Best Songs of 2008

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Is it too late for a "Best of 2008" list? I'm just getting around to it, inspired by Ed, of Zoe's Dad fame. He put out a request for new music, especially for his exercise routine.

So, I threw together a little something for him. And for you too, via my infrequent family-friendly music podcast, A Family Sings Through It.

It's not fair to say these are absolutely the best songs from last year, so maybe I should just call this mix "Really cool songs that we liked a whole bunch." But that doesn't have quite the same ring.

Here's 90 minutes of pop music bliss, featuring such artists as Tara Blaise, Elbow, Bruce Springsteen, Spongetones, Lucky Soul, Fall Out Boy, Keane, Carolina Liar, Ra Ra Riot, Josiah Leming, and many others.

Have a good workout, Ed.

A Family Carols Through It

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Welcome to the Christmas Edition of A Family Sings Through It. This time it's a full hour of my family's holiday favorites, with a decidedly mellow pop flavor.

You'll hear songs from Rockapella, Pugwash, Burl Ives, The Lonely Hearts Band, Jason Mraz, and many more. Let me know if you're curious about any of the artists. If you like what you hear, go to Amazon or iTunes and pick up some new Christmas music!

Happy listening!

Where Were You In '82?

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It's my second podcast! This time I venture back to 1982, a defining year of music for me. So many songs that make up the soundtrack to my life! From artists like XTC, Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Madness, Sparks, Split Enz, and Oingo Boingo.

Sit back and enjoy a trip through time as I play a few of my favorite songs from a long, long time ago. I hate to call them "oldies" because that would make me one too. To me, these songs still sound as fresh as the first time I heard them on the radio (or on MTV, which debuted in August of 1981).

I always feel safe playing this music for my kids, because I know the songs so well. Plus, there was a real sense of fun and melody in much of that era's new wave and pop. If there's one thing I've learned about what children want in music, it's something fun and melodic.

By the way, my short intro music is by Andy Partridge, a veteran of 1982 as the leader of XTC. The software I'm using to create my podcasts is Propaganda.

Let me know if you can't see the embedded flash player. I was using Odeo, but they seem to be having some trouble, so now I've switched to BlogAmp.

My First Podcast

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