Podcast Playlist CBC Discover & Learn
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- Society & Culture
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Hosted by Leah-Simone Bowen, Podcast Playlist's podcast obsessed producers help you find the best podcasts out there. Each week we curate fresh, exciting and thoughtful stories to help you unearth new podcasts to add to your rotation. From true crime to comedy, from current affairs to audio fiction and everything in between. Each week we take you on a journey with lots of discoveries along the way.
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The unwritten rules of mosh pits, unpacking the influence of Christian rock, and more stories about rock 'n roll
This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re featuring podcasts about rock and roll.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often called “The Godmother of Rock and Roll” and inspired artists like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Aretha Franklin… Yet she’s been largely left out of the history books. The podcast They Did That tells her story.
Plus, churches are often the venue for a unique but hugely influential subset of rock music: Christian rock. PRX’s Rock That Doesn’t Roll explores how contemporary Christian music shaped the youths of Church kids everywhere– in sometimes unexpected ways.
Featuring: Decoder Ring, The Moth, Rock That Doesn't Roll, They Did That, Switched On Pop, Disgraceland
For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist. -
The man who robbed a Vegas casino and then moved in, and more stories about scammers and thieves
One early morning in December 2010, Tony Carleo rolled up to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Dressed in a full motorcycle jumpsuit, gloves and helmet, he took out a pistol and robbed $1.5 million worth of casino chips.
But that wasn’t all. Soon after he returned, and he used the very money he stole to check into the hotel and live like a king – for free.
We’ll hear that story, plus other tales about scammers and thieves, this week on Podcast Playlist.
Featuring: The High Roller Heist, Hot White Heist, Code Switch, Chameleon: Scam Likely, Life Kit
For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist. -
The history of Pornhub, a challenge to the ethics of podcasting, and more new and notable shows (ft. Samantha Cole, Jess Shane)
When you think of Canadian cultural exports, you probably don’t think of porn. But Montreal is home to a little website you may have heard of: Pornhub.
On The Pornhub Empire: Understood, we’ll hear the little-known story of the company’s history. Plus, Leah sits down with host Samantha Cole to learn more.
And: Telling personal stories in the form of podcasts can move us, create empathy, and drive positive change...right? Jess Shane isn't so sure. Listen to Leah's conversation with Jess about her new series Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative.
All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.
Featuring: Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative | Sounds Gay | The Pornhub Empire: Understood | Ripple
For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist. -
The rise and fall of 1-900 phone lines, rigging the lottery, and more stories about numbers
This week, we’re listening to one, two, three, four, five, six different podcasts all about numbers.
In the 80s, your favourite celebrities were just one dial away. And about $3 per minute, of course. But what’s a couple extra bucks on the phone bill, if it means chatting with your favourite superstars, psychics, or potential spouses? Twenty Thousand Hertz tells us about the booming, controversial business of 1-900 numbers.
Plus, long-haul truckers spend hours alone on the road. But how do thousands of miles of isolation change a person? And how is that experience unique for truck-drivers who are women?
On NPR’s Rough Translation, we hear the stories of how years on the road changed two truckers’ perspective on life.
That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.
Featuring: Twenty Thousand Hertz, Rough Translation, Planet Money, Snap Judgement, The Moth Radio Hour, Ologies
For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist. -
Pitch, please: three history podcasters tell us why we should listen to their shows
This week, Leah sat down with the hosts of three history podcasts to learn about their shows. Martine Powers from The Washington Post's The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, Tim Harford from Pushkin's Cautionary Tales and Ramtin Arablouei from NPR's Throughline.
First, Martine Powers tells us about The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop.
In 1979, there was a revolution on the Caribbean island of Grenada. The new prime minister was a young, charismatic, socialist named Maurice Bishop. Bishop introduced a wave of social reforms, like free public healthcare and paid maternity leave. Though he was a popular leader at home, U.S president Ronald Reagan was not a fan.
Less than five years after he took power, Bishop was executed in a coup. Days later, the U.S. invaded Grenada. In the chaos that followed, the bodies of Bishop and his supporters disappeared, never to be seen again. The Washington Post set out to solve the mystery. What happened to the bodies of Bishop and his supporters?
Then Tim Hartford tells us how voice actors and sound design bring history to life on Cautionary Tales. He also shares a clip from an episode where a competition goes terribly awry.
Finally, Ramtin Arablouei tells Leah about how Throughline has evolved over the years. From documentary style episodes about reality TV to an episode about music that was designed to fall asleep to. Throughline is just scratching the surface of what it aims to achieve.
Featured podcasts: The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, Cautionary Tales and Throughline. -
FLASHBACK: Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney on how gossip brings us all closer together
*This episode was first broadcast June 2023
This week on Podcast Playlist: Gossip.
Whether you’ve been a part of spreading it or have been at the centre of it, we’ve all had experience with gossip in one form or another.
Some may argue that dishing the dirt can ruin lives, but it also has a unique ability to bring people together. The podcast Normal Gossip has shot to fame within the past year all thanks to the unifying power of gossip.
On the show, host Kelsey McKinney shares listener-submitted gossip from the lives of everyday people. From weird neighbours, to sorority wedding drama, to secret workplace romances, each story is equally trivial, hilarious and unbelievable.
Kelsey joins Leah to talk about why we love to gossip and looks at how it can actually keep us safe. Then, she’ll share her favourite podcasts. We dive into scammers, Taylor Swift, Bachelor Nation, and more!
Featuring: Normal Gossip, ICYMI, Articles of Interest, Scam Goddess, Who Weekly, Love to See It
For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist
Customer Reviews
Just discovered
This is great. Fascinating range
Irresistible and essential
Leah Simone Bowen and the Podcast Playlist participants genuinely come across like a group of friends who’ll show you what you might miss, overlook, or misperceive. The show is a consistently good listen.
Newly discovered
This is the best of the best Canadian podcasts. I like knowing what’s out there and this is the place to find it.