The Biddies in Newsweek!

Illustration by Andy Potts for Newsweek

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"Oct. 23, 2006 issue - The iPod arrived in October 2001, bringing the promise of pleasure to a world in transformation from its comforting analog roots to a disruptive digital future. But no one expected that the iPod would become the signature artifact of our young century, selling more than 60 million units in its first five years. No one envisioned vast swaths of humanity escaping reality via the White Earbud Express. And no one would ever have believed that a 2005 survey would report that the iPod is more popular on college campuses ... than beer. But that's what happened. In his new book, "The Perfect Thing," NEWSWEEK Senior Editor Steven Levy contemplates the ways that the iPod changed the world.

...One might have expected the new, more professional podcasts to overwhelm the upstarts. But a funny thing happened: while the NPR podcasts dominated the popularity lists, the Dawn and Drews of the world were also well represented. When established performers like Liz Phair began podcasting their backstage ramblings, that didn't drive out more obscure musical podcasting pioneers like the Lascivious Biddies, show-tune-style contingent who let fans eavesdrop on the tour bus. It really was possible for someone to grab some podcasting software, make a radio show, and find a niche audience among the millions of people scrounging for something new to hear on their iPods."

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