Podcast Playlist

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re listening to true crime. During the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, there was a huge amount of online hate directed towards Amber. But what if that was all part of an organized campaign? We’ll find out on Who Trolled Amber. Plus, even if you’ve never heard of Peter Ivers, you’ve probably heard some of his music without realizing it. He was murdered in 1983, and the case was never solved. Now, a new podcast called Peter And The Acid King is trying to get to the bottom of it. It’s hosted by Penelope Spheeris, a friend of Peter’s and the director of Wayne’s World. Leah will sit down with Penelope to talk about the show, and Peter’s legacy. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Peter And The Acid King, Stolen, White Lies, Who Trolled Amber, Ghost In The Machine For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

To make this show, our team listens through hours upon hours of audio. But sometimes, a few excellent shows will slip through the cracks. This week, Leah is joined by the Podcast Playlist crew to share some amazing podcasts that you may have missed. Like Once upon a time...at Bennington College. Our senior producer Kate Evans likes it because listening feels like, "a summer page turner, but for a podcast." The show shares the history of the unique Liberal arts college where authors Brett Easton Ellis, Jonathan Lethem and Donna Tartt all went to school together. Plus, producer Julian Uzielli shares a heartfelt podcast about a group of Armenian soliders who survived months of being trapped behind enemy lines. That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Once Upon A Time...At Bennington College, Freeway Phantom, The Ballad of Billy Balls, Country Of Dust For more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

You might have heard of a popular conspiracy theory about one of Canada's most famous rock stars. Avril Lavigne died in 2003, and her record label secretly replaced her with a body double who has been living as an impostor ever since. Could it be true? Probably not, but comedian Joanne McNally helps us find out on the new podcast Who Replaced Avril Lavigne. Plus, a lot of people think history is boring. Depending on how you were taught, that's pretty understandable. Simply memorizing a bunch of dates or names can make history feel about as dead as that fourth prime minister (whose name you've already forgotten). To Simone Polanen, the opposite is true– history is all around us, woven into the fabric of everyday life. Simone joins us to talk about her podcasts Past Perfect, a history trivia show, and Not Past It, a story-driven show about the links between the past and the present. All that and more of this month's top picks, this week on Podcast Playlist. FEATURING: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? // City Space // Past Perfect // The Ultimate Choice // The Recipe with Kenji and Deb For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're listening to stories about late bloomers. The first time Jean Westcott auditioned for Jeopardy, she had to wait 18 months to see if she made it. She never got the call. But instead of giving up, she auditioned again… and again… and again… for 20 years. We’ll hear her story. Plus, what does it take to swim from Cuba to Key West? We’ll hear from record-breaking swimmer Diana Nyad on completing that swim at 64 years old. All that and more this week. Featuring: Snap Judgement, This Is Love, Death, Sex & Money, 70 Over 70, Grown from The Moth For more info head to our website, cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

*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

This week on Podcast Playlist we’re sharing some of the best new and notable podcasts. Charlie Chaplin is one of the most important people in the history of cinema. But he wasn’t universally admired in his heyday, and he had some powerful enemies, including J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. Hoover became obsessed with Chaplin, and was certain he was a communist. We’ll hear the story of how he drove Chaplin out of the country on a new podcast hosted by Chaplin’s granddaughter, Hollywood Exiles. Plus, if it feels like the country is going a little nuts, it’s not just you. According to a recent poll, as many as one in four Canadians believe in online conspiracy theories. On the new season of Screen Time, we’ll hear how and why that’s happening, and what we can do about it. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Hollywood Exiles, Screen Time, In Her Defence, Canadaland: The Newfoundlander, Murder in Boston, Sports Explains the World For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

When former ABC News anchor Dan Harris had a panic attack on live TV, he knew he needed a change. He took up meditation, and wrote a book called Ten Percent Happier. Ten years later, that book is an international bestseller, and has morphed into a popular meditation app and a podcast of the same name. This week on Podcast Playlist, Dan Harris joins Leah to talk about meditation and listen to his favourite shows. Rick Rubin is a legendary music producer, but did you know he’s also a lifelong meditator? We’ll hear some of his interview on Dan’s podcast Ten Percent Happier. Plus, for many of us, Netflix is still the default streaming platform. But how does that affect the wider TV industry? That conversation on The Watch. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Ten Percent Happier, Pivot, The Watch For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're sharing new and notable podcasts for January, along with some interviews from the podcast world. First: In 2016, Soleiman Faqiri was killed by guards at an Ontario jail. An inquest last month determined his death was a homicide, but the podcast Unascertained reached that conclusion more than two years ago. Leah sits down with host Yusuf Zine to talk about the case. Then: Weight For It is a show that unpacks the nuanced thoughts of fat folks, and of anyone who worries about their weight. Host Ronald Young Jr. joins Leah to talk about body image and how we can challenge weight bias. Plus: Boston's "Big Dig" was the most expensive highway project ever built in America. Construction lasted nearly two decades and the project ended up going billions of dollars over budget. But was it worth the outcome? Host Ian Coss of The Big Dig weighs in, and shares what this project can teach us about how to build better cities.

