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When it comes to media management, iTunes is a staple for handling my music library. A self-professed music junkie, I need a library that’s seamless to navigate, highly organizable, and can accommodate a limitless amount of files in a variety of formats.

I don’t infrequently tie my needs to any particular brand or product line. Although I love Apple products and require them to function on a daily basis, I try to switch it up whenever possible by incorporating tools and technologies from a variety of sources.

And I thought nothing could top iTunes until I discovered what Songbird can do.

Songbird offers the basic functionality of iTunes – unrestricted file capacity and unlimited playlists, navigational ease, import/export options; but tricks it out on many levels.

The open-source software offers total customization of your audio player. It offers plug-ins called “add-ons” that pull in bonuses while your music plays like concert info, data from last.fm, Shoutcast radio, and more. The MashTape add-on looks for related content like photos, video, and reviews from your bands by pulling in data from Flickr, YouTube, and Amazon. Online digital music store 7Digital recently partnered with Songbird to offer full integration. The store, currently in beta, will offer 320 kbps DRM-free MP3 downloads. They also promise to offer custom recommendations in the future based around what you’re playing from your library.

With all of these features, Songbird is a serious contender in becoming a viable alternative to iTunes. The only major downside is that Songbird doesn’t seamlessly connect to AirTunes allowing wireless playback from Songbird to a home stereo. A quick fix is a tool called Airfoil from Rogue Amoeba (the same company that created Audio Hijack). Although it will set you back $25 it seems to do the trick.

Songbird is an open-source, fully customizable music player built on the open-source media framework Gstreamer. You can participate by hacking on the software and trying out new builds before they’re released. A developer Recipe Book offers code snippets for “Featherers” to tinker with.They sell some pretty kick-ass t-shirts too!

Contribute: http://getsongbird.com/contribute/

Get Songbird v 1.1.1 now: http://getsongbird.com/

When I first heard Marc Ronson play these guys last week on the Authentic Sh’t radio show I figured it was Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons or a derivative thereof. It was actually Fitz, a Los Angeles native whose sound has that brass and organ-infused shimmy with that funky soulfulness of soul music’s great predecessors. Love it! Go check them out.

Songs for a Break Up Vol. 1 is out now on iTunes.

Fitz and the Tantrums on MySpace

Download Breakin the Chains of Love for free at RCRD LBL

iTunes is featuring the beautifully-produced new video for Oren Lavie’s Her Morning Elegance as a free download this week. The video makes great use of stop-motion photography and is a really cute concept in general.  Check it out!

iTunes link

Oren Lavie on MySpace 

Rather than creating a Top 10 or Top 100 Records of 2008, I figured that I’d do something different this year by putting together a list of favorite podcasts from ’08.

These are all free podcasts that I subscribe and listen to on a regular basis (admittedly, mostly while doing cardio at the gym). Enjoy, and don’t forget to leave your comments by clicking at the top right hand corner of the post – I’d love to hear what you think!

*Note: Clicking on the title of the podcast will take you directly to the feed in iTunes.

1. La Blogothèque’s Takeaway Shows (video)

I’ve been subscribing for a few years and it’s still a fave. The folks behind the french blog La Blogothèque capture musicians performing in interesting and quirky places around Paris, from Andrew Bird strolling through Monmartre playing the violin to Bloc Party doing an acoustic set in front of a pub. Each show is simply wonderful and intimately beautiful.

2. KCRW Guest DJ Project 
KCRW DJs interview a variety of celebrities from chefs to athletes, actors to comedians on the music that has shaped their life. The interviews are witty, surprising and often quite touching. I know the podcast well as I serve as the online producer for it at KCRW.com.

3. RCRD LBL

Each week the folks at RCRD LBL put together highlights from the week’s selections. I sometimes find it difficult to keep up with the amount of music they post during the week and this podcast offers a nice recap.

3. East Village Radio – Authentic Sh*t
The feed went down as of mid December. But if it comes back (God-willing) this is the ultimate way to get your Marc Ronson fix and hear some fresh bangers to get your Friday night started.  

4. Stones Throw podcast

A hidden gem, the folks at Stones Throw regularly offer up treats like a rare DJ set from Peanut Butter Wolfs’ famed area codes tour, album previews and even the Badd Santa mixtape.

5. Ghostly Cast
The Ghostly International label – perhaps the best electronic label stateside – provide choice live sets and DJ mixes from Ghostly and Spectral artists.

6. Gilles Peterson Worldwide

Gilles brings in guest DJs and producers to discuss upcoming projects and new releases. The podcast is updated intermittently but each one is a treat.

7. Fader Magazine
The folks at Fader offer up an electronic version of their magazine via iTunes.

8. Morning Becomes Eclectic (video) 
MBE provides a glimpse behind the scenes at the KCRW studios. The video podcast offers the entire live session from each artist along with the full 2-part interview.

9. Resident Advisor
A weekly podcast of continuous DJ mixes from online dance and electronic music magazine residentadvisor.net.

10. Woxy.com Lounge Acts Podcast
Performances from emerging indie artists taped live from the WOXY lounge in Cincinnati, Ohio. They offer additional podcasts too featuring unsigned artists, music news, and local bands.

Also:

KCRW Today’s Top Tune
A free song a day from KCRW.

The Interface (video)
The weekly videocast offers live performances from new artists.

Better Propaganda
Every month resident DJ Jonah Sharp Phil produces a podcast of the choicest tunes from all genres and forward thinking labels.

Daytrotter
Daytrotter features an indie band each week, performing four of their songs in-studio.

KEXP Music That Matters
Full-length songs offering a snapshot of what’s new in music.