Day 39: Backspin

According to Sirius: Put on your Adidas and your Kangol hat and join the party - you'll hear nothing but the early days of Hip-Hop. Tune in to one of the original pioneers of old skool rap, Kurtis Blow, every weeknight.

My Experience: This was pretty fun to listen to on the way to and from work. I also would have characterized this channel as "old skool rap," which (to me) seems to be largely characterized by more focus on the story of the lyrics (and less emphasis on the music underlying it). Still, most of it I hadn't heard before. Was waiting for some Parents Just Don't Understand, but never got it. Oh, how you let me down, Mr. Smith. Sidenote: I found it kind of odd that this jumped from Ch. 40 to Ch. 43 in the middle of a genre...

A Time and a Place for Everything: When would be the optimal time to listen to this channel? Tough call...I think the head of my department at work would appreciate it, so might tune in if I'm ever driving him anywhere. That guy knows more about "old skool" rap than any white guy should.

Sample Playlist:

• Run DMC, It's Like That
• MC Hammer, Here Comes the Hammer
• Boogie Down Productions, My Philosophy
• Kool Moe Dee, Wild Wild West (Remix)
• Trouble Funk, Pump Me Up
• Cypress Hill, Hand on the Pump

Verdict: Sorry...again. While it was fun to listen to, I can't see myself going back to this with enough regularity to bookmark it.

Sirius Sidebar: Sick Day

Sorry, folks...had to take Monday off from work, due to some food poisoning from Sunday night. Still not sure if it was poorly cooked bacon-wrapped scallops or if it was some bad spinach and strawberry salad. Either way, it kept me from even getting in the car. Ugh.

Day 38: Hip-Hop Nation

According to Sirius: Straight Hip Hop hits 24/7!!! SIRIUS Ch. 40 represents hip hop for the entire country (East Coast, Midwest, Dirty South, and West Coast!!!) It's all here on Hip-Hop Nation!

My Experience: Well, they sure use a lot of exclamation points in that description. Plus, they can't decide whether to hyphenate "hip-hop" or not. Ah, well. So, this channel is basically Sirius Hits 1, but for hip-hop. Even I, who is not a fan of this genre, recognized some of the songs playing today. That having been said, clue into the words "not a fan of this genre." The next week or two is going to be not that enjoyable.

Interesting side note...this is the first time that the Sirius dial has skipped some numbers. Days 1 through 37 coincided with the same numbered Sirius stations. However, I guess there are no channels 38 and 39, so we're gonna be off from here on out.

A Time and a Place for Everything: I'd likely only listen to this channel if my passenger was a big fan of the genre. Other than that, can't think of a specific situation where I'd be more likely to listen to this.

Sample Playlist:

• 50 Cent, Ayo Technology
• Raekwon, Incarcerated Scarfaces
• Trillville, Same Cut
• Yung Joc, Coffee Shop
• Dr. Dre, Xxplosive
• Board Bangers, 'Cause the Beat's Hot

Verdict: Sorry...not going to be bookmarking this one.

Day 37: The Strobe

According to Sirius: The sounds that bring you back to the days of glitzy club life and Studio 54. It's yesterday's biggest dance hits and the music that energized a generation. Classic dance lives on at The Strobe!

My Experience: Well, I guess it wasn't my generation that was energized by the music here. Listening to The Strobe was like listening to Totally '70s, but only the disco parts. Okay, to be fair, only about 90% of the music from the disco era...there were some things from the '80s and '90s, too...but for the most part it was a lot of Bee Gees, Abba and Donna Summer. I had quite a bit of driving today, too...and this wore on my nerves pretty quickly.

A Time and a Place for Everything: The only thing I can really think of is some sort of retro disco party, where white polyester suits and gold chains are required attire. Other than that, can't really see anyone tuning regularly into this.

Sample Playlist:

• Vicki Sue Robinson, Turn the Beat Around
• The Bee Gees, Stayin' Alive
• No Mercy, Where Do You Go
• Blondie, Rapture
• Donna Summer, Heaven Knows
• A Taste of Honey, Boogie Oogie Oogie

Verdict: Sorry...not bookmarkin' this one. That having been said, I do have to confess...I did tag one song for download into the Sirius MP3 player attached to my radio: Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band. Just couldn't stop groovin' to it in the car.

