What podcasts are people listening to?

[Sherbert]

Two Tuesdays ago I was talking to Brad Joey and Kevin about different podcasts and there were so many that I could not remember hardly any of them and thought it might be a good idea to have a place for people to post new or old podcasts that they enjoy, kind of like the Hey Joey thread.

Ill start out. I mostly listen to history podcasts and have been burning through a lot at work.

History on Fire- this is my favorite as the guy has a great Italian accent and is also a history professor. He is very entertaining and covers a broad series of topics.

The History of England Podcast- this guy runs his podcast much like the History of Rome podcast, except its for England. He does  great job at telling history while throwing in a bunch of British style humor.

History of Rome Podcast- This is one of the earliest history podcasts and spans the entire Ancient Roman past. 

History of Byzantium Podcast- This guys takes off where Mike Duncan of the History of Rome Podcast left off. He has covered about 500 years of Byzantine history and has become one of the best history podcasters out there.

History of Islam Podcast- Just started listening to this and its pretty good. The host speaks and reads Arabic giving him access to texts other might not have.

The Great War Podcast- A solid podcast on the first world war. He is up to the battle of the Somme.

Thats it for now. post any and all podcasts that you think people might enjoy.

[Gailbraithe]

I've been making my way through the X-Files Files.  It's hosted by comedian Kumail Nanjiani, he has a different guest every episode, they discuss two episodes of the X-Files. Kumail does a lot of research for most episodes and brings up a lot of trivia, finds usenet posts from the week the episodes first aired, neat stuff like that.  His guests are mostly other comedians, but also some actors, directors and screenwriters. He has several interviews with Darrin Morgan, who wrote some of the best X-Files episodes.  Basically if you like the X-Files its interesting.

[Fix]

I listen mostly to political news and media criticism shows, but I like:

Radiolab - science and philosophy reporting.

On the Media - Media criticism of current events.

Pod Save America - the relaunch of Keeping it 1600 - lefty political news from some ex-Obama staffers.

Intelligence Squared - a genuine debate show with two teams that debate national issues before an audience that then votes for a winner.

Bombshell - a few State Department/diplomatic corps economist women discuss national issues while getting increasingly drunk on bourbon.

Slate's Political Gabfest - It's slate, but it's got John Dickerson, who I trust.

Whistlestop - one of Dickerson's other podcasts, wherein he puts modern news into an American historical context.

The Weeds - seriously grognard in-depth technical conversations about national policies and law.

No Agenda - More of a fringe right news/media criticism show.  Very zoo radio, but impressively produced on the fly.

Uhh Yeah Dude - great comedy podcast from a couple of dudes that basically just scour the internet and USA Today and riff on it.  They're doing a live show in Seattle in a couple weeks.  I think both Kevin and Joey are going.  Wish I could.  If you want a show that can roll from a touching tribute to the death of one's grandmother and the regret about not being a better grandson directly into "so what do you know about neanderthal pornography?" this is a show for you.

[smashthedean]

I very rarely listen to podcasts, but when I do the ones I try to keep up on the most are our very own Skill & Bones Radio and The Real Middle Ages. Along with these, the other one I try to keep current with (and am currently only about 3 months behind...) is:

Jay & Miles Xplain the X-Men: Weekly podcast where a couple from Portland who work in the comics industry go through every X-Men comic and dive deep into continuity starting with Silver Age stuff from the 60s and are now at the beginning of the 90s after 160 episodes, having branched out to cover New Mutants, X-Factor, and Excalibur with special non-continuity stuff and interviews with X-related comics folks along the way. Super entertaining, great information, and also lots of great analysis of the highlights/shortcomings of the older eras from feminist/representationally aware points of view.

I also have occasionally listened to a few episodes of:

The Kaiju-Cast: Focused on Godzilla and other kaiju with lots of good news and information, kaiju movie reviews, and kaiju-related music.

Intensify Forward Firepower: Star Wars Armada podcast by a group of dudes. Good analysis of tactics, new releases, and some tournament battle recaps. Some of the opinions should be taken with a grain of salt...

Scum & Villainy: It's been a while since I've listened, but this used to be the premier X-Wing podcast. If they're still running it, they did pretty much what the above guys did, but for X-Wing.

