By Kate Caperan

No Dogs In Space is a music history podcast that takes listeners through a deep dive into the groundbreaking groups of punk and alternative music. Hosted by Marcus Parks and Carolina Hidalgo from the Last Podcast Network, this podcast has grown immensely since its start in 2020. Currently, No Dogs In Space has two seasons, one on punk and another season in progress on alternative music.

I had relatively no knowledge on early punk music before I started listening to this podcast, so it was a bit daunting to see that episodes were going to be over an hour long and that each miniseries would comprise of three or more episodes…my attention span is short as it is. However, the incredible research, storytelling and humor that co-hosts Hidalgo and Parks incorporate into every episode keeps you heavily engaged throughout each series.

Each miniseries within its season (punk or alternative) builds off of previous episodes. In a way, each season feels like a storyline to a book series as you get to know recurring people or characters (or people that are characters) that pioneered these early music scenes. In this heavily detailed format where each miniseries spans about four hours or more, artists that may be lesser known get the credit and recognition they should have gotten decades ago.

Whether or not you know much about punk or alternative music and its roots, try this podcast out. If I were to recommend a specific series to check out, I’d have to go with the one on Beastie Boys. This series gives you an inside look into the formative years of this punk/hip-hop group. You’ll hear about recording meetings in Rick Rubin’s NYU dorm room, the many stages of the group finding their sound, and most importantly, the thing that started the Beastie Boys’ career, a Carvel ice cream cake named Cookie Puss. That’s all the spoilers I’ll give; happy listening!

5/5