Posted by These are – whether we like it or not – times to be alone.
Lockdown means that we’re separated from our friends and family, while working from home gives us an extra hour in the morning and evening to play with.
So, why not listen to some podcasts? It seems to be a boom time for lengthy, immersive audio experiences, with more and more launching each week.
Tape Notes is one of the most successful, and – if you ask Clash – one of the best around, with its simple format allowing for some fascinating conversation.
Helmed by XFM host John Kennedy, Tape Notes is about to drop its new season, with previous guests including the likes of The 1975, Haim, Glass Animals, Biffy Clyro, Jessie Ware, and more.
John Kennedy picked out five podcasts you simply have to listen to right now…
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The Adam Buxton Podcast
The people’s podcaster, the podcaster’s podcaster, Adam is the podcast Don. If you don’t know that already then it’s time you had a listen. A comedian and one of the world’s greatest philosophers, he also creates wonderful music that, all going according to plan, he will be talking about on Tape Notes very soon.
Find out more HERE.
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James Acaster’s Perfect Sounds
As someone who presents a new music show on the radio I sometimes despair with the number of people I know and meet who seem to be oblivious to the vast array of incredible new artists and bands that release music each year. There’s loads of them and you’re missing out if you don’t keep up, even just a little bit.
Following his book of the same name James evangelises episode by episode to various comedian mates that 2016 was the best year for music ever. He puts forward a strong case. Although I hope he won’t get stuck there. It’s five years ago now.
Maybe he should check out X-Posure or Tape Notes to get some more recent recommendations?
Find out more HERE.
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Elevenses With Danielle Perry
Back in the days before Xfm became Radio X the evening show was presented for a few years by the brilliant Danielle Perry. My show X-Posure followed hers each night and I used to love chatting to her about music and life. She moved on to pastures new radio-wise and then moved to Hove so I don’t get to see her very much these days.
Luckily she started a new podcast last year where she meets people for a warm drink and a catch up and listening in I get to feel like I’m at the table with them. She has an impressive array of acquaintances to take Elevenses with such as Karl Pilkington, Sophie Dahl, Steve Coogan, Skin and Jeff Goldblum to name a few.
No wonder she hasn’t been in touch.
Find out more HERE.
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Bugeye’s Rock Pop Rambles
So you’re all alone, would like to have some company, and maybe even make some new friends? Then join various members of the band Bugeye once a week to chat music trivia, share new musical selections, and bring in music related guests. Started during the first lockdown as a way of keeping in touch with each other and their musical family, it’s warm, relaxed, casual, funny, friendly and inclusive.
You don’t have to know the band already to enjoy it (although it’s worth checking out their ace combination of post punk new wave disco on their recently released debut album ‘Ready Steady Bang’) as after just a few minutes in their company you’ll feel like you’ve known them for ages.
Listening to this is like hanging out with a new bunch of people you’ve just met and discovering that they too like exchanging daft music nonsense and debating the important issues of our day such as chocolate vs crisps!
Find out more HERE.
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Tales From No Man’s Land by Frank Turner
Frank Turner is probably, for me, the closest to a polymath that I’ve met in music. This podcast is a great example of how he likes to dig deep into a subject. His ‘No Man’s Land’ album was a collection of songs written in response to women in history that he found inspiring, interesting and intriguing from Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Byzantine princess Kassiani, Dora Hand and Egyptian feminist leader Huda Sha’arawi.
In each episode of the podcast he explores the subject of each song and gives an exclusive acoustic performance to round it all off. Further proof of the folk punk polymath-ness from a former Tape Notes guest.
Find out more HERE.
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Get involved with Tape Notes HERE.