2021 Top Five - Podcasts

Today I have my top five podcasts or podcast moments of 2021. As I say every year, it would be unfair to put the X Millenial Man on this list because that is the greatest podcast that has ever existed. RD and I do some great work, we have gotten better and I am enjoying the hell out of recording it. Seriously, if you are not listening to it yet, get on it. Now that that is out of the way, I listen to a ton of podcasts. I love the format. I love that it is mostly free. And I love content. Feed it to me through a tube if need be. I love listening to them when I am doing housework, running, driving to and from school, basically any time. I still listen to music, lots of it, but podcasts take about 50 percent of my time now. Let's get to the list.

At number five I have The Flagrant Ones, but to be even more specific, their offshoot pod, Carl Call His Cousin. The Flagrant Ones has been great this year. I love it. I love how they still talk hoops, but they are putting more and more jokes in there. Lately they have been reading team names for the new t-shirt they are going to make, and that has been a total riot. But this year I have fallen in love with Carl Call His Cousin. I am a big Carl Tart fan, and these recordings, which are about 30 minutes long, have been exceptional. Carl and his cousin talk about all manners of things. They touch on mostly comedic elements, but they talk about real life stuff too. I love it. My favorite thing they do is what they call "scenarios". Those segments leave me howling. I love it. It is the best. The Flagrant Ones know what they are doing, they are in their pocket and they are crushing it. And Carl Call His Cousin is just a wonderful added bonus.

Coming in at four I have the return of Heavyweight. Heavyweight is one of my favorite podcasts. I always love when a new season comes around. I am not a big fan of them switching to Spotify exclusively, but that is neither here nor there. This season, so far, has been really good. I am digging the two parters they have been doing this season. I love how it leaves me wanting more. That has been a nice touch. Johnathan Goldstein is bringing his usual greatness to hosting. I like how they are doing the show with the pandemic being here. Heavyweight is good stuff, and it may be Gimlet's best show.

Coming in at number three I have myself discovering This Is Important. This Is Important is hosted by the dudes that created "Workaholics", one of my all time favorite shows. And no it is not a rewatch of their old show. They get on mic and just talk about random nonsense, like I'd imagine four friends would when they are just shooting the breeze. It is hilarious, and it works so well because these guys have such a good rapport. Their friendship is so easy to believe because it is so palpable on the mic. I love the soundboard, the jokes, the inside Hollywood stories. I love it all. Even with Kyle Newachek having to opt out recently due to a busy work schedule, it works just as well with Anders, Blake and Adam. They crush it. I do like some of the rewatch pods, but I think there are too many. That is why I like This Is Important so much. They may touch on their older and newer roles, but it is just four dudes having a good time on mic.

At number two I have the introduction of CBB World. I love Comedy Bang Bang, more on that at number 1, and CBB World is just that, but with so many added and commercial free shows. All of Comedy Bang Bang is there, with no commercials. They have old shows from the early Earwolf days, all without commercials. It has been a blast to go back and listen to all of Mike Detective again. They have live CBB's on there. They have CBB Presents, which is always good. But my favorite thing about CBB World is all the Shaun Diston content. I am a fan of Diston's, and I love that he is all over CBB World. They have all of We Need to Stop Talking about TMNT on CBB on there, which is amazing. They also have Scott Hasn't Seen, which is a new pod where Sprague, one of Diston's best characters, and Scott watch movies that Scott Aukermann has not seen, and it is awesome. CBB World is one of a few paid content pods I do not mind paying for because it has so, so, so much awesome content. It is one of the best things to come out of the podcasting in a long, long time.

And at number one I have a specific episode of Comedy Bang Bang. It was a recent ep. Jimmy Pardo and Danielle Koenig were the main guests, and they were great. But when Suzi Barrett showed up, this ep went from good to amazing. Barrett played, quite simply, a potato. She was a sentient potato. It seems dumb, but oh my goodness did I find myself cracking up the whole time listening. I was actually laughing so hard at one point during a run that I had to stop and catch my breath. Barrett played the potato as a little kid. She would add b's and d's to words that didn't need them. Every time she talked about Farmer Hands, which also made me crack up, she would say "dambit" instead of "dammit". Again, silly but extremely hilarious. But every move that Barrett made as Uggams, they named the potato midway through the ep, worked to perfection. I assumed that it was going to be a joke that didn't land, but boy was I wrong. This worked. It worked so well that I have listened to the episode a few times since it first came out. I laugh as hard every time I listen. This character should not have worked. It should have been stupid, but it wasn't. This is why I love CBB so much. They let people take big swings, and when something hits, like Uggams, it is so memorable.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top sports moments of the year.

