That’s Dissect podcast host Cole Cuchna on the strength of his original idea for the show. And it’s him in a nutshell. Geniune surprise that he’s been able to garner such an audience for a show that does such deep dives.

Instead of creating something made for the masses, podcast creators can dive into something niche, self-described as “nerdy”, and still become a hit. Chances are if you’re incredibly interested in a particular subject others likely are as well.

We tend to find our tribe. That’s why everyone should consider having a podcast.

What Makes the Dissect Special?

Essentially, it’s the format coupled with a host that bleeds music. More important to the success of the show is our host bleeds music analysis.

If you’ve ever sat at a bar in college, or gone to a party, the topic of your favorite music is likely going to come up. The discussion will be wide-ranging and dive deeper than you thought possible. At least that’s been my experience.

That’s what makes the Dissect Podcast so important to a devoted audience.

Cuchna grew up loving music. Having seen Jimmi Hendrix light his guitar on fire at the impressionable age of 12, the seeds for what this show would become were planted early.

As a self taught guitarist (a man after my own heart), Cole would spend hours learning by playing music he loved. After spending his formative years playing in rock bands, touring around, and sleeping on dirty floors near dive bars, Cole hit a wall. A creative wall. A musical wall.

So, he did the natural thing. He quit the band and enrolled in at San Jose State University to study music theory. Years of classical music is an eye opening experience for a dirty punk rock kid.

But that experience informs the show’s format. Pairing the love of music with the proper bona fides is what makes the Dissect podcast such a hit.

The Dissect Podcast Format

The Dissect podcast seasons are a breakdown of an entire album. Each song on the album is taken apart in an individual episode that is roughly 45 minutes to an hour long.

That is impressive unto itself. Spending an hour teasing out what makes a particular song is no easy feat, but Cole does a fantastic job. This is also impressive because he was creating part-time when the show started.

“I was binging these Great Courses series. Every episode is a lecture and a full course would be sixteen to twenty of these lectures to download and listen to. I thought, ‘Oh I’ll just do that, but surround it around an album where one song would be an episode.’”

Of course, he doesn’t do it alone. As the years have gone on, and the show has gained more steam, Cuchna has been able to master his craft by bringing on subject matter experts to flesh out the project.

His growth from rock to a genuine appreciation and love of all things musical jumps out at the listener.

As a rock background person myself, it wasn’t until I went on a similar journey into classical and hip-hop that I was able to see the unifying bonds that music provides. Getting out of your silo helps broaden your horizons.

Cole Cuchna’s experience is much the same. And it’s what allows the Dissect Podcast In Rainbow’s season to gel with Season 6’s focus on Beyonce’s album Lemonade. These are two artists that know a thing or two about breaking out of a genre silo.

Our Favorite Dissect Seasons

No discussion of this podcast would make sense if you didn’t know where to start. I mean, you are committing to a season long album dissection. That’s 10 or so hours.

So, we thought we’d get you started with our favorite seasons. Let us know what you think.

Season 1: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

You have to go back to the OG season of Dissection to really understand the project as a whole. It was the first iteration of the show, and it resonated with listeners right off the bat.

“Serial helped inspire the format too. The whole serialized music analysis came from that podcast, and I wanted to do mini cliffhangers at the end of every episode, trying to replicate that feeling you get with Serial. It’s not ever going to be like Serial, but some of the structure came from that podcast.”- Cole Cuchna

The serialized nature allowed Cuchna to add the historical context that helped shape the respective albums, including the history of Compton for To Pimp a Butterfly and the ostracism of Kanye West after his interruption of Taylor Swift that led to MBDTF.

And this album certainly has some history behind it. After Lauryn left the Fugees, this album was her debut. It was controversial and sparked a ton of discussion among music nerds. Cole was no exception.

Season 11: Dissect Podcast Tackles In Rainbows

Radiohead is one of the best bands of this generation. From the raw early alternative rock to the electronic work, they are a dynamic, genre hopping band.

It’s hard to pick a favorite Radiohead song simply because they are so eclectic.

In Rainbows was ahead of its time in how it was released and distributed. It was a “pay what you want” model that was certainly a gamble, but one that I think ultimately paid off.

Episode 1 is naturally where to start. Cole covers the history of the band and what makes them special. In later episodes, he has Dr. Brad Olson, who is a legitimate Radiohead scholar to discuss the album and all things Radiohead.

This later episode caps off the season. This was a fun season from beginning to end.

The Lyrical Masters Mixtape Season

Remember mix tapes?

They were a staple of listening to music for most Gen X and Millennials. Music nerds could spend hours working on the perfect mix to share with friends. So this season is a fun departure into that most important of projects.

Sadly mix tapes are a relic of the past now that streaming has taken over. Now the main place to discuss music seems to be reddit.

The nice thing about this lyrical masters run of episodes is the ability to skip around. Jay Z, MF Doom, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne are all featured on this ode to hip hop.

I also like that Cole didn’t simply feature all the big names. The songs themselves had to be the best. If you’re a hip hop fan, this season does not disappoint. If you’re a fan of pure lyrical analysis, you will not be disappointed.

