Podcast of the Week: Man Caves, The Study, and Identity

On their latest episode, Taylor Marshall and Jared Zimmerer challenge the prevalent notion of the man cave as the retreat for the modern neanderthal and argue for the necessity of the study in the live of the paternal philosopher-king. Beyond just stressing the importance of its incorporation in a man's abode, the duo propose several tips for how to go about acquiring and implementing the essential articles for this locale, even if one happens to be a bachelor with a roommate.

Listen to "Man Caves, The Study, and Identity"

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Be the Maccabee,

Kelvin

P.S. - The Song Exploder episode with CHVRCHES that was recorded while I was at SXSW is finally up.

Song of the Week: Irresistible

I probably came across the shoegaze band Whirr from the noise rockers Nothing, but in any case I tuned in to the former artist's radio station on Spotify and up came this song from post-metal act Deafheaven. This short instrumental comes in the front end of their 2013 sophomore release Sunbather and serves as a testament to the band's eclectic approach to songwriting and their unwillingness to be pigeon-holed into one musical genre, even as broad an umbrella term as "hard rock".

"Irresistible" by Deafheaven

Simply irresistible,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: The Heart Versus The Head & Other Random Musings

Only one son of thunder, Daniel Cornell, is present this week as the other, Kevin Kramer, is exercising paternal duties for his newborn child. Though flying solo, Dan covers a lot of ground in this 80-minute show as he touches on a variety of Catholic topics ranging from old to new: women deacons, the evangelization of Jews, participation in the Mass, the removal of verses from the Holy Thursday and Corpus Christi readings, ad orientem, attending the Latin Mass for the first time and the balance to be struck between the head and the heart.

Listen to "The Heart Versus The Head & Other Random Musings"

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A hodge-podge of stuff,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

This week's pick is not from the 2010's but the 1910's! After hearing the hymn "O God Beyond All Praising" at Mass some time back, my girlfriend pointed out that the melody is actually borrowed from a movement in the middle of an orchestral suite. The Planets, Op. 32 was composed by Englishman Gustav Holst and has seven movements, one for each of the planets other than Earth in our Solar System (Pluto was not considered a planet at the time... nor now). The mood of each movement matches Holst's interpretation of the astrological / mythological character of the planet's namesake, and "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" makes me jolly every time I hear it.

"Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" by Gustav Holst

For we can only wonder,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Finding God in the Devil of Hell's Kitchen

The Greeks have done it again! Just like in their previous episode, where the Steven and Christian of PCCH successfully steered me away from ever desiring to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, my media viewing was influenced when they promised spoilers and I went ahead and finished the second season of Daredevil. Their discussion was a good one, touching on the strength of the storywriting in both seasons, the lessons we can pull from Matt Murdok's struggle with identity and purpose and the present state of the superhero genre and movies and TV as a whole. They then shift gears to talk about the hero in art as an archetype for the Savior, would one be a superhero or supervillain if given the power and what superpowers are the most desirable.

Oh, and there's definitely spoilers ;)

Listen to "Finding God in the Devil of Hell's Kitchen"

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I'm all ears,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Hollow Body

My Spotify "Discover Weekly" playlist, where every Monday the site curates a selection of songs I'd enjoy based on my listening history, is slowly becoming an All Songs Considered playlist (it's as if my podcast history is recorded also...). One song from there that stuck with me was "Hollow Body" by Many Rooms off of their 2015 debut Hollow Body. This song was used at the beginning of a November episode of All Songs and though I didn't think much of it the first time around this time I was captivated by the slow build in this hauntingly beautiful and bittersweet folk single.

"Hollow Body" by Many Rooms

You put your breath in me,
Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Love/Pride

FINALLY!!! After 15 months of waiting, Fr. John Nepil has rounded out the trilogy of discussions on the theological virtues and their corresponding vices. Adapting the topic from the series of essays by the late and great Josef Pieper, it should be no surprise that it is pride and not hate which is the opposite of love. Pride it is also that the CSYSK duo in Rome spend the majority of their time tackling in this important episode.

Listen to "Love/Pride"

Listen to "Hope/Despair"

Listen to "Faith/Doubt"

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{Duolingo trumpet sound},
Kelvin

Song of the Week: Fired Up

I recently came across "Fired Up" and was reminded of the KEXP Song of the Day feed and how this song was my introduction to this podcast nine months ago, making Titus Andronicus my introduction to the newest wave in modern punk. In keeping with the theme of their Shakespearian namesake, last year's The Most Lamentable Tragedy is a 90-minute and 29-song rock opera that melds the brashness of The Clash with the heart of Pulp to convey an image of the modern anarchist burning all the bridges of his past, making sure the baptismal font gets evaporated along the way.

"Fired Up" by Titus Andronicus

I call it an emerging scene,
Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: The 5 Big Questions Everyone Asks in Life

On last week's WOF Show, Bishop Robert Barron tackles quite literally the biggest questions about life and our place in it. He gives a very concise one-sentence answer to each at the end that I think represents well the height, breath and depth one can expect in listening to this discussion:

• Does God exist?
• Yes, because the world does not explain itself.
• Who am I?
• I am a hybrid of both body and soul.
• What is the meaning of life?
• The meaning of life is to return to God, from whom we came.
• What is right and wrong?
• What is right is what is in line with the teleology of my humanity.
• What happens after death?
• We are raised to a higher pitch of transfigured existence that Paul would call the "spiritual body".

All this before masterfully handling a listener question on where the omnipotence and providence of God ends and our free will begins, citing Luis de Molina and St. Thomas Aquinas in his response.

Listen to "The 5 Big Questions Everyone Asks in Life"

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We've given you the easiest questions today,
Kelvin