2022 Top Five - Podcasts

Wrapping up my best of 2022 lists I have podcasts today. As I like to say every year, it would not be fair to put the "X Millenial Man" on this list. It is the best podcast in the game with the two best hosts, and third best when Tina is on. They have the best discussions about all things pop culture and sports. RD also knows his politics. Seriously people, if you don't already listen, go download the show now. It is free everywhere. I do listen to a bunch of other podcasts though. I love comedy and sports pods. I also like some serious topic pods, but I usually pick sports or comedy to vibe out too. It is the best for running too. I am a podcast fan through and through. On to the countdown.

At number 5 I have the "Ear Hustle" episode titled "Karen". This was their season finale. I came to "Ear Hustle" prior to the pandemic. It is about life in and out of prison, mainly San Quentin. A lot of very interesting and thoughtful subjects have been broached on this pod. But this episode was heavy. It started out normal enough, with Earlonne and Nigel going to a women's prison to interview a prisoner. But when the subject of why she was in prison came up the tone totally changed. It went from mellow-ish to super heavy. Karen was talking to the hosts about how she helped a pregnant prisoner give birth. It was cool. But all the time she seemed kind of monotone and disinterested. Then the reason why she was in prison came up. She was drunk driving and had three of her kids in the car. She got into an accident and one of the kids didn't make it. Hearing her tell this story was absolutely heart wrenching. Being a father it was even tougher to listen to. I was a puddle while driving to the trail that day. It was intense. But it was also eye opening. I was taken aback at her talking about her life before and after. It was incredible. "Ear Hustle" has had many great episodes, but this may be their best to date.

At number 4 I have my own personal finding of the podcast "Scott Hasn't Seen". CBB World has been around for a bit now, but I did not become a member until this year. And in doing that I stumbled upon this wonderful podcast. Scott Aukerman and Sprague the Whisperer, played by Shaun Diston, watch movies that Aukerman has never seen. Sometimes they are classics like "Kramer vs Kramer" or they are Sprague's version of classics like "The Mighty Ducks". That is what I love about this pod. Sprague is roughly the same age as me and what he considers great movies are what I used to love. I also love hearing Aukerman talk about his experience watching and what he saw instead when these movies came out. I also love the guests. They let the guests pick the movie and they come on and talk about their love for the movie. It is great and it all comes to a wonderful conclusion when Aukerman tells Sprague whether he liked the movie or not. It is about as close to a rewatch podcast that I will listen to, but done by great comedic minds. I adore this show.

At number 3, speaking of Sprague, I have the rise of Shaun Diston in the podcast realm. I have always been a fan but it seems like he is finally getting his just due. I remember listening to "We Need to Stop Talking TMNT on CBB" and falling in love with Diston's comedy. The Church of Shaun Diston was the first Patreon I ever subscribed to. But now with "Scott Hasn't Seen", his many features on "CBB", whenever he goes on "Doughboys", I always get pumped to hear him go off. I also like that he is getting acting jobs. I saw him in an episode of "Curb" last season and he is a writer on the new "Twisted Metal" show. Diston has more than earned this shine and I cannot wait to see what 2023 has in store for him in the podcast world.

At number 2 I have another CBB World show, "Hey Randy". This is a pod where when I listen to it I laugh and laugh and laugh. Tim Baltz has created a classic character in Randy Snutz. Dan Lippert and Mary Sohn are simply the best playing his friends. Lily Sullivan is a dynamo as Randy Snutz's on again off again girlfriend. The show is nuts and ridiculous and wild and I cannot get enough of it. I have to stop listening sometimes on my runs because I cannot contain my laughter. My favorite part of each ep is Randy's intro. He tells the listener of a dream he had the night before and it is comedy gold. I get amped each time CBB Presents puts on a new "Hey Randy". It is one of the best.

