10 Podcasts I Can't Stop Listening to Lately!
TV is great and music is fine, but there has always been something I just love about talk radio! I was always an NPR kid, listening to hours of talk shows in the back seat of the car, and I grew up to love listening to audio books, too. There's something about being able to fully invest yourself in someone else's story and listen to them tell it; no creating the visuals in your head to pair with the narratives - podcasts articulate the imagery they're presenting! I love them as a continually developing media style, and I listen to them daily. I have about 30 (I know - it's a lot! 🙈) that I rotate through, depending on which new episodes are out and what time of the year it is. I listen to a wide variety of topics, and love having something on the list for every mood I'm in. Most often, though, I fall back on one of my ten faves and binge the shows I'm most obsessed with. Since I work from home, they're a great background noise option that doesn't interfere with my train of thought too much, but allow me to focus on something other than just work.
Today, I wanted to share with you guys just a few of my favorite podcasts and why, in hopes that you'll enjoy them, too! I've got a broad range of show topics, and I implore you to check them all out - even if just for an episode - and then make your way to the browse bar of the podcasts app and do some exploring of your own! If there's a topic you want to hear more about, I can almost promise you there's a show to fit your needs. Let's listen!
1. Armchair Expert - Dax Shepard
I discovered this podcast on the featured section of the browse page of Apple Podcasts and I'm so glad I am! I already loved Dax Shepard (Where my Without A Paddle fans at?!) and knew I'd love listening to him chat with other celebrities - usually his friends - for about an hour. Only 8 episodes in and Dax has been joined in his attic recording space by heavyweights from his wife Kristen Bell to Ashton Kutcher, Adam Scott and Ellen Degeneres - and I've never gotten bored with an episode. He starts with a few basic questions, but the interviews often end up revealing far more interesting tidbits about Dax's guests and his relationships with them. Check it out here!
2. My Favorite Murder - Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff
I've been listening to this podcast since the every first episode premiered and I was immediately hooked. Led by two sassy, clever, LA-based comedians that I feel like I relate very much to, these podcasts have turned from once weekly, hour long murder recaps to twice weekly releases including an entire episode always dedicated to the reading of fan mail and 'hometown murders' - which I promise is funnier than it sounds. I even saw the MFM girls live for my birthday last year in September in San Diego. They did not disappoint. If you plan to listen, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. Otherwise you're going to miss quite a few inside jokes and a remarkable amount of spot-on commentary on what it's like to live in LA. Listen here!
3. How I Built This - Guy Raz
If you're a wannabe entrepreneur looking for some serious motivation or a hustler looking for tips and tricks from some of the biggest business owners in the world - you've come to the right podcast. Guy Raz is a great host (you may recognize him from several other NPR shows) and he has a pretty diverse range of entrepreneurs from direct backgrounds, fields, and specialties on every show. I plowed through most of the episodes in one long work weekend in San Fransisco and haven't lost interest yet. The show focuses on interviews with the entrepreneurs, bringing up their challenges and how they overcame them to build their businesses, as well as giving advice and solutions to common problems that come up. SO motivating, especially if you've ever dreamed of owning (or currently own!) your own business. Big fan! Check it out here.
4. The Dollop - Dave Anthony + Gareth Reynolds
These guys are just a damn riot! From start to finish, their witty banter and well-done imitations will keep you interested. Each week they come together and discuss a person or event in history, one of which is totally uneducated on the subject they're discussing. They're clever comedians and they play really well off of each other, plus they've now started taking their podcast all over the world to record, and recently spent a few episodes in Australia. I feel like I am doing a disservice trying to explain their hilarity together - go listen and you'll be an instant fan, too!
