Site of the Minute Profile- Shuffler.fm

During the past few years several great websites have popped up that change the way internet surfers discover new useful websites, and music listeners discover new music.  Today's post is a look at the first site I've found that does both simultaneously.  That's right, we are at the intersection of Pandora + Stumbleupon.  World, say hello to Shuffler.fm

Pandora:  This week happens to be the fifth birthday of Pandora.com, the home of the great music genome project.  Pandora revolutionized the way consumers listen to music.  Operating as a radio station where the listener does not have control over what songs will play next, the user interacts with the station to shape it over time so that familiar and new music fitting the listener's taste is delivered to their ears. 

Stumbleupon:  How does one discover new websites?  If you know what type of site you are looking for, a cursory google search can be great.  For the more adventurous soul, stumbleupon.com is the way to go.  Users of this site select a general category of site they are interested in finding (ex: music, ancient history, cyberculture) and the site delivers you to a random website withing your selected genre.  Users get to skip to a new site when desired, maximizing your control and ability to find new information fast.

Shuffler.fm:  Alas, meet Shuffler.fm.  This site is an absolute gem for music junkies with free time on their hands.  Shuffler is a hybrid of Pandora and Stumbleupon, delivering users new websites and music simultaneously.  The site works by categorizing music by genre.  Once the user selects a genre they are delivered to a random music blog and Shuffler streams a song mentioned on that blog.  Each time a song ends you are then delivered a new song and a new blog.  Of course, you can choose to bookmark blogs or stay at a site if you are really digging it.
The Shuffler project was launched on August 17, 2010 out of Amsterdam.  Already the site offers a wide array of genres to select from, including: hip-hop, indie rock, psychedelic, alt-country, funk, punk, dubstep, mashup, jazz and much much more.  Shuffler definitely requires the user to have time on their hands.  Unlike Pandora, you will want to be visually engaged with your streaming music as blogs are also being delivered.  I can't think of a better way to hear and learn about new music.  This site is particularly useful if you are interested in delving into a genre of music you aren't familiar with.  Give it a try and roll the dice- see what comes up on an eclectic channel like trip-hop, or even "Canadian" (wacky foreigners).