Latest Posts by dead-west-podcast - Page 3

Why you should listen to Metropolis

Metropolis is a retro sci fi story in which most of the world is heavily impoverished following a war. Most, but not one city. Metropolis, a city in the clouds, is occupied by the world's richest and is utopic. The main character is a journalist whose best friend was invited to Metropolis to report on its excellence. But he starts digging too far and stops answering her letters, prompting her to go out and find him.

Why you should listen in no particular order:

FRIENDSHIP. HELLO I LOVE NAN AND STANLEY WITH MY WHOLE HEART.

Retro sci fi is SUCH a cool genre and not one I had really experienced before. The setting is in the 1920s, and for the Metropolites there are robots and force shields and machines that can send your telegraphs for you.

The tone. They strike a really good balance of humor along with the darker elements of the story.

Cathartic yelling

Allies with Animosity

This makes me so damn proud.

When I was first spinning this show up I had a lot of reservations with putting it out into the world. The time period I wanted to set the show in comes with a LOT of bigotry, religious zealotry, racism, sexism, and xenophobia. With that, fictional media coverage of this time period is traditionally through the lens of a glorified "tough guy" acting under the eye of the Christian God or guided by the principles of Manifest Destiny. Which means the audience that flocks to Westerns are traditionally cis white dudes in which the bigoted, racist, sexist, xenophobic rhetoric has the possibility of feeding into their lived experiences and view points. Hell, I even started a TikTok for the show to help market it. My first podcast episode EXPLODED from a couple of posts I did over on TikTok, with 90% of the listener-ship being funneled over from social media identifying as men. Which on it's own isn't a huge issue; it becomes one when some of these commenters on Tiktok have usernames like "yourn*zihero88." Saying they see this being their favorite podcast in the future. (Username exaggerated for this post, but not by much.) So seeing stats like this give me a lot of hope for the future of the story I am working on telling here with Dead West. And we haven't even gotten to the real depth of this world or the stories I want to see come to life in it yet. Still on the horizon: - Sapphic Betrayal and Revenge - Trans Outlaws - POC Monster Hunters All informed by real life examples from the Wild West. Don't believe me? Go check out Henry Allen! I know at this point and time we have a little white boy as our driving narrative force, but my intent with the show wasn't to stay with Conrad forever.

Well howdy, Traveler! Thanks for the kind words about our show and I couldn't agree more with your assessment of both Englewood AD and Hi Nay being impeccable!

STARTED THREE IMPECCABLE AUDIO DRAMAS TODAY!!

Hi Nay - The best supernatural procedural since The X-Files. Has me HOOKED! The lore, the characters, the amazing cultural influences. I just wanna get a knife and fork and eat it.

Dead West - WEIRD WEST, MY BELOVED! Amazing music, great writing, impeccable vibes that capture the appeal of both westerns and folk horrors. Can’t wait to listen to more.

Englewood After Dark - Amazing slice of academic horror. There was a scare in the first prequel short that genuinely gave me chills, and some truly vile twists and turns for the second. If the warm up shorts are this good, the rest is gonna kill me.

I feel called out.

a number of audio dramas have the og creator/writer cast themselves as a the most pathetic wet rag of a boy and I adore them for that

Yaaaassss! Love it.

Inspired by our friends over at @dead-west-podcast we made a little mood board for ourselves.

Season 4 finale is LIVE! Let me know what you think!

The Cellar Letters

Episode 80 - Sightjack Part 4

There is nothing... no information on Jess... nothing on Steve. I just want to go home. Cast: Jamie Petronis as Nate Harlan Guthrie as John

A timely quote.

Dutch was many things, but at the end of the day he was a Dreamer.

RDR2 informs a lot for the show and if you ever want a peak into the creative process of the podcast know that most episodes of DW come with a few hours of riding around in RDR2.

Mood Board for the Dead West Podcast

DEAD WEST PART 4: NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS is Live!

In this episode we start peeling back the layers of the greater forces at work in the world of the Dead West. Please be aware there are a LOT of content warnings for this episode. Be sure to check them out before diving. ================================================ LISTEN HERE: SPOTIFY APPLE WEB RSS Your Preferred Player ================================================ Be sure to check out our Ko-fi and Patreon for options to support the show.

