Rec. #588: List #67 -- Podcasts So Far

Finishing up Podcast Week with a reminder of all the podcasts I've featured already, going back to 2013.


Recommended earlier:

Front Row (Rec. #425): "Amazingly, the show produces stunningly good, balanced, and wide-ranging content daily."

Mystery Show (Rec. #403): This is the best podcast ever. Fight me.

Pop Culture Happy Hour (Rec. #571): "Now twice a week, the show is masterfully facilitated by Linda Holmes, a pop culture writer/editor for NPR."

Welcome to Night Vale (Rec. #303): "This is probably how the local news in Sunnydale reported on each Big Bad that crawled out of the Hellmouth."

Recommended this week:

The Bright Sessions (Rec. #587): "It's got the eerie sci-fi tones of Welcome to Night Vale, but it's much more linear and plot-driven."

Dr. Gameshow (Rec. #585): "The success of any given episode rests fairly heavily on who the guests are and a little bit on what the games are."

The Good Place - The Podcast (Rec. #586): "Do you miss DVD commentaries? I do, too! And that's pretty much what this podcast is."

Standard Issue (Rec. #584): "The baseline assumption is feminism/human decency, which is so goddamn refreshing."

Rec. #587: The Bright Sessions

The podcasts continue apace ...

What: The Bright Sessions is an audio drama with the tagline "therapy for the strange and unusual." It's got the eerie sci-fi tones of Welcome to Night Vale (Rec. #303), but it's much more linear and plot-driven.

Sentence you are likely to hear: "I can't help you if you don't tell me the truth."

Details: There are four seasons of episodes. Each episode is usually 15-30 minutes, although the mini-episodes can be as short as 3 minutes and the season finales are as long as an hour. Transcripts of each episode are also available on the Bright Sessions website.

Rec. #586: The Good Place - The Podcast

Podcast Week still!
 

What: Do you miss DVD commentaries? I do, too! And that's pretty much what this podcast is. Each podcast episode focuses on one tv episode of The Good Place (Rec. #401), and guests are a balance of people from behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

Learn about the extreme lengths the set designers go to! Hear about Manny Jacinto's real-life dance experience! Vaguely wish that Jameela Jamil, a professional presenter, was the one hosting this!

Sentence you are likely to hear: "Michael Schur is a really good guy."

Details: The Good Place - The Podcast has new episodes every Friday. The episodes are 30-60 minutes. No commercials.

Rec. #585: Dr. Gameshow

Podcast week continues ...

What: The concept of Dr. Gameshow is so spot-on for a podcast --- the host and her sidekick play listener-submitted games with their guests (usually comedians) and call-in contestants.

The success of any given episode rests fairly heavily on who the guests are and a little bit on what the games are. (Nota bene, Janeane Garofalo is an excellent guest.)

Sentence you are likely to hear: "It's okay. No big deal. Think later."

Sentences you will hear from Janeane Garofalo:
"I choose to play against a cruel and indifferent world. And a universe that does not tilt toward justice."

"I'm not mad at you, I'm just speaking in strident tones."


Details: Dr. Gameshow is available from Earwolf, which also gives us, among other things, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Queery, and With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus. New episodes come out on Wednesdays and are usually a bit longer than an hour.

Rec. #584: Standard Issue Podcast

I hereby declare this Podcast Week! At least some of you are probably driving somewhere, right?

What: Regular episodes of the Standard Issue Podcast have a news magazine format. (It began as an online magazine.) Contributors discuss current events, produce topical segments, and interview experts. The content is reliably interesting, funny, and informative -- with the added benefit of being from a female perspective.

The baseline assumption is feminism/human decency, which is so goddamn refreshing.

I'd particularly like to highlight the "gigcast" episodes that capture their live shows. Comedians, writers, and journalists answer questions like, "What always makes you laugh?" and "What's the most frustrating thing about your working life?" The conversation is always hilarious and insightful. It also actually makes you feel good about (some) humans.

Sentence you are likely to hear: "The best thing about getting older is you stop giving a fuck what other people think."

Details: Regular episodes are weekly, with special episodes in between. Episodes range from thirty to ninety minutes. No commercials.

Rec. #571: Linda Holmes as Host of Pop Culture Happy Hour

What: The podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour is pretty much exactly what it sounds like --- a small group of people get together and chat about a given pop culture topic. Now twice a week, the show is masterfully facilitated by Linda Holmes, a pop culture writer/editor for NPR.

It wasn't until I started noticing how many people are bad at hosting that I truly appreciated how good Holmes is in the role. As a host, she's generous, collegial, self-deprecating, and smart. (Also, as I tweeted in April, she is often the most right.)

