Hi! I love podcasts, but something I love even more than podcasts is a great podcast with music that makes me want to dance! So I’ve decided to write a list of podcast that have theme songs that make me dance as well as be really good! I’m ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I skip theme songs. But I never skip the theme songs for these podcasts!

1. Radio Drama Revival

David Rheinstrom’s soothing dulcet tones and softly armour-piercing questions that force introspection yet guide me down a path to what I feel is a better self, as well as the show introducing me to some of my favourite audio fiction podcasts would be more than enough for me. Instead, it’s got all of that plus a theme song that’s an absolute fucking bop. Every time I hear it, it just gets me moving so well! Like dang! DJ StrangerDanger’s Danger Digi Doo has me going. It’s a great introduction to a great show, and it’s such a blast to listen to.

Here’s where you can listen to Radio Drama Revival: https://www.radiodramarevival.com

Here’s where you can listen to Danger Digi Doo: https://soundcloud.com/sdanger/danger-digi-doo-free-download

2. HORSE

Horse is an absolutely hilarious, fascinating show about everything about basketball, except for the wins and losses! Hosts Eric Silver and Mike Schubert have taught me so much about the sport, and what’s surprised me most is how engrossed I am in it! What has me less surprised, (but still kind of surprised? I shouldn’t have been, and yet I was) was how much the theme music had me dancing! I love the upbeat, chiptuney sort of sound, and I always find myself dancing along to the music when it plays during the theme song and the credits! Bettina Campomanes did the composition for Mike Schubert’s other podcast Potterless, but as much as I enjoyed the theme song for that show, I find HORSE’s jam more standout.

Here’s where you can listen to HORSE: https://www.horsehoops.com

3. Janus Descending

Jordan Cobb’s tragic, beautiful space opera has everything you could want. Three-dimensional, fully realized characters in a star-crossed love set on a wildly alien world? Check! A horrific alien entity released to visit death on destruction on humanity! Check! An awesome soundtrack that makes me dance like a space person?! Super duper check! Daryl Banner’s soundtrack for the show makes me take diving steps while I walk as well as perfectly encapsulates the characters and their relationship to each other as I listened to the tragedy of the Aphelion.

Here’s where you can listen to Janus Descending: http://www.janusdescending.libsyn.com

Here’s where you can listen to the Janus Descending soundtrack: https://darylbanner.bandcamp.com/album/janus-descending-original-score

4. Unwell

HartLife NFP’s second major foray into audio fiction tells a story about ghosts where the real ghosts are the friends we made along the way, and I love it a lot. Lily Harper coming to terms with a home she thought she left behind really grips me, and I love all the hilarious, eccentric characters she meets on her return to Mt. Absolom. But what I also love is the theme! It really feels like I’m riding with my horse under the hot desert sun with the ghosts riding with me. Stephen Poon has really created a super hopping, happening, memorable theme that I both walk and run along to every time I hear it!

Here’s where you can listen to Unwell: https://www.unwellpodcast.com

5. Fall of the House of Sunshine

Fall of the House of Sunshine, being a musical, has two whole soundtracks of rad music, as well as a super wild and out there plot that nevertheless manages to totally engage the listener, as well as thrilling character development for a varied cast of characters. Something that I super love, though, is its initial theme song for the first episode. It’s expository, catchy, and I’ve skipped along to it many times! Even in a whole soundtrack of absolute jams, the theme song stands out as an absolute jam as well! That’s a lot of jams!

Here’s where you can listen to Fall of the House of Sunshine: http://www.podmusical.com

Here’s where you can listen to the music: https://podmusical.bandcamp.com

Support the Kickstarter for Season 3: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/podmusical/fall-of-the-house-of-sunsine-season-3

These are, of course, only a few of the many great podcasts with theme songs that slap. I’ll definitely be adding more and making a new list at a different point in time. In the meantime though, what did I miss? What would you have added? What would you have taken off? I’m super available on Twitter to talk to about theme songs in podcasts!

