The Acapodcast

65 isn't a hugely significant number. Its a common speed limit on highways. And it's the nominal age of retirement. Neither has terribly much to do with a cappella. But they are both indicative of limits, changes, and endings

No bones, I’m a big fan of the music from the late 80’s and early 90’s. It’s when I started making my own music collection, and when I started listening to a cappella music extensively… so for show #64 it seemed the perfect time to do an 80’s focus. Specifically on 1988. Get it? 64=8*8? […]

Who doesn’t love The Beatles?  One of the most loved, respected, and covered artists of all time, they helped define a new movement in music, and even today there are fans, critics, and imitators.  I’ve pulled together ten of the best A Cappella covers of Beatles songs for this episode.  If you like it, let […]

* The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Town Criers * I Wish - The Jewel Tones * Keep Breathing - Luminescence * Miss Independent - Luminescence * Sound of Silence - Town Criers * This Island Earth - The 18 Wheelers

Wow, 2010 already!  Well, 2009 was a banner year for a cappella, with so many incredible albums, so much positive media attention, and it seemed like every time I turned around, somebody was stepping it up to the next level.  I’m going to tell you right now that 2010 is promising more of that.  I […]

It’s the most magical time of the year, when for many of us it is the season of snow, of friends and family, of food, gifts, and joy.  This year I’ve compiled 23 tracks to share with you, over an hour of music.  Know that I appreciate each and every listener, and I am pleased […]

It seems like almost all of the A Cappella hoi oligoi are off at SoJam, but that doesn’t mean that us plebs can’t enjoy some great tunes!  Press the little ‘Play’ button at the bottom of the post to hear Show #59, or click here to download it! Track Title Artist Album Original Artist Waiting […]

Roses - Penny Loafers 8th World Wonder - Seven Days Long is the Dark - The Interpreters I've Got Rhythm / Fascinating Rhythm - Clockwork Should I - Ball In The House Memory - Penny Loafers

Pardon me while I crawl out of my bunker for a few moments to tell you about AcappellaFest!  Now in it’s third year, AcappellaFest is the MidWest’s -finest- A Cappella event.  And this year, it’s too big for any one city to contain!  It’ll be in Detroit on October 17th, and in Chicago the following […]

See the show notes at http://www.acapodcast.com for full track listing and details

* Easy Lover - Firedrill! (opb Phil Collins) * Slice of Heaven - Suade (opb Dave Dobbyn) * Over the Rainbow - Canvas (opb Judy Garland) * Ain't No Sunshine - Jabberwocks (opb Bill Withers / D'Angelo) * Steal Your Heart - Suade * Completely - The House Jacks * Different For Girls - Ice Haloes (opb Joe Jackson) * I'd Do Anything For Love - Jabberwocks (opb Meat Loaf) * What A Fool Believes - Firedrill! (opb Doobie Brothers) * Simpsons Theme - Canvas (composed by Danny Elfman)

* Who Are You - Tufts Beelzebubs * Don't Stop Me Now - Brandeis University Voicemale * Hamburg, Meine Perle - No Strings Attached * On My Way - Slapdash Graduate * Sonny Came Home - Too Cheap For Instruments * Debra - Tufts Beelzebubs

A long time in the making, 54 is chock full of awards and competitions goodness! Let's try something a little different. Here is what you'll hear on show #54: Wall of Sound - Naturally 7 - Sing V : Groovus Where's the Love? (opb Hanson) - Brandeis University Voicemale - Where's the Album? - The EP Papercut (opb Linkin Park) - The Chorallaries of MIT - Positive Chorallation Zombie (opb The Cranberries) - Wellesley College Tupelos - Rouge All For You (opb Sister Hazel) - Missouri State Beartones - Off the Ground Ne'ilah - Six13 - Voume III : Yesh Chadash

It's here! It's finally here! I know, we're all excited like kids at a birthday party, right? It's a birthday of sorts for the Acapodcast, as we now enter the 4th year officially. Incidentally, this also means it is now officially the longest running a cappella podcast on the internet, now matter how you count it. So to celebrate, let's listen to: * UNCG Spartones - Overture from Prince of Thieves Overture (Composed by Michael Kamen) * Metropolitones - Faith (opb George Michael) * Brown Jabberwocks - Don't You Worry About a Thing (opb Stevie Wonder) * DVN - Stray Cat Strut (opb Stray Cats) * Penny Loafers - Bed of Lies (opb Matchbox 20) * MIT Logs - Blowers Daughter (opb Damien Rice) * Van Canto - Fear of the Dark (opb Iron Maiden) That's right, seven kick butt tracks! All wrapped up in Show #53 for your aural pleasure! Don't forget to go check out the Liquid 5th bundle, three great albums, and some of the money goes to charity.

