Sneak peak at Big Star box set

NPR is offering an "exclusive" free stream of Disc 1 of the new 96-track Big Star box set, "Keep and Eye on the Sky." The set will be released Sept. 15

I'm gonna wait for reviews to see whether the remastering, remixes, rarities and other extras are worth the cost (Amazon has it for $54), but it's safe to say this collection is long overdue. 

Disc 1 has 26 tracks, and provides a good look at Big Star's depth, creativity and the sound that influenced many a band over the last three decades.

Wolfgang's amazing live-music vault

Wolfgang’s Vault is an unbelievable treasure trove of free live concerts, both old and new. 

Fresh to my ears is a 1979 Rockpile concert from the Palladium in New York, one of five different Wolfgang's streams featuring either Rockpile or band member Dave Edmunds.

While Rockpile was known as a screaming live band (labelmates Led Zeppelin booted them as opening act from a tour because their opening shows were stealing Zepp’s thunder), there’s a few surprising vocal clunkers in this show. Still, their music drives like nobody's business, evidence of how great they were live.

Good use of CoverItLive

I've seen CoverItLive used here and there with mixed results, but I really enjoyed how Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel used it in covering the Packers-Titans preseason game tonight.

Bedard started with typical posts reflecting game action, then opened it up to reader questions at halftime, then closed with a Tweet and a joke.

I didn't wade through the 257 reader comments below the CoverItLive viewer, but found Bedard's work more than enough. It was fun and conversational yet authoritative and informative. Can't beat that these days.