Relic Radio: All Voices Retro

Many of today's podcasts are either riotously funny, or razor-sharp, or fresh and original. This fact has kept me from offering my own voice in a podcast series, but I have admired the work of Jim Paul, whose modest-looking website RelicRadio.com is actually a massive, well organized online storehouse for some of the best radio shows from the 1930s through the 1970s.

With one of his many theme songs and a short intro of each broadcast, Jim brings each show back to life without giving it all away.

The site's sections include:

• Relic Radio Show: An assortment of the best shows from several series and genres.
• The Horror!: My favorite. Lights Out, rival Quiet Please, and the understated Beyond Midnight make up some of the best episodes. From translations of traditional stories to enduring made-for-radio classics, they're all here.
• Strange Tales. If you like a strong dose of the sinister and unforgettable, Strange Tales has a hefty dose of weird.
• Relic Radio Thrillers. Mystery, suspense and espionage are par for the course.
• Relic Radio Science Fiction: This is an occasional channel I wander into. It's nice to take a peek back at past visions of the future. Sometimes it's uncanny how close the writers came, and other times, just campy.
• Case Closed! Who dun it? This channel lays out all the facts. With such great series as the sharp-tongued Candy Matson and the gritty but gold-hearted Barrie Craig, this is a great change of pace after building up a tolerance to horror.
• Orson Welles: On the Air. The master showman's series are presented here, including The Lives of Harry Lime, Campbell Playhouse, Cavalcade of America, and Lux Radio Theater.
• Suspense Replay: Suspense is considered by many to be one of the greatest radio shows of all time. This channel's all Suspense, all the time.
• Legacy of Laughs and Great Gildersleeve Replay: Relic Radio's lighter-hearted channels. Legacy is a mixed bag of jokes from several series, but Gildersleeve is the Andy Griffith Show of the 1940s.
• Radio at War is grim, gritty, and just what you're looking for if you want tales of military action, mostly if not all from World War II. The selection is a little smaller than the rest of Relic Radio's channels, but still enjoyable.
• The Shoutcast Stream. Looking for a random mixed pack of shows? This 24/7 stream keeps your ear entertained without any eye or finger wear.

With a hefty presence on iTunes, RelicRadio is a great resource for both Apple fans and PC users. If you're an older person who misses the showmanship and decorum of radio, or you're younger and want to explore precursors of today's entertainment themes, RelicRadio is the perfect place to get lost in a forest of sound.