The Brew House

Because sometimes you just want friends to tell you about cool things… the Brew House team offers up its (new) weekly mix of author-supported goodness.

Music: Radiohead’s Dead Air Space playlists

For all the hubbub Radiohead has generated over the past two decades, I feel like the band’s own online footprint is relatively small. But Radiohead’s blog, Dead Air Space, is a veritable treasure trove of information, not much of it actually about the band. Every few weeks, a member of the band posts a playlist, usually approximately 10 songs long. The playlists are routinely fantastic. You might not like every song, but you’ll assuredly be exposed to new genres, sounds and textures with every new list.

This week’s playlist, “dominoes,” curated by Thom Yorke, is a great example of why the eclectic lists are always listen-worthy. From Aloe Blacc’s soulful, bouncy “Dance For Life” to Emika’s solo piano piece, “Credit Theme,” the group of songs has something for everyone.  — Asher Fusco

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Podcast: The Sound of Young America

I’ve been dabbling in podcasts for the last 15 months or so. Most of the time, I only listen to them during long drives and workouts. (I actually have this theory that while a podcast is a solid companion for long runs, it actually robs you of some creative juice that usually arises while listening to music and running. But I digress.) So the hardest part, for me at least, is finding consistently listenable podcasts. But aside from the old staples — This American Life, Hang Up and Listen, All Songs, and so on — The Sound of Young America is firmly in my second tier. It’s hosted by public radio everyman, Jesse Thorn, and it’s generally just a 30-minute (or longer) interview with an interesting person. (Examples: Bruce Campbell, John Darnielle and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.)

Couple gripes: 1. Occasionally, you’ll run into a guest who is pretty anodyne. 2. Thorn’s voice on the introduction is kind of over the top — to the point of awkward cheese. And, lastly, the name of the show is kind of pretentious (and misleading). For one, most of the guests are actually pretty old, relatively speaking, of course. (Thorn is 31!). And it reminds me of this old children’s theater at Crown Center in Kansas City — the Theater for Young America. (It was a field-trip destination for any kid growing up in KC during early 90s.) Of course, if you’re not from Kansas City, you’re probably OK.  — Rustin Dodd

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Author: Mindy Kaling

I think I’m going to do it. I think I’m going to buy the Mindy Kaling book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)  Call it chick lit, I don’t care. Mindy Kaling rocks on The Office – one of my favorite scenes in the show’s history is where she gives a speech to Ryan about Netflix while the other workers make bets — and tells hilarious jokes about Sanjay Gupta on The Daily Show.

I haven’t read Tina Fey’s book yet (I need too). I won’t hesitate on this one. Yeah, I’m going to Amazon.com right as you are reading this sentence (trust me it is possible). — Mark Dent