It’s a music fan’s dream: Imagine you’re handed hundreds of hours of never-before-heard tapes of Paul McCartney talking about all the lyrics he’s ever written. Those tapes showed up on the doorstep of one lucky team of podcast producers. McCartney: A Life In Lyrics is a new podcast telling the stories behind the lyrics of some of McCartney’s most famous songs, from the early days all the way to the present. Leah sits down with executive producer Justin Richmond to talk about the project. Then, Leah talks to Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab, about collaborating with Elmo, Grover and the rest of the Sesame Street gang to teach kids about the science of happiness. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, Rough Translation, The Happiness Lab, Academy For links and more info on everything in today's episode, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

For years, Alana Chen harbored a deep secret. As a teen, she confessed to her priest that she was attracted to women. She was told to never tell her parents, and over the next seven years, Alana received conversion therapy in secret. Her story is told in the new podcast Dear Alana. Host Simon Kent Fung joins us to talk about the series.That and more great new true crime on this week's episode.Featuring: Alphabet Boys, Dear Alana, Crime Story, Someone Knows Something, You're Wrong About For more info on everything on today's episode, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.Get in touch! Email us at podcastplaylist@cbc.ca

Media Girlfriends began in 2016 as a podcast hosted by Nana aba Duncan, where in each episode she spoke with other women working in media. Today, it has evolved into a full-fledged podcast production company, which Duncan created along with co-founders Garvia Bailey and Hannah Sung. Today, Nana aba, Garvia and Hannah come on the show to tell us about their journey, and share their favourite podcasts. Featuring: Humans Of The House, Authentic: The Story of Tablo, You Didn't See Nothin, Shameless Acquisition Target. For links and more info on all the podcasts featured in this episode, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

Ear Hustle, co-hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, got its start in 2017 by documenting life inside California's San Quentin State Prison. When the show launched, Earlonne was an inmate at San Quentin, serving a sentence of 31 years to life for attempted second-degree robbery. Nigel is a visual artist and university professor who got involved with San Quentin as a volunteer. In November of 2018, Earlonne's sentence was commuted after 21 years, and he now co-hosts the podcast from the outside. Ear Hustle launched their latest season earlier this month, and Nigel and Earlonne joined Leah from their studio in San Francisco to share a few of their favourite podcasts. Plus, they give us a sneak peek at their new season, where they speak to women incarcerated in the California Institution for Women. Featuring: Ear Hustle, Wrongful Conviction, Everything Is Alive For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

Jar Jar Binks became one of the most polarizing figures in cinematic history when he debuted in the 1999 movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He was so hated that it sparked a viral, decades-long internet hate campaign. The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks is a new series that explores what this story can teach us about today. Host Dylan Marron joins us to tell us more about the show. Plus – men open up about body image. We’ll hear from Mark Pagán, the host of Other Men Need Help, about how the standards of masculinity affect all of us. All that and more on this week's show. Featuring: The Redemption Of Jar Jar Binks, Other Men Need Help, Hang Up For links and more info on everything on this episode, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

As a musician himself, Hrishikesh Hirway knows how much thought goes into a song. So, he created Song Exploder, the series where all kinds of musicians – from big names like Madonna to lesser known indie acts – take listeners through the making of their greatest hits, piece by piece. This week, Hrishikesh joins Podcast Playlist host Leah-Simone Bowen as guest curator. He's sharing what he's learned from the performers he's hosted on his show, and what's gained from looking beyond a song's hype or genre. Then, he'll take us through his favourite podcasts: the comedy talk show he listens to when he's hitting the gym, fictional stories that will crack you up and a series where interesting people read poetry. All that, and more, on this week's episode of Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Song Exploder: "Monica Martin is a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Before that, she was based in Madison, Wisconsin, where she was part of the indie rock band Phox. She's been a featured guest vocalist on songs by James Blake and Vulfpeck. In this episode, Monica breaks down her song "Go Easy, Kid," along with the tracks's producer, Khushi. It's a pretty meta story, as she talks about making a song that's in part about how hard it can be to make a song. And more generally, how hard it can be to let go of things we get hung up on." Everything is Alive: "Atsuko is a set of bagpipes, and she's looking for some peace and quiet." Hello from the Magic Tavern: "The premise of the show is that the host, Arnie Niekamp, fell through a dimensional portal behind a Burger King, into the fantastical land of Foon. In this episode, a lovely fox gives Chunt a mysterious box with a voice inside." How Did This Get Made?: "Dom's never before mentioned brother, the return of Han, a car in space, and magnets. The HDTGM/Fast family is reunited as Adam Scott joins Paul, June, and Jason to discuss the ninth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise F9. So you know what that means…" Interesting People Reading Poetry: "In this episode, Grian Chatten reads "The Windhover" by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Chatten is the frontman of the Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., recently described by NME as "the new heroes of the rock resurrection." The members of the group met while attending music college in Dublin and initially bonded over a shared love for Irish literature. Their second album, A Hero's Death, has been nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album."

