I like podcasts, but it’s depressingly hard to find ones that I really enjoy and which are still regularly published. I tend to discover a lot of podcasts just as they’re going through their death throes. This is sometimes ok, as I’m still able to make my way through their archives, but then I run out of content and have to start searching for a new podcast. I will often try out new podcasts, but I have only added a few to the rotation of late. Here’s some recent stuff I’ve been listening to:
- The /Filmcast – I tried this podcast out a few years ago and my recollection is that I found it kinda boring. I don’t know what was going on during that episode though, because I find that this is the podcast I most look forward to every week. I enjoy the format, which starts with a “what we’ve been watching” segment, followed by a short “movie news” segment, and then an in-depth review of a relatively new release. And when I say “in-depth”, I mean very long and detailed, often in the 40-60 minute range. It’s also one of the few podcasts to really get into spoilers of a new release (they are very clear about when they start the spoiler section, so no worries if you haven’t seen the movie). It’s something most reviews and podcasts avoid, but it’s actually quite entertaining to listen to (if, that is, you’ve already seen the film or don’t care about the film in question). Also noteworthy is that the show features 3 regular hosts, and a guest host – and the guests are usually fantastic. They’re mostly other film critics, but occasionally they’ll have actual actors or directors on the show as well – people like Rian Johnson (of Brick and Brothers Bloom fame) and Vincenzo Natali (of Cube and Splice fame). What’s more, they don’t have these guests on to just interview them – they make them participate in the general format of the show – so you get to see what Rian Johnson has been watching that week or what he thinks of various movie news, etc… It’s a really unusual perspective to get on these directors, and it’s stuff you rarely get in an interview. So yeah, if you like movies (and television, which they often discuss in the first segment and after dark shows), this is a must-listen podcast.
- The Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show – No, that’s not a typo, but don’t ask me why he’s repeated his name either. I don’t really get it. But I do really like the show so far. This is the only relatively new show that I listen to, and so far, it’s been great. You may recongnize Rubin from his work at CollegeHumor, such as the great video series, Bleep Bloop and Nerd Alert. In this podcast, he basically interviews someone in each show. So far, we’ve got an interview with Anamanaguchi (a band that uses old Nintendos as an instrument), a discussion of Game of Thrones with another CollegeHumor guy, Jon Gabrus, a completely awesome interview of a guy that runs pizza tours in NY, and an interview with the guy responsible for writing/directing all those porn parodies that have been coming out lately (brilliant). I have to wonder how well he can keep up the quality of his guests and the variety of topics, but so far, so good.
- Rebel FM – Video Game podcasts are weird. They often spend a ton of time talking about new or upcoming games that you can’t play yet, which is kinda annoying. It’s also hard to go back and find an episode where they talked about x or y game (and usually the discussions aren’t that enlightening because they’re just talking about the mechanics of the game). IRebel FM falls into this category a bit, but what sets it apart is their letters section, which isn’t really anything special, but which can be a lot of fun. Somehow, they’ve become known for giving out sagely advice on relationships and other life challenges. It’s just funny to see this sort of thing through the lens of a video game podcast.
- All Beers Considered – I haven’t done a lot of exploring around the beer podcast realm, but I like the Aleheads website, so I tend to listen to these podcasts which generally cover various beer news stories and whatnot. It’s not something I’d recommend to someone who’s not a beer fanatic, but, well, I am a beer fanatic, so I like it.
- Basic Brewing Radio – This seems to be THE homebrewing podcast, and it’s got a massive archive filled with great stuff (at least, I’ve found many episodes to be helpful in my brewing efforts). Some stuff works better than others (really, it’s kinda strange to listen to a beer tasting, especially of homebrew that you’ll never get to try), but there’s lots of good stuff for new brewers in the archives.
- The Adventurenaut Cassettes – There’s no real explaining this podcast. It’s just really weird, disjointed and almost psychadelic. Good when you’re in a certain mood, though.
I really only have 3 or 4 shows that I really look forward to every week, but I’m always looking for more…