Last Song Standing (Both Seasons)

This is another slight departure from the standard format of the show. In fact, it might be classified as another show altogether. That said, I think it belongs on this list.

Charles Holmes of The Midnight Boys joins Cole Cuchna on Last Song Standing which changes the dynamic completely.

The first season had the guys figuring out which Kendrick Lamar song is his best. Since it’s debate and competition of sorts, I won’t spoil the winning track.

Season 2 has Charles and Cole come together to deconstruct Frank Ocean’s catalog to determine which song is the artist’s best.

The back and forth banter is fun and enjoyable. It feels somewhat looser, and a nice change of pace.

Bo Burnham’s Inside

Deconstructing a comedy album?

Released in 2021, this is more an art project than a pure comedy album. There are songs and sketches, sure, but shot, completely alone during the pandemic lockdown, it has a lot of drama as well.

And that’s why it’s titled “Inside.” Just about everyone was stuck inside during the pandemic, and this was how he expressed some deteriorating mental health issues. It’s a wonderful concept film that tackles some deep topics.

Start with the introductory episode. Hasan Minhaj talks with Cole about how creative people express themselves no matter the medium. Bonus points for a Kanye West reference getting in there are Hasan’s favorite album.

Season 9: Mac Miller – Circles

This is another tragic story of the expression of pain and suffering. The album was released after Miller’s passing.

The album covers some heady themes and motifs. It’s the perfect album to listen to with headphones on. Cole’s breaking it down and exploring the concept that pain can be expressed so beautifully was a welcome interpretation.

This season is chronological and worth a listen from start to finish. I’d listen with headphones on though. Just as I would the album.

There You Have It – The Dissection Podcast in a Nutshell

As of this writing, Cole is still at it full time. We cover so many defunct podcasts here on the site that were wonderful expressions but ran out of steam. It is nice to see Cole succeeding.

Currently, in season 12, he’s breaking down the “life and legacy” of MF Doom. Another rough story and tough subject. Episode 1 covers Villain’s Mask, and Episode 2 tackles Operation Doomsday’s themes that would set the stage for the entire character universe Doom developed.

You don’t always have to stay in your lane.

As time has passed, Cole has been covering some heavy topics, but that has produced some of his best work. The Dissect podcast is simply a great show and a 4.9 rating on Spotify with 15,000 reviews supports that conclusion.

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Editors Note: This podcast covers several artists who struggled with mental health. If you’re having trouble, reach out. There are resources available.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also call, text or chat 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/faqs

The post The Dissect Podcast Is My New Unexpected Obsession appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

That’s thrown a lot more people addiction and recovery circles. And addiction podcasts are becoming an increasingly effective tool aiding in recovery.

If you’ve ever struggled with addiction, you know how difficult it is to recover. It’s a long road that requires a lot of work, and the pandemic made it even harder—but it doesn’t have to be this way. Recovery is possible, and addiction podcasts are beginning to make more impact.

Source: NIH, & NIAAA. (April 1, 2022). Alcohol consumption from all beverages in the U.S. in 2020, by state (in thousand gallons of ethanol) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from

https://www.statista.com/statistics/442859/alcohol-consumption-of-all-beverages-in-the-us-by-state/

The problem is that there’s still a lot of stigma associated with addiction recovery, and that can stop people suffering from seeking addiction treatment. The truth is, there’s no shame in needing help or asking for it—and addiction recovery podcasts are an excellent tool for this because nobody has to know what you’re listening to at any given time.

Podcasts aren’t just for entertainment anymore—they’re also an integrated tool in addiction recovery. And while none of this is to be considered medical advice, speaking from personal experience, podcasts have been an integral tool in my own process. Hopefully they can help you as well.

Addiction Podcasts

The following list of addiction podcasts are specifically aimed at addiction and recovery. We’re going to cover some other, related, podcasts a little further down the list that are helpful in recovery. But these are aimed directly at recovery itself. They’re not podcasts about addiction per se, but they have still been helpful in rebuilding life.

Recovery Rocks

Lisa Smith and Tawny Lara host this kind of irreverent show focused on recovery. They are 12 step advocates, but I always get the impression they don’t take that too religiously. 12 step isn’t everyone’s jam, but these rock and roll lovers make it more palatable.

What I also like about this show is that we see how this disease can impact everyone from any walk of life. You have a writer and a lawyer from two generations afflicted by the same condition.

Definitely worth a listen.

Recovery Happy Hour

This show actually ended in 2021, but I’m including it on the addiction podcasts list because of the catalogue of 137 inspiring stories about recovery. Life changes, people move on, but this is still a podcast worth listening to. Especially if you’re new to the scene.

Even if the band breaks up, you don’t give up on their albums right? Same idea with this podcast hosted by Tricia Lewis.

That Sober Guy Podcast

Shane Ramer is on a mission. To help guys quit drinking and better their lives all around.

This show is aimed at men, but I think the messages from his guests are fairly universal. It’s another show that is relatable because of how widespread this disease is.

I also love how open and passionate he is about how great recovery can be while not sugar coating the difficulties involved.

