A beautiful portrait of the musical instrument in danger of extinction: best podcasts of the week

Pick of the week
Signal Hill

This indie “audio magazine” brings together documentaries of all stripes, the common thread being a sense of experimentation. The third issue features food writer Ruby Tandoh detailing a quietly beautiful portrait of the lute, an instrument on the brink of extinction, while Jess Shane revisits a groundbreaking experiment that gave children the tools to turn their reality into poignant poetry. Hannah J Davies
Widely available, episodes weekly

Five Miles from Home

Nevada high-school student Micaela “Mickie” Costanzo was last seen alive on her way to track practice in 2011; her body was later found in a shallow grave in the surrounding desert. Dateline NBC’s Keith Morrison is compelling as he recalls the ensuing twisty investigation, which led to the arrests of her boyfriend and best friend. Hollie Richardson
Widely available, all episodes out now

Outsiding

Adam Frost and Caitlin Moran host Outsiding . Photograph: Tom Jackson/Cold Glass Productions

“You caught me just at the right time, actually,” says Bob Mortimer, shortly before pretending to urinate on Caitlin Moran’s compost heap. This great new show, co-hosted by the writer and Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost, celebrates the outdoors via a different weekly celebrity interview in Moran’s backyard. AD
Widely available, episodes weekly

Dan Taberski’s Manifesto

Prominent podcaster Taberski gets theoretical in this new series. Exploring the Occupy movement, Luigi Mangione and associations with mass shooters, he hopes to reclaim the idea of the manifesto, making it an artsy rallying cry again. While his show lacks a central mystery, it is rather riveting. HJD
Audible, all episodes out now

Adam & Alex’s Indie Supergroup

Comedians Adam Flood and Alexandra Haddow take an entertaining dive into 00s UK guitar music history. It’s an attempt to “bring back indie” by creating a supergroup. Which, practically, means doing a pseudo job interview each week with a different member of bands such as Hard-Fi or the Paddingtons. A very silly, highly fun romp through anecdotes. Alexi Duggins
Widely available, episodes weekly