Archive for the 'Music' Category

• Tagline : The Calmcast is designed to help you relax and de-stress. A daily dose of relaxing music, bird song and the sounds of nature to help you unwind.
• Website : The Calmcast
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, discussion, relaxation, meditation
• Parental Rating : 12
• Star Rating : 8 out of 10

Sometimes it’s good to take a step back and let the world continue to wizz by at the speed of life. The Calmcast is designed to accompany you, to be your relaxation soundtrack and it does this exceptionally well.

Each show is around the 30-40 minute mark. As well as some excellent music, to calm and relax, there’s also some wonderful sounds of nature and bird song. It’s hard to put it all into words, but as soon as you listen to it, it all makes perfect sense.

This is one of those shows that’s great to listen to late at night or at the weekend, when you want to try to decompress from the working day and week and just need to give your inner self, some much needed TLC.

Conclusion : Many podcasts enter and leave my subscription list. This is one that is going to stick around, my sanity demands it.

• Tagline : An independent music podcast, with a British accent
• Website : bitjob for the masses!
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, discussion
• Parental Rating : 12
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

This is another mainstay music discovery podcast. Published each week, Phil Coyne, our host, manages to squeeze some cracking music into a show that’s usually around an hour long. I’ve discovered quite a few bands and artists via this podcast and it’s one I eagerly await each week.

One of the things that makes this such an enjoyable podcast is Phil’s ever apparent enthusiasm for the music he plays. Whether he’s talking about music, or talking to bands and artists, you can’t fail to have your interest piqued.

Putting together a show like this is far harder than Phil makes it appear. His excellent manner is one that really makes you feel at home and before you know it another hour has passed and you have to wait a whole week until the next one… ah, not quite so, cos bitjobs, is now available as an additional daily podcast, where Phil reviews a couple of tracks a day, and I have to say, that is also another excellent, podcast and one that I’m sure we will feature in due course.

Conclusion : Phil has an excellent ear for independent music and it shows in the excellent bands and artists he features. I can’t wait to see what bands he uncovers in 2006.

• Tagline : Podcasting from the Garden Chalet
• Website : Lynn Parsons
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : discussion, music
• Parental Rating : 12
• Star Rating : 8 out of 10

Although I’ve been away from the UK for many years, the name Lynn Parson is no stranger to me. The stations she was on are pretty fuzzy, I think it was BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2, the shows she was on always featured some excellent music and it’s good to say, even though the delivery method has changed, the great music still remains.

Producing a half hour show once a week, Lynn manages to intersperse the proceedings with some interesting characters, who go some way to lightening the show, but I have to admit, some characters do tend to get on your nerves after a while. However at the end of the day it’s all about the music and on that, Lynn never fails to deliver, bringing us some excellent independent music.

So welcome Lynn to the podcasting scene. Now if only you could convince Bob Harris to do the same, I would be a truly happy man.

Conclusion : Excellent host, great music and interesting characters (most of them anyway). An hour show with more music would be most welcome.

• Tagline : Nothing but the best in podsafe music.
• Website : Accident Hash
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, interview, discussion
• Parental Rating : 15
• Star Rating : 8 out of 10

I am a home fry, I am, I am. Or at least I am according to C.C. Chapman. I’m totally into podcasts that cover excellent music, especially when the music covered is stuff I love or stuff I want to find out more about. This is the case with the Accident Hash podcast. Based out of Boston, C.C. produces what seems like a podcast every other day.

Each podcast generally introduces 3 new tracks and spans approximately 30 minutes, which seems a little short, but that’s just the podcast junkie coming out in me. The production is very well done and makes you really feel at home. Although the podcast is pretty work safe, there is the occasional show that comes with a warning, but even so, it’s nothing that your average 15 year old doesn’t hear every day.

Conclusion : I’m a sucker for a podcast that features new music, so as you can imagine this is one of my favorites. Definitely one to add to your subscription list.

• Tagline : Damned to Podcast
• Website : Dark Compass
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, discussion, soundseeing
• Parental Rating : 12
• Star Rating : 8 out of 10

Who wants to listen to some miserable git, talking about his hum drum life and job? I do! OK, sorry Rowley, I’m not having a pop at you honestly, but that’s what new users will probably think upon first listening. This is one of those shows that, although the sound quality for the speech is sometimes questionable and the music is sometimes a bit on the loud/thrash side, it’s all some how compelling listening.

