Last.fm

After what was only a laissez-faire liaison, I’ve become addicted to Last.fm in the past several months. It works similarly to Pandora.com, playing music that has been tagged similar to the artist or band you type in. The UK Internet radio station started in 2002, and was acquired by CBS Interactive in May of this year for $280 million, one of the largest purchases to date. Unlike with Pandora, I find myself forwarding through tracks less, and when I do there’s no limit to breezing through sub-par offerings. This site has been my new band-finding friend, to the point of obsession. Scraps of paper litter my computer desk, covered in scribbles that vaguely resemble “The Peculiar Pretzelmen” and “Anja Garbarek” and “Alela Diane.” Download Last.fm (free), then make friends with people who “scrobble” similar music, or be friends with your real friends and see how high your musical compatibility rating is. Other listeners can see what you scrobbled, and sometimes even give you suggestions as to music you might like.