Best of 2015: iTunes Podcasts (US Edition)
Here are the podcasts everyone’s talking about. Discover new episodes to listen to by reading the highlights from the show notes.
Best Classic Podcast
WTF with Marc Maron Podcast
Comedian Marc Maron is tackling the most complex philosophical question of our day — WTF? He’ll get to the bottom of it with help from comedian friends, celebrity guests and the voices in his own head.
Highlights
- Wyatt Cenac always wanted to be a performer, but had to keep it a secret to please his parents.
- Being a receptionist isn’t the path to becoming a SNL cast member.
- Always be true to yourself, and know that life is bigger than this moment.
Listen
Best New Podcast
Mystery Show
A podcast where Starlee Kine solves mysteries.
Highlights
- Paparazzi tend to work in a triangle, with the celebrity at the center and a shooter on three sides.
- The odds of finding a bookseller whose parents had won the lottery were better than finding a bookseller who’d heard of To Feel Stuff.
- Britney Spears is impossible to talk to and yet her every movement is tracked.
- If everyone cared about everyone else, then no one would have to care about themselves.
Listen
Classics
Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
Bullseye from NPR is your curated guide to culture. Jesse Thorn hosts in-depth interviews with brilliant creators, culture picks from our favorite critics and irreverent original comedy. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” (Formerly known as The Sound of Young America.)
Highlights
- Clips from the greatest comedy albums of 2015.
- Don’t let your kids wear Oregano necklaces.
- Parents are like Walmart.
- Do you test your jokes on LinkedIn?
- The perils of skiing.
Listen
Call Your Girlfriend
A podcast for long distance besties everywhere. Co-hosted by your new BFFs Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow.
Highlights
- Peeking in on teen life when you’re no longer a teen with Rookie Yearbook Four.
- Missy Elliott didn’t know people missed her.
- Becoming a better person as you grow older.
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on Stitcher
- RSS
- @callyrgf
- @aminatou
- @annfriedman
- @gdelvac
- Show Notes
The Cracked Podcast
The Cracked Podcast is an extension of the editorial team discussions that shape the brilliant articles and sketches on Cracked. Cohosts Jack O’Brien and Michael Swaim, along with an impressive roster of guests, use the platform to identify and dissect pop culture tropes, debunk myths and generally try to reach the large demographic of people who would enjoy their site’s content if only they’d learn to read.
Highlights
- It’s not about living longer, it’s about improving the quality of life towards the end.
- Your 90’s should look like your 30’s.
- What if you could hang out with your grandparents like you could with your best friend?
- There needs to be increased transparency for more scientists to work on aging.
Listen
- Hosted by Jack O’Brien and Michael Swaim
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- RSS
- @cracked
- Show Notes
Criminal
Criminal is a podcast about crime. Not so much the “if it bleeds, it leads,” kind of crime. Something a little more complex. Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
Listen
- Hosted by Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on Stitcher
- Listen on TuneIn
- Listen on Overcast
- RSS
- @CriminalShow
- Show Notes
Dear Sugar Radio
The universe has good news for the lost, lonely, and heartsick. Dear Sugar — the cult-favorite advice column — is back, but this time speaking directly into your ears. Hosted by the original Sugars, Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond, the podcast fields all your questions — no matter how deep or dark — and offers radical empathy in return.
Highlights
- How can you learn to love motherhood?
- You can’t divorce your kids.
- The ideal mom image is destructive.
Listen
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Design Matters with Debbie Millman is a thought-provoking internet podcast, which profiles industry-leading graphic designers, change agents, artists, writers and educators.
Highlights
- Ignorance can be freeing.
- Collaboration keeps you motivated when you’re having doubts.
- Blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
- Beyond bland ebooks.
- Language mediates objectivity and subjectivity.
- Giving art a narrative.
Listen
Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin
From WNYC Studios, award-winning actor Alec Baldwin takes listeners into the lives of artists, policy makers and performers. Alec sidesteps the predictable by going inside the dressing rooms, apartments, and offices of people we want to understand better: Ira Glass, Lena Dunham, David Brooks, Roz Chast, Chris Rock and others. Hear what happens when an inveterate guest becomes a host.
Highlights
- The internet has created so many unique jobs, it’s difficult to pick one.
- Hannah doesn’t look like a model, but that’s not where her anxiety comes from.
- If you keep on being yourself, the right people will find you.
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on Stitcher
- Listen on TuneIn
- RSS
- @heresthething
- @AlecBaldwin
- @WNYC
- Show Notes
The History of Rome
A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire, beginning with Aeneas’s arrival in Italy and ending with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Now complete!
