitent’ had once thought himself to be morally irreproachabl…

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# 697 - Zac Brown’s Sphere Dream Comes True 1:28:17

13d ago1:28:17

1:28:17

I sit down with Country Star, Zac Brown. We talk about his hustle, touring, spear fishing, his childhood, quitting motorcycles, becoming a leader, and more! Follow Zac: https://www.instagram.com/zacbrown https://www.instagram.com/zacbrownband Come see me on the Permission to Party World Tour! Go to https://www.bertbertbert.com/#tour2 for tickets --…

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Something’s Burning: The Locker Room with Chase Rice + Brian Urlacher | S6 E08 1:32:13

13d ago1:32:13

1:32:13

Country star Chase Rice and former linebacker Brian Urlacher come by the kitchen to discuss playing football, having fans, and B&E. I stuff a Dutch oven FULL of food for a traditional Korean Army Stew and we create a business that’s bound to be a hit Follow Chase: https://www.instagram.com/chaserice Brian: https://www.instagram.com/54urlacher Recip…

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Novel Approaches: ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ by Henry James 14:38

16d ago14:38

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In The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James borrows from Eliot, Austen, folktales and potboilers, but ‘the thing that he took from nowhere was Isabel Archer’. James transformed the 19th-century novel through his evocation of Isabel, a woman who wants and suffers in a profoundly new (and American) way. Deborah Friedell and Colm Toíbín join Tom to discuss…

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# 696 - Adam DeVine is a Workaholic 1:28:41

20d ago1:28:41

1:28:41

I sit down with actor and comedian, Adam DeVine. We talk about The Righteous Gemstones, working with Danny McBride, Workaholics, pain reprocessing therapy, what’s next for Adam, and much more! Get tickets to Adam Devine, Anders Holm & Blake Anderson’s Cruise “This Cruise is Important” at https://www.thiscruiseisimportant.com Follow Adam IG: https:/…

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Something's Burning: Burnin’ Down the House W/ Cedric the Entertainer + Anthony Anderson | S6 E07 1:05:28

21d ago1:05:28

1:05:28

Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson bring their own BBQ to the kitchen today – from their joint AC Barbecue. And since there’s no outdoing THAT, I’m cookin’ up the Instagram-worthy sizzling cheese smash burger. We talk about The Cabin, what words white guys can use, and how Gege Kreischer went ballistic when she met Cedric. And I do my best…

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Love and Death: 'Surge' by Jay Bernard and 'In Nearby Bushes' by Kei Miller 16:07

22d ago16:07

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Jay Bernard’s 'Surge' and Kei Miller’s 'In Nearby Bushes', both published in 2019, address acts of violence whose victims were not directly known to the writers: in Surge, the deaths of thirteen Black teenagers in the New Cross Fire of 1981; in Miller’s poem, a series of rapes and murders in Jamaica. Both can be seen as collective elegies, interlea…

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# 695 - Lukas Nelson Isn’t Just Willie's Son 1:28:17

27d ago1:28:17

1:28:17

I sit down with Grammy award winning singer/songwriter, Lukas Nelson. We talk about having Willie Nelson as a Dad, getting sober, working on “A Star is Born”, great songwriters, and Lukas plays “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” & “Pretty Much”. Follow Lukas IG: https://www.instagram.com/lukasnelsonofficial The Permission to Party World Tour st…

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Something's Burning: Rob Lowe, Adam Ray And Me = Three Heartthrobs | S6 E06 1:26:58

28d ago1:26:58

1:26:58

Rob Lowe and Adam Ray swing by the kitchen and it’s as good as you’re hoping it is. Between the low country she-crab soup, the pork crackling, and the stories that Rob shares – it’s a dream come true. It doesn’t hurt that Adam pulls out some of his best impressions and Rob offers marital advice. Follow Rob: https://www.instagram.com/roblowe Adam: h…

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Fiction and the Fantastic: ‘The Hearing Trumpet’ by Leonora Carrington 16:31

30d ago16:31

16:31

Leonora Carrington was a prodigious artist closely associated with major surrealists of the 1930s. Though only sporadically in print until recently, her writing has helped cement her cult status, not least The Hearing Trumpet (1974). Before her family consign her to an old-age facility, nonagenarian Marian Leatherby is gifted a hearing trumpet with…

