Hey everyone, Jody Avirgan here. Way back when, when SLR was just getting started, I provided podcast recs for Jacob and Don each week. Turns out, my keys still work, so I broke back in to offer you some summer podcast listening tips. Shows that will keep you engaged as you sit in beach traffic, or on the beach itself. And shows that I keep returning to for inspiration. Here we go, let me know if you have any favorite breezy listens.
“The Sterling Affairs“, 30 for 30 and Ramona Shelburne
Okay, fine, I’m starting with something I helped make — but to me nothing says “beach listen” more than Ramona Shelburne’s epic series on the Hollywood-meets-NBA-meets-internet scandal of Donald Sterling, the racist for owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. This series is full of juicy details, over the top characters, and leaked audio… but it also places Sterling’s collapse in the long history of his Los Angeles real estate, corrupt power circles, and the tale as old as time: men behaving very very badly.
“Four Stories About Travel“, Ben Riskin
“Selects” is a podcast feed curated by producer/agent Ben Riskin, who loves audio more than anyone I know. It’s an attempt to rescue some forgotten but brilliant works of audio. We don’t really have a podcast “canon,” and this comes close, though filtered through Ben’s sensibility, which leans towards the voicey, the emotional, and the surprising. I’d dive in with whatever looks intriguing — maybe the Sean Cole collection — but there is a set of travel stories that might be perfect for summer listening. [[Note: some of this is behind a paywall, but I’d argue that it’s well worth the $20/year to get access to, and support, so much great audio]]
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“Sixteenth Minute (Of Fame)“, Jamie Loftus
Jamie Loftus is one of the best voices in audio. She’s done series where she tries to join Mensa, tries to get to the bottom of the Cathy (the comic strip) phenomenon — and this is her ongoing show where she follows up on people who found themselves as the Internet’s “main character” for a day or five. The stories move along, but as always there’s a level of empathy and analysis that moves it past “huh, remember Hawk Tuah girl?”
“Dead Eyes“, Connor Ratliff
Let me just drop the show description in here because nothing I write will do it justice:*Actor/comedian Connor Ratliff embarks upon a quest to solve a very stupid mystery that has haunted him for two decades: why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series, Band Of Brothers.*The quest takes Connor on a long and winding journey where he tries to understand the world of Hollywood, creative expression and frustration, and ultimately what Hanks saw (or didn’t see) in him. I’d have to think about whether this is my favorite podcast off all time — it’s certainly the one I have the biggest soft spot for.
“Summer Album / Winter Album“, Jody Avirgan and Craig Finn
Of course I’m going to end with something of mine. This is my new music podcast, where Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and I debate whether some of our favorite albums are “summer albums” or “winter albums” — no, we don’t acknowledge the other two seasons. It’s been really fun to work on this, invite some of our favorite people on as guests — and as we head into summer, I’d love for you to listen.