Highlights
- The founding of Rome is an event wrapped in myth.
- Long before Aeneas reign, the Latin kingship was passed father to son until it reached Numitor.
- Numitor’s brother, Amulius, overthrew him and killed all of his sons.
- Numitor’s grandsons survive. Before a herdsman takes them to safety, they are wet-nursed by a she-wolf.
Listen
How Did This Get Made?
Have you ever seen a movie so bad that it’s amazing? Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas want to hear about it! We’ll watch it with our funniest friends, and report back to you with the results.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
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Judge John Hodgman
Have your pressing issues decided by Famous Minor Television Personality John Hodgman, Certified Judge.
Highlights
You aren’t born knowing how to write professional emails.
Hector doesn’t trust emails from robots.
Listen
the memory palace
From award-winning public radio producer, Nate DiMeo, comes The Memory Palace. Short, surprising stories of the past, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hysterical, always super-great. For history buffs, fans of public radio shows like This American Life, Radio Lab, and whatnot, and for all admirers of things that are super-great.
Highlights
- In Spring of 1943, Coast Guardsmen would go out in their uniform to mingle with patriotic women.
- Subway Sailors tried to avoid a chain reaction by dragging away a burning ammunition ship.
Listen
Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig
You know those podcasts where famous people recount their lives and careers, and then things get emotional? That is NOT this show! Hosted by internet superstar Grace Helbig, “Not Too Deep” is a ridiculous, silly, and unapologetically superficial interview podcast, that is more about the laffs than about the feels.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
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On Being
On Being with Krista Tippett takes up the big questions of meaning with scientists and theologians, artists and teachers — some you know and others you’ll love to meet. Updated every Thursday, a new discovery about the immensity of our lives.
Highlights
- Public schools don’t teach you ‘what does it means to exist?’
- Coming out as a Secular Buddhist.
- The genius of the Buddha lays in his imagination.
- A relationship with doubt becomes serene rather than chaotic.
- The central point of zen is wonder.
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on Stitcher
- Listen on TuneIn
- @Beingtweets
- @kristatippett
- Show Notes
On Point with Tom Ashbrook
On Point is a live, two-hour morning news-analysis program, produced by WBUR 90.9 and NPR.
Highlights
- Big gyms aren’t motivating, while boutiques are more intimate and you bond with others.
- CrossFit helped a veteran find a community and battle PTSD.
- Boutique fitness is like a religion, it gives people something to believe in and offers a sense of belonging.
- We’re more digitally connected and locally isolated.
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on Stitcher
- RSS
- @OnPointRadio
- @tomashbrooknpr
- @WBUR
- @NPR
- Show Notes
Psychobabble with Tyler Oakley & Korey Kuhl
It’s not just crazy talk, it’s Psychobabble — the official free audio podcast from YouTube sensation Tyler Oakley. Listen each week as he and his bestie Korey Kuhl bring you a half hour of unfiltered gossip sessions, pop culture scrutiny, and stories never told before.
Highlights
- Magic Shell Chocolate vs. Milli Vanilli.
- Snervous means scared and nervous, and is the name of Tyler Oakley’s documentary.
- YouTubers are known to break the fourth wall, so there are some vlog elements in the movie.
Listen
Reply All
A Show About the Internet
Highlights
- Podcasts: almost as popular as soup in summer.
- The Ripoff Report is known to publish untrue complaints, and only removes or alters posts for paid members.
- Ed Magedson earned his first million before he was 19 by selling flowers on corners.
- The Yik Yak Take Back.
- Technology can’t make people better or worse. However, it can give us new options for how to behave.
- Technology is providing evidence of racism.
Listen
- Hosted by Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- RSS
- @replyall
- Show Notes
RISK!
If you like The Moth, This American Life or Snap Judgment, take a walk on the wilder side with RISK! Your colorful host Kevin Allison (of the legendary comedy group The State) helms this surprisingly uncensored show where people tell jaw-dropping true stories they never thought they’d dare to share in public. RISK! is hilarious, heart-wrenching and remarkably real. Think you’ve heard it all? Fasten your seatbelt.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
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Slate’s Political Gabfest
Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by iTunes Listeners. Stephen Colbert says “Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest.” The Gabfest, featuring Slate’s Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks. Part of the Panoply Network.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- RSS
- @SlateGabfest
- @emilybazelon
- @jdickerson
- @davidplotz
- Show Notes
Song Exploder
A podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made.
