Meet Last.fm

I've always been interested in music. In high school I taped songs off the radio for my mixes. When I got to college, countless friends turned me on to new genres of music and filled in the gaps of my musical education. Nowadays, as a twenty-something librarian, I track my listening via Last.fm, a free and comprehensive music service.

One of my favorite features of Last.fm is the different radio stations it generates. Subscribers get certain perks, but anyone who creates an account can listen to a stream of music they've previously played (My Library), or listen to music people with similar tastes like (Neighbourhood). My favorite, however, is the Recommendations station. Based on the music you've been listening to recently, the radio service streams all sorts of artists deemed similar. I still love chatting with my friends about what albums they've picked up lately or if there's something new they think I'd dig, but the Recommendations radio has introduced me to so much music I would have never encountered—and I've passed on new favorites to my old friends.

Here's three tracks I just enjoyed this evening.

Tyvek - Needles Drop

Lo-fi may sound simple, but it ain't easy. A band like Tyvek, though, makes you wonder why so many bands can't get it right. Take guitar. Add drum. Add singer. Listening to these songs is as easy and instantly fulfilling as PB&J.

Deastro - Parallelogram

Usually I'm not a fan of power pop. There's something too fatuous about the guitar lines and the straightforward lyrics. But when it's done right, I dig why so many people tune in. It's fun.

The crossing vocal lines and drumming in this one save it for me. Lose the headphones for this one. When you're at a music festival and your bottle of water's gone warm, you can use a little fun without the complexity.

Tycho - The Disconnect

This track takes the warm synth sounds from Boards of Canada and makes 6:10 you can listen to two or three times in a row. If you like to take drugs and put on some music, this one's for you. If you like to put on some music instead of taking drugs, come take a seat. With this lush soundscape, there's plenty of room to explore.