Okay, I know I'm probably eight years behind on the podcast train.. hold please... okay according to a quick google search, they began to "catch hold" in 2004, so I guess I am 15 years late. Geeze!
First off, for those who are as behind as I am, maybe a little bit more behind, you can learn a lot more about podcasts
here. I really can't say it better then it is said on that website. If you look around there is also a timeline. I used to think podcasts were just boring news stuff but they can be about ANYTHING. My favorites are about (shh!) true crime, mostly mixed with humor.
I have seriously started getting into listening to podcasts lately. It helps that I now work in a cubicle and don't have to talk to other people that often in my work. If I wanted to, I could literally listen to podcasts all day long. I thought it would be a good time for me to post a quick recap of the podcasts I have on my playlist and why I love them and recommend you start listening to them as well.
You can listen to podcasts in a multitude of places, there are lots of apps or you can listen online. iTunes has something you can listen with (not iPhone savvy at all, sorry!) Since I have an android phone and I didn't know a thing about it, I just searched in my app store for "free podcast streaming" or something like that and up came
castbox. I downloaded it and have been using the free services, haven't had a single problem with it. There are other apps you can try, but I have had good luck with this one. (I didn't get paid for my review of this app, just my personal opinion)
On to the reviews!
Thinking Sideways
Hosted by: Devin, Joe and Steve
Average episode length: most are around an hour. Some are less, some are more. You can tell which episodes they are passionate about because they get real long!
What's it all about? This podcast was recommended by another one of the podcasts that I listen to. This podcast dives into cases of the unsolved and the unexplained. I am only 11 episodes in but I am enjoying it so far. They take turns picking different unsolved cases/stories and bring up the different theories on what happened. I think it is really interesting. Quite different then the other podcasts I have been listening to (true crime and comedy) As far as I have heard, this seems to be an okay listen for all audiences. It may be a little on the boring side for younger kids, but the language is appropriate. I did see on the blog where they warn you about language on some future episodes.
Where can I go to learn more? You can visit their website
here.
Ologies
Hosted by: Alie Ward
Average episode length: episodes are all 60 - 90 minutes.
What's it all about? Alie says it best in her twitter "about me"
A comedyish science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Asking smart ologists not-smart questions about their professional obsessions. Each week Alie talks to an ologist about what they specialize in. The second half of each episode is dedicated to listener questions. Preference is given to patreon donor questions, meaning if you donate to her podcast, as little as a dollar per month, your questions are asked to the ologists first. I stumbled on this podcast when Alie was a guest on Wine and Crime and I had to check it out. SO GLAD I DID. I am learning new things and want to ask smart people dumb questions (that's the quote she ends each episode with!).
Where can I go to learn more? You can learn more on the Ologies website
here. Alie's twitter is also fun, it can be found
here.
Warnings: does contain some mild language.
The Way I Heard It
Hosted by: Mike Row (you might know him from a little show called Dirty Jobs?)
Average episode length: less then 10 minutes each
What's it all about? Mike tells stories about names you might recognize but doesn't name drop until the end of the story. The tales are quick and are a great when you need a little break from the long podcasts. I love this quote from his website
" Just remember – I’m not wrong. It’s just the way I heard it…" This podcast is clean and safe for all audiences. The stories range from current people who live in today's time to people who lived long ago. I think these are stories we can all listen to.
Where can I go to learn more? You can learn more on the "podcast" tab of his website
here.
Crime Junkie
Hosted by: most of the story is narrated by Ashley Flowers but every once in awhile you will hear interjections by Brit
Average episode length: 30-60 minutes
What's it all about? A crime podcast (obviously) where they go in detail about all different crimes. I binged this one hard core. This is the one podcast I am "caught up" on and have to wait each week to listen to a new one. I love how Ashley and Britt seem to care so much about the victims of the crimes in the case. They go to great care to make sure the case is presented carefully, objectively and detailed. They also do a monthly "pruppet of the month" which is an adoption story for listeners to submit of their dogs. It is so sweet to listen to the ladies tell these stories. Most of the time it is Britt telling them because Ashley gets so emotional. I get emotional too! Totally love this podcast.
Where can I go to learn more? You can learn a lot about the podcast and all kinds of stuff on the blog
here.
Warnings: Does contain some graphic crime descriptions, not great for little/middle size ears.
Nothing Rhymes With Murder
Hosted by: Kate and Georgie
Average episode length: full episodes are 60 - 90 minutes.
