Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-adventure-podcast/id1446862825

^^ have been digging this one recently (not to be confused with an American show of the same name). It can really take one's mind away from the nonsense of life these days. it supports Daniel's point that there's now a show for every possible interest.

Wow, this is some news here
Main subject of the “Caliphate” podcast allegedy made all that Isis executioner stuff up

This is stunning news. Will the @nytimes retract Caliphate given that one of its main subjects has been arrested for making up the story? https://t.co/dlbHVK2y3Q

— Laila Al-Arian (@LailaAlarian) September 25, 2020

They danced around whether he was full of shit towards the end of the podcast and were like “I guess we’ll never know”

Which is not a great device at the best of times but even more so now that you’ve devoted a whole series to a liar

Episode 19 is up! Denethor, Boromir, Faramir, we had things to say...

https://www.megaphonic.fm/bythebywater/19

shameless self promotion alert!

i am v involved in this (though i do not appear in it).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08vxrgx

dark comedy horror sleep aid satire... er something something. the guy who makes Scarfolk did the artwork. listen and share! i want to prove to my bosses that there’s an appetite for something different.

And By-the-Bywater hits our 20th episode:

https://www.megaphonic.fm/bythebywater/20

Fellow podcast addicts, what is your Patreon, uh, strategy?

1) ignore it entirely
2) ignore it, while feeling aggravated that podcasters don't stop going on about it
3) ignore it, feeling guilty that you're not supporting any/enough
4) support a handful and are happy with your contribution
5) You are starting to rack up quite a few and anxious about the cost
6) Support them all and have to eat soil to get by

I'm a bit of 2&3 with a smidgen of 4.

No one I listen to goes on about it, I subscribe if I want the bonus episodes, if not I don't think about it?

subscribe if I want the bonus episodes and no one has set up a Black Wolf Feed to pirate them*

i was on 4, now i’m on 1. but any podcast that spends more than like 2 minutes on “business” at the beginning of each episode gets an unsubscribe from me

you know you can skip it right? some people enjoy finding ways to get paid for their work

you can get it out of the way quicker. don’t talk about your upcoming atlanta show for like 5 minutes. fuxk’s sake. get to the good stuff. i swear one day there’s going to be an entire podcast that’s just housekeeping, 100% of every episode.

I don't mind podcasters talking about their patreon, it's good to get paid for the work you've done. I am poor so I don't support any, but my boyfriend supports one we're both very into.

While we're on this, does anyone know the etiquette of subscribing to a patreon for a month or two and then cancelling? Is that extremely poor form? I really want to get a piece of merch that's only available to a level of subscribers, but can't afford the monthly subscription. I mean, I'm basically paying money in order to be allowed to pay them some more money, so it can't be that bad if I cancel straight after, right?

it’s totally fine. so few people sign up that any support is very welcome.

you're supporting them so I wouldn't feel any compunction if I were you, especially if it is in light of financial considerations

Phew. At least now when I'm up all night shaking with guilt I can console myself that not everyone thinks I'm terrible.

Oh yeah, and Tracer, I've not got round to your podcast yet - the vibe seems my sort of thing but I have to be in a specific mood for comedy stuff and I'm just not feeling comedic at all atm. I will definitely check it out soon, though.

haha it is totally the opposite of what all our audience research says most people want right now. instant of upbeat chat, it’s dark fiction. instead of mainstream wind-down companionship it’s satirical horror. and it’s not like there’s any shortage of actual horror right now..

but scripted podcasts take like a year to make! we weren’t planning on this

I prefer a 'donate' button route but most podcasts encourage a subscription model, which is a different order of commitment given finances and time. I hadn't considered subscribing and unsubscribing.

xp

If it's more dark than silly then I might go for it sooner. One thing that made me not a huge Scarfolk fan is that I felt it would often go for an overly silly take rather than stay as a vaguely believable alternate world. I've also listened to pretty much every horror podcast available so I will need more!

well it’s sketch-based so if you don’t like one you might like the next.. though an overarching story does start to reveal itself. will be very interested to hear your opinion as an audio horror aficionado!

not all podcasts have a direct donation option, which is unfortunate because i dont really approve of patreon as a business or giving them a cut every month

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-11-09/wondery-podcast-industry-spotify-fifa-investigation-hernan-lopez

The era of Big Podcast is upon us (but one of the leaders might go to prison)

yeh it's been weird how many podcasts I listen to have suddenly become "a proud member" of this or that "network" over the last year or so

Listened to the first two episodes of The Sink now - I like it so far. I did get distracted at first by trying to place the voice (it's Liz from Darkplace!) and initially did think it was a little too much of a comedy for me (I wouldn't say light or silly but more "definitely a comedy with horror elements rather than a dark world that's also amusing"). However, by the second episode I was getting much more into it, the world was coming together nicely and with it a creeping sense that something bigger was approaching - it gave the whole thing a bit of momentum, which makes me want to hear where it's going to go.

:D Awesome. New episode tomorrow!

Yes there are some bits i like more than others.. and there's a certain style of British comedy acting that is very hard to beat out of people but we gave it our best shot!

