We here at NXT firmly believe in the adoption of advanced technologies and using them to our own nefarious ends. We're very much like a Bond villian in that regard. Let's hope we never get hold of that weather controlling device they have at the Gulf of Maine Institute, or Bowdoin's time machine.

And with that completely odd non-sequitur, readers, commentheads and innocent bystanders alike, behold, we have made a Podcast.

If you'll take a look further down the right hand column, somewhere beneath my sneakers, you'll find the NXT Podcast.

Go ahead and look ... I'll wait.

Nice huh?

The plan is to produce a new podcast each week on things that may appear here in the blog. Hence the NXT name. But what that really means is just about any topic, idea or guest is fair game. One week it may be discussing the merits of Burt Reynolds' career with Videoport Jones, another it could be a chat about youth radio, and other times nothing but bacon recipes.

Lucky for you this week it is none of those things. This week I sat down with hip-hop songstress Sontiago (sometimes known as Sonya Tomlinson) and talked about her new album, "Steel Yourself," which will be released in November on Endemik.

Lucky for you, Sontiago's throwing a CD release party this Friday at SPACE, where she'll play with her new posse, the musical MacGyver dilly dilly and Gabe FM on the wheels of steel. The Niles Girls dance troupe will also be performing. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $6, and it's 18+

Having had a chance to listen Sontiago's sophomore effort, (and granted, I am no professional music reviewer) I can say that it's outstanding. If we had some sort of rating system here on NXT I'd give it five strips of bacon.

But in seriousness, Sontiago put a lot of work into this new effort, which features tracks produced by Anitcon, Maker, the UK's shorfacedbear and Scott Da Ross.

From the beginning the music on this album just sucks you in. It's not just that Sontiago's heartfelt and thought-provoking lyrics grab you, but the music itself is stellar, running from jazz and soul to pop and straight head-bobbin' hip-hop.

A gifted lyricist not afraid to take on subjects like womens' rights and relationship violence, Sontiago said in this album she found herself focusing outward on her community and the world around here.

"It seems like every day I was writing down some tragic or unsuspected incident that I wanted to write about, and it grew and grew and grew," she said.

One point that Sontiago made that didn't make it into the Podcast is where the title of the album comes from.

She said the it was inspired by the the kidnapping of Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll, who was abducted in Iraq and ultimately released.

"Her mother got a phone call from the editor, and the editor said, 'Ms. Carroll, steel yourself, your daughter's been kidnapped,' " she said.
"I had heard the saying before but had never seen it written out and I was like 'oh.' You know how you just hear things often and you just taken them for granted? I was like steel yourself, brace yourself, turn yourself to steel to prepare yourself for what you don't see coming."

Make sure to check out the Podcast for more - it's your first chance to get a taste of what's on the new album.

As for the Podcast, look for it each week. And at the moment I am open to suggestions for a proper name. Sadly, BaconCast is not quite suitable.

But seriously, let's hear some ideas for a name, people.

Also, ATTENTION LOCAL MUSICIANS: we are always looking for new music to showcase, so if you've got a new album, song, or something you are working on, let me know.

Also, if you have suggestions for topics, interviews or shows, you know how to reach me, or IM me (JustinNXT)

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