The Pod Piper

A note on formatting: It struck me the other day that the table format for these posts maybe not translate into the best reading experience.  Also, I think I like the aesthetic of this layout.  That is all. 1. What's The Point -  Every Song Ever (#43) I often find appeal in this Jody Avrigan-helmed 538 podcast as it strives to overlay data on every day topics, but this week struck a special chord with me. Ben Ratliff, music critic from the New York Times, discusses ideas from his new book about the way we listen to music as the means of distribution shift.  I loved the idea that we must have uncomfortable music listening experiences to authentically situate our taste. As much as we strive for automation across many facets of life, our lives do not have a predetermined score as you would expect from a movie of TV show. It's up to us to struggle and fight and discover that soundtrack for ourselves!  Ratliff makes the point that listening to a sad song in ...

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 The Memory Palace Finishing Hold (#85) I've long admired "The Memory Palace," but each episode, however short, often seems to lose me somewhere along the way. This may be due to host Nate Dimeo's soft voice humming warmly with little in the way of verve. It could also be attributed to the scripted prose being rather rich in expository scene setting and low in traditional character driven story arcs. Whatever the reason, I've listened consistently for about a year despite never having been blown away by any one episode...until this week. The episode follows a man's journey from doctor to convicted murderer to, eventually, professional wrestler. The subject holds an inherent sense of drama, but ultimately Dimeo strung the narrative together in a way that allowed the story to blossom without meandering. 2 The New Yorker Radio Hour Ballad of a Trump Fan (#25) I enjoy reading The New Yorker as much as any suppose...

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 99% Invisible Soul City (#207) The best episodes of "99% Invisible" tell stories that seem to exist in a reality not aligned with my own. This may mostly be due to the fact that these shows draw on historical events set in places I've never visited, but it's also a testimony to the stunningly crisp audio production that evokes an other-worldliness. Most of all this show has the ability to draw out stories that need to be heard - as is the case with the episode on Soul City. Part segregated community, part economic vision, Soul City was the child of influential but seldom remembered lawyer and civil rights activist Floyd McKissick. This experiment in city planning aiming for racial equality was, of course, inevitably tainted with bureaucratic political tampering from factions with dubious motives, and in the end the city proved unable to overcome any and all opposing forces. Still, it's a notewo...

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 This American Life It'll Make Sense When You're Older (#538) 'It'll Make Sense When You're Older' is a prototypical episode of This American Life, and it certainly showcases why I've listened to this podcast consistently for nearly 10 years. It touches on timely topics that are universal to the human experience, and takes the listener on a journey through stages of life remembered, anticipated or presently inhabited. While the episode's title nods at the clarity that comes with growth, the triumph of this episode is how it hones in on the unknown. Aging often takes on an element of inherent fear later in life, but this episode universalizes the uncertainty people are capable of fearing at any point in life. If nothing else, check out the story helmed by SNL cast member Sasheer Zamata in which she interviews her mother about being one of the first kids to integrate a school in the South. Oh, and did I mention that Ira g...