Podcasting pioneer and New York City DJ Suzy Chase has launched a new limited holiday series titled 12 Days of Genres: An Audio Advent Calendar from her long-running music podcast, The Groove Radio. The series delivers one genre per day across twelve episodes, each anchored by Chase's signature approach to music curation, storytelling, and immersive listening. Rather than relying on algorithms or playlists, the project invites listeners to rediscover music through genre, memory, and mood. This approach represents a deliberate alternative to algorithm-driven music platforms that dominate digital listening, emphasizing the role of human expertise in creating meaningful musical connections.
By organizing content around specific genres rather than automated recommendations, Chase underscores the enduring value of human curation in creating authentic listening experiences. The series serves as a reminder that technology should enhance rather than replace the personal connections that music fosters, particularly during communal seasons like the holidays. Speaking about the series, Chase says, "I wanted to release a fun, limited series for the holiday season—something festive and curated that brings a fresh approach to podcasting." The timing during the holiday period positions the series as both entertainment and a potential antidote to the formulaic holiday music that typically dominates seasonal programming.
The release comes at a time when many listeners express fatigue with algorithm-curated playlists that often create repetitive listening experiences. Chase's genre-based approach offers structured discovery that maintains the spontaneity of human selection. For a podcast that has operated for twenty years, this limited series represents both a celebration of its legacy and an innovation in format that could influence how other creators approach seasonal content. 12 Days of Genres continues Chase's commitment to human-led music discovery, a defining element of The Groove Radio since its debut in 2005, and follows her recent anniversary project celebrating two decades of the podcast.
This approach aligns with the original mission of The Groove Radio, which launched in 2005 as the first mixtape-style podcast. As digital platforms increasingly rely on automated systems for content delivery, Chase's project highlights how human curation can create more meaningful connections than algorithmic recommendations. The series is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, and TheGrooveRadio.com, with new episodes released daily beginning December 13 throughout the holiday season. By offering a human-curated alternative during a peak listening period, the series challenges the dominance of algorithm-driven platforms and reaffirms the importance of personal musical discovery.
