KCRW launches Music Mine "discovery app" for iPad

Los Angeles-based radio station KCRW is, in my experience, one of the best ways in the entire world to discover new music and new artists. They've launched a free iOS app, Music Mine, to guide listeners throughout the world to those experiences.

The app displays up to 100 artists at a time, handpicked by the station’s world famous DJ staff, and updated daily in tandem with our on air playlists. Enjoy full shows by DJs, and explore individual artists that have the KCRW stamp of approval.  

This special format allows users who don’t have a lot of time to put together their own listening experience without being overwhelmed by options.  Listeners who want to delve into the world of each artist can find video, photos, blog posts and more, through a fun interactive interface designed specifically for the iPad. Fans who want a lean-back experience can simply tap KCRW’s 24-hour, all-music stream Eclectic24.

(...)The Music Mine was developed by Public Radio Exchange (PRX), and designed in collaboration with Roundarch, using The Echo Nest powerful music intelligence platform.

More: KCRW Music Mine -- Music discovery and exploration app for the iPad -- Free - KCRW.

• [Brainspore]

  I just learned that Nic Harcourt recently left KCRW. Xeni, how could you let that happen!? I thought you had some sway over there!

  • [petsounds]

    What are you talking about? Nic Harcourt was the worst thing to happen to Morning Becomes Eclectic and KCRW’s overall music program. He was an arrogant prick with bad taste in music. He left a while ago, and thank gods longtime KCRW DJ Jason Bentley has taken over. He has great taste, very humble, and makes MBE pleasant to listen to again.

    • [Brainspore]

      Hey, to each his own. I don’t live in L.A. anymore so I guess it’s none of my business, but Harcourt did introduce me to a lot of groups I like.

    • [Evan G.]

      I always preferred Chris Douridas to Nic Harcourt, but mostly because I think that Harcourt’s taste tended to range from female singer-songwriters to male singer-songwriters.

      My favorite KCRW DJ is one of the hardest for me to hear while he’s on the air–Eric J. Lawrence. Any DJ who plays a song by the Fall in every show is alright by me.

• [Rider]

  Because what the world needs is another music discovery app.

  • [mantooth]

    I agree. Once there is one of anything everyone should just stop trying. Are you sure this is the right website for you?

    More constructively, I tried this app and liked it. I thought it was neat to sample a track and then have the ability to go deeper into the artists catalog.

  • [Funstress]

    and snark!  we need more snark!

• [niktemadur]

  NIc Harcourt recently left KCRW.  So THAT’S why they jumbled the schedule recently.

  Ah yes, the KCRW apps, I’ve got the music one.  While the content is often excellent and the navigation is easy, it’s missing one very important thing:  an auto-resume function, for whenever a phone call comes through, or the 3G signal fades out and in.
  Surely I’m not the only one who drives with the phone connected to the car stereo’s aux jack;  auto-resume would allow one to maintain eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.  Until KCRW implements auto-resume, I gotta stick with TuneInRadio while on the road.
  Wow, this turned into an app store review, sorry.

  • [wrybread]

    If their app is using the default player class in iOS, it won’t have auto resume. Its kind of ridiculous that the default player doesn’t have this for the reason you mention, but alas. Maybe they’ll make their own player like TuneIn did, but its not trivial.All that said, awesome, I love me some KCRW Music Stream. Probably my favorite shoutcast online, and I maintain a database of community radio shoutcasts so check out a lot of them. My one criticism of them is that their content never varies much stylistically, so its easy to get sick of. But its pretty much my go to shoutcast if I have a few people over and just want to put on some tunes without thinking about it.

    • [niktemadur]

      Hey, I had no idea an auto-resume function could be such a complex issue, thanks for the info and the shoutcast links, steering the thread back towards music content.

      The irreplaceable element of the KCRW app is access to the audio archive, there’s nothing quite like, say, taking a walk at dusk on Wednesday with Mario Cotto’s show from the previous Saturday night.

      Currently there’s only a handful of stations on my bookmarks, check out KEXP (public radio from Seattle, http://www.kexp.org), Radio Nova from Paris and relayed all over France (http://www.novaplanet.com), and for edgier moods, try KFJC (public radio from the San Jose area, http://www.kfjc.org).

• [scifijazznik]

  Funny, because as much as I thought Nic Harcourt was an unbearable ponce, I really can’t stand Jason Bentley.  And don’t even get me started on Garth Trinidad.  There are only two reasons I tune in to KCRW anymore– Henry Rollins and Anne Litt. 

• [niktemadur]

  Here are the top five reasons why KCRW is part of my daily music diet, off the top of my head:
  Jeremy Sole; Mario Cotto; Dan Wilcox; Chuck P; Marion Hodges.

• [harvey the rabbit]

  Did Nic jump or was he pushed (http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/18/entertainment/la-et-nic-harcourt-20110618)?

  +1 for Henry Rollins.

  • [juepucta]

    Rollins during the last pledge drive was the most amazing thing ever. Completely cuckoo bananas, hilarious.

    -G.

• [juepucta]

  Harcourt is now doing his thing up in Northridge. Good station too. Also has an online stream, etc.

  NH might not have been in synch with everybody’s tastes but the reason KCRW is what it is out of the LA area and specially online today – is him.

  -G.

  • [Evan G.]

    KCRW was already well-established before Harcourt got there. I don’t know how much he had to do with their online expansion–maybe you know more about it than I do, but broadband wasn’t widely available before him, so he was the face–er, voice–of KCRW as they were expanding online because he was the host of their biggest show at that time. 

    Most things I’ve read say that KCRW’s ruthless advance–and really, the CRW meaning “college radio workshop” and no SMC student would ever be let onto the air–is all down to Ruth Seymour.

    And yes, KXLU FTW as well. 

    • [juepucta]

      You may be right.

      As to KXLU, it does kick ass. Their late night friday into saturday lineup is amazing.

      -G.

• [jkg]

  KXLU FTW!!!

• [djcarlito]

  Ive been a big fan of KCRW since way back when they used to stream their shows using clunky old Realplayer (back when Realplayer was one of the only options for streaming)  i really loved all the in-studio performances and guest dj turntablists they have had over the years (and offer in their archives) .. they’ve always been ahead of the curve.. great radio station!!
  We totally need to do something like this for our WRIR listeners too.

• [djcarlito]

  yes, i said clunky.. i watched too much Donna Reed as a child.