Podcast Playlist

Arts and culture podcasts to keep you in the know

From Star Wars women, to the rise of Wu Tang Clan's ODB, to the reclamation of hotel art - we've got podcasts to keep you cultured.

Yet we will never use the term, "culture vulture."

One of my biggest pet peeves is being unable to identify the beat of a song. In a lot of ways music can be mathematical, and sometimes even predictable - keeping in time allows listeners to make sense of it all. But the first time I listened to The Shaggs, all of these principles were thrown out the window.

This episode of Lost Notes brings us the story behind The Shaggs and their unexpected rise to fame. To put it nicely, their sound is…indescribable. But there's just something about their music that's so endearing, once you get past the initial atonal clanging you want to hear more.

What makes Lost Notes so compelling is its unique ability to bring such wacky and wonderful stories to light. Just like The Shaggs, this podcast is truly one-of-kind. That's why it's my pick of the week.

-Kelsey Cueva, Intern, Podcast Playlist.


Podcasts featured this week:

Decoder Ring: When you think of hotel art, you probably think of kitsch, mass-produced oil paintings, Bob Ross landscapes, maybe even some works on velvet. But this is an outmoded idea, with hotels now boasting of their impressive art programs full of original works.

The Ted Interview: Elizabeth Gilbert — the author of Eat Pray Love — shares her thoughts on creativity, explaining how and why the Muses strike when they do.

Heat Rocks: "Ain't no father to his style." That's how Ol' Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB) was introduced to the world on 1993's Enter the 36 Chambers. On the first Wu Tang album, so overloaded with personalities, it was hard to pluck him out of the stream and think "he might be the Clan's most memorable talent". But two years later, ODB put the world on notice with Return to the 36 Chambers.

Lost Notes: The story of how the Shaggs came to be a band is almost as unbelievable as the music they produced.

What the Force?: An interview with Amy Richau about her blog 365 days of Star Wars Women where everyday she highlighted a different woman from the Star Wars universe whether it be the films, comics - or women from the cast and crew.

Culture Gabfest: The gabbers are joined by TV critic Willa Paskin to discuss their novel-reading philosophies—and debate whether it's better to power through the ones you hate.

FULL CANADIAN BROADCAST VERSION:


What podcasts do you listen to to stay cultured? Email, tweet us @PodcastPlaylist, or find us on Facebook.

For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, subscribe in Apple Podcasts.