I spend a lot of time with my headphones on. While going on a walk with the dog, jogging, or even doing grocery shopping. In the car, I’m usually heading down the road with the windows down, my speakers with sound pouring out. Unlike a lot of people, that sound is becoming increasingly rarely music. I have become an avid podcast listener.
I want to take some time to talk about the reasons why I love them and which feeds are my favorite. I’d also love to hear about other podcast recommendations from you guys. Or just what you think of the ones I list here. I’ll be talking about a variety of categories, but the ones I listen to tend to fall in one of three main spaces; religion, sports, or storytelling. In the future, this hobby is something I look to actively participate in and not just be a listener. I use Downcast as my podcast downloader of choice.
I have found myself being more comfortable with my own innate desire to learn as I’ve grown older. When I was a youth, I treated intelligence as a burden. Now, one of my favorite things is to have my mind opened to a new perspective through the medium of podcasts. I don’t really use my television for much other than movies anymore, but I still like to know what’s going on in the world of professional athletics, so being caught up while driving to and from work really makes things easy for me. The satisfaction of a story well told is something that I’m a big fan of. All of these are reasons why I am constantly searching for new feeds to subscribe to. Most of these are radio shows that are released as a downloadable feed.
Here is a list of a few of my favorite subscriptions and what I like about them. They are in no particular order.
- RadioLab – This is possibly the best edited podcast out there. Its two man crew of Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich have great chemistry together and their studio segments are woven together beautifully with in person and phone interviews with people with knowledge to share or a story to tell. The episodes deal with things of a scientific nature but with a very human element to the story. It’s captivating stuff.
- SVP and Russillo – This is a collection of the best hour or so of the Monday through Friday radio show on ESPN Radio. The guys are funny and introspective and don’t have a problem disagreeing with the rest of the crowd.
- Snap Judgement- A collection of stories centering on a single general idea. Glynn Washington leads the listeners into the right mindset and gives a glimpse of his own story. Narrators often give a piece of themselves, stories enrapture the listener and take them for a ride.
- The Starters – The artists formerly known as The Basketball Jones took their flock of NBA loving fans on an audio ride with them from Canada to Atlanta to take their popular episodic content from an ears only experience to their own television show on NBA TV. While the show isn’t quite the same experience for long time listeners, the show is still a fun experience with stats and silliness.
- A Way with Words – A podcast about the English language, how it evolves, and and how we use it. Grant and Martha are probably the most pleasant way to find out you’re using a word incorrectly. Callers into the show call about bets and arguments with friends, family, and coworkers about who is correct when it comes to a word or phrase being used properly. They also take calls about the origins of some of the slang we use. Word nerds should subscribe now.
- TED Radio Hour Podcast – TED talks are held taking hold of a new way of thinking on a subject and crowds gather to listen and discuss. Hosted by Guy Raz, a talk or two is narrated and interviews are interjected to allow for a greater look into the ideas shared.
- Good Job, Brain – Karen takes her friends Colin, Dana, and Chris into the week’s topic in this offbeat trivia and quiz podcast. The hosts/contestants have fun exploring a new concept each week and learning new bits of trivia and general knowledge. They compete in local pub quizzes and this would be a great prep if you’re looking to do the same thing or even just get a little better at Trivial Pursuit.
- The Relevant Podcast – Okay, so maybe I didn’t order the rest of these. But I certainly saved the best for last. Fridays are something I look forward to with a little extra excitement since coming across this gem. Cameron Strang leads the current lineup of Eddie, Jesse, Chad, Joy, and Shauna. There are other part time contributors and loads of past personalities. Nearly every week they have an interview with an upcoming music act, theologian, or world changer. They tackle tough subjects on current events and what it means to be a person of faith. There’s usually a musical guest, sometimes even with a live recorded studio session. Quirky internet stories are brought to us in the ‘Slices’ section. Oh, and did I mention the looks I get as I cry-laugh listening to this? It’s seriously the funniest hour plus of my week. This is by far my favorite podcast.
These are my favorites, but only a few of the podcasts I listen to. Comment below on what you think of my list. Linked below are pages for them. Try them out and then let me know your list.
RadioLab
SVP and Russillo
Snap Judgement
The Starters
A Way with Words
TED Radio Podcast
Good Job, Brain
Relevant Podcast
Generally Trivial 