Podspell

Sex Nerd Sandra

Sandra Daugherty is a sex-positive, super funny, super energetic podcaster who work(s/ed?) at the Pleasure Chest, an adult store in LA. There's over a hundred episodes, so I started about 7 episodes in with a roundtable discussion podcast with her coworkers at the Pleasure Chest, talking about their job, the people who come in, toy safety, and all manner of interesting discussion. Sandra takes great care in making sure the show stays entirely non-judgmental and safe but keeps the conversation really interesting and funny. Definitely putting it on tap for future commuting.

Mike Detective

A sort of spin-off of Comedy Bang! Bang!, Mike Detective (Unlicensed and Uninsured Private Eye) is a fantastic send-up of old school noir and radio dramas. His quest to save his client, Stephanie Client(voiced by the single best voice actor ever goddammit, Grey DeLisle), and her sister from the evil clutches of Kelsey Grammer is maybe the funniest thing I've ever listened to. The humor slides somewhere between the super-referential Community and the satirical absurdism of Police Squad or The Naked Gun. Unfortunately, there's only one 'season' of it, but it's a great, quick listen.

Welcome to Night Vale

Imagine, if you will, a quiet, unassuming town full of mystery, magic, and horror. This town, of course, has public access radio where the news is reported. This town is Night Vale. The premise is basically NPR meets the Twilight Zone and it's pretty funny. A calm, relaxing voice reports on the goings-on of the town of Night Vale, with the arrival of the handsome scientist Carlos whom we love and hate in equal measure as he turns his eye to the mysteries of the town. Basically, everything is done perfectly, both to its benefit and its detriment. The announcer, voiced by Cecil Baldwin, hits the public radio voice so perfectly that it becomes remarkably easy to tune out and ignore even if you really want to listen (which you do). It's hard to listen to while commuting because I just want to fall asleep, as I move into a sine wave of paying attention and cracking up and then zoning out and ignoring it entirely.