Excellent "Inside the Music" Podcast

Brad Fuller's article "Inside Pandora: Web Radio That Listens to You" went behind the scenes of the Internet radio station with the human touch. As Brad explained, Pandora's playlists are shaped by a staff of expert music analysts. Now one of those analysts has launched a podcast that goes inside the music itself.

The working title Pandora Podcast is the only bland thing about the show. In each fast-moving but clear episode, host Kevin Seal demonstrates some of the "dimensions" by which Pandora analysts classify songs. Episode 1 explores types of vocal harmony; Episode 2 demonstrates drum patterns. Each episode starts with a basic definition and then rapidly walks through short audio examples to reinforce the concepts.

One listener compared the effect to developing a greater appreciation for wine after hearing an wine expert talk. Another wrote, "Is the ultimate goal to turn us all into music analysts? Fine by me."

An especially nice touch is the list of Pandora song links in each podcast's show notes. Although the music clips to which they lead don't always reflect the point of the episode, it's a quick way to learn more about each artist. Highly recommended.