Music Stuffs: NPR and a Video

I love NPR's All Songs Considered hosted by Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton. It is one of my top sources for finding new (to me) music. They do a lot of great things, but I particularly like two of their features. First, are the Tiny Desk Concerts where they invite a musical guest to play few songs while shoved into a tiny office space. (Here's one from a while ago with The Swell Season. And from their most recent concert, highlighting Jeremy Messersmith.) The intimacy of these performances is a nice way to really get to know a band. No auto tuning, no choreographed dancing, no fireworks, just simple and pure music joy.

Second, is the First Listen feature. For a couple of weeks they offer a link that allows you to listen songs, and often whole albums, that have not yet been released. Which is how I became cozy and familiar with the new Beirut album The Rip Tide. And it is just delicious.

But this whole preamble is just an introduction to a video by Army Navy called "Ode to Janice Melt"  that I recently came across in the NPR Music twitter feed. The video is fresh, clever, and funny. Plus it stars Jason Ritter, actor and son of the late and great John Ritter. I have an unexplainable soft spot for Jason Ritter.

Both the All Songs Considered's regular weekly podcast and the Tiny Desk Concert podcast are free on iTunes.