Pop Comforts is a seven-part series that dives deep into the unexpected corners of popular culture that we turn to for comfort. Join host David Peterkofsky as he journeys through the quirky, nostalgic, and most unlikely aspects of pop culture that people seek out for solace.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/24/14/118422b1-6106-42a5-bd11-9eaae82eec4c_ep._7__on__thank_you_for_being_a_friend_.mp3

An iconic TV theme song, Andrew Gold’s ode to friendship was first a 1970s pop hit. Meet one man who inspired it, and another who was inspired by it.<ul><li>Read about “Emigré,” an oratorio featuring lyrics by Brock Walsh, at <a href="https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/emigre" rel="nofollow">https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/emigre</a></li><li>Hear Brock Walsh’s version of “Thank You for Being a Friend” at <a href="https://soundcloud.com/brock-walsh-1/thank-you-for-being-a-friend-ukulele-and-voice-mix-11" rel="nofollow">https://soundcloud.com/brock-walsh-1/thank-you-for-being-a-friend-ukulele-and-voice-mix-11</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://www.sessions.blue" rel="nofollow">Blue Dot Sessions</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGo-VcRTwi5uRBh0kOy5-9wOnaw6KvOcY" rel="nofollow">ALBIS</a>, and <a href="https://erniefrancestine.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Ernie Francestine</a></li><li>﻿Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com/" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>

An iconic TV theme song, Andrew Gold’s ode to friendship was first a 1970s pop hit. Meet one man who inspired it, and another who was inspired by it.

Read about “Emigré,” an oratorio featuring lyrics by Brock Walsh, at https://www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/emigre

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Blue Dot Sessions, ALBIS, and Ernie Francestine

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Ep. 7: On "Thank You for Being a Friend"

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/8/1/74e40aaa-1620-4ef2-83f6-e8e7caa738f4_a__the_calming_pacific_drink__is_riding_a_wave.mp3

Derived from a plant’s roots, the traditional beverage is spreading far beyond the tropics.<ul><li>Visit ‘Anau Mesui-Henry’s Four Shells Kava Lounge at <a href="https://www.fourshellskava.co.nz/" rel="nofollow">https://www.fourshellskava.co.nz</a></li><li>Watch the Kavasseur on YouTube at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpC0phmXszlfSJ4diSgzNQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpC0phmXszlfSJ4diSgzNQ</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://www.sessions.blue" rel="nofollow">Blue Dot Sessions</a>, and <a href="https://erniefrancestine.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Ernie Francestine</a></li><li>﻿Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com/" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>

Derived from a plant’s roots, the traditional beverage is spreading far beyond the tropics.

Visit ‘Anau Mesui-Henry’s Four Shells Kava Lounge at https://www.fourshellskava.co.nz

Watch the Kavasseur on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpC0phmXszlfSJ4diSgzNQ

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Blue Dot Sessions, and Ernie Francestine

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Ep. 6: Kava, the Calming Pacific Drink, Is Riding a Wave

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/8/1/e0193719-4d0e-4b75-9967-72354db65ddf_ice_cloning__and_hearing_lost_loved_ones_anew.mp3

How a grieving son uses AI to hear his late father speak.<ul><li>Visit Andy O’Donnell’s Amazon page at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Andrew-ODonnell/author/B08D91NG1J" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Andrew-ODonnell/author/B08D91NG1J</a></li><li>Read the poem “Epitaph” by Merrit Malloy at <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/85635.Merrit_Malloy" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/85635.Merrit_Malloy</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://www.soundofpicture.com/" rel="nofollow">Chad Crouch</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/78nOwrtTw7YLo3xR3C2Snp" rel="nofollow">Alexis &amp; the Samurai</a></li><li>Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com/" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>﻿Andy’s voice-cloning tutorial:<ol><li>Go to <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/" rel="nofollow">https://elevenlabs.io</a> and register for a “starter” account (the minimum level required to create a cloned voice). </li><li>Go to the “Voice Lab” section of the site.</li><li>Click the “+” button to “Add Generative or Cloned Voice” and choose the “Instant Voice Cloning” option.</li><li>Name your voice and fill out the rest of the details.</li><li>Upload video clips (containing audio) or other file types (MP3 files) containing audio samples of your loved one’s voice. For best results, you should try to make sure the clip contains audio of only their voice; edit out other people’s voices if possible. </li><li>Submit the samples, and wait a few minutes for the service to build the voice clone.</li><li>Once the voice is created, tap the “Use” button on the Voice Lab page or tap “Speech Synthesis” from the top-right menu and select the voice you just created.</li><li>Type or copy/paste what you want the voice to say and tap “Generate,” and wait until the text-to-speech conversion process is done.</li><li>Press the play button to hear the cloned voice say what you typed, and tap download and if you want to save it.</li><li>If you want to adjust anything to try and make it sound better, tap the “Voice Settings” drop down menu and adjust the sliders. I raised the “Style Exaggeration” up to middle level and that seemed to really improve the believability of the voice for me.</li></ol>