Many of the shows seem to recorded on the compute by train between Rowleys home, which I think is Wales somewhere and his work, which I think is in Liverpool. Now I must admit I’ve listened to about 20 shows so far and Rowleys personal life, while intermingled with the podcast is no clearer to me. I think he lives in a bedsit during the week and goes home at the weekend, but I could be wrong. And why care? I can’t honestly tell you, but I do. I think when any podcast is presented as honestly as this one is, you can’t help but get wrapped up in things. Recently Rowley was in China on business, the few podcasts he did there, where really fascinating stuff.

I mentioned earlier about my reservations about the sound quality, but it’s not really as bad as that. If I’m not mistaken the main brunt of the podcast is recorded on an iRiver mp3 player or something similar and the final podcast is mixed on a PC with the music added. If this is the case, the the sound quality is surprisingly good, but not as good as a good microphone and mixer.

Rowley recently mentioned that his website is in need of a bit of a tidy up and I couldn’t agree more. I’d love to see a good bio on the site to answer all my unanswered questions, as well as simplify things a bit.

Conclusion : This is one of the many podcasts on my regular listen list. Only a couple of weeks ago I was listening to the latest edition on my PocketPC while hanging the Christmas lights outside. At around 25-30 minutes it’s a real good listen and thoroughly recommended.

• Tagline : A mixture of chat and the best independent music
• Website : podcastpaul
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, discussion, soundseeing
• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

Podcasting is not only a good way to communicate your ideas and views, it’s becoming a way to be part of something bigger. No one is a greater example of this in my mind than Paul Nicholls, our host on the podcastpaul podcast. This is a guy who really loves what he does, be it featuring excellent independent music artists, highlighting the aids plight in Swaziland or helping people with their legal problems, which he does with his podcastlawyer podcast.

Every time I listen to one of Paul’s podcasts, it’s like listening to an old friend, the only thing missing is a couple of pints, just to be sociable of course. It’s Paul I can thank for introducing me to the band Hollow Horse, so I reckon I owe him at least one beer, so any time you’re in Canada Paul, just mail me

So apart from featuring some cracking music, Paul has been recently highlighting the plight of Aids in Swaziland. He recently went out to Swaziland to visit the Hawane Farm AIDS Orphanage and produced some absolutely amazing podcasts, specifically numbers 86,87 and 88. These included some absolutely amazing sound bites, which just went to towards enhancing the whole experience. These three podcasts have to be the absolute ultimate soundseeing tours. Some of the subject matter may be disturbing to some people, but there is a real need here and Paul, seeing an opportunity to help, has launched the Swaziland Aids Orphanage appeal. With the help of the band Hollow Horse, anyone donating at least �2.00 or around $3.00 will receive an MP3 of the bands song, Love One Another. Many podcasts have downloaded the appeal MP3 and included it in their podcasts, so this appeal is getting a lot of deserved airplay.

Conclusion : I love this podcast and only have one complaint. Paul, come on mate, we need more frequent podcasts.

• Tagline : This show goes to eleven.
• Website : The Rock Show
• Subscribe Link :
• Keywords : music, rock
• Parental Rating : 12
• Star Rating : 7 out of 10

The Rock Show (TRS) is one of the podcasts available from The Podcast Network, whose other podcasts include, The Microsoft Show, The Movie Show and The Cranky Middle Management Show. Similarly the name of the show pretty much sums up what the show is about.

TRS is one of the many podcasts out there covering the best of independent music. However TRS is purely focused on rock music. The show is released once a week, and is around 30-40 minutes. During that time, your host Ewan Spence covers approximately half a dozen bands. Although I find the show a useful resource for finding new bands, I do find the show a bit on the sterile side. Actually sterile isn’t the right word, but the show just doesn’t click with me. Probably the best analogy I can come up with is Ikea. You go in through the door, blink and find yourself at the exit. I think a lot of that is that the music covered isn’t necessarily the kind I listen to, although find me a Podsafe alternative to Pink Floyd and I’m there man. I also think the show could benefit from squeezing in a few more bands, even if that means extending the show a bit.

Conclusion : If rock music is your thing, then you really should give this podcast a try. It’s definitely one of the better produced shows out there covering independent music.

• Tagline : Listen to the best in new Canadian independent music when you want, where you want.
• Website : CBC Radio 3 Podcast
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, canada, independent
• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 7 Out of 10

It’s good to finally see the big monolithic radio corporations around the world finally realizing that podcasting is also a viable means of broadcast. My only grips with some of them though, is they seem to think that offering shows in piecemeal format is enough. I don’t want to listen to the best of a previously broadcast show, I want the whole show. Anyway enough of my ranting, CBC Radio 3 is one of the many radio stations that is doing it right.

