Encore Broadcast: We revisit our conversation with the late great soul singer Sharon Jones… “Bad Moms” star Kristen Bell entertains our emoji etiquette questions… Comedian Josh Gondelman celebrates his Sublime relationship… Icelandic musician Junius Meyvant DJs your dinner party… Author Charles Russo teaches us about Bruce Lee’s early days… Plus, the robots that wrote the world’s scariest movie, the most popular fake student at a real university, a deceptive cocktail, and more! [Ed note: We are saddened by the news of Sharon Jones’ passing. It broke after we posted this episode.]
Georgia Tech's Legendary George P. Burdell Prank Endures
Around this time back in 1927 the Georgia Institute of Technology enrolled its most famous student. Learn about the adventurous life of George P. Burdell, then wash down the tall tale with a very real cocktail.
Júníus Meyvant Spins a Cool Soundtrack to Beat the Heat
Iceland's own Júníus Meyvant won his home country's equivalent of a Grammy for "Song of the Year," and he's making an international name for himself with soulful folk-pop that's both emotive and uplifting. His debut album, "Floating Harmonies" just came out. He blends smooth sounds with blues tunes on his playlist, which features tracks from The Bee Gees, B.B. King, and more.
Sharon Jones Tells Cancer 'Get up and Get Out'
Sharon Jones is the unstoppable lead singer of the funk and soul band Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings The ten piece act has been releasing albums and touring the world for a decade. In 2014, they earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B album. The year before that album came out, Sharon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The singer talks to Brendan about her cancer battle, which was chronicled in the documentary "Miss Sharon Jones," and drawing strength from soul songs.
Josh Gondelman Celebrates His Sublime Relationship
Comedian Josh Gondelman is up for an Emmy for his writing on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." His new comedy album, "Physical Whisper," is out now. Listen to a tale from the album in the audio above about how he knew his girlfriend was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Kristen Bell Entertains our Emoji Etiquette Questions
Each week our listeners send in questions about how to behave, and answering them this time around is actress Kristen Bell. She's starred in series like "House Of Lies," the cult hit "Veronica Mars," and she was the off-screen narrator of the scandalous teen drama "Gossip Girl." Bell also voiced the sweet princess Anna in the mega-hit Disney film "Frozen." The actor answers our listeners' questions on whether 'XOXO' has lost its meaning and how to handle passive-aggressive comments from family.
How Bruce Lee's Legacy Lives on After His Death
Each week on Chattering Class, we're schooled by an expert in some party-worthy topic. This week, the topic is the most famous martial arts fighter of all time, Bruce Lee. And our teacher is Charles Russo. His new book is called "Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the dawn of Martial Arts in America." He examines how Lee’s passion for martial arts came to be and his life before movies made him a legendary fighting figure.
Playlist 354
All the music from episode 354.
