PODCASTS! People love them! And those who don’t? Well, they just haven’t been enlightened yet. But how in the heck do you figure out which ones are worth listening to? Castology, that’s how.
In each episode, our Castologists Brit, Harry, and Zane will review some of the best (and sometimes not-so-best) podcasts around. They’ll also do the hard work and trawl the RSS feeds to find the newest podcasts that should be on your radar. Will they always agree with each other’s picks? Probably not! But hey, you’re clever, you know that’s how reviews work.
Adventures in New America is the first sci-fi, political satire, Afrofuturistic buddy comedy, serialized for New Americans in a new and desperate time.
Set a few years in the future, Adventures in New America follows the escapades of two mismatched African-New-American best friends — fat, lonely, curmudgeon IA and lesbian sneak-thief Simon Carr — who take on a series of increasingly wild heists to get quick cash to pay for IA’s medical treatment while attempting to survive the wilds of New New York City — and a secret cabal of Tetchy Terrorist Vampire Zombies from outer space. Intrigued? Good! Frequently, there will be musical numbers... and radical reflections on our dangerous, beautiful, heart-pounding world.
Want to know how to close the orgasm gap? Riding your hormonal rollercoaster blindfolded? Feel like kicking your mental load to the kerb? You're not the only one. Ladies, We Need To Talk dives headfirst into the tricky topics we often avoid talking about, like our alcohol consumption, the struggles of monogamy, and the wonders of our vaginas. With sensitivity, personal stories, and serious smarts, this show is for women who feel the squeeze between work, their private life, and their pelvic floor. Join host Yumi Stynes as she tears open the sealed section on life.
A new series from a founding host of Reply All, Crypto Island explores the frontiers of a strange new world. Host PJ Vogt investigates ‘Web 3’, the opaque and mysterious world of blockchains, ephemera, and imaginary utopias. For those interested in podcasting news and contemporary history, check out this salient article on Vogt in the wake of Reply All: https://www.vulture.com/2022/04/crypto-island-podcast-pj-vogt.html
Harry waxes lyrical about his own work while Zane and Britt chime in periodically to keep his ego in check. This episode is a shameless plug for Bookworms and Barflies, Harry’s other podcast. If you like books, banter, and booze, this one's for you!
It was supposed to be a reality show with a twist. In a sun-drenched villa in Ibiza, six hot guys compete for a cash prize and for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam. It’s meant to be her big break: the moment she becomes the superstar she was born to be. But this is the era of “cruel reality TV” and the show producers have a different goal: they want to surprise the men with the fact that Miriam is trans. A new six-episode investigative series from Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and The Apology Line, and from Novel, HARSH REALITY is the story about love, lies, reality TV and a woman before her time: Miriam Rivera. Written by Agnes Borinsky and hosted by Trace Lysette.
NFL explained, hosted by Aditi Kinkhabwala and Mike Yam, is a new original podcast series that takes fans behind-the-scenes of the inner workings of the NFL. From how the regular season schedule is made, to the evolution of the Super Bowl, NFL explained looks to answer the NFL's biggest questions.
Five stressed, sleep-deprived, yet energetic teens sit down and talk about the struggles that come with being a teenager. Is high school really as bad as everyone says?
I Just Called To Tell You A Joke, Tiny Meat Gang, Story Pirates
Season 1 · Episode 79
Sunday, July 5, 2020 • Duration 30:17
Hello and welcome to our podcast obsession. This week Liz recommends a podcast full of dad jokes to make people smile with I Just Called To Tell You A Joke, Nick brings his only two dudes talking about nothing podcast with Tiny Meat Gang, and Zane gets in touch with his inner child with Story Pirates. Then: REVIEW TIME.
Liz Recommends - I Just Called to Tell You a Joke
Every day, host Josie Steele calls someone she loves to tell them a joke. That’s it.
A podcast from Youtubers and Comedians Noel Miller and Cody Ko, Tiny Meat Gang is an absurd show that sees the two discussing internet beefs, their lives, and everything in between.
