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Podcast talk
Dec. 13th, 2013 03:45 pmLately I've been enjoying Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, it's an NPR culture show but not on any local station--I discovered it because the eponymous authoritative nerd host's connection with John Hodgman. Jesse is the bailiff on the Judge John Hodgman podcast, but more than that he runs the Maximum Fun podcast network, with 3 or 4 podcasts that I subscribe to and a dozen or more that I don't. Only so much time in the day.
Bullseye covers some stuff that you'd expect from an NPR interview show--soul legend Bill Withers, noir pioneer Elmore Leonard--but also is unexpectedly hip. Punk, metal, and "heavy" music are covered, as well as "alternative" comedians and cult cinema. Most interesting is Jesse Thorn's fluency with the world of hip hop. I've heard him interview several rappers. Prodigy of Mobb Deep was disarmed by Thorn's respectful well-researched questions, Big Boi of Outkast seemed downright grateful for his thoughtful treatment, but Bun B of UGK took issue with Thorn's interpretation of one of his songs. But Jesse came to the interview with an interpretation of the song! He comes to all his hip hop interviews with an understanding of the context and artistry of rap--I can't decide if this is a benefit or a detriment to the show's future success on NPR.
Jesse is currently off on paternity leave, and has had a slew of entertaining fill-ins. His best friend and sidekick (on the comedy podcast Jordon Jesse Go!) had fun with a couple episodes, discussing cult movie bomb/sensation "The Room" and the Bad Religion Christmas album. NPR’s sports guy Mike Pesca is a seasoned professional but his voice sounds like an index finger being jabbed into your chest. Award-winning author Susan Orlean has a radio voice like a sexy android. The New Yorker columnist surprised with an almost fawning interview of Jack Black. She also revealed her taste in the heavy music segment when she described one piece of electronic metal as sounding like "a washing machine with something loose in it."
If you are an NPR listener and want something less dry and dusty than the usual fare, definitely give Bullseye a chance.
Bullseye covers some stuff that you'd expect from an NPR interview show--soul legend Bill Withers, noir pioneer Elmore Leonard--but also is unexpectedly hip. Punk, metal, and "heavy" music are covered, as well as "alternative" comedians and cult cinema. Most interesting is Jesse Thorn's fluency with the world of hip hop. I've heard him interview several rappers. Prodigy of Mobb Deep was disarmed by Thorn's respectful well-researched questions, Big Boi of Outkast seemed downright grateful for his thoughtful treatment, but Bun B of UGK took issue with Thorn's interpretation of one of his songs. But Jesse came to the interview with an interpretation of the song! He comes to all his hip hop interviews with an understanding of the context and artistry of rap--I can't decide if this is a benefit or a detriment to the show's future success on NPR.
Jesse is currently off on paternity leave, and has had a slew of entertaining fill-ins. His best friend and sidekick (on the comedy podcast Jordon Jesse Go!) had fun with a couple episodes, discussing cult movie bomb/sensation "The Room" and the Bad Religion Christmas album. NPR’s sports guy Mike Pesca is a seasoned professional but his voice sounds like an index finger being jabbed into your chest. Award-winning author Susan Orlean has a radio voice like a sexy android. The New Yorker columnist surprised with an almost fawning interview of Jack Black. She also revealed her taste in the heavy music segment when she described one piece of electronic metal as sounding like "a washing machine with something loose in it."
If you are an NPR listener and want something less dry and dusty than the usual fare, definitely give Bullseye a chance.
