Zooey Deschanel and M Ward of the band She & Him suggest some holiday music deep cuts, for the sun and the snow... Alton Brown waxes poetic about eggnog, before serving up etiquette advice... "Parks and Rec" alum Nick Offerman breaks down his Oscar-worthy YuleLog video (that's just him sipping whiskey for 45 minutes)... Vanity Fair film critic Richard Lawson stuffs our stocking with unconventional holiday movies... And listeners chime in with tales of the WORST gifts ever. Plus: merry musings from Brendan and Rico, a generous helping of holiday history, and more!

Filmmaker Barry Jenkins finds magic in "Moonlight"...Actor Gael Garcia Bernal waxes poetic about art and "Neruda"...U.K. wit Caitlin Moran proposes steam baths for politicians and onesies FOR ALL... Folk phenom Lucy Dacus spins us a soundtrack built for living rooms and river beds. Plus: Jedi poetry, "Surfy Christmas," and tiny Jane Austens.

Ta-da! It’s an all-new episode of our impromptu Speakeasy podcasts. This time, Rico and Brendan reflect on their recent trip to Cuba (be sure to check out photos here). Plus, you’ll hear a few bonus pieces of audio not included in full episodes! Rick Astley tells us how his daughter helped him cope with becoming a meme, Anthony Bourdain talks about the contradictions inherent in his hero Hunter S. Thompson, and poet-singer Jamila Woods recommends a gorgeous song that’s part-Disney dream, part wake-up call.

It's one of our favorite (holiday) episodes: Hip-hop legend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels riffs on his mega-hit "Christmas in Hollis"... TV's "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver injects some health into our holiday menu (okay, some butter remains)... Humorist Fran Lebowitz cuts through holiday sap with tart advice... Macklemore & Ryan Lewis craft a Yuletide playlist, featuring your crazy Uncle Larry... Plus, Santa's whereabouts during the Iranian Revolution ,and re-remember holiday movies good and bad: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special."

Celebrated chef Anthony Bourdain gets tough and tender in our etiquette segment... Breakout actor Mackenzie Davis (TV's "Halt and Catch Fire," the new film "Always Shine") opts for reality over (manic pixie) dreams... Kurt Wagner, frontman of Nashville band Lambchop, turns back the clock with his party soundtrack...Iconic silver screen rebel Toshiro Mifune gets a new close-up...And Nora McInerny, host of the new podcast "Terrible, Thanks for Asking," travels through time and tragedy, with comedy. Plus, sinister smog, verboten leftovers, and maybe the most tongue-tied joke in DPD history.

It's a week of feasting, which means it's time for our special All-Food Show! Star chef Roy Choi reinvents fast food, in the heart of Watts... Comedian Jim Gaffigan advises you to pack your kids' lunch with pub fare... Nahnatchka Khan, showrunner for TV's "Fresh Off the Boat," thanks her Dad for drive-thru laughs...Marlon Brando orders room service... And musician Fantastic Negrito builds a playlist that's good for your soul AND your kidneys. Plus, the man and myth behind the donut (as we know it), knish knowledge, soup jou mou, and more!

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.

This week, it's a special podcast episode taped LIVE at the Now Hear This podcast festival! Davy Rothbart, host of the acclaimed "Found" podcast, tells us about heart-warming root canals... "Gilmore Guys" co-host Demi Adejuyigbe tries to convert Brendan and Rico into, well, "Gilmore Guys"... The OC Weekly's Gustavo Arellano pushes buttons left and right... And humorist Annabelle Gurwitch pities a certain Egyptian princess, before leading our illustrious etiquette panel.

"Parks and Rec" alum Nick Offerman carves out his own niche, solves problems with bear hugs... Singer and godfather-of-memes Rick Astley lists some alternatives to his beloved "Rick-roll"... Journalist Emily Witt ponders sex and love in the 21st century... And "Daily Show" correspondent Hasan Minhaj makes a lofty proposal! Plus: drooling drummers, a cold war close call (with a nerve-settling cocktail), and sous vide fast food.

It's a very special all-book show! Featuring etiquette tips from "Eat, Pray, Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert... A lesson on tribal society with "The Perfect Storm" writer Sebastian Junger... Man Booker prize recipient Marlon James confronts his bullies in drag... Israeli novelist Etgar Keret welcomes a newborn amidst a terrorist attack... Illustrator Molly Crabapple talks about her time in the "naked girl business." Plus: We hear from not one, but two(!) poet laureates, listeners invite a literary character to dinner, small talk about a single-item bookstore, and a QWERTY-inspired cocktail.