On Mother's Day in 1985, police dropped a bomb in a Philadelphia neighbourhood. Residents of Osage Avenue were instructed to leave their homes and stay away for the next 24 hours. Authorities were there to bring an end to a years-old conflict with a family of Black activists known as MOVE. There were 13 people in the Africa home that morning, including six children. By the end of the day, most of them were dead. CBC's new podcast The Africas VS. America tells the remarkable, and long forgotten, story of a national war waged on one family. Reporter, producer and host, Matt Amha joins Leah-Simone Bowen this week to talk about the making of the seven-part series, and the story's relevance today. We've also rounded up more novel picks to pique your interest this February. From the wellness influencer who became a leading source of COVID-19 misinformation, to an inside look at the gangs that exploit people to sell drugs around the UK. Plus, a conversation with the host of Not Lost Chat, Brendan Francis Newnam about the show's second season, and sitting down with fellow travelers to talk about their experiences abroad. Featuring: The Africas VS. America: "In the early hours of May 13, 1985, police direct residents of Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia to leave their homes, and not return for 24 hours. It's Mother's Day, and authorities have come to resolve a years-long conflict with a family of local revolutionaries — the Africas, collectively known as MOVE. There are 13 people in the Africa home that morning. Six of them are children. By the end of the day, most will be dead, and a neighbourhood will lie in ruins." Plus, an interview with host and producer Matthew Amha. Imperfect Paradise: "Guru Jagat starts the pandemic with an understandable skepticism of official medical advice, but quickly grows to embrace an array of far-right conspiracy theories." Lights Out: "Four people recount their involvement with 'county lines' – gangs that exploit children and vulnerable adults to sell drugs around the UK. Underneath their stories lies a series of unspoken, unanswered questions. Who gets to decide the boundary between criminal and victim? Why do we view 'county lines' through the lens of crime and punishment? And how well does the system support individuals and families devastated by the impact of 'county lines'?" Not Lost Chat: "New York Magazine described "Not Lost" as having the "slight energy of Andrew Sean Greer's Less" so Brendan calls the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the comic, road trip novels "Less" and "Less is Lost" to find out if they should be offended." Plus, an interview with host and OG podcaster Brendan Francis Newnam.

Here's a question you probably don't get asked very often: How would you describe your social class? Working class…middle class…upper class — or maybe something else? If thinking about this question makes you feel kind of uncomfortable, well, that's pretty normal. Especially if you're in a different class now than the one you grew up in. Jonathan Menjivar grew up working class, but now that he's an adult, that label doesn't really apply anymore. He likes eating oysters and wearing cashmere. He owns a house. And he feels kind of guilty about it. Jonathan took his mixed feelings and turned them into a podcast about all the ways class shows up in our daily lives. It's called Classy. Then, the story of the composer Raymond Scott. Raymond journeyed on a lifelong quest to build an automatic songwriting machine. The podcast The Last Archive explores where the songwriting machine fits in our present AI-addled, ChatGPT world. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Classy with Jonathan Menjivar - "Jonathan has some hangups about class. In the first episode of this series, he takes us from a nightclub outside LA to the halls of a fancy Manhattan prep school, and asks sociologist Rachel Sherman 'are rich people bad?'" The Banned Teacher - "He says it was consensual sex. She says it was rape. He was her music teacher. She was a teen. And it wasn't just once, with one girl. He had sex with students in closets, classrooms, and cars. The Banned Teacher begins with one victim's search for justice but turns into a full investigation by host Julie Ireton." The Last Archive - "The story of the composer Raymond Scott's lifelong quest to build an automatic songwriting machine, and what it means for our own AI-addled, ChatGPT world." The Headwaters - "Before our insatiable addiction to the almighty car, getting around B.C.'s Columbia River Basin was a much different affair. We were transported on trains and paddle-wheelers, a mode of travel that was often an adventure in itself." Without - "People love coffee, but climate change is fundamentally altering where and how coffee is grown. Because of the damage being done to the planet, coffee is in trouble. And so are the farmers who grow it."

