NPR Launches New Music Website

I realized the extent of my NPR nerddom earlier this year while listening to my local Detroit station before work. That morning, the new Nina Totin’ Bag was announced to the NPR listening public. It’s just a tote bag with six Warhol-esque representations of NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg. But as I sat on my bed drying my hair after my morning shower, sipping on a hot cup of java, I thought for a few seconds, “You know, I’d really like to have one of them Totin’ Bags.”

That’s right, I wanted that Nina Totin’ Bag. Should I be feeling uncomfortable with myself? Could Marx possibly have foretold my desire when he penned his first words about commodity fetishism?

Anyway, if you didn’t think NPR was that cool before, you’ll think so now. Our very own national public radio station (well, unless you’re one of our Canadien, British, or Bengalese Post-Rockist readers) has just launched a new music page that is chock-full of great content from its vast archive of original shows, such as All Songs Considered and World Cafe, along with programs from other NPR-affiliated stations, such as KEXP in Seattle. The site also features many live shows taped at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, where I had personally seen many of these great shows when I lived in our nation’s capital. Type the name of your favorite band in the search field. They’ll probably be in there.

In addition, NPR has started a really cool program called Project Song, where a songwriters is given 2 days to write, record, and master an original song, and we get to watch and listen. The inaugural show features Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields fame and, from this very first episode, it looks like this could be one of the most interesting music programs in some time, particularly if NPR can enlist great guests on a consistent basis.

So I don’t feel bad about my NPR obsessions anymore. Tell you what, I might just buy me one of them Nina Totin’ Bags, and I wouldn’t think twice should they ever come out with a Bob Boilen Hot Tea Kettle. I may order two.
–Posted by Scotter