5. Twenty Thousand Hertz - Dallas Taylor
If you're a sound nerd like me, you spend more time than the average bear paying attention to inconsequential sounds and beeps, wondering why put them there and why. There are constant noises from our technology, cars, and people - and we rarely stop to think about the sounds manufactured right into our land- and living-scapes. This podcast covers them all - in a super interesting, behind the scenes kind-of-way! Dallas explains the sounds being everything from the ding of a starting computer to the lyrics and matching music behind the broadway hit Hamilton. Give it a listen here!
6. Reply All - PJ Vogt + Alex Goldman
This podcasts quickly become one of my favorite and is currently one the podcasts I look forward to listening to each week. The duo breaks down some kind of internet mystery each episode, and started adding the weirdly entertaining 'yes yes no' segment more recently to the ends of their episodes. They explore everything from a deep dive into the Russian passenger who stole and continued to use one of the hosts Uber info to those 'FREE WATCH!' ads you see on social media and where they lead to a bitcoin breakdown. It's a surprisingly interesting, well researched show about the internet and how we use it and I am totally hooked. Find it here!
7. Criminal - Pheobe Judge
Criminal is a unique crime podcast. Instead of rehashing the post popular murders and cold cases ( I love those, too), Criminal focuses more on unique type of crime - something more complex. These are well told stories of people who have done wrong, been wronged or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Each episode blurs from black and white into the gray area of most crimes - where maybe everyone's a little guilty and nobody's totally innocent. This is a smart, shorter podcast - great for 20 minute drives back and forth to the grocery store. The same host just started a second podcast in a very similar format, "This is Love", that I also really enjoy. Listen here, friends!
8. 99% Invisible - Roman Mars
This show has been on for literal years and maybe was one of the first shows doing this whole podcast thing pretty regularly and concisely. I love Roman Mar's voice and energy, and could listen to this podcast all day - except that I've listened to literally EVERY SINGLE EPISODE so now I just wait for new releases weekly. This podcast is based on design in our lives, in the places we've stopped noticing. They explore the power and process of design and architecture, and how in innately affects our lives. Hidden staircases built into downtown LA, the history of the city of Fordlandia, and hero props in movies - they cover topics you didn't know were coverable, and keep them interesting, intriguing, and worthy of chatting about for an hour. Check it out!
9. Every Little Thing- Flora Lichtman
This podcast is kind of just a fun one. Flora is a sweet, endearing host who covers - quite literally - every little thing readers have questions about. Generally science based, ELT is essentially a factual answering service. Each week they take calls from reader and do the actual research to break down and answer what the reader's question was in the first place. Some recent questions asked and answered include 'Do dogs have belly buttons?', "How old is Winnie the Pooh?', and 'What would happen to your body in space?' and while they sounds answerable on your own, I promise it's worth following Flora on the twist and turns she takes to get to her answers. Tune in!
10. Bitch Sesh: A Real Housewives Breakdown - Casey Wilson + Danielle Schneider
I discovered this show on a podcast browse sesh and immediately knew I'b wanna tune in. First - I'm admittedly a total Real Housewives of BH / OC fan. What can I say - I live here! Its fun to watch the women traipse all over cities that I now know pretty well myself. Also - DRAMA! Need I say more?! If you haven't seen the spoof spinoff, Hotwives of Las Vegas (and Orlando!) - make it a priority. Written by Daniele Schneider and starring Casey Wilson, they literally nail the whole Housewives vibe in a very funny, 30 minute show. Which makes them the perfect people to co-host this podcast, where they recap weekly episodes and upcoming Housewives drama and rumors. It's like having an after show in your living room with your two snarkiest gal pals and bottle of wine. They're witty, funny, and make watching the show that much more enjoyable! Find them here.
Hope you guys get some listening inspiration for the next few weeks from this list. I am SUPER excited to start recording for myself and trying to make myself sound half as good as some of these dream teams. I'll keep you guys updated - for now we're calling it the Real Good Podcast, so give us a follow there and stay tuned for updates! Also, would love to hear what podcasts you're loving right now in the comments below so I can give them a listen. I'm always looking for new things to listen to!