The College Times article -- Pandora.com Killed the Radio Star

Headline: “Pandora.com killed the radio star”

Sub-Head: You’ll never touch your FM radio again once you experience Pandora.com.

By Josh Titus

Life Writer

Let’s pretend music has DNA. Every band you know has a genetic make-up that makes it who it is (and what it sounds like). And just like people, we all have similarities and differences. For instance, a band such as Incubus consists of genes like hard rock roots, mild rhythmic syncopation, extensive vamping, major key tonality, and political lyrics. And like Incubus, the band Radiohead has similar genes of major key tonality, subtle use of vocal harmony, and melodic songwriting. But unlike Incubus, the singer Britney Spears possesses a genetic composition of pop rock qualities, danceable grooves, minor key tonality, a breathy female vocalist, erotic lyrics, and repetitive melodic phrases. Now if only someone understood that music was as complex as the same DNA that makes us unique. Well in 2000, someone did.

In 2000, Tim Westergren started the Music Genome Project and eventually Pandora.com. Pandora.com is a web site that offers free music euphoria. At Pandora.com, you type in a band’s name that you are into and it searches its huge database of music to find bands of similar qualities or similar DNA. Each of the hundreds of thousands of songs at Pandora.com are listened to and “hand-clicked” through over 400 musical attributes including melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, form, lyrics, and hundreds of other attributes. After typing in your band and enjoying the music, you have the pleasure to customize that particular station (with each new band you enter, you start a new station). The band you entered becomes the root of that station and with each song that the Music Genome Project deems similar, you have presidential power to sign it, veto it, or even pocket veto it. By giving the song a thumbs-up, you approve it and give Pandora.com the chance to find other songs comparable to the new one you like. By giving the song a thumbs-down, you kicked it out of the station for good. If you don’t do anything, Pandora.com puts it on the back burner and gives the song another chance later. Pandora.com is all about you- the music lover. They want you to be able to enjoy great music you already know and to find new bands that already fit your tastes. As UVSC student Jacob Russell, who spends 1 to 6 hours a day on the site, says, “Pandora.com makes for good sexy time.”

While Pandora.com is great and easy to use, it has things that can be disappointing. Freshman Stuart Buchanan-Jackson says, “The only I don’t like is that you can’t specifically play a certain song.” Due to copyright laws, it cannot play a specific song you are in the mood to hear. You are able to type in the song and hear songs similar and eventually hear the song you want, but never right away. For that reason Pandora.com was #3 behind music pay-sites iTunes and eMusic on Entertainment Weekly’s Best Music Websites. Another thing that bothers 19-year-old Jessica Hocker is “it can only skip 10 songs within an hour.” It is another copyright stipulation that restricts you from having “radio ADD” and flipping through songs too quickly. But even with these slight imperfections, Pandora.com made the list for Time magazine’s “Top 50 Web sites of 2006.” That is quite the achievement today with the Internet being as innovative as ever.

Aside from Pandora.com (my personal favorite), there are many other good Internet radio providers. Here are a few of the others that I think are worth listening to:

• http://last.fm- LastFM comes in at a very close second to Pandora.com. LastFM is arguably more comprehensive with its music selection, it keeps track of everything you listen to, and it allows you to save a personal play list.

• http://live365.com- Live365 is a huge directory of specific Internet radio genres.

• http://accuradio.com- An upcoming-and-coming internet radio.

• http://radiotime.com- A newer internet radio station with promise.

• http://musicovery.com- A very interesting way to see music. This site lets you decide the between the dark and positive, and the calm and energetic music. And then it graphs it out for you.

BYU student Devin Carroll said, “Internet radio is by far one of the best ways to discover new bands.” Everyone has agreed with that. Jacob Russell discovered Hot Chip’s “Over and Over,” Jessica Hocker found Gatsbys American Dream’s “The Giant’s Drink,” Stuart Buchanan-Jackson came across Rocky Votolato’s “Passing White Daises,” and I found Kings of Leon’s “On Call.” So say goodbye to your FM radio because after listening to the commercial-free and financially free Pandora.com, you will probably never go back.

Teaser: What do The Police and Ok Go have in common?

Pull quote: “…Pandora.com makes for good sexy time.” -UVSC student Jacob Russell

Skaters Don't Like Dr. Pepper

I was driving my friend Jessica to school today and as I was passing Liberty Square Apartments, I noticed something. There was a skater kid skating in the road. That's not a big deal at all, except he dragged out a big metal railing for him to grind on. It was laying in the middle of the street causing a 2 lane road to channel into a one lane road. It was causing congestion and if nothing else, it was dangerous. The railing is very low to the ground and it's hard to see. A big black SUV almost hit it because the skater kid was on the side of the road, out of sight, and the railing sort of blends in with the road.

