New music bonanza

Apparently the iTunes Indie Spotlight Podcast has been around since October of 2008 (Have I been living in a hole in the ground? It's possible.), but I just discovered it this morning. If you're looking for a nice way to hear about a slough of newish artists quickly, this is a great way. Updated once a week, the eleven to twelve minute podcasts features brief snippets of songs, sometimes introducing the artists, sometimes not (The list of artists is supposed to be found at itunes.com\indiespotlight, though I haven't been able to find it yet). As you're listening in your iTunes (or on your iPod), the album cover and song title shows up in the "Now Playing" art box. Conveniently (for iTunes and you), a quick click on the song title brings you to that artist's iTunes page, where you can purchase that song (and others).

This week's Singer/Songwriter Podcast features a new single, called "Maybe," by our dear Ingrid Michaelson, which I will probably have to go download now. Other great artists featured in this week's podcast are Mindy Smith ("Highs and Lows"), Bowerbirds ("Northern Lights"), and Matthew Mayfield ("Lives Entwined"). The podcast also features a beautiful acoustic version of a Matt Duke song that I've been loving for some time ("Sex and Reruns"). I'm also intrigued by "Anchor Made of Gold" by Jenny Wilson, "Cloud Nine" by Ben Howard (as if I need another favorite artist named Ben), and "Airplanes" by Local Natives.

Each week, the Indie Spotlight features a different genre. While I recommend the podcast to anyone who is always looking for new music, I must include a warning here--the Indie Spotlight Podcast, combined with one-click purchasing on iTunes may lead to increased spending and decreased space on your iPod. Proceed with caution.