Other Stuff You Might Like: Mountain Stage

Ages ago, I found this R.E.M. bootleg at a now-defunct record shop.  It was wonderful, and intimate, and full of strange cover versions I had never heard.  Just before launching into “World Leader Pretend,” Michael Stipe says: “We’re really happy to be here at Mountain Stage.  We’re surrounded by really good people, and we’re gonna do a couple songs for you.”  At the time, I had no idea where, or what, Mountain Stage was… but I wanted to be there.  Years later, thanks to the magic of the Internet and NPR Music, I get to experience amazing, live concerts by an enormous array of musicians. And so can you!

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Other Stuff You Might Like: NPR Music

Chances are, you’ve already met NPR Music on your travels.  From their excellent programs like All Songs Considered to their wonderful First Listen series, NPR Music is an amazing repository of live, archived, and upcoming music. You can find weeks’ worth of live concerts, in-studio recordings, music previews, and more.   And best of all, it’s free.  At least, to listen.  You all know the deal: Public Radio is funded by listeners like you, and, in today’s corporate-dominated environment, independent music is an even more precious commodity than it used to be.

Of course, I’m not here to tell you what to spend your money on… oh, wait, that’s exactly what I’m here for.  But I’ll tell you what: I think that NPR Music is quite possibly the most important music program in the industry.  Yeah, there, I said it.  Without it, I would have never met Joanna Newsom, The Mountain Goats, or even Vic Chesnutt.  So, for me, it’s special.  I’d like to show you around some of my favorite bits of the site, and invite you to head on over and become a part of all the wonderful things they do.  Follow me!

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