Art: Marissa Vafakos

If you’re a couple of days into the new year and already struggling with your resolutions, have we got a solution for you: passive listening! Walking through Central Tunnel, trying to avoid that guy who stands in the middle handing out bibles? Podcast time. In the back room at work trying not to feel your brain cells rot away from boredom? Pop in some earbuds pal. Need to feel like you’re doing something while you’re actually procrastinating? It’s pod o’clock, baby.

Here are some great listens so you can start the year as you mean to finish it: informed, educated, and armed with party discussion points.

1. The Weekly List

It is sometimes easy to forget that we’re basically living in the dystopian future that Back to the Future II predicted, but The Weekly List’s host Amy Siskind is the antidote to that apathy. She’s here to remind us that these new normal things are not so normal at all, and that we shouldn’t accept things at face value. The podcast is very America-centric, but touches on a lot of other important newsworthy stories from around the world, focusing on issues that sometimes get lost in the fast-paced news cycle.

More like this:

Hack: short, topical, Australian stories.

Background Briefing: narrative journalism by the ABC

Big Ideas: Australian-focused, lots of debates

2. I Found This Great Book

Listening to a podcast about reading rather than actually reading may feel counterintuitive, but I Found This Great Book feels like sitting in at the book club you always wish you could join. They highlight books from all different genres, focusing specifically on independent authors and works written by people of colour. If you’ve ever been stumped by what to read, or overwhelmed by the number of choices out there, I Found This Great Book is an amazing place to start.

More like this:

The Allusionist: small adventures in language

3. Bad With Money

Finances are on the top three list of things you’re not supposed to talk about at a dinner party, but Bad With Money is here to fix that. Host Gaby Dunn is open, empathetic, and informative in a way that doesn’t feel condescending. She provides her own unique perspective on money, and encourages listeners to work towards removing the stigma around talking about finances in general, especially the medley of anxieties that surround it.

More like this:

Freakonomics: socioeconomic perspective on finance

More Or Less: breakdown of statistics for the layperson

The post Podcasts to Impress appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

Strangers: ‘Love Hurts’

Broadcast: August 14, 2014

Strangers is about chance encounters and the connections we make with strangers. It’s the brainchild of radio producer Lea Thau, Peabody Award winner and former director of The Moth (another great podcast featuring true stories about people and events).

In this episode, Lea delves into the reasons behind her singledom. After being in a string of long-term relationships since her teens, she is flabbergasted when she finds herself pregnant and alone in her late 30s, and begins to wonder if there is something wrong with her, or with the dating scene itself…

Listening to Lea is like having coffee with your best mate. She’s warm, funny, self-deprecating, and talks about her sex life with cringe-worthy honesty. Committed to the cause, Lea goes as far as interviewing a guy she used to date and bluntly grilling him about why it didn’t work out. It’s raw, real, and pretty educational, albeit disenchanting for us twenty-somethings who think we’ve already found the love of our lives. All in all, not a bad way to spend 45 minutes stuck in traffic.

The Savage Lovecast: ‘No sex for you, anti-vaxxer!’

Broadcast: July 29, 2014

Dan Savage, the man behind The Savage Lovecast, is a gay author, journalist and editor. He’s crude, unapologetic, and likes to talk about sex. A lot. Gay sex, lesbian sex, bisexual sex – you name it, Dan knows EVERYTHING.

Which is where the podcast comes in. The Savage Lovecast is a weekly advice podcast, where listeners call in with their sex questions and Dan, you know, gives advice. But it’s so much more than that. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, ridiculously blunt, and so dirty that it requires an awkward “no-I’m-not-experimenting-with-my-sexuality-it’s-just-for-an-article” conversation with anyone who overhears a snippet while you’re listening in the bath.

In this episode, Dan chats to infectious disease doctor Jonathan Golob about getting down and dirty with an anti-vaxxer (“stop fucking this woman immediately”), consoles a poor dude who is worried about getting HIV from a blowjob gone wrong (“if you’re gonna suck the dicks of randos you meet on Grindr, you might wanna talk to your doctor”), and explains why male gynaecologists are not pervy creeps. I could tell you more, but I know you want to check it out yourself. Just don’t forget your headphones.

