December 4, 2017

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THE LIST

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 hordes of diehard fans. It is informative, nostalgic, and even a little bit quaint given the intersection of sports and culture in 2017. 

3. Flash Forward - "Our Father, Who Art In Algorithm"
Some podcasts could just as easily be cable-ready talk-shows, documentary films, or segments on a news magazine. Flash Forward is perfectly suited for podcasting, and wouldn't be easily translated to another form. That rich match of medium and content is so perfect - no other combination could host a theoretical experiment mining religious texts to create a central, venture capital funded proto-faith. Yes, this episode is as niche as they come, merging hypothetical futuristic could-be-worlds with technology and spirituality into a deeply curious adventure for the right listener.

4. All Songs Considered - "NPR Music Turns 10"
The central NPR Music podcast released ten separate podcasts commemorating each year in the last decade of the public media juggernaut's foray into expanding the definition of music journalism. Each episode chronicles the highlights of a given year, from standout artists to technological innovations that shaped the way people listen to music. Reflect back on the introduction of Bandcamp, the advent of Radiohead self-releasing a pay-what-you-want album, Beyonce's cultural dominance, and much, much more.

HONORABLE MENTION
American Suburb - "Reasonable Fear"
Battle Scars - "When the Caskets Start Coming Home"
The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson - "A Leap of Faith"

SOMETHING NEW

At the dawn of the medium, podcasts regularly featured one person (often an amateur) behind a mic recounting some kind of personal animus or biographical intrigue. This structure remained entrenched in a form that, despite experiencing expansion in audience base and innovative producing tactics throughout the years, is still buoyed by popular shows adhering to this blueprint. Despite its inherent role in building out the field of on-demand audio, any project that can be described as "some person (or people) just talking" fails to resonate in a moment when there are hundreds of other more appealing taglines. Still, there is a wealth of quality content parading around under the guise of informality that deserves to be appreciated. Those that abstract and appropriate the vestiges of this foundational scaffolding are not easily separated from the vain would-be bloggers who find a microphone more efficient than a keyword when it comes to propagating rants.

Listeners could be forgiven for discarding The Dollop out of hand, mistaking it for embodying the categorical vapidity that plagues many a podcast. It is, after all, two guys speaking conversationally in a relaxed tone, which could denote lack of effort or investment in the material. Rampant vulgarity is also a warning sign that the hosts may be less-than-prepared to eloquently hold forth, and some of the earlier episodes in particular are spruced up with perhaps more than a little untoward commentary. More than anything, however, the saving grace of this show is the premise. It is an American History podcast where one man, Dave Anthony, picks a topic to explain to co-host Gareth Reynolds. The fun twist is that these are not traditional civics lessons, but rather focus on obscure stories that evoke odd happens and personalities birthed by a uniquely American mythos. Reynolds doesn't know anything about the topic in advance, but possesses a wit sharp enough to skewer the inane insanity that Anthony unravels throughout the show.

The Dollop is equal parts history lesson and self-effacing reflection on the pitfalls of American ideology from all across the spectrum of the human experience. This means that while the convivial no-holds-barred aura permeates every episode, the overall objective varies from entertainment to downright enlightenment. There is some kernel of knowledge to be gleaned from each topic, but it's application ranges from useless trivia to harrowing reality check. The two-parter on Donald Trump almost spills over into the hallowed grounds of journalism (at least to the extent that The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight may be seen as outlets of information). Regardless of subject matter, Anthony and Reynolds have accomplished a hard-won battle: bridging the divide between the incessant talking-head-casts and the production-heavy pieces of rigorous investigative reporting. The resulting product is a strange, tantalizing, and highly original listening experience.
From: Network
Recommended for: Fans of comedy that want more than riffing, fans of history that want more than details of bygone battles.
Drop Schedule: Varied Days, Weekly
Average episode length: 90 minutes
Rating: Gotta Have It

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