There are literally thousands of podcasts available. Searching for good ones is an entertaining treasure hunt, but it helps to have a map.
Here are a few of my personal favorites, in no particular order. They all feature terrific content, excellent production, and presentation ranging from very good to impeccable.
Blowin' Smoke
If you know what a herf is, you'll love this show. With a filler of Intelligent conversation, a binder of superb production values, and a wrapper of reviews of fine cigars, its a cigar party on your iPod.
Feed: http://www.burghherfers.com/podcasts/BlowinSmoke.xml
Web Site
The Mister Mark Show
Short, clever, surrealistic bits that you'll probably want to listen to twice to see if you missed anything.
Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheMisterMarkShow
Web Site
Road Rage
AJ's Road Rage is is a refreshing change from the "Hey, Look How Wacky We Are" style that infests most news-of-the-weird shows. Segments like "We're All Gonna Die," "The Poultry Report" and "What Were They Thinking" are presented along with well done political commentary (that I usually disagree with) in a tightly edited, crisply presented fifteen minute show.
Feed: http://roadrageradio.libsyn.com/rss
Web Site
MentalEscher
News from today and the near future, woven together in a Escheresque braid. This is one of the few podcasts that really experiments with the medium, creating a unique sonic experience.
Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/MentalEscher
Web Site
5 Minutes With Wichita
Wichita Rutherford does very short, very funny interviews with famous bluegrass stars. You don't have to like bluegrass (but who doesn't?) to love this show.
Feed: http://wichitarutherford.libsyn.com/rss/
Web Site
Tips From the Top Floor
The digital photography tips, covering every aspect of the subject, are great, but what really makes this show stand out is the amazing amount of information packed into short, concise podcasts. You'll learn two or three new things in ten minutes.
Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/tftf
Web Site
Digital Flotsam
The rich detail and superb delivery of these stories would be enough for most podcasters. But P.W. Fenton makes it even better by sprinkling in songs and comedy bits that take you by surprise, and puts it all together with impeccable production values.
Feed: http://digitalflotsam.org/rss.xml
Web Site
The Sound of The Day
No talking, no pontificating, just a brief into, an unidentified sound, and an outro. For the best effect, wait until you have a half dozen of them, then play them one after another. (You'll see what I mean.)
Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/soundoftheday
Web Site
The Real Happy Hour
During a long, dull car rides, I often think "I'd rather be out drinking with my friends." That's when I switch on The Real Happy Hour, the closest you can get to the experience without raising your BAC. Unlike most comedy podcasts, this one is actually funny - very funny. It's published randomly and not often enough, so don't be discouraged when you don't hear from them for a while.
Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheRealHappyHour
Web Site
The Firesign Theater Podcast
If Salvador Dali were a comic, he'd be in Firesign Theater. FT hasn't done much lately, but have a rich legacy of wonderfully surrealistic comedy. New podcasts are released randomly, so you never know when you're going to find some FT goodness in your download directory.
Feed: http://firesigntheater.com/podcasting/
Web Site
The Sounds in My Head
This is the first music podcast I downloaded, and it remains one of my favorites. Like most music podcasts, it's full of songs you won't hear on the radio. What sets it apart is the song selection. It's all over the place, and includes lots of cheesy pop. (I love cheesy pop.)
Feed: http://www.thesoundsinmyhead.com/rss.xml
Web Site
Bandtrax
Independent artists who are not typically played on the radio, with just the right amount of commentary.
Feed: http://www.bandtrax.net/feed/rss.php
Web Site
Old Wave Radio, New 80s Music
Recent songs that sound like they're from the 80's.
Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/owr
Web Site
Le Show
The Multi-talented Harry Shearer rambles on about the day's events in this very laid back show. I often disagree with the politics, but still enjoy the show.
Feed: http://www.kcrw.com/podcast/show/ls
Web Site
Skepticality
Relevant, under reported current events, as well as in-depth discussions from a scientific, critical, skeptical, and humorous point of view. Skepticality tackles the beasts of pseudoscience and junk science; the paranormal, supernatural, ufo / alien encounters, misunderstood history, and overwrought legends - urban or otherwise.
Feed: http://skepticality.libsyn.com/rss/
Web Site
How to Do Stuff
A wonderfully short podcast of quick, pithy explanations on, well, how to do stuff.
Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/howtodostuff
Web Site