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# 694 - Guy Fieri Shares the Secrets of Flavortown 1:44:52

1M ago1:44:52

1:44:52

I sit down with Emmy Award-winning TV presenter, restaurateur, and New York Times bestselling author, Guy Fieri. We talk about his impressive career, jewelry, his Dad’s impact on his life, Guy’s Burger Joint, and much more! Follow Guy IG: https://www.instagram.com/guyfieri The Permission to Party World Tour starts September 18th! Go to https://www.…

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Something's Burning: Not A Damn Chance That Something’s Burning | Neen Williams + Chef Phillip Frankland Lee | S6 E05 1:24:30

1M ago1:24:30

1:24:30

Neen Williams and Chef Phillip Frankland Lee swing by the kitchen to chat about their new podcast, Not a Damn Chance! And, as always with chefs, I like to cook to impress – so, a rockfish moilee curry over (not) cooked rice and some papadums is sure to wow them. We also talk about skateboarding, how to get a Michelin star, and of course – burgers. …

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Conversations in Philosophy: 'The Ethics of Ambiguity' by Simone de Beauvoir 15:44

1M ago15:44

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At the heart of human existence is a tragic ambiguity: the fact that we experience ourselves both as subject and object, internal and external, at the same time, and can never fully inhabit either state. In her 1947 book, Simone de Beauvoir addresses the ethical implications of this uncertainty and the ‘agonising evidence of freedom’ it presents, a…

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# 693 - Jordan Jensen Has Hot Cousin Energy 1:42:27

1M ago1:42:27

1:42:27

I sit down with comedian, Jordan Jenson to talk about having 3 lesbian moms, B-2 Jets, putting our dog down, what kind of girlfriend she is, and much more! Follow Jordan IG: https://www.instagram.com/jordanjensenlolstop Check out her new special “Take Me With You” on Netflix! The Permission to Party World Tour starts September 18th! Go to https://w…

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Something's Burning: A Musician, A Model, and a Hot Meal | Chanel West Coast + Dom Fenison | S6 E04 1:32:01

1M ago1:32:01

1:32:01

Chanel West Coast and her baby daddy, Dom Fenison stop by the kitchen for some conversation and cooking. But Dom’s not just a pretty face –he’s actually a cook with his own cookbook. So Bert’s whipping up some of his recipes, Picadillo (Picadomo) and guacamole, and getting the low down on Chanel’s music career, what it’s like to be a male model, an…

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Novel Approaches: ‘The Last Chronicle of Barset’ by Anthony Trollope 17:07

1M ago17:07

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Trollope enthusiasts Tom Crewe and Dinah Birch say they could have chosen any one of his 47 novels for this episode, so it’s no wonder Elizabeth Bowen called him ‘the most sheerly able of the Victorian novelists’. They settled on The Last Chronicle of Barset: a model example of Anthony Trollope’s gift for comedy, pathos, social commentary and maste…

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# 692 - Rachael Harris is Dating During Menopause?? 2:08:44

2M ago2:08:44

2:08:44

I sit down with actor, Rachael Harris. We talk about The Hangover, dating during menopause, hot bagging, what Meghan Markle is like, and much more! Follow Rachael IG: https://www.instagram.com/rachaelharris The Permission to Party World Tour starts September 18th! Go to https://www.bertbertbert.com/#tour2 for tickets! ------------------------------…

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Something's Burning: Bone Marrow Shots Are Not a Good Idea | Landon Bridges + Daddy Steve | S6 E03 1:25:24

2M ago1:25:24

1:25:24

Social media stars Landon Bridges and Daddy Steve are comin’ by the kitchen and I’m blowin’ their minds with bone marrow and beef tenderloin. We talk about comedy, p*rn stars, and how to clean a cast iron pan. We also attempt a bone marrow shot, and I will say – DO NOT RECOMMEND. Follow Daddy Steve: https://www.instagram.com/daddysteve Landon: http…

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Love and Death: ‘Poems of 1912-13’ by Thomas Hardy 14:13

2M ago14:13

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Without Emma Gifford, we might never have heard of Thomas Hardy. Hardy’s first wife was instrumental in his decision to abandon architecture for a writing career, and a direct influence – possibly collaborator – on his early novels. Their marriage, initially passionate, defied family expectations and class barriers, but by the time of Emma’s death,…