Something that has been underrepresented on this podcast so far is podcasts for kids! So Zane has brought one to the table this week! Created by Gimlet Media and winner of the 2020 iHeartRadio award for Best Kids and Family Podcast, The Story Pirates Podcast is one of the top three kids and family podcasts in the world. Downloaded over 20 million times and featuring songs and sketches based on stories written by kids, special guests include top talent like Kristen Bell, Billy Eichner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dax Shepard, Bowen Yang, Paul Scheer, Claire Danes, John Oliver, David Schwimmer, and Lake Bell.
She's On The Money, Marvel's Wolverine, The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Season 1 · Episode 78
Sunday, June 28, 2020 • Duration 33:39
We have more podcasts for your ear holes this week. Liz decided she needs to get more comfy with managing her cash, so she's recommending She's On The Money. Nick gets his comic book nerd on with Marvel's foray into the podcast universe, Wolverine. And Zane takes a look at all the times people buggered things up in the past with The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong. Then it's review time, featuring our recommendations from last week.
Note there are two She’s on the Money podcasts, we are talking about the Australian podcast featuring Victoria Devine, financial advisor and co-host Georgia King. They have an AMAZING FB community which is great to join for advice and group consensus. They usually reference the group on the pod to chat about their money wins and tips for saving etc.
“We empower women to make smart money decisions.
Millennial women are smart, savvy and independent. We grew up listening to Destiny’s Child, so it’s only natural, right? Yet, when it comes to money stuff, we can feel overwhelmed, unsure where to invest or stuck in a relentless cycle of “money in and money out”, never making ground or reaching our goals. She’s on the Money is here to help solve those problems. We believe that being good with money doesn’t mean you have to hibernate and live on a diet of two minute noodles and cheap wine. We believe you can have it all; the house deposit, the Pilates membership, the share portfolio, the Santorini trip and, of course, the brunch dates.
We’re here to change your relationship with money through relatable finance and money hacks you can implement today.”
Castology acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
In light of the growing movement around the world against racism and bigotry we Castologists wanted to do what we can to raise the profile of some great titles, made by, for, and about people of colour in Australia and around the world. We welcome any further input of titles we should be listening to and hope you can enjoy the eight great podcasts we recommend in the (no-so) mini-sode!
Now is the time to make your voice heard! Go protest and stand with all people who are so unfairly treated around the world!
Scam Goddess is a podcast dedicated to fraud and all those who practice it! Each week host Laci Mosley (aka Scam Goddess) keeps listeners up to date on current rackets, digs deep into the latest scams, and breaks down historic hoodwinks alongside some of your favorite comedians! It’s like true crime only without all the death! True fun crime!
Actor Miranda Tapsell (Love Child, The Sapphires) and writer/actor Nakkiah Lui (Black Comedy, Kiki and Kitty) join forces to present Pretty for an Aboriginal, a BuzzFeed Australia podcast featuring wide-ranging conversation and critique of society, politics and culture.
Drawing on Australian and international guests – season one includes writer and commentator Roxane Gay, rapper, comedian and writer Briggs and Orange is the New Black’s Yael Stone – Miranda and Nakkiah discuss topics such as relationships, the importance of representation and how to be a good ally, all while challenging perceptions of Indigenous Australia and the nature of success.
Dying for Sex, Tides of History, The Last Voyage of the Pong Su
Season 1
Sunday, June 21, 2020 • Duration 36:08
This week we set a challenge for each Castologist to recommend a podcast they think one of the OTHER Castologists would normally recommend! Still with us? SO: Zane brought a podcast on sex, feminism and mortality for Liz: Dying for Sex. Then, Nick recommended a historical journey for Zane with Tides of History. Then Liz did her darndest to impress Nick with a podcast containing all his favourite things including boats, shipping containers, spies and intrigue with The Last Voyage of the Pong Su. Then, it's time for the reviews of last week's podcast.
A North Korean dictator, bags of heroin, drug lords, spooks, sailors, Australian cops and a web of lies: Come aboard The Last Voyage of The Pong Su.
Featuring conversations recorded by listening devices, and translated. Interviews. Reported by Richard Baker (The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald) and produced by Rachael Dexter, The Last Voyage of The Pong Su tells the story of an ill-fated 2003 drug trafficking operation involving a North Korean cargo ship, its crew and members of an Asian crime syndicate targeting Australia with a then-record amount of heroin (estimated street value of A$160 million.)
