I've created 11 stations, so far, trying for a very distinct sound in each case, and with some mixed results:
Setting up a Flamenco-oriented station turned out to be pretty straightforward, as it's a highly distinct musical style, and providing "seeds" like Ojos de Brujo and Carmen Linares achieved the desired result very rapidly.
My Ska station certainly works like a charm, but that may be a function of the sheer number of seeds I included: the Specials, the English Beat, Bim Skala Bim, many others. Of course, some of what turns up is just plain reggae, or ska-punk, but that's OK with me. That's about the degree of variability I was looking for.
Designing an old-time, Cuban station (seeds: Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Omara Portuando, etc) also worked OK. It drew in some non-Cuban stuff (Latin Jazz & salsa), some Cuban country, but it's all ... sonically congruent, so far.
Setting up a station oriented around Los Lobos proved much more complicated, as their music covers styles ranging from Mexican folk ("La Pistola y El Corazón") to lots of roots rock ("A Matter of Time") to just a smattering of alternative ("Kitate", "Buddy Ebsen Loves the Night"). I ultimately settled on a kind of "Roots Rock" theme that captures the bulk of their work and a lot of Anglo bands with similar styles.
I created a decent D.I.Y. punk station (seeds: the Clash, the Jam, the Mekons, Iggy Pop, the Gang of Four, the Damned) although some of the stuff that's turned up is just bizarre: Indigo Girls? They Might Be Giants? Not here, thanks!
Similarly, a station structured around the Pogues mostly works, turning up Shane McGowan (solo), the Clumsy Lovers, the Tossers, Oysterband, the Levellers, & Flogging Molly. But the Beatles? The Smiths? The Hooters ...?!
Finding a folk mix that I can live with has proven the hardest, perhaps because my tastes are very subjective and don't necessarily map onto the criteria Pandora is using in the MGP. Basically, I like literate, sharp folk acts like Martin Carthy & Eliza Carthy, but can't abide the cloying, sentimental stuff satirized in "A Mighty Wind." Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Cordelia's Dad, and Brass Monkeys work. But Peter, Paul, & Mary is really, really not what I'm looking for. Neither are Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Bok, or Peter Seegar, to be honest.
But I guess it's fix-able (by adding more seeds, more thumbs-ups & thumbs-downs), and worthwhile for the new discoveries that you make.
Re: Thank you
I've created 11 stations, so far, trying for a very distinct sound in each case, and with some mixed results:
Setting up a Flamenco-oriented station turned out to be pretty straightforward, as it's a highly distinct musical style, and providing "seeds" like Ojos de Brujo and Carmen Linares achieved the desired result very rapidly.
My Ska station certainly works like a charm, but that may be a function of the sheer number of seeds I included: the Specials, the English Beat, Bim Skala Bim, many others. Of course, some of what turns up is just plain reggae, or ska-punk, but that's OK with me. That's about the degree of variability I was looking for.
Designing an old-time, Cuban station (seeds: Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Omara Portuando, etc) also worked OK. It drew in some non-Cuban stuff (Latin Jazz & salsa), some Cuban country, but it's all ... sonically congruent, so far.
Setting up a station oriented around Los Lobos proved much more complicated, as their music covers styles ranging from Mexican folk ("La Pistola y El Corazón") to lots of roots rock ("A Matter of Time") to just a smattering of alternative ("Kitate", "Buddy Ebsen Loves the Night"). I ultimately settled on a kind of "Roots Rock" theme that captures the bulk of their work and a lot of Anglo bands with similar styles.
I created a decent D.I.Y. punk station (seeds: the Clash, the Jam, the Mekons, Iggy Pop, the Gang of Four, the Damned) although some of the stuff that's turned up is just bizarre: Indigo Girls? They Might Be Giants? Not here, thanks!
Similarly, a station structured around the Pogues mostly works, turning up Shane McGowan (solo), the Clumsy Lovers, the Tossers, Oysterband, the Levellers, & Flogging Molly. But the Beatles? The Smiths? The Hooters ...?!
Finding a folk mix that I can live with has proven the hardest, perhaps because my tastes are very subjective and don't necessarily map onto the criteria Pandora is using in the MGP. Basically, I like literate, sharp folk acts like Martin Carthy & Eliza Carthy, but can't abide the cloying, sentimental stuff satirized in "A Mighty Wind." Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Cordelia's Dad, and Brass Monkeys work. But Peter, Paul, & Mary is really, really not what I'm looking for. Neither are Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Bok, or Peter Seegar, to be honest.
But I guess it's fix-able (by adding more seeds, more thumbs-ups & thumbs-downs), and worthwhile for the new discoveries that you make.