Highlights
- Most of the sounds in the song Time to Pretend were created on Ben Goldwasser’s laptop in college.
- An ironic mission statement.
- Fake sampled orchestra instruments sound nothing like the real thing, but it’s fun to manipulate.
- The Thingamagoop.
- Performing live on David Letterman wearing druid capes.
Listen
- Hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @SongExploder
- Show Notes
StarTalk Radio
Science meets comedy and pop culture on StarTalk Radio! Astrophysicist and Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities and scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe.
Highlights
- The pursuit of the unknown and the questioning of conventions is where knowledge originates.
- Our expectation of privacy is being abused by electronic interception.
- Context is more intrusive than content.
- Do we have the right to mess up Mars’ ecosystem like we did here on Earth?
- Buildings are 3D, roads should be 3D.
- Neil is most afraid that we lack the wisdom to understand our own fate so that we then become victims rather than conquerors.
Listen
- Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on Stitcher
- Listen to TuneIn
- RSS
- @StarTalkRadio
- Show Notes
The Steve Austin Show — Unleashed!
Live from Hollywood, CA by way of the Broken Skull Ranch, Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer, Action Movie/TV star, Steve Austin lets loose on these no-holds barred, explicit versions of the program. Steve gets down and dirty with Hollywood celebrities, past wrestling buddies, present pros, MMA fighters, athletes, movie stuntmen and from time to time, you the working man (or woman).
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
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This Week in Tech
Your first podcast of the week is the last word in tech. Join the top tech pundits in a roundtable discussion of the latest trends in high tech.
Highlights
- The smallest startups are more transparent because they are desperate to get press coverage.
- Would you rather have water or internet?
- BuzzFeed is beating the New York Times.
- Speaking truth to power.
- The biggest boycott in human history.
- Cats instead of ads.
Listen
- Hosted by Leo Laporte
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on Stitcher
- Listen on TuneIn
- RSS
- @TWiT
- Show Notes
Thrilling Adventure Hour
A staged show in the style of old-time radio performed live, monthly at Largo at the Coronet in Hollywood. Starring all of your favorite stars from the worlds of television, film, comedy, animation, sketch, and the stage. Created and written by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
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The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss is a self-experimenter and bestselling author, best known for The 4-Hour Workweek, which has been translated into 40+ languages. Newsweek calls him “the world’s best human guinea pig,” and The New York Times calls him “a cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk.” In this show, he deconstructs world-class performers from eclectic areas (investing, chess, pro sports, etc.), digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can use.
Highlights
- Preschedule everything because the anticipation is half the fun.
- Before jumping into 2016 resolutions, review everything you loved and hated in 2015.
- Fasting can be an effective way to purge cancerous cells, but keep in mind that it isn’t the same as juice fasts and entering starvation mode.
- It’s harder to overcome failure when you’re stressed; enjoyment keeps you going.
- Every time you make a purchase you’re investing your money.
Listen
Waking Up with Sam Harris
Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the human mind, society, and current events. Sam Harris is the author of The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, and Waking Up. The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. His writing has been published in more than 20 languages. Mr. Harris and his work have been discussed in The New York Times, Time, Scientific American, Nature, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and many other journals. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Newsweek, The Times (London), The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, The Annals of Neurology, and elsewhere. Mr. Harris is a cofounder and the CEO of Project Reason, a nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. He received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
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Welcome to Night Vale
Twice-monthly community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. Turn on your radio and hide. Welcome to Night Vale. Produced by Night Vale Presents. Written by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. Narrated by Cecil Baldwin.
Highlights
Which episode should I listen to first? Let me know on Twitter!
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on Stitcher
- @NightValeRadio
- @CecilBaldwinIII
- @PlanetofFinks
- @happierman
- Show Notes
You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
Everybody has secret weirdness, Pete Holmes gets comedians to share theirs.
Highlights
- Being surprise drunk is the best drunk.
- Alcohol is an artificial fuel, it helps you waste a day while you wait for an exciting project.
- Codifying storytelling.
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You Must Remember This
You Must Remember This is a storytelling podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. It’s the brainchild and passion project of Karina Longworth (founder of Cinematical.com, former film critic for LA Weekly), who writes, narrates, records and edits each episode. It is a heavily-researched work of creative nonfiction: navigating through conflicting reports, mythology, and institutionalized spin, Karina tries to sort out what really happened behind the films, stars and scandals of the 20th century.
