Confession: I’m addicted to internet radio.

It started innocently enough a handful of years ago when cable internet became available in my area. I started streaming stations that were just out of my antenna’s reach — maybe something in Lansing or Saginaw.

Somewhere along the lines (I don’t even remember when), I stopped listening to local commercial radio all together. I don’t know if there was any “tipping point,” so to speak, but it’s safe to say that in the last five years (at least) I all but abandoned the traditional airwaves in favor of the fiber-optic cables and magical tubes called “the internets” where one’s ears can feast on a smorgasbord or musical flavors they’d have otherwise never heard before.

A while back I shared a few of my favorite music podcasts that I listened to while driving, so I thought I’d share with you my other audio addiction — SomaFM. I don’t remember how or when I found it, but for the past 4 years or so it’s been such a constant in my life I can’t honestly imagine life without it.

SomaFM is a completely listener-supported, commercial-free radio station that broadcasts from a warehouse in San Francisco. They don’t really play “mainstream” music, but instead have a multitude of channels and formats to fit your every mood. If I could afford to send them some money right now I would, but I can’t so instead I thought I’d give them this shout-out.

Need to chill out after a long day? Try tuning into Drone Zone (“Served best chilled, safe with most medications. Atmospheric textures with minimal beats.”) or Beat Blender (“A late night blend of deep-house and downtempo chill.”)

Feeling kinda goth? Tune into Doomed (“Dark music for tortured souls.”).

In the mood for some Indian world beats? How about some eclectic jazz? Feeling kinda spacey? You could listen to either Space Station or Mission Control (“Live and historic NASA mission audio mixed with electronic ambient” – totally awesome concept).

Seriously, there’s something for everybody. Personally my favorites are their alt-country station Boot Liquor (“Americana roots music with a bit of attitude. For Cowhands, Cowpokes and Cowtippers.”), Digitalis (“Digitally affected analog rock to calm the agitated heart.”), and Illinois Street Lounge (“Classic bachelor pad, playful exotica and vintage music of tomorrow.”), but my favorites change every day. This is the perfect kind of stuff to have on in the background while you’re trying to get some work done.

Heck, they’ve even got a station called Secret Agent (“The soundtrack for your stylish, mysterious, dangerous life.”) for those days when you want to feel like metro Detroit’s own Brandon Chesnutt.

So give SomaFM and all their different flavors of sound a try and let me know how you like it in the comments. Do you have any of your own favorite internet radio stations? Please share with the rest of the class!

You can also follow @SomaFM on Twitter and fan them on Facebook.