Sex with Timaree: “Slut Shaming 2014” or *Boobs and who needs to see them*

Broadcast: July 21, 2014

Sex with Timaree is an ‘edu-tainment’ podcast with Dr. Timaree Schmidt, a pretty cool chick who is super keen on us youngsters getting more educated about human sexuality.

This episode is about slut shaming and why it’s completely stupid. Responding to an article on some nice little Christian mum blog called ‘My Husband Doesn’t Need To See Your Boobs‘, Timaree eloquently and passionately deconstructs the argument that women who post provocative photos on social media are somehow making partners cheat. She’ll have you nodding along the whole way.

The post Podcasts You Can’t Get Enough Of… appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

WTF With Marc Maron

Marc Maron is like that uncle who always dishes out depressing ‘life advice’ at family events, if that uncle were friends with Louis C.K. It’s a depressing kind of funny – though to be honest, his whole belligerent, self-deprecating, nice-guys-finish-last schtick gets a little tiresome at times. Luckily, he mostly makes up for it by having great back and forths with his ridiculously high-calibre comedic guests. At least once an episode, he’ll come out with something so on-point (and brutally honest) that you’ll laugh until you cry. His interview with RuPaul is particularly brilliant, mainly because Marc Maron is about as different from a self-made drag queen megastar as you can get, so he is willing to ask anything and everything.

Check out: Episode 498 with RuPaul Charles is a fantastic and hilarious chat that goes into everything from whether it’s okay to use the word “tranny”, to comparing experiences on hallucinogenics. It has humour, genuine rapport and enough on issues surrounding gender norms to make you think. Marc Maron gets to be funny without veering into the self-indulgent territory he inhabits in some of the other episodes.

Nardwuar The Human Serviette

Music nerds have probably already heard of Nardwuar and his legendary interview style. He usually starts out by asking, “who are you?” before giving the interviewee a very personal ‘present’ and spiralling into a bizarre line of questioning. There is something hilarious and satisfying about hearing musicians and celebrities caught completely off guard. Sometimes it goes well – Drake called it the best interview of his life, as did Ed Sheeran, while David Cross… actually just go listen to it, right now – and sometimes it goes very, very badly (see: Nas). In his recent talk with Mac DeMarco, it almost seemed like the “Human Serviette” met his match for weirdness (“Mac DeMarco, you have only put drum sticks up your arse once.”) You were warned.

Check out: ‘Nardwuar vs. Mikhail Gorbachev’ – this interview takes place in a press conference and is well outside both his normal subject and setting. Still hilarious – he attempts to ask questions in Russian, including of the leaders in the free world, “who has the largest pants?” For something more musical, check out ‘Nardwuar vs. Jay-Z’. The dude is so awkward.

Planet Money

I almost didn’t include this one because it sounds shamefully nerdy, even for me. I first heard it on the TAL[1] episode ‘The Social Contract’, and I’m a little hooked. For someone whose understanding of the financial world could be a lot (a lot)better, this podcast really is both interesting and informative. With titles like ‘The Eddie Murphy Rule’ and ‘The M&M Anomaly’, it makes learning about money, finance and commerce kind of (gasp) fun. Looks like I’m off to buy a suit.

Check out: Episode 288 ‘Manufacturing The Song Of The Summer’, which peeks into RiRi’s fairly epic “music factory”. You will never hear hit songs the same way again. Or, at least now you have some concrete economic evidence that they all sound oddly similar/manufactured.

1. For you non-podcast-listening folk: This American Life

The post Podcasts You Should Have On Your Playlist. Like, Right Now appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

60-Second Earth: ‘Urban Growth Defines This Century’

Broadcast: July 14, 2014

If you’re a true millennial, chances are your free time is pretty scarce. This is where 60-Second Earth comes in handy. Produced by the Scientific American, each episode goes for as long as the name claims: 60 seconds. Each week brings a different report on the environment, science, and the future of energy. With such a time constraint, it might be hard to address the complexities of various environmental issues, but each episode will definitely leave your interest piqued for further investigation.