Clear and Present Danger, The Left Right Game, Chronosphere Fiction
Season 1 · Episode 76
Sunday, June 14, 2020 • Duration 31:00
Ooh boy do we have a show for you today. Zane gets into the big issues this week and we mean big... free speech and how it’s in massive anyone? His recommendation is Clear and Present Danger. Liz has found an immersive podcast the thinks could be even better than 2019’s beloved Carrier: The Left Right Game. And Nick finally delves into the listener submission pile with Chronosphere Fiction. Then it’s REVIEW TIME!
“Tessa Thompson stars as an idealistic young journalist trying to make a name for herself by following a group of paranormal explorers, obsessed with a seemingly harmless pastime known as the Left/Right Game. The journey takes her into a supernatural world that she and the other members of the expedition can neither handle nor survive.”
For both: Make sure you listen with headphones OR in a car if you’re a careful driver, especially for episode two.
Time To Die, Dead For Filth, The End of the World with Josh Clark
Season 1 · Episode 75
Sunday, June 7, 2020 • Duration 30:27
Well we've accidentally done it again; we've themed the week. Somehow we've all ended up recommending podcasts with super bleak titles (but not all bleak content!). Liz recommends Aussie comedy podcast Time to Die, Zane recommends queer film deep dive podcast Dead for Filth, and Nick explores the end of the world with, well, The End of The World with Josh Clark. Then it's on to the reviews of last week's podcasts.
"Time To Die is the unfunniest podcast you’ll ever subscribe to. But that’s kind of the point.
Each episode we match up to two brilliant comedians and ask them to use their comedy powers to write three minutes of the worst stand up they can imagine. Then our guests swap their scripts and go out and present the stand up as if they wrote it themselves… at a real comedy club. The winner is the comic who commits to the bit and gets the most laughs!"
HOSTS:
BEN RUSSELL
Ben Russell is a graduate of The Second City Chicago and iO Chicago. He has appeared in True Story with Hamish and Andy, SBS’ The Feed, The Project on 10, Tonightly, The Letdown and The Aaron Chen Tonight Show on ABC. You can hear Ben on podcasts Finding Drago (ABC) and the twisted sketch show The Grub with Greg Larsen and Anne Edmonds.
TOM WHITTY
Tom Whitty is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and musician. He’s the executive producer of Australia Talks for the ABC, the former managing editor of The Project for Network Ten, and the creator of Time To Die. He’s also obsessed with stand-up comedy.
Song Exploder, What Shall We Do About...?, 60-Second Science
Season 1 · Episode 74
Sunday, May 31, 2020 • Duration 30:15
It's podcast time, your favourite time of the week. Zane is still hungry for podsnacks so he recommends 60-Second Science (Space/Mind/Tech/Earth/Health). Liz dives into the listener recommendation pile to solve the worlds trivial problems with What Shall We Do About...? and Nick shows his love for music and sound engineering with Song Exploder. Then, it's on to the reviews from last week. Whose podsnack will reign supreme?
Liz Recommends - What Shall We Do About?
"The world is full of problems, though most of them don't make the headlines. Sam Robinson sits down with some prominent personalities to try to improve and perhaps even solve some of the world's less pressing issues. Nothing too trivial will be left unturned."
Host Sam Robinson sits down with Aussie personalities like Marc Fennel, Ash London and Dan Illic to discuss how to solve the world's issues that are smaller than, say, a fucking pandemic.
Like What shall we do about kindness? Which is all about how to find the good in among all this shit. Or what shall we do about children's television, where Sam chat's to kids TV royalty James Sherry about what will happen with aussie kids TV quotas being reduced. Or even what shall we do about clutter if we don't wanna go all Mari Kondo on our stuff?
For both: Pick a topic or personality that appeals
INJECT that adamantium into your veins! Following a string of mysterious deaths in Burns, Alaska, Special Agents Sally Pierce and Tad Marshall arrive to investigate. They soon find there’s more going on than meets the eye
Back to the status quo for Zane this week as he recommends and SCIENCE & HISTORY podcast. The Constant is a science and history podcast about getting things wrong. From ancient science to contemporary blunders, we take you on journeys of misadventure and misapprehension, filling your brain with juicy nuggets of the sometimes comical, sometimes tragical and always fascinating ways people mess things up.