Shan Boodram describes herself as the "Walmart greeter" of sex and relationships. If you have a question or concern, she can point you in the right direction. Her advice, teachings, and personality have made her a viral internet sensation. She wears so many hats: YouTuber, bestselling author, scholar, consultant, wife, mother. Now she's added "podcaster" to that list with her new Stitcher show Lovers and Friends. Who better to stop by our show just in time for Valentines' Day? Shan tells us about life as an internet personality, new motherhood, and how she makes sex ed fun and approachable for her audience. And we thought we'd take advantage of her sexpertise, if you will, to get some expert sex and dating advice. We asked you, our listeners, to submit your questions — and Shan has some really thoughtful answers. Of course, you'll also hear some of Shan's favourite podcasts. The episodes she chose offer even more good advice: on setting up boundaries, dealing with rejection, and working through resentment in a relationship. Featuring: Lovers and Friends with Shan Boodram: "It's storytime! Shan takes you down memory lane in order to answer the question she is asked most often throughout her career: When and how did you decide that you were going to be a sex expert? In this special edition episode and for the first time ever on the Podcast, Shan brings in the woman who witnessed it all. None other than Olivia Boodram, aka Mom." Enjoy the Podcast: "This podcast is all about the male perspective. Dealing with relationships to vulnerability, here you will hear everything he hasn't told you." Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel: "This time there is no couch, but instead an unexpected phone call from Esther to a woman who is struggling with the differences between her and her partner's upbringing. He grew up in a comfortable suburb, she grew up having less, much less. She loves her boyfriend but wants to get past the resentment she feels towards the opportunities he's had. Esther helps her think through how these differences might also play into new strengths between them." Podcast exclusive: Almost 30: "In this episode, Nedra Tawwab lays the groundwork for implementing and integrating boundaries for yourself and your community."

This week we're revisiting one of our favourite episodes from January. A pop culture podcaster, a poet and a Tony award-winning journalist sit down for a chat. No, this isn’t the lead up to a joke, it’s the premise of the podcast Vibe Check. The weekly news and culture series is hosted by Sam Sanders, Said Jones and Zach Stafford as they make sense of what’s making headlines. Sanders is the former host of NPR's It's Been a Minute and the host of Vulture’s Into It, Jones is the author of the award-winning memoir How We Fight For Our Lives, and Stafford is not only a journalist but he picked up a Tony Award in 2022 for co-producing the play, A Strange Loop. Every episode captures the energy and spirit of a group chat: It’s a lively conversation among friends (who’ve done their research) as they go deep on the issues of the day and figure out in real time how they feel, what they understand and what questions remain. The trio sits down with Leah this week to share how they made sure they got the right vibe with the show. They also share their favourite podcasts – from a documentary storytelling podcast that dives deep into family history to a pop culture show that breaks down method acting. FEATURING: Vibe Check || Decoder Ring || Death, Sex & Money || Family Ghosts For links and more info on all the podcasts on today's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