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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Best of 2020: Top Five Podcasts

Finishing up my best of 2020 lists I have my top five podcasts/podcast episodes of the year.

Podcasts have been a pretty crucial part of my life in 2020. Along with recording X Millennial Man with RD, I have been in the process of starting another podcast with a few of my friends that is strictly about the NBA and basketball shoes. We have put out one episode so far, and you can find it on Google Play and Spotify. It is called Wear and Tear. Outside the two podcasts I am personally involved with, podcasts have been great for running, cleaning the house or just relaxing. It has also been pretty cool to see how the big time podcasters have adjusted to all the changes from the Coronavirus pandemic. With all this being said, I do have a top five, and I am pretty stoked about it.

Coming in at number five I have an episode of a podcast I really enjoy, Heavyweight, and it is their episode entitled "Bobby". This was one of the lighter Heavyweight features, and I have grown to enjoy when they don't go as heavy. "Bobby" focused on, I believe he is the sound engineer for Heavyweight, his musical career before he got his new job. He always loved music, was in a band in high school, played some gigs and even made a few dollars. But this wasn't about that. Apparently he worked for a marketing company out of college and was tasked with writing and performing a jingle for McDonald's. He did it and thought nothing would come of it. But they made it, put it on the air, and boy oh boy did people dislike it. They read some comments, played the commercial and made jokes about it and even had former employees that greenlit the jingle on. They all had great quips. The best thing was his former bandmates discussing it. Of course they knew it was their friend Bobby singing, but he never told them. They brought it up to him. And while they razzed him, they didn't let that linger too long. They joked, but knew he did it basically as a goof. Bobby and his band got to play at the end of the episode, and that was a very nice touch. This was a fun look into the marketing world when things go awry. I had a great time listening to this episode.

At number four I have the new podcast Grawlix Saves the World. I am a fan of the Grawlix. They are a comedy trio, and they had a very great show on TruTV called "Those Who Can't". On their podcast they do things to try and make the world a better place. Throughout their challenges they bring their unique blend of comedy. It is funny to hear them gripe and moan and riff off one another. They also do some very cool things. If it wasn't for their election episode I may have never phone banked for Biden and Harris. I was inspired by them to do that, and I believe that is the point of the podcast. I also loved when they each did a challenge from a listener, and decided I was going to go on hour long walks for a week too. Their goal, to make the world a better place through comedy, has inspired me to do some things I may have never done before. That is one of the main reasons they are on my list. They also happen to be hilarious, which is always a plus.

At number three I have another new podcast, Zack to the Future. The premise is simple. Mark Paul Gosselaar has never watched "Saved by the Bell", so his co host Dashielle Driscoll, the creator of the excellent "Zack Morris is Trash", has him watch each episode, and then they dissect it. It is cool to hear Gosselaar talk about his time on the show, and what he remembers, but more so, what he has no recollection of. It is also great when they get guests on the show. So far they have had Mario Lopes, Elizabeth Berkely and Tiffani Thiessen on. They have also had writers and some extras. It is neat to hear these people talk about this show that has become such an enormous hit, especially for my generation. I loved "Saved by the Bell", and to hear the actors, who are about a decade older than me, reminisce is pretty awesome. If you were a fan of "SBTB", I would highly recommend listening to Zack to the Future. It is a great stroll down memory lane.

At number two I have Scott Aukemann and Adam Scott led U Talking Talking Heads to my Talking Head. They have done this before. They did it with U2 and REM. Aukermann even did something similar with Phish and Harris Wittles(RIP). So this isn't new, but their shows like this have introduced me to very famous bands that I never gave a shot. It didn't work with U2, kind of worked with REM, but it has worked like gangbusters with Talking Heads. I am a humongous fan now, and I have to say it is because of me listening to this podcast. They have introduced me to a band that I now love. I didn't get that into it at first, but when they did the "Stop Making Sense" episode, that was what hooked me. Now I love this band and this show. I am bummed they did their final episode a week ago, but that was all Talking Heads had to offer. What makes this podcast even better is the fact that they were going to do it about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but instead shifted to Talking Heads during that very first episode, and never looked back. That was the correct decision. I hope Aukermann and Scott continue to do this for so many reasons, but mainly because they seem to genuinely have a good time making these shows.

