Filk songs, fandom memory, and rescued tapes.
FilkCast is a long-running filk music program built around songs, fandom memory, and independent artists. Recent episodes move from zombie-themed playlists to Prometheus Music features, Leslie Fish tributes, old tapes, and new finds from conventions.
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FilkCast is a long-running filk music program with the habits of a collector, a convention regular, and a community noticeboard. It centers the songs. Episodes usually open with a brief frame, then move quickly into music drawn from Bandcamp finds, artist websites, old tapes, themed sets, music spotlights, and recordings tied to filk events. The show is comfortable with deep fandom references. Darkover songs, zombie love stories, space-science albums, magic songs, and science jokes all sit naturally beside practical notes about where to find the music. The tone is loose and conversational. It can joke about a subterranean lair, pause for a kitty update, or admit that some names may need correction from listeners. That informality matters because the show treats filk as a living oral culture, not a museum shelf. It asks people to send music. It offers to digitize old tapes. It points toward Bandcamp Friday, community organizations, online stores, sci-fi.radio broadcasts, and pages where song links are collected. Recent episodes show the range clearly. One installment builds a zombie theme after hearing zombie songs at DemiCon Lite. Another highlights Prometheus Music and selections from Pegasus Nominees material. A winter-break run pares the talking down so the music carries the hour. A Leslie Fish memorial steps back almost entirely, using the episode as a remembrance through songs. FilkCast can be playful, but it is not slight. The playlists preserve voices that might otherwise vanish into private collections, convention memories, or defunct links. The songs themselves range from comic monsters and cosmic wonder to mourning, danger, fandom myth, and protective storytelling. That mix gives the show its texture. It is part radio hour, part archive project, part signal boost for independent fan musicians. For listeners outside filk, it works as a guided entrance into a niche with its own references, rituals, and emotional weather. For longtime fans, it feels like someone keeping the table open and making sure the next song is not lost.
Made for: FilkCast is for listeners who enjoy filk, convention culture, independent music, and fandom songs with roots in shared stories. It also suits curious music fans who like handmade scenes with history behind them.
What sets it apart: The show is not just a playlist; it functions as a community archive, pointing to artists, collecting links, preserving old tapes, and marking losses through music. Its mix of themed episodes, memorial sets, and deep filk references gives it a stronger preservation role than a standard music program.
A podcast for the Filk community featuring music and news from all the worlds of Filk.
Old convention tapes turn your headphones into a con suite, with occasional feline commentary.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Philcast episode 341 stays loose and communal, moving from Hamlin to Darkover and then into a stronger character piece.
Philcast episode 341 keeps a loose, communal feel, beginning with a gentle nod to the village of Hamlin before shifting into Darkover material and then into a more forceful character song.
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FilkCast Episode 351, dated June 24, 2026, presents independent filk songs from performers including Brenda Sutton, Mark Bernstein, Jane Mailander, and Leslie Fish.
FilkCast Episode 350, dated June 17, 2026, presents songs from Mark Hahn Grows Up, Millennium Pandemonium One, and To the West.
FilkCast Episode 349, dated June 10, 2026, presents filk songs ranging from Awendy’s space-traveling “Cat” to Jen Midkiff’s sleepless “Shut Up Brain.” Margaret Middleton’s “A Bounder” uses a recurring chorus to prefer fictional scoundrels over “nice men,” naming characters such as Solo, Skywise, Harlock, and Wolverine.
This episode of FilkCast introduces new music and voices, including an unreleased song by Pete Clark called 'Elf Fair Lady', while encouraging listeners to share independent music and old tapes for digitization.
FilkCast Episode 341 opens on April 1, 2026, from the Crow and Dove House studios in Iowa, with Eric promising five or six new voices and asking listeners to send music and old tapes.
FilkCast Episode 340, dated March 25, 2026, assembles zombie-themed filk songs after Brian Baker performed zombie songs at DemiCon Lite.
This episode features music from Prometheus Music, including tracks from the Pegasus Nominees Volume 1 and Phoenix albums, highlighting independent filk artists.
A Filk music podcast episode featuring old tape recordings, community news, and a public service announcement about a fraudulent website.
This episode is a winter break special of FilkCast, featuring Filk music with minimal talking.
A podcast for the Filk community featuring music and news, with this episode starting a winter break series of music with minimal talking.
A tribute episode playing an hour of music by the late Filk songwriter Leslie Fish, with brief community news.
FilkCast episode 324 features Filk music and news, with a theme based on a new album, including a song by Phil Mills.
This episode of FilkCast features new and old Filk music, community news, and a spotlight on Gary Hannock's album.
A podcast for the Filk community featuring music and news, with this episode focusing on holiday-themed Filk music.
This episode of FilkCast presents the best classic filk song category from the Pegasus Awards, featuring nominated songs and supporting the Filk community.
This episode of FilkCast features nominations for Best Hero Song and Best Villain Song in the Pegasus Awards, with commentary and music playback.
FilkCast episode 315 features Filk community news and plays Tom Smith's song 'Pirate Ninjas From Dino Island'.
A special episode of FilkCast featuring curated Filk music and community news.
This episode of FilkCast features independent music, including a track from Kathy Marr, while the host shares personal updates and encourages listener submissions.
This episode of FilkCast, celebrating its 299th episode, features music by The Chromatics and encourages listeners to share independent music for the show.