Abhimanyu\u2019s picks<\/h3>\n
Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions<\/em><\/a> \u2013 \u2018What will the world look like after COVID-19?\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n As 2020 comes to a close, I\u2019m glad these two decided to do a show together; their on-air chemistry works great. Jones brings to the table an honest curiosity with important questions about the state of affairs on our planet that are on everyone\u2019s mind, and Gates is equal parts knowledgeable and carefully optimistic about what to expect.<\/p>\n The first episode from this show, recorded a few weeks before vaccine programs were announced, has them talking about how the near future will play out, and they rope in NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci to weigh in too. It\u2019s a great conversation that helped put a lot of things in perspective for me, and it\u2019s an easy listen to boot. There are already a few more recent episodes to dig into as well.<\/p>\n Song Exploder<\/em><\/a> \u2013 \u2018Deftones \u2013 Ohms<\/a>,\u2019 \u2018Run the Jewels \u2013 JU$T<\/a>,\u2019 and \u2018Dua Lipa \u2013 Levitating<\/a>\u2018<\/p>\n Hrishi Hirway\u2019s Song Exploder<\/em> podcast (now also a Netflix series<\/a>), which explores the songwriting and arrangement behind some of the most important and influential music on the airwaves has been around for years now. But the format is still fresh and snappy, and each episode delivers just as much insight and delight as ever.<\/p>\n I thoroughly enjoyed three episodes that featured songs from three massive releases of 2020, from alt-metal outfit Deftones, British pop superstar Dua Lipa, and outspoken rap gods Run the Jewels.<\/p>\n As always, Hirway gives the artists plenty of space to share the intricacies behind these standout tracks: how they approached the lyrics, how they found and layered sounds, and how they came to collaborate with other heavy hitters. Plus, you get to hear delicious little details \u2014 isolated from the songs \u2014 that you may not have discovered on your first listen, or your tenth. I\u2019ve selected three episodes for you to check out; there\u2019s plenty more where that came from<\/a>, as Song Exploder is coming up on 200 episodes now.<\/p>\n Uncover Season 1 \u2014 Escaping NXIVM<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Days after NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in federal prison, a friend told me about documentaries she watched about the group, and I listen to this podcast to learn more. I finished it a few days ago, and it\u2019s worth a few hours of time if you\u2019re looking to understand what the deal about NXIVM is.<\/p>\n CBC\u2019s in-depth podcast \u2014 originally launched in 2018 \u2014 paints a picture of the cult from former member Sarah Edmondson\u2019s first-hand experiences, as well as those of several others like her.<\/p>\n The storytelling is gripping from start to finish. It gives you an insight into how the group recruited people, and how some of its beliefs and methods for \u201cself-improvement\u201d were deeply problematic. Plus, it dives into Kieth Raniere\u2019s background, and his life before NXIVM.<\/p>\n You can listen to the 8-part podcast series here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dolly Parton\u2019s America<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019d never been a huge fan of Dolly Parton before this podcast \u2014 don\u2019t get me wrong, I did love her, but this podcast turned me into a rabid mega fan. Hosted by Jad Abumrad, of Radiolab fame, these 9 episodes pick apart a different aspect of the Dollyverse \u2014 from the true origins of the term \u201credneck\u201d to why \u201cJolene\u201d is actually a feminist anthem. And, like the best podcasts do, it winds up being about far more than face value.<\/p>\n My favorite episode is probably \u201cDollitics,\u201d when Abumrad explores how Dolly\u2019s endeavors to remain politically neutral failed \u2014 in part because it\u2019s an increasingly impossible thing to do in general, but also because she\u2019s long been a champion of women, labor rights, and equality for the working class, which doesn\u2019t quite match up with right wing politics.<\/p>\n \u201cDixie Disappearance\u201d is also great, as it looks at the controversy surrounding \u201cDolly Parton\u2019s Dixie Stampede,\u201d which is essentially a Civil War reenactment in Dollywood, her namesake theme park. This episode winds up being a fascinating look into how nostalgia for the south needs to be modernized: \u201cDolly embodies \u2018a quivering mass of irreconcilable contradictions\u2019 in a way very few other American figures do\u2026 but has America arrived at a place where such contradictions are no longer defensible or tolerable?\u201d<\/p>\n The Adam Buxton Podcast<\/em><\/a> \u2013 \u2018Joe Cornish\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s something deeply comforting about burgeoning national treasure Adam Buxton. It\u2019s hard to put a finger on exactly why (his voice? His friendliness? His sense of humour?), but whatever the reason, his show has been a delight throughout lockdown.<\/p>\n But there was one particular episode of the Adam Buxton Podcast that stood out.<\/p>\n A lot of us have lost loved ones in 2020 and, midway through the year, Buxton\u2019s mom died unexpectedly. He released a podcast discussing it shortly afterwards with his long-time friend and collaborator, Joe Cornish.<\/p>\n It\u2019s touching, warm, and funny, an experience that\u2019s joyous and heartbreaking in equal measure. But, once you\u2019re done listening to it, you\u2019re left comfortable in the knowledge that love and friendship will survive all.