The Podcast Playlist – March 2020

As much as this website encourages people to disconnect, podcasts are one of those things that are an exception to that rule. They’re incredible. And they can make the mundane (doing laundry, riding the bus, ironing or shining shoes) nothing short of extraordinary. Each month our resident podcast connoisseur, Dave I., finds three podcasts worth your time and ears. 

 

Popcast

I subscribed to the New York Times Popcast podcast a little over three years ago and I cannot recommend the podcast enough. Hosted by Jon Caramanica, the New York Times pop music critic, each episode covers a different topic in the music business. I know there are many music focused podcasts out there, but what I like about Popcast is the discussion that takes place between Jon and his co-hosts. The hosts are music lovers and the debates the hosts have – is Twenty One Pilots a rock band or not for example – are genuine. While the show might be called ‘Popcast’ the podcast does not solely focus on pop music. The November 9, 2018 episode “Remembering Roy Hargrove, Who Brought Jazz History Into Tomorrow” was a good listen, as was the December 8, 2019 show “Would Prince Have Wanted His Rough Drafts Made Public“. Finally, the January 17, 2020 episode “How TikTok is Killing the Radio Songwriter” was an interesting listen on how technology is impacting the music business.

 

Fake Heiress

If you met a young woman and she told you she was a Russian Heiress, would you believe her? What if she asked you to invest money in her charity? Fake Heiress is the true investigation into real life fraudster Anna Vadimovna Sorokina aka Anna DeIvey who managed to con her way in to New York high society. The podcast is meticulously researched and reported by BBC reporters Vicky Baker and Chloe Moss. The reporters trace Anna’s beginnings in Domodedovo, Russia, her rise as a New York socialite, and her eventual conviction on criminal charges of grand larceny, second degree larceny, and theft of services. I think what makes this series of six podcasts such a compelling listen are two fold. One, the podcast clearly illustrates the lengths people will go to for fame and wealth. And two, just how easy it is for normally cautious individuals to throw caution to the wind and be willing to accept the “best” in people.

 

HBR IdeaCast

From the Harvard Business Review, the HBR IdeaCast is a weekly 20 – 30 minute podcast covering a wide range of topics with leaders in business and management. There are three things I like about this podcast. One, the episodes are almost always under 30 minutes. Two, the episodes are self contained and three, the differing topics each week frequently holds my interest. I hesitate to recommend any one particular episode because what I find of interest may not be of interest to everyone. With that in mind, I think “The Art of Asking for (and Getting) Help” from December 17, 2019 was excellent. As someone who works with technology daily, “How Robots and AI Are Changing Job Training” from August 6, 2019 was interesting. Finally because I am frequently trying to balance work, physical fitness, family time and personal time, “The Science Behind Sleep and High Performance” from September 4, 2018 was a good listen.

About the author: Dave I. has been a Dappered reader for several years. His interest in fashion started with shoes and expanded to encompass watches, suits, and general men’s style. When not thinking about his next purchase he can be found enjoying a pint of locally brewed craft beer.