Highlights
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- Hosted by Karina Longworth
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @RememberThisPod
- Show Notes
New This Year
The Allusionist
Linguistic adventures with Helen Zaltzman for Radiotopia from PRX.
Highlights
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- Hosted by Helen Zaltzman
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @AllusionistShow
- Show Notes
Another Round
Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton cover everything from race, gender and pop culture to squirrels, mangoes, and bad jokes, all in one boozy show.
Highlights
- Finding a therapist is overwhelming, especially if you need one.
- You’re not broken if you don’t find a fit right away.
- You wouldn’t pray away the flu.
- Aparna Nancherla is like Eminem in 8 Mile.
- People have to hear you mumble for them to think you’re funny.
- How do you make jokes about depression?
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @anotherround
- @heavenrants
- @brokeymcpoverty
- Show Notes
Black List Table Reads
The Black List Table Reads takes the best and most exciting screenplays Hollywood hasn’t yet made, and turns them into movies, for your ears. Black List founder Franklin Leonard presents a new script every month read by a rotating cast of talented actors, along with interviews from the Hollywood screenwriting community and beyond.
Highlights
- As a screenwriter, Kimberly Barrante wondered if anyone will ever read her stack of stories.
- Grad school allows you to reinvent yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to talk to people, you never know who will be your next collaborator.
- A community helps you get over insecurities and identify potentially bad ideas.
Listen
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @franklinleonard
- @earmovies
- @theblcklst
- Show Notes
Explain Things To Me
Hosts Anna Akana and Brad Gage sit down with experts to discuss their various fields.
Highlights
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Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully. Part of the Panoply Network.
Highlights
- If you feel helpless, help others.
- Make decisions based on the present, humans are bad at predicting the future.
- Have an uncomfortable conversation with loved ones, for example about wills, debt, and other important decisions that you’ve been delaying.
- Speak in a calm voice and see things from other people’s perspective.
Listen
- Hosted by Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on Stitcher
- Show Notes
Hello from the Magic Tavern
Hi. I’m Arnie. I fell through a portal behind a Burger King into the magical land of Foon. I’m still trying to get my bearings, but I have my podcasting gear and get a weak WiFi signal from the Burger King so I figured I might as well set up shop at the nearby inn and interview some people. When in Foon…
Highlights
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Home of the Brave
Home of the Brave: new and old stories from “This American Life” contributor Scott Carrier.
Highlights
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HUNT the TRUTH
HUNT the TRUTH is a fictional investigative audio series set in the universe of HALO. Starting just before the events of HALO 5: Guardians, season one of HUNT the TRUTH follows journalist Benjamin Giraud (Keegan-Michael Key) as he investigates the story behind the Master Chief, humanity’s greatest and most mysterious hero. As inconsistencies in the story emerge, Ben is faced with toeing the government line or cutting rank and breaking the conspiracy wide open. The second season picks up with rebel leader, FERO (Janina Gavankar). As FERO is forced to confront ghosts from her past, something far more sinister begins to stir in the outer colonies. HUNT the TRUTH is presented by XBOX and 343 Industries, makers of HALO 5: Guardians.
Highlights
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Invisibilia
Invisibilia (Latin for all the invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior — ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller and Alix Spiegel, Invisibilia interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently.
Highlights
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- Hosted by Alix Spiegel and Lulu Miller
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on Stitcher
- RSS
- @NPRinvisibilia
- Show Notes
Lore
Lore is a bi-weekly podcast about the history behind scary stories. The people, places, and things of our darkest nightmares all have real facts at their core. Each episode of Lore looks into a uniquely scary tale and uncovers the truth of what’s behind it. Sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.
Highlights
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The Mortified Podcast
The Mortified Podcast is a storytelling series where adults share the embarrassing things they created as kids — diaries, letters, lyrics & beyond — in front of total strangers. PS: It totally likes you. A proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.
Highlights
- An English teacher reads from her diary full of grammatical errors.
- Becoming as confident to others as you view yourself.
- An overconfident nerd stands up for herself while judging cotton.
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Pistol Shrimps Radio
Pistol Shrimps Radio! Get the thrilling courtside action delivered straight to your ears by venerable sports acknowledgers Matt Gourley and Mark McConville. Brought to you weekly, but seasonally, wherever fine podcasts are downloaded. Support the Los Angeles Women’s Rec Basketball League no matter which jersey you wear. ‘Fight the rivalry, and feel the bleed. Live to dream, Die for your team.’ — Shelly Long
Highlights
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- Hosted by Mark McConville and Matt Gourley
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @shrimpsradio
- @PistolShrimpsBB
- Show Notes
Pop Rocket
Pop Rocket is a high-octane weekly discussion of the culture we all love to love. Join host Guy Branum and panelists Wynter Mitchell, Oliver Wang and Margaret Wappler for smart, funny and sometimes sweary chat about everything great in entertainment. Combining comic, journalistic, academic and digital media expertise, the Pop Rocket team will keep you up-to-date on what’s most exciting in pop culture this week.