How a grieving son uses AI to hear his late father speak.

Visit Andy O’Donnell’s Amazon page at https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Andrew-ODonnell/author/B08D91NG1J

Read the poem “Epitaph” by Merrit Malloy at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/85635.Merrit_Malloy

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Chad Crouch, and Alexis &amp; the Samurai

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Andy’s voice-cloning tutorial:

1. Go to https://elevenlabs.io and register for a “starter” account (the minimum level required to create a cloned voice). 

2. Go to the “Voice Lab” section of the site.

3. Click the “+” button to “Add Generative or Cloned Voice” and choose the “Instant Voice Cloning” option.

4. Name your voice and fill out the rest of the details.

5. Upload video clips (containing audio) or other file types (MP3 files) containing audio samples of your loved one’s voice. For best results, you should try to make sure the clip contains audio of only their voice; edit out other people’s voices if possible. 

6. Submit the samples, and wait a few minutes for the service to build the voice clone.

7. Once the voice is created, tap the “Use” button on the Voice Lab page or tap “Speech Synthesis” from the top-right menu and select the voice you just created.

8. Type or copy/paste what you want the voice to say and tap “Generate,” and wait until the text-to-speech conversion process is done.

9. Press the play button to hear the cloned voice say what you typed, and tap download and if you want to save it.

10. If you want to adjust anything to try and make it sound better, tap the “Voice Settings” drop down menu and adjust the sliders. I raised the “Style Exaggeration” up to middle level and that seemed to really improve the believability of the voice for me.

Ep. 5: AI, Voice Cloning, and Hearing Lost Loved Ones Anew

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/8/0/cd7c2da9-98b3-4332-9962-1971ba2c851c_es_and_bars__japan_s_coziest__quirkiest_export.mp3

Originating in Tokyo, jazz “kissa” coffee shops and bars offer music appreciation with minimal chatter — and have inspired similar spots beyond Japan.<ul><li>Visit Tokyo Jazz Joints online at <a href="https://www.tokyojazzjoints.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.tokyojazzjoints.com</a></li><li>Buy the “Tokyo Jazz Joints” book (by Philip Arneill with James Catchpole) at <a href="https://www.kehrerverlag.com/en/philip-arneill-tokyo-jazz-joints-978-3-96900-120-2" rel="nofollow">https://www.kehrerverlag.com/en/philip-arneill-tokyo-jazz-joints-978-3-96900-120-2</a></li><li>Visit Bar Shiru in Oakland, California, at <a href="https://www.barshiru.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.barshiru.com</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://clarktracey.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">Stan Tracey</a>, and <a href="https://erniefrancestine.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Ernie Francestine</a></li><li>﻿Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com/" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>

Originating in Tokyo, jazz “kissa” coffee shops and bars offer music appreciation with minimal chatter — and have inspired similar spots beyond Japan.

