Eight Obscure Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

You’re a fan of podcasts, right? And you’ve already checked out Serial, Stuff You Should Know, The Nerdist… all that good stuff? (If not, become a fan of podcasts and come back to this post. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.)

Now, what next? This is what’s next. The obscure/weird/underground podcasts that you just have to start listening to. Get ready to subscribe.

Beef And Dairy Network Podcast

What’s this? Why, it’s the number one podcast for those involved or just interested in the production of beef animals and dairy herds. It also happens to be one of the funniest podcasts out there. There are spaceships that run on cow dung, rich beef sausages, and far too much candle production for one small town. Think Welcome to Night Vale if Welcome to Night Vale was a lot funnier and completely focused on the beef and dairy industry. A gem.

Best Episode - Dustin France - A comedian explains why his standup set failed to meet expectations. From now on, every time you think of the phrase ‘rich beef sausages’ you’ll double over with laughter. Perfect comedy.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beef-and-dairy-network/id1022024768?mt=2

This Is Actually Happening

First-person stories, no questions, limited music and minimal sound design. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on. But the stories are AMAZING, and the editing, though subtle, is absolutely fantastic. There’s fake priests, near-death experiences, and kidnappings. The perfect minimalist podcast.

Best Episode - What if you were a fake priest in Japan - Exactly what the title implies. And exactly as good as the title implies.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-actually-happening/id497227384?mt=2

Archive 81

A “found footage” audio drama, this one’s creepy. Like, really creepy. The premise is that we’re listening to some of the tape that an archivist recorded right before he disappeared. Needless to say, the tapes themselves are scary/weird/unsettling. There’s teleportation, an opera that shatters souls, and a cult that can rewrite memory. Listen during the daytime.

Best Episode - Episode 4: A Collection of Disparate Strangeness - You should start from the beginning, but the fourth episode has a creepy British dude leading a museum tour, so it’s awesome. (Also, full disclosure, I'm the co-creator. But it's still a great show)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/archive-81/id1098194172?mt=2

You Must Remember This

An exploration of the secret and/or forgotten history of Hollywood, you don’t actually have to be interested in Hollywood history to love this podcast. Karina Longworth does an amazing job finding fascinating stories about the movie industry, and she conveys the world of old Hollywood in a really wonderful way. Absolutely engrossing.

Best Episode - Charles Manson’s Hollywood Part 1- The start of a series on the Charles Manson murders, this is the podcast at its best. If you thought you knew everything about the Manson murders, or the culture at the time… you did not. You definitely did not.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/you-must-remember-this/id858124601?mt=2

The Memory Palace

The podcast that made me fall in love with podcasting. Each episode is a short, wistful story about a little-known incident in American history. The music and sound effects are tasteful and well-done, but the real draw is Nate DiMeo’s storytelling. I feel transported when I listen to his voice. I can’t say enough good things about this podcast.

Best Episode - Episode 82 (The Wheel) - A former slave steals a confederate ship. It’s wistful, heartbreaking, and insanely inspiring. One of the best pieces of audio I’ve ever heard.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-memory-palace/id299436963?mt=2

The Intern

Probably the most well known podcast on this list. I might be slightly biased since I’m a “young professional in a city,” but Allison Behringer does an incredible job of highlighting the struggles of being young and trying to make it. What does making it even mean? Well, the podcast tries to find out.

Best Episode - 5: What’s Your Worth - In which Allison asks for a raise. It’s exactly as awful/wonderful as it sounds like it’d be.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intern/id1065396617?mt=2

Mouth Time with Reductress

Join ladymag editors Quenn and Div for a dish-sesh on the latest in fashion, pop culture, lifestyle, trends, and pictures! No, don’t go! Mouth Time is actually a hilarious podcast that sends up the world of 2016 ladyblogs. But it’s not just jokes about Cosmo, the two hosts create a strange, warped world of colonics, sex interns, and way too many horses. Probably my favorite improv podcast.

Best Episode - Tech NO! - They’re all hilarious, really, pick any of them. But Tech NO! Has Rachel Bloom guesting, so it’s a definite favorite.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mouth-time-with-reductress/id1093619338?mt=2

Love + Radio

This is a weird one. Imagine if This American Life were 1000 times more experimental. The storytelling doesn’t hold the listener’s hand, it breaks pretty much every public radio convention, but in the best way possible. The sound design is absolutely masterful. And the stories, when they’re good, are wonderful. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, hopefully you’ll love it.

Best Episode - The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt - A story about the strangest strip club manager you’ve ever heard about. I should probably leave it at that.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/love-+-radio/id84389707?mt=2