Afternoon gents, it’s Max from the Young Gentleman’s Guide here! With the absolute explosion of podcasts in the last few years, I’ve obviously bought into all of that hype in a big way. Most of the time, instead of listening to music in my car if I’m on my way to work, running errands, or anything in between, I’ve mostly been listening to podcasts. One of the best things about podcasts is that everyone can find any sort of podcast about any sort of subject, and everyone can always find one that can interest them. So in today’s article, I’ll be going over five (5) of my personal favorite podcasts that I’ve really enjoyed and I think will be great to listen to in the car, whether you’re out running errands, driving to work, or even going on a cross-country road trip. So without any further delay, let’s get started!
1. The Soundtrack Show
I may be a bit biased toward this one for a few reasons. One, I did study music in college and even took a class in film scoring, and two, I wrote my senior thesis on film scores and did a rudimentary comparison of various scores. However, despite my biases, I think this could be a great one to listen to for anyone who has even a little bit of an interest in movie scores. The podcast’s host, David W. Collins, does a fantastic job of breaking down not just the musical composition of various film and video game scores, including the original Star Wars trilogy, Jaws, Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, The Legend of Zelda, and many more, but he also goes into the production history of the films themselves that had an influence on the writing of the score. Not only that, but Mr. Collins also goes lot into music theory and history, giving his listeners a context of all the most famous film scores that came to follow. So, if you’re looking for an interesting podcast that analyzes film and video game scores to death, this may be the one for you!
Favorite Episodes:
Doom and Gloom: Music has a word for “Death”
The Empire Strikes Back: the Music (Only part 1 is linked)
Wagner: The first Lord of the Ring
The Music of Super Mario Bros.
The Fellowship of the Ring: the Music (Only part 1 is linked)
2. Camp Monsters
Those of you who are fans of the outdoors and the wilderness may enjoy this one. In this podcast, the host, Weston Davis, talks about the history of certain cryptids or mythical creatures throughout the United States, and recounts supposed first-hand accounts that people have had with these creatures. While Mr. Davis covers commonly known creatures like Sasquatch, the Jersey Devil, and the Chupacabra, he also has episodes on many lesser-known creatures, like the Ozark Howler, the Batsquatch, the Loveland Frogman, and Tahoe Tessie. Another nice touch that this podcast adds is that it has ambient sound playing in the background, which makes it feel like you really are sitting around a campfire, or resting out in the forest, or even floating on a boat out on the water if it’s an episode about a water-based creature. Those who enjoy atmospheric discussions about those things around the country that go bump in the night should absolutely check out Camp Monsters.
Favorite Episodes:
3. Cryptid Campfire
This one is quite similar to Camp Monsters, but with a few key differences. For one, this one actually has four hosts instead of one. Eli Watson, Jasmine With, Alex Daikaiju, and Steffen Myers do also talk about a lot of similar cryptids as Mr. Davis does on Camp Monsters, but their take on the subject is a lot more fun and lighthearted, as opposed to it being very serious and atmospheric like on Camp Monsters. The hosts of Cryptid Campfire also take a lot more time to dive into the history of the various creatures they talk about, including even government resources if there are any they can find. Depending on the creature that’s being covered, some historical references can even go back to pre-colonial times! On top of all of this, they’ll even bring on guests to also break down the history and accounts of these creatures. So if you’d really like an in-depth look at those same things around the world that go bump in the night, this may be the one for you!
Favorite Episodes:
146. The Lone Pine Mountain Devil
4. Chilling Tales for Dark Nights
This is one I highly recommend listening to while driving at night. Chilling Tales for Dark Nights is part of an entire podcast network dedicated to the creepy and the macabre. In this podcast specifically, the host, Steve Taylor, introduces the listener to a series of spooky fictional stories submitted by a range of authors, which are then read and/or acted out by various voice actors. One of the best things about the stories presented in this podcast is that they can cover a wide range of premises. Such premises include ghosts and hauntings, spiritual/demonic possessions, creeping monsters, apocalyptic events, creepy cults, unethical medical facilities, murder mysteries, and so many more. On top of this wide range of premises, the voice talents who bring these stories to life almost always do a wonderful job of sucking the listener into the atmosphere that the stories try to establish. The stories told in this podcast find many ways to scare listeners, which can make them a joy to listen to for anyone who is into that sort of thing. For those of you looking for some frightening fiction and some macabre entertainment, Chilling Tales for Dark Nights may be worth checking out.
5. Pints with Aquinas
This is one that I’m definitely more biased toward since as I’ve pointed out before, I am a practicing Catholic, but I think this could be a good one to listen to even for those who aren’t involved in the faith. The host of the podcast, Matt Fradd bases the podcast off of this simple premise: if you were to sit down in a pub and have a pint with Saint Thomas Aquinas, what would you talk about? It really is a simple format that can be a great way to gain some insight into the Catholc faith. Mr. Fradd does a great job of discussing the faith in a fair and balanced way, and he doesn’t just do it by himself. Mr. Fradd will usually bring on a guest on each episode to discuss a certain subject or range of subjects. Such guests include priests, political pundits, media figures, even sometimes musicians and actors, and not all of them are Catholic. Sometimes, the guests on Pints with Aquinas are members of certain Protestant faiths, or they can even sometimes be atheists. All Mr. Fradd wants to do is engage in a mature, intillectual discussion centered around the Catholic faith with anyone willing to do so. Whether you’re an already praticing Catholic or someone wanting to just gain a bit of insight into the faith, this can be a great podcast for you to check out.
So there it is! These are just my recommendations for podcasts that you can start listening to while you’re in the car. I may be a little biased toward these picks because they are the ones I’ve most enjoyed listening to, but I think you’ll enjoy listening to them to! If there are any podcasts that could also be a good listen on a road trip, be sure to let me know in the comments below. In any case, I hope you enjoyed reading today’s article. Please be sure to share the article, follow the blog, and follow The Young Gentleman’s Guide on Facebook and Instagram. And on that note, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide, and I’ll see you next time!
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