I recorded show #53, but had to throw it out. Turns out the fuzziness heard on #52 wasn’t just a result of a loose capsule in the Mic. I’ll be replacing the trusty microphone soon, and re-recording. I know I’m 2 weeks overdue already, and I really want to get this episode out while parts […]

* We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Metropolitones * Happy Christmas - Overboard * That Time Of Year - Four Shadow * Christmas Angel - Jim Goodrich * Noël Nouvelet - Anúna * Silent Night - Take 6 * The Little Drummer Boy - Pikkardiyska Tertsia * Away In A Manger / Beautiful Savior - Go Fish * Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Blenders * The First Noël - Anúna * Little Drummer Boy - The Swingle Singers * Ave Maria - The Stanford Fleet Street Singers * Christmas Time Is Here - Metropolitones * The Twelve Carols of Christmas - Washington U Pikers * River - Overboard * O Come All Ye Faithful - Take 6 * Tyxa nich - Pikkardiyska Tertsia * 'Twas The Night Before Christmas - The Blenders * Christmas @ Home Medley - OnCue * Deck The Halls - Jim Goodrich * The Wexford Carol - Anúna * White Christmas - The Swingle Singers * Auld Lang Syne - Overboard * Auld Lang Syne - Pikkardiyska Tertsia

* Greenleafs - Talk To Me (Keri Noble) * Van Canto - The Bard's Song (Blind Guardian) * 2E Acappella - Cupid's Chokehold (Gym Class Heroes) * Chromatics - Shoulders of Giants * The Connotations - When I Am King (Great Big Sea) * Greenleafs - Better Man (Pearl Jam)

Here is what you chose: * Five O'Clock Shadow - What's It All About * Clockwork - Creep (orig. Radiohead) * Six Appeal - Toxic (orig. Brittney Spears) * Da Vinci's Notebook - Title Of The Song * BaSix - Purple Rain (orig. Prince) * MeasureXMeasure - You Don't Treat Me No Good (orig. Sonia Dada?) * Voicemale - Walking In Memphis (orig. Marc Cohn) * Mosaic Whispers - Bring Me To Life (orig. Evanescense) * Duwende - Young Leaders Of Tomorrow * Testimony - Breathe Me (orig. Sia) Again, as an experiment, all the older shows are moving to $2 paid donation model. You won't have to change a thing to keep receiving the great podcast you know and love, but if you want to go back more than a few episodes, those won't be directly available for download. Please, let me know what you think of this. I want to be able to continue bringing you the greatest contemporary a cappella music, and I don't want to ransom it, or say you have to pay for new episodes. If you don't want to pay a dime, that's fine, you can keep listening to the full show, no problem. And I know this hurts new listeners more than it does old listeners, and I'm sorry for that. Thanks for your understanding, and your donations.

Here's what's in the show: * Dissipated Eight - Satellite (orig. Dave Matthews Band) * Route 66 - Demo Medley * An Octave Above - Sample Medley * Down 4 The Count - Shut Up (orig. Black Eyed Peas) * Amalgamates - Killing Me Softly (orig. Roberta Flack/Fugees) * Dissipated Eight - Two Step (orig. Dave Matthews Band)

My is it hot out! And with tracks like these, it's only going to get hotter! Not to keep you waiting, here's the cure for your a cappella fever, Episode #48 ! Heard on this episode: * Stanford Testimony - Breathe Me (orig. Sia) * OnCue - Mirage * OnCue - Lull In My Life (Gordon & Revel, performed by dozens) * UMass Dynamics - Runaway (Orig. Jamiroqui) * UMass Dynamics - Apologize (Orig. One Republic) * Deep Treble - 3 songs Also, go check out AC100 and the BACS! Stay cool, and I'll see you around...

