NPR's got the musical goods

Two NPR music-related things have my attention at the present moment. The first one is "Rock 'n' Roll Summer School" on the All Songs Considered blog. As they say, "Every Wednesday through the summer, we're posting quick introductory-level surveys of elements of rock 'n' roll from the 1950s. These overviews are not intended to be comprehensive; instead, they're designed to help curious listeners dive in and explore some of the genre's often-overlooked building blocks. Whether you're a novice or a rock snob, join the conversation..." So far they've done Jump Blues, Chess Records and Doo-Wop. So yes, you've missed some classes, but there is plenty of time to catch up and not flunk out like you did in Community College.

The second is from Carrie Brownstein's Monitor Mix blog. It is impossible not to love Carrie Brownstein - yes, for Sleater-Kinney, but also because she is half responsible for this. This week she is on a quest to explore and embrace the music of Phish, and it is awesome. It includes pictures and video of her journey and makes me wish I was a Phish fan in Portland so I could go to the meet up and give her my favorite bootlegs. Wow. I just thought and subsequently typed that.