Podcasts

i would like some good podcasts, too, though.

Of course, I'm looking for suggestions for other podcasts as well.

The Rock n Roll Geek show.
Plays mostly the kind of rock that's not fashionabl;e at the moment plus some punk stuff but mostly talks. He's a really genuine guy and the honesty of it, the lack of shiny gloss bullshit makes it great.

This is a friend of my roommate, i haven't listened to a lot of it but what I heard was terrifically hilarious, fun and vulgar.

Anybody find anything interesting_

I can't go a single day without someone saying "podcasting" but I can't find a single podcast worth listening to.

Hopefully he'll keep it up.

Listening to podcasts at work is better than listening to the same twenty prerecorded CDs our college radio station broadcasts over summer break.

Firesign Theater is GREAT - they're a classic surreal stoner baby boomer comedy troupe

Simulacrum - v funny fake interviews with celebrities

Slate Magazine is hit or miss

my friend and i have been trying to get a radio show for ages but it's not working out

A copy of Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

With the lame mp3 encoder: http://lame.sourceforge.net/ (probably comes with the Audacity download, I don't remember)

$5 a month mp3 hosting from LibSyn: http://www.libsyn.com

That's about it.

haha

This week's podcast is DJ Jonny Sender of Konk from March 2005. Track list below.

Podcast: http://www.alldisco.net/podcast.xml

war - galaxy
fantastic aleems - hooked on your lovin'
instant funk - got my mind made up
positive force - we got the funk
happy song (bootleg edit)
eurythmics - sweet dreams
chic - good times
incredible bongo band - apache
first choice - love thang
Moody Boys
falco - machine brennt
electric mind - zwei (dub)
jago - i'm gonna go
billy frazier & friends - billy who?
Brenda and the Tabulations - Let's Go All the Way Down

Listen to them... in the car? On the subway? It's basically surrogate radio for an iPod. Not so exciting, but still useful.

Also Probe ministries ( http://www.probe.org/ ) does a pretty good and informative talk show about various topics in Christianity or society.

There some okay science ones like "Science and Society"

I've also found a few language ones. Depending on which language you want to learn you can search through itunes store directory. I got one called "HESS Chinese survial guide."

how about good podcasts in french???

I've decided to utilise the full functional capacity of mypod. At the momment only listening to those available via itunes. Currently sampling:

Radio4's Best of Today
Amnesty International
NPR's It's All Politics
Newsweek
New York Times Op-Ed
Slate
Rob Da Bank's Sunday Best
The Onion
Ricky Gervais

These all fairly obvious. Can anyone offer me anything a bit more off-beat and esoteric? Not that I am either of those things but i might like to be.

Is Tom Ravenscroft's Channel 4 one still going?

fuck! that was good, that. and i've forgotten all about it. arse.

The Sound of Young America
Jordan, Jesse Go!
Never Not Funny

R U Sirius has a show with interesting guests sometimes

I think the episodes def vary in quality, but I thought the general thesis on the most recent episode was that the book was relying on people's instinctual feelings about things that are "just obvious" to bolster a case that didn't actually have compelling hard evidence. And I think it's by necessity going to be a bit more scattered, because there's obviously negative effects of phone/social media usage (they pretty much agree with his recommendations) but a lot of what they highlight in the book is obvious bullshit (tracking the implementation of facebook at colleges to mental health declines, when facebook didn't have anything beyond pokes and a 'wall' when it rolled out).

There's a new podcast on the history of comics and while I'm not into comics I thought I would give it a try. After three episodes I can report that.

1) the host has done no editing at all, every line he flubs he just reads out again
2) he has not researched the pronunciation of the surname of one of the main protagonists of episode three and says it about a hundred times, wrongly, annoyingly wrongly

Why are people like this?

https://images.dailykos.com/images/351032/story_image/donald-gibb-ogre-revenge-of-the-nerds.jpg?1484596704

NERDS!!!!!

