In a time where the news is flooded with coronavirus, skyrocketing unemployment rates and presidential elections, it is a perfect time to take a step back and indulge with some podcasts. that are amusing, informative, witty and just might fuel creativity.
Accession is an art analysis podcast run by art museum enthusiast T.H. Ponders and art appreciator Ana O’Daniel give context to different art museums and art pieces. Each episode exposes the magic behind art pieces from all over the world and the host’s interpretations of them. They make the art, and it’s museum, come to life through sounds, songs and detailed descriptions. For instance if they’re breaking down a piece about water the sounds of waves crashing and streams running will linger in the background. This podcast is meant for artists, art admirers and people who are curious about art but feel a bit lost in translation. Accession can be found on Spotify, Apple and Stitcher.
Mostly Lit follows three hilariously witty millennials breaking down literary pieces while finding the connections between literature, wellness and pop-culture. It is run by London based producers Alex Reads, Raifa Rafiq, Derek Wiltshire and they host an occasional guest. Most of their conversations also address race, gender and black culture and how it relates to pop-culture and literature. They stopped making episodes last year, but there are nearly four years of content still online. The episodes range from an hour to an hour and a half in length and they cover everything from “The Great Gatsby” to “Harry Potter” to “Homer’s Odyssey”. Mostly Lit can be found on Stitcher, Apple, and Spotify.
Art Curious, run by host Jennifer Dasal, is a comedic and lively approach to art history. Instead of lecturing about the facts and figures behind archaic art pieces Dasal conquers the gossip and obscure stories behind famous artists and their artwork. Her episodes address absurdly hilarious topics such as crime’s influence on art history, whether a British painter was actually Jack the Ripper and if Mona Lisa is actually fake. There are currently 61 episodes but new episodes are uploaded every month. Episodes can be found on Spotify, Apple or on the Art Curious webpage.
Popcast is by far one of the most in depth and current popular music podcasts. It is produced by the New York Times and hosted by NYT music critic Jon Caramanica. Each episode is typically an hour long and usually includes special guests including artists, critics from Pitchfork and other NYT journalists. It is topical and relatable covering current events that are affecting the industry, album reviews, breakdowns of award shows and even recommended music to listen to while dealing with a worldwide crisis . Popcast can be found on Spotify, Apple and on the NYT Podcast.
Broken Record is one of the most popular music podcasts of the last few years because of its star studded guests, informative hosts and the hosts’ penchant for unearthing secrets of the music industry. Some of their guests include Tyler, the Creator, James Taylor, Ezra Koenig, John Legend and Alicia Keys. The hosts are Rick Rubin, Malcom Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond and they are a marvelous mixture of witty humour and serious musical knowledge. Broken Record can be found on Spotify, Apple and Stitcher.
Many of these podcasts have won awards and they are all considered to be some of the best in their genres. Use them as a method to pass the time, a break from the news cycle or a way to learn something new while in quarantine.
