Pandora Radio Leads The Best New Music-Related iPhone Apps

Today is a big day for fans of tiny gadgets that do big things, as Apple rolls out the new, speedier iPhone 3G. But perhaps the bigger news is the host of applications available in the new software update. The new toys include a bunch of games, news, sports and organizational tools, but the slate of music-related tools is pretty impressive. Most notable is the iPhone version of Pandora, the customizable Internet radio site that caters stations to your favorite bands. The Pandora app (available free via iTunes) lets users import their already-existing Pandora stations or create fresh ones for their phone. Though it'll be a burden on our battery, Rock Daily is now excited it can take its Guns n' Roses station with it wherever it goes.

The greatness doesn't stop there. Other iTunes apps for music fans include Midomi (which will allow users to figure out what songs are playing in those Cadillac commercials by either singing a bit into their phone or holding the iPhone up to a speaker playing the song), Guitar Toolkit (a guitar tuner that also stocks chord maps) and a plug-in that turns your iPhone into a remote that lets you wirelessly control iTunes and Apple TV. Most of these are also compatible with the iPod Touch and are available free of charge. For more, visit the iPhone site.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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