Each season of The Constant runs 8 episodes, released weekly on Tuesdays.
Episodes vary in length, with the shortest running 10 minutes and the longest nearly 1 hour, but on average most stories tend to range between 20-25 minutes.
The Constant is currently on hiatus, with plans to return for a special abbreviated kickstarter season in October.
The conversation is friendly and sharp, and you’ll hear much-needed perspectives at the intersection of politics and culture. As hosts, they allow guests to reflect on their experiences in a more open-ended space. Eight episodes are available in 2017’s first season, with a second season to follow in 2018.
Boe Spearim is a Gamilaraay & Kooma radio host and podcaster who lives in Brisbane. Frontier War Stories - a podcast dedicated to truth-telling about a side of Australian that has been left out of the history books. Each episode Boe will speak with different Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people about research, books and oral histories which document the first 140 years of conflict and resistance. These times are the Frontier Wars and these are our War Stories.
Monét X Change and Bob the Drag Queen discuss literally everything. Bob The Drag Queen & Monét X Change are the hosts of Sibling Rivalry Podcast. Bob, winner of season 8 of RuPaul's Drag Race & Monét, winner of Miss Congeniality on Season 10 and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4 are not actually related to each other but you'd never know when you hear their hilarious sister-like banter on Sibling Rivalry Podcast.
Zane LOVES history so Nick chose HISTORY to curry favour with the podfather. Those echoes define the boundaries of states and countries, how we pray and how we fight. They determine what money we spend and and how we earn it at work, what language we speak and how we raise our children. From Wondery, host Patrick Wyman, PhD (“Fall Of Rome”) helps us understand our world and how it got to be the way it is.
What could be MORE Liz? Wondery + Sex + Mortality + Feminism? Zane brought in THE MOST Liz podcast they could find: Dying for Sex. When host Nikki Boyer’s best friend Molly is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she decides to do something bold. She leaves an unhappy marriage and embarks on a series of sexual adventures to feel alive.
From 1989 and until the early noughties free speech went viral across the globe as new democracies tore down the walls of censorship. But for more than a decade the global respect for free speech has been in decline. In 2003 41% of the world’s countries had a free press. In 2017 that figure had dropped to 31%. Or put differently: Only 13% of the world’s 7,4 billion people enjoy free speech. 45% live in countries where censorship is the norm. Still, more than half the world’s population across cultures and continents think free speech is very important. But why is that? Where does the principle of free speech come from? How has it been developed over time? Why have kings, emperors, and governments killed and imprisoned people to shut them up? And why have countless people risked death and imprisonment to express their beliefs? And what can people in the digital age learn from past conflicts over where to draw the line? Jacob Mchangama guides you through the history of free speech from the trial of Socrates to the Great Firewall.
Jacob Mchangama is the founder and executive director of Justitia a think tank focusing on human rights and a Visiting Scholar at Columbia’s Global Freedom of Expression Center. He has commented extensively on free speech and human rights in outlets including the Washington Post, the Wall Street...
For Both: At time of airing, there are only three eps thanks to COVID19 hitting just as they launched but pick any episode that appeals.
Nick Recommends - The End of the World with Josh Clark
We humans could have a bright future ahead of us that lasts billions of years. But we have to survive the next 200 years first. Join Josh Clark of Stuff You Should Know for a 10-episode deep dive that explores the future of humanity and finds dangers we have never encountered before lurking just ahead. And if we humans are alone in the universe, if we don't survive intelligent life dies out with us too.
Zane loves movies, but hesitates to listen to many film podcasts, let alone recommend them, but this listener submission is one of the exceptions. From the ooky spooky mind of horror personality and screenwriter, Michael Varrati, comes the June Gloom Productions original Podcast "Dead For Filth", for all things queer horror and beyond. Dead For Filth will bring you the best queer & horror icons out of the closet and into the night to talk about the genre they love.
Zane loves science! And this is one of his favourite sources of daily science info! Leading science journalists provide a daily minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of science. For a full-length, weekly podcast you can subscribe to Science Talk: The Podcast of Scientific American. And if you do not get enough science news from this podcast there are a series of more specifically
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