Seance in the White House Fun fact: Mary Lincoln hosted many Seances in the Red Room of the White House after her son Willie died.

WHHA (en-US)

Seances in the Red Room

Death plagues us all: it is the only certainty in life and plays an integral role in the human experience. When a loved one perishes, it is

Show Update:

We have a family member undergoing open heart surgery this week so my household is doing a lot of planning and prep, physically and mentally. Due to this tomorrow's episode will be delayed until Tues, the 28th. Sorry for the inconvenience but thank you so much for your patience. For clarity, they are going to be on a 48-hour constant watch cycle afterwards and the reality of it is that this will come down to my partner and I alternating this time between us while also tending to the rest of our family, and my job. Cuz Capitalism don't stop.

Heartglass is available on an extended first-look. And the Kickstarter is on pre-launch. Backing at any tier gets you the full first episode months before it's available to the public. And at certain tiers, you can access episodes as they're finalized.

Check out the episode here: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/heartglass

Or watch the video here: https://youtu.be/JASXzRGi7oQ?si=r1R_rxLRxwGX8zPh

And when you're done, sign up to get notified when the Kickstarter goes live!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maninjumpsuit/heartglass-a-modern-mythology

**Casting Call!** Tales from the Dead West: Nearer Hell Than Purgatory

Unpaid hobby project.

@dead-west-podcast is a horror/weird western fiction podcast. Tales from the Dead West are stand-alone, found footage style stories by other writers.

This episode, Nearer Hell Than Purgatory, is written and directed by @ash-alder.

The call will be open from January 13 to 8am pacific, January 27.

Casting for: - 1 character using she/her pronouns with any American accent

- 1 character using he/him pronouns with any accent from anywhere that reads "country" or "folksy"

shorturl.at/fhVel

Questions? Message here, or @dead-west-podcast or on Discord to ash.alder

For anyone interested we have kicked up a Discord Server for folks to talk about the show, show off some gothic artwork, share some music, whatever!

Excited to announce that our next Tales from the Dead West episode is going to be written by the amazing @lawofnamesmedia! Be on the look out here and on their pages for casting calls, live dates, and more!

Dance as an act of rebellion. Dance as an act of joy.

The Ceaseless Grind

Working out some frustration in some design work today. I like this WIP alright enough, might try and find better elements to play with but it was at a point that I figured i'd share it. I normally just photobash or throw some elements I like into Affinity, do some blending work, color correct, and call it a day. Still trying to work on my own design work but drawing/conceptualizing images from nothing is a place in need of improvement on my end.

"how do you have time to listen to all these podcasts" great question! i don't. and yet

Very excited to be a part of this! Come hungry, it'll be a feast for your ears!

Professor Pandemonium's Peculiar Panoply, the Writers

Wanderers and wonder-seekers, strangers & star-gazers, we are pleased to introduce the writers for Professor Pandemonium's Peculiar Panoply!

@ash-alder Corvyn Appleby @stardustshimmers @dead-west-podcast @the-official-account Elliot Somerfield @primefactorx01 (our fearless editor, who doesn't get near enough recognition) @idontreallyunderstandanyofthis @rubedeckillerofficial James Big @doctorloup Maddie Girouard Milo Machin SJ Ryker

The show's website is still a work in progress, but you will eventually be able to find it at

https://pppp.lawofnames.com/

New Episode! Tales from the Dead West: La Loup Garou is live!

Our new podcast segment Tales from the Dead West is live! These are stand alone episodes from the wider world of the Dead West which allows us to both fill out the world and give you (the rabid listener) more of our weird little world! For this one we peek in on a moment in the life of Louis before his death. Please be aware there is a LOT of content warnings for this episode. Be sure to check them out before diving. ================================================ LISTEN HERE: SPOTIFY APPLE WEB RSS ================================================ Don't worry, these are going to be highly irregular on the main feed but if you like them then be sure to check out our Ko-fi and Patreon pages for more of these as they will be regular offerings for supporting the show.

