Some backstory: Pandora is an offshoot of the Music Genome Project, which was formed in 2000. The initial idea was that the characteristics of individual songs could be described and encoded. Pandora takes this pool of information and turns into a recommendation service and streaming music service. The first 10 hours are free, it never plays commercials and then it's $36 US dollars a year.

So instead of reading music magazines, hanging around obscure punk stores and so forth, I can sit at the end of a broadband connection and use the recommendation system. You start the process by creating a station based on a track or an artist. Create 'A Certain Ratio Radio' and the service throws up a track by Cybotron -- on the basis that they share 'prevalent use of groove, trippy soundscapes and many other similarities identified in the Music Genome Project'. Ahem.

It is a little hit and miss, but then taste in music is very individual. Seeding with the Cocteau Twins and Lali Puna results in drivel. 'Two Lone Swordsmen Radio' throws up some cool stuff like To Rococo Rot, only occasionally veering into Ninja Tune cheese.

So far, putting in the band Numbers produces the best results. I get to hear bands for the first time like Asobi Seksu, Melt Banana, Deerhoof and The Organ.

Best of all, it then begins serving up classic tracks by The Fall & Talking Heads.

Whoops. Back to square one again...