PANDORA.COM
The Music Genome Project

This service is something that has been available for quite awhile, but I feel obligated to share it with those unfamiliar, strictly because Pandora is one of the coolest inventions the Internet has produced.

What is Pandora? To them, it's a database driven by real people with musical backgrounds. To you, it's a radio that responds to your interests and plays a mix of what you already know and what you have yet to discover. You're the DJ, picking the songs and artists that you prefer and designing custom stations that evolve as you rate what's being played.

Want a station that mixes the heavy bass of "Can't Stop" by the Chili Peppers with the fast tempo of an artist like Bloc Party? You've got it. Call the station "Can't Stop the Party" or anything else you'd like. Feel like some mellow sounds? Why not start a station from a few acoustic titles from Jack Johnson and combine them with the Indie hits of the Shins? The possibilities are infinite. Best of all, you can share your stations with friends and Pandora is completely free!