Highlights
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- Hosted by Guy Branum
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- RSS
- @PopRocket
- @MargaretWappler
- @oliverswang
- @KWEENEVERYTHING
- Show Notes
The RobCast
The RobCast is a weekly podcast by Rob Bell
Highlights
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Snoop Dogg’s GGN Podcast
Wake and bake cuz! Down to smoke one with your big homie Snoop Dogg? Well, here I is and here’s your shot neffew. Get up close and personal with me — the one and only Snoop Dogg each week on my official GGN podcast. This podcast right here is hosted by none other than me…yours truly…music legend and pop culture icon… Snoop D-O-double G ya dig?!? This is nuthin but a smoked out session rolled tightly into podcast form that features me choppin’ game with and doin’ full-length interviews with a who’s who from the entertainment world. Listen to some funny ass comedic tales or me bustin’ some off tha cuff freestyles. Man, me and my guests speak on everything related to popular culture. No one does uncensored and uncut quite like ya boy Big Snoop…aka Finding Nemo…aka Nemo Hoes. And now I’m inviting you to blaze one up with us and jump on in.
Highlights
- Wax’s music didn’t really get big in the US, but is very popular abroad.
- Snoop Dogg and Wax freestyle.
- Edibles don’t have an off button.
- Snoop Dogg is a pro at cracking eggs.
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SPONTANEANATION with Paul F. Tompkins
SPONTANEANATION WITH PAUL F. TOMPKINS is a completely improvised show, from monologue to interview to narrative sketch. Join Paul, his special guests, his incredibly talented improviser friends, and accompanist Eban Schletter for an hour of comedy that none of them ever see coming.
Highlights
- Does everyone deserve to be heard?
- Kids should feel heard, but you don’t need to listen to their rambling.
- In a big family, the children are a loud audience wanting the attention of a stand up.
- Improving a scene at a Kay Jewelers in a mall.
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- Hosted by Paul F. Tompkins
- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- @SPONTANEANATION
- RSS
- Show Notes
Think Again — a Big Think Podcast
We surprise some of the world’s brightest minds with ideas they’re not at all prepared to discuss. With host Jason Gots and special guests Salman Rushdie, Saul Williams, Henry Rollins, Bill Nye, George Takei, Maira Kalman, Junot Diaz, Maria Konnikova, and many more . . . You’ve got 10 minutes with Einstein. What do you talk about? Black holes? Time travel? Why not gambling? The Art of War? Contemporary parenting? Some of the best conversations happen when we’re pushed outside of our comfort zones. So each week on Think Again, we surprise smart people you’ve probably heard of with hand-picked gems from Big Think’s interview archives on every imaginable subject. The conversation could go anywhere. SINCE 2008, BIG THINK has captured on video the best ideas of the world’s leading thinkers and doers in every field, renowned experts including neurologist Oliver Sacks, physicist Stephen Hawking, behavioral psychologist Daniel Kahneman, authors Margaret Atwood and Marylinne Robinson, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, painter Chuck Close, and philosopher Daniel Dennett.
Highlights
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Undisclosed: The State Vs. Adnan Syed
In the wake of Serial, much new evidence and information has been discovered and uncovered thanks to the investigations of attorneys Susan Simpson, Colin Miller, and the Adnan Syed Legal Trust. “Undisclosed” will examine and explore the case in greater detail, from an investigatory perspective instead of a narrative one.
Highlights
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What’s Tech?
We live in the future, where drones skim the sky, corporations enter the space race, and smart watches track our every movement. But how? And why? What’s Tech invites experts to explain the technology bit by bit, in clear, brief, enjoyable audio nuggets. These days, technology is everywhere. Let’s make sense of what’s around us.
Highlights
- Reblogging used to be controversial.
- Chris Neukirchen came up with the original tumblelog.
- Every social media network goes through a phase where they pay creators for original content.
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Recent Debuts
#girlboss radio
On each episode, Nasty Gal founder and author of #Girlboss Sophia Amoruso interviews world-class girlbosses who have made their mark in creative, cultural, and business ventures to extract solid advice from the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Expect hilarious co-hosts and conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. On this podcast Sophia hopes to humanize the known, champion the unknown, and, well, laugh a little about the absurdity that is life. Are you ready?