And at number 1 I saw "CBB" live this year. "CBB" went on a month-long tour in August and the moment a St Louis date was announced I bought tickets. I have seen live podcast tapings before, but "CBB" is my favorite podcast of all time. I simply had to go see. I loved that they played a smaller venue like The Pageant also. It made it feel a bit more intimate. I felt comfortable enough to go to an indoor show too and I think it is because this show was "CBB". Boy oh boy was I glad I went. Aukerman did a great job as host, like he always does. He seemed like he was having a good time. Paul F Tompkins was amazing. I have never seen him live before and this was a big deal to me. He played a character I love too, treasure hunter Brock Lovitt. Dan Lippert was there that night and he crushed as Bill Walton. I was in tears at his performance. And Carl Tart, another actor I really enjoy, closed out the show as a singer from the band Cameo. My face hurt from smiling and laughing all night. It was an incredible way to spend 90 minutes at a concert venue. It is a show I won't soon forget.

There you have it, my top 5 podcasts/podcast moments of the year. Enjoy the holiday season everyone and stay safe out there. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to The "Ear Hustle" Podcast

Entering season 6, “Ear Hustle” is finding a great groove and is becoming one of the best podcasts available.

I was late to this pod. I heard one of the co hosts, Earlonne Woods, on a different pod a few years back and decided then that I was going to listen. I gobbled up the previous seasons. When I started listening, Woods was still in jail. They did, and still do, stories of what life is like inside San Quentin. I was fascinated. I never really dug this deep into prison life stories. I have watched movies and TV shows, but those were all hyper superficial. It was the cliché stuff. Shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Oz” seemed like a good representation to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is violence and very crazy stuff that happens in prison, but not like the Hollywood version according to these prisoners. Life seemed boring and pretty redundant. It seemed very structured and very quiet, for the most part. There were stories from certain people who dealt with abuse and violence inside, but those were few and far between. I thought this was interesting. It gave me a new outlook.

Earlonne Woods eventually got released, and that’s when this pod took an even bigger leap, and it really soared. They still have a person inside, he goes by the nickname New York, and we still get stories from the inside, but with Woods out, we are getting stories about prisoners that have been released. That’s equally fascinating. Some are doing well, others are struggling a bit and some are back in jail. There’s a few great stories about these guys. There’s one about a guy who got a job as a trash collector in a strip mall in San Francisco. The job doesn’t sound glamorous, but the way the gentleman describes it, you’d think he was a head honcho at a big corporation. He was thrilled to be doing something on the outside. There was another one, a sad one, about an addict who keeps relapsing and keeps ending up back in jail. Mind you we are still getting stories about guys in jail. There’s been excellent ones about music, taking care of animals, letters and the food. When the pandemic hit I thought that might have been the end, but they kept at it and kept making new episodes. They all had to be about guys who were released, but they also found new angles. There is an episode about kids who stay at a camp where they have incarcerated parents. That was powerful. They did a cooking competition. That was fun. They found ways to keep doing it and do it well.

They have released the first two episodes of season 6, and both are excellent. The first was them catching up with a few former guests. They were also able to get a mic back inside and have New York talk to people. The most recent episode was about visits in the age of COVID. It was eye opening.

This pod just gets better and better with each new season. I look forward to listening to “Ear Hustle” more than the other pods I regularly listen to. I highly recommend checking it out. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods are great hosts, and New York does fine work as well. Check this pod out. You will really enjoy it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.  

Ty Listens to the Podcast "Ear Hustle"

Awhile back on the podcast I mentioned that I was currently getting caught up on a different podcast called "Ear Hustle". today I got totally caught up, and I have to tell you, this is one of the best, most informative, eye opening and true story telling I have ever listened to.

I was first interested in this particular pod when I heard one of the co hosts, Earlonne Woods, on another podcast I enjoy called "Without Fail". Hearing his story, hearing how they got "Ear Hustle" started, hearing how he was doing now that, spoiler alert, he has been released from jail, I was totally in for it all. I then heard that his other co host was a visual artist and a volunteer at the prison named Nigel Poor. I looked her stuff up, I thought she seemed cool, so I immediately subscribed later that day to "Ear Hustle".

It took me awhile to get going, I do listen to tons of other stuff, but once I got started, I just could not stop listening. I would try to listen to at least three episodes a day. The episodes are no more than 45 minutes long, so while this wasn't too hard, I do have two younger kids, so I had to find free time to listen. I would listen on runs, during races, on my way to play basketball or during quiet time in my house. I was, and still am, hooked.

The stories are so real because they come from real inmates. They are personal. They are dark. Some are funny at times. Both Nigel and Earlonne are excellent hosts. They really know how to talk to one another and other people. The new co host who comes in season four, after Earlonne was released from prison, he calls himself New York, is just as good as the other two. This show knows exactly what it is doing, and they do it so damn well.