How to get it: PCHH releases episodes twice a week, once early in the week and once on Fridays. The Friday episodes include the "What's Making Us Happy" segment, which, let's face it, we all need.

Rec. #452: Quote for These Times #9

"If you look back through the decades, people have to be reminded of what they've learned to live with."

--- Ian Christie, discussing When the Wind Blows 

on the Front Row podcast for Jan. 22, 2018

Also: Front Row was Rec. #425

Rec. #425: Front Row

What: Front Row is an arts and culture BBC Radio 4 show, and the podcast of it usually tacks on some bonus content as well. Amazingly, the show produces stunningly good, balanced, and wide-ranging content daily.

Here are just some of the topics covered in the past three days alone:

• Richard Linklater (director interview)
• The decline of "literary fiction"? (panel discussion)
• Danez Smith (poet interview)
• Bridget Riley (art show review)
• Bayeaux Tapestry on loan (experts weigh in)
• Carleen Anderson (singer interview)
• Elif Şafak (author interview)
• The commuter in film (panel discussion)

How to get it: Download/subscribe from the Front Row website, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Rec. #403: Mystery Show

What: Starlee Kine is basically a real-life Dirk Gently. Her podcast, Mystery Show, was tragically -- tragically -- cancelled after just six magical episodes.

In those six episodes, though, she manages to cover video rentals, Fellini films, VIP meet-and-greets, dog-piling, maximum morning height, lunchboxes, cowboy chefs, decorative belt buckles, and much, much more.

Opening lines: "When I was a kid, my little sister and I found an old safe in our grandparents' garage. This was in Palm Springs, California, so picture palm trees, swimming pools, desert heat so hot you can see it swirling in the air."

How to get it: Through the Gimlet website, or however you usually find your podcasts.

List #45: Countdown to the New Year [3 Days to Go]

The Daily Wreck is almost 4 years old!

So, behold: a rundown of all the names and titles mentioned by The Daily Wreck over the course of those four years, before we reflect back on 2014 with some "Best Of" lists in January.


Part 23: Today's Installment Is Brought to You by the Letter "W"

W
Waddell, Justine   Rec. #49, (Rec. #121), Personal Wreck #3, FF: Rec. #49, Rec. #354
Wag the Dog   Rec. #116
Wainwright, Martha   Rec. #187, FF: Rec. #187, Rec. #362
Wainwright, Rufus   (Rec. #206), (FF: Rec. #206)

Wait Until Dark   Rec. #26, (Rec. #47), (Rec. #97), (Rec. #132), Personal Wreck #4, (Rec. #205), (FF: Rec. #205), (FF: Rec. #132), QfFC #9, FF: Rec. #26, List #41, (FF: Rec. #47)
Walken, Christopher   (Rec. #250), (FF: Rec. #250)
Walker, Ally   List #28
Walker, Polly   Rec. #104, FF: Rec. #104
The Walking Dead   (Rec. #267)
Wallace, David Foster   (Rec. #325)
Wallach, Eli   List #28
War for the Oaks   Rec. #291
Warrender Chase   Rec. #13, FF: Rec. #13
The Washington Story   Rec. #295

Wasilewski, Audrey   List #29
Wasserstrom, Jill   Rec. #82
Waters, Alice   (Rec. #39)
Waterston, Sam   List #28
Waugh, Evelyn   Rec. #217
The Way We Live Now   List #13, FF: List #13, (Rec. #354)
Wayne, John   (Rec. #10)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle   (Rec. #134), (FF: Rec. #134)
Webb, Clifton   Rec. #193, FF: Rec. #193
Weber, Steven   Rec. #123
Weight   Rec. #272, (Rec. #298), (Rec. #302), (Rec. #349)
Weisz, Rachel   List #28, Rec. #304
Welch, Florence   Rec. #187, FF: Rec. #187, Rec. #362
Welch, Raquel   Rec. #215, FF: Rec. #215
Welcome to My Planet (Where English Is Sometimes Spoken)   (Rec. #93), Rec. #338, (FF: Rec. #93)

