I have signed up with no less than 4 or 5 streaming radio services, and whenever I talk to any of my geek friends (especially the musician types), they mention a new one. All start out free, of course, and then offer premium plans to increase the quality or decrease the ads that inevitably come. Several incorporate a feature that I refer to as "computer DJ". You select or enter an artist or song name string in an input form, and the service builds a sterile stream of tunes that match your entry based on similar song characteristics. I'm still old school enough to appreciate when a DJ queues up a special mix of varied tunes. Slacker is bucking the trend of "computer DJ" repetition and monotony by employing the real thing--actual people working behind the scenes to create the magic that I'm talking about. The result is sometimes surprising and refreshing, and their varied content offerings make this service a real standout!