I said last time that I would have to give up regular updates, and post new episodes as I could. Here I am posting a month after the last show, as if to prove my point. But this is a special show. This show has just as much music as usual, but it has way more interview. And because I was interviewing Deke Sharon and the members of The House Jacks, all of the tracks on this episode are by them. Here's what you'll hear on show #47: * Bam! * Believe * The Only One I Want Around * All You Need Is Love * Summertime * No Ride

In this long awaited episode, you'll hear: * The Magnets - All The Wrong Reasons * USC SoCal VoCals - Slumber (Gabriel Mann) * UnderCover - Your Daddy Don't Know (Toronto/New Pornographers) * Hyannis Sound - Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel) * Tufts Beelzebubs - Linger (The Cranberries) * The Magnets - In Love Since Then

We’re in the middle of Harmony Sweeps season, a series of regional competitions, with the winners of each region going on to a knock-down drag-out winner-take-all vocal throwdown in San Rafael, California.  Many regionals took place in March, and there are more regionals happening across the month of Apri.  This year the final battle of […]

Here’s the second ECAS ‘radio’ Advert.  Smooth, isn’t it?  Go to the show! ECASAd2

I’m talking about the East Coast A Cappella Summit of course.  I can’t make it to ECAS this year, but I had a blast last year, and this year’s looks to be even better.  If you do go, how about taking a few notes (ha, get it?) for me and letting me know how it […]

Shalom! It’s a Jewish A Cappella special episode. Six songs from some very talented menschen. Also names full of puns and references. Six13 (there are 613 commandments in the Torah), Shabbatones (from Shabbaton), Shircago (Shir means song), Kaskeset (‘Fish Scales’, a Kosher/Music joke), and Manginah (“Melody”). Six13 – Son UPenn Shabbatones – Ani Shelach (Neshama […]

* The Faux Paz - It's My Life (No Doubt) * The Beelzebubs - Come Sail Away (Styx) * Duwende - Electrify * baSix - Star People (George Michael) * Mosaic Whispers - Meaning (Gavin DeGraw) * Jewel Tones - Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

* Duwende - Come Back * Penny Loafers - Fair * Duke Out Of the Blue - Call Me When You're Sober * Jonathan Coulton - When You Go * UMBC Mama's Boys - Eli the Barrow Boy * Duwende - Young Leaders of Tomorrow

Five O'Clock Shadow - It's Christmas The Blenders - The First Noel Tonic Sol-fa - Happy Holiday OnCue - Snow Angels Basix - Last Christmas The Coats - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Four Shadow - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer Jim Goodrich - The Wassail Song OnCue - Let It Snow The Blenders - Tiny Little Christmas M-Pact - Caroling Caroling GrooveBarbers - We Need A Little Christmas Blue Jupiter - Scattered Flurries Kol Halayla - It's Hard To Be A Jew On Christmas The Coats - Let There Be Peace On Earth Four Shadow - All I Want For Christmas Is You M-Pact - Snowfall Five O'Clock Shadow - Little Drummer Boy Tonic Sol-fa - King Of Glory GrooveBarbers - Secret Santa moosebutter - Mr. Grinch Basix - This Christmas Jim Goodrich - We Three Kings The Persuasions - Joy To The World The Whiffenpoofs - The Christmas Song

After the last episode, I got so much feedback asking for more, more, more! So here it is, another eight tracks of well known, often done, classic, or common a cappella tunes! Put your ears on this: * T Minus 5 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Linda/Weavers/Kingston Trio/Nylons) * Low Key - Let Go (Frou Frou) * Basix - Come Together (Beatles) * Chorallaries - Don't Know Why (Norah Jones) * Blue Jupiter - Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) * measureXmeasure - Only You (Yazoo) * Spur Of The Moment - Everywhere (Michelle Branch) * Gentleman Callers - Good Ol' A Cappella (The Nylons?) Thanks again to those who wrote in, those who donated, and all of you for listening. Send suggestions for the winter holiday show!

Halloween is a scary time! And these songs are like scary zombies, you just can't kill them! They keep coming back out of the grave to eat your brain! * Semi-Charmed Life - Invisible Men (Third Eye Blind) * Hotel California - Penny Loafers (Eagles) * She Blinded Me With Science - Toxic Audio (Thomas Dolby) * Bring Me To Life - Mosaic Whispers (Evanescence) * Fix You - Off The Beat (Coldplay) * Big Yellow Taxi - Hyannis Sound (Joni Mitchell) * In Your Eyes - In Sync (Peter Gabriel) * Kiss From A Rose - InPulse (Seal) Listen to Episode 39, and if you're still alive in the morning, let me know what you think in the comments below!