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# 691 - Jerry O’Connell & Captain Bad Boy 1:39:20

2M ago1:39:20

1:39:20

I sit down with actor, Jerry O’Connell. We talk about “Stand By Me”, being married to Rebecca Romijn, life as a child star, his parents, raising kids, and much more! Follow Jerry IG: https://www.instagram.com/mrjerryoc The Permission to Party World Tour starts September 18th! Go to https://www.bertbertbert.com/#tour2 for tickets! ------------------…

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Something's Burning: Animal Control + Impossible Meat with Joel McHale and Grace Palmer | S6 E02 1:41:00

2M ago1:41:00

1:41:00

Joel McHale and Grace Palmer come by the kitchen to chat about season 4 of their show, Animal Control. And, since Grace is vegetarian, I try my hand at Impossible Meat... news flash –the smell is aggressive. We also talk about the best way to drink Diet Coke, how much money I make and how awesome New Zealand is. Follow Joel: https://www.instagram.c…

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Fiction and the Fantastic: Stories by Jorge Luis Borges 13:55

2M ago13:55

13:55

Jorge Luis Borges was a librarian with rock star status, a stimulus for magical realism who was not a magical realist, and a wholly original writer who catalogued and defined his own precursors. It’s fitting that he was fascinated by paradoxes, and his most famous stories are fantasias on themes at the heart of this series: dreams, mirrors, recursi…

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# 690 - Jeff Foxworthy is Definitely a Redneck 2:18:03

2M ago2:18:03

2:18:03

I sit down with comedian, Jeff Foxworthy to talk about doing Johnny Carson, The Blue Collar Comedy Tour, his in-laws, comedy writing, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, and much more! Follow Jeff YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffFoxworthyofficial IG: https://www.instagram.com/realjefffoxworthy The Permission to Party World Tour starts September 18…

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Something's Burning: LeeAnn’s Classic Country Cookin’ w/ Katherine Blanford + Shane Torres | S6 E01 1:09:18

2M ago1:09:18

1:09:18

With Bert away, LeeAnn’s stepping in to cook for Shane Torres + Katherine Blanford. She’s serving up some of her famous country cookin’ – just the way her grandmother did. And while she scratch-makes biscuits, she’s learning all about Shane + Katherine’s new podcast, life on the road with Bert, and how Katherine’s Uncle Pop came to be. Follow Shane…

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Conversations in Philosophy: 'Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions' by Jean-Paul Sartre 16:07

2M ago16:07

16:07

What is an emotion? In his Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions (1939), Sartre picks up what William James, Martin Heidegger and others had written about this question to suggest what he believed to be a new thought on human emotion and its relation to consciousness. For Sartre, the emotions are not external forces acting upon consciousness but an a…

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# 689 - Whitney Cummings & Ms. Pat Fly with Me 1:52:43

2M ago1:52:43

1:52:43

I sit down in a jet with Whitney Cummings & Ms. Pat. Follow Whitney: https://www.instagram.com/whitneycummings Follow Ms. Pat: https://www.instagram.com/comediennemspat The Permission to Party World Tour starts September 18th! Go to https://www.bertbertbert.com/#tour2 for tickets! --------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Butche…

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Something's Burning: Tiffany Haddish, Antonia Lofaso + LeeAnn | S5 E25 1:40:31

2M ago1:40:31

1:40:31

Bert’s out and LeeAnn is IN... along with a guest chef (Antonia Lofaso) and everyone’s favorite –Tiffany Haddish. Antonia’s making a summer pasta and a delicious ice cream sundae for the ladies while they talk about lady things, alpha men, and colonics. Follow Tiffany: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyhaddish Antonia: https://www.instagram.com/chef…

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Novel Approaches: 'Our Mutual Friend' by Charles Dickens 18:12

2M ago18:12

18:12

'Our Mutual Friend' was Dickens’s last completed novel, published in serial form in 1864-65. The story begins with a body being dredged from the ooze and slime of the Thames, then opens out to follow a wide array of characters through the dust heaps, paper mills, public houses and dining rooms of London and its hinterland. For this episode, Tom is …

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# 688 - John Driskell Hopkins Brings it 1:41:58

