Comments on: What solid, unusual podcasts deserve more exposure?

Question: What solid, unusual podcasts deserve more exposure?

colinmarshall — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:43:44 -0800

What are some good, unusual podcasts that merit the attention of a high-profile review?

I write the "Podthoughts" podcast review column for The Sound of Young America's website, and as such am equipped to endow a podcast kingmaker's imprimatur on any podcast that merits one. I'm always on the lookout for solid podcast entertainment that's off the beaten track, so I figured I'd take the question to MeFi. Any podcasts you listen to that you think merit a much wider listenership? (Note that this is NOT a guarantee that I'll review the podcast you mention — though its chances can only go up — and it especially isn't a guarantee of an positive review.)

I must, with a heavy heart, temporarily forbid the suggestion of podcasts that revolve around these things, for I have grown so very weary of them:

- Comedy
- Video games
- Comics
- Movies
- Twentysomething guys in basements

The less-known, the better.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:06:49 -0800

Heh. I came in here first and foremost to mention Jordan, Jessie, Go! but I guess you know about that one. The History of Rome is a very well-done podcast about, well, the history of ancient Rome. Each episode is just fifteen minutes, but is super informative and quite entertaining. When he -- with a straight face -- related Roman battle tactics against Carthaginian war elephants to the Rebel Alliance's approach to Imperial Walkers during the Battle of Hoth, I just about lost it.

By: Potomac Avenue

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:07:19 -0800

The TwoPlusTwo pokercast is a great one about poker (highly specialized, but very funny)

Songs By Toad is a charming one by a scottish fellow about music and his twee life.

Rcd Lbl is another good music-discovery cast by a nifty free legal downloads site.

Garage Punk: Just what it says on the label.

All the rest I listen to are associated with your website.

PS I have MeMailed you some spam, feel free to ignore it.

By: agent99

agent99 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:07:56 -0800

The New York Review of Books podcast, which is pretty new (started last August and now appears weekly).

By: losvedir

losvedir — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:11:15 -0800

There was a wonderful podcast I heard a while back that talked about scientific issues and was interesting and fun. I was getting into a "podcast" phase and listened to a great one of theirs on the scientific basis of race. As I recall, one of the speakers in the series went to a service which tried to predict his race from his DNA.

I've since left that podcast phase and lost all traces of it. I'll try to track it down for you.

By: sarabeth

sarabeth — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:17:32 -0800

Science & the City, by the New York Academy of Sciences, is pretty fantastic. Basically, it offers interviews, lectures, and chats with very smart people involved with the sciences in a format that's accessible, digestible, and interesting no matter what your background (I'm an art/history sort of person, and I totally love it).

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:21:28 -0800

losvedir is talking about the awesome Radiolab from NPR.

By: sarabeth

sarabeth — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:28:46 -0800

P.S. Disclaimer: While I am sure that some scientists involved with the aforementioned podcast have, at one point, been "twentysomething guys in basements" who stayed cooped up in labs for days at a time, I posted my suggestion anyway, as those characters are, by no means, the focus of the series.

Just saying.

By: losvedir

losvedir — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:37:28 -0800

Ah, yes, Rock Steady's got it (thanks)! And good thing, too, my searching had turned up nothing. But, yes, I recommend that one.

All right, I admit, I knew if I made that comment someone would know what I was talking about. I had been looking for it for a while....

By: mkultra

mkultra — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:41:49 -0800

Using AskMe to crowdsource submissions your self-linked site is, dude, so not cool.

By: colinmarshall

colinmarshall — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:01:49 -0800

Using AskMe to crowdsource submissions your self-linked site is, dude, so not cool.

I'm pretty sure the link to the column was acceptable — people might want to get a feel for the column before suggesting a podcast to be reviewed in it — but if the mods really want to strip it out, I ain't gonna bitch and moan.

By: one_bean

one_bean — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:24:42 -0800

I really like Backstory with The American History Guys.

By: carbide

carbide — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:31:48 -0800

I can't vouch for it as I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I was just listening to Scott Simpsons mentioning LSAT Logic in Everyday Life on TBTL, and it genuinely sounds interesting, as well as markedly not Several Guys Being Hilarious.

Hilariously, I was just going to list some I've found through your reviews. Thank you for introducing me to Radio Freetown!

By: carbide

carbide — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:33:01 -0800

Sorry, I know typo followups are really annoying, but:

Scott Simpsons, even.

By: Heatwole

Heatwole — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:44:37 -0800

Widely Ranging Interests just rocks. It's just the thing that I think most people would do with the podcast medium if they were able.

By: Potomac Avenue

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:03:47 -0800

Another musical one: the Fabric Podcast.

Unusual because it's a famous house/techno/etc DJ playing and discussing the records that first got them excited about music.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:09:01 -0800

Skeptics' Guide to The Universe - Skepticism and general science. Worth it for the "Science or Fiction" segments alone. (They must have recently redone their website, as it's a monstrosity now.)

By: ericc

ericc — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:09:36 -0800

My favs:

Quirks & Quarks
The Musicology Show
RadioLab
American RadioWorks
You Look Nice Today

By: kristymcj

kristymcj — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:59:30 -0800

Fordham Conversations *love it*
Ockham's Razor (Australian)
Point of Inquiry
SALT- Seminars About Long-Term Thinking
Science Talk
Skeptoid: Critical Analysis
Stuff You Should Know
The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe *Gem of my skeptical universe!*
The Thomas Jefferson Hour
WFMT: Critical Thinking

By: JFitzpatrick

JFitzpatrick — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:26:57 -0800

Free Domain Radio, an absolutely fascinating Libertarian podcast. When my daughter was young and not much for conversation, I'd put her in a sling against my chest where she could sleep and go on walks for hours listening to the above podcast.

By: sugarfish

sugarfish — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:42:29 -0800

I Should Be Writing is one of my favorites.

By: mateuslee

mateuslee — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:12:57 -0800

"All in the mind" is a great show on Australian radio about advance in neuropsychology and the like.

By: Heliochrome85

Heliochrome85 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:48:57 -0800

I have been a long time fan of This American Life as well as Radio Lab

By: RikiTikiTavi

RikiTikiTavi — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:51:37 -0800

Coverville (Previously, um, covered)

Podrunner

By: fracturing

fracturing — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:53:08 -0800

I'll add my vote for This American Life, and I've recently really been enjoying The Moth, which is a story-telling podcast in a similar vein to TAL.

By: rmd1023

rmd1023 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:07:51 -0800

the guy who does podrunner (and podrunner intervals) does a great music podcast, groovelectric. each mix is about an hour long.

By: sillygwailo

sillygwailo — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:36:56 -0800

Book's Music features a wide variety of music (tending towards hip-hop and old R&B, but it does always run the gamut), often blending a song that someone sampled into the song that sampled it. All podcasts are exactly an hour long, with no filler other than "station identification".