Podcast discovery is not a straight line
music detective, early birds, sauces, paranormal podcasters, Tig Notaro, DIY haircuts, Joshua Malina.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed in my podcast discovery habits it’s that they’re random and sometimes go against typical trends. There have been times that I’ve mentioned discovering a podcast because of a tweet I came across. That’s right, sometimes your social media posts do work, but social media is not usually seen as a place you’ll gain new listeners from. Most of the time people are scrolling social media and not in the mindset to open their podcast app when they see a post about a podcast. I’m way too curious for that to be true. I will always want to learn more about the podcast, especially if the post has used a universal link so I’m not forced to open a specific app (I love pod.link).
This is all a roundabout way of saying I love stumbling upon podcasts in unexpected places and at unexpected times. Social media fits both of those categories, but there are also the more predictable ways. Like in podcast apps and newsletters. The only difference there is the variety I like to look through. It’s never just one app or one newsletter.
How do I discover new podcasts to listen to?
Browsing through multiple listening apps
Some of the trending shows might be the same in each app, but the lists will vary
Sometimes Spotify actually gives me good suggestions on the homepage based on my previous listening
Other newsletters (obviously!)
Lurking social media
This week’s podstack
Switched on Pop - Who killed the key change in pop music?
This has to be the funniest thing I listened to this week. I was laughing out loud throughout the entire episode! In order to determine why key changes have disappeared from modern pop music, Joe Treble, forensic musicologist, is hired to crack the case. Joe is like a musical detective and interrogates suspects like digital audio workspaces (the programs used to produce music), to determine what really happened to key changes. It’s such an entertaining way to analyze this trend in music and I so appreciate the commitment to the bit. I swear Joe Treble sounds like he could be Will Arnett’s character in Murderville and the cliche crime lingo mixed with music puns are PERFECTION.
Bodies excels at having honest, thoughtful, and informative conversations about our bodies. It’s not superficial and it often challenges the ways we’ve thought about, felt about, and been taught about our bodies. In this episode, they’re talking to girls who are ‘early birds’, which means they hit puberty earlier than most girls do. This is becoming more and more common, but that isn’t making it any easier for the girls experiencing it. Hearing from these girls who are in fourth and fifth grade about how they’ve noticed their bodies changing, the ways they talk to their friends about it, and what it’s like to be the first one experiencing changes among their friends made my heartache for them. It’s a reminder of how difficult that time of life is and how important it is to have good support and resources. (transcript)
Meat and Three - Lost in the Sauce
After listening to Dan Pashman and Jamie Loftus talk about hot dogs and opinions on toppings, this episode about condiments and sauces felt like the perfect compliment. Through discussions about hot sauce, Dijon mustard, and McDonald’s notorious Szechuan sauce, we learn how they all gained popularity, their histories, and how some are being impacted by climate change. I wasn’t expecting climate to be such a factor in the episode, but you can’t escape the fact that it’s affecting crops and availability. I loved hearing about the preferences for using these sauces, with Dijon mustard being the most surprising! I had no idea that so much of its supply relies on crops in Canada and how popular it is in France. The episode concludes with some strong thoughts about tomato sauce and suggestions for better alternatives to serve with your pasta.
Jim Harold’s Campfire - Haunted Podcasters
Imagine you got a bunch of podcasters gathered around a campfire telling spooky stories… I’d be there with s’mores supplies and ready to get lost in their tales! Although, this episode doesn’t come with s’mores or a campfire gathering, it’s still such a fun listen. Jim speaks with podcasters from across the industry about the paranormal, unsettling, and sometimes unexplainable experiences they’ve had in their lives. Get ready for stories from Good Sport’s Jody Avirgan, Parenting is a Joke’s Ophira Eisenberg, Midnight Burger’s Joe Fisher, American Hysteria’s Chelsey Weber-Smith, and more!
Parenting is a Joke - Tig Notaro: Go Sit By The Front Door
Speaking of Ophira Eisenberg and Parenting is a Joke, her interview with comedian Tig Notaro is just as entertaining as you’d expect it to be. I’ve listened to a lot of interviews Tig has done and she’s never shied away from talking about the ups and downs of her life, like loss and health issues, but I never knew that much about her thoughts on parenting. She talks about how she had always envisioned herself as a mother, with that vision mostly consisting of her raising a kid on her own while touring as a comedian. Ophira and Tig bond over competitive parents, raising kids in NYC vs LA, and you hear all kinds of funny recollections of conversations between parents and their kids.
What’s In - Bangs or Bust: DIY Haircuts
If you’ve ever felt tempted to cut your own hair, listen to this episode first!! Host Danielle Frank is joined by Jackie Chan, the stylist who trained her, to reveal the need-to-know do’s and don’ts if you’re going to cut your own hair. Their friendship and dynamic makes the conversation so much more fun than just reviewing techniques. They go over a lot of technical and specific things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of cutting your own hair, especially if it’s because you saw a video of someone doing it to themselves. The videos don’t always tell you the full story about how that little hair trim will impact your specific hair and shape, but Danielle and Jackie can help you better understand! When I was introduced to this show, the part that caught my attention was Danielle’s ability to analyze beauty trends on a deeper level. It’s not just about what’s trendy and trending, it’s about why and how those trends impact everyone.
Unorthodox officially welcomed their new host this week - actor Joshua Malina! This episode is a great introduction to Joshua and how easily he fits in with the existing dynamic between hosts Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz. He tells the story of giving Aaron Sorkin the Heimlich maneuver and his thoughts on reading reviews of his work. I wasn’t familiar with the show before hearing the news of the new co-host, but I heard the show referenced as really great company during the early days of the pandemic and I get it! That’s what attracted me to it, too! If you like having a show to turn to for fun banter between hosts and easy to listen to no matter what you’re doing, this one fits the bill. This episode also features an interview with the executive producer of the Netflix show Jewish Matchmaking, which includes a lot of interesting background stories about creating the show, the dating trends they noticed while making it, and how it’s being received so far.
More sweet treats
Trying to understand Canada’s Bill C-11 and what it means for streamers, social media and podcasters.
The Barbie movie looks like a blast!
The season finale of Ted Lasso is next week and I’m not ready. (no link, just a fact)
Thank you for reading! If you listened to something this week that made your heart sing, your imagination wander, or your brain ponder, I’d love to hear about it!
OBSESSED.