Good communication is the key to so many things, no? We all know this, but a reminder every now and again is a good thing. You can communicate with me by sending me e-mail, posting a comment on any episode, by filling out the contact form on the left, or any other crazy method you like, so long as it is received. Today's show features song titles about reaching out and touching someone... * Silence - Off The Beat (Delerium/Sarah McLachlan) * Hear You Me - Penny Loafers (Jimmy Eat World) * She Talks - The Coats * Nynex Suite - Spur Of The Moment (Tommy Tutone/Yaz/No Doubt) * When No-one Calls - Sock * Call Me - Da Vinci's Notebook (Blondie) In a few short weeks it will be Halloween, and the scariest a cappella I can think of is yet another cover that every group out there has already done. There's a lot of them out there, but I want you to communicate with me and tell me what some of the most overdone songs are in the a cappella world.

Episode #35 will be out shortly, just not on Thursday night per usual.  Sometimes affairs of state come before affairs of state, as Mel Brooks once said.  Look for it this weekend, and stay tuned!

I'm incredibly excited to be able to bring you a couple of tracks from former Persuasions lead man Jerry Lawson! He's now singing with a quartet called Talk of The Town, and they have a classic doo wop smoothness. * Jerry Lawson & Talk of The Town - Islands In The Stream (Bee Gees/Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton) * T Minus 5 - Low Rider (War) * Down 4 The Count - No More Blues (Carlos Antonio Jobim) * Great Big Sea -The River Driver (Traditional) * Copley Cats - Time and Tide (Basia) * Jerry Lawson & Talk of The Town - Persuasions Melody

Things are starting to heat up around here, and the pressure is on! Crunchtime is around the corner, so I may take a week or two off down the road, but for now, we've got great music! This time on the show you'll hear: * The Sirens - Pride (In The Name Of Love) [U2] * Similar Jones - So It Seems * Four Shadow - Summer Sunday * House Jacks - Light Of Stars * InPulse - Life Is A Highway [Tom Cochrane] * The Sirens - TV Medley [Various]

I hope my stateside listeners had a good Independence Day, and that the rest of the world will understand that this episode is in honor of the typically great nation (although, not always great) that I was born into. * America The Beautiful - Academy Singers (Bates/Ward) * American Girls - Chorallaries (Counting Crows) * Walking in Memphis - Voicemale (Marc Cohn) * Rhode Island is Famous For You - Clockwork (Blossom Dearie) * Route 66 - The Coats (Troup/Cole) * Star Spangled Banner - Gentleman Callers (Key/Anonymous) My thanks go out to the many men and women who have served over the years to protect what was made on July 4th, 1776. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see some more fireworks!

Whew! Time flies by when you have deadlines, doesn't it? Two weeks can just slip by sometimes. Good thing for you I'm on top of things, and have a new episode ready to go. Here's what you'll find in this episode of the Acapodcast: * Similar Jones - Future Love Paradise (Seal) * No Strings Attached - Baby Love (Mother's Finest) * No Strings Attached - This Love (Maroon 5) * Chromatics - Noctilucent Cloud * No Better Cause - Times Like These * Similar Jones - Brick House

Summer is here! Summer means barbecues and beaches and suntans, and vacations. I'm not on vacation yet; I'm here, hard at work bringing you the best a cappella around. Here's what you'll find tucked inside sunny episode 30: * Hyannis Sound - The Boys of Summer * Blue Jupiter - Lil' Red Riding Hood * Slapdash Graduate - Counting Blue Cars * Brown Jabberwocks - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood * KickShaw - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band * Hyannis Sound - Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

Here are the tracks from Episode #29 of the Acapodcast: * Zulal - Hars Em Gnoom * Navi Redd - Johhny Glegg Medley * Harmonytryx - O Sifuni Mungu * Navan - Letontu Litokum Abulos * PennYo - Amazing Grace * Zulal - Sareri Hovin Mernem