Highlights
- Life is like a rabbit hole, things happen serendipitously if you keep on digging.
- Sophia Amoruso got married for the sake of her future kids.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff, and stop taking things personally.
- Find what’s worth waking up at 5am, and be prepared to work twice as hard as everyone else.
- Get outside of your bubble.
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The Big Podcast With Shaq
Much bigger than sports, “The Big Podcast with Shaq” is fun, topical, and slightly irreverent. Shaquille O’Neal talks news, entertainment, controversy, and the crazy life of the Diesel himself. Shaq and his sports sidekick, John Kincade never know who will show up to shoot the proverbial shh..uh, well, you know.
Highlights
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The Bill Simmons Podcast
HBO’s Bill Simmons relaunches the most downloaded sports podcast of all-time with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes and media members, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House and other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
Highlights
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- Previous Episodes
- Listen on iTunes
- Listen on SoundCloud
- Listen on Stitcher
- @BillSimmons
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The Black Tapes Podcast
The Black Tapes is a weekly podcast from the creators of Pacific Northwest Stories, and is hosted by Alex Reagan. The Black Tapes Podcast is a serialized docudrama about one journalist’s search for truth, her subject’s mysterious past, and the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both. Do you believe?
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Dear Hank & John
Hank and John Green (YouTubers and etc) answer questions, give questionable advice, and talk about Mars (the planet) and AFC Wimbledon (the 4th tier English football club).
Highlights
- Business cards make you sick.
- What’s your favourite bridge? > Where are you from?
- Drinking someone else’s cereal milk is very intimate.
- Clickbait Epidemic.
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- Hosted by Hank and John Green
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The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.
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Hidden Brain
A conversation about life’s unseen patterns.
Highlights
- For the last 60 years, economists have devoted their time to studying fictional characters.
- Mental accounting is the reason why you can’t catch a cab on a rainy day.
- The source of money affects the way we spend our money.
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- Hosted by Shankar Vedantam
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- @HiddenBrain
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History on Fire
Where history and epic collide — “History on Fire” is a podcast by author and university professor Daniele Bolelli.
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The Late Show Podcast
Stephen, and other people who work on the show, talk about putting the show together. Then, you listen to it.
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Limetown
Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. In this seven-part podcast, American Public Radio host Lia Haddock asks the question once more, “What happened to the people of Limetown?”
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Magic Lessons
MAGIC LESSONS are road maps for the path to creativity, the extra nudge you need when you’re feeling stuck. In alternating episodes, Elizabeth Gilbert talks to people who are facing creative challenges and to guest experts, to offer perspective, advice, and inspiration. Gilbert is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of EAT PRAY LOVE and BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR (publishing on September 22, 2015). The podcast is produced by MaximumFun.org and Riverhead Books.
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The New Yorker Radio Hour
David Remnick is joined by The New Yorker’s award-winning writers, editors, and artists to present a weekly mix of profiles, storytelling, and insightful conversations about the issues that matter ― plus an occasional blast of comic genius from the magazine’s legendary Shouts and Murmurs page. The New Yorker has set a standard in journalism for generations, and The New Yorker Radio Hour gives it a voice on public radio for the first time. Produced by The New Yorker and WNYC Studios.
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Only Human
Only Human is a podcast about making the most of our health, whether we’re training for a marathon, overcoming an illness, or trying not to go broke paying for healthcare. Hosted by Mary Harris, Only Human is a show where we’re not afraid to have uncomfortable conversations, and experiment with possible solutions. Only Human. Because every body has a story.
Highlights
- What do we know about calories?
- We can only absorb around 70% of calories in almonds, walnuts, and pistachios.
- Cooking frees up more calories.
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Polygon Minimap
A daily audio tour through the latest news about video games, related technologies and culture.
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Question of the Day
Question of the Day is the show for listeners who are short on time and long on curiosity. It is a fast-paced conversation between author and entrepreneur James Altucher and Freakonomics co-author Stephen Dubner: two smart, unconventional thinkers who have been talking together for years, often over a long-running backgammon match. Now they are letting you in on the game, too. You will quickly become addicted to their wonderful, wry observations as they ponder each Question of the Day.
Highlights
- Little habits have the power for good or bad.
- Meta habits are habits to optimize habits.
- Increase your social circle by responding to old emails as if they were just written.
