Staying true to the random queue
Fake lakes, arts education, disappearances in El Salvador, the ultimate girl talk, pornhub mess, braaam.
I know my queue can fall into patterns or certain topics pretty often, but I think this podstack might be a prime example of just how random it can be too. That applies to subject matter and style. There were some that I knew were going to be right up my alley and some fascinating surprises. Isn’t that half the fun of podcast listening? I think new podcast listeners can feel intimidated by checking out a new show, but that kinda confuses me. It can be a far lower barrier to entry than a whole book, movie, or TV show. I hope this inspires you to check out something you might not normally listen to!
This week’s podstack
Canardian - Southeast Calgary, AB: If he wanted to he would (ft. Jess Schmidt)
Calgary, aka Meat City. Calgary, aka if he wanted to he would. Calgary, aka ten small towns stitched together. Canardian is about to be your new favourite niche Canadian podcast, but it’s not even that niche. It’s showcasing all the charms and challenges of towns across Canada, with insider stories that only residents can weigh in on. The first episode is about Calgary, Alberta and opens with introducing us to McKenzie Lake, which is a fake lake that a suburb was built around. Having visited one of these fake lake + suburb combos before, I was so curious to learn more! And it turns out people can get pretty passionate about getting lake access! But as host Kattie Laur does best, she makes sure we go deeper and get a very full picture of what Calgary was and is. From the colonialism of its history, its own Mr. Burns business tycoon, and even some haunted happenings, this is how you get to know a place. To help Kattie, Jess Schmidt (host of Rooked) joins and relives her life growing up there and how Calgary really compares to other places across Canada. I’m obsessed with this show’s balance of fun, history, and travel. Also the theme song!! The great segments it’s organized into!
Arts Educators Save the World - Lin-Manuel Miranda & Robert Lopez (Part 1)
The name of this show says everything you need to know about what each episode proves. Through conversations between artists and the mentors that made them who they are, you really get to appreciate the value and power of arts educators and education. Hearing Lin-Manuel Miranda talk about the ways his elementary music teacher made him feel seen and empowered to express his creativity makes you so thankful for teachers like his who go above and beyond to help people realize their artistic potential. There’s also an episode between a renowned ceramist and his former student that will remind you of the importance of giving young people the opportunity to just experiment with art. And making sure they have the materials to do so! I liked how they talked about encouraging students to freely create and explore art by de-emphasizing grades. The episode with Dana Stevens is a fun and critical look at the way arts educators and educational spaces are portrayed in films. They do this by discussing the films Dead Poets Society, Camp, and Whiplash. There are just way too many great episodes in this show that will remind you of the importance of art, creativity, and empowering the expression of it.
HUMO: Murder and Silence in El Salvador - The Grave - Episode 1
When a psychopathic killer is caught and confessed to murdering dozens of women, you’d think it would be a straightforward resolution. But this series reveals the complexities of what happens when the police and government have other priorities. So they censor the story and put journalists at risk and give families of the victims no or late resolutions. It’s the complexity of the crisis of disappearances in El Salvador. Each episode of this series reveals a layer of the story. By episode three, the censorship and corruption is driving the story and the desire to keep listening. There are some violent descriptions in the series, which would normally make it something I wouldn’t listen to, but I found myself unable to stop. I think it’s the sign of good writing, structure, and production. Good thing all the episodes are available now!
This show surprised me in all the best ways. I mean it so sincerely when I say the production style and energy completely blew me away! If you’re looking for a podcast that has great storytelling centered around hyping up women, healing from heartbreak, and channeling confident energy this needs to be a regular in your queue. Host Jayna Marie has been hyping women up in the make-up chair for years as a make-up artist for weddings and she’s also got some of her own movie-level stories that will make your jaw drop. Every single part of the show is created with intention and crafted to make it engaging for every second you’re listening. Seriously, I’m obsessed with the sound design and I can’t listen to episodes fast enough!
Understood - Episode 1: Free porn for everyone
This Pornhub Empire series from Understood weaves through the history of pornhub by making you appreciate the intense impact that the internet and streaming had on the industry. It’s proof of what can happen when the technology is new, it’s being used in big ways, and gets so big that it’s quickly abused. It made me think that this is an important example to keep in mind as we see how fast AI is growing and already being used for dangerous purposes. They touch on this in the series too, because obviously it’s already happening. If you’ve ever thought about the way services like YouTube and Netflix have impacted people’s consumption of entertainment, this will give you that understanding about porn. What happens when it goes from only being distributed by specific rental stores, to being online? The possibilities were too vast too quickly. I also appreciate that this series is only four episodes long. I flew through it so fast!
Reasonably Sound - 33: The Braaam™
This is the story of a sound that became known as the sonic blueprint for action movies, although it mostly appears in their trailers. It’s also known as The Inception sound, since that’s where it’s notoriety stems from. Hans Zimmer takes and gets a lot of credit for it, even though others contributed to it in the movie. This episode manages to be both technical and very artistic in the way it helps us learn the conception of this sound and how it works. If you like the way Twenty Thousand Hertz dissects sounds, you’ll love this. It’s making me think differently and pay closer attention to the sounds used in movies and I’ve already noticed more braaams than I would’ve before! Thank you to Wil Williams for putting this episode on my radar!
More sweet treats
Vibe Check brings an appreciation for and fresh perspective on poetry.
I can’t stop watching these optical illusion paintings.
I have a small cameo in an episode of Trailer Park about Twenty Thousand Hertz!
Thank you for reading! If you listened to something this week that made your heart sing, your imagination wander, or your brain ponder, I’d love to hear about it!
Thank you for reviewing Canardian Devin!! I'm so glad you loved it!