Podcasts for the musical commuter

During the summer, I had started a series of blog posts about the podcasts that get me through my commute. I started with podcasts for the foodie commuter, and followed it up with podcasts for the sporty commuter.

Then that thread went dark while I went on an RSS rant, and got put on the back burner for a while.

But as I was crafting my list of favorite songs of 2008 for an annual e-mail exchange among friends, it reminded me that I still had a few categories of podcasts to cover -- and music podcasts in particular.

Radio is largely dead to me. Much of my music discovery comes either via the podcast, or through an intricate combination of iTunes and Amazon e-mail newsletters; LastFM and Pandora usage; Starbucks featured downloads, occasional forays into MySpace, samplers from indie music labels, such as Matador or Merge, and the annual roster of South by Southwest (2008 is here) -- and then some.

So here are the musical podcasts that fill my iPod on a regular basis.

• Accident Hash
  It's first alphabetically, and it's first historically, too. This was among the first podcasts I subscribed to upon receiving my first iPod as a gift in 2006, and it is the only one that remains in my iTunes library from that first set of subscriptions. Because the volume of podcasts in my iPod sometimes outweighs the amount of listening time, I will from time to time prune items that are more than a month old when I fall behind. Not so with Accident Hash. I listen to every single one of C.C. Chapman's episodes. He's consistently turning me onto new music -- and a few other podcasts -- that I feel compelled to add to my library: Lee Coulter, Mike Errico, Black Lab, bill, Buddahead, Goat, and Jimmy Golding being chief among them. I've been fortunate to meet C.C., too, as he graciously agreed to participate on a social media panel I booked for NENMA more than a year and a half ago. He'll make an appearance on my upcoming marketing podcast list, too, but meanwhile, I more than highly recommend Accident Hash. It will be well worth your iTunes subscription.
  
• Acoustic Long Island
  This is another longtime resident in my podcast library, and it used to be comprised of two podcasts in one subscription. Dave Dircks would first put out the open mic session that led into the featured performer, and then would put out the show by that performer. They recently changed format, though, and have put the open mic on hiatus. I do miss it. I enjoyed that portion of the subscription not only for the quality of music performed by the "amateurs," but also for the instant nostalgia, reminding me of younger days spent in regular participation at The Prodigal Son and other Cape Cod open mics. I remain subscribed to the Acoustic Long Island audio feed, though, because of the continued high caliber of featured performers to whom I've either been introduced or reacquainted-- and purchased music from: Andy Mac, Abbie Gardner, Red Molly, Miles to Dayton, Jake Armerding, Jen Chapin, Ben Taylor, Barefoot Truth, Chris Ayer, Madi Diaz, Tim Blane, and Mieka Pauley.
  
• BinaryStarCAST
  I found this podcast via recommendation of the aforementioned C.C. Chapman, and I was a devout listener until they went on hiatus last March. While compiling links for this post I noticed Binary Star Music, the recording label behind the podcast, has redone their Web site in Ning to kick off 2009, so I asked about whether their were plans to resume the podcast. I got the most fantastic reply from Hank, one of the hosts:
  
  "We're pleased to announce that YES... StarCAST will be making a come-back soon! The format's a little different but we'll still be bringing listeners the best new music they can't get anywhere else. The requests to bring the show back have been overwhelming, it's cool to be validated like that. Thanks for your kind words and for your incredible patience...."
  
  I can't wait. Meanwhile, though, the archives are available, and the 100-plus episodes are worth your time for both musicality and humor -- especially the "Random Information" bits included in each episode.
  
• KUT: Radio Without Borders
  This show is comprised of live, in-studio performances of bands either from Austin or that were just passing through. Always an eclectic, interesting listen.
  
• Last.fm Free Recommended Downloads
  This is a recent discovery. Last.fm puts recommended tracks riffed from your "Scrobbled" library into an RSS feed, which in turn can be plugged into iTunes like any other podcast feed. If you find one you like, the track is available for free download on the performer's page on Last.fm. A few recent finds have included Poe, Josh Gray, Simon Coltman, and Laura Marie. There's a lot in there that I would not recommend, but that's what the Next Track functionality on the iPod was invented for, right?
  
• New York Times Music Popcast
  I find myself lately listening to this less frequently than I used to, but that's not to say it's a bad podcast. I just like the others better. This serves as a good weekly review of what's new in popular music, with the Times' pop music critics contributing directly. They've recently been folding in interviews with artists, too.
  
• mvyradio Local MusiCafe and Uncharted Waters podcasts
  When I forget to tote the iPod and I am home, WMVY is my usual radio dial choice for music. So these two shows allow me to take a little home-based radio on the road when I am making the drive between hither and yon. Both are simply podified versions of the regularly scheduled radio programs that bear the same name. The former's content is self-explanatory, although Alison Hammond will often have a loose interpretation of "local" while infusing her program with a theme of some sort. The latter is Barbara Dacey's weekly showcase of newly arrived CDs, and given the eclectic nature of WMVY's library, it is always a worthy listen.
  
• NPR: All Songs Considered
  Host Bob Boilen is hands-down my favorite podcasting master of ceremonies. Between the celebrity guest DJs he wrangles, or the panels he puts together when showcasing the best songs of the year/season/etc., each show feels like a conversation. So what if he can't hear when I talk back to the iPod. What... you don't talk to your iPod?! The shows are homey, comfortable, and always educational while expanding my musical horizon. Even better: Bob will tell you, his guests or his panelists when he disagrees with an opinion, but that never precludes him from playing something he might not like, thus facilitating a full spectrum of opinion into the show.
  
• NPR: Second Stage
  An outgrowth of All Songs Considered, it rarely features anyone you've ever heard of -- and that's a good thing.
  
• NPR: World Cafe Words and Music and World Cafe: Next from WXPN
  The former features portions of interviews with and live performances by a wide range of contemporary artists, while the latter focuses on up-and-coming unsigned and indie performers. Host David Dye has a great rapport with his subjects, and the interviews are as engaging as the music is entertaining.
  
• U-Turn Cafe
  Dear, C.C.,
  It has been more than a year since your last U-Turn Cafe episode. I need my chill fix. I crave a mellow session with your favorite acoustic artists. It's a new year, bud. Time to break out a resurrection!
  Speaking for the faithful,
  Sean
  p.s. Readers of this post can still download archived episodes at the link above.
  
• WFUV's Take Five
  Five minutes of interview snippets with the a wide range of established and new performers. Great for keeping tabs on new releases or just what's new with some of your favorite artists.

There you have it. What music podcasts are you listening to? Please share in the comments. I would love to sample new shows. I am always on the lookout for music discovery opportunities.