List Your Fav Downloadable Podcasts

This. I’ve got 35 minutes to work and anywhere from 45-60 minutes going home. I’ve tried so many things along the way, but podcasts are an easy addition to allow me more options on things to listen to. Besides, I feel more productive listening to them than news, comedy stations, the same playlists on streamed radio, or the endless commercials on domestic radio.

Another reason, though I guess it won’t apply to everyone, is that a lot of the best comedy being performed today is in podcast form.

Cars, dude. Also cooking.

Bully for you, I guess?

I’ve tried most of the big ones and my favorite is Player.FM.

You know podcasts have gone mainstream when Bloomberg is writing about podcast fatigue. Personally, I have 774 unplayed podcasts on my phone, dating back to November when I switched from my iPod. But I’ve long since stopped stressing about it. I have a triage system and the ones I don’t listen to during the week of release I either have no interest in listening to, or more rarely are not particularly time sensitive and can be saved for long journeys or trips without internet.

There’s just too much content in general - the perils of a post-industrial society where everyone can be a content creator. There’s curated music lists for me every week on iTunes, there are a couple dozen podcasts to keep up with, there are a dozen “must see TV” shows on Netflix, HBO or Amazon, every month has a new must-play game, there is a bookshelves worth of books to still read, there are must-read magazines m, must read newspapers, must see documentaries, etc… It’s not surprising there’s just no way to keep up. In the modern context the syndicated rerun is dead - not only do you not have enough time to watch some B rated tv show twice, you don’t have enough time to replay, rewatch, reread or relisten to anything twice. We don’t even have enough time to consume them once!

Meet the Composer is starting season 3 in a week. It’s on iTunes or via the website Meet the Composer
It provides interviews with contemporary classical composers with samples their music. Most of the subjects aren’t up themselves, which is refreshing.
I recommend starting with “Caroline Shaw Lives Life Beautifully” Caroline Shaw - she’s delightful and her music is wonderful. If you don’t enjoy that episode then the podcast probably isn’t for you.

Anyone listening to Crimetown? It’s done by two of the guys (maybe THE two guys) behind The Jinx documentary on HBO. Covers the government/mob overlap in 1980s Providence, Rhode Island.

Terrific stuff. They have interviews with lots of the players (cops, mob enforcers), and tell incredible true-to-life stories that are all, on some level, interlinked. There’s mayoral elections, mob hits, burglary crews all presented exceptionally well. It’s great stuff. I hope some period-savvy crime-flick director (CJ Chandor, Andrew Dominik or the like) are optioning, because I’d love to see the movie.

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