(Note: This Retrospective contains spoilers!)

So Archive 81’s wonderful testament to road trip fun and enjoyment has come to a close, and with it, I really feel like it’s put a neat little bow on the third season of Archive 81. The show follows Nicholas Waters (voiced by Peter Musante) into a pretty cool new continent on the Other World, as he journeys to get a new body for Static Man (voiced by Jack Calk), who serves him as his vassal. Along the way, he encounters the unique and terrifying denizens of the world, builds new relationships with the people he meets along the way, and in the end, learns a lesson about how one interacts with the Ecosystem of the Other World. It’s a real feel-good, character building miniseries, about how sometimes it’s all about the journey, rather than the destination, and how sometimes, you can’t always get what you want.

What I loved about it

Honestly, the same things I loved about the last season of Archive 81, which has been my favourite season so far. Things have gone pretty strangely, as Nick has gone further down the path of the esoteric arts like his father before him, and he’s prepared a Ritual to grant Static Man a body. It delves really closely into the relationship between Nick and Static Man, and the new environment is a really terrifying yet immersive backdrop for their development as characters. We learn a lot about the world of Archive 81 as well, a little more about how the Other World works mechanically, and how it responds to the will of its inhabitants, as well as how it responds to new entities entering its ecosystem.

Honestly, the setting is incredible. The Other World feels like a character unto itself, and the characters that inhabit it that Nick and Static Man encounter feel as vibrant and enjoyable as any of the other ones Dan Powell and Marc Sollinger have created, which is to say, extremely vibrant and enjoyable. The way the setting is delivered to the listener is so incredible, the soundscape that’s been produced, whether it’s being described from the sound design or delivered via exposition is real and living and pulsates with the sense of a real Other World, and a road trip through that place. You really feel like your experiencing its wonder and horror alongside Nick and Static Man. It’s so incredible.

For all its amazing expansiveness though, it’s also an extremely intimate story. Nick and Static Man are the primary vehicles through which we experience the narrative, and I love watching their relationship develop and hit different roadblocks, as their different aspirations and desires come to a head with each other. As incredible and charming as the new characters that the two of them meet are, and I do love them a lot, (special shoutout to Cecilia Lynn-Jacobs and David DelGrosso for their performances as Clerk and Trucker respectively, both are incredibly enjoyable and brilliant) the most notable and engaging parts, at least for me, are Nick and Static Man having their conversations about what they want from each other. I found myself really sympathizing and being repulsed by both characters’ different plights and ambitions. Nick in particular really seems intent on following the path he began in the third season of Archive 81, which I found pretty exciting, in an ominous sort of way. It’s a show both expansive and intimate, and an incredible piece of audio drama.

Also the soundtrack fucking slaps. I’m not sure how many times I’ve listened to the beginning of the first episode so I could listen to the theme song again and again, but I’m not ashamed to admit it was a lot. 

What I’m looking forward to

Honestly…not much.

Like obviously I’m excited to listen to Archive 81 Season 4, whenever and however that may manifest itself, and obviously if there’s more stories about Nick and Christine to be told, then I’d love to hear them. But if this is the last story told about them, then I would 100% be happy with that. It felt like a great epilogue to a great season, and there’s just enough there to be told that the adventure continues, without knowing exactly how or what might happen. If this is the end of Nick and Static Man’s story on Archive 81, then it was an amazing ending, and if there’s more to be told, I can’t wait to hear it.

Here’s where you can listen to Archive 81: http://www.archive81.com

Here’s where you can support the show: https://www.patreon.com/archive81

 

(Note: This Retrospective contains Spoilers!)