<\/p>\n Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em><\/a> \u2014 \u2018Crank Length, Achieving Mastery, DOMS and More<\/a>\u2018<\/p>\n With coronavirus-imbued lockdowns imposed upon us this year, I set out on a mission to use my time to get fitter, challenge my own perspectives, learn, and finally listen to some of these damn podcasts that people talk about all the time. As it happens, I managed to push all of those goals together and complete them in one efficient swoop by listening to TrainerRoad\u2019s Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em> podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n TrainerRoad is an app that helps cyclists plan, organize, and execute focused workouts and training plans. It\u2019s kind of like Zwift and Sufferfest, but a lot more serious<\/a>. TrainerRoad\u2019s founders, who are also accredited cycling coaches, host a weekly podcast to share their knowledge on technology, training techniques, and the science behind how to become a faster, fitter cyclist.<\/p>\n Episodes of Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em> have covered topics such as how to recover from hard rides, how to stay motivated, how to choose the right equipment, and nutrition strategies for endurance events. A personal favorite was episode 287<\/a>, where coaches discussed crank length. Cranks are the parts that pedals attach to, the part of the bike that we turn to drive the rear wheel via cogs and a chain.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of \u201cbro\u201d science that suggests longer cranks are better, as they should help us produce more power. \u201cGive me a lever long enough and I can move the earth,\u201d right? Well, that doesn\u2019t appear to be the case for cycling, despite what many think. Let the coaches in TrainerRoad\u2019s podcast dispel the myths and show how running short cranks could be better for everyone.<\/p>\n The Alarmist<\/em><\/a> \u2013 \u2018The McDonald\u2019s Hot Coffee Lawsuit: Who is to Blame?\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n 2020 has been tragic. But what exactly went wrong, and why? I\u2019d just love to have someone to blame, so I can focus my frustration on a specific person, object, or situation. Is bat soup to blame? Are no-maskers to blame? Are we all to blame? The Alarmist<\/em> helped me wrap my head around this. The show\u2019s host, Rebecca Delgado-Smith, along with guest scientists and historians, analyzes in every episode a different disaster, failure, or catastrophe, exposing the culprits and explaining how (and if) the whole big mess could have been avoided.<\/p>\n The Alarmist<\/em> started off back in 2019, but trust me, it sweats 2020 vibes from every pore. And I\u2019m glad I discovered it this year, because it\u2019s so topical it hurts. Don\u2019t expect complaints and whines: Delgado-Smith has the uncanny ability to break down intricate, dreadful, and complex historical events into easily-digestible stories with lots of respectful and politically-correct humor and wit. The topics vary from the Manson family murders, to the break-up of the Beatles, to the Titanic\u2019s tragic sinking and Bill Clinton\u2019s scandal that involved Monica Lewinsky.<\/p>\n I personally loved the episode about the McDonald\u2019s hot coffee lawsuit<\/a>: back in 1994, a woman was driving while holding a McDonald\u2019s coffee cup. She mistakenly (or purposely?) spilled the scalding hot coffee on her legs, and decided to sue the fast food company for her minor burns. She ultimately won millions of dollars and currently lives a happily-ever-after due to her very dumb mistake. Sounds unfair, right? Now, before you go get a third-degree burn, go listen to The Alarmist<\/em> and I can assure you that you\u2019ll change your mind.<\/p>\n LA By Night<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m not exactly a podcast guy, and this isn\u2019t a new show, but 2020 is the year I discovered LA By Night<\/em>.<\/p>\n These days, my lifestyle (read: having a toddler) isn\u2019t very conducive to relaxing with a good book. The only time I have to really indulge in any form of escapism is when I\u2019m doing chores or running errands. And that\u2019s the perfect time for a podcast.<\/p>\n LA By Night<\/em> is pure escapism. It\u2019s a TV show that looks like a Zoom meeting of a group of professional actors playing Vampire: The Masquerade<\/em>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a surreal experience. If you\u2019ve never played Dungeons & Dragons<\/em> or other tabletop roleplaying games, it\u2019s an excellent way to see how it\u2019s done by people who are really good at doing it. But the best part is that it only takes a few minutes to get past the fact that these are actors dressed up to sit at a dinner table and roll dice while describing scenes (it\u2019s called collaborative storytelling). Once you\u2019re immersed, the effect is reminiscent of old-timey radio shows where a cast of characters would react as a narrator weaved a tale of adventure, mystery, or science fiction.<\/p>\n You can get it in podcast form here on Spotify<\/a>. It\u2019s also available on Geek and Sundry\u2019s website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Enough Wicker<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Like Tristan, I don\u2019t listen to a lot of podcasts regularly. But the one podcast I\u2019ve found that\u2019s held my interest enough to check in on it regularly is a curiosity called Enough Wicker<\/em>. Something to know about me: I\u2019m a mega Golden Girls<\/em> fan. My late mother indoctrinated me young, and I could probably recite every episode of all seven seasons line-for-line.