PANDORA

Something called the Music Genome Project was started back in 2000 and it has brought forth something amazing. Pandora is a subscription service (a very inexpensive one) that creates an internet radio station based on music you like. Now, Yahoo has something similar with its Launchcast service, and while I'm not sure exactly how that chooses new music for you to hear, Pandora actually tells you about the music you like and how it chooses the next song. It's brilliant, really.

If you are ever looking for some new music you haven't heard before this is a great way to do it. Just type in one of your favorite bands/songs and then you can direct it by saying whether you like the songs it chooses or not. You can listen for 10 hours for free, and then after that it's a mere $36 a year to subscribe. If you spend long hours in front of a computer and can listen to music, this is something great. And even if you don't use it as a radio station but as a way to find new and hard to find music, $36 is really a bargain for any music lover. Have fun with it.

-J