Whale Cave is a conversation about music, or if you will, a musical conversation. Chaired by luxurious comedian Matt Price and featuring much of the cream of the LA comedy crop, the episodes centre around a significant musical event in the guests lives, but, as you would expect, frequently veer well beyond this. it’s something of a quiet gem of a show, with laid back charms and a silky sweetness that quickly elevate it above many more storied shows.
I like this podcast. A strangely non-commital and unremarkable statement you might think, but in fact, ‘I like this podcast,’ is a fairly strong way to feel about a podcast, especially during the first listen through. Liking any pod enough to give it a second chance is still a fairly rare event, even for someone as obsessively podcast-y as I am, many either trying too hard, being too much like the rest or simply having nothing new to bring to the party. None of these accusations find traction with Whale Cave, a relatively new and different show, that uses a top quality guest roster and a focus on musical conversation to take it out of the realm of most common podcast tropes. The focus on music grants it an instant route into the heartstrings anyway, as music and musical experiences are so very universal, and allying it with comedy makes for a guaranteed good time. As such there are a few comedy/music podcasts on the market now, attracting various levels of attention that aren’t entirely matched with their quality, amongst these, Whale Cave is one of the better ones, it’s light-hearted nature and focus on story-telling providing the show with a specialness and it’s charm. I like this podcast.
Matt Price!
Matt Price is a model in restrained quality, a podcaster remarkably uninterested in the sound of his own voice, happily listening whilst the guest weaves the tapestry of their story, but equally elegant in his jokes and comments throughout, particularly pertinent in his little opening monologues. These introduction segments provide a lovely entrée into the pull of Whale Cave, as he chats for a few minutes about, say, the pop music he heard whilst he returned spoiled meat, or the ethics of having a song titled ‘I Love Pussy’ on a CD of nursery rhymes. He fills these pieces with a lovely lilt and sense of happiness and elucidation, using the section to just provide a little background on the world, rather than aggressively pursuing a bunch of jokes right from the off. These are, naturally, followed by the heart of the show, his conversations. Highlighted by the fabulous guests (Matt Besser, Jimmy Pardo and Karen Kilgariff to name a very select few) but even more so by the stories they have to tell. These tales vary all around the experience of music, from forgone days as radio DJs, to opening live shows for bands or their time working in record stores, all told evocatively and with charm to spare. Often they tend to revolve around how music affects, or becomes, one’s youth, before using this jumping off point to chatter about songs, artists and the musical events that form the backdrops to their lives.
Whale Cave is a charming and beautiful podcast, brightened by Matt Price’s delicate touch and ear for humour. Aided by a fantastic guest roster and pretty inexhaustible topic, this show seems like one that could well render itself irreplaceable in your catalogue before too long.
You can find this show on iTunes or it’s libsyn page, whilst the show itself is @WhaleCave. Have fun you!
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