This blog is closing up shop and moving its goods to....

TheMusicStalker.com! All my music-related writing is now headed for TheMusicStalker.com, my new website. Ok, not all of it. The pop stuff stays at Suite101.com for the most part. But I am starting The Music Stalker because that's what I am, that's what I do, and I just want to do it my way. (Shout out to Old Blue Eyes).

Podcast 24...artistic, diverse, full of music and news

What more could you want in a podcast? The Missing Link, probably. But I can't provide that. So settle for a bit of multicultural music news. I am trying to figure out why bands in Lithuania haven't been able to release new albums in three years. Why is Budapest trying to ban Sziget? (Hint: it has to do with noise and the story is part of podcast 24's music news.

I introduce you to the art of Shepard Fairey, who has done album covers for The Black Eyed Peas and Smashing Pumpkins.

I give you tons of music news as always!

I also give you one of my podsafe favortie bands: two songs this week from Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah!

One is Heavy Metal, the other is Gimme Some Salt.

I like salt. But I love music! Happy listening.

Podcast #23

Listen to podcast 23 here. It features tons of music festival news plus podsafe music from EverBlue and Zap Mama. Get it online at MelodyTrip.com, where we cover music festivals of all genres all around the world.

I talk about everything from blues in Chicago to Native American music in Winslow, Arizona.

Oops, almost forgot to include podcasts 13, 14, and 15

It's Labor Day weekend catch-up posting! I still need to post a few more links so here goes...

Podcast #14 featured Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah plus Summerfest news. My on-air buddy Johnny Roxx from our station 98-7 The Peak in Phoenix, AZ took a trip back home to Milwaukee to hit Summerfest!

I can't even remember what was on podcast #13! That seems like ages ago now. The podcast has really evolved over the last couple months. I get feedback from festival goers or review or fest myself. I also get reports from friends like Johnny Roxx and Danny Brown, a fellow Suite101.com writer. (Check out Danny's indie page and my pop music page).

Oh yeah! Where's podcast #15? That's right! Podcast #15 was about Live Earth. It also featured music from Black Lab, who are cool because they had a song on the Transformers soundtrack if I remember correctly. Well, if you're my boyfriend, you think so. He's a 29-year-old kid! There's also music in that podcast from The Ropes, who I like.

I haven't posted on here in a while!

So it's time to catch up...

Let's start with the lastest podcast. We're up to 22 now at MelodyTrip.com!

It's finally here, podcast 22!

Sure it was delayed by yesterday's lightning, but it's here now. Check out my interview with Phoenix rapper Grime, who backpacked into Paid Dues and Rock The Bells. We talk about the politics of AZ, DMX, Michael Vick, Public Enemy, and more.

I'm also getting ready for next weekend's Virgin Festival. No, not THAT Virgin Festival -- this is the Toronto one. M.I.A., Arctic Monkeys, The Killers all in one place with Danny trying to chase them down. I'll be calling him trying to live vicariously through his adventures at the fest. Maybe he'll even come home with some virgins...

Guess which music festival band is putting out a carbon-neutral album? Check it out in podcast 22!

Now for podcast #21. This one features an interview with Ledisi, who has the iTunes download of the week right now.

Our milestone 20th podcast.

This one is about my experience out at Paid Dues in Mesa, AZ. It's podcast #19.

If you want the whole blog about Paid Dues, it's online at Melodytrip.com.

Some music festival news and music from Clap Your Heands and Say Yeah was in podcast #18.

Podcast #17 was about news & opinion...it also featured music from J. Dilla.

The 16th podcast covered Spanish fests, news, plus featured blues, funk and hip hop podsafe music from music.podshow.com.

MelodyTrip.com Podcast 12 On Glastonbury and Bonnaroo Is Online Now

Check out podcast 12 right now on MelodyTrip.com. I give out some Glastonbury history, talk about Bonnaroo, and play podsafe music from Ingrid Michaelson. I forgot to say this in the podcast, but you can buy her stuff right now on iTunes. There are other festivals besides Glastonbury and Bonnaroo to talk about, but the podcast this week centers around those two because they are the biggest in the world.

North by Northeast (NXNE) and Chicago Blues Festival

Okay music festival fans. Yes, YOU with your dirty hippie feet! My feet are dirty too, OK?

Got a good podcast for you this week. The usual news and banter is there of course, but this week I banter with my Canadian cohort from Suite101's Indie page, Danny Brown, who attended NXNE last weekend in Toronto. An indie fest with 450 bands to take in? Yes, Danny survived and is kind enough to give me the scoop not only on NXNE but on the burgeoning music scene about to explode in Canada. You may just hear about your next favorite band.

I also talk with our correspondent, Leah Mueller, an astrologer & tarot card reader in addition to being a blues FREAK. So I get the scoop from her on Chicago Blues Fest from last weekend as well. That's right -- MelodyTrip covers all of North America's music festivals. We cover stuff on other continents too, just so you know. I just connect the dots for the podcast.

This weekend -- BONNAROO in Manchester, TN!

So if you want to hear about BONNAROO, listen next week.

For now, here's this week

--Heather Larson