Podcast – What Brings us Together

In the last week and a half, we have seen a surge of internet philanthropy…but more often than that we have seen a surge of people (albeit raising awareness for something important) soaking themselves in ice water in the name of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A name few of us have ever heard. In fact, if … Continue reading →

So I’m one of those people that loved making mix tapes for people. Mix tapes turned to CD’s which has now turned to MP3’s. You dont even have to hand someone a mix anymore, you can just send it to them and they can be halfway across the globe and have it in minutes. That … Continue reading →

I have listened to Har Mar Superstar’s latest record, Bye Bye 17, pretty much nonstop since I bought it back in March of this year. I bought it the day after seeing one of his shows at SXSW.  Since then, any time I talk to anyone about great records of the last year, I make … Continue reading →

Today’s podcast is a conversation with cellist Dave Eggar. Our frequent blog contributor, Jay Sustain, did a phone interview with Mr. Eggar while he was on tour with Phillip Phillips. Dave has played with some of the biggest names in music…ever. This is a great interview. Many thanks to Jay Sustain for doing a terrific … Continue reading →

Grandmaster Melle Mel’s career involves a lot of firsts. He was a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. He won the first ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his work with Quincy … Continue reading →

Mark Ibold has been a part of a few things in my life that I hold very dear. First, he was the bass player in Pavement. Easily one of the most unique bands of the last 25 years and one of my favorite bands ever. Secondly, he is a bartender at the Great Jones Cafe … Continue reading →

I’ve known Gabe Wilhelm for almost a decade. We played in a band together for a while and have had countless conversations about music and art of all kinds. He, more than almost anyone, changed the way I approach playing music. After not seeing him for years, we reconnected in Savannah a few months ago … Continue reading →

This week’s guest is me. Catching you up on some recent hilarity. Rawk. [audio  https://whatbringsustogether.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/episode-54.mp3%5D

I met Kris Hayes six years ago when our bands were playing a show together in New Hope, Pennsylvania. I was instantly impressed with his playing and guitar tones. We hit it off pretty quickly because he is a sun machine and when our band announced that we were going to cover a few Misfits … Continue reading →

I have known Alia Akkam since I was about 12 years old. However, I’ve only known Alia Akkam for about two years. We went to high school together and never said much to each other. Not for any reason. Just because sometimes, that’s what happens. About two years ago when I started writing the WBUT … Continue reading →

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of being invited to the Fourth Annual Bronx Pipe Smoking Society Small Game Dinner. It is an annual event that is put on by our friend, Baron Ambrosia. This is a black tie affair and a very special and unique event. Being able to sample different types of … Continue reading →

Today’s guest is Catfish. Catfish would never want to admit this because he is a humble dude, but he is a bit of a legend in Savannah. He won lifetime tickets to see their minor league baseball team by sleeping in the stadium for over a week, he played Tommy Ramone in the CBGB’s movie, … Continue reading →

I recently saw the documentary “Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony”.  When the movie was over, I was left in a state of shock. I watch a lot of documentaries, but rarely do they leave me feeling this good about the world we live in. To make a very long story … Continue reading →

The Beatles are a band that have had a significant impact on many music lovers lives. However, every so often you run into folks who think that they get too much credit and are drastically overrated.  This is a discussion with my friend Jeff who is of that mindset. Its an interesting discussion about a … Continue reading →

Happy New Year everybody! In this episode, I fly solo to give you a delectable winter mix. I’ve mentioned before that I love making mixes for people, so these are some things that I’ve been listening to a lot lately. Most of it is older stuff, but it all packs quite a punch. Hope you … Continue reading →

A few years back, David Farley wrote a book called “An Irreverent Curiosity”. The book details the history and disappearance of the foreskin of Jesus Christ. Farley spent years doing research for this book and it is amazing. In 2014, there will be a documentary about the Holy Foreskin brought to you by National Geographic, … Continue reading →

Today’s guest is Dave Dreiwitz. Dave was the bass player in Ween from 1997 until the bands demise in 2012. He has also played with Instant Death, Tiny Lights, Marco Benevento, Bustle in Your Hedgerow, Bob Musso, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and countless others. If you are a music person and live around New York … Continue reading →

