Pandora Boom Box

Ah, the feeling when you want everybody to share your discovery. "Hey, read that book - it just turned me upside down!" or "Go see that film - I almost peed in my pants!"

It never works.

For me at least, it doesn't. I systematically fail to transmit the hype that I feel. People respond politely, move on quickly to the next topic, forget to ask me the name of the author, etc.

So here's my latest eureka, my new favorite radio station: Pandora. It builds a radio station based on a song you suggest, finding similar-sounding songs.

That's exactly what I was looking for: old but new music. When I'm on a hunt for something new, I don't have the patience to go through iTunes and randomly try new stuff based on a genre. I want some kind of guidance, a higher success rate. Pandora's the best radio station to play in the background - the music's always good and sometimes you can make discoveries or be surprised.

There's still room for improvement. Songs are sometimes out of place. But you can give Pandora a better idea of your taste by saying wether or not you like the song that's playing. I wish I could pick the criteria myself: piano, acoustic, orchestral arrangements, whatever. But now I have to guess what song will bring me the type of music I want.

Anyone tempted to try it at least?