Your favorite podcasts, non-music edition

The Best Show on Wfmu

pardon the interruption

i am worried about this new radio lab. i really liked the past seasons, though jad's sound effects took some getting used to, and sometimes they'd take a while to get to conclusions that seemed fairly simple, and i'd end up yelling at my headphones. luckily i do not listen in public.

i listen to some others that kenan mentioned (fresh air, TAL, wait wait), and also (occasionally)

http://www.sciam.com/podcast/ sci american

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/ the naked scientists

http://www.sciencefriday.com/feeds/about/ npr science friday

each of those has good podcasts at times, but has failed to get me really hooked. which irks me a bit. i like addictive podcasts (radiolab falls in this category).

http://www.hbo.com/thewire/downloads/ there's a podcast for behind-the-scenes and cast interviews for the wire s5, but i haven't listened to any of it yet--downloaded a few out of curiosity and haven't gotten to them

sometimes i listen to finally learn spanish before bed, to try to remind my brain of simple spanish that it's forgotten. the english-speaking lady has a really annoying voice, but i got used to it, and the podcast overall is much better than the basic french podcast i'd tried--something with jacques.

i was listening to a BBC world news podcast for a while there too, but i'm out of the habit of podcasts these days.

new yorker fiction too--that's only once a month, so i lose track of it and forget to listen most of the time.

There's a bunch of different learning language ones. I'm currently listening to French, Spanish, Italian, & Russian ones and am retaining about 15% of the material but that's 15% I didn't have before. I'm also digging:

http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/ - Las Vegas news
http://www.hometowntales.com/ - Hometown Tales
http://www.joefrank.com/cast/ - Joe Frank
http://www.spymuseum.org/programs/spycast.php - The Spycast
http://shepcast.blogspot.com/ - Jean Shepherd
http://www.curbsideinvestigator.com/ - Curbside Investigator - private investigator news
http://www.jodcast.net/ - The Jodcast - best astronomy podcast there is
http://apollotalks.com/ - Conversations With Apollo - NASA history
http://www.filmspotting.net/ - Filmspotting movie podcast
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ - Grammar Girl
http://www.2600.com/offthehook/ - 2600's Off The Hook
http://www.stratfor.com/podcast/daily - Stratfor daily podcast

There's also a morass of conspiracy, skeptic and esoteric-themed stuff I subscribe to, but don't listen to all episodes of. There's a couple of programming/Mac-related ones too

learning languages via internerd radio is a GREAT idea. i need to become 100% fluent in spanish.

the radiolab expose of the 'nanny laughers' is kind of depressing but the stories from the extras are sweet in a way.

There's a couple of programming/Mac-related ones too

I'm game. Hit me.

freaky trigger podcast! it's old ilx regulars who have sworn off the stuff for good yet still can't shut up!

http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/lollards

there's about four more shows left in this season

i also listen to "In Our Time" -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/

and the venerable "From Our Own Correspondent" -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/default.stm

if you want to test out your French, there's a global affairs show called "Rendez-Vous Avec X". the identity of "Monsieur X" is unknown beyond his voice and regular appearance on the program, where he answers questions put to him by the host. it's sort of like a weekly meeting with Deep Throat.
http://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/em/rendezvousavecx/

and also a show for kids (which I actually find a little more difficult to follow!), "Les P'tits Bateaux" -
http://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/em/ptitsbateaux/

I do just about all the Radio 4 ones, also Car Talk, and my new favourite:

http://speechification.com/

which really is the best thing ever.

http://www.stephenfry.com/podcasts/

I forgot one of the best ones.

http://www.onthemedia.org/

xpost, many posts ago - thanks Elvis for the Spycast recommendation.

Wow. I thought a podcast like this existed only in my dreams. Hooray! I am officially addicted.

There's a couple of programming/Mac-related ones too

I'm game. Hit me.

In rough order of importance:
http://www.latenightcocoa.com/
http://cocoacast.com/ (both of these are part of http://macdevnet.com/ )
http://www.macnotables.com/wordpress/
http://www.cocoaradio.com/
http://www.macfolkloreradio.com/

Forgot to mention this one too... All In The Mind: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/
Australia Radio National show on brains, psychology, and neuroscience.

does anyone have recommendations for podcasts maybe geared more towards humanities nerds? im driving across the country next week and want something to listen to.

ive listened to a few of these: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/fren-ital/opinions/ which are pretty good, the interviewer is sort of a weird guy but hes got great guests... anything like this, with a similar kind of line-up of topics/interviewees?

Max, the BBC: In Our Time podcast listed upthread sorta fits the bill.

