12 Canadian podcast recommendations
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve listened to over 400 episodes (or almost 300 hours) of about 45 Canadian podcasts. My favorites are:
The Imposter
The Imposter is an arts & culture show, with an eclectic mix of music, interviews, readings and other recordings. Some memorable discoveries are the comic Wendy, Lido Pimienta, Vag Halen, Fiver, Rap Master Maurice and Neural Karaoke. I recommend these episodes:
- Remembering Subservient Chicken asks novelist Pasha Malla about work he’s into. The episode features music by Fake Palms and Living Hour, and a rhythmic passage from After James by Michael Helm, to which the host responds, in earnest, “Maybe we can just make the rest of this episode you reading that and me lying on the floor….”
- Sports Music for Goths collects art about/of sports, including Hazel Meyer’s Muscle Panic. In talking about basketball: “When you’re guarding somebody and you’ve got your hand on their waist, to make sure they’re around and not lose sight of them — that’s a very tender, lovely moment where you’re making this connection with somebody and — I like that. Yeah. I like that a lot.”
- Tanya Tagaq is Unreconciled interviews throat singer Tanya Tagaq — in turn serious and funny, insightful and political throughout.
- How to Set Yourself on Fire interviews transgender artist Cassils, opening with fascinating logistics of their performance Inextinguishable Fire.
- We Just Need Some More Grinders presents Sheri Barclay, who runs KPISS.fm from a shipping container in Bushwick, and her trials in radio.
- I witnessed the flawlessly orchestrated live recording of Degrassiland, which made me a fan despite having never watched Degrassi.
I keep playlists of its music on SoundCloud and Spotify.
Hosted by Aliya Pabani.
If you’re looking for arts & culture in French, try Plus on est de fous, plus on lit!
Witch, Please
Witch, Please is an academic and feminist discussion of the Harry Potter world. Episodes are split into regular segments, including “The Forbidden Forest” about power and oppression, “The boy who narrated” about Harry’s unreliability, “Granger Danger” about Hermione’s heroism, “Potions Class” about Hogwarts’ pedagogy, “Jew Watch” about Semitic representation, and “Flourish and Blotts” about print culture.
I love its liberal use of sound effects, which accumulate over the nearly 50 episodes; I feel an intimacy when remembering when one was introduced, like the guitar riff from this fan trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in the episode Harry Potter and the Teen Sex Romparoo, I appreciate its, perhaps, main lesson that you can love something for its qualities while acknowledging, but without apologizing, for its problems.
My favorite episode (though not one to start with) is A Very Witch, Please Holiday Special with songs to the tune of The Nightmare before Christmas transporting listeners to an alternate reality in which the hosts host To(l)k(i)en Female Characters — a quirky, lovely, warm episode.
Hosted by Marcelle Kosman and Hannah McGregor.
Colour Code
Colour Code is a single-season podcast about race in Canada, mixing discussion, interviews and reporting. Its ten episodes are very accessible, without over-simplifying. My favorite episode is Eggshells about white fragility. Hosted by Denise Balkissoon and Hannah Sung.
Broken Boxes
Broken Boxes interviews Indigenous and activist artists about their process, ideas, stories and motivations. My favorite episodes are the #callresponse series, featuring Maria Hupfield among others. Hosted by Ginger Dunnill. Part of the Indian and Cowboy network.
The Henceforward
The Henceforward imagines futures and explores issues like reparation, reconciliation and decolonization, while drawing links and relationships between Indigenous and Black experiences. I recommend the episode Back to the Henceforward. Part of the Indian and Cowboy network.
One From the Vaults
One From the Vaults by Morgan M Page in each episode relates a favorite moment in trans history (including the scandal, glamour and romance), ranging from the life of ‘female husband’ Charles Hamilton in 1746 to trans man Reed Erickson’s achievements in modern trans healthcare.
Invisible City
Invisible City is about city design. After an opening monologue, Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner of the City of Toronto, chats with a guest on topics like density and concrete. (It also makes the best use of background music among podcasts here.)
Métis in Space
Métis in Space reviews a sci-fi movie or TV episode and its representation of Indigenous peoples, tropes and themes, including the well-known Lilo & Stitch, Star Trek, Avatar and Dune, and the lesser-known Deer Woman and Z Nation. (It’s unlike other episodes, but I like the futurism in The Nü Moccasin Telegraph Interview.) Hosted by Molly Swain and Chelsea Vowel. Part of the Indian and Cowboy network.
Love Me
Love Me with Lu Olkowski has quirky loves stories, real and fictional. The second season starts later this year.
Media Indigena
Media Indigena is a weekly Indigenous current events and media criticism program hosted by Rick Harp, with guests.
Chamber of Secrets
Chamber of Secrets interviews extraordinary women including Denise Balkisoon and Tanya Tagaq. Hosted by Lauren Mitchell.
Trampoline Hall
Trampoline Hall is a monthly barroom lecture series with a special focus on good Q&As. I recommend Haide Aide talking about coming to terms with her father being a Nazi. Hosted by Misha Glouberman.
You can find more Canadian podcasts at:
If I were to listen to any US podcasts, I’d subscribe to:
Thanks to Rebecca Williams for requesting this post.
