TIME recently ran an explainer article called "You Asked: What Are Podcasts?" The piece assumes that readers are hearing all the big buzz about Serial, but might not have the faintest clue about how to actually listen to the dang thing. The article was a good reminder that despite all the attention that podcasting’s been getting lately, there are a lot of people---even relatively tech-savvy ones---for whom the medium is still inaccessible (or at least completely unintuitive).
That got me wondering: What are the things that need to happen for podcasting to reach the next level of listeners? Mobile devices are more ubiquitous than ever, and the design and usability of podcast apps have improved greatly, but what kind of innovation is still necessary to get podcasting in front of everyone? At any rate, here are a few of the shows I’m listening to this week. I’d love to know what you’ve been checking out recently, so please leave your recommendations (or thoughts on these questions) below.
(Speaking of Serial, if you’re a listener, The Guardian’s interview with Adnan Syed’s family is an absolute must-read.)
Episode: "Baratunde Thurston"
The Champs has unexpectedly become one of the best places to hear open, honest dialogue about race in America. A few years ago, white comedians Neil Brennan and Moshe Kasher began noticing that their favorite comedy podcasts had very few black guests. So the duo set out to build a show that would focus strictly on the lives and minds of black comedians, musicians, writers, and actors.
At first, the "white guys interviewing black people" conceit felt stunty and kinda corny; quickly, though, the dynamic began to yield some of the most interesting conversations happening on podcasts.
Many of the conversations are so intriguing because they’re explicitly about race and racism, and Champs’ best guests---Questlove, Chris Rock, Jean Grae, and Larry Wilmore come to mind---rarely mince words about these subjects.
But other conversations are only indirectly about race, and often it’s these chats that make for the show’s best episodes. The more you listen to The Champs, the more you realize that it’s the rare forum that invites black artists to truly speak freely and at length about anything---to share their opinions, feelings, and vulnerabilities, not just be funny, angry, or "on."
A recent episode featuring comedian and writer Baratunde Thurston (How to Be Black) is a particularly worthwhile listen. It was recorded in the wake of the Ferguson and Eric Garner decisions, and the interview explores the consequences of biases that are built in to all people. It’s a fascinating conversation, and Thurston is a great guest who is not only insightful, but also creative and funny. Listen here.
(After you’re done listening to that one, go to The Champs’ archive page and dig up some of the terrific past episodes, like the ones featuring Wyatt Cenac, Hannibal Buress, and Key & Peele.)
Episode: "Stars---'No One Is Lost'"
On each edition of this brief podcast, host Hrishikesh Hirway dissects a single song by an artist or band he likes: He talks to the musicians and producers behind the recording, getting them to describe in detail how various components of the track were crafted. In the latest episode, Toronto’s electronic pop band Stars talks about the process of choosing the instruments and electronic filter it used to create the dreamy, sweeping intro to its latest single. It’s interesting to hear how a host of tiny creative decisions contribute to the success of a larger work. When Hirway plays the full, mixed version of the song at the end of the show, you feel a little like you played a small part in its creation. Listen here.
Episode: "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace with Greg Proops"
Matt Gourley is a specialist in high-concept podcasting. There’s Superego, in which Gourley plays a clinical psychiatrist who analyzes bizarre characters (portrayed by improv comics like Paul F. Tompkins). And then there’s James Bonding, where Gourley and Nerdist Podcast co-host Matt Mira just straight up talk about James Bond movies for two hours.
On Gourley’s newest show, the actor/writer/Riverside City College theater professor interviews actors who played tiny roles in major films. It’s a great idea for a podcast, as it turns out that even bit players can pick up some pretty great observations on-set. Even though it’s only three episodes in, the show’s already turned up some choice anecdotes. For instance, comedian Greg Proops, who played one half of The Phantom Menace’s two-headed podrace commentator, had no idea that the live action parts he’d shot had been completely scrapped in favor of a fully CG version of his character, until he saw the completed film in the theater. And then he walked out---like so many of us should have. Listen here.