The episode in question unpacks in a very short amount of time where our planet’s future is headed in terms of urban growth. The connections between infrastructure, greenhouse gas emissions and an ever-increasing population are made clear enough for you to humble-brag to your friends about your newfound scientific knowledge. The statistics too serve as some serious food for thought.

Costing the Earth: ‘Chemical Weapons 100 Years On’

Broadcast: April 29, 2014

Where 60-Second Earth gives quick overviews to reinvigorate our brains after staring too long at blank screens where essays should be, BBC Radio goes in-depth. Hosts Tom Heap and Dr Alice Roberts tour the UK and the world to delve into a different environmental issue each week. There’s a mixed bag of expert interviews, in-the-field reporting and locational sounds that make it more immersive than your average podcast. Thanks to clever editing it never drags on, even at 28 minutes long.

This time, Costing the Earth puts the magnifying glass up against the issue of chemical weapons. There’s a plethora of questions on this topic, the most relevant of which includes, how are we dismantling Syria’s chemical weaponry? Not only do we get the answer, but we get transported to where it happens through on-location reporting. The episode also covers the fate and consequences of old chemical weaponry, as well as the impact of previous use of chemical weapons on cities. Can you ask much more of a podcast? Probably not.

Listen to the episode here, and subscribe the podcast on iTunes, here.

Future Tense: ‘Pump up the Volume’

Broadcast: July 13, 2014

Future Tense is one of ABC Radio National’s offerings, but before you shy away from what you think is maybe your dad’s station of choice, consider this: it’s the design and innovation show you didn’t know you needed. As the world evolves, new needs and predicaments develop, meaning that new technological and social approaches also surface to meet them. The flavour of this podcast might be more urban, but its direction looks forward towards our future.

This episode takes a look (and a listen) at our changing perspectives on noise. Notably, Gen Y might actually be more at home studying in areas with background media noise, given the technological world we’ve grown up in. At least, that’s what I’ll be telling myself when I have Arrested Development on in the background the next time I’m “studying”. But it goes further – noise pollution considerations impact product design, and there are even health implications.

The post Podcasts Guaranteed Not To Waste Your Time appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

The Nerdist: #294 Judd Apatow

Broadcast: December 10, 2012

As a podcast about “what it means to be a nerd”, there is nothing not cool about The Nerdist. Tina Fey was on the show once. She’s cool, right?[1] In fact, Chris Hardwick, who hosts the podcast with comedians Jonah Ray and Matt Mira, pretty much built his media empire (Nerdist Industries) on the whole ‘nerd’ shtick. This genuine enthusiasm and fascination with tech, gaming, the internet, comedy and pop culture comes through in the interviews, and is what makes the podcast enjoyable to listen to.

Basically, each week, Hardwick & Co. hang out with cool famous people (like Tina Fey), sometimes in their homes, and have these warm, wonderful conversations with them. This episode, they chat to film producer/director/writer, Judd Apatow, about his master plan to create a super family/bowling team of actor-besties (think the cast of Freaks and Geeks, Anchorman and Superbad). They discuss other things too, like that time when Apatow was fifteen and pretended to be a reporter so he could talk to his heroes, growing up in a comedy environment, and getting old(er).

Comedy Bang Bang: #240 Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost

Broadcast: August 23, 2013

Comedy Bang Bang is a fun, freewheeling hour of interviews. This one is a bit of an oddball; it’s unexpected, with a lot of improv by host Scott Aukerman, whose line of questioning often chases the sillier side of things.

The best guests are the ones who just roll with the show in all its charming absurdities – and this episode, featuring The World’s End director Edgar Wright and stars, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, doesn’t disappoint. The guys talk about The Cornetto Trilogy (greatest movie trilogy name, ever); small towns, pub-crawls and glory days; James Bond and Wright’s fear of scorpions in sandals.[2]

Additional listening (because, why not?):

Harmontown

Population: Dan Harmon. Okay, so there’s this other guy too.[3] But this is pretty much where Dan Harmon runs his mouth off now – after he got kicked off Community, a show he created that then wanted him back, only to later get cancelled after five seasons (R.I.P.).

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here, or listen to the episodes on Podbay, here.

