Last week I shared ten music-based podcasts that I have been enjoying during lockdown – check that out here if you are interested. Those alone are not really a true representation of my podcast listening habits however as I actually listen to quite a lot of others that are not music themed, let alone punk themed.
About Race With Reni Eddo-Lodge
Reni Eddo-Lodge is the author of Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, a book that is even more of an essential read now than it was when it was first published in 2017. The nine episode podcast series, which was released in 2018, takes this important conversation a step further. Reni is joined by key voices in anti-racist activism to discuss recent history and today’s politics surrounding race. I would say this is essential listening for anyone but especially if you are white.
Listen on Spotify here.
Abroad In Japan
This is a podcast that I stumbled across while browsing the ‘culture’ category of podcasts on Spotify – other podcast platforms are available but Spotify works for me. I recognised the logo for ‘Abroad In Japan’ as being a YouTube channel, by filmmaker Chris Broad, that I made much use of when I was off work after having had my wisdom teeth removed. Being a bit of a Japanophile this kept me thoroughly entertained so discovering that there’s podcasts as well – and a lot of them too – was great. They release two new ones per week!
Listen on Spotify here.
The Bearded Vegans
This is probably my favourite of this list although I appreciate that if you’re not a vegan it might not be of interest to you personally – it’s my list though, so y’know. Bearded vegan hosts Paul and Andy discuss all things – you guessed it – vegan in this podcast, from topical news stories, activism, events, reviews and interviews. The very latest two episodes are an in-depth look at ‘Thug Kitchen’ who have profited from cultural appropriation for nearly a decade. Each episode is very well researched, informative and thought-provoking. Also, if you stick around until the very end, they sometimes have a bloopers section.
Listen on Spotify here.
The Disruptive Environmentalist
This is an oldie but a goodie in terms of when I first started listening to this podcast. Sometime last summer, during one of the UK’s ‘heatwaves’, I started to properly take notice of and, well, worry about climate change and the environment in general. It lead to me making some changes in my life – including becoming vegan – and educating myself further. The Disruptive Environmentalist is about seeking new solutions to big environmental problems – it’s an optimistic look at what innovators across the world are doing to combat climate change. There haven’t been any new episodes this year but the back catalogue is great.
Listen on Spotify here.
Ghibliotheque
This is the second Japanese themed podcast on my list – well, sort of. Ghibliotheque is about the films of Japan’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli. In this podcast series, hosts Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham, who both work within the UK’s film media industries, discuss a film per episode. Michael is a big fan of Studio Ghibli and has seen all of the films but Jake had only seen a couple when the series was first born so it’s interesting to hear both opinions as they watch or re-watch each film. I’ve not quite seen all of the Ghibli films yet so I have had to skip over some episodes for now – I don’t want spoilers!
Listen on Spotify here.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Time for something a little different! There are a lot of great fiction podcasts out there – I guess it’s kind of like listening to an audiobook but with added drama and sound effects. I was instantly hooked on Marvel’s Wolverine series as soon as I heard the first episode of season one and proceeded to get through to the end of season two in just a few days. This is not a cheery superhero tale, Marvel’s Wolverine is dark and gritty with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you attentive. The first season in particular was really, really good.
Listen on Spotify here.
Off Menu
Like food? Like comedy? This could be the podcast for you! Off Menu is hosted by comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster – who actually each have their own music-themed podcasts as well (James’ was featured in last week’s post). Each episode they are joined by a special guest, often a fellow comedian, who talks through their dream meal – starter, main course, side dish, dessert and drink, alongside other amusing anecdotes. Series four has just started which features Romesh Ranganathan (a vegan, woo!) in the first episode and was very, very funny.
Listen on Spotify here.
Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Lockdown Parenting Hell
From one comedy duo to another – this is a podcast that, as you can probably tell from its title, was born during lockdown. It’s also a podcast that despite not being able to relate to its theme, Colin and I have thoroughly enjoyed having a chuckle to. Sure, we might not be parents but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to listen to funny tales of other people’s parenting woes during lockdown. Kids are funny, especially when they have no relation to you. Of course if you are a parent, however, you’ll no doubt enjoy this even more than us.
Listen on Spotify here.
Superbeast
I suppose Superbeast could have appeared in last week’s list as Blake and Burg do discuss and play punk, indie and pop music in this podcast but they also talk about current affairs, environmental issues, film and TV shows and, of course more recently, lockdown life. Compared to the others on this list, this is a smaller scale podcast with much less ‘budget’ than Marvel or YouTubers but I think that’s a big reason why I enjoy it so much. It’s two people having a friendly and interesting conversation, often discussing things they are each passionate about.
Listen on Spotify here.
Voyage To The Stars
Lastly we have an improvised sci-fi comedy podcast, from Colton Dunn, Felicia Day, Janet Varney and Steve Berg, that follows the misadventures of a group of outcasts who find themselves on a spaceship together before being sucked through a wormhole. They travel around from planet to planet, meeting new alien species and trying to find out how to make it back to Earth. This is the first podcast I listened to that really wasn’t educational in the slightest, it’s just a lot of fun. Just a warning – sometimes it gets a bit NSFW but it’s always entertaining and is a great distraction during lockdown, for sure.
Listen on Spotify here.
Colin would also like to give a shout out to Quack Attack, a Mighty Ducks themed podcast, which he was very excited to discover during lockdown – although I don’t share his enthusiasm!
How about you? What podcasts are you listening to at the moment?
This top ten was written by Emma Prew.
No comments:
Post a Comment