Day 36: The Beat

According to Sirius: Keeping you energized with the biggest dance hits on the planet. Today's hottest songs that always keep the beat going and no ballads - ever.

My Experience: What can I say about The Beat? Well, it's easier to stomach listening to it in the car than, say, Area 33. It's more upbeat than Chill. I guess it's even more upbeat than Boom Box. The stuff you hear on The Beat are those songs you can't get out of your head (like an up-tempo version of Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of My Head). Some songs you hadn't heard, and some you had...just put to a more intense beat.

A Time and Place for Everything: While not necessarily something you normally listen to in the car, I have to admit, there is some catchy stuff here, and would likely be a pretty good place to turn if you were feeling down. This is music, though, that you're more likely to run into at a club...and not the kind of club that plays driving techno beats with no lyrics or mash-up after mash-up. Not to stereotype, but I've seen Queer as Folk on Showtime, and can see this music very much fitting in on there. Still...can be very catchy.

Sample Playlist:

• ATC, Around the World
• Paul Oakenfold, Faster Kill Pussycat
• Rihanna, S.O.S.
• Madonna, Jump
• Kelly Clarkson, Because of You (Dance Remix, of course)
• Digital Allies, Without You

Verdict: I was on the fence for a bit (like I am with so many of these channels), but ended up throwing a bookmark its way because we can all use a little audio pick-me-up every now and then.

Day 35: Chill

According to Sirius: Take a break in the lounge and wind down with ambient, electronica and downtempo rock in a quiet groove. It's modern mood music that takes the edge off the day.

My Experience: There aren'ta whole lot of channels in the "electronic/dance" category of Sirius, so I knew this one was coming. Some pretty laid back music here...Sirius doesn't use the word "trance," but that's how I'd describe it to someone. Picture some of the slower Moby stuff, or Enigma if that's more your speed.

A Time and Place for Everything: Like some of the other channels in this genre, it's not necessarily stuff you want to be listening to in the car, though. While music from The Coffeehouse was a great way to start the day on your way to work, the music of Chill might be more appropriate for a weekend morning, as you lay in bed, slowly adjusting to the day.

Samply Playlist:

• Bitter:Sweet, Dirty Laundry (Tony Middleton Amba Remix)
  
• Charlotte Gainsbourg, AF607105
  
• Moby, Novio
  
• Leftfiend, Melt
  
• The Chemical Brothers, Seal
  
• Incognito, Get Into My Groove (Jazzanova Mix)
  

Verdict: I was torn on this one. On the one hand, this is music I often like...have always been a fan of the aforementioned Enigma. On the other hand, it isn't necessarily appropriate for driving. That having been said, I ended up bookmarking this...because you never know when Return to Innocence might pop up on the dial.

Day 34: BoomBox

According to Sirius: Want an instant party groove? Bring in the Boom!! BoomBox ch. 34 features the world's best breakbeat music fused with slamming electro-rock, classic electronica, and cutting-edge mash-ups!! Non-stop and on-point, the party has just begun BoomBox ch. 34!!

My Experience: First off, does that desription above seem a little longer than usual to you? Well, it is. On the webpage for each Sirius station, there is a brief (usually one line, maybe two) description of the station. Further on, there is a more detailed, lengthy version. Decided to start switching things up and go into more detail, as we get to narrower genres of music.

This is a bit different from the previous Electronic/Dance music station, Area 33. Things are lot more melodic here, and you can actually groove along to a tune, rather than just a driving base beat. Plus, I love mash-ups...nothing like hearing songss by 50 Cent and The Cure mixed together into one cohesive song.

A Time and Place for Everything: While not ideal for the daily commute, I can see BoomBox best being listened to on the way to or from a night on the town in a big city, zipping through highway traffic. Very high energy, and very upbeat.

Sample Playlist:

• Ed Solo and Skool of Thought, Believe in the Funk
• Wolfmother, Woman (MSTRKRFT Mix)
• Filter, Hey Man Nice Shot
• Scratch-D and H-Bomb, The Red Pill (Born into Bondage Mix)
• Humanzi, Help Me in the Morning (Losers Mix)
  
• John B, American Girls (Electric Boobies Remix)

Verdict: Bookmarked it. Good stuff to just get into and lose yourself in the mix.

For Discussion: What exactly is the difference between a "mix" and a "remix?"

