Podcast news and reviews – 7/31/15

For millions of listeners, podcasts have overtaken radio as their primary destination for entertainment while commuting, working and/or exercising. Without defined structure, censorship or other common barriers, podcasts give their hosts the chance to be creative and interesting without many of the expectations that apply to other entertainment personalities. Podcasting may not have popularized until a few years ago, but many people — this writer included — spend an unhealthy amount of time listening to programs every week, relying on it for both learning and entertainment.

While I currently subscribe to dozens of podcasts, what I listen to is based on both guests and recommendations from others. As many readers are unlikely to be able to keep up with more than a handful of podcasts, the purpose of this column is help you — the readers of the Jewish Journal — keep up with great moments in the podcast world. Some of these highlights may bring a laugh, some of these highlights may bring inspiration, and some of these highlights may simply surprise you. Whichever result you are left with, it is my goal to keep you enthusiastic about podcasts.

Highlights from the week of July 31, 2015:

• Fitzdog Radio “Mike Gibbons Is Back!” – A Howard Stern Show regular, comic “>The Late Late Show With James Corden and co-creator of “>http://gregfitz.libsyn.com)
• The Steve Austin Show “Steve Austin Says…RELAX!” – “>http://podcastone.com/Steve-Austin-Show-Clean)
• WTF with Marc Maron “Episode 623 – Jason Segel” – As with Fitzsimmons, WTF host “>Judd Apatow has been to his life. Later on, Segel shared interesting tidbits about prior projects of his like Freaks And Geeks, The Muppets Movie, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. (“>Randy and Jason Sklar (a.k.a. “The Sklar Brothers”) and “>David Huntsberger of Syfy's Reactor, the four participants debate the difference between “few,” “several,” “couple” and “many” within the context of a renaissance festival's total attendance. The episode was capped off with an appearance by Dick Vitale, as impersonated by Van Kirk, a talented impressionist. (“>Tim Daniels and “>MTV program The Grind. The two hosts raise a good point when pondering the purpose of the show and if it was meant to be as filthy as it comes across in retrospect. (Darren@Paltrowitz.com.

  Darren Paltrowitz is a New Jersey resident (and Long Island native) with over 15 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his favorite band Superdrag. In the years following, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the All Music Guide, Downtown Magazine, hMAG, Inside Pulse, TheStreet.com, and The Improper. When not consulting or writing (or handling MTV, VH1 and CMT clearances at Viacom),