Web Spinners

            What happens when two of Seattle’s mainstays – music and technology – mingle?  The lovechild of this beautiful merger is called independent online radio, and it’s a true labor of love.  Musicians, collectors, DJs and techies are the minds behind Web radio, and these folks just plain dig music.  With low overhead, creative financing techniques and tons of artistic freedom, they can afford to take risks and offer a fresh set of features.  Michael Eastman, former RealNetworks sales exec, launched Chondo (Chondo.net) in August, playing the music of Africa and the African Diaspora and emphasizing urban modern sounds.  The service, $5.95 per month, offers commercial-free listening, artist and country profiles and translated lyrics (when available).  Oseao.com, headquartered in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and broadcasting since January 2000, is a hub for bands, DJs, labels and fans of dance music, blues, indie rock and reggae.  You can listen to live streams and archived shows for free and purchase tunes directly from annotated playlists.  SunTzu Sound – a local collective of DJs, producers and promoters – recently added a radio component to its Web site (suntzusound.com).  Each week the SunTzu crew lays down tracks for a new two-hour program.  Tune in for brokenbeat jams, future jazz, downtempo, hip-hop, deep house, soul and jazz.  Other excellent destinations for online music are KEXP (kexp.org – also available on the radio dial at 90.3 FM and 91.7 FM in the South) and Live365 (live365.com), both offering an eclectic catalogue of genres.  Now if only we could tune in to them all while driving and ease the boredom of the Seattle traffic jam.  Kate Kiely