Sirius Sidebar: Campin' Trip

Just a heads up...the next update will be this coming Monday, after I return from a family reunion/camping trip out in Indiana. Then, it's back to the dance music.

Day 33: Area 33

According to Sirius: Trance and progressive house and dance music

My Experience: Well, let's wave goodbye to "rock" and say hello to the "electronic/dance" genre. This pretty much means I'm going to be hopping genres now every five or six days. So, as I switched to Area 33, I was treated to a driving, thumping bass beat all the way to work. Who knew that my car could double as a rave? All I was missing was some glow sticks.

It was interesting, though. The drive in to work was comprised of distinct, isolated songs with actual titles and artists, while the drive home was just a series of very long (at least 20-30 minutes) sets of driving beats, blending from one slightly different track to another. I have to say I preferred the former to the latter. Also, there were lots of tracks that "featured" co-artists (signified by f.), as well the introduction of the "mix."

A Time and a Place for Everything: I was telling one of my co-workers about The Experiment, and how I had finally strayed into the realm of techno, and, being a club-goer, he said that he wouldn't be able to stand listening to that type of music while driving. At a club, sure...but not on the way to work. That having been said, this definitely would have been best enjoyed played at someone's house party, not in a moving vehicle.

Sample Playlist:

• Dave Spoon f. Lisa Mafia, Bad Girl at Night
• Above and Beyond, Good for Me
• Snax, Honeymoon's Over (Konrad Black Mix)
• Armin von Buuren f. Victoria Horn, Wait for You
• George Acosta, The Reaper
• Talla 2xlc, Carry Me (Airbase Mix)

Verdict: This one is a surprise...I had bookmarked this last year when doing The Experiment, but my friend's words carried weight: I really can't see me listening to this much (and I know I didn't over the past year).

Day 32: Sirius Disorder

According to Sirius: Adventurous music for grown-ups, from a diversity of styles and eras

My Experience: Now, I'm pretty sure this used to be further down the radio dial, about where Lithium is, so had thought they had gotten rid of it. Seeing it up pop up, then, was a nice little surprise. Now, this is different than Super Shuffle, which plays hits from all the other music stations, in that it plays really random stuff that you might not hear anywhere else. If Super Shuffle is randomness at a 6, Sirius Disorder is at a 10. It's a little odd...but kind of fun...to hear an operatic aria by Maria Callas, followed by Dexy's Midnight Runners (and NOT have it be Come On Eileen).

A Time and a Place for Everything: I can see this channel being used as a drinking game. Divide up genres, drink when yours is played, but you can assign the drink to someone else if you know the song...or something like that.

Sample Playlist:

• The Proclaimers, My Old Friend the Blues
• Angelique Kidjo, Sedjedo
• Dwight Yoakam, I Want You to Want Me
• The Grateful Dead, New Speedway Boogie
• Treacherous Three, Yes We Can-Can
• Ryan Adams, Two

Verdict: Definitely one to bookmark...as I mentioned with Super Shuffle, I'm a fan of randomness, so bring it on.

Day 31: Radio Margaritaville

According to Sirius: Escape to Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville

My Experience: I have to admit it...I let out a small, audible groan as I changed the channel to this one. JB has never been my favorite musician, and I wasn't looking forward to an entire day of his music. As I sat through my third Buffett song, I wondered how they could have a station devoted entirely to his music...but then they started to play some other artists. I was gonna say...it's not like this guy is as prolific as Elvis. My drive home, though, showed me how they fill a lot of time on this station: replays of entire concerts. Wonderful. Also, I wasn't sure how I'd characterize the artists/music that played here...American Tropic, perhaps?

A Time and a Place for Everything: Well, wouldn't normally tune into this on the way to work, but I could see it maybe playing in the background while lounging on the beach, or even maybe on a drive to the beach. But backgrond music.

Sample Playlist:

• Jimmy Buffett, Delaney Talks to Statues
• Jimmy Buffett, He Went to Paris (New Version)
• Jimmy Buffett, Tequila
• Paul Simon, Ace in the Hole
• Santana, Mother's Daughter
• Bob Marley and the Wailers, Put it On
• Jimmy Buffett, Live from Alpine Valley, WI (7/10/99)

Verdict: Afraid I'm not going to bookmark this one. While there are a lot of Parrotheads out there, his music just starts blending together in my mind after a bit, and is a bit to corny for my tastes. I have to be careful here, as a good friend LOVES Jimmy, but I think she'll forgive me.