Taylor Lorenz reports: "There is officially now a Talk Tuah companion podcast called Talking Talk Tuah."

Now waiting for "R U Talking Talking Talk Tuah 2 Me?"

._.

usually i find Bill Simmons annoying but his Rewatchables podcast about old cable/clasic movies is pretty enjoyable, esp when he has Van and/or CR as a guest

I too find him annoying in the most espn way but his 90210 recap many years ago (09/02/10 I guess) was pretty great

oh lol i would totally listen to that

I’m amazed it’s not just 90 episodes on Rounders.

they were talking about Friday Night Lights & the producer’s like “i never saw the show, i was 12 when it was on!” and Simmons just yells “the cheeseburger was invented in 1910 and you’ve eaten plenty of those!”

I'm in need of fresh podcast blood, but I don't know what I'm looking for.

Some of my regulars include:

Movies:

Black Check
Too Scary Didn't Watch
Popcorn Psychology
Hack or Slash
It Slays
You Must Remember This
Big Picture (if they're talking about a movie I've seen or doing one of their "draft" episodes)

Music:

Strong Songs
One Song
Song Exploder (when an artist I care about is on)
Tape Notes (same)
60 Songs That Explain the 90s
Bandsplain (sometimes)
No Dogs in Space

Crime/History:

Last Podcast on the Left (with reservations: I adore Marcus Parks; I tolerate Henry Zebrowski)

Science:

Tooth and Claw
Science Vs.

I subscribe to way more podcasts than that, but those are the ones I generally give a chance to. Features common to most of those podcasts are that they have a good group dynamic (for those with two or more hosts), include a mixture of comedy and research, and have at least somewhat decent production value. Some of these people are professionals in their field, some are amateurs/enthusiasts, but tend to dig in pretty well on their research. There's some one-on-one interview action with guests, but that's never the focus.

I'm open to topics. I've probably got enough movies. Always interested in music. Definitely need more science/nature; particularly interested in entymology, but none of the entymology podcasts I've tried have been able to keep my attention. I've recently downloaded some carpentry/woodworking podcasts that I have yet to listen to. It could be anything! I just need more parasocial buddies in my ear to stave off the demons while I'm doing housework/commuting/etc.

I listen to far fewer podcasts now than I did like 10 years ago. The ones I still make time for are:

The Constant (history of getting things wrong)
Bad Hasbara (comedians take on Israeli propaganda)
Literature and History
Hit Parade
Beyond Yacht Rock
Uhh Yeah Dude
Know Your Enemy
American Prestige
History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

And of course mine. (The working assumption everyone is a Tolkien reader may not be accurate.)

There's a podcast called Centuries of Sound you may be interested in, etc., etc.,

I sort of drifted away from No Dogs because their "seasons" got more sporadic. Kinda surprised to see it's still going!

But tbh, they would get little details wrong frequently enough that it would drive me nuts.

I’ve been digging The Explorers Podcast lately. And Jimmy Pardo for comedy. And Transmissions (Aquarium Drunkard) for music. And several others suggested immediately above. But there are so many.

xxp to peace, man
a couple of recs:
-The Dollop
-Behind The Bastards
both are history/comedy & i enjoy them a lot!

My regulars at this point are The Best Show, Guys, Beyond Yacht Rock, and A History of Rock in 500 Songs, though there’s a bunch of others I’ll dip a toe in from time to time.

I am now imagining "Black Check" with Eddie Griffin and David Alan Grier

The Rest is History is great. They have a huge backlog of multipart stories. Some good ones include US in 1968; Martin Luther; Nelson; origin of the French Revolution. Anyway lots of topics to chose from

anyway, Heavyweight is one that I often recommend to people looking for podcasts to listen to, since I feel like it is broadly appealing. stories about people looking for closure, in the This American Life tradition (and hosted by ex-TAL producer Jonathan Goldstein), with a nice mix of humor and wistfulness.

Thanks for the recs, all!

