Day 4; Post 4: Spreading Good Cheer.

Almost forgot to post today!

First things first, a great big "Happy Birthday" to my father-in-law! Jamie and I are sending all of our birthday wishes and love across the country today...

So, Jamie and I had been subscribers to XM Radio for a couple of years now. We enjoyed it and were regular listeners...until they were swallowed up by Sirius. Then it was downhill. Fewer stations, our favorites were not as good, the sound quality was worse, and they started charging for things that had been free. Needless to say, I had been on the lookout for an alternative for when our subscription ran out.

I never got into Pandora -- I didn't like all the limitations. When I sit down to work, I like to have music playing, but given all of the regular interruptions at work the music is usually playing to an empty office. Lo and behold, I would go through all the free hours of music within days. Or, I'd go through all of the skips. Too much pressure.

The time to renew our subscription was getting closer, and I thought I would be succumbing and continuing with Sirius, until one wonderful day, when I noticed an intriguing free app for my trusty Pre. I clicked the download button and I discovered Accuradio -- the greatest internet discovery since Netflix Watch Instantly. If you have never used this website before, consider it my gift to you on this, the dawn of the holiday season.

Free streaming of a huge selection of genres, almost commercial free (they have one every hour or so), skip as many songs as you like, ban certain artists, etc. Feel like listening to some of the newest Indie hits from the Nordic region? There is a whole station dedicated to it. Native American music? It's there!

And showtunes! A whole channel dedicated to showtunes! Not just that, there are 30+ subchannels within the showtunes channel that narrows it down even more by era, songwriter, tempo -- there is even a subchannel dedicated to just the overtures. The classical channel (and its 50+ subchannels) is even more impressive. So great. Jamie even approved of their indie music selection...at first scoffing at the thought of getting rid of his beloved XMU station on XM/Sirius. Then he saw the 30+ subchannels for INDIE music and his icy heart began to melt.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I still wasn't sure I was ready to get rid of the XM radio...only because at this time of year I am addicted to holiday music. It's a problem I have, and I know it's totally nerdy and irrational to listen to holiday music in November. But, I would listen to it in October if I could. (It just stretches out that warm fuzzy feeling I get around the holidays.) XM had a station dedicated just to holiday music that came on around Thanksgiving. There is was no beating that station come November.

Then, I saw that Accuradio had a Holiday Channel -- and they add more subchannels EVERY day. Granted, some of the channels are silly (i.e. the station that only played songs with the word "Jingle" in the title, or the station that only played different versions of "Silver Bells"), but when they added "Old-Fashioned Christmas" today I had little hearts in my eyes.

I hope it can bring you joy too.