Daryl Allen had always wanted to be a playwright. But that dream was cut short when he lost his life to AIDS in 1991. Before he died, he left bundles of love letters and scripts with an ex-boyfriend. Twenty-five years later, Daryl's writings found their way to Dane Stewart. This inspired him to make the new podcast Resurrection. Dane has spent the past five years uncovering who Daryl was through the writing he left behind. Part investigation, part historical documentary, and part love story, the podcast is a tribute not only to Daryl but the generation of gay men who were lost to the AIDS epidemic. Then: hockey. It's Canada's favourite winter sport. But right now, it's going through a reckoning. Allegations of racism, corruption, sexual misconduct and so much more are rocking the billion dollar industry behind it. The latest season of COMMONS from Canadaland digs into the dark side of Canada's beloved sport. Plus, what is Parliament Hill like as a workplace? Former MP Lisa Raitt shares the pressures of working in Parliament and how it affected her career, sanity and marriage. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Resurrection, Scamanda, COMMONS: Hockey, Flipping The Bird, Humans of the House, The War on Cars For links and more info on everything on today's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we’re listening to stories about personal finance. First up, Leah sits down with Maya Lau to talk about her new podcast Other People’s Pockets. It’s a show where she interviews people from all walks of life about how much money they have in the bank, and all the other financial questions you were taught not to ask. Plus, how much money do you really need to have kids? Carrie and Natalia both want a baby, but they can’t agree on whether they’re financially ready. On the podcast This Is Uncomfortable, we’ll listen in on their conversation with a financial therapist. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Other People's Pockets, This Is Uncomfortable, Teach Me How To Adult, Planet Money, Half Banked For links and more info on all the podcasts featured on this week's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're joined by James Kim. You may know him as the creator behind MOONFACE – a heartfelt fictional series about a Korean American son who wants to come out to his mom, but can't because they don't speak the same language. The show was named a Best of 2019 podcast by various outlets. His latest series You Feeling This? is billed as a podcast mixtape about love. It's an anthology that centres stories about life and love in Los Angeles, pulling sonic inspiration from artists like Kendrick Lamar and the independent creators who helped to shape this show. This week, James joins Leah to discuss what goes into making a fictional podcast, and share why indie podcasters inspire him. Plus we'll listen to a few of his favourite shows that explore love, friendship and nostalgia. Featuring: You Feeling This?, Paper Radio, The Truth, UnReality - Projected Reality: The Sound Collector, Threedom. For links and more info on everything on today's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week, we're sharing a live recording from the Hot Docs Podcast Festival. "Hear broadcast legend Anna Maria Tremonti (Welcome to Paradise) and comedian Gavin Crawford (Let's Not Be Kidding) offer vivid accounts of the closely held secrets they struggled for years to share. Hear acclaimed playwright and Buffy host Falen Johnson (The Secret Life of Canada) and journalist Matthew Amha (The Africas vs. America) uncover hidden histories, and discuss what happens when community stories hit close to home. Inspired by some of the country's most lauded and popular podcasts, reinterpreted live for the Hot Docs Cinema stage, this will be a night of surprising and candid stories from Canada's most gifted audio storytellers."

The podcast Normal Gossip has shot to fame within the past year all thanks to the unifying power of gossip. On the pod, host Kelsey McKinney shares listener-submitted gossip from the lives of everyday people. From weird neighbours, to sorority wedding drama, to secret workplace romances, each story is equally trivial, hilarious and unbelievable. Kelsey joins Leah to talk about why we love to gossip and looks at how it can actually keep us safe. Then, she'll share her favourite podcasts. We dive into scammers, Taylor Swift, Bachelor Nation, and more! Featuring: Normal Gossip, ICYMI, Articles of Interest, Scam Goddess For links and more info on everything on today's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re sharing stories about parenting. We love to tell our kids to follow their dreams. But what do we say to them when that doesn’t work out? The hosts of Dear Old Dads wrestle with how to encourage our kids to shoot for the moon, without making them feel like failures when real life butts in. Then: You know what we don’t hear enough about? What pregnancy and childbirth actually do to the human body. We’ll meet someone trying to change that on Embodied. Plus: how do you raise confident kids in the age of diet culture? We’ll hear a conversation about weight and parenting on What Fresh Hell: Laughing In The Face of Motherhood. Featuring: Death, Sex and Money, Dear Old Dads, Embodied, Unlocking Bryson's Brain, and What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood.

