The Friday Fillip

More music today — because there’s less music available lately. At least online. The internet radio folks have been having their problems with the DRM and copyright people in the U.S. And the differences between U.S. copyright laws and those of other jurisdictions has led to a number of streaming music sites being unable to reach outside the republic’s borders. About a year ago I mentioned Pandora in the course of a Friday Fillip on Etta Baker; this was the website I used to listen to popular music, blues, jazz and other non-classical ditties. But no more.

So it was with great pleasure that I realized that Last.fm is still alive and streaming to the likes of us. The deal is very similar to Pandora’s: you can listen via your main broswer or you can download a purpose-built browser that works independently. (I prefer the latter, because I’m forever closing my browser reflexively, bringing about sudden silence which always surprises.) In either case you enter the name of an artist you fancy, and they come up with similar music. This is how I discover new talent, the risk being that I’ll wander in tight circles of the familiar. But I find that Last.fm’s notion of “similar” is broad enough to work.

There are bells and whistles to play with if you’re so inclined — and if you register (free). For example, it sucked up my iTunes listening pattern and used that to teach itself what kind of music I like. Then there’s scrobbling and the ability to display on your blog what you’re currently listening to…

But for now, here’s a widget that should, if I’ve done it right, play Ron Sexsmith radio. Enjoy.