The web can get messy fast; it’s almost too easy to launch new connections.
If your iPod feels a little stale, Discovr might be a good way to freshen it up. Enter the name of any artist and their icon appears, surrounded by icons of six similar bands. Double-tap an icon to learn more about that artist; to spawn more bubbles of more artists, a single-tap will do (and honestly, that seems backwards -- we’d like it the other way around).
Each artist’s entry offers sound samples, YouTube videos, online reviews, biographical data (apparently pulled from last.fm), relevant blogs (though often not relevant enough -- mainly a few lyric posts), and links to MySpace, Last.fm and, of course, the iTunes Store.
Artist pages offer direct links to YouTube, plus song samples and (sometimes sketchy) bio information.
It’s fun and easy to get lost in the web of artist bubbles, and you’ll definitely find a few things to your liking -- but the accuracy of the information is a bit off. The biography of the Beatles, for instance, mistakenly talks only about their early compatriot Tony Sheridan, while Queen’s bio says only that they’re a band that has worked with George Michael.
Go ahead – try an obscure band. It’s kind of hard to stump.
The bottom line. It’s still a fun visual way to explore your musical tastes, but until the informational end gets more accurate, follow Discovr’s cues, but not its overviews.
iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 4.2 or later
Fun to browse. Artist connections feel natural and logical. Universal app.
Bios are incomplete. Links to blogs are not all that useful. Easy to clutter the screen.
