Monday, March 16, 2009

Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box by John William Waterhouse, courtesy of gods-and-goddesses.com

My friend Johnny, a music aficionado and someone much more technosavvy than I am, introduced me to something so fun last night that I just have to share it!

Pandora Internet Radio. You enter the name of a favorite song or artist, someone/thing that definitively represents your musical tastes. Then based on the qualities of your favorite song, Pandora generates a playlist of music you may never have heard of but will probably love.
Photo courtesy of someone named leedoweeds at flickr.com
If a song comes on that you don't love, you click the little thumbs-down icon, and Pandora apologizes, promises never to play the offending song again, and subtly readjusts the playlist to suit your taste better.

I had so much fun last night that I had to tear myself away from it in order to go to bed.

I have a Cowboy Junkies station, a Cracker station, and a station built around the qualities of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man."
I discovered several great artists that were unfamiliar to me. Ben Harper, for example. And songs I'd not yet heard from artists I already knew, like Tom Petty.

I'm in love with Pandora.
Pandora by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, courtesy of the National Museum of Liverpool

11 comments:

Ernie Branscomb said...

"I discovered several great artists that were unfamiliar to me. Ben Harper, for example."

Indie, you need to get out more. I'll bet your son knows him. He appears at Reggae in Garberville occasionally.

Indie said...

Ernie wrote: "Indie, you need to get out more."

That's for sure! I've heard Ben Harper's name many times before, but hadn't heard his wonderful music!

I never go to Reggae anymore, because of the heat, the crowds, the drunk people, the wasted kids, etc.

Reggae on the River in its smaller, more intimate incarnation sure sounds nice, though. I'm going this year.

Kato said...

That is so cool! Now I want to find a site that will do that with restaurants.

See you On The River, Indie!

Indie said...

Kato, what if you could enter your favorite foods' recipes and the computer would analyze the qualities you prefer. Out would come a list of dishes you should try. I would definitely have a Sushi List and a Soul Food List!

See you on the River! :)

Kym said...

Kato, I love that idea!

Anonymous said...

See you on the river? Must be an insider, huh, K? Anyway, how about sharing the exact link to it? Never mind, now I'm gonna google it... Thx for sharing! And now go have a look at the yellow kitchen pics I've posted extra for you! And maybe all the other sightseeing photos from the past days... Huggles, R.

Indie said...

Hi R, "see you on the river" is referring to an event called Reggae on the River.

It's a big weekend-long Reggae concert that's been going on in the southern part of the county for many years.

I started going to them almost every year in 1988, but stopped in 2006 because the crowd had just gotten too big for my taste and primarily because my MS cannot take hanging out for hours in the 100+ degree heat without relief.

It was so popular that you would just say, "I'm going to Reggae," and everyone in the area would know what you meant.

But a couple of years ago, there was a split between the production company and the community center that sponsored the event. So now there are two "Reggaes" that happen every summer, Reggae on the River and Reggae Rising.

So "On the River" means you are going to the smaller concert where you will see friends, not the huge one full of strangers.

Indie said...

I forgot to add:

pandora.com

Ernie Branscomb said...

I go to both "River" and "Rising". I see my friends at "River", and see more friends at "Rising". I stick to the edges, because I don't fit in big crowds. I mingle in with the subcultures that arise at these events. Like the one behind the beer-box where the more redneck people hang out, and they won't pick on you for having been a logger once. Plus as the refrigeration tech, I have access to the inside of the walk-in coolers where you can chill as much as you want.

Indie said...

Ernie, you sound like the guy to know at an outdoor summer concert-- the refrigeration guy!

I am afraid I would have to spend the whole concert in the fridge, though.

That darn heat!

I remember the days when all I had to do to cool off was drink an icy mai tai and jump in the river.

Kato said...

OOH! How about a Pandora's Internet Bartender that suggests new drink mixes for you based on your usual favorites? Actually, what I'd use more often is a Book Pandora... though your recommendations all look interesting, Indie!