How much are you willing to risk for what you think is right? Will you dedicate your life to it? Would you get arrested for it? Today I have a guest who was an active member of a socialist organization for years. Organizing, protesting, and trying to let people know that we are all one … Continue reading →

I have never felt a connection with God. That doesn’t mean I am not awe-inspired by being in the wilderness or seeing a beautiful sunset or realizing how thankful I am for my friends and loved ones. I just prefer to thank the randomness of the universe, because that is what I believe is responsible … Continue reading →

So a few weeks back I was thinking about the podcast and thought it would be a hilarious idea to have people that know me come on the show and discuss my shortcomings. I thought this would be funny, but more importantly I thought that this would be a way for me to address some … Continue reading →

Mike Marsicano has been one of my best friends for the better part of 20 years. He is witty, a real charmer and has turned me on to more of the music that has defined who I am than almost anyone else. He also happens to be an incredibly talented artist. The day that he … Continue reading →

Jane Fishel is the person who made me appreciate a well made cocktail. Before I met Jane, the most adventurous I would get with a mixed drink was a Greyhound. She made me appreciate classic cocktails and drinks that I would have never dared try. I had my first Fernet-Branca with Jane, and for that, … Continue reading →

Most of you wont be familiar with Andrew Rippley, but you should become familiar with him. He is, in general, a badass. I hold that term in the highest regard. He is a concert oboist, masterful cocktail maker, and a lover of many things. I only met him about a year and a half ago, … Continue reading →

This is a conversation I had with Ed Kurz before we recorded our podcast about how to talk to conservatives. Ed is hyper intelligent and a pleasure to talk to about basically anything. In this episode, we talk about our favorite podcasts, the decline of the dollar, the future world powers and many other things. … Continue reading →

This week our topic is losing your virginity. I spoke to a few people I know about the first time they made whoopi. This was a lot of fun. So much so that within the next few weeks I’ll be doing a female version of this. Dig it.   [audio  https://whatbringsustogether.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/episode-37-virginity-male1.mp3%5D

After the shutdown of the federal government last week, I was pissed off. I’m sure a lot of people were pissed off. There were some pretty good reasons to be pissed off. Just before all of that happened, I asked my friend Ed Kurz to write a piece for our WBUT blog. He initially started … Continue reading →

On this episode, I talk about my dad having to leave my childhood home at the end of October and the different emotions and issues one deals with with something like that. In addition, our company, Acoustic Archives will be in the October 2013 issue of Wired Magazine. Our Kickstarter is about to launch so … Continue reading →

Now that I got the incredibly cliched show title out of the way, today’s podcast is a conversation about movies that I am embarrassed to admit that I like. My guest is my friend, screenwriter Mike Mulvihill. I’ve know Mike a long time and he is always hilarious. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of … Continue reading →

I love making mixes for people. Its something that I’ve really enjoyed doing for a long time. There are a lot of things that go into making a good mix for someone. Pacing, themes, dynamics, etc. I wanted to try to finish out the Summer by making a mix for you guys of some of … Continue reading →

Hearing Bluegrass music in the hills of Appalachia is an experience that is almost impossible to describe. In this weeks episode I revisit the Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. This time however, I brought my recorder and captured some music, dancing and a conversation with luthier Larry Hicks. Larry makes the best acoustic guitars … Continue reading →

We have all learned a lot from past relationships. What are some of the things that have carried over that made you look at the world differently and learn something? On today’s show, I talk to my friend, Justin Spence, about things that we took away from past relationships. The good, the bad, and the … Continue reading →

This week we try something a bit different. In the wake of our 30th episode, I let my pal Jody Dobson interview me. Also at the roundtable is my friend of many years, Justin Spence. All three of us have back rounds in music and audio and all of us work in music or audio … Continue reading →

Mike Mattison is one cool motherfucker. He’s a singer in the Tedeschi/Trucks Band, a founding member of Scrapomatic; one of the most eclectic blues, rock, roots based bands that you have ever heard, former writer and vice-president of the Harvard Lampoon, and an all around force to be reckoned with. He’s also got a solo … Continue reading →

This week, I talk to my friend, Good Times Jay, about being a schemer. I have known Jay more than half of my life and if there was ever a time when I needed to sneak into a concert, rig something together, or commit minor crimes, he’s the guy I would call for ideas. He’s … Continue reading →

