Playlist: Todd Melby's Favorites
Compiled By: Todd Melby
I curate and host a radio show called "The Listening Lounge" on KFAI in Minneapolis. Every week, I get to comb through PRX for captivating radio. I like stories that take me somewhere I've never been. These can be intimate portraits of people doing unusual things, elegantly-edited, non-narrated documentaries or pieces that are just plain delightful. Or disturbing. I'm a big fan of the Salt Institute of Documentary Studies (especially those stories sans narration), Jonathan Mitchell, the Working series from Homeland Productions and Outfront.
Just Another Fish Story
From Salt Institute for Documentary Studies | 00:08:28
How do you get rid of a dead whale? It's not easy.
Shades of Gray
From Jonathan Mitchell | 00:58:27
Pro-choice? Pro-life? This documentary avoids labels, diving into the complexity of a sensitive, life-altering topic. There's no narration, just artful editing, the voices of participants and a sound I'll never forget.
City X
From Jonathan Mitchell | 00:22:33
A Midwestern city gets a mall, kills its downtown, and intensifies its search for the perfect parking spot. A story of America in the 20th century.
RN Documentary: From Brooklyn to Banja Luka
From Radio Netherlands Worldwide | Part of the RN Documentaries series | 00:29:31
She hates it when he farts. But she loves him anyway. A love story told with only a sliver of narration.
Scared
From John Biewen | 00:03:00
A father's love for his daughter. And his fear of what might happen.
Miner
From Homelands Productions | Part of the WORKING series | 00:07:51
A man's life, in less than eight minutes. Heartbreaking.
Weenie Royale; The Impact of the Internment on Japanese Cooking in America
From The Kitchen Sisters | Part of the Hidden Kitchens series | 00:09:18
What food tells us about history.
Will You Go To Prom With Me?
From Curie Youth Radio | 00:03:14
A first-person narrative about a teen that can't get a prom date and doesn't know how to ask. Should he be formal or casual? Good storytelling and use of music, which adds tension.
Dyana, Goddess Of The Moose Hunt
From Salt Institute for Documentary Studies | 00:08:52
It all started out as a simple moose hunt...but a lot can go wrong.