- Write 10 ideas a day to transform your life.
- Think of 3–5 things you’re grateful for when you wake up.
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- Hosted by James Altucher and Stephen J. Dubner
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- @QOD
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The SourceFed Podcast
Join the gang from the YouTube channel SourceFed as they discuss nothing and everything at the same time. If you give us your ears for an hour, I promise you will regret it.
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- Hosted by Reina Scully, Maudie Garrett, William Haynes, Matt Lieberman, Leonard Wilkes, and DJ Wooldridge.
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Surprisingly Awesome
A show hosted by Adams Davidson and McKay that reveals the hidden awesomeness in everyday things. From Gimlet Media.
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- Hosted by Adams Davidson and Adam McKay
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- @SurprisingShow
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Trends Like These
Trends Like These is a weekly round-up of what’s trending on Facebook, Twitter and all over the Internet. Brought to you every Monday and Thursday by Travis McElroy and Brent Black.
Highlights
- Ketchup Doritos are like grape soda.
- That’swhatshesaid - a solo performance using only female dialogue from the most-produced plays in America.
- YouTubers try to trademark a format that belongs to the internet.
- Beyoncé takes a stand.
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- @TrendsLikeThese
- @brentalfloss
- @travismcelroy
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Vogue Podcast
Vogue Podcast Series, hosted by André Leon Talley
Highlights
- Vogue’s September issue has a broader reach, probably thanks to R.J. Cutler’s documentary.
- Lee Daniels, the creator of Empire, is fearless as a result of his rough childhood.
- Anna Wintour’s first September issue had Naomi Campbell on the cover. She was the first black model to appear on the cover, and executives were stunned.
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What’s The Point
A show about our data age. Each week, Jody Avirgan brings you stories and interviews on how data is changing our lives.
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Most Downloaded
99% Invisible
Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible (99 Percent Invisible) is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. From award winning producer Roman Mars, KALW in San Francisco, and Radiotopia from PRX.
Highlights
- Looking for lost mail.
- The USPS Mail Recovery Center auctioned off paintings full of pot and containers full of ashes.
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The Adam Carolla Show
Welcome to the Adam Carolla Show! The new home for the rantings and ravings of Adam Carolla. The Adam Carolla Show is the #1 Daily Downloaded Podcast in the World. GET IT ON as Adam shares his thoughts on current events, relationships, airport security, specialty pizzas, politics, and anything else he can complain about. Five days a week and completely uncensored, Adam welcomes a wide range of guests to join him in studio for in depth interviews and a front row seat to his unparalleled ranting. Let’s not forget Bryan Bishop (Bald Bryan) on sound effects. Check it out as Adam hangs out with some of his pals like: Larry Miller, David Allen Grier, Dr. Drew Pinksy, Dana Gould, Doug Benson, and many, many more.
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The Dan Patrick Show on PodcastOne
Listen to the Dan Patrick daily radio show. With exclusive insider access, Patrick brings A-list guests from the world of sports and entertainment to The Dan Patrick Show. Sharing his perspective on pop culture and sports, Patrick also brings a dose of humor to his fans.
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The Dave Ramsey Show
The Dave Ramsey Show is about real life and how it revolves around money. Dave Ramsey teaches you to manage and budget your money, get out of debt, build wealth, and live in financial peace. Managing your money properly will reduce stress, improve your marriage, and provide security for you and your family.
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Freakonomics Radio
Have fun discovering the hidden side of everything with host Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the best-selling “Freakonomics” books. Each week, hear surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his “Freakonomics” co-author Steve Levitt. After just a few episodes, this podcast will have you too thinking like a Freak. Produced by WNYC Studios, home of other great podcasts such as “Radiolab,” “Death, Sex & Money,” and “On the Media.”
Highlights
- How success can be gained by people who little is expected of.
- The music business is best for those who have a capacity to weather a chain of disappointments.
- Tom Petty wrote songs about failed romances that sometimes only happened in his mind.
- Being in a band was an invaluable education, and it wasn’t particularly fun.
- If you don’t talk about your dreams with those closest to you, it gets dysfunctional.
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Fresh Air
Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio’s most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today’s biggest luminaries.
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The Glenn Beck Program
Listen to The Glenn Beck Radio Program, Monday through Friday, 9am — 12pm ET for FREE on TheBlaze Radio Network. www.theblaze.com/radio
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Global News Podcast
The day’s top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.
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The Joe Rogan Experience
The podcast of Comedian Joe Rogan.
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The Moth Podcast
Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country.
