Brian Williams has launched a new music feature–called, hilariously, BriTunes–in which the charmingly blah news anchor talks to some of his favorite new bands. (“Bar bands are best,” says his written intro on the MSNBC website.) First up, local boys Deer Tick, who everyone in the world seems to really like and whose Dylanesque appeal is all but completely lost on me. You can watch it here, along with a Yo-Yo Ma interview where the cellist reveals what terrible, terrible taste he has in popular music.
The whole thing sort of seems like a giant iPod infomercial. Williams actually introduces the band by calling them “casual users of iTunes” as though that means something. Actually, I’m also not sure who actually watches the web-only entertainment features on msnbc.com, but it’s always fun to see the Rhode Island flag waving around while a sixty-year old anchor talks like a Very Old Person about finding music on the Internet.
Oh, that’s funny. You’re right. The way he paused I totally misinterpreted it, though.
For the sake of accuracy, he wasn’t introducing the band as “casual users of iTunes.” He was saying that casual users of iTunes “may already have met them electronically.”
Nothing says independent music like a pressed collar and a gray pullover.