There are so many things I have learned, as a suburban white dude, about prison that I have never thought. I have also found out that a lot of the urban legends about prison are pretty far fetched. But also, there are still some things that ring true. Prison seems boring and repetitive. It seems dour. People do get sick and tired of doing the same thing all the time. Well, some people do. Others appreciate the structure, or at the very least, they need it. One of the biggest things I have gotten out of this show is that these prisoners, some who have done some heinous things, are people, and they are capable of rehabilitating themselves. Earlonne was arrested for armed robbery, and I respect him and his story more than people who have never served time. Some of the guys that come on and talk about their stories, what they did was awful, but I feel empathy for the ones that sound like they have changed. I just listened to an episode about a guy that got off death row, and he really seems like he has changed for the better. The season four finale was a harrowing story of anger, violence, forgiveness and redemption. It nearly brought me to tears. While still in prison, the stories Earlonne and Nigel told, and had people tell them, were wonderful and eye opening. I feared that may change when Earlonne got released, but New York kept the stories from the inside going, and having Earlonne talk to guys that got out, and how they are doing now, it is a great blend.

"Ear Hustle" is one of the best put together podcasts that is out there right now. It is also one of the most original, and coolest ideas for a podcast. After getting caught up, I have told my wife that I am inclined to go and volunteer my time at a prison. I don't know what I would do, but I want to do something because this show has made me realize that I have something to offer, and I shouldn't shy away from prisoners. They are people. People who made terrible choices, but people nonetheless. I am so excited for season five, and I don't have to wait too long. It comes back early March, the 5th I want to say, and you better believe that I will be waiting with bated breath.

I cannot recommend "Ear Hustle" enough. It is truly wonderful.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Best of 2019: Top Five Podcasts

Today for my best of 2019 I have my top 5 podcast, or podcast episodes. Now, it would be unfair for me to put the X Millennial Man podcast on this list because, one, I am the co host, two, it is already the best podcast on the internet. So, unfortunately, I could not put it on the list. But, there are plenty of podcasts, for everyone, in seemingly every genre. Podcasts are much like TV, wherein they are having a big time boon right now. Everyone seems to have one, and some are good, some are not so good, some are great, and some are Hall of Fame worthy, like The X Millennial Man podcast. Anyway, lets get to the list.

At number 5 I have one of my favorite podcasts, Heavyweight, and their episode titled Scott. Heavyweight is a great pod with one of the best hosts, Johnathan Goldstein, in the business. He tells great stories are sometimes moving, sometimes heartfelt, sometimes sad, but always great, and well told. This episode, featuring Scott, moved me like none of their previous episodes have yet. And that is not to say the other ones aren't moving, they very much are, this one was just one a whole other level. Scott tells us his story of getting involved so heavily into drugs, mainly heroin, that he pawned all of his father's stuff. Things got so bad that his dad kicked him out, Scott hit rock bottom and went to rehab. He got clean, got his life together, and was finally able to get back into his dad's good graces. But, his father always brought up how he was still so upset that he sold all his precious stuff. From here on out, Scott made it his mission to get his dad's stuff back. He was successful in all of this, except a pistol that his dad, Scott's grandfather, gave him after the war. From here on out, Goldstein makes it his personal mission to help Scott find the pistol. They eventually do, but the dad didn't truly care about that. Yes, he was happy, but he was more happy that his son got his life together. It was great to hear as someone who is very close to his dad, and hopes my son will be as close to me. This was heart wrenching, but it had a very happy ending. It is heavy, but the ending is totally worth it.

At number 4 I have The ten hour, two part tenth anniversary of "Comedy Bang! Bang!". This was so great because it took one of my favorite, and earliest to discover, pods, and got all the best characters and guests that have ever appeared on the show. It was like a hall of fame of comedy podcast guests. I was struck by the running time, but it was totally worth it, and needed. When I say everyone that people love appeared on these two episodes, I mean EVERYONE. And the fact that Scott Aukermann just kind of let them do their thing, it made me like him even more. Aukermann is a podcast pioneer, and this tenth anniversary episode is a perfect encapsulation of how important, funny and well liked his podcast is. I cannot wait for the 20th anniversary episode now.

