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I feel kind of weird recommending this one because, if you watching vidcasts, of course you’re already watching BBtv, right?
Right?
Just like anyone in their right mind already reads Boing Boing itself, if you’re at all interested in vidcasts, you positively must be watching BBtv. It’s covers the same kind of weird, unfamiliar yet utterly captivating side of the Internet and the world that BoingBoing revels in.
To the point, even, that I don’t want my mp3s to think I don’t like them. 
Yeah.
I’ve noticed a really odd thing that I’ve been doing for some time that I don’t quite understand. It seems that instead of skipping to the next song in Amarok when it’s near its end, I’ll restore the window and drag the time slider to the end of the song. This is because I’m worried that skipping the song will affect its rating/score, and I don’t want to do that if I like the song.
I even have a few “sacrificial” songs in my playlist. When I want to skip to an album way down on the list, I’ll place the song to be sacrificed below the current track, drag the slider to the end, and then once it’s playing the sacrificial song I can safely skip to the song I’d wanted. Because I don’t care if the sacrificial song gets a bad rating.
GeekBrief.TV is similar in content and format to the newer WebbAlert, but Cali Lewis gives the show a lighter, less formal style. You can’t help but smile along with her infectious laugh. The show’s slogan, even, is “shiny, happy tech news, with Cali Lewis.”
According to their website: “Geek Brief TV is a 3-5 minute video podcast, released 4-5 times a week. We cover news about technology, consumer electronics, and Web 2.0 projects.”
The show heavily features new and/or interesting products, and Cali’s casual demeanor gives an air of honesty that you don’t normally see when hosts discuss consumer electronics.
The following is a review for Matthew Ebel’s album, Goodbye Planet Earth. I wrote it for iTunes and then decided “You know what? I want more people to hear how much I love this album. I’ll post it on YouMakeMedia too!” It’s also related to what we talk about here because almost all the promotion and execution of the album was done via new media marketing techniques - Second Life, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. It’s a very new twist on music marketing; very dynamic and exciting. Oh by the way, I exaggerate nothing here. Honestly - I love this album. It may be one of the best I’ve heard this year (and I just got a stack of fifteen CDs for Christmas so I have heard quite a bit this year). It is really a great album. You should buy it! (and no, I wasn’t paid to say this!)
In his newest album, “Goodbye Planet Earth”, singer/instrumentalist/songwriter Matthew Ebel has crafted what may be his magnum opus - his greatest work. The album is varied in its musical exploration, incorporating dynamic dance styles (A Cautionary Tail), modernist instrumental tunes (Gray Planet), a capella (Lost My Way), and classic Ebel piano-rock (Goodbye Planet Earth, Every Color). With all the available listening options, “Goodbye Planet Earth” will never bore you, and as you jump around the album you will quickly find your favorite track.
At the same time though, Ebel accomplishes something far more impressive: the songs, though catchy and great in isolation, are even more strong when listened to as a cohesive album. Transitions are smooth and logical, and where they might not make sense, Ebel has carefully inserted instrumental tracks. There are reprises, melody replications (where they makes sense), and the layout of the tracks was undoubtedly intentional. This album is no musical pastiche, it is a well-defined, expertly conducted overture with Ebel as maestro.
Matthew Ebel proved he could write catchy tunes with his previous album, “Beer and Coffee”, but “Goodbye Planet Earth” proves his ability to assemble an album - a skill reminiscent of the rock greats who preceded him; Brian Wilson, The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd. It is not hard to imagine this album crossing into the mainstream and one can only hope that Mr. Ebel is rewarded thus. He certainly deserves it - “Goodbye Planet Earth” presents a listening experience unlike any album released in 2007; it is equal parts emotional, exotic, ephemeral, and engaging. Matthew Ebel has set the bar high for podsafe and independent music.
Today’s recommendation is Vegan A Go-Go.
Okay, so this one might not be for everyone. Cooking shows are kind of a love-it-or-hate-it thing I’ve found, but I tend to love them.
Trouble is, being vegan, most of the food prepared on, say, the Food Network, I’m unable to eat.
So Vegan A Go-Go is where I’ve turned for my fill of cooking-related programming.
Production values, sadly, are pretty low on this one. But, hey, it’s a cooking show. It’s about the food, right? And, yeah, the food looks fantastic.
Of course, you needn’t be vegetarian or vegan, or even a health nut, to appreciate this vidcast. Jess, the host, has prepared chocolate cake, no-bake cookies, a Moroccan chickpea stew, and a bunch of other dishes that would appeal to anyone who just loves food.
So if you’re a cooking show fan, Vegan A Go-Go is a treat. It doesn’t have the high-gloss look of a TV cooking show, and Jess seems to still be growing into her role as host, but the food and instructions more than make up for any production deficiencies.
Martin Sargent is a brave man. You’ll find that out pretty quickly when you start watching Web Drifter.
Former Tech TV and G4 television personality, Sargent’s a practiced host with a quick wit (his interviewees often don’t notice that they’re being mocked) and the guts to visit some really, really strange people.