Also, I can highly second the recommendation of Speechification to everyone:
http://www.speechification.com/

thx chris

Boxcutters
Byte into It
Ouch

How do you guys listen to podcasts? During morning commute? At home?

- bus/tram
- on the way to gym
- on the way from gym

Can someone recommend decent beginning French & Spanish ones, too? I'd like to start learning them next year, might as well get a head start.

I listen on public transport and when I'm alone in the kitchen (no one to talk to, hands full and can't read, going 10 minutes without some sort of verbal stimulation not conceivable).

Maria i think you usually have to download pay for good speech instruction tapes. Pimsleur is a really good one.

max have you heard Slug of Time?

Maria: http://www.radiolinguamedia.com/cbs/www/index.html

wow, nice! I'm going to send that to my mom

I feel so awkward when I listen to podcasts. Guess I'm oldfashioned or sumfing. :-(

it's just radio! what's awkward?

oh, i wish i would have thought to download some 'learn italian' podcasts a few months ago.

Yeah, I always listen to podcasts on the train, to or from work. Sometimes I'll save up a This American Life episode if I known I'm going on a long-ish drive somewhere (like out to the suburbs).

i have a ton of TAL podcasts piled up because i just never feel like listening to it anymore. i've been sticking with seven second delay, sound of young america, savage love, etc.

Really, the only ones I ever listen to are Sound Opinions, TAL, and Lost.

How do you guys listen to podcasts? During morning commute? At home?

One hour commute each way plus taking a walk during work lunch hour.

I listen to a lot of podcasts (allowed to do so for the entire 8h at work, I don't have 40h/w yet... one day). Most of mine are abt video games because I am a nerd and want to eventually work in the field.

1UP Yours -- 1UP's more console-based one, very amusing
Game Theory -- a more "vertical" podcast, I guess, but often educational. I just wish they'd focus more on the business and less on the base "hey that game's cool" stuff.
GFW Radio -- About PC gaming. Usually not actually thanking about PC gaming, instead complaining that their magazine tanked and discussing Lost theories. Probably the most laughs to minutes ratios ever.
One Life Left -- former Resonance FM games podcast.
Podcastle, Podtoid, Retroforce GO! -- three Destructoid podcasts about Euro gaming, American gaming, and retro gaming respectively.
Football Manager Podcast -- from the makers of the game. Mostly end up talking about football and not the game, I like their punditry.
Major Nelson -- basically Xbox PR, but some good interviews with industry heads.

Non-VG casts:
Fighting Talk -- sport in the UK. Lots of laffs.
Wait WAit Don't Tell Me -- NPR joeks, bruv.
Paul Goebel Show -- TV talk. A lot of sketchy jokes but sometimes funny and sometimes interesting.

I might have to add more reading this thread.

In no particular order, my favorite podcasts:

The B.S. Report: Bill Simmons occasionally talks about sports but ends up talking about 90210, The Smiths and Paradise Hotel 2. Always interesting guests!

GFW Radio: As much about video games as the B.S. Report is about sports. Four or five guys talking about life and the occasionally game or Lost theory.

NY Times Book Review: Usually three segments, two about a particular book or author and one about the sales trends of the week.

This Week in Tech/Mac Break Weekly: For all of your San Francisco news.

On Point: Tom Ashbrook hosts the best call-in-show on the radio for WBUR in Boston. Topics are usually about foreign policy but he’ll occasionally do a show on a new book or other cultural items.

How do you guys listen to podcasts? During morning commute? At home?

generally the morning commute, though I listen at home sometimes, too. And sometimes I switch it up on the commute and listen to music and read instead, because you can't listen to talk and read. Crossed wires.

Everything goes buzz buzz everything goes beep beep.

During commutes I watch television shows on my ipod, if I can manage it. On extra-crammed days (i.e. most days) it's difficult or impossible.

Too Beautiful to Live with Luke Burbank: www.tbtl.net

I listen regularly to:
KCRW: The Treatment, The Business, Good Food, Martini Short
WNYC: Leonard Lopate, Brian Lehrer (pick and choose shows)
Search Engine (show on Internet in politics and culture, very good)
CBC Tapesty (more spiritual than religious)
and all the TED talks

And Adam Corolla.

I've been enjoying the Bat Segundo Show. The host can be kind of annoying, but he gets good guests.