The 12:37 has just completed it’s first season, and I really, seriously loved it. It’s about a woman named Nora who accidentally joins the crew of a time traveling train, and falls into a conspiracy that spans multiple timelines and dimensions, in which she finds herself at the heart. Along with the other crew members, including the irrepressible conductor Wheeler, the more level-headed resident superbadass Val, and eventually the depressed mercenary Scott, Nora travels the time-space train tracks and learns the truth about her involvement with the mysterious organization Beyond Pharmaceuticals and her own involvement with it. It’s a series that is brilliant! And I love it very much.

What I loved about it:

Well, everything really. I played myself, I guess.

The premise, as I mentioned above, is brilliantly unique, as a time-traveling train is an extremely cool concept and premise to tell a story with. The head writer, Alma Roda-Gil, who is also the creator and the voice of Val, however, manages to keep the concept grounded and engaging, without anything feeling too off the rails, as it were. That’s not to say it stays serious all the time; Roda-Gil’s comedic writing is just absolutely on the mark, with a comedic sense that feels entirely her own (Wheeler contracting tuberculosis is a standout moment of humour for the show). Similarly, she knows when to heighten the dramatic aspects of the show, and creates incredibly emotional moments that are extremely moving. Roda-Gil takes full advantage of the uniqueness that the setting provides her with, both in a comedic and a dramatic sense.

The plot throughout the eight episodes kept me fully gripped and totally engaged. From Nora’s arrival on the 12:37 to Val’s revelations of the final episode, I was totally hooked.  But it’s the characters and their relationships with each other that are the heart of the show. The cast gives amazing performances throughout the show, and I’ve fallen in love with each character. It’s mind-blowing, and I can’t say enough good things about the characters or the cast and crew. It’s an exceptional season of audio drama, and I can’t wait for the series to continue.

What I’m looking forward to for the future:

Obviously I’m looking forward to the resolution of the first season’s cliffhanger, but the worldbuilding of the show is really cool and interesting as well! I’m really looking forward to learning more about the world of the show, specifically Beyond Pharmaceuticals and the trains. The bioweapon in particular seems pretty terrifying, and I want to learn more about Beyond Pharmaceuticals’ involvement with its creation. Also, I’m really looking forward to learning more about Nyx, because she’s a fascinating and super scary villain, and she’s only really been teased a little bit thus far. I also want to see Val and Nora’s relationship develop! The spark has been there, and I really really want to see where it goes! I love them, and I think and hope they’d be happy together. Their relationship has been tumultuous but romantic, and I really want them to happen. Whatever happens, though, I know the cast and crew of The 12: 37 won’t disappoint. I can’t wait for its second season!

Here’s where you can listen to the show: http://1237pod.com/tagged/show

Support them on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/1237pod

(Second Season Multi-Track Drifting?!?!?!)

Inn Between is back! And it’s amazing and thrilling! The emphasis of this episode focuses mostly on resolving the fallout of the finale of Season One, and it really hits the ground running. One of the greatest strengths of the show is the character dynamic, and this episode really explores the shifting tides established by that. Of particular note in this episode is Sterling, who is placed into a particularly difficult position by the events of this episode, and Betty, who definitely took the events of the finale the hardest. The resolution of the episode was really heartwarming, and I’m thrilled for where the season will go!

Overall, I don’t think there was anything I disliked about the episode. The setup for this episode took me by surprise, but in a good way! It was a good idea for us to see how events played out directly in this case, but I am looking forward to a return to form in the next episode. The premiere does a really good job of reestablishing the dynamic between the characters for people who’ve been away from the show, but it never feels rote or formulaic. The actors super killed the game as per usual, but I do want to give a shoutout to the dynamic between Marquis Dijon Archuleta and Lindsey Dorcus, which really had me feeling all sorts of emotions. I was extremely blown away by their performances, and it might be a forlorn hope, but I do hope we hear their characters interact again, because they were amazing. Also, I want to praise the sound design, which I think was extremely great and clear here.

This was a great season premiere, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season! I’m super thrilled and excited for it! I have so many questions, and I’m so nervous about the characters! But also excited?! There’s a lot to look forward to with this new season, and I can’t wait to experience it.