Inspired by @fyeahaudiodrama's do you love the color of the audio drama?, I have finally reorganised the contents my podcatcher:

Looking for Black Nonbinary/Genderqueer VA!

The Mechadova Engine, an upcoming steampunk sci-fi audio drama, is currently casting a main character.

Details in the document below.

Google Docs

The Mechadova Engine - Tinker Casting Call

The Mechadova Engine - Tinker Casting Call DEADLINE: January 20th 2025 About the project Log has spent their entire life, as far as they

The Audiodrama community is really about the friends we make along the way. And boy howdy do I have a lot of new friends these days! It is a great feeling, honestly. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me, my art, and my friends as we all make funny lil voices for the stories in our heads.

I love you audio drama

I love you podcasts

I love you audio based storytelling

PSA for podcast and audio drama creators:

If you publish a new episode of your show and it never shows up on Spotify, *do not panic*.

If you're using any kind of background music, it might've gotten flagged by their copyrighted content scanner. If it has, they do not notify you directly about it. Instead, they will notify your podcast hosting platform (i.e. Buzzsprout, Acast, Podbean, etc.)

If your new episode doesn't show up on Spotify within an hour or two (as it normally does), here's what you should do:

Create a video of your podcast and upload it privately to YouTube.

Check the 'Restrictions' column of the Content page in YouTube Studio. If the video you uploaded has 'Copyright' in this column, something was flagged and this is the problem. (In my experience, YouTube and Spotify's scanners are aligned).

Hover over where it says 'Copyright' and click the 'See Details' button. This will tell you what got flagged.

Confirm whether this content was legitimately flagged or not. If it was (meaning you can't prove that you have rights to use the music), it's time to replace the track and reupload your episode. (You'll still want to do the following steps after you do that). If wasn't, it's time to document why the flagging was in error. In Metropolis' case, we use a lot of pre-1924 music that is in the public domain per Title II of the US Music Modernization Act of 2018. But rights holders are notorious for not removing things that have aged into the public domain from their claims list. That means we have clear rights to use the music (as does anybody: again, public domain!), but we still have to go through the appeals process.

Contact your hosting provider to get the notice email from Spotify Content Protection. You need to ask their support team if they've received an email for your show from Spotify with a Subject line of "Possibly Infringing - Notification Warning - Claim xxx - ref:_xxx". It usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour for them to receive that notification from when the episode was uploaded. Within the email, there's a unique link to appeal the decision. Note that you only get five days to appeal - procrastination is definitely not your friend here!

Use the Appeal Link from the Email to file an Appeal Notice If you click the link, it will take you to a form to appeal the decision not to post the episode. This is where you need to present your case by either that you've replaced the music in question, or that you have a right to use it. If it's the latter - make sure you present the case as thoroughly and completely as possible (with links and references). (You'll also want to confirm that the track that YouTube spotted is the one that Spotify flagged.)

From my experience, Spotify will usually respond 24-36 hours.

If you took the right steps, it'll usually be a short note that they've published the episode and you're in the clear.

Cheers, and happy creating!

Weekend Podcast Binge Update (12/16)

