Radio dilemmas

When I came back from my study abroad semester in Russia, I realized how much I had missed Pandora. The interactive yet simple online radio offered me all the music I had forgotten and helped me find some new performers matching my taste. But now I find myself bored with Pandora's suggestions and actively looking for alternative music Web sites, streaming live radio stations and podcasts.

Most of my friends use Pandora or Last.fm for background music while studying, cleaning and yes, even partying. These Web sites are indeed an indispensable part of the student life I know. The opportunity to create personalized radio stations was immediately heralded with excitement and enthusiasm.

However, I recently realized that Pandora was somewhat limiting my music experience. I am already 99 percent familiar with the songs I listen to and even though I create new stations and mix play lists, I still end up listening to Silence by Delerium at least five times a day. I discussed this with a couple of friends, users of Pandora and Last.fm, and they admitted that they sometimes also feel limited to certain genres and musicians.

Naturally, one can go beyond these two Web pages to look for further music explorations. For instance, some great online tools are Songza, imeem and Musicovery. But will one ever feel the element of surprise the traditional radio can bring?