3M ago1:41:58

1:41:58

I sit down with musician, John Driskell Hopkins. We talk about joining the Zac Brown Band, growing up in Georgia & Florida, early gigs, his experience with ALS, and John plays my favorite song of his! To help accelerate promising research, find a cure, and put an end to ALS once and for all, check out “Hop on a Cure” here: https://www.hoponacure.or…

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Something’s Burning: Bert’s Assistants Spill Secrets | Andrew, Peter + Kyle | S5 E24 1:27:28

3M ago1:27:28

1:27:28

My former and current assistants, Andrew Hobson, Peter Juliano + Kyle Shaffer, come by the kitchen to relive some of their favorite memories of the road. We make our bus specialty, Snee-Sny-Snackers, out of all the Something’s Burning leftovers from the week and toast to the upcoming tour. It’s a roast of ME, some of the comedians that I travel wit…

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Love and Death: Family Elegies by Wordsworth, Lowell, Riley and Carson 14:32

3M ago14:32

14:32

Seamus and Mark look at four elegies written for family members, ranging from the romantic period to the 2010s, each of which avoids, deliberately or not, what Freud described as the work of mourning. William Wordsworth’s ‘Elegiac Stanzas Suggested by a View of Peele Castle’ (1807) is an oblique memorial to a brother that seems scarcely able to men…

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# 687 - Jim Jefferies & The Snake 1:42:48

3M ago1:42:48

1:42:48

I sit down with comedian Jim Jefferies. We talk about reality shows, going out with Russell Crowe, couples therapy, his Dad, little league games, and much more! Check out Jim’s new Netflix special, Two Limb Policy, and The Snake finale on FOX both out on August 12th! Follow Jim IG: https://www.instagram.com/jimjefferies YT: https://www.youtube.com/…

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Something's Burning: Reliving My WWE Choke Slam Debut with Grayson Waller + Austin Theory | S5 E23 1:36:34

3M ago1:36:34

1:36:34

WWE stars Grayson Waller + Austin Theory stop by the kitchen for a recap of my WWE Monday Night Raw appearance with Tom... and bask in the glory of my epic choke slam. I make a traditional Australian brekkie and we chat about Aussie women, a wrestler’s diet, and why Emily Sears and I blocked each other. Purchase tickets to WWE’s biggest event of th…

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Fiction and the Fantastic: ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley 33:15

3M ago33:15

33:15

Born from grief, exile, intellectual ferment and the ‘yearwithout a summer’, Frankenstein is a creation myth with its own creationmyth. Mary Shelley’s novel is a foundational work of science fiction, horrorand trauma narrative, and continues to spark reinvention and reinterpretation. In their fourth conversation together, Adam Thirlwell and Marina …

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# 686 - Brian Austin Green’s First Kiss 1:44:14

3M ago1:44:14

1:44:14

I sit down with 90210 star, Brian Austin Green. We talk about Tony Hawk, being on 90210, Dancing with the Stars, his rap career, Luke Perry, first kisses, and much more! Follow Brian IG: https://www.instagram.com/brianaustingreen My new special “Lucky” is streaming now on Netflix! --------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Brunt …

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Something’s Burning: Oz The Mentalist’s Mind Games Make Bert Cry | S5 E22 1:22:50

3M ago1:22:50

1:22:50

Oz the Mentalist swings by the kitchen – and it does not disappoint. My sister, Kottie, her podcast partner, Sam, and their sons are all wowed by the mind games… and the crab legs.Follow Oz the Mentalist:https://www.instagram.com/ozthementalistCheck out Sam and Kottie’s podcast “Don’t Worry About It” https://www.instagram.com/dontworryaboutitpodcas…

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Conversations in Philosophy: 'The Thing' by Martin Heidegger 16:16

3M ago16:16

16:16

What does it mean for a jug to be a jug? Or for any thing to be called a ‘thing’? In his 1950 lecture ‘Das Ding’, Heidegger attempts to cajole his audience away from their everyday way of seeing the world as consisting of objects that can be represented objectively, and into the kind of thinking that ‘responds and recalls’. For Heidegger, the world…

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# 685 - René Vaca’s Dad Calls From Prison 1:52:02

3M ago1:52:02

1:52:02

I sit down with comedian, René Vaca. We talk about his friend Ken Flores, Disney adults, his Dad’s story, the ICE raids and much more! Follow René YT: https://www.youtube.com/@renevacacomedy IG: https://www.instagram.com/renevacacomedy My new special “Lucky” is streaming now on Netflix! --------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: …