Little Dum Dum Club


Their site states that they’re “One of Australia’s most popular comedy podcasts!” – which actually isn’t a joke. Heralded as a trailblazer for comedy podcasting in Australia, Little Dum Dum Club is hosted by mates/comedians Tommy Dassalo and Karl Chandler – two guys who (lovingly) insult each other, and shoot the shit with their funny buddies, with previous guests including Wil Anderson, Josh Thomas and Nick Maxwell (of The Sweetest Plum podcast fame; another one for the comedy fans).

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here, and catch up on all there episodes, here.

1. That was a rhetorical question. Although, if you answered “no”, you have failed. What exactly? Only time will tell.

2. When I first heard it, I thought it was scorpions wearing sandals, which is strange and absolutely terrifying. But nope. He meant scorpions in his sandals, I later realised. Still, just as strange and terrifying.

3. Comptroller Jeff Davis (Who’s Line Is It Anyway?)

The post Podcasts That’ll Give You A Chuckle Or Two appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

All the Best: #1345 …Vs The Establishment

Broadcast: 7 December 2013

All the Best is a weekly half hour broadcast of engaging, politically aware audio bliss from the team at FBi radio. Fans of This American Life will recognise the format: a host introduces a theme, we hear docos, interviews and fiction relating to that theme. While All the Best doesn’t have Ira Glass’ rockstar appeal, there’s a rawness and a willingness to take risks that makes All the Best all the better for it.

This episode’s title implies we might hear self-congratulatory stories about the “triumph of nonconformity” (which you can listen here). But to the credit of the show’s producers, there’s no easy gratification. As well as a detailed investigation into the Millers Point public housing eviction, we hear from Sydney lawyer Robin Margo about meeting Steve Biko during his time as an anti-apartheid activist. Steve Biko confronts Margo and the white student protestors and abandons the talks. Biko – founder of the Black Consciousness Movement – would later be tortured and murdered by police, a martyr for the future of South Africa. As a white man Margo recognises that he was part of the problem of institutionalised racism. “A warm man cannot understand a cold man,” he says, it’s a bitter truth but damn it makes for some good audio.

A Rational Fear: #17 Live at Giant Dwarf

Broadcast: 29 April 2014

A Rational Fear is a group of Aussie satirists who took up where the Chaser left off. Hosted by Dan Ilic (Hungry Beast, Can of Worms) the podcast is a semi-regular, live variety show. Comedians riff on the news and each other, occasionally interrupted by a sketch or an interview. It’s fast paced, it’s brutal. It feels nothing like talk radio and is everything good comedy should be.

This episode takes aim at the almost untouchable ANZAC Day, by reimagining VB’s military inspired ads, with slogans like: “alcoholism, the most common mental health problem for Vietnam vets.” James Colley does an amazing bit on ABC-hater Chris Kenny, the man who definitely doesn’t have sex with dogs. Weirdly, for such a funny show, it’s the interview with former Foreign Minister Bob Carr that stands out. Carr’s got a great deadpan and he really gets into the vibe; you can’t even hate him when he dodges questions about offshore processing.

Green Light Boys: #47 Dad Camp – “This Summer, Camp’s Getting Dad-ified”

Broadcast: 4 June 2014

The Green Light Boys are Scott “Dools” Dooley (of Triple J/Nova fame) and Angus Truskett. Every week they spend an hour pitching and casting a terrible direct-to-DVD movie. Apart form the inspired casting choices (Danny Glover plays Donald Glover’s dad) the real attraction is the banter.  These guys shoot the shit like no-one else.

This episode rolls with the boy’s obsession with dads. Following on from ‘DAD2K – the only cure for this virus is family!’ and ‘Bachelor Dad – Three single dads. An orphaned girl. One hell of a reality show!’, ‘Dad Camp’ does not disappoint. Angus calls out pop culture neanderthals, because, “if you haven’t seen Star Wars you’re the kind of person who orders a cheese pizza.” A spade is a spade.

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Longform: #85 Tavi Gevinson

Broadcast: March 26, 2014

Longform.org – not to be confused with, although very similar to Longreads.com – is essentially a directory or reading list of longform pieces. Doesn’t sound like much fun at all, at least on paper (tl;dr, anyone?). But it is! Longform recommends new and classic writing that’s freely available online, and it’s all quality stuff from folks like Wired, New Statesman and The Atlantic.

