Binary Bonsai

I promised Joen a while back that I would put together a list of the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis, and I’ve finally finished crafting my list. Now despite my enthusiasm for the medium, I’m not nearly as nutcase-worthy as some people out there in the (blargh) podcastosphere…

But there is no denying that there are some genuinely great shows available, across a disturbingly wide spectrum of topics. Personally, I find my interests falling into a fairly narrow array.

Because podcasting is such a choice medium, I don’t hesitate for a moment to unsubscribe from shows that annoy me (The Movie Blog), are poor quality (iTunes New Music Tuesday), long-winded (Binary Bonsai… wait…)

Also, And finally, I haven’t included podcasts that either have fallen off in content-quality in the last few months or seem dead (like Ebert and Ropert, which otherwise used to be me go-to source for movie reviews).

Finally, I haven’t included podcasts that either have fallen off in content-quality in the last few months or seem dead (like Ebert and Ropert, which otherwise used to be me go-to source for movie reviews).

And now, without further ado, here is the list:

The Gamespot Hotspot · iTS
Probably the best podcast in my list. So many geek-related podcasts are longwinded and boring, but despite its running time of an hour, the Hotspot is anything but boring. Not only do these guys know games damn well, they’re both funny and charming from start till finish. And even better; the podcast arrives every week, like clockwork! Gamespot also does Designer Threads iTS, but with Greg K gone from Gamespot, its future is unfortunately uncertain. But do make sure you download the two episodes that are out. I would also point out GDC Radio | iTS, though their lack of proper show-descriptions and a generally poor audio quality is really annoying. Their archive has some good stuff though.

Amazon Wire · iTS
Worth mentioning as well are Barnes & Nobel’s Meet the Writers& | iTS (too many writers I don’t know, though I sometimes listen to them anyway, which can be refreshing),

Creative Screenwriting Magazine · iTS
Interviews with screenwriters; and good ones at that. I particularly recommend the recent interviews regarding Children of Men. Hell, just go back through the archives, and you’ll find lots of gold nuggets buried there. And if you’re a Pirates kind guy/gal, there’s a good one a few months back as well. And speaking of movies, definitely don’t miss out on KCRW’s The Treatment | iTS, which is just about the most cozy podcast in the world.

The Official Lost Podcast · iTS
I still loves me some Lost. And it’s only made better every week by the playful nature of Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof as they answer all kinds of geeky fan questions. Worth mentioning as well is the Battlestar Galactica podcast | iTS, which is also wonderful, though as you may have picked up, I’m perhaps not as interested in listening to commentary tracks every week anymore. The writer’s room ones are ace though! Even if the sound quality is so-so. And finally, Entourage | iTS, just because I loves it!

Acts of Volition Radio · iTS
Though it’s published about as frequently as the Binary Bonsai Podcast (that is, not often), it’s well worth the wait every time around. Steven plays tracks from various not-so-well-known bands, often from Canada, but on occasion also from for instance Denmark (Mew in this case). If you’re interested in undiscovered bands, then I also highly suggest that you check out the Coca Cola’s sessions | iTS, a range of podcasts from around the world, with DJ’s showcasing that country’s undiscovered talents.

Film Score Monthly · iTS
I wish it was released more often, and I wish they would do more retrospective work, but other than that I have very little to pin on this wonderful little nugget of a podcast. I definitely encourage you to browse the archives for goodies. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t also point you towards Soundtrack.net’s podcast | iTS. It too suffers from a poor release schedule, but then when it finally comes around, it’s always a pleasant surprise.

Kevin Smith’s SModcast · iTS
Currently regularly released, and just as irreverently honest as everything else Kevin Smith does, SModcast literally ranges between the mindnumbingly trivial and the absolutely outrageous! Well worth a listen. And of course, if you’re into humerous podcasts, The Garrett Murray podcast | iTS is also well worth your while.

Weekly iFanboy Video Podcast
iFanboy is a comic-book website which features not only a regular podcast, but also a weekly video podcast. Personally I’m not enough of a comic-book geek to know what half the stuff they talk about on the normal podcast, but the video one is great, fun and informative in all the right ways. One of my absolute favorites!

And then of course there’s stuff like Riding with Robots | iTS, about the exploration of space, Boing Boing Boing | iTS, which is as off-topic as Boing Boing itself, The Dragon Page | iTS, about science fiction and fantasy books, with frequent long-winded interviews with—to me—unknown authors

And finally, one-off ‘podcasts’, like Rolling Stone’s Bono interview, All-TIME 100 Albums and the Stephen King interviews in the TimesOnline Book podcasts | iTS (make sure you check out their archives!).

And that’s it! Peeee-hew.