This week, we're listening to the best new summer releases – starting with a riveting investigative podcast from the UK. The Lazarus Heist podcast charts the cybercrime exploits of an elite team of hackers allegedly connected to North Korea – a charge the secretive state denies. Season one told the story of the group's malware attack on Sony Pictures, among others, and the recently released season two picks up on what the hackers did next. And this time, there's a Canadian connection – a dark web fraudster called Big Boss is one of the North Korean hackers' international accomplices, who helped to carry out so-called jackpotting heists – whereby the hackers took control of ATM machines located across 28 countries, and stole some $14 million dollars in just a couple of hours. Plus, can psychedelics help to heal racial trauma? Truth Be Told is an award-winning podcast that explores Black liberation. The show is back for a fifth season. This time around, host Tonya Mosley looks at "the psychedelic renaissance in Black America." When paired with therapy, it's believed psychedelics can help to heal racial trauma, whether it's diagnosed PTSD or the kind of trauma that comes from being Black in a racist world. But a history of racism in healthcare along with the war on drugs has made it difficult for people of colour to explore psychedelic-led therapies. All that and more on this week's show. Featuring: The Lazarus Heist - Where do you hide 14 million dollars? The Lazarus Heist charts the cybercrime exploits of an elite team of hackers. They're allegedly connected to North Korea, though the country denies it. Truth Be Told - Truth Be Told is an award-winning podcast that explores Black liberation. The show is back for a fifth season. This time around, host Tonya Mosley looks at "the psychedelic renaissance in Black America." Bodies - This series is known for compassionately delving into medical mysteries, with an intersectional focus on the bodies of women and marginalized genders. This episode explores the impact of human touch. Hear a young girl explain what touch meant to her while visiting her incarcerated father. Grown from PRX and The Moth - Grown is all about the challenges and joys of growing up. It features a collection of stories that look at the time between the awkward teenage years to almost-adulthood. WILD - WILD is a podcast about, "how we overcome difficult moments that shape us forever." The latest season tells a true-ish story about the craziest thing one man ever did for love. Expectant - Expectant blends fiction and nonfiction, following a woman trying to decide if she wants to have a child during the climate crisis. It's intimate and confessional, sonically experimental, and features real interviews with a range of climate scientists, parents, happily childfree people and mental health experts.

This week on Podcast Playlist: The best podcasts of 2023, so far. When Kim Barker was in high school, there was a murder in her town that was never solved. Nearly 40 years later, she travels back to her hometown to look for answers in The Coldest Case in Laramie. Then, did you know that in Japan there are companies that can legally help you disappear? They’re called "yonige," or night movers. We’ll hear more about them on The Evaporated: Gone With The Gods. Plus, buying knockoffs isn’t tacky anymore…at least according to Tik Tok. We’ll get a primer on dupe culture on Vibe Check. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: The Coldest Case In Laramie, The Evaporated: Gone With The Gods, The Turning: Room of Mirrors, Vibe Check, Let's Not Be Kidding For links and more info on all these shows, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week we're sharing one of our favourite episodes from April 2022. The podcast For Colored Nerds is a pop culture conversation that dives a little deeper. It's hosted by best friends and culture critics Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings. Each week they dive into what's going on in the zeitgeist, and peel back the layers of Black culture that are rarely discussed in mixed company. From Janet Jackson's new documentary, to the Sex in the City reboot, to impostor syndrome, to what everyone is talking about on TikTok — These are just a few of the subjects they've unpacked since rebooting their show back in November 2021. Brittany and Eric join us on this episode to talk about rebooting For Colored Nerds and their journey through the podcast industry. Plus, we'll listen to a few of their favourite podcasts. Featuring: For Colored Nerds, Revisionist History, Celebrity Memoir Book Club, Trapital, Food Heaven For links and more info on all the podcasts on today's show, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

Every weeknight for more than 50 years, CBC Radio's As It Happens has been heard in kitchens, cars and living rooms across Canada. The show takes listeners on a round-the-world tour covering the events of the day, as told by the people who were there. In 1975, host Barbara Frum interviewed Sandra Good, a member of the Manson Family.  In another episode, the show mediated a hostage negotiation live on the air with both the hostage taker and the police on the line. (You can hear those interviews at http://cbc.ca/1.6839858). From the serious to the tragic to the absurd, each show brings something new. This week we're joined by Nil Köksal and Chris Howden, the hosts of As It Happens, to listen to their favourite podcasts. It turns out the podcasts they listen to are just are varied as the program they host.  Featuring: As It Happens, If Books Could Kill, Smartless, The Beef and Dairy Network Podcast, How To Fail With Elizabeth Day For links and more info on all these shows, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.