Season 2 of Inn Between drops Wednesday, June 5th!

Here’s where you can listen to Season 1: https://www.thegoblinshead.com/listen/

Hi! Whoa! Yeah, it’s been a long time! But I’m back! Sorry it took such a long time, I feel really bad, and now I’ve fallen behind a bit, but everything should work out I think! But now let’s get back into the swing of things!

Greater Boston: “Episode 38: The Voice In Your Head”

Dang. Whoa. Greater Boston’s 3rd season has drawn to a close, and it has done so in the manner that it does all its episodes: amazingly, hilariously, and heartbreakingly! In it, Nica and Dimitri confront each other about their respective failures and current situations. It’s a really real, emotionally raw episode, and it all happens on the Nacho Flume, in typical brilliant Greater Boston style. The conclusion to the episode has got me hecked up as well, as the shadow of the Legion looms over the Red Line. It’s a conclusion at once intensely personal and incredibly thrilling, with exciting ramifications for the future of the show, and I love it a lot!

The 12:37: “San Junipero, Pennsylvania”

Gosh! This was such a sweet and amazing episode! In it, Nora and Val go together into a bowling alley together! But, it’s in the 80’s! It’s a great character episode for both Nora and Val, as they discuss how Nora’s life has changed since catching the 12:37, and the struggles of being queer women, and how shitty men can be. Through it all, they bowl, and grow closer, and I want Nora and Val to be wives as well. It was a very low-key episode, with really excellent development for Nora and Val, and the growth that their relationship undergoes. I’m really excited to see how things continue for the 12:37, especially with the revelations undergone in this episode. Nora and Val have really excellent chemistry, due in no small part to the amazing writing and performances by Nancy Ashcroft as Nora, and Alma Roda-Gil as Val. I’m thrilled for the next episode!

Here’s where you can find Greater Boston: https://greaterbostonshow.com/

Here’s where you can find The 12:37: http://1237pod.com/tagged/show

I’m so glad to be back!

It’s my 10th post! Can you believe it? I’ve done this 10 times! Whoa! That’s pretty awesome, if I do say so myself! That’s extra cool! This week I’ve been listening to Among the Stars and Bones and Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services!

Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services: “Case 14: Taking Criticism”

Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magical Services is back and open for business! Well, not quite yet, but she’s getting there! Getting stronger! Refreshing! Becoming the best witch she can be! Fresh off Season 1’s incredible, moving finale, Kalila’s been taking some time off of work to realign and reconcile herself with her Shadow, who had until recently been wreaking havoc with her life and work. Under the tutelage of the patient yet not-shit-taking witch Gloria Sousa, played amazingly by Forenza ASMR, Kalila has been recording her day-to-day life with her new companion. She attempts to reopen her practice, only to come out of her first day back at work with a mixed success, with Shadow accusing her of being dishonest with herself and her first client. All the while, the Fey migration into the material world is looming large over the heads of the local coven.  The first episode of Season 2 has hit the ground running, and I’m thrilled for what’s next. But a good thing about it is that it’s running at a nice, pleasant place? Like I don’t think I’d be out of breath trying to stay with it? Like yeah, there’s pieces moving around in the background, setting things up for the rest of Season 2, but the focus is still on Kalila coming to terms with her new relationship with her Shadow, and I really am very about that. It’s the sort of low-level aspects of the show that I really love, and that’s what comes into play here. Another aspect of this episode that I super dug is that Kalila’s not yet fully in tune with Shadow yet. The two of them were really at odds with one another until very recently, and it’s to be expected that they still need some time to get used to each other! I’m looking forward to seeing their relationship more fully evolve! I can’t wait for the next episode!