Day 30: The Coffee House

According to Sirius: Pull up a funky chair and join us for singer-songwriters and acoustic rock

My Experience: Didn't quite expect this channel this morning. I think I was expecting something still a little more "rock," but we have covered a lot of that already, I suppose. Interestingly enough, this also reminded me a lot of my college days, much like Lithium and Left of Center. We'd go out to Beaner's or Espresso Royale and plop down with a book from English Lit, and something from this channel would invariably be playing over the speakers. It also reminds me of the music that my best friend from high school (at the time, a DJ at his college his radio station) was really into, and that I would hear all the time when hanging out with him.

In Synch: A great way to start the morning, to be honest. Pretty calming stuff to get you ready for the day. I could see myself listening to a song or two from The Coffee House before turning the channel to something a little more upbeat.

Sample Playlist:

• Sheryl Crow, If It Makes You Happy
• Kate Bush, Rocket Man
• Ryan Adams, La Cienga Just Smiled
• Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, Circle
• Oasis, Wonderwall
• Jack Johnson, Upside Down

Verdict: Just remembered that I forgot to bookmark this! Oh, well...will do so in the morning. This is actually the first time I began to look forward to the end of The Experiment, so that I could test my theory that starting the day with music from The Coffee House is a good idea.


For Discussion: We had Beaner's at Michigan State. The cast of Friends had Central Perk. What other "clever" names did your local coffee house's have? Any ideas for new ones?

Day 29: Punk

According to Sirius: Anarchy! It's nothing but vintage and new punk rock music.

My Experience: Turned the radio channel, and to my surprise...a new channel! Just like I had no idea that Lithium existed, I had no idea that the simply-named Punk existed, either. I was excited to listen to it...and to see how it differed from my normal punk resource, Faction.

I think that I got more of a true punk experience from listening to Punk (although I do think they need to come up with a new name). While I prefer what I now deem to be "punk-lite," this gave me a look at the roots of the genre, with a lot more classic and "true" punk than I've really been exposed to. One interesting thing I noted, though...punk music tends to be a lot more brief and to the point than other genres. For example, on average, I get to listen to five songs, maybe six, on my ride into work. With Punk, I logged in ten songs...almost twice as many (and on a normal driving day).

In Synch: I was in a pretty upbeat mood on Friday, when I listened to this, so getting to tune into Punk was a pretty good match for how I was feeling.

Sample Playlist:

• The Ramones, Rockaway Beach
• Dropkick Murphys, Who is Who
• Inside Out, Sacrifice
• Orange, Stars
• Fear, Gimme Some Action
• T.S.O.L., Property is Theft
  

Verdict: This was a close call...while I didn't get to hear a lot of the punk that I like on this channel, I did hear stuff that was more true to the genre, so I decided to bookmark it and ed-u-ma-cate myself on it.

Day 28: Faction

According to Sirius: Rock, punk, hip-hop and more, especially for action sports fans.

My Experience: Another pleasant surprise on the Sirius dial. While I'm not a huge fan of hip-hop, I do like some of the more mainstream punk music out there (some call it power pop, some call it pseudopunk), such as Blink-182, Green Day and My Chemical Romance...and Faction carried some similar music. I'm not a huge extreme sports fan, so the whole Tony Hawk aspect of Faction (he hosts a radio show here, as do several other extreme sports icons) doesn't appeal to me, other aspects certainly do.

In Synch: The music of Faction woke me up for the drive in to work, but afterwards, I was exhausted and painfully full from a business dinner, and I didn't need the fast-paced music so much. Luckily, the drive home was less music and more radio talk show as professional skateboard and motocross rider Jason Ellis just chatted it up with callers.

Sample Playlist:

• Switchfoot, Oh! Gravity
• Nonpoint, Bullet with a Name
• Linkin Park, Bleed It Out
• Sublime, Date Rape
• Sum 41, March of the Dogs
• Tiger Army, Forever Fades Away

Verdict: Probably not much of a surprise that I bookmarked this, but I'm going to have to spend more time listening to it than I did in the past because even in my limited time listening to it today, I found a couple new artists I need to check out further.

