Perhaps the most elegant online invention to come across my browser bar in awhile, Muxtape, suffered some kind of unusual and cruel downage last week. But it's back online.

Muxtape's idea is this: Upload your own mp3 mixtape. Limit is 12 tracks. Maybe even change it over time. Name your muxtape/mixtape. People can subscribe to the RSS to see it as it changes. Minimal and beautiful design.

The selections are mostly too-cool-for-school, Other Music staff recommendations--what we used to call "college rock" back in my day--but that's OK by me. Already been hepped to a couple things I wanted to hear but can't because terrestrial radio sucks.

Granted, Muxtape doesn't have the spiritual heft that my old student Katie V's Commonplace Mixtape project has, which invokes the sacrosanct cassette mixtape. But Muxtape is the sliced bread of the hour for this homo sapien.

My Muxtape, by the way, is at wizzyd.muxtape.com. Right now it's been all selections of cover versions and variations of Queen's "We Will Rock You" (can "We Will Barack You" be too far behind?), but I plan on updating it soon.

Labels: Riffs