Last Podcast on the Left (with reservations: I adore Marcus Parks; I tolerate Henry Zebrowski)

Hate to say it but they turned out to be unlistenable without the third guy who turned out to be a drunk abuser.

i disagree! i enjoy Eddie. The LPOTL episode he did on killer whales in captivity was wild!

I assumed that was a political podcast

no - started out as true crime/comedy show but has branched into history and weird ephemera as well.

Podcasts I always make time for:
How To Enjoy Experimental Film
Wiseman Podcast
The Truth About Vintage Amps
This Week In Virology
Live China Music
Know Your Enemy

surprisingly, Antiques Roadshow Detours has been a great listen because the premise is simple: after some great, secret treasure is uncovered on the show, what happens to it? Do they sell it and actually get that money for it?

A couple of science-y ones I like are The Studies Show and Ologies with Alie Ward.

99% Invisible is a good general fact-based pod, though satisfaction depends on whether the subject is interesting.

For movies:

Video Archives Podcast
Colors of the Dark (horror films)
Girls, Guts, and Giallo (which is not only about giallo)
Sam Pancake Presents the Monday Afternoon Movie (made-for-TV films)

For a comedy series, I liked the first season of Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding? Only listened to the first episode of the 2nd season, because I could tell it was going to be hard to replicate the magic.

I've got a couple of UK-based music podcasts, Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? and Record Mirror Disco Charts. The former has "a good group dynamic" (three hosts), and includes "a mixture of comedy and research". The latter is higher profile, as my co-host (a well-known UK DJ) is good at getting other well-known people on as guests.

How To Enjoy Experimental Film

Oh, this sounds interesting. What's the format like/what do they cover?

---

My taste in non-fiction podcasts tends to be "a single expert tells you about a subject in great depth" - no guests, no banter, very few jokes. So my main two recommendations at the moment would be The History of Philosophy (without any gaps) and The Fall of Civilizations.

My current exception to the no-podcast-banter rule is The Maniculum, where a pair of mediaevalists talk about old texts & tales & sagas etc, and then give you ideas for turning them into ttrpgs. They are definitely pretty bants-heavy but I still like them.

Oh, this sounds interesting. What's the format like/what do they cover?

Looking at my current subs -

Music:
Jokermen
Tape Notes (except when the artist sucks)
No Tags (UK dance music culture)
Clout Farm (an acquired taste probably)
Pablo Held Investigates (chill long-form jazz musician-to-musician interviews)
60 Songs...
What Had Happened Was (dormant)
Questlove Supreme (defunct)
Hanging Out with Audiophiles (Jamie Lidell interviews people)

DJ mixes:
Resident Advisor
Dekmantel
Truancy

Comedy etc:
Endless Honeymoon (Moshe Kasher & Natasha Leggero)
Taskmaster the Podcast
Off Menu

Normie:
Hard Fork, Search Engine, Heavyweight, Ezra Klein, This American Life, No Such Thing

i really love Jokermen - i always find it oddly soothing because Evan & Ian have very public radio sounding voices to me. (also i find it very funny)

I hate at least half the music they cover, so it's truly a testament to their approach.

their root beer report was my fave part of the Beach Boys series lol

So my main two recommendations at the moment would be The History of Philosophy (without any gaps) and The Fall of Civilizations

emil.y, I see two different podcasts called The Fall of Civilizations, it's the one you like hosted by Paul Cooper?

I second Ologies. Enthusiastic and often funny interviews with (usually) scientists under a "no question too stupid to ask" ethos.

If you have interest in video games, Aftermath Hours is far and away my favorite, as they will talk about current gaming news in a wider (often political) context, whereas other games podcast hosts don't seem to have many interests outside of geek culture junk.

The Allusionist and Words Unraveled are both good for word nerdery, the former especially.

ICYMI is fun if you want to stay abreast of internet culture, though if you're like me, it'll often make you feel old, and sometimes covers influencers I don't care about.

