I first got into podcasts early in 2016, when I wanted something to listen to on the elliptical that didn’t have three verses and a chorus. I wanted something a little more engrossing than music, a little more intelligent, a little more engaging; something I could truly lose myself in. So, I turned to podcasts. Once I exhausted my initial podcasts of interest, of course, I went on the hunt for new ones– only to be disappointed by those which were recommended to me.
You like podcasts? Have you listened to [insert NPR podcast here]?
Podcasts? Oh…like [Serial, Night Vale, etc.]?
Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with those podcasts, and I’ve been known to enjoy them. But it’s awfully tiring to hear the same five podcasts recommended to me over and over again. So, around June, I went rogue– looking for interesting, fairly-unknown podcasts that appealed to me. For your reading (and listening) pleasure, I’ve compiled a list of 5 unknown podcasts for you to try out.
1. If you’re interested in languages: Conlangery Podcast.
This podcast, as the title suggests, focuses on the development and aspects of constructed languages, or “conlangs”. Its website, as well as the Apple Podcast app, has more than 100 episodes of this podcast available: everything from tenses, pronouns, word stresses, and numbers.
It also discusses natlangs– natural languages, like English, Spanish, Japanese, etc. It just recently ran an episode on Old Irish, and has previously discussed Thai, Cherokee, Mandarin, and Basque. Have you always wanted to know about the weird quirks of a certain language, but don’t know where to start? If so, this podcast is perfect for you!
2. If you like Night Vale’s otherworldly style: Alice Isn’t Dead.
Do you like lesbians, truck drivers, lesbian truck drivers, frightening inhuman monsters, and liminal ghost towns? If so, this podcast is for you. By the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, the podcast which catapulted podcasts into the mainstream, Alice weaves innately human themes like love, loneliness, empathy, and fear into a delightfully creepy storyline.
Part one is available in full, and part two is coming soon. I’m going to stop here for fear of revealing too much, but just listen to it. Preferably with the lights on.
3. If you like anything taboo: Here Be Monsters.
Its tagline is: “A podcast about the unknown”, and it certainly lives up to it. Have you always wanted to learn what people would say if they got to give Satan a phone call? Do you have a deep fascination with jugglalos? Do you want to know what it’s like to be in the inside of a cult like Heaven’s gate? HBM is for you. Touching on taboo, unspeakable topics and forcing them out into the open, this podcast satisfies our curiosities about religion, sex, drugs, and all those other touchy subjects, with a healthy dose of entertainment as well.
General content warning for HBM: much of the content discussed on these shows may be triggering. Explicit episodes are labeled, but keep in mind that all of the content discussed on this show is, by the nature of the podcast itself, disturbing. Proceed with caution.
4. If you like history and a healthy dose of girl power: Stuff You Missed in History Class.
It isn’t often that you get to listen to a podcast by women, which takes care to focus on issues of marginalization in history. Fortunately for us, SYMHC does just that. Narrated by the charming Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey, this podcast covers historical events you may never have heard of, or may simply want to know more about.
With a sensitive ear and a nuanced understanding of multiple historical perspectives, Wilson and Frey highlight LGBTQ, womens’, and PoC experiences in history. In their “Unearthed” episodes, covering newly-unearthed historical artifacts, they take pains to feature artifacts from as many diverse regions as possible. Plus, unlike many podcasts, this one is completely woman-narrated. Awesome.
5. If you like weird internet phenomena: Reply All.
I love the internet, and you probably do too. Reply All offers a nuanced, “millennial-friendly”, and humorous look at internet culture, internet history, and more. With segments focusing on things like strange Craigslist ads, as well as “Yes, Yes, No” in which the younger podcasters educate a less-knowledgable elder on internet culture, Reply All never gets boring.
Plus, its hosts, PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, are some of the friendliest I’ve ever listened to. Always a plus.
These are just five of many podcasts available, many of which you may never have heard of. Please, don't be afraid to explore new podcast options– sometimes the most interesting ones are completely invisible behind the popular, trendy podcasts. But, they're definitely worth looking for!
