Spotify - no Facebook required!

Look what HERC's daughter just bought - she let him take it for an extended test drive in the rolling hills and vineyards 
southeast of the Hideaway.

The verdict?  AWESOME!  HERC is literally green with envy.  And did you notice the color?  Spotify Green!  She sees it another way and has named the car "Kermie" - pronounced like Miss Piggy says it.  The car is almost three years old, a 2010 model, but peep this:

Less than 4,000 miles when she picked it up!  Nice!

<insert less than smooth SEGUE here>

Wanna know a poorly kept secret about Spotify?

HERC's preferred music source, Spotify, has quietly added an option to create and log in with email on their registration page here in America, following similar actions in other countries.  The Facebook-only requirement, instituted less than 60 days after Spotify came to users in America, has been a huge sore spot and fuel for criticism as well as a excuse reason for people not to try Spotify for the last year.  Maybe Spotify heard that and their exclusive agreement with Facebook has expired.  Maybe the bromance is over - some in the music industry have begun referring to Facebook as "Spotify's boyfriend".  Who knows?  It's best not to ask why, just get yourself a  FREE non-Facebook Spotify account and enjoy all the music you can.

see it full size HERE

If Spotify FREE  is not enough for you, there are two paid options with their features listed above.  FULL DISCLOSURE: HERC has been a Spotify Premium user for more than a year now and cannot recommend it high enough.  The only way he'll possibly enjoy it more is when he dives deeper into the cult of Mac and acquires an iPad and/or an iPhone 5.

AND Spotify Gift Cards are NOW available at Target.  HERC has seen them with his own two blue eyes.  They make excellent gifts for the music lovers in your life.

screen shot taken 09/02/12

Ah, but what to listen to when there are almost 24,000,000 tracks to choose from?  Type in a song or album title or an artist and just go where the music takes you.  

How to "Star" tracks or albums for later listening or playlist creation.  

Listen to Spotify Radio and every song you actively "Like" is automatically placed into a playlist for you, for later listening. 

Don't want to explore on your own?  HERC has provided you with thousands hundreds of playlists here at the Hideaway with many, many more on the way.  Spotify is adding tracks by the tens of thousands each day and thousands of music fans like you are adding thousands of playlists each day as well so relax, take a breath and dive in.   The water's fine.