Fluxblog 452: happy "orgy" week to you and yours
Sharing some podcasts I know and love with those of my kind
No new playlist, no song posts, nothing but odds and ends this time around!
But hey, here’s some old playlists. Going on Spotify follower count, these are the most popular Fluxblog playlists from 2023. Being that they’re the most popular, you probably already have checked them out but if not, go ahead and feel peer pressured to do so. Thanks to everyone who listens to these, and especially to those who share them!
5. The Origin Of Pop-As-Genre 1976-1996 [Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube]
4. First Wave New Wave 1979-1982 [Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
3. Post-Nirvana Alt-Rock Gold Rush 1992-1995 [Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
2. The Young Folks: Twee Indie 2004-2009 [Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
1. The Late 90s Sophisticate [Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
DJ Louie has made the episode of Pop Pantheon that Molly Mary O’Brien and I appeared on earlier this year available to non-Patreon subscribers. We talk about Lady Gaga’s Chromatica and how we think it’s held up over the past few years. I think you’ll enjoy it – I know I did, Molly and Louie are two of the most fun people to talk to.
In addition to Pop Pantheon, here are some podcasts I think were especially great in 2023, in alphabetical order:
Black Bubblegum
Infrequently updated, always exceptional - Jasmine's commentary on music is sharp, funny, and thoughtful. I particularly recommend the episodes on Chris Brown, Janelle Monae, and Ice Spice.
Episode 1
E1 is one of the most consistently creative and hilarious shows of any kind I've ever encountered, and I love that they keep getting more formally ambitious. My favorite episodes from this year include Inside Michael Imperioli's History-Filled New York Home, The FlexCast, The Botanical Gardens of Opulence, E1's Mandatory HR Meeting, Pixar's Sodas, and Jack Nicholson.
Fortune Kit
This is a very funny music-centric podcast co-hosted by Charles Austin from E1. The bread and butter of the show is talking about super dumb music news, but the truly transcendental stuff is when they screw around with music itself - bad AI music, original music written with prompts, and most of all, the most hilariously demented remixes ever made. If you're looking for the latter, you need to put on "The Insane Mixing Geniuses" from February.
Guys: With Bryan Quinby
Bryan is the world's foremost researcher on Types of Guys. I recommend checking in on Classic Rock Guys, Rockabilly Guys, Audiophiles, and of course, Sex Guys.
Seeking Derangements
This is one of my big obsessions lately. I think my best pitch on this show is to image a podcast as a sitcom, and the cast is basically Gay Jerry, Trans Elaine, and Pansexual They/Them Kramer. “Dr. Professor At Law MD” is a good episode to jump in on, but honestly a lot of the best ones are only on Patreon, along with a lot of very good DJ mixes.
Stavvy’s World
The second half of every Stavvy's World is a call-in advice show, and I can't get enough of it. Stavros Halkias gives very good advice almost all the time, but the most compelling thing is the callers, who provide one of the best windows into contemporary masculinity you'll get anywhere. Listen because it's funny, listen because it's anthropologically fascinating! A lot of the best shows are paywalled - like the full-on live caller episodes – but the recent Ali Macofsky and Connor O'Malley episodes are good places to start.
That’s all for now. See you in the New Year, aka next week!