Talking points
The show might have ended, but the Kurupt FM team from BBC3’s People Just Do Nothing continue their reign as pirate radio tycoons par excellence with a new audio series due soon via Audible. According to its makers, the Kurupt FM Podkast tackles “a range of topics including technology, relationships, survival, fashion and the supernatural”. Hopefully there will be lots of Chabuddy G-flavoured schemes, besides…
Elsewhere, the podcast boom doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon: according to stats from the US Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers, by 2021 the industry could likely generate $1bn, as tech giants including Google and Spotify continue to double down on their audio efforts. Hannah J Davies
Picks of the week
One of the most inventive scripted podcasts to drop in recent months comes from Gimlet, home of hits such as Heavyweight, Sandra and Reply All. Booksmart’s Noah Galvin stars as Prince Rupert, who is trying to break a long-standing curse on his kingdom but is derailed by the handsome rival prince Amir. It stirs up all kinds of confusing emotions, which take this fantasy adventure to new depths. Christine Baranski and Matthew Rhys add their voices to a fairytale full of swashbuckling and teenage romance. Hannah Verdier
Digging Deep With Robert Plant
From Black Country mod to rock god to quixotic world-folk adventurer, former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has long exhibited a winning musical curiosity. For these seven fortnightly podcasts, ostensibly to promote, well, himself, he makes excellent company as he’s coaxed by Matt Everitt into revisiting some of his most memorable collaborations and inspirations, taking in Nigel Kennedy, Alison Krauss and the thumb bone of bad King John (“I’ve seen it! It’s under the altar at Worcester cathedral”). Martin Horsfield
Guardian Pick: Chips with Everything
To say that Twitter can be a divisive place is a pretty mundane observation to make these days. And one only needs to look to Donald Trump’s recent visit to see why. But not everyone on the platform is looking to divide. Some, including Hussein Kesvani - who appeared in this week’s episode of Chips with Everything - are looking to build bridges.
As Hussein tells Jordan Erica Webber, a couple of years ago, he started receiving anti-Islam messages from a Twitter account called ‘True Brit’. Intrigued by his Islamaphobic troll, a few months - and many messages - later, Hussein travelled to meet the man behind the account. To hear what happened next, make sure to have a listen. Max Sanderson
Producer pick: Radio Menea
Chosen by Ekaterina Ochagavia (Video Producer)
A weekly music podcast by two friends with “wildly different music tastes”, Radio Menea takes you on a deep dive into the best music from Latinx artists that they love. Hosts Miriam Zoila Pérez and Verónica Bayetti Flores serve episodes arranged by theme, from señora (old lady) jams, cumbia, reggaeton-ton-ton, 90s chicano power hip hop, lovelorn salsa ballads and cholo jams to songs about mujeriegos (men who cheat).
Along the way, they discuss identity, gender, indigenous artists, politics and the cultural importance of musicians who have been/are incarcerated. This is a fun and unapologetically Espanglish lesson in Latinx music and, more importantly, a precious insight into Latinx music culture. Their love of such a huge range of music is infectious.
What I love about the series is that Vero and Miriam take it back to a pre-Spotify, pre-algorithm mix-tape era where actual human beings recommend songs they love, arranged by theme. There’s an episode for every mood. Among the highlights is their throwback to ‘1998’ featuring iconic tunes from Elvis Crespo, Shakira, Wassa Banga and Tito Nieves.
