Featured Podcast: The Organist
Every fortnight we highlight another block of audio that's been all up in our ears. This week comes The Organist, from McSweeney's Believer Magazine.
Episode one of The Organist was released in December with little-to-zero fanfare, which was especially surprising considering its calibre. The monthly podcast will work as both a companion of and extension to Believer Magazine, the literary/arts/pop culture arm of cult publishing house McSweeney’s, founded by that bewilderingly prolific voice-of-our-generation, Dave Eggers.
With the same mission statement as Believer – “[take] a thoughtful approach to pop culture, along with an irreverent attitude toward the highbrow” – The Organist promises to make its way up to our top-five list (provided they release a second episode soon). “Instead of focusing on a single theme, this podcast will range widely, foraging and hunting and gathering for cultural touchstones [and] touchy culture stones,” explains Organist host Andrew Leland, contributing editor to Believer. His introduction follows Nick Offerman’s poetic rumination on the word ‘podcast’, and its history: “The podcast was invented as a way for people with computers to tell people with computers things through their computers. Some of these things are, ‘Hey, I’m over here’ and, ‘I have certain feelings’ and, ‘Maybe if we thought about it this way.'” Excellent.
Their pitch document speaks volumes: “Any format will be considered, but the best thing you could send would be a radio documentary that doesn’t have a twee or self-serious narration that uses sound in an intelligent way that introduces us to a new corner or aspect of the world, whether that world be cultural, political, literary, sociological, artistic, scientific, musical, anthropological, cinematic, or all ten.”
The debut episode includes:
* Baltimore-based experimental electronic duo Matmos deconstructing the construction of one of their songs ‘Aetheric Vehicle’, through conceptual essay, dry conversation and audio snippets;
* A wonderful interview with George Saunders, discussing his iconic use of voice in narrative ahead of the release of his new collection of stories, Tenth of December (turns out he’s a big fan of Steve Martin. Go figure.);
* The editor of Pitchfork, Brandon Stosuy, working against a serious inclination to verbosity to construct five-word album reviews (Parquet Courts: Light Up Gold – “If Steven Malkmus fronted Wire”)
* Music journalist icon Greil Marcus discussing the history and impact of Bikini Kill;
* A fascinating piece from Amber Scorah, who talks about her defection from the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Shanghai
Subscribe for free through iTunes, follow them on Twitter, and stay tuned to their website.