Stereo Embers: The Podcast

“Keeping Your Eyes On Athens” As a teenager in Atlanta, Parker Gispert grew up listening to Built To Spill, Modest Mouse and the Velvet Underground. But everything changed once he discovered the Athens, Georgia Elephant 6 Label. Mesmerized by bands like Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel, Gispert was not only drawn to their sound, he was drawn to their geography. So much so, that when it came time to choose a college, the University of Georgia in Athens was the most logical choice. Inspired by the artistic community of the town and its legendary musical DNA, it didn’t take long for Gispert to get a band together and it didn’t take long for that band to start crushing it. The Whigs tore through the local live circuit and went on to release five albums, play repeatedly on Letterman and Conan and tour the world several times over. In this conversation Gispert talks to Alex about his first solo album Sunlight Tonight, what it was like to live on a hemp farm for a year and the pleasures of driving alone across the country. He also talks about his parents’ take on his rock and roll career, how geography influences art and the current state of the Whigs.

“Seeing Bad Brains When You're Twelve” Although you might not know it by listening to Alana Davis’ brand of sultry soul, she’s a huge fan of hardcore. So much so, that at 12 she got a fake ID so she could see shows at CBGB’s. Transfixed by the power and truth of the legendary band, Davis became a lifelong fan. Although her original plan was to be the bassist in a reggae band, Davis ended up stepping up to the mic and the result has been a career punctuated by a Grammy nomination, collaborations with Jay-Z and Pharrrell, and an ubiquitous hit that was all over MTV. In this candid and energetic chat Davis talks to Alex about singing Aretha Franklin songs in the shower, growing up in Greenwich Village and her new album Love Again. She also talks about her penchant for statistics, hearing her music in Whole Foods and her musical relationship with her father.

“The Leading Writer On Manchester United” Wayne Barton got his start as a sportswriter, but it didn’t take long for his talents to land him gigs ghostwriting autobiographies for notable soccer stars. From there Barton stepped from the shadows and wrote Fergie’s Fledglings under his own name. Focusing on the youth soccer system in Manchester under Sir Alex Ferguson, the book found The Guardian declaring it to be “vibrant and essential.” The follow-up 74/75 found The Independent declaring him to be “The Leading Writer On Manchester United.” So what does one do after being given such a laudatory title? They write a novel about rock and roll, obviously. Barton sits down with Alex to talk about his novel Peach, which focuses on a cross-generational friendship between two musicians at vastly different points in their lives. Barton chats about the transition from soccer to novels, his love of music and the arduous process of writing. He also reveals how he got "Breaking Bad" star Charles Baker to do the soundtrack for the book……

“Maira Kalman’s Dog Ate Her Camera” And she thought it was hilarious. In this interview, which was recorded in front of a live audience at the Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, author and artist Maira Kalman talks to Alex about why she would have been furious if her kids broke her camera, but found it comical that the culprit was her dog. A candid chat about the legacy of family insanity, how rooms are related to memory and what to do with all the stuff that we have in our lives, this is Stereo Embers’ first ever live show and we’re proud that the inaugural installment is with the fabulous Maira Kalman. A funny, moving and engaging conversation, Maira also talks about her mother’s underwear, working with Daniel Handler, the forgiveness of animals and how she was obsessed with drawing dogs from the very beginning of her artistic life but didn’t know it until her agent pointed it out…

“The Amazing Kreskin Returns!” When it came time to book a guest for our last show of the 2018 season, Kreskin was our first pick. After all, who better to look ahead to the new year than the best mentalist to ever walk the planet? In his return to the program Kreskin talks to Alex about thwarting a murder, his new book and the truth behind his gravestone. They also chat about Ricky Jay, cannabis for Congress, the upcoming biopic on Kristin’s life and Alex dazzles Kreskin just by mentioning Jason Schwartzman’s name….

“Louise Goffin And I Go The Distance, Part Two” In the second part of my interview with Louise Goffin we really break things down. Louise tells a story about learning a life lesson after hanging out at CBGB’s with Madonna, how she internalized feedback from her parents Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and why she didn’t tell me about her new record All These Hellos the last time we talked. Louise and I also confess that we’re terrible at accepting compliments so we vow to get better at it. To test our new plan, we compliment each other to see how we do…..

“Louise Goffin And I Go The Distance, Part One” Louise Goffin returns to the podcast for the second time this year and she willingly plumbs the depths of the songwriting process, explains how her new album All These Hellos came to be and talks about her experience interviewing folks like Van Dyke Parks and Martha Davis of the Motels on her own podcast, The Great Song Adventure Podcast. In Part One of this conversation Goffin breaks down the rigors of the creative life, looks back at her prolific watershedding days in London and reveals whether or not she’s good at taking criticism. Also, we reminisce about the music videos of the early ‘80s...

“Erica Jong Tells Alex To Wear A Hat And Sunscreen” When Erica Jong gives you advice, it’s probably a good idea to take it. The key for men as they get older, she says, is to wear a hat and sunscreen. And that’s just the beginning of the wisdom Jong dispenses in this interview. The best-selling author of 25 books—her debut novel Fear Of Flying alone has sold almost 40 million copies--talks to Alex about starter marriages, the current political climate and her love of Leonard Cohen. A discursive chat that’s both tangential and linear, Jong also talks about Primo Levi, online dating, survival of the fittest, Judy Collins, and creaky college reunions. She also dishes about her upcoming new book and the vinyl reissue of Vanessa Daou’s Zipless: Songs From The Works Of Erica Jong.

“When You Always Knew You Were On Your Own Planet” Growing up, Vanessa Daou always knew she was meant to be an artist. Growing up in The Virgin Islands, Daou escaped a difficult childhood by immersing herself in the creative world. An avid reader, the young Daou was inspired early on by bookslike Harold And The Purple Crayon and the Little Prince and, taking her cue from characters who fashioned their own universes, Daou began fashioning her own. As idiosyncratic as Stereolab, as smooth as Sade and as timeless as Sarah Vaughan,Daou’s body of work is a seamless, often mesmerizing confluence of electronica, jazz, trip-hop, poetry and soul. In this intimate conversation Daou talks to Alex about the liberation of dance, discovering Leonard Cohen and what it was like to sit down and collaborate with Erica Jong. And speaking of Jong, Daou’s groundbreaking album Zipless: Songs From The Works Of Erica Jong is finally getting released on vinyl in December.

"Justin Jeffre Of 98 Degrees On Pop Music And Social Activism” Justin Jeffre may be widely recognized as one of the four famous faces in the R&B group 98 Degrees, but he keeps a far lower profile while volunteering for the Homeless Coalition in Cincinnati. Jeffre and his bandmates have sold over 10 million albums and are currently on a nearly 40-date pre-Christmas tour called ’98 Degrees At Christmas 2018’, but Jeffre’s heart is as much on the stage as it is helping the homeless. The Ohio-bred Jeffre is no stranger to politics—his Mayoral bid in 2005 taught him that real measurable change happens on issue-based levels and since then Jeffre has been an ardent activist for several political causes that are important to him. In this thoughtful conversation Jeffre talks to Alex about 98 Degrees’ plans for the future, his balance between music and activism and the urgent need for universal health care.