This is the first post in what I hope will become a series calling out great podcasts in general, or just an exceptional episode here or there. You can follow along with similar posts tagged Podcast Picks.
Song Exploder ¶
Episode 53: Harry Gregson-Williams “The Martian” ¶
In the Song Exploder podcast, Hrishikesh Hirway’s picks mostly well-known songs and talks with said song’s creators, producers, and musicians about how the song came to be. I’ve talked about Song Exploder before. Unsurprisingly, the quality of the podcast hasn’t changed since then—it’s still a weekly favorite of mine and others.
In the most recent episode, Hirway talks with Harry Gregson-Williams, composer of the score for the current #1 box office hit, The Martian.
The episode contains a few spoilers, so I would refrain from listening to this podcast until you’ve seen the movie (if you care about spoilers).
Hirway and Gregson-Williams discuss several classic composition conventions used to signal changes in the emotional state of Mark Watney, portrayed by Matt Damon. In particular, Gregson-Williams uses minor chords and then transitions to major chords during a pivotal scene that ends on a high note (no pun intended).
Song Exploder is always a good listen for musicians, but this episode in particular could be fun for non-musicians and space nerds alike.
NPR’s Planet Money ¶
I’ve chosen two Planet Money episodes. Overall, the whole Planet Money series is great. But these two are special to me because each one reminds me of my grandparents in one way or another.
Episode 386: The Power of Free ¶
This episode of Planet Money originally aired in July 2012. However, back then I wasn’t into podcasts.[1]
If you think about every other price in the world — a dollar, $12.99 — free stands out.
Free has the power to make us do completely irrational things. It can drive us to break rules, and take risks we never thought possible. It can make us feel savvy and smug and exhilarated.The focus of this episode is how being “free” can have huge implications on a product—especially when “free” is taken away.
My grandpa served in the U.S. Navy in the 1950’s. Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of stories about those times. However, it was only after listening to this podcast that I was reminded of how he too disliked the Red Cross—with a passion. And he wasn’t the only serviceman to have such feelings. Listen to find out why.
Episode 652: The Hydrox Resurrection ¶
The second pick from the Planet Money podcast concerns the Hydrox snack cookie. Most people probably haven’t even heard of the Hydrox cookie. I had, and I’ve tasted one too. But because it was so long ago, I cannot remember how it compares to it’s biggest competitor, the Oreo.
Whenever my grandma saw me eating an Oreo, she made it a point to tell me how much better Hydrox was.
No matter which side of the chocolate cookie debate you find yourself, one fact is inarguable: Oreo one. Hydrox was finally discontinued years ago, after a long battle for chocolate cookie relevance.
This episode tells the tale of an entrepreneur who is trying to bring Hydrox back.
Heck, I didn’t even have an iPhone in July 2012. ↩