At number 3 I have my introduction to Ear Hustle. I was listening to another podcast that had the host of Ear Hustle on as the guest. I was so intrigued by what he was talking about, I immediately went and subscribed to Ear Hustle, and have now already gone through 2 of the 4 seasons. For those that don't know, Ear Hustle is a podcast that takes place in a prison, and the interviewees are prisoners. It is a real in depth, real life look into what prison life is like. Sometimes it can be dull, sometimes it can be wild, sometimes I find myself asking what this person did to get into jail because they seem like a good dude. The host, Earlonne Woods, is so great as a host, and since he was a prisoner, he has so much more insight than I, or his co host, sould ever have. I have read that since this show started, Earlonne has been released, but he is still doing the show. That rules. I cannot wait to listen to the next 2 seasons, and see what they have coming after that. Ear Hustle is wonderful, dark and personal on a level that not many other podcasts can do.

At number 2 I have the 30 for 30 podcast series, The Sterling Affairs. This was so well done, and Ramona Shellburne did he homework, and then some. Donald Sterling is a monster, and that came through in droves during this 5 episode mini series. To hear former players talk about him was eye opening. He truly looked at his players as property, not people. The way he treated Magic Johnson was appalling. The way he treated his wife was upsetting. She’s also a not so good person either. She has stuck around simply for money. Sterling’s mistress is a game hungry loner, but she was the one who blew this whole story out. Who knows if she did it for spite, fame or some unknown reason, but at least she got people to see the monster Sterling is. I always knew he was scummy, but due to Shellburne’s reporting, it was confirmed. This story was humongous in basketball fans world, and blew up in mainstream media. This was a story where the bad guy did lose, and deserved so. I cannot recommend these five episodes more for NBA buffs, and person who like juicy celebrity stories. It tells tales for both groups. This is one of the best 30 for 30’s that exists, and that’s an achievement.

At number one I have the “Drop Dead Fred” episode of How Did This Get Made. HDTGM is one of the best pods ever, and this episode is triumphant. It was done live, and to hear the “fight” that went on between the 4 people on stage made for great radio. Paul Scheer and the guest, don’t remember who it was, said this movie was bad. Jason a Mantzoukas and June Diane Raphael disagreed, and loved it. I tend to lean on the side of disliking it. I thought it was great when I was a kid, then I saw it with adult eyes, and the movie is very problematic. But to hear these actors and podcasters debate it, it was a great 90 minutes. It was epic. They got the crowd involved, which they barely ever do unless it’s the Q&A, and that just added to the madness. HDTGM is always good, always funny and is always worth listening to, but this episode is one of the greats. I have even considered watching the movie again, listening to the episode again, and then seeing how I feel. Not many podcasts make me consider using my time like that.

As for the stuff I didn’t like so much, it all starts with Kevin O’Connor. I think he’s a hack, I think his takes are garbage, I think he’s a phony and a poser and I don’t think he gets that. He’s a crummy writer too, but he’s an even worse podcaster. When he gets called out on stuff, he never admits he’s wrong, it’s always the other person. O’Connor is too in on the new world of “analytic” basketball, and it’s mind numbingly frustrating. He’s the problem with younger basketball writers. He’s too emotional and never willing to take blame. Other than that, I was bummed that we got no new Womp It Up this year. I know they’re taking their time off, and both Lennon Parham and Jessica St Clair are busy acting, but I was hoping they’d pop up here and there. In fact, the only time I heard from their characters on Womp It Up was during the CBB ten year anniversary episodes. I want more Womp It Up. Finally, as I said I adore CBB, but I was bummed there was no Halloween episode. I look forward to these because of all the guests, but it never came this year. Maybe Aukermann and crew are tired of it, but I still enjoy listening to them. I’m not a big Halloween guy, but I do love a good Halloween episode of CBB, if only for the fact that I get to hear Leo Carpatze(Nick Wiger) sing is version of “The Monster Mash”.

That does it for podcasts for 2019. Come back tomorrow for my final best of 2019, sports.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Today their is a podcast for almost everything. The Head Editor listens to one just for fans of the 80’s GI Joe cartoon. When is Ty going to get his podcast featuring the flavor profile of the Ecto-Cooler?

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