No interviews or themes this time around, just good, solid a cappella. * measureXmeasure - You Don't Treat Me So Good * UMass Amherst Dynamics - Breakfast at Tiffany's * 2Praise - Child of the Great I Am * WUSTL Mosaic Whispers - Take Me To The River * RPI Rusty Pipes - Comfortably Numb * measureXmeasure - Don't Let Your Heart

I talk a bit more in this episode than usual, but that's because there are some serious topics to be brought up. The music is as good as ever though. * Virginia Tech - Hey Jealousy * InPulse - Your Body Is A Wonderland * Off The Beat - Superman * Darkside Voices - Us And Them * InPulse - Fat Bottom Girls

On this show I'm lucky enough to have an exclusive phone interview with Bruce Leddy, writer, producer, and director of the independent film Sing Now, Or Forever Hold Your Peace, which opens in select theaters on April 27th. During the interview, I play some of the songs from the movie. Here's what you'll hear: * Tufts Beelzebubs - Take Me Home (orig. by Phil Collins) * MIT Logarhythyms - No Such Thing (orig. by John Mayer) * Sing Now Cast - The More I See You (orig. sung by Nat King Cole) * Oxford University Out Of The Blue - Trouble (orig. by Coldplay) * UVA Academical Village People - Kate (orig. by Ben Folds Five) * Sing Now Cast - Working in a Coalmine (orig. by Lee Dorsey)

Last weekend I drove from Boston to D.C. to attend the East Coast Acappella Summit. Most of this show is about the journey to the summit and my time there, so there are only four songs this time around. Songs by: * The Richter Scales - I Hate A Cappella * The Blanks - Somewhere Over The Rainbow * Men In Black - Don't Be A Baby, Baby * The Chromatics - Habitable Zone I also bring up the topic of moving the podcast to AcaTunes. I'd love to hear from you about this, especially if you support it, I don't think those against it need a reminder to have their voice heard.

In this episode, I talk about my introduction to contemporary acappella, St. Patrick's Day, and the East Coast Acappella Summit, which you should ALL be going to, right?? I'll be there, and you should be there to come say hi to me. I think I'll hold a contest. If you come up to me at ECAS and mention this contest, I'll put your name into a drawing for a free piece of Acapodcast logowear from the Acapodcast Cafepress Store! In between all my yammering, you'll also hear great tunes by: * Four Shadow - It's Alright * Wheaton College Gentleman Callers - Running to Stand Still * The Bobs - White Room * Da Vinci's Notebook - Another Irish Drinking Song * Hyannis Sound - Parting Blessing * Four Shadow - Blankets and Pie

This time on The Acapodcast, I've got some recent award winners, plus a new CD release track. There's also a few groups that I've had on the show before, and if you weren't familiar with them before, you are now! Here's the lineup for Episode #23: * Cluster - Cement * Ball In The House - Trust Me * Da Vinci's Notebook - Traffic Jam * Ledyard HS Chamber Choir - MLK * Spiralmouth - No Career * Cluster - DuckTales Theme Song

Check out who is on the show this time: * Hyannis Sound - 1000 Miles * Invisible Men - Pink * UPenn Dischord - Breathe (2 A.M.) * Firedrill! - Lie On Lie * Slapdash Graduate - Rain * Hyannis Sound - Don't Cry

It's the one year anniversary of The Acapodcast! Thanks to all of you who have made it possible. Rather than dwell on it and make a big deal of it, instead I plow ahead with more of what has made the show what it is: great music. I'd like to push on for another twenty episodes this year. And greetings to all the new listeners from Coverville, you've picked a great time to come on board. Here is the lineup for show #21: * BaSix - Smooth Operator * The Richter Scales - I Got Mail * The Exboyfriends - The Flash Gordon Theme Song * UPenn Dischord - Both Hands * UCLA Scattertones- Mr. Brightside * BaSix - Purple Rain (with guests from the Herning Boys Choir) I would also like to point people to some of the fabulous photos of UPenn's Penny Loafers in China, to mention that the deadline to enter this year's Harmony Sweepstakes has been extended to the end of January, and to wish Rudy Cardenas from m-pact good luck. He's made it into the most recent season of American Idol! I'll be back in two weeks with more great music!

This is just to let everyone know that due to some changes in my ‘recording studio’ my recording setup is all unplugged and scattered for a day or two, so this week’s show will be late. I actually record from my office in the after-hours, but due to renovation work, the gear is all unplugged […]