Each week we clean the house, and listen to a variety of different stories while we clean the house...

June 24, 2007 1:00 PM

What are your recommendations for good radio programs? I need something online to listen to while I clean house.

I regularly download and listen to good NPR programs while I'm cleaning the house or doing homework. But my current playlist of: This American Life, On The Media, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Radio Lab, Car Talk and Quirks & Quarks gets exhausted early in the week.

I really like science or health shows, and comedy/entertainment shows. For some reason, I can't really listen to music while I'm doing homework, so no music shows, please, unless they involve a lot of talking.

posted by jennyjenny to Media & Arts (25 answers total)

Sound of Young America
posted by k8t at 1:12 PM on June 24, 2007

WCBN--Pretty sweet free-form format.
posted by John of Michigan at 1:19 PM on June 24, 2007

Definitely, definitely access the BBC's online radio content. You can either listen live or listen again.

Good news/current affairs shows:
-The Today Programme
-Start the week
-News bulletins

Comedy
-The News Quiz
-I'm sorry I haven't a clue
posted by dance at 1:31 PM on June 24, 2007

Just a Minute
posted by popcassady at 1:34 PM on June 24, 2007

Science Friday often has good guests, though I'm not fond of the call-in format and often turn it off when it gets to that segment. Fresh Air, with Terry Gross features one of the best interviewers around and has guests from a variety of fields but mostly entertainment. Both have podcasts.
posted by Manjusri at 2:28 PM on June 24, 2007

You need to get yourself over to Australian Radio National.

Suggestions that might suit your tastes:
All in the Mind
Life Matters
Ockham's Razor
The Science Show
The Philosopher's Zone.
posted by Jimbob at 2:37 PM on June 24, 2007

You'll find a lot of stuff poking around Radio 4's site, eg science.

Their comedy output is patchy... I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is a gem, but I'd gnaw my foot off rather than listen to Just A Minute.
posted by Leon at 3:18 PM on June 24, 2007

Second vote for TSOYA. Also, check out their other podcast: Jordan Jesse Go. Takes a little time to get into it (it's just two guys talking about their life), but the payoff is good.
posted by fletchmuy at 3:21 PM on June 24, 2007

I may be in the minority, but The Mischke broadcast makes me laugh on a regular basis. Sort of weird talk radio that varies between interviews, phone calls, and ridiculous ranting.
posted by Gilbert at 3:21 PM on June 24, 2007

Oh, by the way, check the archives - someone posted a similar question a few months back, and got pointed towards a fantastic torrent of In Our Time episodes.
posted by Leon at 3:27 PM on June 24, 2007

Ok, one more post. Check out these Google hits.
posted by Leon at 3:36 PM on June 24, 2007

I like many of the shows on Lime Radio (their tagline is "healthy living with a twist").
posted by tastybrains at 3:36 PM on June 24, 2007

For a good dose of humor & insight into the animal world, I really enjoy Calling All Pets.

Also, The Mimi Geerges Show is really great show that covers science, history & current events. She always has interesting guests & does a great interview.
posted by neko_loco at 3:43 PM on June 24, 2007

I echo the Sound of Young America recommendation. I also enjoy the Savage Love podcast by Dan Savage. But I'm weird like that.
posted by turing_test at 3:52 PM on June 24, 2007

Second on checking out Radio 4.
I dearly love listening to In Our Time.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:52 PM on June 24, 2007

Have you listened to Living On Earth? Tom Ashbrook's On Point is a terrific interview/discussion show, and sometimes has scientific topics. For political comedy (or tragicomedy), try Harry Shearer's Le Show.
posted by Snerd at 3:57 PM on June 24, 2007

Open source with chris lydon. living on earth out of Summervill Ma. Speaking of Faith from American Public Media. The Bob Edwards show if you have xm
posted by flummox at 4:19 PM on June 24, 2007

Big second for Jordan Jesse Go!, although I fear that their humour might be a bit generational, meaning that their demographic is folks in their mid-20s. But as a guy in my mid-20s myself, I might be ill-equipped to determine if others would also find it as funny.