Day 27: Hard Attack

According to Sirius: The heaviest metal, on or off the planet, from the ones who created it all the way to the ones that are perfecting it today

My Experience: Finally! I knew there was a channel like this out there. Sure, at first I thought Buzzsaw was the one...but that was just "classic hard rock." Then came Octane. Surely that would be the heavy metal station, but no...that was "pure hard rock." There was a brief foray into hair bands and alternative music...but then Hard Attack hit me and I knew I'd found the station that would make my ears bleed.

Now, I typically don't like scream/death/acid metal...but I've got a couple good friends back home in Michigan who live and breathe this stuff, so it did put me in kind of a nostalgic mood. Miss you guys!

In Synch: This was a little hard to wake up and drive to work to, but after working later than usual (8pm), I was a little punch-drunk, and actually cranked it up to relieve some stress. Good times, and a good match for my mood.

Sample Playlist:

• Death Angel, Seemingly Endless Times
• Slipknot, The Nameless
• Ozzy Osbourne, Mr. Crowley (Live)
• Immortal, Blashyrkh (Mighty Raven Dark)
• Exhumed, Open the Abscess
• Napalm Death, Forced to Fear

Verdict: While it reminded of good friends who live far away, it's a bit too screamy for me to bookmark as a favorite. You gotta love their names, though.

Day 26: Left of Center

According to Sirius: The best in college, indie, alternative and underground rock

Driving Circumstances: Spent a bit longer in the car today, as I had to detour about an hour for a trip to the eye doctor, again.

My Experience: I believe when I turned the channel to see what I would be listening to today, my response was a vocal, "Oh, nice!" I had forgot that Left of Center existed on the Sirius dial, and it's always been a favorite. Much like Lithium reminded me of my days in the dorms of Michigan State, Left of Center runs a parallel path to that, reminding me of the times I'd listen to the college radio station (The Impact) while driving around campus. I'd discovered all sort of music I hadn't heard before thanks to The Impact, and you'd eventually hear some of it on the more mainstream stations, so I always felt a little ahead of the curve because of it.

Sample Playlist:

• Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Sons of Cain
• Cloud Cult, Take Your Medicine
• Lou Barlow, Holding Back the Year
• Entrance, Cocaine Blues
• Travis, Closer
• Sonic Youth, Candle

Verdict: In honor (once again) of my college days, I bookmarked this.

Day 25: Underground Garage

According to Sirius: The coolest rock 'n' roll records. Channel produced by Little Steven.

Driving Circumstances: All normal, but with a sidetrip to Whole Foods for groceries.

My Experience: Well, when I saw the channel title Underground Garage, I was expecting garage bands from Seattle and everything grunge. Then I realized that the previous channel, Lithium, largely covered that. Plus, the music I was hearing wasn't what I came to think of as "garage bands" (The Beatles, for example). This just seemed to be a really eclectic mix of rock 'n' roll. The kind of stuff you might have kicked back and listened to in your garage on a Saturday afternoon in the summer while growing up...except that I hadn't heard most of this music.

So, upon reading more about the channel online, I saw that Underground Garage is just the nickname given to the channel, not unlike American Bandstand. Kind of a series of consecutive shows, produced by E Street Band member (and Sopranos cast member) "Little Steven" Van Zandt. So, "whether they're 50 years old or 50 minutes old...if they're rocking, they're coming from the Underground Garage."

Sample Playlist:

• The Beatles, You Really Got a Hold On Me
• The Woggles, Get a Heat On
• The Remains, Don't Look Back
• The Contrast, Something Isn't Right
• The Paybacks, Sleepwalking
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Where the Bands Are

Verdict: Was kind of interesting trying to figure out what the hell all this music had in common (and I'm still not 100% sure), but ended up not finding enough stuff I liked to really warrant bookmarking it.

Day 24: Lithium

According to Sirius: The best grunge and '90s alternative rock music

Driving Circumstances: Well, as this was Friday's channel, got to listen to it a good deal over the weekend, too.

My Experience: This confused me at first, because the typical logo for the station didn't appear at the top of my Sirius receiver when I changed the channel...just the words "90sAlt." It wasn't a channel I recognized, and the name seemed to lack a little something, but it still seemed to be something that fell within my range of interest. Then, a station promo played, and referred to itself as Sirius 24: Lithium. I didn't recall this station from my last tour of the dial, and sure enough, the website confirmed it...this was a new station that had sprung up. Interesting. Basically, it took me back to my college dorm days, and was like walking down the corridors of Mason Hall, new music swelling up and taking over as you went past each room...but all pretty much falling within this genre.