What's it all about? Each week the girls pick a different country (minus the US because they think it is too well covered already) travel there via their computers. Each lady picks a case in the country and discusses it. After they are done with their case, they each share a couple "hot spots" in the town (or close to). I find these especially fun because it is something interesting I might have never known about. Someday I might find myself in a far away country and remember a random hotspot that Georgie was talking about and be able to stop in and check it out. They end each episode with "Remember kids, life is a journey, don't let murder stop you!" Since they are British, the accents just make it all the better. This just added a little class to the line up.
**I would like to say that Georgie and Kate are quite open about anxiety and mental health issues in their podcast, especially at the openings, when they talk about how they are. I appreciate their openness and honestly. I think it is something that will bring awareness to more people and hopefully #endTheStigma
Where can I go to learn more? You can visit their murder.ly website
here.
Warnings: There is some mild language.
Moms And Murder
Hosted by: Mandy and Melissa
Average episode length: around an hour long
What's it all about? This is another true crime podcast, the ladies try to keep things less graphic and don't ever go into the gory details nor do they deal with any cases (at least that I have heard so far) that deal with children. Mandy has a love for animals and knows almost nothing about the references that Melissa makes to all the reality TV shows she watches. In the early episodes they go through a lot of different segments trying to find good endings to make the end a little lighter, eventually they land on something that works well. They also start doing "we googled this city" which I found quite interesting. Some of the facts they come up with are ones I haven't heard before. The quips about the population make me laugh too.
Where can I go to learn more? Moms & Murder has a website too. Right
here you will find all kinds of details.
Warnings: though it is about crime, they don't go into graphic detail and there isn't any language problems. Safe (in my opinion) to listen to in the company of little/middle ears.
Wine And Crime
Hosted by: Amanda, Kenyon, and Lucy
Average episode length: 90 minutes to 2 hours
What's it all about? Their description: "
wine and crime is a is true crime/comedy podcast. Join three friends as they chug wine, chat true crime and unleash their worst Minnesottan accents!" Really, that says it all. Just kidding. This podcast is freaking hilarious. Each week they pick a topic, from necrophelia to to airport antics, then each of the ladies researches and presents a case while they all drink wine. Lots and lots of wine. Each crime has a wine pairing. Amanda gives a detailed description off the wine pairing and has taught me more about wine then Iever thought I would know! Lucy does the "background and psych" of each case. Sometimes it takes more immagination then others (listen to episode 96, isotope analysis). But this podcast has quickly made its way into my heart, dispite the often dropped f bomb and the very political talk. I love the gals and I love them listening to them "drink wine and chat true crime. I have been slowly listening my way through the episodes and just finished episode episode 103 (only 12 episodes until I am caught up!) I tell you, episode 100 is a TREAT!
Where can I go to learn more? They have a website where you can see it all,
here. One great thing that the website has is pictures to accompany each episode, the girls refrence them in the episodes.
Warnings: includes lots of language and politics talk.
And That's Why We Drink
Hosted by: Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz
Average episode length: 60 - 90 minutes, listener story episodes (which are done monthly) are around 60 minutes long
What's it all about? Each week Christine and Em get together and tell two stories. At the very beginning of each episode the ladies talk about why they are drinking. Christine is a boxed wine "addict" and Em loves milkshakes. Afther the chitchatting is done, Em tells a paranormal story. Seriously creepy stuff. Creepy places, things, possible UFOs ect. I love the way she tells her stories. they are sometimes all over the place but it somehow all comes together. Then it is Christine's turn, she tells the true crime story. They are this perfect mix that just makes me laugh. Christine has a dog named Gio who is talked about frequently and I just love how they talk about him. It is too cute.
Where can I go to learn more? Of course there is a
website.
Warnings: includes some language, listener be aware
My Favorite Murder
Hosted by: Georgia and Karen
Average episode length: 60 - 90 minutes
What's it all about? each week Karen and Georgia get together and talk about their favorite murders. They also ask fans to send in their hometown murders which they sometimes share on the air. The ladies have a really easy friendship with each other that makes their podcast easy to listen to. They go back and forth with each other quite nicely. I also really love how sometimes they actually play audio of other people's hometown murders. Oh, did I mention they call their fans the murderinos? So fun! Each episode ends with "stay sexy, don't get murdered." Great advice for life, don't you think?
Where can I go to learn more? Another podcast with a website! Check it out
here.
Warnings: includes some language, listener be aware
So, there is what is on my list and why I love them. Do you have anything on your listening list that I should add to mine?
