Last.FM on 360 Rocks Out in System Debut

20061164 last fmHaving Last.FM on your Xbox 360 is another reason to never shut Microsoft’s system off. Being able to stream music in addition to all the other things the system can do is a huge plus that definitely adds venerability to an already strong system.

However, the new program isn’t perfect, as there is no option to listen to tunes while playing games. Had this feature been implemented, the end result would have been phenomenal.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue with an ability to stream millions of songs straight from your 360, and for free.

For those unfamiliar with the service, Last.FM is no different from many other online music streaming services, such as Pandora that have taken the web by storm over the past few years. It all starts with the user writing an artist or song that they like on the main screen to serve as their “station.” After that, the service will play songs that are similar to that. Just like the radio, the possibilities as to what you will hear are pretty random, but will always stay within the style you initially input.

How intelligent the service can be is what makes it so enjoyable. For instance, if you wrote in a band like Blessid Union of Souls for your station choice, you’d not only get a chance to listen to some of their tunes, but even some by bigger named bands like the Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, you’d hear some great sleeper bands like Better Than Ezra and the Pat McGee Band as well. This ability to throw in so many different acts, that all encompass the same style, make it uber easy to fall in love with awesome music you’ve missed over the years

If you’re looking for quality easy listening with very little repetition, this is obviously not a bad situation to be in.

During the music, the screen rotates pictures of the band playing and when that isn’t available, a blank Last.FM screen will hold its course for the duration of the song. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing thing around, but you won’t be looking at the screen while listening to the music anyway. Other features include a favorite button, which allows you to help the service pick the right type of music for you. For an added fee, three dollars a month, you’ll have access to those songs on a whim, making the service even more attractive. On the other side of things, there’s also a button to avoid a song, giving you more control over what you hear, the more you use the program.

Overall, it’s a music lovers fantasy that makes the 360 an even more well-rounded package.

With a few updates, it can be even better however and become a staple in the 360 experience and much more than a fun add-on.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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