A New Way to Discover Music

Sick of all the songs on your iPod? I have a cure for the iTunes blues.

First, think back to some of your favorite songs. How did you discover them? Sure, the radio and music videos played a part, but, if you're anything like me, chances are you discovered your favorite tunes from those one or two friends who were always just a bit ahead of the curve on these things. Their mix tapes were legendary, they always heard the best stuff first, and they were always pushing you to listen to that new song that they'd been playing over and over on their own stereos.

Well, mix tapes may be dead (though I admit I still have mine, and a dusty old jambox to play them on), but the desire that those ahead-of-the-curve people have to educate the rest of us on the new and interesting lives on.

I got a tip from Al Cattabiani and Scott Freiman at Dobbs Ferry's Garagista Music that they've been working with the folks at the Saugerties, New York-based Outlandos Music to bring you some new music without the need for a cassette deck (or even a CD player). The result? The Daily Dose.

Each weekday on the Daily Dose, you can find a pair of songs for your listening pleasure. Think of it as a two-song mini-mix tape: They put an old track with a new track, and they choose two songs that just make sense to hear together. "Consider the Dose your personal DJ, delivering a daily 'if you like that, you’ll love this' tip," they say in a press release. "Those of us who grew up in the glory days of FM radio will recognize the vibe. It’s a guided tour of the musical landscape, sifting through mountains of stuff to bring you just the tastiest bits." For example, past Doses have matched Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" with Chris Velan's "House Upon the Hill," and The Eagles's "In the City" with Beesting's "Winterpills."

Your mix master is Kate Bradley, former music director of the Loft at XM Satellite Radio. Her bio, in addition to listing all of her radio credentials (of which there are many), notes that "she also specializes in spazzy air-guitar." To me, that's the most important thing.

Except for this other very, very important thing: Listening to music over at the Daily Dose is totally free. Which means you have more money to spend on blank CDs to make that girl you're pining over the perfect mix, full of impressive new songs.