Two podcasts you should listen to this week: 'Punch up the Jam' and 'The Dropout'

Do you love podcasts, but don’t know how to find new shows? Are you new to podcasts, and don't know where to start?

Welcome to “Thanks for Listening” — a new column about the absolute best podcast episodes to listen to this week according to two producers at KUOW who make podcasts for a living. Every Monday, we'll both suggest a podcast that we really enjoy listening to and tell you why we like it.

You’ll hear about shows that span (and overlap) a variety of topics and genres: investigative journalism, fiction, food, feminism, comedy, history, true crime, mental health, Harry Potter, and much more.

So kick back and enjoy this week's picks.

Caroline’s pick: The Dropout

Suggested episode: "Myth-Making"

Length: 49 Minutes

Listen while: This is a good series to binge over this week’s commute

Brainpower: 4/5

Family Friendly? Yes

The Dropout is a six-part documentary series hosted by ABC News reporter Rebecca Jarvis that looks at the dramatic rise and unraveling of Elizabeth Holmes’s career. At 19 years old, Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a medical technology company that sought to revolutionize blood-testing. If her technology actually did what she said it could do, it would have benefited millions of people. So what went wrong? That’s the subject of the series.

As the Theranos scandal was unfolding in real-time, I had a hard time grasping the significance of the deluge of details coming out. This podcast offers a clear, compelling narrative that keeps you wanting more at the end of each episode. Featuring interviews with ex-Theranos employees and investors, and audio from Holmes’s depositions, the series is packed with suspense and bizarre details. I didn’t want it to end.

Clare’s pick: Punch Up the Jam

Suggested episode: "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"

Length: 94 minutes

Listen while: Struggling through your morning commute. Or evening commute. Or any other tedious task.

Brainpower required: 2/5

Family friendly? Not even close!

Punch Up the Jam is a comedy podcast that picks apart – and remakes – some of the most iconic songs in living memory. The show is co-hosted by BFFs Demi Adejuyigbe (known for his work on The Late Night Show and The Good Place) and Miel Bredouw (a comedian who also has a music background) and features a cast of guests across comedy and entertainment. On each episode, they go line-by-line to dissect a song we all know, and many of us love, and dig deep into what makes it good, what makes it bad, and what makes it ... nonsense.

I’ve been binging the show’s backlog over the past few weeks (they’re on episode 64), but I’m specifically suggesting their episode on Green Day’s "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" because it hits many of the things that Punch up the Jam does well.

The episode reveals a bizarre back story that gives the song a totally different context. It picks apart the lyrics and music in great detail and reveals just how little sense they make. It makes you laugh very loudly on public transportation. And then, at the end, the hosts debut a gut-busting "punched-up" version of the song. Funny and informative from start to finish.