Not to inundate you with National Public Radio news, but they just launched a sweet online radio station which plays a “non-stop mix of every song ever played during the 10 years of All Songs Considered.” I tuned in earlier this week and got to listen to a great variety of old & new tracks from both obscure and well-known artists — you know, typical All Songs stuff. In a land where Pandora reigns king, this NPR station is certainly something for those who want to expand their horizons to include genres they wouldn’t normally listen to (jazz, “world”, etc…).

You can check out the station here (click: “Listen Now” for the player to open) and enjoy the tunes Bob Boilen & Co. have showcased over the past decade.

The past two weeks, I’ve been catching up on my podcasts because, like most things in my life, I’ve fallen incredibly behind. I’ve always loved the stuff that NPR All Songs Considered have put out (Tiny Desk Concert, Project Song, and of course their regular podcast), but these sets by The New Pornographers and of Montreal, recorded at the 9:30 Club in D.C., are really top-notch. I mean, the live versions of “Myriad Harbor” and “Past is a Grotesque Animal” alone are worth subscribing to the podcast! I’ve linked to their respected episodes below and also threw in some favorite tracks from both groups:

The New Pornographers // Live at DC: June 23, 2010
of Montreal // Live at DC: September 14, 2010

The New Pornographers // Sing Me Spanish Techno

of Montreal // She’s a Rejector

I couldn’t find an embeddable video of Abaji’s performance at music guru Bob Boilen’s desk (for that, you’ll have to go directly to the source — and trust me, you’ll want to do it), however, here is him performing “Desert to Desert” off his most recent LP entitled Origine Orients. This really is mind-blowing stuff.

As for Edmar Castaneda, check out his amazing fifteen-minute performance showcasing his killer harp skills that would even leave Joanna Newsom’s mouth agape:

I couldn’t find any freely downloadable mp3s of either one, but thankfully there is a wealth of videos uploaded on youtube displaying their amazing talent, so check them out!

Other than the standard specifications (Audio In/Out, Alarm Clock, etc…), this Livio player features the ability to “bookmark” NPR podcasts, programs, and even affiliate stations. In addition, you have the ability to record up to two weeks of audio and transfer it near-effortlessly to standard mp3 playing devices — making radio more “on-demand”. Another cool feature is its ability to search and play over 16,000 internet based radio stations, putting standard AM/FM receivers with their geographical constraints to shame. All-in-all, this is a great get and seems to be very reasonably priced at $199.

Anyone who knows me or have quickly surveyed my website knows that I am a big fan of NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast/live concert series/blog. Blending together tried-and-true acts with some up-and-comers, All Songs is a great listen whether you are a died-hard music fan or just a casual listener. They are also closely intertwined with the NPR’s general music site and provide them with interesting feature articles.

The two most recent columns have featured two of my favorite duos: Portland’s folk-pop group Blind Pilot and Mali’s unlikely musical superstars Amadou & Mariam. Each story includes a handful of streams of their most recent material, so it’s worth to look at just to hear Amadou & Mariam’s awesome track “Sabali” — which blends the traditional Malian music with repetitive bloops ‘n bleeps reminiscent of the DeVotchKa’s “How It Ends” (aka the Little Miss Sunshine theme song).