Critical Metrics

Streamed music picked by some mysterious robot may provide a soundtrack of stuff you don't hate, but probably won't find you a new favorite lip-biting, metal-face jam. Get automatic, expert-driven aural pleasurings with Critical Metrics.Part music review aggregator, part streaming audio player, Critical Metrics sifts daily through the opinions of 1200 taste-makers (and counting) to formulate a ranked "best of" playlist of the songs currently setting the music nerd world on fire. The site's MySpace-esque standalone player lets you listen to all the tunes in their entirety, save those from draconian record companies run by finger-steepling villains. Each track's accompanied by rollover mini-reviews from mags (Blender and Rolling Stone), rags (the New York Times and the Washington Post), and sites (Stereogum and Pitchfork) -- helping you safely differentiate the Knifes from the Nickelbacks.Since streams are useless on-the-go, CM includes direct "buy" links to iTunes or Rhapsody -- so no matter where you are, you'll be ready to gleefully frighten children with your spastic, scrunch-faced air-guitaring antics.