NBC News' Brian Williams Embraces Inner "Music Freak" as Rock Video Blogger

Your inaugural show features an interview with Deer Tick. How did you discover them?
My family and I go up to Rhode Island for a week in the summer and the Providence bar band community is really robust. If you ask them about their favorite groups, they pick Deer Tick. Their new album is really good. They have a nice song on there called "Houston, TX." Their lead singer John McCauley credits the rasp in his voice to two packs [of cigarettes] a day. But, you know, whatever gets you through the night. He's really good and his lyrics are really personal. If you listen to the lyrics on "Dirty Dishes" too closely, you'll never leave your apartment. It's pretty obvious that it's about a breakup and a relationship gone bad. But it shouldn't be listened to on any sort of medication. And I love their sound — there?s a little Dylan, a little Knopfler, a little Petty.

Any other recent discoveries?
Camera Obscura. Been around a long time. I love the new stuff. It's a jaunty California sound by way of Europe. I last listened to it on Saturday afternoon as I was getting ready for the Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. I had it on my iPod. It's great to have on in the background. Ditto the Veils. I know they're always on the brink, but I think the song ?The House She Lived In" is a little gem.

When you go to a party, who controls what music's playing?
I do the playlists at parties. Absolutely. Absolutely! And if I get invited somewhere, and if they're good friends of ours, I bring the iPod. I pretty much insist on doing music for the event. I'm very much into playlists. My brother used to put tapes together for restaurants and he has one of the greatest LP collections I've ever seen. He was a Vietnam-era hippie. And he got me hooked onto music when I was young.

When you prepare your newscast, what do you listen to?
Something quick that gets your energy up. The other night, I was listening to Jay-Z's "My First Song." That was the last song I listened to before going on air. I was tempted to go on and say "Ch'boy!" but I didn't. It was close.