I had a tough time trying to figure out what to call this episode. Kerry is my roommate and very quickly becoming a great friend.  When she initially told me about how both of her parents had succumbed to AIDS before she was 15, I was almost speechless, as most people would be when they … Continue reading →

Whatever you may think of the Grateful Dead, one has to admit that they are one of the most important bands of the last century. Whether you look at them as the first “jam band”, or the fact that they made an entire generation appreciate American roots music, or that they are oddly responsible for … Continue reading →

This week, you as the listener can enjoy another fun filled episode of Ryan just talking about whatever comes to mind. In this episode, Ryan rambles about the Big Star Documentary, the unconstitutionality of DoMA, murdering a chipmunk and it getting postmortem revenge through another species, upcoming guests and concludes with a lovely benediction. [audio  … Continue reading →

This is the second part of our two part interview with musician, Jason Falkner. In this episode we talk about musical collaborations, the record business, and the future.  The whole experience was really fantastic and I hope that you guys enjoy listening to it. I also want to thank Jason Falkner for agreeing to be … Continue reading →

To say that this is the most excited I’ve been about any of our podcasts so far is a drastic understatement. Jason Falkner is a musician that you need to know about. From his work with Air, Paul McCartney, Beck, Daniel Johnston, Jellyfish, Brendon Benson, The Grays and many others, to his solo work (which … Continue reading →

Laura Pleasants is a guitar player/singer/songwriter in Kylesa. Kylesa is a heavy metal band from Savannah, GA that has been re-defining themselves and their genre for years. Typically referred to as sludge metal, doom metal or stoner metal because people feel the need to categorize everything, there is a lot more to them than that. … Continue reading →

Roopa Singh is one of the most intelligent, interesting and genuine people that I have ever met.  She is a scholar, a lawyer, an activist, a bad ass yoga instructor and a friend. She is unlike anyone I have ever met and the second that we get together we end up taking our conversations all … Continue reading →

This week’s podcast is a bit different. I gave it a go at doing one with no guest. I recently traveled to California to interview one of my heroes as well as officiate a wedding. Lots of things have been going on in my universe: acoustic archiving, finally joining OkCupid, confrontations with TSA guards, watching … Continue reading →

This is part two of our interview with Justin Fornal. In this episode, he discusses conceptualizing different characters, travel, and the Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia. He also leaves us with a taste of things to come. Hope that you dig it. [audio  https://whatbringsustogether.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/episode-19_-baron-ambrosia-pt-2.mp3%5D

Justin Fornal is someone you should know. He is a filmmaker, actor, writer and his alter ego, Baron Ambrosia, is one of the most energetic and unique characters to emerge from the culinary world.  This episode is the first of a two part discussion with a mind that you might want to familiarize yourself with. … Continue reading →

To quote Larry David, “Sometimes you don’t need to do a stop and chat.” I can totally understand that. At the same time, there are people that you would definitely do one with. People you’ve been close to or known for years. Certainly people that you’ve only had positive experiences with.  I had a bizarre … Continue reading →

Traveling on the Crooked Road is an incredible American experience. Most people outside of the communities within it dont know what it is. For 300 miles in western Virginia, there is a stretch of road that is littered with music venues, luthiers and thousands of people who are dedicated to the preservation of Appalachian music. Bluegrass … Continue reading →

The origin for today’s episode stems back from a few weeks ago when I asked my friends Jody and Mike (both WBUT veterans) to come and see the Meat Puppets with me. They had casually met a few times before. Mike was a few weeks away from getting married and Jody has been married three … Continue reading →

Our guest today is J.J. McCabe. J.J. is one of the kindest and most fascinating people I have ever met. He has lived an extraordinary life. He was JFK jr.’s guitar teacher, member of a pretty popular band, smuggler, inmate, successful hair colorist, and that was all before he was 30. This is definitely one … Continue reading →

Self mutilation is a struggle for a lot of people in the world and it has always been something that has fascinated me. We didn’t initially plan on doing a second cutting episode until a few days before the first one aired. I was out having a drink with this episode’s guest and telling her … Continue reading →

In this episode I interview my brother, James, about watching our father slowly kill himself by not caring about his health. This was a tough episode to make and an even tougher one to think about posting. If you have ever known anyone who has gotten a second chance at life but willfully decided to … Continue reading →