 

[sergentzimm]

Joe Rogan for the random weird guests. I skip the mma stuff but great show. Last few weeks hits lsd and scientology.

Your moms house for ridiculous internet humor. Pretty juvenile but funny.

Current geek weekly tech show by Scott Johnson of Warcraft podcast fame

Tauren Think tank about problems and issues being a gamer. started wow focused but more general help in life now

 

[Wiccus]

I will echo both Joe Rogan experience, history on fire and Uhh Yeah Dude. Love them all dearly with UYD being something I basically never miss.

Waking up with Sam Harris: Sam is a neuroscientist that always has a guest on to discuss things ranging from psychology to A.I. to religion to politics and everything in between.

Common Sense with Dan Carlin: Hearing political perspectives from the self proclaimed "political Martian"

Hardcore History with Dan Carlin: Same dude but with engaging views on history.

Maya cast: couple dweebs talk about all things related to the infinity tabletop game

Game Design Round table: A board game designer and a video game designer have guests on and discuss how to develop games and what makes them good or not.

[sounder]

Maya Cast: Mostly their sweet infinity lore episodes

Remote Presence: Nerds talk about infinity and its growing tournament scene

The Real Middle Ages: SHerbert's beard tells me history stuffs

 Men in Blazers: hilarious "subpar" podcast by two balding middle aged english dudes talking all things soccer ball. PS they have a great podcast where they interview a bunch of the seattle sounders and seattle reign players and staff. It's a great look into the history of seattle's soccer scene and its current growth.

[nathonicus]

The Real Middle Ages of course

Skill and Bones of course

Really enjoying Pod save the World - excellent perspective on global affaris/foreign policy in light of current events.

 

[Sherbert]

I found a new podcast called Medieval Death Trip. The host focuses on a short episodes and stories from primary sources and gives some before and after context. Most of the stories that he explores are filled with oddities like saint stories, miracles, battles, and deaths of notables. I have been extremely enjoying this podcast and am about half way through it. The host has a great warm voice and is a creative writing prof. with a background in old English so he gives very insightful and critical commentary while throwing in plenty of pop culture references. I know my background in medieval history makes this more interesting for me, but he is a good enough podcaster that I think others could find enjoyment out of it. 

[smashthedean]

I started listening to a new one too:

THOR: The Lightning and the Storm

It's another comic book podcast similar to Jay & Miles Xplain the X-Men (actually it's a side project by co-host Miles), but focusing on Thor comics, specifically Walter Simonson's classic run from the 80s. If you like Thor, like comics, or even just like Norse mythology, I'd recommend giving it a listen.

[Raindog]

My daughter, both sisters in law, and brother in law, all love Adventure Zone!

[Munkie]

I listen to a lot of podcasts, so I'll break it down by genre. 

GAMING

Scum and Villainy: probably the largest still running X-wing podcast with some big names in the community

Evergreen Squadron Radio: a Seattle based X-wing podcast

Mynock Squadron Radio: an LA based X-wing podcast

Kessel Run: another X-wing podcast I occasionally listen to

COMEDY

Uhh Yeah Dude: Two friends from LA with amazing chemistry act silly. Think Kevin Smith+Charlie Day

Joe Rogan Experience: A long rambling interview podcast featuring comedians, athletes, hunters, scientists, and philosophers.

Monday Morning Podcast: The best comedian around, Bill Burr, rants and rambles about whatever springs to mind.

Comedy Bang Bang!: An improv comedy show done in a talk show format. Some people are gut-bustingly hilarious, sometimes the improv is a little flat.

How Did This Get Made: Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas (of The League fame) and June Dianne Raphael (from Grace and Frankie) make fun of bad movies.

U Talkin' U2 To Me?: Scott Aukerman (Comedy Bang Bang!) and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) occasionally talk about U2. If you're a fan of Bonobos, Thedge, Larry Mullen Sr.'s Son, and Adam Claytwothousandpounds then this podcast will probably just annoy you for how little actual U2 content there is. If you're not a fan of U2 (like me), then enjoy listening to two silly guys say silly things.