Among the Stars and Bones: “S1E1 – The Key to Humanity’s Future”

Ohhhh, this one’s a very spooky one. I’m really vibing with it so far! Among the Stars and Bones is telling the story of a xenoarchaeological mission to the planet Tefen, told through the eyes of some of it’s various personnel. Ruins have been discovered on the planet, and it’s up to members of the Herodotus mission to discover everything they can about them and what secrets they hold! There’s a lot of different facets to the show, from the inter-personnel squabbles about who gets jurisdiction where that has to be handled by the just arrived and already overworked Comptroller Adrienne Barnes, to the more ominous implications of some of the discoveries already being made in this episode by the maverick renegade Gordon Price, played amazingly by Graham Rowat. It’s gotten me very thrilled to see what comes next for these characters, and I’m really interested in learning more about the planet, our heroes, and what’ll happen to them! What’s in the box, indeed? Or in this case, what’s going to happen next to them! Ah! Looking forward to it!

Here’s where you can find Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services: https://www.kalilastormfire.com/

Here’s where you can find Among the Stars and Bones: http://www.amongthestarsandbones.com/

Oh heck! It’s another lovely listen! This week I listened to amazing episodes of Rogue Podron and GREAT AND TERRIBLE!

Rogue Podron: “Mission 100: What to Expect When You’re Expecting (To Listen to Rogue Podron)”

Gosh gosh gosh! What an episode! What a time! What a gas! What a laugh! Rogue Podron’s 100th episode extravapalooza is a grand old time, filled with lots of love and laughter. Hosts Saf, Heath, Danny, and Meg take a sometimes touching, sometimes weird, always brilliant and funny trip down memory lane as the listener learns all sorts of fun facts about the podcast and the years its been running! The episode has something to offer everyone, whether you’re a longtime listener or just learning about the podcast now. The hosts go through some of their most famous (or infamous)  moments in the podcast, and discuss their most amazing and hilarious running jokes. This is an especially good episode for people who are just arriving to the podcasts now, as it’s a quick way to catch up with the mood, quirks, and jokes of the show, to see whether the show’s for you or not. With this episode, the listener will have a joyous time listening, and be able to tell the difference between a Glistening Bodhi and a Glistening everything else the hosts have awarded their listeners! Whether you’re a new or old listener, there’s something for everyone in this episode!

GREAT AND TERRIBLE: “PRETTY BRAVE”

Dang. This was a frightening episode. In this one, Penelope Jane begins to communicate with a voice in her head.  Listening to Jane describe her encounter with the voice in her head, and how it encompasses her being is just super thrilling and terrifying. AR Olivieri is such a super writing master! And he’s backed up by a top-notch Leslie Gideon, whose performance here is what really ties the whole story together. Her work as Jane has been amazing to listen to, and this culmination of the narrative has really got me fascinated and hungry for learning about what’s to come. Knowing the premise, that it’s about a girl who is granted immortality at a terrible cost, has got me thrilled for learning about how that’s going to come about. This episode has got me extra excited for what’s to come next! Everyone listen to GREAT AND TERRIBLE!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the shows as much as I do!

Whoa! Some really excellent shows with some really excellent episodes this week! And here we go talking about them again!

Encyclopodia: “Dungeonmaster (Dungeons & Dragons Role) With Greg Henderson”

Encyclopodia’s a show about learning, in which we the listeners learn about a subject with its host, Danny Pirtle. And this week, we learn a lot together! Danny interviews the Dungeon Master Greg Henderson, and takes his viewers on a journey of understanding the game of Dungeons and Dragons. The interview is insightful and enjoyable, and I at least learned a lot about the role of Dungeon Master, and how to get the most out of the role at the table both in and out of game. I will definitely be taking what I learned from Greg into future games of Dungeons and Dragons, as well as the other RPGs I play!

