As a lover of podcasts and a creator of her own (Sweet Dreams are Made of These) It seems like there are new podcasts springing up left and right every week. It's hard to know what to listen to. So whether you have never listened to podcasts before of if you are a standard This American Life and RadioLab listener and want to hear something new, here is a list of podcasts you may want to check out.
The Dinner Party Download
The Dinner Party Download has a very clever proposed mission: to win you or prepare you for your next dinner party. Full of interesting trivia, food news, etiquette lessons, and awesome interviews with artists -- this is the perfect scoop of weekly culture. The show is the self-ascribed arts and leisure section of public radio. http://www.dinnerpartydownload.org/
Audio Smut
Here is a podcast deals with a subject we are all curious about: sex. While some of their stories will make you blush (DO NOT listen to this with your family in the car unless you all are very open with each other), others will bring you to tears. This show attempts to portray sexuality as the diverse and complex thing it is -- it is beautiful and thought-provoking. http://audiosmut.ca/
Re:Sound
This podcast is really difficult to define. It's a so-called "remix" of music, documentaries, and found sound. The coolest part of this podcast is the use of sound and how it's edited -- it's rich and transports you. You hear people at a dinner table, the private tapes of a poet and her psychologist, the sound of London's streets from the bike of a courier -- it's an immerse storytelling and random experience. http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/library/collections/2-re-sound
Unfictional
If you're a fan of This American Life, then chances are you'll also dig Unfictional. It's a mix of solid storytelling and audio documentary about unique experiences. Since the show is produced by KCRW, a public radio station out of Santa Monica CA, many of the stories are related to the weird things that happen in the entertainment industry -- and trust me, it gets weird. http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/uf
The Treatment
The Treatment looks in depth at the work of some of the most important directors and actors of today. It is hosted by Elvis Mitchell who full on geeks out with his guests. Because Mitchell goes so in depth and asks more interesting and abstract questions, the guests really open up and you feel like you're getting a look inside their brain. Most recently I heard his interviews with Leonardo DiCaprio and Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key & Peele) -- both made me think about their work totally differently. http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tt
360 Studio
Studio 360 is another great podcast for the pop culture nerd. I particularly like their American Icon series that looks in depth at American classics like Malcolm X's autobiography, The Wizard of Oz, or my personal favorite episode, Disneyland Parks. Good mix of history and analysis for those who are curious. http://www.studio360.org/