Most of my podcast listening is cinema related. Outside of that...

Music
History Of Rock & Roll In 500 Songs
Afropop Worldwide

Comics
Comic Books Are Burning In Hell
Mangasplaining
Very Fine Comic Book Podcast

Politics
Politics Theory Other (I used to listen to a lot of leftist podcasts but so many of them have gone too doomer; this is the only one that I feel like actually helps me make sense of the world, without falling into lib wonkishness)

Miscellaneous
Bullseye with Jesse Thorn (dude's a really good interviewer with ILXish tastes. Good eps I remember include Big Boi, Paul Williams, Herb Alpert, Bob Mortimer, the Tamaki sisters, the dude who invented Katamari Damarcy...)
Pure Tokyoscope (two Americans living in Japan keep us updated on geeky japan shit and also what the current fast food offers are)
Unburied Books (going through the NYRB classics)

-Behind The Bastards
both are history/comedy & i enjoy them a lot!

I'm not a fan of the presentation style, but the guy does meticulous research to a level that is highly impressive. I think I bumped into this one when trying to find out who the heck this ageing loser-nerd Curtis Yarvin is.

Almost all interviews with folks I'm not familiar with but the host is good, so it feels like I'm discovering cool new artists rather than getting a lecture with too much information (had to stop listening to Modern Art Notes for that reason)

― Elvis Telecom

As you might be able to tell I rather like the "lecture with too much information" format so I might have to check out Modern Art Notes, but a good interview can also work for me.

emil.y, I see two different podcasts called The Fall of Civilizations, it's the one you like hosted by Paul Cooper?

― Krustacean the Clown (Leee)

Yes, that's the one. I was concerned before going in that it might be a little glorifying of War and Power and Great Leaders but it honestly comes across pretty even-handed and sensible. He talks about where the sources of information come from and the issues with them, and is clear when his narrative moves from historical description to hypotheticals - I listen to a lot of podcasts about past events where they prioritise giving you a nice complete story (this is usually more from spooky/mystery type shows tbf) so the fact he even addresses this earns him a fair bit of trust from me.

Separately, made another guest appearance on a podcast today, but it helps if you like Suede

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2438248/episodes/17292299-definitely-not-the-london-suede-with-ned-raggett

I've been listening to History of Rock in 500 Songs and while I like it, the sound mixing is kinda bad? I have to crank the volume up to hear the host, and sometimes when he talks over a song, I have a hard time hearing what the's saying because the song is mixed too high. Does the mixing ever get better?

he has a whole thing about the mixing being balanced between headphones and listening in the car and how it isn't going to change - but since he isn't doing the editing himself the complaints have completely dried up.

I have been listening to S5 of Blowback (covering the secret bombing of Cambodia) now that all the eps are out from behind the paywall. I confess i have been finding it morbidly comforting? Like in a, “hmm. what’s WORSE than today’s news. ah yes, my programs.”
which sounds terrible i guess

It kinda functions how people’s appreciate of true crime shows do, I would propose, as it effectively is a true crime show, just with national perpetrators

Relatedly, Brace, Liz, and Yung Chomsky are in the NYT as TrueAnon gets their pod featured

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/style/trueanon-podcast-left-conspiracy-theories.html

https://archive.is/a14DG

oh thats cool

Yung Chomsky, straying in from

Worst Hypothetical Rapper Names

Annoyed with the newest episode of If Books Could Kill on David Graeber's Bullshit Jobs, it isn't a perfect book by any means, but Michael's apparent inability to get that a world outside the present-day American capitalist system could or does exist gets tiresome very fast, I'm not sure if he's doing it as a bit to some extent but it was really grating and I think I might be off the bus on this one. The "ultra-processed foods" episode of Maintenance Phase was also annoying, yes the specific book & articles they cover are bad, that does not mean that there definitely isn't a problem.

He is kinda full of shit around half the time, they should stick to the fish in a barrel stuff