“A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep, Welcome to Night Vale”

This classic radio-style podcast presents the news of an odd little town called Night Vale; however the town features events born of Lovecraft and the Twilight Zone.  Narrated by Cecil Baldwin, the free podcast captures its listeners and brings them on a relaxing- yet spooky, adventure.

The show is produced by Commonplace Books, and created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor.  It updates twice every month, on the first and fifteenth day.   While the surreal humor and terrifying descriptions makes the listener feel frightened, Cecil’s calming voice mesmerizes them.  It’s great to listen to as you fall asleep

Each episode includes a featured song in place of the weather section of the report.  It gives unknown artists a chance to share their music with a large crowd and get their sound out there.

The contrast between what you’re hearing and how you’re hearing creates such a really unique sound.  Beyond that, the podcast is an independent run program and has been able to push the boundaries that other shows can’t.  The narrator is an openly queer man whose sexuality isn’t the butt of jokes, as often mainstream media does.  And his love interest is a canonically dark-skinned man of science, Carlos the Scientist.