Podcasts

Since coming to Brazil, I have become addicted to podcasts. For the unitiated, they are (almost always) free radio programs that you can download through Itunes, and listen to at your leisure. There are thousands available on every subject, but predictably my favourites are all music ones. Although actually it started with a news podcast, the Guardians excellent daily summary program, which I started to listening just to keep in touch with UK news, although it is a very international program. But you don't need that, you can just pop to the newsagents. From there I started on grabbing whatever music pocasts I could get my hands on. The only problem is keeping up with them, what with all the million albums I also have to listen to.

I have mentioned Diplo's (best DJ in the world) maddecent podcast and Mr Phipson here, but let me recommend them again. Extremely hard to find global beats, with an accent on baile funk and reggaeton.

Beats In Space is a New York radio show hosted weekly by Tim Sweeney, one half of DFA. It's extremely eclectic, you can hear anything from post-punk to baeleric beats, techno to 60's psych pop. It's a bit like listening to a radio show themed around the artists listed in Losing My Edge. Previous guests have included Erol Alkan, Headman, Hot Chip, and James Murphy, of course.

Talking of Erol Alkan, the worlds finest DJ part 2, has a load of his mixes available here. Because there are mixes going back years, you can hear how he has developed into such a fine DJ.

I love the National Geographics afropop worldwide podcast. It defines afropop as music of African origin, so that includes South America and the Carribean. It looks at the music in a political and historical context, but doesn't get too heavy. Previous programs have been about Zambia, Angola, and new Brazilian tropicalia.

More Brazilian stuff. Go here to get a video podcast about tropicalia geniuses Os Mutantes 2006 reunion tour, and see footage of them performing their mental 60's pop masterpieces.

Ghostlycast is from record label Ghostly International, the home of Christopher Willits, Daniel Wang, Matthew Dear/Audion, and other high quality techno musics. Sometimes they through in a hip hop mix, seemingly just for the fun of it. Otherwise its quality techno all the way.

WFMU is one of the finest radio stations in the world, or at least that what I read, a lot. Coming from New Jersey, they seem to be a very eclectic bunch (check out their excellent blog), similar to London's Resonance FM. They do a host of podcasts, and I have just started listening to Raw Sewage, a mixture of weird music and, errr, strange music.

Okay, the last recommendation is about the about the finest album of all time, the Beach Boys Pet Sounds (predictable but true). To celebrate the 40th anniversary, Capitol have created a short audio documentary for each track. Hear Brian Wilson explain how he created it, and hear Mike Love try to take credit for it. He's such a swine.

These are my current favourites, hope you enjoy exploring them. If anybody has any other recommendations, then I'd love to know. Leave them in the comments below.