by john dooling
As ludicrous as this proposition may sound to most of you, the Internet has come a long way from midget stripteases and barnyard orgies. Yes, the content has sped down the super highway to bigger and, some may say, better things. I recently came across the wonders of Internet radio. Sex and music both reach into the deepest and most primitive portions of the human psyche, but you can only enjoy one while sitting in your cubicle at work…I hope.
Now I know there are a wide variety of Internet radio stations, probably more than I could even research, and some of you will probably berate me for leaving your favorite one out of this story--for that I am truly sorry. I have logged on and tuned in with a host of stations; some just don’t have what I’m looking for. There are three, however, that really turn me on, and because I have you captivated, I’m going to tell you about them. Try them and be shocked and amazed at the gracious treats I, your humble correspondent, have bestowed upon your, until now, fruitless life.
One URL I found is www.surfmusic.de. This site provides you with access to almost every radio station in the world, and you have the option to choose from a listing of countries or genres, so you can go nuts picking what you want to hear. Keep in mind that these are actual radio stations, so there are commercials, and if you are listening to a public station they occasionally have long winded speeches about donations. Be a sport and donate, but if you don’t and it bothers you to freeload, just switch to a privately owned station.
For my trial run I chose Jazz and found an excellent public radio station out of the New York/New Jersey area. These guys don’t play any of that elevator and grocery store muzak either, this is some serious classic Jazz and had my big toe firmly planted at the top of my boot the entire time. I also tried a channel from Sweden, because I needed a reminder of how hard the language is, and finally, got a little irie with some sweet reggae from Kingston, Jamaica.
It is unbelievable how much there is to choose from at this website. You can pick your favorite genre, favorite country, or even choose from random mp3s. Check it out and see what you think. Everything is free unless you want to purchase some of the mp3s.
Another site that offers you a choice of genres is www.radioio.com. There is a great selection of music to choose from on this site, and depending on the way you set up your account it is either free to listen, or you can pay for special privileges. And who doesn’t like to feel special?
Off we go… when you log on, you can check out a list of genres and choose anything from the lust of exotic 70s Disco to crying-in-your-beer Country music. This station has something for everyone and the music is played with exceptional CD quality.
But there is a catch. Remember the dinero I spoke of earlier? Yeah, that.
You can listen to all the music you want for free, but you have to endure commercials in exchange for your frugality. However, if you don’t mind forking over some cheese for your music, you can shake your moneymaker with no commercials. And shake you will, you earned it Mary. There are a couple of different packages available, so log on and check them out. I can’t do all the research for you.
If you are more into picking your favorite artists and songs or finding new music that you really like, then stretch those creamy hamstrings and stride on over to www.pandora.com. This is a great website, offering up free music from a variety of artists, and I actually spend the majority of my day surfing the unlimited number of bands and songs they have available. There are no commercials on this site, so it’s easy to get lost in the music and listen for hours at a time.
First things first; the website was started by some nice folks who originally wanted to help their friends find new music. The Genome Music Project was born. This remarkable project consists of a group of musicians and computer technicians who listen to literally tens of thousands of songs and analyze the hundreds of attributes of each song, including the melody, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, lyrics, and every other aspect of the music. These guys have compiled a vast soundscape of musical prowess to make even the shrewdest of indie rockers feel as though his collection of vinyl is wanting.
You may delve into this website with abandon because their library consists of anything you could want from Top 40 soul-suckers to obscure garage rockers and—that’s right—everything in between. Log onto the site and enter the name of any artist or song you desire. A few seconds later it will start playing your song or a song (or artist) that The Genome Project has deemed closely resembles your choice. Then a scrolling list of additional songs with similar attributes will play.
And that is the beauty of Pandora! It is a way to find new music. Sometimes you will like what they play and save the name in the old bean, and sometimes you won’t. That’s life pal. I didn’t want to get stuck wearing hand-me-down Bugle Boys until I was 14, but that’s how the chips fell. I assure you that by the end of your first day you will have at least two new bands in your repertoire. Brag to your friends, turn them on, and you can all lip-sync your favorites on your web cam later.
Porn may never go away (because I have subscriptions to most of the sites on the web), but Internet radio stations are slipping and sliding on their heels trying to inch their way forward and make headway into the everyday search you, the devoted browser, indulge in at your leisure. Why not put down the joystick and pickup the headphones? It’s easier on the hands.
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