The Longform podcast is a weekly conversation with a nonfiction writer or editor. This episode features Tavi Gevinson, founder and editor-in-chief of ROOKIE, an online magazine about art, pop culture, music and feminism. In the interview, Tavi talks about how “writing is a little bit like vomiting”, her discovery of Riot Grrrl, and other stuff growing up, such as having a weird bullied-kid complex (like most teens) and being profiled by The New Yorker at thirteen (not like most teens).

The New Yorker Fiction: Gary Shteyngart Reads Lorrie Moore

Broadcast: July 1, 2013

The New Yorker probably needs no introduction, but just in case: it’s a magazine from and about New York (although it has a wide following outside of non-New Yorkers) that publishes clever cartoons, fiction, political commentaries, essays and satires. It’s been home to the likes of Haruki Murakami, Vladimir Nabokov, Alice Munro and J.D. Salinger.

For its monthly fiction podcast, The New Yorker invites a celebrity from the literary world to read and discuss a fiction piece taken from the archives. This episode (which you can listen here, or subscribe to the podcast and download from iTunes here) is my favourite because it features two great writers: Lorrie Moore, who writes sad, funny stories about terminal illness and failing relationships, and Gary Shteyngart[1] (Super Sad True Love Story, Little Failure: A Memoir), who is just a generally awesome guy.

Having blurbed over 150 books, Shteyngart is known as a master blurber. The blurbs are always thoughtful and funny[2] – and he’s turned this into an art form almost, inspiring a Tumblr and a quirky documentary by Jonathan Ames (Bored To Death).

Slate’s Culture Gabfest: Abstract Nouns

Broadcast: December 25, 2013

Slate is a daily online magazine that’s built itself up to be a go-to source for news, culture and tech – pumping out stories fast enough, and with enough wit and insight.  Currently, they have almost 20 podcasts covering a bunch of topics, from sport (Hang Up and Listen) to women’s issues (DoubleX Gabfest) and politics (Political Gabfest).

Slate’s Culture Gabfest is hosted by senior Slaters Stephen Metcalfe, Dana Stephens and Julia Turner. Each week, they discuss cultural moments, such as Her, normcore and iOS7. There’s a real sense of rapport and humour, which keeps the show from becoming what could’ve been just a bunch of self-indulgent intellectuals dissecting everything to death.[3] Unlike regular episodes, “Abstract Nouns” looks at how we communicate and use language. The Slaters talk about “never-use” words (e.g. “compelling”), how “delight” is a delightful verb, and dialectic bagels. There’s also a Noam Chomsky and Michel Foucault anecdote, and a burnt raisin cake analogy in there, too.

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[1] He’s also headlining this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival (yay!)

[2] On Vintage Attraction by Charles Blackstone: “If you like pugs, wine, and Greece, Vintage Attraction is for you. It’s so post-post-modern it’s almost pre-modern. I read it on a stone tablet and loved every word.”

[3] Ethically, you shouldn’t dissect things that are alive. Also, technically, you can’t dissect things to death if they are already dead, but in this sense “to death” means “in the extreme” as in: “I was bored to death.” So semantically, that sentence makes total sense.

The post Podcast That Publication appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

*Interlude* A Short Note From A Sad Adult

This section no longer exists.[1]

99% Invisible: Purple Reign

Broadcast: July 13, 2012

99% Invisible is hard to miss, especially if you’re a design fanatic. This “tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world” is in the top 50 best iTunes podcasts as of January this year, so it’s definitely not invisible when it comes to reaching its audience. The best part: it’s completely funded by its listeners, through a ridiculously successful Kickstarter campaign (over $80 000 raised) and occasionally by their podcast underwriters.

In this episode, we look at a very purple hotel in Illinois, USA, which is so purple, purple-lovers think it’s built just for them. Also, famous Americans like Michael Jordan and Barry Manilow have stayed there. But alas, it’s now run-down and dilapidated after it became associated with drug-fuelled orgies organised by dodgy Chicago politicians, and one time, someone shot a mobster in its parking lot too (no, we’re not making this up). Now, architects believe that they can restore it to its former glory; first by making sure the purple bricks stay in place.