The Addicted Mind Podcast

Over the 220 episodes (and counting) of this show, licensed marriage and family therapist Duane Osterlind looks at the latest research about the brain and just how we become addicted.

As well as the latest research about what we can do about it.

He’s interviewed doctors, nutritionists, spiritual leaders, film makers, and people from everyday life who are getting the recovery job done. There’s not one way to maintain sobriety and everyone has to eventually find their own path.

Duane’s helping listeners see by example.

Recovery Elevator

If you want to hear truly inspiring stories about how life is better without alcohol then add this to your podcast app.

It’s also not just addiction podcasts either. They organise sober trips and events to put the inspiring words into action. Retreats, sober prom, and New Year’s Eve events are just some of the events they’ve hosted and organized.

I have to admit I’m eyeballing that ukulele course pretty hard.

The Happy Sober Podcast

Craig Beck is a coach and self described “Stop Drinking Expert.” Your mileage may vary on this approach, but rehab and AA aren’t the “sober life” answer for everyone. So that’s why I included this podcast on the list.

Take a listen with an open mind and you may find that this is the right energy for your recovery. Remember, it’s not one size fits all with a problem this big.

Refuge Recovery Podcast

Refuge Recovery happens to be my recovery community of choice. It’s a non-theistic recovery program based (loosely) on Buddhist principles. But you don’t have to believe anything, or really know anything about Buddhism to get something positive out of the sessions.

It was started by Noah Levine, a very lay Buddhist, and he hosts most of the episodes. There’s a lot of Q&A, so if you’re curious, and looking for something different, give it a listen.

Sober Girls Guide

Jessica Jeboult hosts this lighthearted take on the life of a sober girl. Like the show aimed at men above, this show definitely has the perspective of a girl, but the show is witty and the messages of addiction podcasts are often universal.

Her guests have a similar lighthearted take on a very serious subject. The episodes aren’t so much instructive, as they are anecdotal takes on how individuals succeeded in changing their relationship with alcohol.

Busy Living Sober

Bizzy, the titular (is it titular if it’s phonetic?) host of this uniquely formatted podcast is sharing her life in sobriety.

Unlike some of the more scripted podcasts on this list, each episode of this one feels more freewheeling. It has a self-described “call in show” format, and that works for a lot of these episodes.

If you’re feeling the need for a laugh and a different kind of show, then check this one out at least a few times.

The Bubble Hour

This show actually wrapped at the end of 2022, but it still deserves a place on this list. Over the 273 episodes produced, the format of the show was in a near constant state of flux.

The number of hosts went from 5 eventually down to just Jean McCarthy hosting the final, retrospective season.

Sobriety is hard. So is producing a podcast. Tough decisions have to be made and relationships change. It’s honestly one of the hardest, most rewarding endeavours a lot of people make, so the honesty in seeing how the sausage is made was refreshing.

Thanks for the memories and listens.

Bonus Addiction Podcasts: This Naked Mind

I decided to include This Naked Mind as a bonus mention because Annie Grace is a legend in recovery circles. The Alcohol Experiment was one of the first things I did in recovery that made a dent in my disease. It’s a free 30 day challenge to get your life in order and put down the bottle.

If nothing else, it helped. The stories presented on the podcast at this point are extremely well produced, interesting, and heart wrenching. She has mastered the method of turning people’s rock bottom into motivational energy. As addiction podcasts go, this one should be in standard rotation in your podcast app.

Mental Health Podcasts

Podcasts that aren’t necessarily specifically addiction podcasts, or about recovery, but podcasts that will help build up your mental health, which is often an underlying cause of addiction in the first place.

And we know that mental health suffered greatly in the past few years. So these podcasts are aimed at helping to improve habits and make recovery more sustainable.

Ten Percent Happier

We’ve talked about Dan Harris before and how important this show is for mental health. It’s well produced and explores the totality of the subject. If you haven’t yet listened, now is the time.

Unf*ck Your Brain

Using alcohol to mask insecurity, lack of self-confidence, or impostor syndrome? Yeah, me too. Master confidence coach Kara Lowentheil will help you get over that, and in doing so, put down the bottle.

Cleaning Up the Mental Mess

Cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf will give you practical advice on quieting the neurosis that you may have been masking with substances. Get the mind right, and recovery gets a lot easier.

The Mental Illness Happy Hour

Host Paul Gilmartin creates a safe space to discuss some really difficult subjects. Some of these shows may be triggering, but it covers a wide spectrum of mental illness that some have used to self medicate. The episodes that focus on the science of a better way to live are my favorites.

The Overwhelmed Brain

If you haven’t experienced some sense of overwhelm in the past several years, then you’re extremely well adjusted, or completely detached. That overwhelm is what drives the craving to drink in far too many people. Host Paul Colaianni is driven to make us emotionally stronger so we may weather these storms a bit better over time.

Conclusion

Recovery is a long road to walk. No doubt about it. And because of the stigma still associated with addiction to substances, it can be challenging to put yourself out there as a recovering addict.

That one I know from personal experience.

Podcasts have proven themselves to be an effective tool in the recovery arsenal. Hopefully these ones here will start you off on the right foot in recovery.

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If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental-health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental-health provider.

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