Episodes
-
An iconic TV theme song, Andrew Goldâs ode to friendship was first a 1970s pop hit. Meet one man who inspired it, and another who was inspired by it.
Read about âEmigrĂ©,â an oratorio featuring lyrics by Brock Walsh, at https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/emigreHear Brock Walshâs version of âThank You for Being a Friendâ at https://soundcloud.com/brock-walsh-1/thank-you-for-being-a-friend-ukulele-and-voice-mix-11Music by Chris Zabriskie, Blue Dot Sessions, ALBIS, and Ernie Francestineï»żVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com -
Derived from a plantâs roots, the traditional beverage is spreading far beyond the tropics.
Visit âAnau Mesui-Henryâs Four Shells Kava Lounge at https://www.fourshellskava.co.nzWatch the Kavasseur on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpC0phmXszlfSJ4diSgzNQMusic by Chris Zabriskie, Blue Dot Sessions, and Ernie Francestineï»żVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com -
Missing episodes?
-
How a grieving son uses AI to hear his late father speak.
Visit Andy OâDonnellâs Amazon page at https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Andrew-ODonnell/author/B08D91NG1JRead the poem âEpitaphâ by Merrit Malloy at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/85635.Merrit_MalloyMusic by Chris Zabriskie, Chad Crouch, and Alexis & the SamuraiVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.comAndyâs voice-cloning tutorial:
Go to https://elevenlabs.io and register for a âstarterâ account (the minimum level required to create a cloned voice). Go to the âVoice Labâ section of the site.Click the â+â button to âAdd Generative or Cloned Voiceâ and choose the âInstant Voice Cloningâ option.Name your voice and fill out the rest of the details.Upload video clips (containing audio) or other file types (MP3 files) containing audio samples of your loved oneâs voice. For best results, you should try to make sure the clip contains audio of only their voice; edit out other peopleâs voices if possible. Submit the samples, and wait a few minutes for the service to build the voice clone.Once the voice is created, tap the âUseâ button on the Voice Lab page or tap âSpeech Synthesisâ from the top-right menu and select the voice you just created.Type or copy/paste what you want the voice to say and tap âGenerate,â and wait until the text-to-speech conversion process is done.Press the play button to hear the cloned voice say what you typed, and tap download and if you want to save it.If you want to adjust anything to try and make it sound better, tap the âVoice Settingsâ drop down menu and adjust the sliders. I raised the âStyle Exaggerationâ up to middle level and that seemed to really improve the believability of the voice for me. -
Originating in Tokyo, jazz âkissaâ coffee shops and bars offer music appreciation with minimal chatterâââand have inspired similar spots beyond Japan.
Visit Tokyo Jazz Joints online at https://www.tokyojazzjoints.comBuy the âTokyo Jazz Jointsâ book (by Philip Arneill with James Catchpole) at https://www.kehrerverlag.com/en/philip-arneill-tokyo-jazz-joints-978-3-96900-120-2Visit Bar Shiru in Oakland, California, at https://www.barshiru.comMusic by Chris Zabriskie, Stan Tracey, and Ernie Francestineï»żVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com -
Guitarist Will Ackerman founded a music labelâââand inadvertently kickstarted the New Age music movement.
Visit Will Ackerman online at https://www.williamackerman.comVisit John Darkâs tribute to Windham Hill Records at https://www.windhamhillrecords.comMusic by Chris Zabriskie, Lou Cunningham, and Ernie Francestineï»żVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com -
George Fordâs fireplace videos warm heartsââ and often top the Netflix charts during the holidays.
Visit Fireplace for Your Home at https://www.fireplaceforyourhome.comVisit The Yule Log, the fan site for the original WPIX Yule Log, at http://www.theyulelog.comMusic by Chris Zabriskie, Blue Dot Sessions, and Ernie Francestineï»żVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com -
A grieving man in Japan installed a phone booth in his garden, and a pop-culture trend was born.
Visit Amy Dawson's directory of wind phones at https://www.mywindphone.comRead Doug Brown's essay on his wind phone experience at https://medium.com/the-wind-phone/i-visited-a-wind-phone-near-me-today-38a71c65ceb9Music by Chris Zabriskie, Oliver Qiu, and Ernie FrancestineVisit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com -
A podcaster follows his curiosity and dives deep into the unexpected corners of popular culture that bring us comfort. The series launches in May 2024.
