The Electric Brain Podcast

This week I had the privilege to sit down with my boss and friend Brian "Bubba" Crowder. Bubba is the founder and director of Fund The Nations. Based in the Memphis area, Fund the Nations is a Memphis based company that has helped families and individuals raise money for adoptions and mission trips among many other possibilities through designing and creating really cool t shirts. I tried to keep the sucking up to a minimum but it did show up in the most genuine way that I think I could have done that and it was with appreciation. We get to dive into what Fund The Nations is, how it came to be, where it is going, and the responsibility behind it all.   

This week we were lucky enough to have on Lisa Toro! Owner, operator, and overall badass of City & State. The beautifully curated and beautifully crafted Coffee/Goods shop on Broad Ave. She let us in on the world of taking a dream, an idea and turning it into something you didn't expect but wholeheartedly embraced the challenge. I love that she wants to not only expand the City & State kingdom but she also has a vested interest in helping others pursue their passions. We loved having Lisa on and we are so excited about the "Liquor Store"....confused? Give the pod a listen!

This week on the Electric Brain we have my friend Ben Fulfer. Ben and I met working at Urban Outfitters about 5 years ago and we instantly connect by quoting 'How I Met Your Mother' quotes. The rest has been a blur with me changing jobs and him...changing jobs. Ben came and joined us on the podcast to promote his brand Bozwell + Lily. B+L lives in the now through the stories of our past and the through the feel and vibe of our town, Memphis. He also wanted to promote the upcoming even at Loflin Yard called 'Presenting Bozwell + Lily. The event will held at Loflin Yard on Sunday April 23rd. There he will be introducing himself to world and he will have friends and musical guests Grace Askew, The Wealthy West, and Matthew Wright! Go check him out, buy some cool stuff, and drink a beer with my friend Ben Fulfer.

Sushi on a food truck might sound like the crazy idea. A crazy good idea!!!! I don't know if Jimmy was the first one to do this. I assume not. But he is the first and only one to do this in Memphis and he has quickly become a Memphis staple. Yes we have BBQ, we have Fried Chicken, we have Burgers, but we HAVE SUSHI! I recommend this to all of my out of town friends. I always tell them you've got to hit up Central to have REAL Barbeque and you have to hit up Sushi Jimmi. A true fusion of his live growing up in a Vietnamese house hold and eating on the streets of LA. Jimmi has a real knack for what he does and I urge each one of you to try it and then come back and thank me. You can even by a shirt. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed meeting him.

If you want to be the best, book the best. haha! We are far from the best podcast but we really have been lucky to book the best guests! I know that is usually up for debate but in this case it really happened. On today's episode of The Electric Brain Podcast we have the world renowned Chef Kelly English! Owner, Operator, Chef of Restaurant Iris and The Second Line (pictured above). We didn't know what to expect and our nerves were high but they were lowered quickly. Kelly was such a down to earth guy and someone who I could tell who did not take himself to seriously. We talked about food, life, Memphis. We make some horribly inappropriate jokes that are completely appropriate for this setting. It was a lot of fun and I hope we will come on again so we can dive deeper into some of the topics we touched at the top of this episode. So thanks to Kelly English and enjoy this new episode of The Electric Brain.

There was once a small boy. Along with his mother and father, his grand mother and grandfather, they led a simple life. He had nothing to his name except for a name. That name is William Stull. You may have heard of his tale. Found along the railroad tracks that lay beside HWY 61 following the Great Mississippi River. Nestled into a guitar case. (model of guitar unknown) They took him in and understood quickly this babe had a soul of that of a 90 man. Basically he was Benjamin Button….Ok, in all seriousness, Will Stull is a good friend and it was so much fun to have him sit down and chat with us like we were on break at work. In podcast terms this was as hostful as hostfuls can go. It was funny and stupid and great! So glad this happened. And who knows, it could happen again!