Forest Guide: “Chapter 4”

The finale of this show was heartbreaking and amazing. The beginning was pretty heavy emotionally, and I had to pause and walk around the house for a bit. Once I did that, I was ready to continue, and the finale, it felt so raw and real and important, and I was really amazed and impressed by Shiloh. He was a really strong character and learner, and he did so much that was so good. The conclusion to the Guide’s story was also really well done and so good too. Having her going back to her wife was just…gah. So good. The performances were brilliant, I love Jack Pevyhouse and Julia Schifini in their roles. It’s an amazing conclusion to an amazing miniseries. I obviously would love to see another story take place in this universe, but if this the end, I don’t think this could have been better. Also I love the references to other Audio Fictions, that’s so good. I love this show and it’s so amazing! From beginning to end, it was fantastic.

Gosh! What a swell pair of episodes! Dang! So great.

Wow! Another day, another new Audio Fiction Episode listens! This week it’s Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back and Victoriocity!

Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back: “Tampons”

I am always consistently so impressed by this show. It’s just mind-blowing. There is so much content packed into so short a time, and it’s always consistently so good. This week in the latest episode, Jackie confronts Steven over his engagement over another fan site stealing her content. It tackles various forms of online interactions that occur, as well as forward Jackie and Steven’s relationship, and has a runtime of three and a half minutes? Like what? There is so much content in each episode, but it never feels overly full. It’s just mindblowing of an achievement, a masterclass in audio fiction writing, and I wish I could do it justice of how much each episode amazes me. I can’t recommend the show enough! Please listen to this show.

Victoriocity: “The Workshop”

Victoriocity is back, and Inspector Fleet and Clara have another mind-boggling case! I’m so excited to hear this show, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Chris and Jen Sugden have created this amazing, brilliant, terrifying world, and Fleet and Clara’s return has such exciting potential, and their dynamic is just as hilarious and memorable as it always was. Learning more about the world of Even Greater London has got me interested as well, and the new episode does not disappoint in that regard as well. The new supporting characters are as funny and vibrant as the world they live in, and I can’t wait to learn more about them as well! Speaking of, the mystery Fleet and Clara are solving in this one sure is a real humdinger! It’s got me super hooked, and the implications it has on the greater Even Greater London (heh) universe has me excited! If you haven’t listened to this show, I super recommend it!

Hi! Gosh, it’s another Audio Fiction Sunday! This week I listened to the Director’s Commentary on Episode 12 of What’s the Frequency and Episode 7 of The Six Disappearances of Ella McCray!

What’s the Frequency: “39.17 MHz Extended Director’s Commentary with Wil Williams”

“39.17 MHz” is the pinnacle of an already-brilliant audio fiction. The culmination of all the plot threads set in motion from the very beginning of the show come to an explosive conclusion. The discussion had between James Oliva (the director), Alexander Danner (sound designer and voice of Krog), and Wil Williams of wilwilliams.reviews is a really fascinating, insightful discussion about gender commentary throughout the show, trends in audio fiction, period pieces, and inspirations for the show. It’s such a brilliant, enlightening discussion, and if you’re a creator I highly recommend the episode, even if you haven’t listened to What’s the Frequency. Listen to the show as well also, obviously! It’s such a good show!

The Six Disappearances of Ella McCray: Episode 7

In this terrifying new installment of the gripping audio fiction The Six Disappearances of Ella McCray, we learn just what’s going on in the head of Travis Reese, Ella’s temperamental fiance. Travis has been communicating with a sinister voice that feeds into his fears that someone had betrayed the group and murdered Ella. The voice drives Travis into creating worse and worse atrocities, culminating in the murder of the landscaper George. This was the most sinister and ominous episode of the show yet, and delving into Travis’s psyche was a terrifying journey. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the voice that Travis has been communicating with. My suspicion is that it’s some sort of side-effect of the vision that was visited on the six of them the day of Ella’s disappearance. I’m thrilled to continue on with this show, and I can’t wait to learn about what happens next! Special love to Alex Elespuru’s performance as Travis in this episode, he was genuinely scary to listen to!

Happy Audio Fiction Sunday, by the way!