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.
American Scandal
The truth, as the saying goes, always comes out. This is the foundation of the American Scandal podcast, a podcast dedicated to discussing some of the biggest scandals in American history. What makes this podcast standout from all of the other ‘true crime’ podcasts is the breadth of topics covered. Told from the point of view of someone curious to know ‘how did this happen?’ or ‘who is being held accountable?’, American Scandal provides informative storytelling in an easy to understand and listen to format. Craving sports content? Give BALCO: Steroids and Snake Oil, episodes 1 – 6 listen. Or if political intrigue is of more interest then listen to Iran Contra, episodes 1 – 6. Finally, Enron episodes 1 – 5 gives the background to one of the largest financial frauds in US history.
Beef and Dairy Network
Have an interest in the beef and dairy industry? Looking for some surreal comedy? Then add this podcast to your podcast playlist. The Beef and Dairy Network focuses on all things beef and dairy with interviews, live shows, history, and some prime storytelling. Start out with episode 54 – Beefhead Day to learn all about this important holiday to beef producers around the world. Or, if milk is of more interest, check out episode 47 – Too Much Milk where host Benjamin Partridge answers the age old question about milk and milk ownership. Not wanting to focus solely on beef, episode 20 – Lamb Investigation Special is an excellent documentary bit on the lamb industry. As podcasts about the food industry go, not to mention being damn funny, the Beef and Dairy Network podcast is not to be missed.
Broken Record
Created by Malcolm Gladwell, Rick Rubin and Bruce Headlam, Broken Record is a podcast focusing on conversations with musicians from all musical genres. Each episode feels and sounds conversationally focused, as opposed to a formal Q&A session between interviewer and interviewee. The laid back nature of the shows is what makes the podcast episodes so relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. There are a variety of interviews to choose from, although Dave Hill and the Epistemology of Norwegian Black Metal is an excellent episode on the history of death metal, proving the music is much more than just loud guitars and screaming. The interview with David Byrne was a fascinating listen with the creative mind behind Talking Heads and other artistic projects, while The Black Keys: Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney was an interesting interview about what brought Auerbach and Carney out of retirement.
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.