Welcome to Night Vale   Rec. #303, List #38
West, Mae   (Rec. #122), (List #5), (FF: Rec. #122)
West, Rebecca   Rec. #224
The West Wing [book]   Rec. #207, FF: Rec. #207
The West Wing [television]   (Rec. #236)
What a Way to Go!   Rec. #175
What Fresh Hell Is This?   (see Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This?)
What's Up, Doc?   Rec. #38, FF: Rec. #38, List #42
Wharton, Edith   (List #13), (FF: List #13)
Whedon, Jed   Rec. #90, FF: Rec. #90
Whedon, Joss   Rec. #90, FF: Rec. #90, List #36, Rec. #331, SSoW #4
Whedon, Zach   Rec. #90, FF: Rec. #90
Wheeler, Susan   Rec. #268, FF: Rec. #268
When the Messenger Is Hot   Rec. #73, (Rec. #151), List #5, (Rec. #245), (Rec. #314), FF: Rec. #73

When Will There Be Good News?   (Rec. #3), Rec. #192, (FF: Rec. #137), (FSoM #14), (Rec. #270), (Rec. #282), (Rec. #301), FF: Rec. #192, (List #35), (FF: Rec. #69), (FF: Rec. #3)
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang   (Rec. #111), (FF: Rec. #111)
White Swan, Black Swan   Rec. #53, (Rec. #151), FF: Rec. #53
Whites   List #32
Whitman, Walt   Personal Wreck #3
Whittaker, Promise   Rec. #46, FF: Rec. #46
Whittington, Nora Jane   Rec. #25, FF: Rec. #25
Who's the Boss?   (Rec. #263)
Wiest, Dianne   Rec. #20, FF: Rec. #20
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself   Rec. #108, (Rec. #112), Personal Wreck #1, (FF: Rec. #112), List #29
Wild Strawberries   (Gift Idea #11)
Wilde, Oscar   (Rec. #30), (Rec. #98), Rec. #148, List #7, (FF: Rec. #98), FF: Rec. #148, (Rec. #313), Rec. #336, (FF: Rec. #30)

Wilder, Billy   (Rec. #106), (List #1), Rec. #194, (FF: Rec. #106), FF: Rec. #194
Wilder, Thornton   Rec. #78
Wilhelm, Kate   Rec. #111, List #4, FF: List #4, FF: Rec. #111
Wilkins, Lotty   Rec. #113
Wilkinson, Tom   List #28
Williams, Michelle   Rec. #143
Williams, Robin   Rec. #265
Willis, Connie   Rec. #100, (Personal Wreck #2), Personal Wreck #5, List #8, (Rec. #208), Gift Idea #1, Rec. #218, FF: Rec. #100, Rec. #248, (FF: Rec. #162), Rec. #266, (FF: Rec. #208), FF: Rec. #218, List #33, Rec. #355, List #44
The Willowdale Handcar   Rec. #207, FF: Rec. #207
Wills, Muley   Rec. #82
Wilson, Owen   Rec. #189, FF: Rec. #189, (Rec. #314)
Wilson, Ruth   Rec. #178, FF: Rec. #178, (List #26)
Wimsey, Lord Peter   (Rec. #60), (FF: Rec. #60)
Winslet, Kate   (Rec. #91), (Rec. #288)
Winslow, Annabel   Rec. #201
Winstead, Mary Elizabeth   Rec. #329
Winterbottom, Michael   Rec. #112, FF: Rec. #112

Winterson, Jeanette   Rec. #66, (Rec. #79), Personal Wreck #4, (Rec. #243), Rec. #272, (Rec. #298), Rec. #302, Rec. #349, (FF: Rec. #79)
Wire in the Blood   (Rec. #210), List #16, (FF: Rec. #210)
Wit   Rec. #132, (Rec. #265), FF: Rec. #132
The Witch of Exmoor   Personal Wreck #4, Rec. #247
Witherspoon, Reese   Rec. #179
Wives and Daughters   (List #7), Personal Wreck #3, List #13, FF: List #13, (Rec. #290), Rec. #354
The Wizard of Oz   (Rec. #226)
Wodehouse, P.G.   Rec. #24, (Rec. #31), (Rec. #44), (Rec. #54), (Rec. #68), (Rec. #70), Rec. #136, Rec. #153, List #7, Rec. #204, (FF: Rec. #70), Rec. #254, Gift Idea #7, Rec. #289, (Rec. #297), Rec. #318, List #32, List #33, QfFC #23, QfFC #35, (FF: Rec. #68), (FF: Rec. #31), List #43, List #44
The Woman in White   Rec. #121, (Gift Idea #4), (Rec. #354)
Wonderfalls   Rec. #2, (Rec. #49), (Rec. #99), List #1, List #8, FF: Rec. #2, (FF: Rec. #49), (Rec. #233), List #24, List #29, QfFC #14, QfFC #54