The CBC Radio 3 podcast, is a show that introduces the best of Canadian independent music and does it rather well. Available on the Friday of every week, the show spans about an hour and covers the music of approximately 12 bands. The full spectrum of genres of music is covered, so there’s something in this podcast for every music lover. On the flip side of the coin, if there are any genres you are not particularly keen on, then you’re going to find some of the music annoying, but I have to admit so far having listened to about 20 shows, I can only remember hating about 3 or 4 tracks, so that’s not a bad ratio.

So far I’ve found some outstanding bands, including Bloemfontein, the Weakerthans, Broken Social Scene, New Pornographers and Beef Terminal. It’s amazing the wealth of talent that I otherwise would have never found. Be sure to check out the website and browse over the previous shows. I particularly like the ambient bands that are covered and some the bands I picked reflect this, so if this is your thing, their bands you will almost definitely like.

Conclusion : If music podcasts are your thing, then this is a definite one to subscribe to. I usually like to listen to it at the weekend at home, so I can listen to the music properly and then go out an investigate the bands I like further.

• Tagline : The best podsafe music from Scotland.
• Website : Tartan Podcast
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Keywords : music, scotland, discussion
• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 4 Stars

Ah, the land of kilts, sporrans, haggis, deep fried Mars bars and Isla St.Clair. So that about wraps up, the best features of Scotland….. OK, OK, don’t string me up just yet, I am of course joking, but that tends to be a lot of peoples perceptions of Scotland, well apart from the Scots that is. Historically, Scotland does have a long list of outstanding A-list artists, but it also has a rich untapped vein of independent artists, who didn’t have a voice. The Tartan Podcasts (TTP), aims to a least try to even the balance and does with great success.

Set up earlier this year by Mark Hunter to give Scotlands finest unsigned or independent label artists an audience that at the present, through no fault of their own, they don�t currently have. What makes the show all the more interesting is that Mark doesn’t profess to be a Music expert or officianado, he’s just a music lover who wants to help the artists he likes, find a wider acceptance. TTP is released 3 times a week and has 3 different show formats:

• The tartanpodcast � the original format, 3 or 4 songs and a wee bit of chat
• The Spotlight Show � one artist, 2 or 3 of their tracks
• The Sleepy Sunday Show

I’ve only been listening to the show for a little over a week now. Actually it’s one of the Podcasts I’ve been meaning to try out, but just never got around to. So far I’ve found a couple of bands that I want to find out more about. I’ve found an excellent new band called Finniston, who are definitely on my list of EPs to pick up and I’ve heard some tracks from one of my favorite Scottish bands, Hollow Horse. Admittedly I’ve also heard some music that’s not up my alley at all, but that’s all part and parcel of investigating new music. If you close yourself off to certain types of music, your musical tastes never expand and you never find new knock out artists and bands.

Conclusion : The Tartan Podcast is definitely a subscription I will be sticking with. Every show is a nosebag of sounds and nearly every time I find something I want to investigate more. Excellent Stuff.

• Tagline : It’s a podcast of about an hour - and features news and chat for expats around the world, plus some great music.
• Website : I Miss Blighty
• Subscribe Link :
• Keywords : discussion, music, humor
• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 4 Stars

For any ex-patriot of the UK, this is a wonderful link to the home land. Released every 2 weeks, I Miss Blighty is a great mix of news, music and general chat. It has wonderful production quality and is like listening to something on BBC Radio 4. This is no doubt due to the host Simon Guettier’s radio experience, having worked in radio for 28 years.

I was actually on show #43, being an ex-pat myself, having left the UK for good in 2000. Simon interviewed me via Skype and it’s was a big kick listening to myself when the show came out, although I felt my voice sounded a bit high, but enough of that. I Miss Blighty is like a comfort blanket and one I don’t want to lose any time soon.

Something that also makes the show a definite listen, is Simon’s choice of music, which just happens to be very similar to my own. Here’s a brief list of some of the artists covered so far, Pink Floyd; Genesis; Crowded House; Bob Dylan; U2; the Beatles and a whole host of others, covering a broad spectrum of music.

Conclusion : For all ex-pats, this is a podcast, you should definitely be subscribed to. For everyone else, check it out, you might just like what you find.