Visit Tokyo Jazz Joints online at https://www.tokyojazzjoints.com

Buy the “Tokyo Jazz Joints” book (by Philip Arneill with James Catchpole) at https://www.kehrerverlag.com/en/philip-arneill-tokyo-jazz-joints-978-3-96900-120-2

Visit Bar Shiru in Oakland, California, at https://www.barshiru.com

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Stan Tracey, and Ernie Francestine

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Ep. 4: Jazz Cafes and Bars, Japan's Coziest, Quirkiest Export

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/5/20/17/882d524f-c634-47fa-89bc-b7dcbb5d3f7c_ep._3__windham_hill_records__quiet_revolution.mp3

Guitarist Will Ackerman founded a music label — and inadvertently kickstarted the New Age music movement. <ul><li>Visit Will Ackerman online at <a href="https://www.williamackerman.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.williamackerman.com</a></li><li>Visit John Dark’s tribute to Windham Hill Records at <a href="https://www.windhamhillrecords.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.windhamhillrecords.com</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://loucunningham.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">Lou Cunningham</a>, and <a href="https://erniefrancestine.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Ernie Francestine</a></li><li>﻿Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com/" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>

Guitarist Will Ackerman founded a music label — and inadvertently kickstarted the New Age music movement. 

Visit Will Ackerman online at https://www.williamackerman.com

Visit John Dark’s tribute to Windham Hill Records at https://www.windhamhillrecords.com

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Lou Cunningham, and Ernie Francestine

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Ep. 3: Windham Hill Records’ Quiet Revolution

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/5/8/17/b5092e5e-d36d-4bcc-b54c-06f398b34e17_ep._2__the_fireplace_loved_round_the_world.mp3

George Ford’s fireplace videos warm hearts — and often top the Netflix charts during the holidays. <ul><li>Visit Fireplace for Your Home at <a href="https://www.fireplaceforyourhome.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.fireplaceforyourhome.com</a></li><li>Visit The Yule Log, the fan site for the original WPIX Yule Log, at <a href="http://www.theyulelog.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.theyulelog.com</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://www.sessions.blue" rel="nofollow">Blue Dot Sessions</a>, and <a href="https://erniefrancestine.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Ernie Francestine</a></li><li>﻿Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com/" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>

George Ford’s fireplace videos warm hearts — and often top the Netflix charts during the holidays. 

Visit Fireplace for Your Home at https://www.fireplaceforyourhome.com

Visit The Yule Log, the fan site for the original WPIX Yule Log, at http://www.theyulelog.com

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Blue Dot Sessions, and Ernie Francestine

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Ep. 2: The Fireplace Loved Round the World

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/6/17/a0e313d8-97ea-4cba-971e-0824e4e85c56_ep._1__the_wind_phone_rings_true_for_believers.mp3

A grieving man in Japan installed a phone booth in his garden, and a pop-culture trend was born.<ul><li>Visit Amy Dawson&#39;s directory of wind phones at <a href="https://www.mywindphone.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.mywindphone.com</a></li><li>Read Doug Brown&#39;s essay on his wind phone experience at <a href="https://medium.com/the-wind-phone/i-visited-a-wind-phone-near-me-today-38a71c65ceb9" rel="nofollow">https://medium.com/the-wind-phone/i-visited-a-wind-phone-near-me-today-38a71c65ceb9</a></li><li>Music by <a href="https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Chris Zabriskie</a>, <a href="https://oliverqiu.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">Oliver Qiu</a>, and <a href="https://erniefrancestine.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">Ernie Francestine</a></li><li>Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at <a href="https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com" rel="nofollow">https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com</a></li><li>Contact the show at <a href="mailto:forkeepspodcast@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">forkeepspodcast@gmail.com</a></li></ul>

A grieving man in Japan installed a phone booth in his garden, and a pop-culture trend was born.

Visit Amy Dawson&#39;s directory of wind phones at https://www.mywindphone.com

Read Doug Brown&#39;s essay on his wind phone experience at https://medium.com/the-wind-phone/i-visited-a-wind-phone-near-me-today-38a71c65ceb9

Music by Chris Zabriskie, Oliver Qiu, and Ernie Francestine

Visit Pop Comforts on Medium at https://popcomfortspodcast.medium.com

Ep. 1: The Wind Phone Rings True for Believers

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/6/17/dd60bd13-6e5a-432e-bffc-ac39ad43f88c_introducing_pop_comforts__trailer_.mp3

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.

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.

Trailer: Introducing Pop Comforts

Exploring the unexpected corners of popular culture that bring us comfort.

Pop Comforts is a seven-part series that dives deep into the unexpected corners of popular culture that we turn to for comfort. Join host David Peterkofsky as he journeys through the quirky, nostalgic, and most unlikely aspects of pop culture that people seek out for solace.