Wood, Elijah   Rec. #329
Woodard, Alfre   Rec. #92
Woolf, Virginia   (Rec. #66), Rec. #98, List #7, (Rec. #181), (FF: Rec. #181), FF: Rec. #98
Woolrich, Cornell   Rec. #47, List #5, FF: Rec. #47
Wooster, Bertie   (Rec. #24), (Rec. #136), Rec. #153, (List #7), Rec. #254, (Rec. #289), QfFC #35, List #43
Worden, Shara   Rec. #187, FF: Rec. #187
Wright, Teresa   List #30
The Wrong Mans   List #32
The Wuggly Ump   Rec. #207, FF: Rec. #207
Wyler, William   Rec. #205, FF: Rec. #205
Wyman, Jane   List #30

List #38: A Couple of the Best Things I Listened to in 2013

Best Podcast:
Welcome to Night Vale

(Rec. #303)

Weird and dark enough to feel like a cult hit while still being one of the most-downloaded podcasts of the year.

Best Downloadable Radio Show:

BBC Radio 2 — Graham Norton

This is almost better than his television chat show for a few reasons: 1) It’s easier to obtain, 2) he gets to interview properly clever Brits instead of (usually dull) Hollywood faces, and 3) the “Grill Graham” advice segment is more reliably funny than any other regular feature being done on any talk show.

Rec. #303: Welcome to Night Vale

What: Welcome to Night Vale is framed as a community radio show from a fictional town, presumably in the American Southwest. If you listen to podcasts, you've probably already heard of this one. If you haven't, here are a few things that happen in (and to) the town of Night Vale:

• No dogs (or people) are allowed in the dog park. Avoid the dog park.
• A glow cloud attends PTA meetings while dropping dead animals everywhere.
• The hierarchy of the local Boy Scouts includes "Blood Pact Scout."
• Carlos the scientist is perfect and so is his hair, no thanks to Telly.

Comparable to: This is probably how the local news in Sunnydale reported on each Big Bad that crawled out of the Hellmouth. With a twist of Twin Peaks thrown in.

Opening lines: "A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overheard while we all pretend to sleep."

Representative quote: "You shouldn't wear these homemade tinfoil hats because it draws unnecessary attention to yourself. It’s pathetic and paranoid. The Sheriff's Secret Police are embarrassed for you."

You might not like it if: You just don't get the weather report.

How to get it: The twice-monthly episodes are downloadable from the usual sources. You can learn more about the program here and buy stuff about it here. 

And, oh my gosh, the fandom is everywhere and a little rabid and often extremely organized. They also ship Carlos and Cecil like whoa.

Connections to previous Wreckage: If you click on the "buying stuff" link above, you'll see that the creators of Welcome to Night Vale sell their wares through TopatoCo.

Also available from TopatoCo is merch from John Allison (Bad Machinery, Rec. #138), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant, Rec. #95), and Tom Siddell (Gunnerkrigg Court, List #21).

Rec. #184: The Angel's Game, as read by Dan Stevens

A note on audiobooks: Up to now, all the book recommendations I have made on this blog have been specifically for print books. I make no promises as to the relative success of any audio versions. This is because, in my opinion, books that you read with your eyes and books that you read with your ears are very different creatures.

I'm picky about both, but in entirely different ways. For audiobooks, the reader/voice talent/narrator can be as important as the author. For example, does the reader seem to be constantly speaking on a sigh? Out. If the reader is male, does he do female voices by whispering? Out. Does the reader, at any time, make mouth noises? Definitely out, possibly with throwing involved.

What: The Angel's Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, might actually be kind of annoying to read in printed form. The main character is one of those frustratingly dense individuals who do seem to keep cropping up in fiction (especially fiction involving melodramatic conspiracies). And, although the story is a first-person narrative, the book is almost entirely silent regarding the hero's motivation for anything he does. The plot as a whole does not seem to follow logic of any sort, not even its own.

And yet. And yet we have memorable characters (including Isabella, who isn't present nearly enough), thick melodrama, and some truly delicious lines. All of this is shown to its best advantage in the reading by Dan Stevens, who does not sigh, whisper when voicing a woman, or make unseemly mouth noises. Indeed, his precisely distinct voices save the listener, who might otherwise get a bit muddled about which vaguely menacing character is which. Plus, honestly, as I mentioned in Personalized Wreck List #1, the whole thing is worth it just to hear Stevens lovingly bite off the word "flesh."

Representative quote: "Nothing is fair --- the most one can hope for is for things to be logical."

You might not like it if: You do not have a long commute that lends itself to audiobook-listening.

How to get it: In case I haven't made myself abundantly clear, I am specifically suggesting the audio version of this book, as read by Dan Stevens. Try your library.