I'm still gently bemused our little podcast has found its steady audience -- still growing, we just heard from a South African listener the other day who loved what we'd done. Good to know it connects! And making 20 episodes now is a good solid run.

Yeah, Ned, you guys are doing great! I haven’t listened to all the episodes, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the ones I have caught. I especially liked the recent Boromir, Faramir and Denethor ep.

i am behind but i loved the Tom Bombadil ep

I just saw (very belatedly) that Adam Scott and Scott Auckerman have been, post REM and U2, running down the Talking Heads, but when I went to stock up on episodes I was initially confused, as after U2 they switch to "R U Talkin' RHCP to Me" or something, but only for a couple of episodes. I did some looking into it, and apparently they did start on the Chili Peppers and made it maybe two and a half unenthusiastic albums/episodes, then more or less stopped, talked about how much they were not enjoying the RHCP run down, and on the fly said "we should be talking about the Talking Heads instead," and then basically started over mid-episode. Which is what I imagine anyone would do if faced with the prospect of listening to the entire Chili Peppers catalog in chronological order, knowing the music would simultaneously bet better *and* worse but definitely end up with a prolonged stay on the shitty side of the scale. Couple of good guests coming up, like Jerry Harrison and Ezra Koenig.

In other Earwolf world news, How Did This Get Made? just released the "Cats" episode.

for some reason all i listen to now is back episodes of blank check with griffin and david

talked about how much they were not enjoying the RHCP run down, and on the fly said "we should be talking about the Talking Heads instead," and then basically started over mid-episode.

dunno if i'll ever actually listen to this, but thats honestly hilarious

they were already selling merch for the RHCP show on Earwolf

one running gag was that George Harrison was a member of TH and when Jerry Harrison came on the show he played along

i am still scarred from that REM podcast, like, I can't even watch Parks and Rec anymore

And our latest is up -- in time for the holidays!

https://www.megaphonic.fm/bythebywater/21

when Jerry Harrison came on the show he played along

it's extra hilarious that Ezra Koening couldn't bring himself to refer to "Chris Fartz" and "Mr Burns," but Jerry Harrison happily talked about how proud he felt to have been in the Beatles, the Modern Lovers, and the Traveling Wilburys.

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/18/944594193/new-york-times-retracts-hit-podcast-series-caliphate-on-isis-executioner

Yeah. "Nice" to see the podcast directly stirred up sentiment against reintegrating ISIS members as well!

It was a very weird podcast to listen to because the subject seemed dishonest

My wife asked me if I had heard the Lost Tapes (?) KCRW music podcast on "1980," so I gave it a shot and ... man, it could not have been less interesting or illuminating about its subjects. I heard the Stevie Wonder one, the Joy Division one, a few minutes of the Minnie Riperton one, and I had so much trouble paying attention. Dullsville, imo.

Same, I think that’s where I bailed too. Just completely uninteresting and un-illuminating.

Good music podcasts are tough. I just added Critical Listening (artists discuss their three most important albums)
, it’s good but the composers and experimental artists are mostly people I’ve not heard of.

The previous series to 1980 was better, curated by Jessica Hopper IIRC

I can't think of any favorite music podcasts off the top of my head, but given how many in depth essays I've seen, read or enjoyed about all sorts of music stuff, I can't imagine it would be that much harder to do a podcast, not least because you can actually incorporate the music. Like the first (only?) season of Cocaine and Rhinestones, that was great stuff. There must be countless others, just as there are a million good movie podcasts, I just haven't felt the need to seek them out.

But yeah, this 1980 one sucked.

I have Hanging Out With Audiophiles (Jamie Lidell interviews musicians/engineers/producers)
The Trap Set w/ Joe Wong (interviews musicians)
And Introducing (Chris Wade & Molly go over an artist's career usually using their memoir as a source, with a guest into that artist - quality varies greatly)
Mike Watt's radio show feed

Trap Set is really great

the Prince Paul podcast What Had Happened Was is great fun, PP is v funny with some great stories
the Joy Division/New Order podcast Transmissions is ok, has all new interviews with everyone but glosses over a lot of stuff (e.g. completely ignores that the RCA album sessions happened) and the presenter sounds like she's hosting a show for children, v mismatched imo

The Good Old Grateful Deadcast is excellent. I am a GD nerd and generally scoff at any official production from what’s left of the band’s business arm but this is great. Tons of trivia and side trips and content that I never knew existed. The episodes so far use the two 1970 albums as jumping-off points. Not sure if they are planning to go beyond those albums.

loved What Had Happened Was, Paul is just such a genial nerd and enthusiastic conversationalist, and host Mike Eagle usually struck the right balance of nerd/fan and guide to push him to more anecdotes.

Chris Molanphy's Hit Parade on Slate is good if you're interested enough in the month's subject to listen - the recent two-parter on Jim Steinman was fun.

("good" ie as good as a radio programme when radio stations paid people who knew stuff about music.) ((eg that one works with no original research, but say What Had Happened Was could have been 3x better with resources to interview other ppl from Paul's career war stories))