Podcast roundup: The best this week, from Dave Chang Show to Underculture and The Flop House

Podcasts have seen a rapid upsurge in popularity in recent years. From true crime to design, popular culture and modern relationships, fiction to in-depth reportage, podcasts have proliferated to the point where no matter how esoteric the subject, there’s bound to be a show that deals with it. Amid this cornucopia of audio delights, however, how do you pick the podcast that’s most worth your while? This is where our weekly curated playlist steps in; it’s a lowdown on the best episodes from a selection of podcasts that deserve a listen. Ready to tune in? *** — The Dave Chang Show Expanding Your Horizons, Literally, With Jada Yuan About the podcast: Besides being the chef of the Momofuku restaurants and the creator and host of Netflix’s Ugly Delicious, Dave Chang is an avid student and fan of sports, music, art, film, and, of course, food. In free-ranging conversations that cover everything from the creative process to his guests’ guiltiest pleasures, Dave and a rotating cast of smart, thought-provoking guests talk about their inspirations, failures, successes, fame, and identities. About the episode: Dave speaks with Jada Yuan, the inaugural ( 2018) ‘ 52 Places Traveller’ for The New York Times, about her many travels and her takeaways from experiencing different cultures. Selected by the newspaper to travel to 52 places (in 52 weeks) on their annual list of to-travel destinations, Yuan discusses everything from how much to pack, the best breakfast she had all year, travelling solo as a woman and the places she would like to return to. Runtime: 59 minutes Listen to the episode here.

— The Underculture with James Adomian Sebastian Gorka & Ayn Rand (w/ Heather Anne Campbell) About the podcast: In his new podcast, comedian James Adomian and friends perform a surreal vision of our times populated by heroes and hucksters. (Pro tip: If you are a first-time listener of the podcast, just roll with it, things will eventually fall into place and you will have a blast.) About the episode: Adomian presents an unreleased episode of Sebastian Gorka’s podcast with special guest, long-deceased writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. Plus a never-before heard alternate version of John F Kennedy’s famed inauguration speech, a commercial message from megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, and Slavoj Žižek’s Eurovision submission tape. Plus James talks to actor and writer Heather Anne Campbell (The Twilight Zone, SNL, Whose Line Is It Anyway?). Runtime: 67 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  The Flop House Episode #285 – Serenity About the podcast: Hosted by  Elliott Kalan (former head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and now the head writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000), Dan McCoy (comedian and Emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show), and Stuart Wellington (comedian and bar proprietor in Brooklyn, New York), The Flop House is devoted to the worst in cinema. The three have decided to express that friendship not by doing productive or enjoyable things, but instead by watching critical or commercial flops and then discussing those terrible movies length. Although, as they would admit, most of the time the talk is just about random bulls**t. About the episode: The trio discuss the genre-hopping bonkers twist-em-up, Serenity (if you have watched the movie, you know what it is; if not, strap in). They are joined by the Jenny Jaffe, whose attachment to this film can surely be described as “healthy.” Meanwhile, Wellington explains costume-care in the stripper industry, Kalan introduces his new hit character “Crawdaddy,” and McCoy’s reaction to the film is a real twist ending**.** Runtime: 113 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  WTF with Marc Maron David Letterman About the podcast: A weekly podcast and radio show hosted by stand-up comedian  Marc Maron in his garage, where he interviews celebrities, artists and fellow comedians while venting out some voices in his own head. Lock the gate! About the episode: After wrapping up a legendary and influential career as late night host, David Letterman talks with Maron about his early days at The Comedy Store, his enjoyment of the longform interviews he is doing for Netflix, and his focus on the hard work of becoming a better person. Dave also reveals his favourite thing about his old show and the one comic he always thought was the funniest, despite everything else that happened between them. Runtime: 93 minutes Listen to the episode here.

— Bande à part If I Was A Painting About the podcast: Rebecca Arnold and Beatrice Behlen discuss fashion in their weekly catch-up calls. Arnold teaches at The Courtauld Institute of Art, Behlen is curator at the Museum of London. About the episode: The duo discuss which paintings would they most like to live in. From Jacques-Louis David’s Madame Récamier to Jan van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Portrait, John Singer Sargent’s Mr and Mrs I N Phelps Stokes, and many more, the episode presents a fresh look at some great artworks through an unusual perspective. (Pro tip: Turn up the volume!) Runtime: 28 minutes Listen to the episode here.