I listened to his interviews with Paul Schrader and Carl Wilson. The quality of the guests and the length of the conversation overcame the annoying bits.

yeah, I mean he's kind of likable, but I hate when he rambles on for a few minutes and then goes "what of that?" instead of formulating and actual real question.

things i listen to on the reg:

wnyc: radio lab
npr: fresh air, news summary, all songs considered, driveway moments, pop culture, wait wait... don't tell me!
pri: this american life
hbo: real time with bill maher
new yorker: fiction podcast (sometimes, i have a weird attention span w/ this one)
new york times: front page, music popcast
bbc: lebrecht interviews (sometimes)
other: the moth podcast

i tried ted but they were video and i often can't watch if i'm walking around or something and felt cheated by only listening

I also listen to, with varying frequencies:
this american life, sound opinions, on the media, to the best of our knowledge, in our time, speechification, nyrb, radio lab and npr story of the day.

Tehresa, there's a Ted channel on iTunes podcasts that has just audio without video.

Oh, wait, felt cheated by only listening

I like the audio more than the video in some ways, less distraction by how the folks look.

You Must Remember This is pretty great. I haven't listened for a while though but it looks like they're covering HUAC and the blacklist now, which is a compelling enough topic to lure me back in.

I mentioned the on the Comedy Podcasts thread, but will plug here too: Guys We Fucked. Basically ILTMI the podcast. I've been listening since last summer and in between new eps have gone back and binge-listened to the rest. It's not like it's a hidden gem of a podcast - it's doing really well on the itunes charts - but I haven't seen anyone else talk about it on ilx.

Secret History of Hollywood is dope - like a longform You Must Remember This. They just started a new series about Warner & it's great

Cultish-- the new Tina Dupuy podcast about cults seems promising

ooh that sounds good

I have to withdraw that recommendation for Cultish since she's putting it on hiatus after 3 episodes to go work for Alan fucking Greyson

West Wing Weekly with Josh Malina & Hrishikesh Hirway is my new favorite thing

it's only 4 eps in so far, covers 1 episode of the show each week chronologically

Last week's guest was Charlie
This week was Eli Attie, former Gore speechwriter who wrote on the show for 4 seasons starting s3
Next week's guest is Donna <3

Lots of great stuff, but also very succinct & low-key which I really like

Second captains

anyone listen to Risk? the latest one was pretty intense.

Scriptnotes is a fantastic podcast. It's mainly for budding screenwriters, but I enjoy it as process porn.
On The Media is reliably good look at the state of capital-J-Journalism.
NY Times Book Review is great for keeping my Amazon wish list well stocked.

I listen to too many podcasts but those three are my reliable go-tos. Cultish is a great idea for a podcast, hope it comes back one day.

I would like to find a good True Crime podcast...

Our local npr station has a show about podcast that covered a lot of the true crime ones out there. Didn't listen but it's prob a good place to start

http://m.wamu.org/#/programs/the_big_listen_a_broadcast_about_podcasts/16/04/10/csi_podcast

Criminal has some good crime stories: http://thisiscriminal.com/

Thanks, I'll check them out.

I still listen to podcasts on my ipod classic and I noticed I have about 40 GBs of unheard shows from my feed. And all I do is listen to podcasts the past couple of years.

I would like to find a good True Crime podcast...

Have you tried the Charles Manson season of You Must Remember This?

ding ding ding

sword and scale is worth a listen for true crime - the guy is kind of a dick sometimes (melodramatic, too opinionated), but it features some really interesting stories that'll send you down the rabbit hole, eg:

#5 & 6 a woman's son is kidnapped decades ago, takes all sorts of bizarre twists and turns

#11 & 12 the woman whose daughter dies and she insists it's a murder

#22 about the disappearing wife

#45 & 46 the carnation murders

the one about gypsy whatsername is CRAZY

wait which one was that

Just posted this in the comedy podcasts thread but you guys, "hello from the magic tavern" is so goddamn funny

xxxxxxxxxpost Speaking of the West Wing, I'm enjoying the "Keepin' It 1600" podcast (which is on the Channel 33 feed, I believe) hosted by Jon Favreau and Dan Ffeiffer from Obama's communications staff. It has a very dorky Sorkin feel where they're usually interviewing an ex-co-worker about this or that speech was written, or when they tested WHCD jokes on NSA guys in the hallway while Obama was in the other room killing Bin Laden.

Worst podcast: "How I Built This" interviewing dot-com founder assholes

it's like true crime podcasts a-go-go now

Accused - Cincinnati Enquirer true crime journalist digs into the Elizabeth Andes cold case. I really, really like this one. Does a lot of what I wanted & never got from Serial.

In The Dark - about Jacob Wetterling. Really good, lot of great interviews with old locals etc. A little flip at times but mostly good.