The situation was not good and I took it upon myself to offer the kid a safer, more practical place to skate. In the middle of Liberty Square Apartments is an outdoor basketball court that no one uses. He would have tons of room, it would be out of everyone else's way and it would be safer. I drove up and said verbatim, "This is isn't the best place to do that. There's an empty basketball court in Liberty Square you can use."

Before I could finish that second sentence, he was saying, "I don't care. I don't care."

Disrespectful, little punk. I drove away and turned around. As I drove by him again he looked thirsty so I tossed him a Dr. Pepper. This is why I don't think skaters like Dr. Pepper very much because the disrepectful, little punk tried to throw it back to me. I was all the way down the road by the time he was able to find it under some car, but he threw it anyway and didn't get close at all. Maybe disrespectful, little punk skater kids aren't smart enough to know not to skate on busy streets AND to know not to try and throw Dr. Pepper cans back at generous people when they are 100 yards down the road.

I got back to work and called the Provo City Police. Maybe they can talk some sense into him.

Goodbye 2007....Hello 2008

This has been an excellent year and I'm going to list my reasons why:

*I went skydiving
*Moved from Columbia, South Carolina to Provo, Utah last January
* Learned to snowboard quite well at Sundance Ski Resort (well I can carve at least)
*Changed the oil in my car without my Dad's help
* Went to Las Vegas over the summer with Devin and Jacob
* Helped a friend get off a mountain after getting his jeep stuck up there for over a week (Dunn)
* Kept my makeout numbers lower than anyone in my house (Jacob, Devin, Tommy, and John)
* But now I have a cute girlfriend named Danna
* Lived in the Branbury Apartment Complex- it was good.
* Moved into a 6 Bedroom house
* Played in a flag football league and was undefeated during the season, but we lost in the playoffs.
* Some excellent movies came out: Juno, I am Legend, 300, Knocked Up, Grindhouse, Harry Potter, The Number 23, Hot Fuzz, Black Sheep, etc.
* I discovered some rad music: I got into Kings of Leon,
* And I made some rad new friends: TK, Stuart Jackson, Tommy Buchanon, Van Baker, Cole Christensen, John Patzold, Chelsea Cannon, Kelly Russell, Taylor, Jessi Polli, Nikki Saenz, Jenny Brinkeroff, Joe Hannah, Ken, Kevin, Travis Erbstoesser, Mary Gillrie, Melissa Terry, Nathan Shumway, Rob Skaggs, Tamara Whitecar, Teni, Craig Cheek, Glen Holt, Neils, Paige Jones, etc.
* I tore ligaments in my AC joint in my shoulder while snowboarding- it took 8 months to heal
* Had Thanksgiving dinner with my Uncle Adam's family near Cedar Breaks
* Wrote some songs on the guitar
* Got a job as a front desk agent at the Provo Marriott
* Have made good grades in school
* Helped convinced Jessica to move down to Provo from Rexburg, ID
* Began writing for The College Times
* Got promoted to Sales Administrative Assistant and got my own desk and business cards (lol)
* Learned what LQTM meant
* Discovered Daniel Tosh, Achmed the Terrorist, Cyanide and Happiness, Blogger,
* Got a Blackberry Pearl- very fun
* Did not get a speeding ticket all year!
* Went home only twice- August and December
* Had an array of roommates that I didn't know before- John Patzold, Carson, Ethan, and Van Baker (And one more but I can't remember his name).
* Cut my long hair at the end of the summer :(
* Learned what the "Gambler" was
* Learned the true meaning of "fletcher"
* Became very good friends with TK
* Drank a lot of Dr. Pepper than went 2 months without it, and then once again, drank a lot of Dr. Pepper
* Flew to Denver, CO to see Incubus at Red Rocks Amphitheater
* Bought a ton of furniture from work
* Bought a king size bed and bought bedding at Bed Bath and Beyond- one of the best things I've ever done!
* New Computer (I learned first-hand about viruses)
* Was hurt by 3 girls (Mary, Haley and Heather)
* Became best friends with Jessica
* Saw in concert: Mutemath (twice), Eisley, Straylight Run, LoveDrug, Sparta, Incubus, (Missed both of Rocky Votolato's shows- UGH), Wolfmother, etc.
* Was friends with Lindsey, then I wasn't, then I was and then I wasn't and now I am again
* Someone broke my side mirror while I was out of town
* Discovered Guitar Hero and it changed my life
* Went to Dillon Sevey's Baptism
* Went to a Real game - professional soccer
* Went wakeboarding
* Went to Nate Vevea and Courtney Brooks wedding (and met Mary)
* I thought I was going to marry Mary and that was a bust
* Jessia rolled her car 3 times coming back from Idaho
* Writer's Strike
* Called to be the Sunday School President in my ward
* Won my company party's Pumpkin Contest
* went to some BYU football games including the rivalry game against Univ. of Utah
* Tommy played a mean prank on me
* I played a mean prank on all my friends that I got engaged.
* I have been home off my mission for over two years now