I'm looking for weird, surreal, artsy podcasts.

January 21, 2018 3:00 AM

When I google "weird podcasts" I get a lot of results for paranormal or "creepy" podcasts, but that's not what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for something more avant garde. Not necessarily dark, although darkness is okay. A humorous bend is also also okay, but not required. There was a previous Ask for weird podcasts where they were looking for stories, but I'm not necessarily looking for something as structured as a story.

Here are some examples of weird things I like and I'm looking for in podcast form.

-"Off The Air," the Adult Swim show
- Many Adult Swim shows in fact, especially ones with a Tim & Eric type sensibility.
- Revolution 9 by The Beatles (so I guess Sound Collage podcasts would work).
- True Stories, the 80s David Byrne movie.

Thanks in advance!

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

The Beef and Dairy Network podcast is funny and surreal and clever and otherwise very difficult to classify. The first episode is short so it's a quick taster for the rest of the series. I'm personally a huge fan.
posted by archy at 3:42 AM on January 21, 2018 [6 favorites]

KCRW's Unfictional might fit the bill.
posted by Shebear at 4:16 AM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

The guy on Sleep with Me is trying to put you to sleep, and he says all this gently surreal nonsense to help send you off to slumberland. It starts off making sense, but gets weirder and weirder. I've never tried listening to it just to listen and not to try and fall asleep, but it might be interesting.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:19 AM on January 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

Also from KCRW, THE ORGANIST is produced in partnership with McSweeney's / The Believer magazine, and presents an eclectic mix of stuff from radio plays to interviews to cultural reporting. Older episodes were a digest format with multiple short pieces in succession. Newer episodes feature one slightly longer piece. A few sample episodes:
• E8: Kittens in a Basket
• E16: The Horse Counselor
• E25: The Last Man on the Street
• E29: Son of Rex
• E59: Wish You Were Here
posted by D.Billy at 6:54 AM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.

Turn on your radio and hide.
posted by Awfki at 7:05 AM on January 21, 2018 [4 favorites]

Seconding Love and Radio.
posted by rustcellar at 7:39 AM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

My husband listens to this Subgenius show called Hour of Slack that drives me fucking bonkers but sounds like it might be right up your street.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:43 AM on January 21, 2018

Mission to Zyxx might be a good one to try.

It's a mix of sci-fi and improvised comedy, with music and sound design.
posted by The Deej at 8:43 AM on January 21, 2018

You might like The Truth.
posted by bunderful at 9:00 AM on January 21, 2018

Greater Boston

This surreal radio drama explores an alternate Red Line as it shears away from reality. There are scores of characters whose lives intersect in surprising ways. One of the most important characters dies in the very first moments.

The show open theme is very annoying, so don’t let that stop you.
posted by Jesse the K at 9:13 AM on January 21, 2018

Seconding Night Vale, it is dark and paranormal but also very surreal.
posted by tatiana wishbone at 9:14 AM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

The intros to The Duncan Trussel Family Hour podcast are often extremely surreal. The interview conversations are often excellent, so win/win!
posted by jbenben at 9:52 AM on January 21, 2018

It’s not quite Avant Garde as might be preferred, but a vote for TheRelentless Picnic. Definitely a mix of the surreal and political. Also a point for The Organist - I was hooked by the episode on Firesign Theatre.
posted by pipian at 1:24 PM on January 21, 2018

Nightvale-offshoot "Within the Wires" might be more precisely what you're looking for, along the surreal/artsy continuum
posted by churl at 1:44 PM on January 21, 2018 [5 favorites]

100% try Do or DIY from WMFU.
posted by book 'em dano at 2:00 PM on January 21, 2018

+1 to Within the Wires, and also (from the same podcast network) Orbiting Human Circus of the Air.
posted by rhiannonstone at 4:26 PM on January 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Try some Irene Moon. She's amazing. Here's her Entomelodical Opportunities and if you like her there's a bunch of other shows she's done that are easily track-down-able.

Then try some Momus with his show Hearspool.
posted by merocet at 5:23 PM on January 21, 2018

Perhaps Here Be Monsters. It's pretty avant-garde, moody, wandery — freeform narratives and interviews about things in the real world that are strange and liminal. It describes itself as, "An unusual podcast exploring the dark corners of the human mind and new frontiers in science, art and philosophy through visceral storytelling."
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 7:37 PM on January 21, 2018

Not a podcast, but dozens episodes of Ken Nordine's Word Jazz radio show are available at the Internet Archive.
posted by hydrophonic at 7:37 PM on January 21, 2018

A lot of people seemed to really like The Orbiting Human Circus of the Air. It's like an oldie-timey radio show but with a lot of kind of dada elements. It was a little bit twee for my taste, but it was really well done.
posted by helloimjennsco at 8:23 AM on January 22, 2018

If you try Within the Wires, be aware that the first and second seasons are different stories that take place in the same universe. The second season is more artsy, since the conceit is each episode is one of those museum exhibit audio tour things. The first season's conceit is relaxation/self-improvement audio tapes.
posted by yasaman at 9:54 AM on January 22, 2018

I heartily recommend Thought Spiral. Every episode is just Andy Kindler (longtime standup comedian) and J. Elvis Weinstein (MST3K, Cinematic Titanic) chatting about whatever random stuff comes to mind. There is something about the chemistry between the two that is funny, endearing and interesting to listen to week after week. Definitely leans towards the surreal, stream of consciousness side of comedy.
posted by Otis at 10:09 AM on January 22, 2018

You could try The Unstoppable Badass. It's kind of a skit show made by one guy. Except the guy doing the show is a musician in real life, from the band Emery, so sometimes he takes a music a listener sent in and edits and critiques it.

I really don't know a better way to describe it.
posted by tacodave at 3:44 PM on January 22, 2018

Not a podcast, and maybe not avant garde (it's 20 years old), but have you listened to Blue Jam? Pretty dark at times, pretty funny at times, a bunch of ambient music. Definitely weird and enjoyable.
posted by taltalim at 8:41 AM on January 23, 2018 [1 favorite]

It's defunct now, but Things We Did Before Reality is surreal as hell, comedic, and (unfortunately, in my opinion) brilliant. Be warned: Will Franken does not give a solitary fuck about political correctness.
posted by Rykey at 7:10 PM on April 20, 2018