Wait a second... this audiobook sounds like a podcast
Studying our voices, for the Abbott fans, best advice to start the year, epic last meals, yoga gurus, a rom-com analysis, catchiest game show song, the sunshine boy
Hello! Thank you so much for being here. I’m so grateful to all the fellow podcast newsletters that shouted out Podstack over the past week. I made a stack of pancakes on the weekend to celebrate and the sun finally came out after weeks of grey skies, so I’m taking that as a good sign! I’m so excited to share more podcasts with you.
I’d also like to thank my mom (who I hope manages to find this newsletter in her inbox), for reminding me of the importance of transcripts! I usually try to link to transcripts every chance I can, but forgot to last week. I’ve updated that list with all available transcripts and you can expect to see them linked from now on. She wanted them so that she can take notes as she’s listening, especially for information heavy podcasts. As someone who markets and writes about podcasts, I love them for being able to grab quotes and search for moments I want to reference properly. And for any podcast that wants to expand their audience in 2023 and help more people enjoy their show, I advise you to make transcripts available for your show!
Featured: Inside Voice
Now, on to this week’s podcast pondering, which actually isn’t a podcast… it’s an audiobook. Or is it? I was immediately curious about Lake Bell’s new audiobook Inside Voice as soon as I heard about it. With all the audio content I consume and some of the voice-related conversations that come up in podcasting, I wanted to hear what Lake had learned about our voices. Except when I hit play, it was not an audiobook I was hearing! At least, not any kind of audiobook I’d heard before. It was essentially Lake as the host, with interviews, transitional narration, archival audio, sound design, and music. It felt like a podcast! Either Pushkin is on to something about packaging up potential podcasts into audiobooks as a revenue model or I’m seriously out of touch with the production style of audiobooks these days.
Regardless, I finished the whole “book” this week and absolutely loved every second! It covers how and why we perceive different voices, especially when it comes to who we trust, who we are quick to write off, and how we feel about our own voices. From voice coaches, to the science of vocal chords, to accents and impressions, Lake takes you through every aspect of voices. And she genuinely has a blast doing it! She’s captivated by her guests, humbled by their honesty, and gracious about allowing them to self reflect. It feels so much shorter than 6 hours and 30mins because of how well paced each chapter is, but I also feel like there was so much information packed in I might have to listen again!
Time for the traditional podcasts!
Into It - Sheryl Lee Ralph Teaches the Children
If you want to immediately be in a better mood I advise you to do the following: watch Abbott Elementary and listen to Sheryl Lee Ralph’s interview with Sam Sanders on Into It. Her energy and positivity are so beautiful I listened twice (a month apart). I went back to it just to soak up the good feelings again. It’s a live interview, recorded in front of an audience, which I find can be hit or miss sometimes, but I think it worked perfectly for this. Also, when Sam thanks Sheryl for the cameo message she recorded for him I teared up a little. Her outlook and advice on careers and life is so inspiring. This episode really has a bit of everything! And if you want a little more Abbott, Quinta Brunson… sorry Golden Globe Winning Actress Quinta Brunson’s interview on WTF with Marc Maron makes for an interesting follow-up. She’s super hesitant about doing an interview on a podcast, but you can feel her start to relax and enjoy it. Marc’s genuine interest and excitement over her stories seems to help! Sometimes I like just studying his interview style and how he connects with people. (condensed transcript for Into It)
The Best Advice Show - A Spiral Year: 23 voices on change, purpose and meaning
New Year’s resolutions can be cliche and not that helpful, so instead take some unique and heartfelt advice from The Best Advice Show. This episode is a collection of advice from over the year. Zak blends them together with narration to introduce the different themes, soothing music, and reflections on his own experiences. My favourite part was about making more time for things that are creative, playful or just for you. I love a good audio montage like this. So fun to make and delightful to listen to.
Your Last Meal with Rachel Belle - Christina Tosi: Never Ending Desserts Instead of Dinner
Add this one to the list of shows I can’t believe I’ve never listened to before. Great interviews about food, with history lessons about food in the middle? It’s like it was made for me. The episode with Christina Tosi, one of my favourite chefs, is a great one to start with. Learn the history of birthday cakes and join me in appreciating Christina’s love for allll desserts, from the fancy as heck to the grocery store gems. Also, the episode with Sona Movsesian (aka Conan O’Brien’s assistant and podcast co-host) is a fascinating listen if you’re curious about the history and business of In ‘n Out Burger. I didn’t think there would be, but there’s actually a lot of thought put into the way it differentiates itself from other burger joints. Plus, Sona talks about soooo many delicious foods. I’m hungry.
Imperfect Paradise - Queen of Conspiracy Theories
Imperfect Paradise hooked me more than I thought it would and I love being surprised like that. It’s why I try to check out as many different shows as I can. The first episode introduces you to Guru Jagat, a woman who built a bit of a yoga girl boss cult and really fell down the QAnon rabbit hole when the pandemic started. Conspiracy theories and the wellness industry seem to intersect more than we realize, although Maintenance Phase might’ve taught us that already. This is an investigative series that uses audio clips from Guru Jagat’s public videos/classes, interviews with former students, and expert insights about this world. The 30 minute episode was paced and structured so well that I was genuinely shocked when it was over already.
Blank Check - When Harry Met Sally… with Dana Stevens
Blank Check is one of my comfort pods that I usually reserve for long drives, since they tend to be pretty long episodes. If you haven’t listened before, hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims have an impressive knowledge of film history, research to fill in any gaps, and so much enthusiasm they sometimes don’t let each other or their guests finish their thoughts. It’s a lot of fun! And who doesn’t love When Harry Met Sally? It’s a classic that you’ll see in a whole new light and definitely want to re-watch once you learn all the fascinating things from behind the scenes. Like which real-life relationship actually inspired some of Harry and Sally’s dynamic, which scene took over 60 takes to get right (no, it’s not that scene), but there is a lot of great stuff about that iconic scene.
Unexplainable - Unexplainable or Not: Bikes, planes, ice skates
I tend to randomly tune into Unexplainable, so I’ve never heard their game show before and it’s a blast! The concept involves a guest, in this case Avery Trufelman (Articles of Interest), listening to three different scientific explanations of things (bikes, ice, and turbulence) and then having to guess which one scientists have actually figured out the explanation for. It’s a great way to learn what we do and don’t know. But the real reason I’m adding this show to the list is the song at the end of the episode. It’s stuck in my head and I want you to join me in that delight. Listen to the whole episode or skip to 24:20 for the song. (transcript hopefully available here soon)
Mobituaries with Mo Rocca - John Denver: Death of the Sunshine Boy
Let’s see if my mom made it all the way to the bottom, because this one is basically for her (sorry there’s no transcript). I always knew of John Denver because he is one of my mom’s favourite musicians, but I didn’t really know much about his career or his life. Like so many things, his reputation, work, and personal life were more complicated, but I’ve always seen his music as having a softness and simplicity. This episode takes you behind the scenes of what his life was like and gives you look at what the music industry was like back then. Mo Rocca is an expert at mixing in interviews, including one with Denver’s ex-wife, archival audio, and his own insights from the research. It’s a history lesson that’s mixed like a story.
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!