Casefiles - Australian podcast but covers international cases too. Really concise & well researched - and the dude sounds like my brother

i've been enjoying last podcast on the left a lot recently - tales of serial murders, the occult, extra-terrestrial shenanigans and conspiracies which is like 90% of all the stuff i'm interested in. funny, weird, unsettling and occasionally in very poor taste

my favorite murder also real good

xxpost yeah all these "branded" podcasts like Placemakers and Open Account are annoying

somewhat interestingly Mystery Show, one of last year's ballyhooed podcasts, was axed from the Gimlet network

Christopher Kimball from America's Test Kitchen has a new podcast, I'm not sure anyone told him he was the worst part of ATK (and its radio show/podcast)

What's the best 'interviewing interesting people' podcast? Not really into themed discussion podcasts, comics interviewing comics, etc.

i can't get down with Last Podcast on the Left, it's too much like We Hate Movies for murder lol

i love my favorite murder tho

xpost Wil Anderson's Wilosophy podcast is a pretty good longform interview show. A lot of comedians but he talks to other people too. it's not really comedic, just good convos

Just found In the Dark and enjoying it immensely. Gotta check out Accused and My Favorite Murder!

Hound Tall with Moshe Kashner might the most listenable Nerdist podcast - three comedians and a straight-man scientist/expert talk about a topic for 45 minutes or so.

Homecoming was pretty well done:

https://gimletmedia.com/homecoming/

^ I just finished this. It was AMAZING. Like as good as a great TV show. Maybe the only audio drama I've ever heard that I didn't actively hate?

Great script: check
Great dialogue: check
Great acting: check
Great production: check
Lots and lots of Catherine Keener and Oscar Isaac: Check

Head over heels I headed straight for Bronzeville, and... ruh-roh. Yeesh.

Apparently Amazon is spending $5M on new scripts for new audio dramas??

Other podcasts I tried recently that I did not like:

The Message
Digits
My Dad Wrote A Porno
Death Sex & money
Comedy Bang Bang
Reply All

I tried Hollywood Handbook and liked it for one episode but once I got into the next episode I was sort of like.... okay I get the joke now that's enough.

Seems like podcasts break down into:

- make me laugh
- teach me something (the recent plsuplus podcast about CRT TV recycling was AWESOME for this.. Production and presenting were both strictly bargain-basement but it didn't matter cause it was so damn interesting and well-reported)
- hold me in suspense

Are there other genres or is that it?

oh and made it through about 3 minutes of "Terms".. such a good idea tho :/

(i guess The Dollop is a cross between 1) make me laugh and 2) teach me something?)

ok shit "hello from the magic tavern" is transcendent

despite the host reminding me so much of tom scharpling that it's distracting. it's a show that i kind of can't believe matt berry ISN'T on. limmy should be on it too.

Other podcasts I tried recently that I did not like:

The Message
Digits
My Dad Wrote A Porno
Death Sex & money
Comedy Bang Bang
Reply All

ha ha Did you listen to the ILX episode of Reply All?

that one was GREBT obv

I've weeded out almost all comedy podcasts from my subscription list, since I think I only enjoy them when I'm binging a couple years' worth of them. Of course now that everybody's putting their 6 months or older stuff behind a paywall I'm not likely to go back and catch up.

pretty evenly split between politics (Crooked Media podcasts, mostly), sports (Bill Simmons, the Lowe Post, the Bill Barnwell Show) and laffs (Filmdrunk Frotcast and the $600 Podcast).

I'm listening to the Black Tapes Podcast - supposed to build into a Lovecraftian turn later on but six episodes in it's just sort of Unsolved Mysteries: NPR Edition.

Can't tell if I find the dialogue horribly staged and acted or if it's actually dead on and the Serial/Radiolab-style is just that bad.

there's a podcast called "containers" all about shipping containers but i'm not really sure it'll tell me more than the great bbc four doc i watched on the same subject a couple of years ago. still that sort of thing is "my jam."

there are some truly awful podcasts out there. the anna faris one. the guilty feminist. the outline world dispatch.

I was about to become the very last person in the world to check out "My Dad Wrote A Porno" but the 'about' page has just put me off it completely. It is the most off-putting 'about' page I have ever seen, it not only makes me hate this podcast I haven't heard, but also all other podcasts, all other media, and life in the 21st century in general.

http://www.mydadwroteaporno.com/about/

yeesh

Lol

Big fan of Ben Rodgers' new podcast The Rodge Tapes. Talking with other Earwolf adjacent comedians about some obscure movies from the 80s/90s.