You could also try Slate's Daily Podcast. Most days it's a dude reading selected articles, which is cool because they cover a wide range of topics, but on Fridays it's the Gabfest, a half-hour discussion of politics that's pretty casual and informative.
posted by good in a vacuum at 5:20 PM on June 24, 2007

I've just started listening to Fair Game with Faith Salie. It's sort of an interview show, but with a sense of humor.
posted by booth at 5:30 PM on June 24, 2007

I really like Filmspotting--the two reviewers are bright, articulate, witty, and have good chemistry. I don't always agree with their reviews, but I always find them entertaining.

Some CBC Radio One shows besides Quirks and Quarks, which you already mentioned:

Ideas--a show about contemporary thought in social issues, culture, the arts, politics.
Definitely Not the Opera--a show about popular culture in Canada and around the world; quirky and entertaining
As It Happens--interesting, thought-provoking, sometimes amusing interviews and current events from around the world. Lots of human interest stories but there's political stuff too.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:06 PM on June 24, 2007

Le Show with Harry Shearer is one of the most entertaining shows on the radio. It features politics, comedy and great music that you won't hear anywhere else.
posted by wsg at 6:53 PM on June 24, 2007

Science podcasts:
-The Naked Scientists (for a layperson. with a bit of comedy)
-Nature Podcasts
-NPR: Health and Science

Not science, but internation topics:
-PRI: The Changing World
posted by Wolfster at 8:11 PM on June 24, 2007

Everything I have ever heard on KEXP is amazing. It's in Seattle, I'm in LA - I listen online exclusively. Stuff you won't hear anywhere else, no commercials, awesome shows. The website is great too - listen to any show on demand from the last two weeks, playlists with record names, really just all around music wonderfulness.

Seriously.
posted by mdonley at 12:58 AM on June 25, 2007

Wow, thanks, mdonley! I'm listening to "The Roadhouse" right now. Excellent!
posted by wafaa at 1:52 PM on June 25, 2007

Best answer: Thanks to all who reccomended my shows (The Sound of Young America and Jordan, Jesse GO!). I, too, reccomend them :).

As far as other shows go...

I'll echo the person who recommended Dan Savage's Savage Love podcast, which is great.

I'm also a huge fan of Jimmy Pardo's Never Not Funny. Jimmy is one of my favorite comics, and he's an alarmingly fast wit. Sort of a lounge-act throwback style, but totally contemporary. The format is basically three 30-something guys talking, two of whom are comics (including Jimmy), one of whom is the sweet and somewhat sensitive producer Matt. It's what I wish morning radio was like.

For sketch comedy, I'd reccomend checking out the Kasper Hauser Comedy Podcast (full disclosure, I produce it, though that usually just means putting it on the internet). If you're a counter-culture type, you might also enjoy Will Franken's "Things We Did Before Reality," which is a one-man sketch show by a great comic / solo performer out of SF.

There are also two shows on Jersey City's WFMU that I reccomend... 7 Second Delay is hosted by FMU's station manager and a long-time comedy writer (he's the showrunner on Monk, and wrote among other things the Eddie Murphy SNL sketch "White Like Me"). They usually have a "theme," which is often something that involves getting people on the line to do something very personal and very funny on the radio. Not mean-spirited at all though, if that sounds like morning zoo pranks.

Also, The Best Show on WFMU is an acquired taste, but it's a normal talk show that also takes place in an amazing world of fictional characters who call in each week. So there are plenty of regular calls, topics, etc, but also characters calling in, often portrayed by Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, sometimes by other NY comedy types (Jon Benjamin, Todd Barry, etc). One of the highlights of my week. Lots of great comics call in or do interviews regularly as well... Paul F Tompkins, for example.

I'd also reccomend torrenting the british radio show "On the Hour," which preceded the stunningly brilliant TV show "The Day Today." Easily the funnies thing I've ever listened to (including The Goon Show and the Hitchhiker's Guide), sadly not commercially available. Brilliant news satire.
posted by YoungAmerican at 5:12 PM on June 26, 2007