At number one I have the Lowe Post episode where Zach Lowe speaks to Malika Andrews about the NBA players strike. Andrews was one of the few journalists that got to go to the bubble. She was there from start to finish pretty much. She had to go through all the things the players went through, and her stories from the bubble are incredible. But hearing her talk about her mood, the sight, the feeling in the gyms and seeing the players protest, that was powerful. It is not very often you get instant talk of something as enormous as this strike. Usually we get stories months or even years later. But Andrews appeared on Lowe's podcast within days of the strike. Hearing her insight was truly wonderful. Hearing her thoughts and her actions was incredible. It is a moment in time that no one will forget, and she was one of the first people to openly talk about it. I have listened to the pod a few times because it still brings chills in the very best way. As I stated yesterday, I love the NBA, and this interview with Andrews was an amazing listening experience. It truly was second to none.

Okay, those are my best of 2020 lists. Happy New Year everyone. Stay safe, wear a mask, wash your hands and Black Lives Matter.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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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Cloves and Fedoras: Catch Up on the Great Podcast "Heavyweight" Before the New Season Begins

Cloves and Fedoras is Seed Sings reviews for little known pieces of pop culture.  Feel free to contact us with your own submissions of undiscovered gems that must be known.

Awhile back I wrote about a new podcast I really liked called "The Habitat". After listening to all of it in 2 days, I was looking for something new, in that same vain. My wife actually has a friend that works for Gimlet Media, the company that put out "The Habitat", and she recommend that I check out "Heavyweight". so, I subscribed and started listening to it the very next day. I was immediately intrigued right off the bat.

"Heavyweight", when you break it down to its bare bones, is about the host, who is amazing, more on him later, takes on a problem from family, friends or complete strangers, and he tries to help the person or people get closure. It is truly amazing. The first episode, as I said, it was the one that hooked me, was about him getting his dad and brother to speak again. The host, his name is Johnathan Goldstein, is so, so perfect for this show. He has a very calming way of speaking, and his hosting and writing are impeccable. One of my favorite things he does, at the start of every episode, he calls his friend Jackie and just harasses her. It is really funny. It is also needed when he gets into some very deep topics. It is a nice breath of fresh air. But Goldstein is just wonderful. I love pretty much everything he does, and how he goes about doing it. He is an amazing podcast host, and I cannot wait to hear more from him. Back to that first episode now. As I said, Goldstein has come to find out that his dad and brother haven't spoken in years due to some nonsensical fight. He gets them on the phone together, and eventually gets them to meet in person. The ups and downs and laughter and tears are all real, and it was a tremendous listen. And when Goldstein would try to interject, with these 2 very old school New Yorkers, I loved every second of it. The first episode was a great way to kick off this wonderful show.

From there on out, every episode was very enjoyable for me. Goldstein covers so many different things on the first 2 seasons, and I loved it all. He tracks down a girl that he saw on a video in a theater class in college that struck him so many years ago. He watched this video about angry people, and there was a transgender person who brought her daughter on set with her, and that was the person he remembered. He remembered her angry and confusion as to why she was brought to this set. He finally found her, and the conclusion was awesome. In one of the "funnier" episodes, Goldstein helps one of his buddies, who went to high school with Moby, try and track down a CD collection he lent him in high school. The CD collection was important because Goldstein's buddy loved it and could not find it again, and for Moby, it changed his life. That collection is heavily featured on his biggest hit record, "Play". The story of Goldstein and his buddy going to Moby's house, hearing Moby's side, and his friend eventually not getting his CD's back, it was great. It was so funny. There is another episode, possibly the saddest one, that involved bullying between teenage girls. Goldstein helps a lady that was bullied in high school find out why the girls started to bully her, and even when she moved, why they came to her house one day. The girl also reached out to another girl that was bullied, and their stories were heartbreaking. Another sad story was when Goldstein helped a lady find out why, after being diagnosed, and beating cancer, she was kicked out of her sorority. That story was all too real and all too troubling as to how cliques and rumors get started, and how they can last into adulthood. Another episode that spoke to me was about a foster child who fell in love with basketball, but then had to quit because her foster mom didn't feel like she made the proper grades to continue playing. The basketball hooked me, then the story, while tragic, was also moving and important for me to hear. When she plays basketball with her husband at the end, I shed a few tears. The best episode I have heard was the season 2 finale that involved Goldstein going home with his wife and new baby, and all the things he goes through and talks about with his mom. It was so great and so wonderful and so eye opening and just perfectly done. It is the brightest gem among many strong episodes.

"Heavyweight" is a podcast that is well worth your time. Know going in that it is sad and can be tragic, but Goldstein alone is worth listening. Season 2 ended awhile ago, but it is coming back for a third season this fall, and I cannot wait. Check this podcast out, and Gimlet Media, keep doing what you're doing because you are crushing it right now.

Find "Heavyweight" here.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes to go out and solve people's problems every day. Just today, he gave a man directions, even though Ty had no idea where the man was going.

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