This week Leah sits down with Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, the co-hosts of the popular pop culture podcast Who? Weekly. It’s a show that, as they put it, tells you everything you need to know about the celebrities you don’t. They chat about modern celebrity culture, rank semi-obscure Canadian stars, and listen to some of their favourite podcasts. Featuring: Who? Weekly, Celebrity Book Club With Steven & Lily, The Secret History Of The Estonia, Pop Pantheon, This Had Oscar Buzz For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're joined by James Kim. You may know him as the creator behind MOONFACE – a heartfelt fictional series about a Korean American son who wants to come out to his mom, but can't because they don't speak the same language. The show was named a Best of 2019 podcast by various outlets. His latest series, You Feeling This? is billed as a podcast mixtape about love. It's an anthology that centres stories about life and love in Los Angeles, pulling sonic inspiration from artists like Kendrick Lamar and the independent creators who helped to shape this show. This week, James joins Leah to discuss what goes into making a fictional podcast, and share why indie podcasters inspire him. Plus we'll listen to a few of his favourite shows that explore love, friendship and nostalgia. Featuring: You Feeling This?, Paper Radio, The Truth, UnReality - Projected Reality: The Sound Collector, Threedom. For links and more info on everything on today's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week we're sharing one of our favourite episodes from May 2023. Gavin Crawford used to talk about his mom a lot. But since she began to lose her memory, he found it harder to tell the old funny stories. But that's changing with his podcast Let's Not Be Kidding. Leah sits down with Gavin to talk about his mom's dementia, and how sometimes, even Alzheimer's can make you laugh. Plus, Alaska's Iditarod sled dog race is one of the toughest sporting events in the world. In 2011, for the first time, a pair of New Zealanders crossed the finish line. They made history, but they left behind a trail of broken promises, burned bridges and unpaid debts. We'll hear their story on Outside/In. Then we head back to 1968. It was an eventful year, when new ideas were clashing with old traditions. In Toronto, the spirit of the times was brought to life with the opening of an experimental housing project called Rochdale College. Part apartment building, part hippie commune, and part school, Rochdale was a hub for Canada's counterculture movement. The podcast Darts & Letters told the story of the building in an episode called "The Hippie High-Rise." Those stories, and more, this week. Featuring: Let's Not Be Kidding, Outside/In, Darts & Letters, PlayMe For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week we're sharing one of our favourites from the archives: An episode full of stories sure to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside this holiday season. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a holiday staple for many. But when you think about the legacy of Dickens’ it is a bit surprising that we associate him so closely with the holidays. For much of Charles Dickens' writing career, he wrote about the plight of the impoverished and destitute members of British society. On The Allusionist, host Helen Zaltzman asks the question: how did Charles Dickens name become a synonym for “rosy-cheeked, full-stomached, fattened-goose, hearty, merry, "God bless us every one" Christmas?” Then: there are a lot of weird jobs out there. Dog food taster. Snake milker. But what about the guy who writes the lyrics to the songs your kids’ toys sing? We hear from the premiere “toy songwriter” on how he comes up with ear worms for kids. Those festive stories and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Every Little Thing, The Allusionist, The Secret Life of Canada, The Moth. For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, we're revisiting one of our favourite episodes from this past year. We love to tell our kids to follow their dreams. But what do we say to them when that doesn't work out? The hosts of Dear Old Dads wrestle with how to encourage our kids to shoot for the moon, without making them feel like failures when real life butts in. Then: You know what we don't hear enough about? What pregnancy and childbirth actually do to the human body. We'll meet someone trying to change that on Embodied. Plus: how do you raise confident kids in the age of diet culture? We'll hear a conversation about weight and parenting on What Fresh Hell: Laughing In The Face of Motherhood. All that and more on the show this week. Featuring: Death, Sex & Money | Dear Old Dads | Embodied | Mom and Dad are Fighting | Unlocking Bryson's Brain | What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Our team listened to so many great podcasts this year (a podcasting app told producer Julian Uzielli he listened to 175 different shows and 466 episodes...with a total listening time of 10 days 1 hour. Totally normal, right?). So this week we've rounded up our absolute faves to share with you. From executive producer Cesil Fernandes we have Ghost Story, a podcast that seamlessly integrates family lore with investigative journalism. It's incredibly engaging (and a little spooky, if we're being honest). Then associate producer Kelsey Cueva explains why she loved The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks. It's a deep dive from Dylan Marron on why Jar Jar was so maligned, while also exploring the early days of internet backlash. Listen to the episode to hear our thoughts on why we chose the shows we did, and to listen to some sample clips. Ghost Story: "Their team did a real investigation into the history of the house and the families involved. They sift through documents from the time and really do a thorough — and entertaining — job to recreate the world this murder took place in." – Cesil Fernandes, Executive Producer The Retrievals: "What makes the story compelling is the women who shared their stories. They showed strength and courage to revisit their experiences so that we could hear and learn from their stories." – Kate Evans, Senior Producer Bloodlines: "I learned so much listening to this series and about the thousands of children like Salmaan — [children] with roots in Canada, the U.K., the U.S. and beyond — many of whom are still trapped in camps in the Syrian desert and without a way back home." – Leah Simone Bowen, Host The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks: "The show looks at themes like racism and representation in media, and internet culture. Particularly, dogpiling online and its real life effects on people...I really appreciate the care and nuance [Dylan Marron] brings to his shows." – Kelsey Cueva, Associate Producer If Books Could Kill: "The hosts have great chemistry. It's really funny and intelligent, and it's easy to dip in and out of. Every episode is self-contained." – Julian Uzielli, Producer For more, visit cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

This week on Podcast Playlist we’re celebrating indie creators. We’ll meet one woman who turned to the great outdoors to help cure her depression. We’ll follow her from the desert of Utah to the mountains of Colorado to find peace. Plus, can we fall in love with the sound of someone’s voice? We’ll hear from a podcast matchmaker that only lets couples talk through voice memos. That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Out There, It's Nice To Hear You, Shannon Cason's Homemade Stories, F---ing Sober: The First 90 Days, This Isn't Therapy, Matriarch Movement For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.