inspireland podcast
There’s too much pop culture to possibly keep track of. There are so many podcasts, apps, boxsets, books, and movies clamouring for your attention that it’s hard to know which are worth exploring. That’s where Pop Filter comes in. The producer/editor behind the Inspireland Podcast, Wil McDermott, and Wil’s friend, Lorraine Harton, (and sometimes Dave from Inspireland), sit down every couple of weeks to discuss some of the latest popular culture. In this episode Wil & Dave discuss their favourite Pop Culture from 2017. Enjoy.
info_outline E51 Kliph Nesteroff: History Of US Comedyinspireland podcast
Kliph Nesteroff joins me on the show to discuss his bestselling book The Comedians; Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy. The Comedians chronicles the evolution of comedy from interval acts in burlesque shows, through its growth on radio and tv, to the glory days of Las Vegas and the comedy clubs, before finishing on the comedy of the new millenium. The Comedians expertly blends deep research, anecdotes, and gossip to give us the definitive history of comedy and comedians but it also a social history of the US since the early 20th century. Kliph...
info_outline POP FILTER: BLACK MIRRORinspireland podcast
***THERE WILL BE SPOLIERS*** In episode #3 of Pop Filter I join Wil and Lorraine to discuss the first few episodes of Netflix's bleak but brilliant Black Mirror. Black Mirror was written by the always excellent Charlie Brooker and the current 6 episodes are the first installment of a 12 part season 3 commissioned by Netflix. Black Mirror paints a pessimistic picture of a dystopian,technology driven, near-future that will make you want to smash all your connected devices. Dave
info_outline E50 Dara O'Kearney: Poker Proinspireland podcast
In this episode of the podcast I was delighted to be joined in the studio by professional Irish poker player, Dara O'Kearney. Dara, or Doke as he's known in the poker world, gave a wide ranging and fascinating interview that's definitely one of my favourites to date. It's a long one but a good one! Enjoy, Dave. Some of the areas we spoke about were: Dara's late entry and rapid ascension in the professional poker world. His experience as an ultra runner, including representing Ireland, and completing a 24 hour race. We chat about Dara's unlikely online friendship with David Bowie from the...
info_outline POP FILTER: WESTWORLDinspireland podcast
In episode #2 of Pop Filter Wil and Lorraine discuss the first few episodes of HBO's Westworld. Westworld is based on a 1973 film of the same name that was written and directed by novelist, Michael Crichton. Westworld blends the Western and Sci-Fi genres and has a stellar cast. The reviews for the show have been overwhelmingly positive with IndieWire saying that it is: “Ambitious to the edge of a cliff." There will be SPOILERS! Enjoy. Dave
info_outline E49 Virginia Heffernan: The Internet As Artinspireland podcast
I've read books and think pieces about the internet but none have come close to describing the web's awesome yet terrifying power as well as Magic And Loss by Virginia Heffernan. Heffernan, who has been described as "...one of the mothers of the internet.", views the web as a massive work of art favouring speed, wit, and versatility. Virginia's work sidesteps the cliches rife in analysis of online life (decreased attention spans, trolls, obsession with appearance, etc) by taking a highly original, and at times searingly personal, account of the web's rules, aesthertics, and...
info_outline POP FILTER: AMANDA KNOXinspireland podcast
We break from the norm for this episode as Wil McDermott, editor of Inspireland Podcast, sits down with our mutual friend, Lorraine Harton to discuss something from popular culture. In this episode they discuss Netflix's Amanda Knox documentary. Enjoy. Dave
info_outline E48 Easkey Britton: Soulful Surferinspireland podcast
In episode #48 I was joined by Ireland's first lady of surfing, Easkey Britton. Surfing is so deep in Easkey's DNA that she was named after a famous wave off Ireland's west coast. More recently, Easkey has shifted her focus from competitive big wave surfing to using her training and research to help bring surfing to communities with no experience of the sport. If all this wasn't enough Easkey also writes, paints, and speaks. During our conversation we discussed; The legendary story of Easkey's grandmother bringing the first surfboard to Ireland in the 1960s. Easkey's earliest memories of...
info_outline E47 Constantin Gurdgiev: Economics As Artinspireland podcast
For episode #47 I was joined by the economist Dr Constantin Gurdgiev. When the Irish economy crashed and everybody was desperately searching for answers and solutions I often heard Constantin on the radio and was instantly attracted to his knowledge of economics and his ability to communicate complex ideas in simple ways. When we met in June to record this episode I was delighted to find that his ability to explain economic ideas wasn't limited to the shorter bursts radio generally provides but easily transferred to the longer podcast format. During the episode we discussed: What it was...
info_outline E46 James Bloodworth: Myth Of Meritocracyinspireland podcast
In episode #46 I was joined by journalist and author, James Bloodworth. James's book, The Myth Of Meritocracy, is a detailed investigation of the inequalities at the heart of how society works. Bloodworth has found that if you're born poor you'll stay poor in spite of the widely-held belief that hard work and intelligence will see us rewarded with a better quality for ourselves and our family. Topics covered during the conversation: What Meritocracy is and why it's a myth. Why political parties have embraced it as an ideal worth pursuing (or at least talking about pursuing). Why there...
info_outlineIn Episode #37 I was joined by John Seabrook, author of The Song Machine: Inside the hit factory. John is a writer for the excellent The New Yorker where he writes about "... the intersection between commerce and creativity in the fields of technology, design, and music."
The Song Machine is brilliantly researched and Seabrook takes us on a journey from the heady days of record breaking album sales right up to the current era of Spotify and the artist as performer, not creator, of hit songs. Performers aside, there are two constants as we journey through the hit factory; songwriters, and producers. The role of both has evolved dramatically to give us the type of hyper-produced pop music that currently dominates the charts.
As John himself puts it: "... modern pop [produces] industrial-strength products, made for malls, stadiums, airports, casinos, gyms and the Super Bowl halftime show. The music reminded me a little of the bubble-gum pop of my preteen years, but it was vodka-flavored and laced with MDMA."
During our conversation we discussed:
- The chronology of the hit factory.
- Why performers don't admit that they don't write their own songs.
- How exclusively playing the top 20 songs can make a radio station's listenership explode.
- Why we like a song more the more often we hear it.
- The pop cycle of Pure Pop, The Doldrums, and The Extremes.
- Why so many female pop performers come from troubled backgrounds.
I came to John's book as someone who hasn't engaged with pop music for almost 20 years. One of the achievements of The Song Machine is that Seabrook manages to dissect the pop industry without judging it, an objective stance that seemed to rub off on me. My youtube playlist is now full of Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Adele, and Ke$ha and while this is slightly embarrassing for a 39 year old man I've also just discovered Kendrick Lamar, something that wouldn't have happened had I not read the book.
Enjoy the episode. Dave
For full episode notes please visit the inspireland podcast blog.