Broadband killed the radio star

By now you’ve noticed the proliferation of internet radio and on-line playlist experiments here at wild mercury. I’ve realized that I almost never listen to music on the radio anymore. In the car it’s the ipod or occasionally sportstalk. At home it’s the ipod. At work, where I’m able to listen while I noodle away at my desk, it’s music via the internet, and this is where the action is. Here are some reviews of the current sites I’ve been using:

Radio Paradise is by far the best station I’ve found. It’s totally listener supported, with a variety of listening options based on your setup. It seems to work well with Winamp. The selection of music is varied and high quality, and to be honest it’s where I’ve discovered most of the new artists that have caught my ear. It also has active listener community with forums and other nice interactive features. You can listen for free, but I like it so much I’ve pledged a few bucks each month. Like most sites, you can directly link to itunes or Amazon to purchase what you like.

Pandora: I wrote about this one a few months ago. Create your own stations based on musical genes. Pick a few songs and Pandora will build a station around them, picking similar artists and songs. After a few months, I’m finding I delete at least half of what they suggest, and it repeats songs too often, but the concept is great and it’s worth exploring. Free.

Finetune: I just found this playlist site and it’s a really good one. It’s still in the ‘beta’ stage (meaning there are some bugs to work out), but the song selection is great, and you can listen to other members playlists. Another great way to introduce yourself to some new music. Also Free. Check out my first playlist, Songs for September, which should also appear in the sidebar.

If you spend a lot of time at the computer, you will enjoy all these sites.

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WHO News: This may be another reason to invest in satellite radio. The Who Channel will debut on Sirius, containing concert webcasts, backstage banter from Pete and unreleased archival material.

Read more about the Who Channel and see the track list for their upcoming CD

Set list for the North American tour opener in Philly, September 12: I Can't Explain, The Seeker, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes, Real Good Looking Boy, Sound Round, Pick Up The Peace, Unholy Trinity, Endless Wire, We Got A Hit, They Made My Dreams Come True, Mirror Door, Relay, You Better You Bet, Who Are You, Man In The Purple Dress, Black Widow Eyes, Fragments, My Generation, Cry If You Want, Won't Get Fooled Again, Substitute, Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, Sparks, See Me Feel Me, T And Theatre

11 songs I've never heard before. I'll be seeing them 9/25. Never been to a show where I was unfamilar with so much of the material. This should be interesting....