Phoning it in

Radio station WBSR, out of Providence, R.I., has a funny segment it calls "Phoning It In," on which various indie types (so far John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, Jolie Holland, Phil Elvrum of the Microphones, and World) give live performances over the phone. The interactions between host and guest musician are unfailingly awkward, but the odd format seems to make for a nice casually intimate house-concert sort of vibe, and the performances themselves are charming -- particularly Elvrum's, as the poor sound quality fits his outsider-y aesthetic perfectly. Unfortunately, the "Phoning It In" segments are available only to stream, not to download, and I'm incurably biased against streams. If you're not, check them out here.