Monday, November 26, 2007

NPR never sounded so good

So my parents always listen to NPR (National Public Radio) in the car, and it is usually just boring old news and whatnot, but on occasion there would be some stuff that interested me, at least to the point that I didn't beg them to change the channel. Earlier this past summer I discovered the NPR podcasts, namely All Songs Considered, in which the musically-enthused staffers at NPR discuss the latest albums, songs, and artists. The discussions were usually pretty interesting, and I'd listen to the podcast whenever I knew they were discussing an artists I was interested in, but what really got me going was when they would record full concerts and post them as podcasts. I live in the D.C. area, and that is where NPR is based, so 99% of the concerts they record are local shows at the 9:30 Club that I had wanted to attend, but couldn't for various reasons (i.e. school nights, lack of cash, etc...). Examples: The Swell Season, Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Josh Ritter...the list goes on and on. Each show is a quality recording, and on the NPR website they include set lists. My one grievance is that because they are podcasts, you can't skip around from song to song with ease. However, I figured out a way to clip song-by-song and convert them to AAC files. So far I have only done it for Rilo Kiley and The Swell Season's shows, but I will probably be clipping Josh Ritter and Iron & Wine in the near future. To reach the All Song's Considered Live Concerts podcast, click here.

2 comments:

Jacob Schlather said...

the swell season is pretty sweet, just like once..

Erick said...

I'm one of the dorks that likes NPR for the same reasons I used to detest it. The talk about the most random things at times, but I guess I'm learning to appreciate it. Diane Rehm's voice used to aggravate me.

Anyway--yeah, their All Songs Considered is def an invaluable resource. Seeking for a specific song is a small price to pay for not having to pay a price, eh? ;) Thanks for reminding me of this.