<\/p>\n But I\u2019ve never really connected with other Golden Girls<\/em> fans. I know they\u2019re out there \u2014 there\u2019s a whole generation of people who watched the show as young adults, like I did. But it\u2019s not something I ever talked to many people about, besides my mother. However, in the last year, since I\u2019ve been watching the show a lot more (thank goodness for Hulu and reruns), I\u2019ve wanted to talk to more people about it and hear what other people love about it. To that end I\u2019ve been joining some Golden Girls<\/em> fan groups, watching YouTube episodes, and yes, listening to podcasts.<\/p>\n The hosts of Enough Wicker<\/em>, Lauren and Sarah, discuss each episode in detail. At the time of writing, they\u2019re partway through season two. And I\u2019ll say this for Lauren and Sarah: they know their stuff. They talk about everything from film-making techniques and literary devices in each episode, to commenting on tiny details even I\u2019ve never noticed before.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just a great listen if this show was as much a part of your life as it was for me (and Lauren and Sarah, clearly). Oh, and this podcast was partially the inspiration behind the \u201cStay Golden Sunday\u201d Golden Girls<\/em> recaps I\u2019m now writing on my own blog<\/a> if you want to check it out.<\/p>\n The Blindboy Podcast<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I discovered my favourite podcast of 2020 on a road trip that provided a brief respite from this hell year. My fellow traveler turned on the car radio and from the speakers emerged the soothing Irish tones of a man known as Blindboy Boatclub explaining his friendship with an otter.<\/p>\n Blindboy rose to fame in his home country as a member of the Rubberbandits, a comedy hip-hop duo best-known for the song \u2018Horse Outside\u2019 and wearing plastic bags on their heads. He\u2019s now also one of Ireland\u2019s most popular podcasters.<\/p>\n Soundtracked by his own ambient musical compositions, Blindboy delves into an eclectic range of topics, from psychology to folklore, and interviews the likes of Spike Lee and Roddy Doyle.<\/p>\n My favorite episodes cover the political power of art. I particularly recommend his pontifications on avant garde participatory art as a device of social change and the CIA\u2019s covert funding of abstract expressionism.<\/p>\n The podcast does take some patience and not every hot take hits the spot. But at his best, Blindboy\u2019s mix of entertainment and education makes for great craic.<\/p>\n The Adventure Zone<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Normally, I go for deep historical podcasts on war, famine, political intrigue, or world-shaping events. I basically just want to cram as much knowledge into my brain with as minimal effort as possible.<\/p>\n But like most people, I\u2019ve given up on reality this year \u2014 so I turned to The Adventure Zone<\/em>. I\u2019ve never been able to get into scripted fictional podcasts, but The Adventure Zone manages to hit the sweet spot of scripted and improvised goofing around.<\/p>\n The basic premise of the show is that three brothers and their dad play Dungeons & Dragons<\/em> together, and\u2026 well, that\u2019s it. They just play cool campaigns, make jokes, and have fun. The great thing about it is that you don\u2019t have to know anything about playing D&D<\/em> to listen to it, as they\u2019re mostly focusing on making it an entertaining story for listeners.<\/p>\n They started the series way back in 2014, so there\u2019s a huge backlog you can sink your ear teeth into (yeah, that\u2019s a phrase). So I encourage you to get away from the horrible realities of this world and transport yourself to fantasyland \u2014 it\u2019s the healthy way to cope.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re hankering for more, check out our previous lists from 2019<\/a> and 2018<\/a>. Most of those are still great listens!<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Bill-Gates-and-Rashida-Jones-podcast.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Song-Exploder.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nIvan\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Uncover-escaping-nxivm-podcast.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nGeorgina\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Dolly-Partons-America.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nCallum\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/ADAM-BUXTON-PODCAST-NUMBER-126-TITLE-IMAGE.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nMatthew\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/TrainerRoad.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nFlavia\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/The-Alarmist-podcast.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nTristan\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Vampire-LA-by-Night-podcast.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nRachel\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Enough-Wicker-podcast.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nThomas\u2019 pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Blindboy-podcast.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\nM\u00e1r\u2019s pick<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/Taz_Graduation_Cover-400x400.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n