Guys, I have a problem.Biscuits. Seriously! It's a problem! I have always loved biscuits. Buttery ones, flakey ones, dense ones, big ones, ones with rosemary in them….seriously. Biscuits. They are nature's fruit of the south. If they are nature's fruit then Andrew Bryant is the meat of the south. Soulful, thoughtful, and full of fullness. I'm honestly so sorry about the whole biscuit comparison but honestly as Matt points out in the Season 01 Preview every time I hear Andrew's last name all I can think about is “can I get to Bryant's biscuits fast enough?” But I digress, Andrew was such an awesome guest and I was so happy that he was cool to talk to me without my co-host there. I urge you to please go check out Andrew's solo record “This is The Life” on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify….Also, please go check out his other project Water Liars. (If you check out the song “Linens” you'll understand the biscuit shit). You can go purchase Andrew's record on vinyl or cd at Sleeprecordings.comGo follow him on twitter and instagram @MagnoliaStateThanks and eat a biscuit.  

Often I find that we take things for what they are perceived to be. A tragedy is a tragedy. What if a tragedy is actually a story of redemption or hope or love? What if a tragedy isn't a tragedy after all? These are far from original thoughts or original themes, but these are ideas that we often lose over time and we find that we are frantically grasping for them when we can't find something to hold on to. This is how you may feel when you listen to Sprained Ankle. I choose to see these songs as the unperceived. I choose to see these songs as stories of redemption, hope, and love. I ask you to please choose this when listening to the beautiful voice and mesmerizing sounds of Julien Baker. This is an album I have had on repeat for the last several months and so will you.

As we all know, putting yourself out there is a difficult pill to swallow. It is place that shows all your insecurities, faults, vices, and other words that mean the same thing (check your thesaurus under human). We all do this in some sort of fashion or another. Maybe something like social media, job interviews, marriage, or even podcast (cough,cough). But, few of us put ourselves in a situation where what we say is relied on. I feel like our guest this episode does that every Sunday with standing on a stage leading a congregation in worshiping. Congressional Worship is a beautiful thing. If you have never been apart of a group of people singing “How Great Thou Art” then I feel as if you are missing out. I digress, This week we have on Hunter Bobo. A good friend of mine and soon to be neighbor, can't wait to watch the Grizzlies together. He is the lead singer and guitar player of our church worship band Sow and Tether. This guy can sing! And you will hear him sing if you listen to this weeks episode. The song is “What I Deserve”, a title that perfectly expresses our shortcomings. We were so delighted in having Hunter on and it was a fun time. I see him returning to The Electric Brain Podcast as soon as we set up some sports talk! P.S. It took a lot in me not put a Parallels song on this podcast. I wanted to so so bad.

Since the first time I heard the drop in “Blood In Your Mouth” (at 2:50 and 3:13 equally) it's been been on my bucket list to peg a member of Colour Revolt in a room to talk tunes. Well, it's been well worth the wait considering that now—post CR—we can catch up to more current gems from, at least part of, the same bloodline. Today's podcast consists of Zack and I trying not to be fanboys and us having a great conversation with a great guy. This is Sean Kirkpatrick and you should check it out. Perhaps better still is the song at the end. Right now I'm knee deep in “Love for Sale” By Miles Davis but as soon as I'm done with this I'll be revisiting the song on this recording.For tour info: http://m.bandsintown.com/GreaterPyreneesTo purchase the Self-Titled Record Greater Pyrenees: http://store.procrastinatemusictraitors.com/products/566703-greater-pyrenees-greater-pyrenees

I don't know if I can confirm this or not, but my earliest memory of listening to music was with my dad. The band was Black Sabbath and the song was “War Pigs.” I was home grown on rock n' roll. We usually got the Led out daily, blasted “Hair of the Dog,” and (only in the south) worshiped at the feet of Ronnie Van Zant. Rock n' roll was life and until I was in 8th grade, it was all there was. Matt and I had the pleasure of interviewing someone we have been following for sometime now and it is even better that we can call him a friend. Justin Toland is the lead singer and guitar player for the Memphis three piece The Dirty Streets. The one band in this town that I can confidently say is rock n' roll. Now some of you may be offended at that statement. I know they are not the only ones that play rock n' roll in Memphis, but they are the only ones that I know personally that give a shit about it. There is no underlying purpose with these guys. Their purpose is the music. Good music.

We explain what The Electric Brain Podcast is as well as preview the upcoming guests on the first season of The Electric Brain Podcast!