Listens We Can’t Stop Talking About

A Collection of our Tribe's Favorite Podcasts

As of January 2022, there are over 2,000,000 podcasts and over 48 million episodes. With statistics like this, it's nearly impossible to narrow it down to the best of the best. Don't fret. We've got you. We have an obsession with not only devouring podcasts and audiobooks, but then subsequently talking about them, and we've curated this collection just for you. A collection we've affectionately named "Listens We Can't Stop Talking About." Enjoy.

"Voyeurism is a director's job description. It's an artist's too." - Andy Warhol This 20-minute podcast came recommended by our Curious Mind Tribe member Nicole. This is the story of New Yorker, Diane and her new neighbors in the building across the way. A lack of curtains and really any form of privacy, is the beginning of a very intimate and at the same time, one-sided relationship. This got us thinking - do you have any one-sided relationships? At the end of the podcast, you'll know.

It's no secret that our love for Malcolm Gladwell runs deep. So, it goes without saying that we are BIG fans of his podcast, Revisionist History, where he examines the overlooked and the misunderstood. In a recent episode, Malcolm takes on Waymo -the autonomous driving vehicle backed by Google. With its 40 sensors and over 300-yard range, he puts Waymo to the test with lofty beach balls and unruly runners. We found ourselves reevaluating our confidence in autonomous vehicles and loving the thought of no speeding tickets. Would you Waymo?

A 30-minute podcast reminding us how brilliantly interesting people can be. Hosts Hebah Fisher & Dana Ballout talk with inspiring figures from the Arab world and their journeys to the top. We recently listened to the episode featuring Omar Samra - Adventurer and Entrepreneur. Omar's determination made him the first Egypitan to complete the Seven Summit challenge, one which only about 450 in the world have ever succeeded. Starting out in finance (a parent's dream) and veering to travel and adventure (not so much), Omar found his calling starting Wild Guanabana, a travel company creating life changing journeys for their clients.

We love a podcast series with a tagline "Science for people who give a s**t." The most recent episode we listened to was a chat with uber-smart Dr. Beronda Montgomery. A PhD, writer, researcher, scholar and author of Lessons from Plants. She is just brilliant and has an amazing outlook on life. Her life's work consists of being an expert in all things plants. What really stuck with us was how she compares plants and the decisions they make based on their energy levels, as opposed to how we as humans just go - go - go, thinking we have infinite energy. We may want to be more like a Hydrangea - sit in the shade, make sure we have tons of water and bloom once a year. Dr. Montgomery's ability to relate many of the world issues back to how plants react is so very interesting. Once this podcast wrapped, we went right over to Amazon and bought the book. Because it turns out, what we can learn from plants is a whole heck of a lot.

We talked with our friend Rebecca from House of Pod about their Tribecca Film Festival selection, Guardians of the River. "The audio of this podcast is unlike anything I've ever heard. I love that this show wrestles with deep, important questions of conservation, tourism, ecology, and histories of colonialism. The sound design is rich, the host is brilliant and the story is enriching. To follow this podcast is to be part of a web of relationships with place, animals, humans, plants, history, and the future. What a joy to be part of this project and to share it with others!"

If you could call a number and say you’re sorry, and no one would know…what would you apologize for? This is the story of Allan Bridge, a conceptual artist who concocted The Apology Line during the 1980s in New York City. For well over a decade, you could call a number in Manhattan apologize for everything under the sun from shoplifting to murder. With the "new" technology of answering machines Allan became Mr. Apology, providing solace to anyone with regrets, wrong doings or even criminal acts to get it off their chest and apologize. A confessional of sorts. The only caveat, Allan will broadcast these tapes publicly, so callers were instructed not to include their names. One minor detail... Mr. Apology realized he couldn’t JUST listen. This six-part series is told by a close confidant to Allen and discovers how this multi-year project turns into a defining aspect of Allen's life. Sorry, not sorry for listening to this one.

At the beginning, the two young founders of Juul had the mission to disrupt the tobacco industry by creating a healthier alternative to smoking. What an aspirational goal! Sounds noble, right? Over this six-part series, hear how that mission falls to the wayside as teens become dangerously addicted to their strawberry and bubble gum flavors, sales skyrocket and Washington comes knocking. Host Laura Beil, reporter behind Dr Death and Bad Batch, tells us how it all goes up in smoke and crisis ensues.

We've all gotten spam calls, or as we like to call them, scam calls. "Hello, the warranty on your car is about to expire, please call immediately to extend your warranty." On my 2004 Chevy Tahoe with 200k+ miles and a rusty hood? Sign me up! These calls can be comical, are always annoying, and sometimes give our heart a scare. Who are the people on the other end of these calls, and what makes them tick? In Reply All's two-part series Long Distance, host Alex Goldman follows a wild ride where these phone calls lead to when you play along.

Ok, so we may be late to this party, but we're so glad we came. At long last, we finally finished the wildly popular S • Town Podcast and holy s**t! Listeners hit play for what they believe is a murder investigation, but before you know it, someone else ends up dead which obviously sparks a feud and of course a hunt for hidden treasure that ultimately unearths the mysteries of one man's life. What?! By the end of this rollercoaster, you will find yourself feeling a profound love for John B McLemore, with his genius mind and unpredictable ways as he navigates his southern existence. You may even find that you have a new found interest in horology.

A bite-sized podcast that pairs perfectly with your busy day. Hrishikesh Hirway talks with top music artists to deconstruct their hit songs. When driving carpool for a group of 12 year olds, it's important to be in the know as they belt out Dua Lipa's "Levitate." So now, not only do we know the words but we have the backstory of the synthesizer used, how her childhood memories shaped its sound and why she sing/talks in the song. SPOILER ALERT: It has to do with her accent. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This 18 minute listen earned us major cool points with the tweens.

We killed the doldrums of a long drive home with this hilarious podcast featuring Will Arnett, Jason Batemen, and Sean Hayes. I mean, is there a more dynamic trifecta? No. There is not. Each episode features a surprise guest and in this episode it is none other than Wagon Wheel Singer himself, Darius Rucker. What makes this episode great is Rucker's stories combined with the belly-laughing banter of the hosts on who is the biggest Hootie and the Blowfish fan. Check out SmartLess, you will not be disappointed.

We just love the story of Allbirds and have so much respect for the company. They build in the cost of sustainability for all products. They are always striving to do what's best.