NPR Music: Passport to the coolness of Bonnaroo

NPR Music is about to begin webcasting live from the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., a first for the online music service recently touted by the Washington Post as “a kind of passport to coolness for NPR’s core radio audience of aging baby boomers.” Neon Indian, a synth-pop band that riffs off Wizard/True Star-era Todd Rundgren in a track on NPR Music’s Bonnaroo Preview playlist, kicks off three days of live performances at 1 pm ET. Three public radio stations–KUT, WFUV and The Current–have joined NPR in producing coverage of more than 40 full sets from the festival. On Twitter, follow @NPRMusic, @allsongs, and @RitaHoustonWFUV for updates and color commentary. For reactions to the Washington Post‘s June 6 feature headlined “NPR has become a major player in the indie rock scene,” check out the blog posts and comments on New York Magazine‘s Vulture and The Alt Report (via Bruce Warren’s Some Velvet Blog).