Nine Podcasts and Albums in Our Personal Rotation
The amazing albums and powerful podcasts you need to hear
PODCASTS
The Superhero Complex
Phoenix Jones, a charismatic cage fighter self-billed as Seattle’s (and possibly the world’s) first ever superhero, fought criminals on the city streets in his own custom-made costume. In 2020, Phoenix found himself becoming the villain after his sidekicks turned against him – finding him with four grams of cocaine. Was he a half-pint Batman or just a cult leader? This podcast investigates the bizarre true story.
Smoking Gun
Tracy Alexander is the UK’s leading forensic scientist who hosts a podcast alongside actor Romola Garai. Together they discuss the ‘smoking gun’ (a piece of evidence that makes a case viable) of real-life crime stories, everyday items that provided the answer to cases once thought unsolvable.
Never Have I Ever
Comedian Joel Dommett and model Hannah Cooper are living their best married lives keeping things fresh by trying out new experiences… no, not like that! They are taking unusual suggestions from the public and acting on them, participating in activities which they’ve never done before – from pole dancing to giving blood, making pottery and locking themselves in a sensory deprivation tank. Hear how it all went in each subsequent episode.
The Secret To
TV personality, author, Jungle Queen, and Geordie lass Vicky Pattison is on a mission to find out The Secret To… plenty of things. Each week, celebrity guests spill their secrets to success.
Athletico Mince
Middlesbrough’s Bob Mortimer and Sunderland’s Andy Dawson’s podcast began as a humorous take on the world of football, but it’s now more focused on the bizarre experiences and encounters of these two funny men.
Scarlett Moffatt Wants To Believe
County Durham TV personality Scarlett Moffatt (who is obsessed with the unsolved and the unexplained) attempts to uncover the truth about various topics, then tries to convince her ‘non-believer’ boyfriend Scott.
VINYL
Fear Fear
Working Men’s Club
A defiant album filled with zigs and zags of sonic inspiration, with snippets of post-punk, dance and synth-pop – reminiscent of something you’d hear from Kraftwerk with a modern-industrial edge. It’s an album that’s hard to describe because of its eclectic brilliance, taking listeners on a journey that starts by depicting anxiety-riddled lockdowns, and then explodes into a catharsis of joy and dance.
Last Night in the Bittersweet
Paolo Nutini
His first studio album in eight years, Last Night in the Bittersweet is a confident return from Scottish indie-cult legend Paolo Nutini. From hard-hitting ballads to soft spoken-word segments, Paolo’s voice carries this personal LP to great heights. If you’re a fan of his older stuff, this is less bouncy, but it’s characterful and passionate in all the ways we’ve come to expect.
The Theory of Whatever
Jamie T
Jamie T’s The Theory of Whatever is another album from an indie-cult icon who’s returned after a long hiatus (there seems to be a trend here). It’s a complete rejection of the themes of anxiousness and teenage angst that dominated his earlier work, instead rejoicing in a ‘Who cares? I’m back’ attitude that is reflected in this record through some great bangers.