Radiolab: Sperm

Broadcast: December 1, 2008

If curiosity hasn’t killed you already, then prepare yourself for Radiolab, a show about science, philosophy and human experience. Among the more popular shows on the National Public Radio (NPR) network in the US, it’s one for those who just can’t get enough of knowing about things that matter in the world.

Like, sperm. Yep, sperm. In this rollicking adventure through the animal kingdom, the episode candidly discusses flying pig sperm, duck sperm and whippoorwills (whatever they are). We then take a look at the human world, with a discussion about frozen sperm, and whether fatherhood can be preserved for the ages. Definitely one not to miss for the gents, and interested ladies.

Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything: Artifacts (2 of 2)

Broadcast: January 16, 2014

Benjamen Walker isn’t afraid to tackle Einstein for the title of the inventor of the “Theory of Everything”, except he divvies up his time between media theory, art, technology and underground culture. So, not quite physics, but his results can be just as mind-bending.

In this episode, we ponder the idea that photography may quite literally be moments of time that disappear the instant you finish clicking the button. Snapchat is the new way of taking moments in time. Or is it? With the rising popularity of Snapchat, this episode jumps straight into the question of ephemerality versus physical permanence, and as we make the transition from analogue to digital, is there really a need to ‘preserve’? Well, that is, unless you believe all your photography is too embarrassing and deserves to disappear down a time hole.

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[1] The notes were not, as they stated, “short”, and were also much too dark and upsetting, apparently. Apologies for any sadness this may or may not have caused you, but it is probably all for the best.

The post Podcasts That Will Change The Way You See The World appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

*Interlude* A Short Note From A Sad Adult

We all love a good story. We love to tell them because they make dinner conversations a little less dull. (This is a lie. It’s because the alternative is silence, which is awkward, and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable). We also love to hear about the insane incredible things people do because we get to experience them vicariously, without all the, y’know, serious consequences and risks. And, if you’d rather avoid all kinds of tedious social interaction, podcasts are a fun way to pass the time.  

Love + Radio: Jack and Ellen

Broadcast: February 21, 2013

If podcasts were people, Love + Radio would undoubtedly be that too-cool indie kid with an explicit tag. Created by Nick van der Kolk, the podcast features a curious selection of stories you’re unlikely to hear on mainstream radio. From conversations with balloon porn artists to stay-at-home strip club owners who hold their interviewers at gunpoint, Love + Radio is definitely one that’s NSFW. Not to be listened to with your mum.

[SPOILER ALERT] This episode is about Ellen who pretends to be a fifteen-year-old boy called Jack. You’d think taking life advice from a message board called “Bad Ideas” would be, well, bad, right? Well, not for Ellen. Ellen was working as everybody’s beloved Subway sandwich artist, but she still struggled with money. Enter Google, a bad idea and Jack. What she wound up doing is not only illegal, but also morally and ethically questionable – her story is compelling, and the episode won a Best Documentary: Honourable Mention at Third Coast International Audio Festival 2013 (which is like, the Sundance of radio. Third Coast also has its own excellent podcast).

UnFictional: One Moment Changes Everything

Broadcast: November 23, 2013

UnFictional is a half-hour program that brings you captivating real life stories, covering topics as pedestrian as the nice people who live across the street.[1] You’ll enjoy this podcast if you like This American Life (sorry, but c’mon, the comparison was inevitable), but are short on time (read: have a short attention span).

This episode is all about drastic changes. These days Terry and George stick with fishing, and they have plenty of fishy tales. In ‘One Moment Changes Everything,’ we also hear about One Time who went from an existence running from the cops and climbing rooftops, to being a suburban dad, when he got the shock of a lifetime.

The Truth: Eat Cake

Broadcast: February 14, 2012

If you weren’t aware, The Truth is fictional, unlike UnFictional, which is true. Each episode is a short radio play – running 10-15 minutes – but not like the old timey kind that comes to mind. This is more like Tropfest for your ears, and it’s one of the best audio-dramas out there – named iTunes’ Best New Arts Podcast in 2012.

