The Pod Piper

THE (SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT) LIST This week, The Pod Piper shakes things up a bit with a rundown of the various year-end shows released as 2017 draws to a close. If you've only got time for one thing, The Daily 's minimalistically brilliant rundown of the year in audio headlines ("Special Episode: The Year in Sound") really puts the year in perspective. Yearly Review Taking stock in the classic "what happened?" mode, these shows each framed a look back at 2017 through their unique editorial lenses. The Daily  -  "Special Episode: The Year in Sound" It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders  -  "A Special Year-End Edition" All Songs Considered  -  "Poll Results: Listeners Pick The Best Albums of 2017" Code Switch  -  "Before We Give 2017 The Middle Finger" Check-in episodes  The art of the follow-up is catching on in podcasting, and these shows did a great job of tracking down interviewees to see wh

Merry Christmas! The old Pod Piper was not about to skimp on delivering a special holiday edition of the newsletter, although admittedly it's a bit shorter than usual. If you're about to travel and need something seasonally appropriate to fill your ears, read on! THE CHRISTMAS LIST 1.  Code Switch  -  "Black Atheists, White Santas, And A Feast For The Deceased" If the holidays are a little less woke than you'd prefer, this is the perfect way to celebrate. It's a good way to remember the breadth of human experience wrapped up into the holiday season. Repeat after me: "My reality is not universal reality." 2.  Switched on Pop  -  "All I Want For Xmas is a Year in Review Episode" Mariah Carey's Christmas classic gets more attention than has likely ever been paid to it, thanks to the Switched on Pop  crew. Stick around afterwards and listen as the co-hosts extol the virtues of their favorite music from 2017. (and if that

THE LIST 1.  This American Life  -  "Our Town" "Seek first to understand, then be understood" is the fifth habit in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . It's also an apt tag-line for this episode about the intersection of immigration and labor in small-town America. This may just be the podcast the country desperately needs right now. Talk less, listen more, try and be kinder to everyone. 2.  Reply All  -  "The Prophet" With endless cryptic intrigue, the source material for this Reply All episode could have been Season 3 of Serial . Each plot thread unravels and begets a new mystery until the truth is found. Compelling and chilling, this story touches on aspects of celebrity, journalism, cyber bullying and political propaganda in the internet age. And, plot twist, it is set in Mexico! Turns out there are some pretty familiar stories playing out amongst our neighbors to the south. 3.  Harry Potter and the Sacred Text

THE LIST 1.  The Cracked Podcast  -  "9 Secretly Necessary Life Lessons For Modern America" Equal parts listicle, pep talk, and state-of-the-union, this insightful and comedic episode   encapsulates the swatch of the internet content market  Cracked has conquered. It's hopeful, funny, informative, and a great stabilizing device for anyone facing the utterly American swirl of volatile opportunity. 2.  Scene on Radio  -  "How Race Was Made (Seeing White, Part 2)" It isn't news that race is a societal construct meant to subjugate the down-trodden. But who specifically invented race? The second episode in this mini-series from  Scene on Radio  found the person credited to this onerous achievement, and brilliantly contextualizes the history of race as it began to evolve. 3. Slate's Culture Gabfest  -  "Fractal Badness Edition" There's a temptation to dismiss notorious cinematic flop The Room as just that - simply one of the wo

THE LIST 1.  The Dollop  -  "Donald Trump (Part One and Two)" With the acknowledgement that people everywhere are likely sick of reading or listening to anything about Donald Trump, this two-parter approaches a level of mastery. The Dollop lays out an epic (over 3 hours total) recounting of the biographical exploits that shaped our president's warped world view. Maddening, entertaining, and essential for contextualizing current rhetoric, this episode reinforces the disbelief that many Americans feel every day waking up in a country inexplicably fronted by this twisted individual. 2.  30 for 30  -  "The Lights Of Wrigleyville" Fans of baseball, history, community organizing, and deep-rooted traditions will find themselves at home in the friendly confines of this installment of  30 for 30 . "The Lights Of Wrigleyville" reflects on the peculiarities of baseball and the fickle absolutes that plague all pro sports whilst endearing them to horde