Highlights
- Filming The Brady Bunch was like going to camp with your mom.
- Hidden folders aren’t not as hidden as you think.
- Storytelling keeps you connected to the past, but it can also give you some much-needed distance.
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The Nerdist
I am Chris Hardwick. I am on TV a lot and have a blog at nerdist.com. This podcast is basically just me talking about stuff and things with my two nerdy friends Jonah Ray and Matt Mira, and usually someone more famous than all of us. Occasionally we swear because that is fun. I hope you like it, but if you don’t I’m sure you will not hesitate to unfurl your rage in the ‘reviews’ section because that’s how the Internet works.
Highlights
- Reminiscing about the 90s: social networks, MTV, baggy jeans, and Spring Break.
- Sending pics on Friendster, then Myspace, then Facebook, and now Snapchat.
- Can you be alone?
- Writing and shooting is like buying paint, you make your movie in the edit room.
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- Hosted by Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray, and Matt Mira
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- @nerdist
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Planet Money
Money makes the world go around, faster and faster every day. On NPR’s Planet Money, you’ll meet high rollers, brainy economists and regular folks — all trying to make sense of our rapidly changing global economy.
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PTI
Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon face off on the day’s hottest topics.
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Radiolab
A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder.
Highlights
- Being happy in Cuba when you didn’t have any information other than what the government let you know.
- From setting a good example to becoming a friki.
- Rock music was the enemy.
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Serial
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial unfolds one story — a true story — over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns. Sarah won’t know what happens at the end of the story until she gets there, not long before you get there with her. Each week she’ll bring you the latest chapter, so it’s important to listen in, starting with Episode 1. New episodes are released on Thursday mornings.
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Snap Judgment
Snap Judgment (Storytelling, with a BEAT) mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic, kick-ass radio. Snap’s raw, musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another.
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- Hosted by Glynn Washington
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- Listen on TuneIn
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- @snapjudgment
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Stuff You Missed in History Class
What’s the story of Louisa May Alcott? Who were some other notable members of the Alcott family? Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by HowStuffWorks.com.
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Stuff You Should Know
How do landfills work? How do mosquitos work? Join Josh and Chuck as they explore the Stuff You Should Know about everything from genes to the Galapagos in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Highlights
- Why is Cap’n Crunch Looking Down at My Child?
- The gaze detection system.
- Scopaesthesia is a widespread illusion.
- A stare will make you do the right thing.
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- Hosted by Josh Clark and Charles (Chuck) Bryant
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- @SYSKPodcast
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TED Radio Hour
The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on Talks given by riveting speakers on the world-renowned TED stage, each show is centered on a common theme — such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, or inexplicable connections. The TED Radio Hour is hosted by Guy Raz, and is a co-production of NPR & TED.
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TEDTalks
TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. On this feed, you’ll find TEDTalks video to inspire, intrigue and stir the imagination from some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers, speaking from the stage at TED conferences, TEDx events and partner events around the world. This podcast is also available in high-def video and audio-only formats.
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This American Life
This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 1.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.
Highlights
- The last Mr. Genola contest.
- Laughing when the threat has past.
- When a funny tape from the 60’s becomes educational.
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Undisclosed: The State Vs. Adnan Syed
In the wake of Serial, much new evidence and information has been discovered and uncovered thanks to the investigations of attorneys Susan Simpson, Colin Miller, and the Adnan Syed Legal Trust. “Undisclosed” will examine and explore the case in greater detail, from an investigatory perspective instead of a narrative one.
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Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
NPR’s weekly current events quiz. Have a laugh and test your news knowledge while figuring out what’s real and what we’ve made up.
Highlights
- Feelings and the people who feel them.
- Mumblecore is a subgenre, not a reference to the adults in Peanuts.
- Famous sibling rivalry.
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Welcome to Night Vale
Twice-monthly community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. Turn on your radio and hide. Welcome to Night Vale. Produced by Night Vale Presents. Written by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. Narrated by Cecil Baldwin.
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- @NightValeRadio
- @CecilBaldwinIII
- @PlanetofFinks
- @happierman
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WTF with Marc Maron Podcast
Comedian Marc Maron is tackling the most complex philosophical question of our day — WTF? He’ll get to the bottom of it with help from comedian friends, celebrity guests and the voices in his own head.
Highlights
- Wyatt Cenac always wanted to be a performer, but had to keep it secret to please his parents.
- Being a receptionist isn’t the path to becoming a SNL cast member.
- Always be true to yourself, and know that life is bigger than this moment.
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