‘Eat Cake’ is one of my all-time favourite episodes, because there’s nothing cuter than the specific plotline of, “When a stranger calls on Valentine’s day.” Every Valentine’s, Elizabeth bakes a cake. Not just any cake, a coconut cake. The phone rings. It’s Brian. Brian is a man who calls strangers, whose names or numbers he picks out of the phone book. Will he murder her, or not? Why (not)?

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[1] ‘The Couple in 303’ is a great episode that will confirm all those paranoid fears that your neighbours are fugitives/murderers/dangerous people in hiding.

The post Podcasts About People Doing Unexpected Things appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

*Interlude* A Short Note From A Sad Adult

Chances are, you will spend more time being alone than being with people, and that’s okay. In fact, it is not unusual for a large portion of your uni life to be spent alone: eating alone, drinking alone, studying alone, and waiting alone on the platform for that inevitably delayed and overcrowded train.

The key is to look busy – and cool – while you’re doing all these solo activities. But it’s hard to concentrate on that strategically bought Penguin classic with all the grumbling from squished, sleep-deprived (and probably sweaty) commuters on public transport. Listening to loud music can only distract you for so long, before one day, when you least suspect it, your eardrums burst.

Podcasts,on the other hand, entertain you with stories that don’t need to be listened to at full volume– they’re compelling enough that you don’t need to pretend to pay attention, and new episodes are sure to keep boredom at bay.

Here are three excellent podcasts to start you on your way to being a bona-fide audio-geek.

This American Life – Episode 504: How I Got Into College

Broadcast: Monday, 9 September 2013

As a podcast about ordinary people doing ordinary things (going to summer camp, babysitting children, trying to get a discount at a store), you’d imagine “ordinary stories” would be a hard sell. This American Life has been around for more than 10 years and is consistently one the top podcasts on iTunes, so obviously, it’s doing something well.

Each episode is framed around a main idea that connects each of the “Acts” (stories). In How I Got Into College, we hear about the misguided intentions and lengths parents would take to get their kids into a good school, plagiarising as punishment for plagiarism (as you do), and Emir Kamenica’s incredible story of how he got in to Harvard, which began with a stolen library book.

The Organist – Episode 10: Thundershirt

Broadcast: Wednesday, 8 January 2014

Produced by the savvy folks at Believer (an arts and culture magazine published by indie publishing powerhouse McSweeney’s), you can bet that this audio venture, The Organist, is brilliant.

Unlike regular episodes – which feature a mix of radio plays, reviews and news stories – this one, the season finale, is a conversation between Lena Dunham and Judy Blume (who sounds like the greatest grandma, ever). The two chat about writing (otherwise known as fictionalising a book to be written about in a school report), feminism (yes, Miley and slut-shaming) and growing up, with Blume providing some wonderful quotes about… erm, the sexy stuff young people did to each other way back then.

When The Organist returns this year, it will be in a weekly (rather than monthly) format – all the more to anticipate and enjoy! Still, the archives are worth raiding. Previous cool friends contributors have included The Julie Ruin frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, Park & Rec’s Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman and Jesse Eisenberg.

Welcome To Night Vale – Episode 1: Pilot

Broadcast: Friday, 15 June 2012

Imagine if Alan Partridge moonlighted as a beat poet, lived in Twin Peaks and read out public service announcements that could’ve been written by Stephen King. Welcome To Night Vale. This is one those podcasts you’ll want to be a part of from the very beginning. It’s absolutely mesmerising. Even the ads that ask you to kindly donate are creative, and every bit as dark as they are delightful and funny, from ransom calls to questionable curses.

Within a relatively short space of two years, Welcome To Night Vale went from obscure niche serial to a show that now rubs shoulders with the players like This American Life and Radiolab (another great radio documentary podcast). Framed as a community radio station in the fictional friendly small desert town of Night Vale, this is the kind of place where hooded figures, seedy government agents, angels and faceless old women who sift through photos of you and your loved ones, come to live. Here, weird is normal, if not oddly endearing.

In the pilot, a new dog park opens. Dogs are not allowed in the dog park. People are not allowed in the dog park. A beautiful scientist named Carlos – with this beautiful hair and his beautiful face – arrives in town (Why here? Why now? What does he want?). Also, don’t give Gatorade to your children. More, to be continued.

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