So, over the weekends is when I do a bulk of my podcast listening. This weekend I was BLESSED with a failed hard drive. Thankfully nothing was lost but it meant I had ample time to listen to some new-to-me shows as I am caught up on most of my usuals. Hi Nay @hinaypod Episodes 1, 2, 2.5, and 3: FINALLY! I have been meaning to dive into Hi Nay by Motzie Dapaul and Reg Geli for a long while now but something always takes my headspace away from it but I finally got the space to really give it a go. I love how this show just gets right into the thick of the world and really dives into the folksy nature and background of the character. I can not express how cool it is to FEEL the expertise of the writers in their casts' actions, thoughts, and reactions to their real world. This isn't just a writing team who did a lot of research, this is a well informed writer and it comes through. You could tell me it was a record of real life events and I would 1000% believe you. Also, I love that the found footage framing device is a call to loved one, that is super unique and endearing. No tapes. No journal. Just a kid in the shit calling their ma to process what happened. Amazing use of risers in the show and superb writing set my skin on edge a couple times. My only gripe, and it comes off pedantic even as I write it, is that I didn't love some of the sound design of the door hits in the first episode. They translated as someone hitting the microphone and it did pull me out of the scene a tiny bit. They are also in middle of a Fundraiser for the continued production of the show. If you have the space and funds to do so please consider checking it out and helping as you can! Share, listen, donate! Woe.Begone @woebegonepod Episodes 1 & 2. This has been recommended by a lot of folks in the Audiodrama Community but has been one that I have given a couple chances and didn't jive with it out the gate. I do want to note that it is a ME thing and not the show, there is a lot of greatness in this even in the first episode. I love the way the plot is introduced, I love aspects of the trickle out we are given on the lead up to Mike seeking access to the game, I love the pacing. It honestly might be that I am too close to real life examples of people like the character of Mike, willing to do anything to get "the next big videogame" so it feels less Fiction and more real life. I'll explore that train of thought before commenting further! Gunsmoke OTR This is a classic and really birthed a lot of my love for the Western Genre. I remember listening to this in the little room above my grandparents garage because my Gpa had a bunch of these on self recorded cassette. I randomly grab an episode and give it a go just to dive back into the vibes. Malevolent @malevolentcast, re-listen. Episode 1. I find myself occasionally going back to Episode 1-3 of Malevolent. There is something so unique about how the show starts and the strides Harlan takes from these first few steps that really dictates larger shifts in the later series and I love it. Also a great reminder that you have to start somewhere and build on the magic as you go. Old Gods of Appalachia Episode 71. @oldgodspod Now, this is one of my all time faves. It is a large reason I even wrote my show, I constantly go back to the first few seasons. Yet, I find that I am super hesitant to explore this next season. The last arc, Jack's Trial, has some of the better singular moments in the show but overall it felt less OGoA and more like a crossover event for all the characters to be in the same space. I get the feeling that we are getting towards the end of the show as intended but not where the showrunners are wanting it to end so some things are starting to feel a little over explored. Again, this is probably a ME thing and I will still follow along with the season, but probably not on drop days.

Dead West Visual Trailer

So, I make little trailers like this for projects I do as sort of a moving mood board. Something about them scratches an itch in my brain. So here is the one I did for DW the moment I heard the final version of the Theme Music from Sage. I still get chills when I get to drop that glorious piece of art into each episode of the show. You know what? I should do some of these for funsies for other shows too! Hmmmm. Who to unabashedly show some love to first?

Fiction Podcast Recommendations

These are some of my favorites at this moment in time. Give em a listen and when you leave a rating/review let em know Dead West sent ya! The Grotto -- @grottopod Genuinely one of my favorite shows lately. It's pacing feels like I am reading someone's journal while having my brain chemistry altered by the sublime use of music and sound design. Hear me gush more about this over on my episode of Podmash! Silt Verses -- @thesiltverses My favorite of all time right now. I love the themes, the use of multi-POV, characters are AMAZING, and they knew when to call the story completed. Still one of the only shows that STRESSED me out while listening to it. Sad that it ended but happy that it did.

Remnants @hangingslothcentral @remnantspod GAWDS I love this show. The dynamic of Sir and Apprentice. The way the characters are framed. The way that Apprentice talks is mesmerizing: lilty, sing-songy, caring, and morose all in the same breaths. I can not recommend this one enough.

All at Sea -- @allatseapod Such a neat little show, and I do mean that literally. You can catch up on this show in an hour or two but it is an hour or two well spent. I love the Album art so much and Noah is an incredible narrator. Paddleboat -- Rhys Lawton I found this one a few days ago and DEARY ME it has such a mood to it. They nailed the existentialism and drive it home in each episode. Bravo Rhys, Bravo. The Great Chameleon War -- Justin Hellstrom Found this one recently and I wish I had found it years ago. The sound design is great, story is trippy, and at several points I totally forgot I was listening to a podcast. It is sooooooo good. I would love to see some more long form projects from Justin in the future. AND I JUST FOUND OUT THEY ARE A NARRATIVE DESIGNER ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE GAMES OF ALL TIME HUNT SHOWDOWN!?

the world is a better place with trans women in it