Thank god for podcasts! Here are some of my favorites:
Music:
The Official DJ Sasha Podcast broadcasts somewhat-ethereal house music, each podcast is around an hour of music. While kind of "rave-y" I think the music is hypnotic and I love having it on during work or long road trips.
KCRW's Today's Top Tune = The legendary radio station releases one track each weekday. A great way to discover new music. There are a lot of "song of the day" podcasts. Salon has one, then there is KEXP in Seattle, and for those seeking the more obscure, check out IndieFeed's variety of podcasts.
KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic updates about twice a month and it is a live set from new or indie artists. I don't always like it but sometimes there are some real gems. This is how I came to know and like M. Ward and his quiet, sad self. He's like a "lite" version of Tom Waits.
Tempo of the Down was a short-lived podcast that posted a few 30 to 60-minute mixes of downtempo tunes. Sometimes strange but overall, excellent. I've listened to these sets repeatedly. Awesome for background noise while working.
TV & Film:
Battlestar Galactica = I'm admitting two things here: 1) I'm a geek, but I bet a lot of you watch this and if you don't, you should and 2) sometimes I get confused by the plot and need clarification. The podcasts are like director's commentary you get on a DVD (in fact, the podcasts are put on the DVD and used as the commentary), and the sessions with Ron Moore by himself are great. (When he has someone else with him, I find them annoying.)
KCRW's The Treatment is definitely worth checking out. I know I'm being pretty pro-KCRW with this list, but the station is that good. Elvis Mitchell hosts a discussion with various people in the film or TV industry, mostly discussing the artistic side of things (sometimes they talk abut the business). I always enjoy each show, but I'm kind of a junkie when it comes to film stuff.
Life & Politics:
This American Life started podcasting last fall, which is great for those of us who didn't always catch the radio broadcast. The new TV show is great too, if you have a chance to check that out.
Dave Emory is my favorite conspiracy theorist, and his once-a-week podcasts are long and tedious, but sometimes pretty interesting(!).
The Commonwealth Club is a great way to hear discussions with people in the news, like John Edwards, Carly Fiorina, or Deepak Chopra.
If you are jonesing for some learning but don't want the commitment, check out the podcasts from UC Berkeley. There are a variety of courses (78 podcasts and growing) covering subjects from history to computer science.
Enjoy!
6 comments:
Isn't KCRW so great? I think it deserves to be chatted up all over the place - they can do no wrong in my book. My biggest problem with listening online is that I am hearing all traffic and weather updates for So Cal, instead of Bridgetown, which is contributing to my growing problem of writing and saying that my address is Portland, California, 97225. (Sigh). I love living here but refuse to give up the Cali ghost.
Anyway, KCRW awesomeness- I got my sounds eclectic covers CD and am SO in love with it. As I type this I'm listening to Willie Mason. Beauty. Strangely he often sounds like Evan (that's Sula-Goff to all you 8 Stops 7 fans out there), if Evan were going to get on a bluegrassy/sloooooow vedder/leonard cohen type jag. Or a non-Irish/less whiny Damien Rice sort of vibe. It's really beautiful stuff.
In other news, I'm digging your blogging, Bex. This is great. Keep up the excellent recommendations. I feel like you are keeping me informed of many things I would otherwise have no idea about.
Yay!
I love the covers CD, too, and alas: I put 3 tracks from it on the mix CD I sent you! I hope that wasn't annoying!!
And Evan! I agree, it does sound like Evan. Speaking of: I saw him last night at a party at Ted's house celebrating Mark and Jess's visit. Delicious blog post to come about that one. Let me just say that "butt-jack" was resurrected from the dead. You would have died.
XOXO!
Omigod, I can't wait for this blog post. Butt jack rises from the dead? What about A-R, did that pop up as well? Several months ago I took Mark to see these folks http://vagabondopera.com/ (who coincidentally are going to be at Zoey's Cafe downtown VTA on Wednesday night!) and while picking up Jack'n'the'crack after I reminded him of the fabulously awful An*l R*pe offensive and nearly crashed into the drive through window from laughing so hard. He'd forgotten the glory of this much talked about "ad campaign". So I imagine it was that type of evening, yes? Do your ribs hurt from laughing so hard? Oh bring on the Teabagger/butt jack/ass monacle reunion blog post, pretty please.
Oh and ps- sorry for possibly putting your blog on the p*rn radar with this comment. I wasn't thinking.
PPS - M.R and P.R will never lay eyes on this right? Promise me you will delete me and my crass posts if they do, okay? God. I should've posted under a pseudonym. Or Dawn's name! Like that time at the CBTL when I offended Mr. Hymen's (again with the p*rn radar, but this time it's the government's fault for not insisting that people with offensive last names be forced to change them for the good of the public!) golf caddy and he complained and I totally thought it must have been Dawn "the strawberry blonde", not me. Or the time I was sure it was Dawn who talked to our landlord at 3am during a loud party, not me. Sorry, DW!
There were many highlights to the evening, and to keep the reputation of those involved in tact (at least for the time being) I'll have to scale back what I post. I haven't yet shared this "bloggy-blog" with the 'rents but I may have to edit you if I do! ha ha!
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