Sort of one for 2015/2016/2047... BUT you can send yourself an email from the Future, cool.... Futureme.org

2014 has been the year of the podcast, Serial stole the headlines and is well worth gorging on, but the Radiotopia group of podcasts is my tip for 2015. They raised $620,000 on Kickstarter. People want to support awesome stuff, and there are increasing mechanisms to do it. Here are my favourite audio picks. No media vehicle takes me away more, so download and disappear into another world for a bit.

Best Podcasts of 2014 (with link to a favourite sample episode)

Strangers - stories of the spaces in-between the people we know.

The Organist - Irreverent. To the point. Like having your best self in an ace conversation.

Short Cuts - collections of themed mind-trips.

99% Invisible - Design for life.

Unfictional - Curated short documentaries, always strange.

Comedy Bang Bang - Improvised insanity.

You Made it Weird - This interview with Harris Wittels is compelling, sex drugs and scientology.

Analyze Phish - improvised ridiculousness, one man who loves the band Phish must win over the haters. Ace.

The Listening Project - Radio4 collaboration with the British Library, often tear jearking, soul tickling.

My personal favourite show is Love and Radio. It challenges, engages, trips out, and takes you away more than any other media I've consumed this year.

Charles Farrell was born to a sophisticated middle class family in Boston, but at age 12, he left home and came of age on the street, joining “low-life culture”, the underbelly of boxing, and avant garde piano.

I also love the interviews from Storycorps, where friends, family, strangers thrust together interview each other, this thing makes me cry quite often. Check out an example. I just wish the podcast was longer! This animated version has so many feels.

Dennis Hale tells his wife, Barbara, about being the sole survivor of the Daniel J. Morrell shipwreck on Lake Huron in 1966. Also, Rob Sanchez and his friend Felix Aponte, who both served time at Sing Sing Penitentiary, talk about Rob's diagnosis with an aggressive form of kidney disease. To hear more stories visit http://storycorps.org/listen. If you'd like to write to participants you can do so at podcast@storycorps.org. To make a donation visit http://www.storycorps.org/donate. Music: "Vladimir's Blues" by Max Richter - http://www.maxrichtermusic.com/en/index.php "Milo" by Fredrik - http://www.frdrk.org/ "Los Compadres Seguiran" by Johnny Pacheco & Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez - http://www.fania.com/content/pete-el-conde-rodriguez

Other individual bits of audio that stopped me in my tracks

Lessons from the mosh pit - Joe Dunthorne - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01m176r writer of ace book Submarine takes us back to the mosh pit, and the life lessons we never knew we learned there.

This David Bowie retrospective by Adam Buxton was funny, broad-ranging and brought me into Bowie's world, like an undeniable enthusiastic chat-tirade with a fun buddy. 

The Real Tom Banks - ace use of audio.

Cool Jesse Thorn interview with Jason Schwartzmann #mancrush

Brilliant Documentaries I watched this year

  • Murder on a Sunday Morning
  • King of Kong
  • The Internet's Own Boy 
  • Best Worst Movie
  • All This Mayhem
  • Attacking The Devil: Harold Evans and the Last Nazi War Crime

This documentary is the saddest thing, pretty incredible story, well worth a watch. Dear Zachary: A letter to a son about his father. Don't read too much about it, just watch it with some tissues and I'm sure you'll come out stronger.

Here are my pick of films released in 2014

  • Boyhood
  • Her*
  • Locke
  • Calvary
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • Nebraska

*Here is a 'Her' bonus fun fact. The real star of the film turns out to be Joaquin Phoenix's forehead. Whoever noticed this is a genius and wins the internet this year. Great work guys.


Egon Schiele Exhibition Radical Nudes, controversy and skills.

Egon Schiele Exhibition Radical Nudes, controversy and skills.

Tweets of the year

Some very interesting stuff on speaking to friends with depression. Some very practical tips. Depression is a right arse but I think this makes complete sense to me. Something to work on in 2015.

Random extras

Grayson Perry 'Who Are You'- Great TV series, accessible art programming, not patronising, not pretentious, more please.

Humans of New York on the Facebook - One thing that has consistently challenged stereotypes, glimpses into people's lives that illuminate and don't define. Great to see so many empathetic comments on Facebook. One of my favourite internet spaces of the year.

This is how I want to live my life gif

Ace, easy vegan food recipe of the year: I give you creamy avocado pasta - KABOOM.

Set aside 20 minutes and 'play'/explore this interactive world. The future is more of this probably 'Bear 71'

Without irony, I love this 80's classic from the underappreciated 'Christian Ska' genre:

These football fans are doing it right. Their team hadn't scored in so long, they decided to help out...

Poem of the year - Grandma's Philosophy - Steven Duncan

'Google's answer is, wake up, grandpa, this is the new normal. But all they're doing is trying to port a bug in the Internet over to the real world, and calling it progress.' - Thought provoking words and silly images, great combination.

Interesting Saturday reading on the ambiguity in pursuing happiness and meaning.

Beautifully made short film MR X.

Had a great time bodging in Abney Park Cemetery, make your own spoon for £5 awesome fun.

The Rhymes with Orange Poetry Night and retreats - awesome fun, get involved.

Book highlights (haven't read much this year which is pretty shameful. Please send good book recommendations for this year in the comments) THANKS.

  • Brave New World
  • Death of Ivan Ilych
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Things Fall Apart

Thanks for checking out the blog. I'm up for making things like the above in 2015 so if you're interested in collaborating, or have some money you want to get rid of, get in touch.

Send me cool stuff you've liked too in the comments below. I've neglected books and music this year. PEACE and 2015 let's do it.

Some snaps from this year

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