The Playlist: Podcasts Round 2
Podcasts are great, but they aren't updated nearly enough for me. Yes yes, I get that it takes time to create 30-45 minutes of decent content that is educational, entertaining, and leaves the listener wanting to hear more.
Yes, but I want more, dammit!
After a year filled with a few road trips, train rides, and lots of commuting, I completely caught up on all my favorite podcasts (yes, even the minisodes), and I was forced to find new ones. And you know what? There's a ton of great stuff out there!
Here's what I'm binging on now...
Switched On Pop
Do you love Top 40 Radio? Do you like sounding smart to friends and family? Then this podcast is for you. I've been referring to it as "music theory for dummies." It features one songwriter and one musicologist who together explain meaning in pop songs. Titles include: "The Dual Meaning of Fetty Wap’s Trap Queen," "Taylor Swift’s Beethovian Blank Space," and "Mark Ronson: Funk Politics." I'm obsessed.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
How did I find "Switched on Pop?" Through this awesome podcast! Pop Culture Happy Hour is exactly what it sounds like. Take four insightful and funny panelists and let them gab about the latest in pop culture news. They cover music, movies, TV, and even sports. It's like E! News for the NPR crowd. I'm not sure why I didn't discover this one sooner.
Hidden Brain
People have been buzzing about this one for a while and now its finally here! If you're waiting for Invisibilia to return, this should hold you over. Science correspondant Shankar Vedantam examines human behavior through well, science, but also stories, art, music, books. It's like Malcolm Gladwell mixed with RadioLab plus Invisibila. Get on it.
Slate Political Gabfest
OK, this one isn't actually new for me, but I realized that I didn't include it in my last batch of podcast recs. I think I'm the only person alive to ever say this, but I find the combination of Plotz, Dickerson, and Bazelon voices to be incredibly comforting. The trio explains the latest news in politics in a way that I find super entertaining and really informative. The weekly discussions cover a few big topics in each episode (like Kim Davis, the Syrian refugee crisis, and of course Trump), ending with "cocktail chatter". I always walk away feeling a little more politically informed and usually angrier (in a good way?).
Star Talk
Who doesn't love Neil DeGrasse Tyson? Besides Sagan, he's got to be the most well known astrophysicist, right? His weekly show (the podcast is actually a taped live show that sometimes airs on National Geographic) usually features one comic or non-science person, a scientist (like Bill Nye!), and of course Neil. Despite the title, it's not all space and planet-related. They cover everything from GMOs to religion to super powers.
Still need more suggestions? There's always the dulcet tones of Terry Gross on Fresh Air, the always interesting Stuff You Should Know (from How Stuff Works), and Serial is coming back soon!
Happy listening!
-Jen