Sample Playlist:

• Jane's Addiction, Been Caught Stealing
• Nine Inch Nails, Hurt
• Nirvana, Dumb
• Live, All Over You
• Pearl Jam, Daughter
• Alice in Chains, Man in the Box
• The Verve Pipe, Freshman

Verdict: Definitely bookmarked this. Brought up some great memories.

For Discussion: What specific songs do you associate with your high school and college days? Not necessarily that you associate with being a certain age, but that specifically invoke image and memories of high school and college? (That's my good ol' Mason Hall sitting off there to the left)

Day 23: Hair Nation

According to Sirius: Vintage rock from the big hair '80s

Driving Circumstances: Yeah, it's been a few days. We had a half day at work on Tuesday, and Wednesday was the Fourth of July, so between both of those days there was 1) quite a bit of partying and 2) quite a bit of time in the car. Never concurrently, of course.

My Experience: On Tuesday morning, I turned the channel to Hair Nation, and was immediately treated to a little White Lion. It immediately took me back to my youth and reminded me of my stepbrother, who was a big Guns 'N' Roses fan. Sure enough, a little GNR played later in the day. But what is it about hair bands and the color white? You've got White Lion, Whitesnake, Great White, etc. And I heard music from all of 'em. Just to keep things interesting, though, Hair Nation balanced out the driving rock songs with heartfelt power ballads...Mr. Big, anyone?

Sample Playlist:

• White Lion, When the Children Cry
• Queensryche, Queens of the Reich
• Guns 'N' Roses, Hair of the Dog
• Lita Ford, Kiss Me Deadly
• Whitesnake, Here I Go Again
• Skid Row, I Remember You

Verdict: Not going to bookmark it, thanks, but it was nice to have a little blast from the past...for three days straight.

Day 22: 1st Wave

According to Sirius: Alternative rock's pioneering artists and songs

Driving Conditions: Normal driving day, so spent about 40 minutes or so in the car.

My Experience: Wasn't really sure what to expect when the radio dial said 1st Wave, but then I heard The Psychedelic Furs, and I think I had it figured out. Sure enough, my response to each artist that came up was "Yup, I expected them to be here, too." Basically, Depeche Mode and everything that sounds like Depeche Mode. Or stuff my boss loves to listen to...kind of the alternative side of '80s music. Not quite what I'm used to, but still enjoyable.

Sample Playlist:

• The Psychedelic Furs, Love My Way
• Depeche Mode, Flexible
• Billy Idol, Catch My Fall
• Tears for Fears, Shout
• Simple Minds, Glittering Prize
• The Clash, This is Radio Clash
  

Verdict: All in all, as I said above, enjoyable. While I likely wouldn't listen to this regularly, it was still entertaining enough that I bookmarked it and will listen to it on occasion.

Day 21: Alt Nation

According to Sirius: The latest alternative rock releases and the best alt-rock of the '90s

Driving Circumstances: Spent quite a bit of time with Alt Nation, considering that I started listening to it this past Thursday (my birthday), and now it's Sunday.

My Experience: Well, I knew Alt Nation well, as one of the few stations I listened to on a regular basis. For some reason, though, I had thought it was Channel 22, not Channel 21. So, as I turned the dial on my birthday, I was pleasantly surprised to find a station I was very much looking forward to spending some time with. It did suffer, though, from the same affliction as stations like Sirius Hits 1, where the songs begin to seem to repeat themselves. I think over the course of the four days I had this on, I heard Lily Allen's song LDN about four times.

Sample Playlist:

• Plain White T's, Hey There Delilah
• Shiny Toy Guns, Le Disko
• Interpol, The Heinrich Maneuver
• The Fratellis, Chelsea Dagger
• Fall Out Boy, Thanks for the Memories
• The Postal Service, Such Great Heights

Verdict: Definitely added this back into my list of bookmarked favorites. It's here that I usually track down new music that I haven't heard before, and it keeps me current as to what the kids are listening to these days (and now that I'm another year older, that phrase isn't as cute and ironic as I mean it to be).