Please Tell Me Why! I Should Listen...🤷
Get Lit, Hard Things, Zoom Dating, +New Trailer, Just Added, & Charts
Hey Poddy People,
Here we go. I’m back from the east coast trip and Covid negative this newsletter is packed. (Making up for last week’s light version)
Podcast People: I went for a run across the Williamsburg Bridge with Lauren Passell from Podcast the Newsletter. It was 18 degrees cold. At least I can say I ran across a bridge in NYC. We talked about podcasts and especially a specific recommendation in today’s newsletter.
Also, I met up with Jay (Choose Your Struggle) and Jenn (Salad with a Side of Fries) together for some good breakfast.
Industry News: Amazon acquired semi-exclusive rights for My Favorite Murder. Some outlets are saying exclusive, but if episodes are still coming out on other platforms, it’s not exclusive. The deal is structured like the SmartLess deal from last year. Read more here.
The Ambie Awards from The Podcast Academy is coming back for the 2nd year. Read the announcement here.
I am not going to talk about the Neil Young - Spotify - Joe Rogan feud. It’s giving me a headache.
Website Update: Chris, our engineer, built a feature for us that would detect any errors on the website and report back to the team. We are also caching/storing podcast pages so we are not always hitting the Podcast Index (our podcast bible) API every time someone visits the same page. Now our pages should load faster!
Cosmetically, we now have stars that match the color scheme on the podcast page! It’s the little things.
Podcast to TV pipeline: Wondery’s TV adaption of their podcasts is really rolling. They just released the trailer to their hit podcast WeCrashed, based on the WeWork scandal. Just like The Shrink Next Door, it has two superstars, Anne Hatheway & Jared Leto in the leads and is coming to Apple TV+. Find the podcast here.
Not only that, their Joe Exotic podcast released a live-action trailer that is coming to Peacock TV starring Kate Mckinnon and John Cameron Mitchell. Find the podcast here.
Radio/Podcast News: Jad Abumrad announced that he is leaving Radiolab. A show that he started back in 2002.
Shoutouts: Thanks Erik from Hurt Your Brain for dropping our newsletter in a list for podcast recommendations. Read the full list here.
On to my picks this week…
Podcast: My Own Worst Enemy: The Podcast
Genre: Music
Publisher: Osiris Media
One of my activities in NYC was attending this 90s/00s cover band night. They played My Own Worst Enemy and it reminded me of Lauren Passell reviewing the podcast! Knowing that I would see her the next day, I started listening. It was an easy four episodes and most definitely a promotional tool for Lit as they embark on new music with the producers of the podcast.
If you want the meat of the history with behind-the-scenes of the history of that song, the first two and a half episodes were great. Interviews with Adrian Young (Drummer - No Doubt) and KROQ’s (LA’s Alternative Station) Ted Stryker brought me back to the era.
Lauren Passell - Podcast The Newsletter
“Not just exploring the layers of pop-punk but also the dreamy story of Lit”
Podcast: We Can Do Hard Things
Genre: Self-Improvement | Relationships
Publisher: Glennon Doyle & Cadence 13
iHeart’s Podcast Awards are next week. This week I cover the Best Advice/Inspirational Podcast list.
Best-Selling Author Glennon Doyle and now podcaster is similar to the style of Brené Brown’s podcast. Casual and relatable. Actually, I listened to the episode that had Brené as a guest! It was a pleasant conversation, but it wasn’t until the end of the conversation did I pick up on something actionable that I could personally reflect on.
Krista Ruhe - Forbes
“Glennon is flawed, frank, and hopeful as she shows us that we don’t need to strive for perfection – we just need to be us.”
Podcast: This Is Dating
Genre: Relationships
Publisher: PRX, Magnificent Noise
Producers Jesse Baker, Hiwote Getaneh, & Eleanor Kagan work with dating coach Logan Ury in picking virtual blind dates and helping them find their person. All the while also helping them discover themselves along the way. This is an interesting podcast. It’s a little cringe, a little funny, and a little insightful. The first episode had me rolling my eyes with the date’s so-called dry humor. The other two released episodes were far more insightful or amusing.
Nicholas Quah - Vulture
“The podcast delivers on the same vicarious thrill as eavesdropping on first dates out in the wild, where you, as the intruding observer, end up trying to read each individual as they try to read each other.”
I’m going to see/hear this podcast all the way through and already sent this to my single friends. Ha! Should I apply to be on the show?
Side Note: Speaking of dating, West Elm Caleb was trending this week. The Betches U Up? podcast had a recap of the situation while also delving into why it’s harmful or just plain silly.
Coming Soon:
Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez - Sonoro & Futuro Studios
The wedding I attended on the east coast was a Mexican-Indian mixed wedding. It was a great time with good people and good food. The Mexican crew had me interested in some regional Mexican music history. So when this popped up on my feed, it was great timing.
Reviews Added This Week:
The Coming Storm - BBC
Death In Ice Valley - BBC
Wooden Overcoats - Wooden Overcoats Ltd.
The Big Hit Show - Higher Ground, Spotify
12 Years that Shook the World - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
It’s Nice to Hear You - Heather Li, Yves D. Ropper
Griefcast - Cariad Lloyd
When Diana Met - CNN
Charts: 1/17/21-1/23/22 on GP via Google Analytics
1. Ghostwriter (7th week at #1) - C13Features
2. Last Known Position - QCode
3. Storytime w/ Seth - Earwolf
4. Lazarus Heist - BBC
5. Bad Women - Pushkin
Stay safe, wear a mask, get vaxxed, and be kind!
XOXO
Captain Ron
Great Pods is a website that uses podcast critic reviews and ratings to help you find & decide your next podcast listen.