Welcome to Podcast Friday!, a weekly compilation of some of the more interesting podcasts from around the web, listed right here for your listening pleasure!
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All Songs Considered from NPR
New Music From The Knife, Four Tet And (Oh Yeah) My Bloody Valentine (Tuesday, February 05, 2013) — We had this show all wrapped up last Friday. It was totally in the can! Then My Bloody Valentine dropped its highly anticipated new album over the weekend and threw our previously recorded show into total chaos! But hey, it was worth it. We (and all the other My Bloody Valentine fans out there) have been waiting more than 20 years for this! Hear a new cut from the album and tell us what you think in the comments section. Also on this week’s episode: Bob and Robin contemplate their own mortality while sharing some of the great music they’ve been listening to, including Youth Lagoon’s upcoming release, Wondrous Bughouse; a jubilant premiere from Cloud Cult; a dreamy sample from storyteller Grouper; the gorgeous instrumentals of Malian musician Ballaké Sissoko; and a track from another much-anticipated album, courtesy of Swedish electronica giants, The Knife. Plus NPR Music’s Sami Yenigun stops by to share a brand new track from “KH,” otherwise known as electronica heavyweight Four Tet.
Book Reviews from The New York Times
Book Review Podcast (Friday, February 15, 2013) — This week, John Burt discusses Lincoln’s Tragic Pragmatism; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Jeffrey Frank talks about Richard Nixon and Dwight D. Eisenhower; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
Books Podcast from NPR
NPR: 02-14-2013 Books (Thursday, February 14, 2013) — Stories: 1) At 50, Does ‘Feminine Mystique’ Still Roar? 2) Literary Types Find Love In ‘The New York Review Of Books’ 3) Reading Sylvia Plath 50 Years After Her Death Is A Different Experience 4) ‘House Girl’ Ties Past To Present In Tale Of Art And Slavery 5) Healing ‘Brick City’: A Newark Doctor Returns Home
Brain Stuff from HowStuffWorks.com
What is making my backyard sparkle at night? (Friday, February 15, 2013) — One night, Marshall went outside with a headlight lamp on his head and discovered that his backyard was full of sparkling reflections. What were these sparkles? Discover the surprising answer in this episode.
How does a movie clapperboard work? (Wednesday, February 13, 2013) — A movie clapperboard isn’t just a placemarker; this device helps movie makers synchronize a movie’s audio and video elements. Find out how a traditional movie clapperboard works, as well as a digital one, in this episode of BrainStuff.
What’s that bumpy stuff on my ceiling? (Monday, February 11, 2013) — That popcorn-like stuff on your ceiling is actually a specific kind of ceiling finish. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to find out what this treatment is — and why it’s so popular.
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
The Panama Canal (Friday, February 15, 2013) — After 95 years of ferrying ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Panama Canal still plays an important role in international trade. Learn more about this cool canal’s past, present and future in this video podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
Culturetopia from NPR
Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J And The Presidency (Friday, February 15, 2013) — This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See’s Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about the Grammy Awards: won, who wore what, and the performances they like and disliked. In honor of both President’s Day and the launch of Netflix’s ‘House Of Cards,’ they also talk about presidents in pop culture and why there’s not as many movies and TV shows about presidents as you’d think. All that, plus What’s Making Us Happy This Week.
Film Junk
Episode 404: Bullet to the Head (Wednesday, February 06, 2013) — We review Bullet to the Head and discuss the new Fast and Furious 6 trailer plus Groundhog Day, White Zombie, Fear and Desire, The Duellists and Searching for Sugar Man.
Freakonomics Radio
How to Think About Guns (Wednesday, February 13, 2013) — No one wants mass shootings. Unfortunately, no one has a workable plan to stop them either.
PopStuff from HowStuffWorks.com
Taking the Pressure Off Valentine’s Day (Wednesday, February 13, 2013) — Valentine’s Day is one of those polarizing holidays. People tend to either think it’s magical and wondrous, or that it’s the most torturous 24 hours on the calendar. But what if we all just relaxed about it?
Mardi Gras: More Than Baring for Beads (Monday, February 11, 2013) — Fat Tuesday may conjure images of debauchery and wild behavior, but that’s not an accurate picture of what the celebration is about. From religious roots to king cake, Tracy and Holly break down the origins, pageantry and misconceptions of this festival.
Sound Opinions
The 2013 Sound Opinions Valentine’s Day Special (Sunday, February 10, 2013) — When candy, flowers, and love notes fail, you’ve still got a shot at wooing your sweetheart back with a great Pleading Song. This Valentine’s Day, Jim and Greg share their I Want You Back playlists. And later in the show – a different kind of Valentine.
Stuff To Blow Your Mind from HowStuffWorks.com
My Slimey Valentine: The Slug Life (Thursday, February 14, 2013) — Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a Valentine’s hater, Robert and Julie have quite the episode for you. Prepare to have your mind blown as they expose the daring, disgusting, weaponized, cannibalistic and marathon lovemaking ways of slugs and snails.
Trilogy of Slime: Tales of Slimedom in the Animal Kingdom (Tuesday, February 12, 2013) — We all love slime, but do we really respect it in all its glory? Join Julie and Robert for a mucus-coated journey through the slime of slugs, sea hags and fish. Learn how it provides locomotion, protection, communication and food.
Stuff You Missed in History Class from HowStuffWorks.com
Walter Potter’s Wild and Wonderful Taxidermy (Wednesday, February 13, 2013) — By the time he was 19, Potter had preserved and mounted 98 birds. In 1880, his work had grown to a point where it had to be moved to a building, which became his museum. Potter’s museum collection continues to enthrall collectors and enthusiasts.
The Fantastic Fitzgeralds (Monday, February 11, 2013) — A week after releasing his debut novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald married Southern Belle Zelda Sayre. But Fitzgerald’s drinking and Zelda’s mental state led to fights, debt and writers’ block. Join Sarah and Holly as they trace the lives of F. Scott and Zelda.
Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com
Myths About the Brain (Thursday, February 14, 2013) — As is usual for SYSK, Josh and Chuck go over some, but not all, of the entries in this list of ten myths about the brain. While it lives in your noggin you don’t really have much of a grasp on your brain and how it works. You think you do, but you don’t.
How Jet Lag Works (Tuesday, February 12, 2013) — Jet lag has only been a real condition since 1958. Also known as desynchronosis, jet lag can lead to sleeplessness, irritability, diabetes and cancer. Learn about how the body’s natural clock runs and what happens when we cross time zones quickly.
TV Bonus: How Weather Modification Works (Saturday, February 09, 2013) — It began with old-timey guys dropping dry ice on clouds. Since then weather modification was used to keep the 2008 opening ceremonies dry and flood the Ho Chi Minh Trail, but does it work? Learn about weather control plans, diabolical or otherwise.
WNYC’s Radiolab
Speed (Tuesday, February 05, 2013) — We live our lives at human speed, we experience and interact with the world on a human time scale. But this hour, we put ourselves through the paces, peek inside a microsecond, and master the fastest thing in the universe.