Podcast roundup: The best this week, from In Conversation to Handsome Rambler and No Challenges Remaining

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? *** — In Conversation Brian Eno About the podcast: In Conversation, a weekly podcast by dublab features interviews from its 20 years of broadcasting. Highlighting some of the most compelling interviews from radio’s archives, the podcast offers an in-depth view into the lives and creative processes of its guests. About the episode: From the archival series Imaginary Landscape: Composer to Composer Talks, Carl Stone presents an incredible two-hour conversation with Brian Eno that took place at the Aratani Japan America Theatre in Los Angeles in 1988. Eno talks to Stone about his upbringing in England, his personal taste for doo-wop and American pop music during his childhood, and how attending art school led him to meet composers such as Morton Feldman, Cornelius Cardew and Christian Wolff. The laid-back tone of the exchange — which touches upon everything from Eno’s singing skills to his impressions of Los Angeles and the thought process behind Music for Airports — comes across as striking, especially today when most interviews with artists are just a bland blend of sentences or a PR statement being read out loud. An all-around great piece from the archives. Runtime: 113 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  Hannibal Buress: Handsome Rambler Live from Chicago - Part 1 About the podcast: Hosted by  Hannibal Buress along with DJ  Tony Trimm, Handsome Rambler is “unfiltered observations on sports, sex, wrestling, relationships, philosophy, books, watches, other podcasts, bottled water reviews…” Recorded on the road, Buress is often joined by friends. About the episode: Buress and Trimm’s show just keeps getting better. The podcast now regularly feels on par with some of the most well crafted and produced comedies available out there not just in the form of podcasts, but on any of the other streaming platforms. Live from North Bar in Chicago’s Wicker Park, on this episode, the duo discuss fighting jet lag, food in Thailand, a passive-aggressive (and pretty hilarious) exchange with an Airbnb owner, being ageist when it comes to politics, and much, much more. They are also joined by Dana Cree from Pretty Cool Ice Cream and comedian Meechie Hall. Runtime: 77 minutes Listen to the episode here.

— No Challenges Remaining Episode 226: Nick Kyrgios About the podcast: Hosted by New York Times’ Ben Rothenberg and WTA Insider’s Courtney Nguyen, a humorous and informative podcast discussing the weekly happenings in the world of professional tennis. About the episode: When Rothenberg says this was “probably the most remarkable interview that I can remember doing, certainly on this show, and very possibly in my career”, he is not too far off the mark. In an exchange with one of the most divisive and complex characters in professional tennis today, Rothenberg talks to Nick Kyrgios about a wide range of subjects, ranging from the Aussie’s love for his home to winning a title while partying every night of the tournament and disrupting tennis’ conventionally accepted behaviours. Kyrgios, in his now-familiar style of “unfiltered views”, also talks about the “cringeworthy” Novak Djokovic and looks back at the infamous incident with Stan Wawrinka. Runtime: 48 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  Shakespeare and Company 40 Years of Granta magazine, with Ian Jack & Sigrid Rausing About the podcast: Readings and interviews from Paris’ beloved bookshop,  Shakespeare and Company. About the episode: Editor Sigrid Rausing and former editor Ian Jack join the podcast to celebrate forty years of Granta magazine. The duo talk about the long history of the magazine, the many circumstances and decisions that shaped it, not wanting it to be a “literary magazine”, the pieces featured in its 40th-Birthday Special issue, and the future of the magazine, among other things. Rausing also reads an excerpt from Binyavanga Wainaina’s How to Write about Africa_,_ and Jack from Diana Athill’s  Editing Vidia. Runtime: 67 minutes Listen to the episode here.

— Gangster Capitalism S1 [1] The Side Door | The College Admissions Scandal About the podcast: Season 1 of Gangster Capitalism centres around the 2019 college admissions scandal in the United States, which involved everyone from CEOs to celebrities. Documentarian Andrew Jenks uncovers the origins and inner workings of the scam, introducing the people involved, and exploring the larger debate around higher education that has been brought to the forefront. About the episode: Through transcriptions of wiretapped conversations between Rick Singer, Felicity Huffman, and others, episode one looks at how the schemes worked. We also hear from a student who cheated on his SAT, a psychologist who deals with students and parents trying to game the system to get more time to take the SAT and ACT. Runtime: 38 minutes Listen to the episode here.