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Something's Burning: Little People Make Good Hot Sauce! | Brad Williams + Chris Porter | S5 E21 1:35:50

3M ago1:35:50

1:35:50

Comedians Chris Porter and Brad Williams stop by the kitchen for some Haitian Hot Chicken… and we’re putting Brad’s new hot sauces to the test. We also talk about Gallagher 2, Harvey Weinstein, and a bunch of other problematic topics. Check out Brad’s tour + hot sauce: https://www.bradwilliamscomedy.com Check out Chris’ tour: https://www.chrisporte…

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Novel Approaches: ‘The Mill on the Floss’ by George Eliot 17:34

3M ago17:34

17:34

The Mill on the Floss is George Eliot’s most autobiographical novel, and the first she published after her identity as a woman was revealed. A ‘dreamscape’ version of her Warwickshire childhood, the book is both a working-through and a reimagining of her life. Ruth Yeazell and Deborah Friedell join Tom to discuss the novel and its protagonist Maggi…

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# 684 - Nate Jackson is Melting 1:37:46

3M ago1:37:46

1:37:46

I sit down with comedian Nate Jackson to talk about stage proposals, his new special, crowd work, his comedy club, his Dad the jump rope king, his rise as a comic, and much more! Check out Nate’s Netflix special “Super Funny” now! Follow Nate YT: https://www.youtube.com/@NateJackson IG: https://www.instagram.com/mrnatejackson My new special “Lucky”…

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Something's Burning: Breaking Down Ticket Prices With The Black Keys | S5 E20 1:29:49

3M ago1:29:49

1:29:49

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, more commonly known as the Black Keys, stop by the kitchen for some shrimp + grits and crispy chicken skins. We also break down GOOD music and I offer them a gig on my new show they might not be able to say no to. Plus, we breakdown ticket prices for concerts, News Flash: it’s not the artists. Check out The Black Ke…

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Love and Death: War Elegies by Whitman, Owen, Douglas and more 12:54

4M ago12:54

12:54

As long as there have been poets, they have been writing war elegies. In this episode, Mark and Seamus discuss responses to the American Civil War (Walt Whitman), both world wars (W.B. Yeats, Wilfred Owen, Rudyard Kipling, Keith Douglas) and the conflict in Northern Ireland (Michael Longley) to explore the way these very different poems share an an…

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# 683 - Giggles & Tears with Chanel West Coast 1:44:42

4M ago1:44:42

1:44:42

I sit down with Chanel West Coast to talk about, Rod Dyrdek, leaving Ridiculousness, Fantasy Factory, Rob & Big, her music career, becoming a Mom, and much more! Follow Chanel YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ChanelWC IG: https://www.instagram.com/chanelwestcoast My new special “Lucky” is streaming now on Netflix! --------------------------------------…

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Fiction and the Fantastic: Mikhail Bulgakov and James Hogg 32:58

4M ago32:58

32:58

James Hogg’s ghoulish metaphysical crime novel 'The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner' (1824) was presented as a found documented dating from the 17th century, describing in different voices the path to devilry of an antinomian Calvinist, Robert Wringhim. Mikhail Bulgakov’s 'The Master and Margarita', written between 1928 and 19…

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Something's Burning: LeeAnn’s Lasagna + Loud Music with Strawberry Fuzz | S5 E19 1:17:51

4M ago1:17:51

1:17:51

Venice-based band Strawberry Fuzz is out with a new album – and stops by the kitchen to talk about it. It’s a family-style Italian feast with warm, marinated olives and LeeAnn’s famous lasagna. We also have a heart-to-heart about who is actually famous around here. Check out their new album, Miller’s Garage - https://open.spotify.com/album/43vXOnMe…

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# 682 - Off-air with Radio Legend Big Boy 2:06:41

4M ago2:06:41

2:06:41

I sit down with LA radio legend, Big Boy to talk Hip-hop, Weight Loss, Riots & Radio. Follow Big Boy YT: https://www.youtube.com/BigBoyTVyt IG: https://www.instagram.com/bigboy My new special “Lucky” is streaming now on Netflix! --------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Butcher Box - Right now, ButcherBox is offering our listene…