Whether or not you’re a music fanatic, we can all appreciate some good music from time to time. Websites such as www.last.fm.com, www.thesixtyone.com and www.dancingastronaut.com stray from the conventional way of searching and downloading songs, and allow users to discover and explore music in an intimate manner.

Last.fm

With over 40 million users, last.fm uses a personal music recommender called “Audioscrobbler” which searches for and compiles playlists of music called “radio stations.” “Radio stations” are based on several factors: users’ personal profiles, “musical neighbors” and songs marked as “loved.” Through these dynamic playlists, users can listen to uninterrupted audio streams of their favorite artists, and discover new artists at the same time. Last.fm also allows users to share their music profile and tastes through a playlist of recently played tracks, which can be posted on blogs, Myspace and forums.

thesixtyone

A lesser-known website, “thesixtyone,” truly lives up to its slogan, “a music adventure.” The website mainly promotes independent and underground artists, targeting an audience willing to push its music-intellect. All music is presented through entirely interactive multimedia.

When users first enter TheSixtyOne, the website directs itself to a random page and automatically begins streaming music. Each page focuses on only one song and is accompanied by a large background image of the artist. While the song plays, strips of text customized by the artist, which usually include artist information, quotes or lyrics, appear on the page. Don’t like the current song? A push of the arrow button loads an entirely new page and new song. Through TheSixtyOne, users can listen to and discover endless streams of good music.

Dancing Astronaut

“Dancing Astronaut” is a musical blog dedicated to “good dance music” which includes: House, Electro House, Progressive, Electro and Dubstep. Remixes and live tracks from Rave concerts are uploaded daily by both underground and mainstream DJs. Each song is accompanied by a graphic of the DJ, along with a short background about the artist. While some tracks can be downloaded for free, others can be purchased through iTunes.

Last Word
Good music is one thing, but discovering it is another. If you enjoy doing the latter and want to explore your music boundaries, starting off with these websites is perfect. Happy listening!