SCIENCE

Radiolab: A very well produced look at science and its impact on society.

Star Talk: Neil deGrasse Tyson's podcast featuring scientists and comedians.

Playing With Science: A spin-off of Star Talk, a comedian and ex-soccer player interview athletes and eggheads about the physics of sports.

SPORTS

Around the NFL: An NFL network podcast covering football news with mirthy hosts.

The Dave Dameshek Football Program: Also an NFL podcast, but with a lot more nonsense. If you're wondering which letter of the alphabet has the most gumption, or what the fruit of the year is, this is the "pot belly Jew" for you. His words, not mine.

The Sea Hawkers Podcast: A dedicated Seahawks podcast from eastern Montana.

HISTORY

Hardcore History: Rare but truly epic tales of the brutality of mankind in times of war. One of my favorites.

History on Fire: Similar conceptually to Hardcore History, Daniele Boleli has a more light-hearted angle and an extremely think but delightful Italian accent.

Martyr Made: Also similar to Hardcore History, the first 7 episodes detail the Zionist movement of the early 20th Century and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. 

The History of Rome: A long, long series covering the founding of Rome until the collapse of the western Roman empire.

Revolutions: Done by the same guy as History of Rome, he covers the various revolutions of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries.

The Real Middle Ages: A nice, compact podcast probing the dim corners of the Middle Ages. The host is occasionally slightly burpy, but strapping nonetheless.

INVESTIGATIVE/CRIME

Serial: A very thorough investigative series about a controversial murder case. The first season is great. The second season is about a soldier who went AWOL and was captured and held by the Taliban for years. It's okay, but lacks the passion of the first.

S Town: Done by the same folks as Serial, it began as a murder investigation but it turns out it was just a rumor and turns into a piece about an eccentric and complicated man who doesn't belong. Hard to describe, but really good.

Stranglers: An investigative look into the unsolvedish Boston Strangler(s?) murders in the 1950s-60s.

In the Dark: A critique of shoddy police work done when a boy went missing in rural Michigan in the 1980s--the result of which lead to the controversial sex offender databases of modern day. The final episode is a pretty scathing look at how bad Sheriffs departments can be since they are elected rather than appointed and accountable to nobody but voters. In case you were wondering, the solve rate of serious crimes like murder in King County is about 5%!!! (one of, if not the worst in the country).

SOCIAL/POLITICAL

This American Life: Random themed stories from every day people. 

More Perfect: A really interesting spin-off from Radiolab that investigates the history and context of major Supreme Court decisions. Season 2 has been "right around the corner" for several months, so who knows. But I'm looking forward to it.

Common Sense: If you want to wet your appetite for politics without picking sides and constant finger pointing (yes please), then this is the one for you. The only downside is it's released rarely so Can Carlin tends to cram a little too much into a little too little.

No Agenda: Don't let the name fool you, they have an agenda, they're just rather coy about what it is. They don't preach their message, but lay waste to alternative views and let process of elimination do the work. They do a thorough job of taking down mainstream media which I enjoy, but are tediously condescending which I do not enjoy.

On The Media: A very leftist podcast offering an introspective look on the media landscape. The production quality is great especially given their quick turnaround on current events. Their interviews are top notch but threaded together with a bottom notch commentary that undermines the integrity of the show. The narrative tends to oscillate between "Neener neener, we win!" and "Can you believe republicans are saying 'neener neener, we win!'? How disgraceful." The irony of which is completely lost on the hosts. I could go on, but it probably belongs in the Realm of Chaos. Still, it's worth a listen if you want to keep abreast of current events, just bring plenty of grains of salt if you're politically moderate, and probably don't bother if you're conservative.

 

 

Now, if you'll indulge a moment of self-promotion, Jason and Shae have been kind enough to bring me on board with Inside the Gamer. A free form podcast where we drink and ramble about everything from football, to identity theft, to the best way to beat a dog in one-on-one combat. Maybe gaming too if there's time.

 

 

 

 

[Sherbert]

jesus dude, that is one hell of a list. Do you just keep up with everything as they come out, or do you let them build up a but and binge listen?

[Munkie]

I listen to them as they come out. But I listen to podcasts for probably 30-35 hours a week.