Music Blogs

Last.fm is an Internet radio site that was founded in the UK and now boasts over 21 million users. Last year it was acquired by CBS for $280 Million.

Last.fm's music recommendations become better the more you input into the system. Each user builds a profile by listening to music with a plugin that logs the music you listen to, otherwise known as scrobbling. Your listening habits can then be compared to other users logs enabling last.fm to present you with new songs.

For this playlist I entered "Andrew Bird" on the last.fm homepage and clicked the Go button. The site then streamed the songs in this playlist. I certainly can't argue with the results, the playlist is excellent.

I found it interesting that some of the artists (and even a song) were also selected by iTunes Genius.

The last.fm playlist only produced two artists I was not familiar with (Apostle of Hustle and Loney, Dear), so it wasn't the best list for music discovery, although I enjoyed the two tracks by these artists. The real accomplishment here is how every track in this 15 song list is a keeper. Last.fm may be the best choice for a perfect "one-button" radio experience when time is not readily available.

Below is the playlist last.fm generated for me followed by the playlists created by Pandora, iTunes Genius and Rhapsody Instant Playlist.

Which one wins?

My Last.FM Generated Playlist

   1. Days That Are Over - Sondre Lerche   

   2. The Island... - The Decemberists   

   3. Fever Dream - Iron & Wine   

   4. Transfiguration #1 - M. Ward   

   5. Tell Me Something - Devendra Banhart   

   6. Mary Jo - Belle and Sebastian   

   7. My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille - Beirut   

   8. Pink Bullets - The Shins   

   9. Kamera - Wilco   

   10. One Man Wrecking Machine - Guster   

   11. You Never Arrived - Midlake   

   12. The Angels' Share - Ted Leo   

   13. Sugar Wife - The National   

   14. The Naked & Alone - Apostle Of Hustle   

   15. Sinister In A State Of Hope - Loney, Dear

My Pandora Generated Playlist

   1. Alice To Wonderland - The Scattered Pages   

   2. Dinosaur Bones - Wadirum   

   3. Ant Farm - Eels   

   4. Letter To God - Sheryl Crow   

   5. The Night I Fell In Love - Pet Shop Boys   

   6. Bronson - Calla   

   7. Save Me - Aimee Mann   

   8. You Look So Young - The Jayhawks   

   9. On Borrowed Time - William   

   10. Satellite - Guster   

   11. Miles Away - The Verve Pipe   

   12. Madi Don't Leave - PlayRadioPlay!   

   13. You're Gonna Have My Way - Jason Feddy   

   14. Following You - REVIVAL   

   15. Ran Away To Tell The World - Ours

My iTunes Genius Generated Playlist

   1. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel   

   2. Kamera - Wilco   

   3. Melody Day - Caribou   

   4. Roscoe - Midlake   

   5. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) - The Decemberists   

   6. The Mending of the Gown - Sunset Rubdown   

   7. Marching Bands Of Manhattan - Death Cab For Cutie   

   8. This Modern Love - Bloc Party   

   9. The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf   

   10. Black Like Me - Spoon   

   11. 1969 - The Stooges   

   12. Slide In - Goldfrapp   

   13. What I See - Planet P Project   

   14. Nocturno En Batanga - Bebo Valdes   

   15. Engrish Bwudd - Man Man

My Rhapsody Instant Playlist Generated Playlist

   1. Airbag - Radiohead   

   2. Walk On By - Asleep at the Wheel   

   3. Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Thoughts Are Free) - Brazilian Girls   

   4. Saturday's Gone - Isobel Campbell   

   5. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight - James Taylor   

   6. Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud) -  James Brown   

   7. Tylenol - Ben Kweller   

   8. For Tomorrow - Blur   

   9. Hotter Than Hell - KISS   

   10. Casino Queen - Wilco   

   11. So It Goes - The Verve   

   12. Cry, Cry, Cry - Johnny Cash   

   13. Lead Balloon - Liam Finn   

   14. Time Of The Preacher Theme - Willie Nelson   

   15. Summer Lies - Magnetic Fields

Follow what Robert is listening to on Twitter.