Podcast Review: Hi My Name Is Mark

I listen to my iPod pretty much everyday at work but no matter how much music you have on it (some of it shown in the sidebar on the right), sometimes you just struggle to find something to listen to. I've been having that issue lately, except for yesterday when I was on a Pearl Jam kick and listened to Ten and Vs twice each which began the debate in my mind about which was the better album. I know the safe answer is Ten, but I don't think I agree with that. I'll save that for another post...

So with the lack of interest in the music I have on my iPod, I started getting into Podcasts more. Not a new technology, but for those of you who don't know, podcasts are basically recorded radio , television or home-grown shows that you can download for play on the iPod (or a computer). I was searching through iTunes for some new ones and found a podcast created by Mark Hoppus (of Blink 182 fame) which he calls "Hi My Name is Mark." I downloaded three of the episodes and have listened to all three today. For anyone into podcasts, it is very entertaining. He does a great job of "hosting" the show. I've heard some pretty lame podcasts since anyone with the software and a voice can make one, but these are pretty cool. Each podcast is 20-30 minutes long and the coolest part is that he plays 2-3 songs an episode from bands you probably haven't heard of. Podcast #14, which I'm listening to now, has played a songs by bands called "Eight Fingers Down" and "Hidden in Plain View" which are pretty good. It's a great place to get exposed to some new music.

Other show content revolves around Mark calling up friends and family to provide some stories or jokes to share. Other times he gets back to presenting new bands to the listener by calling them up for some brief "interviews" which are basically calls to say "hello" and "wake up" since he records the podcasts around 8:00 in the morning. Some of the best calls are to his wife and to his mother. Nothing inappropriate, just goofy which if you're a fan of Blink 182 like I am, you'll like a lot. Check it out and enjoy!