You can find free streaming music many places online these days, but one of the most interesting new choices is Eclectic 24 from L.A. radio station KCRW. The station has long been regarded one of the most innovative radio stations, and with the rise of Internet streaming their programs have been available to anyone who can get online with a computer. But the station has now made it easier than ever to hear their distinctive mix of music with Eclectic 24.

The channel's name reflects the broad mix of music that can be heard on the stream, while giving a nod to KCRW's long-running flagship music program, Morning Becomes Eclectic. I've enjoyed listening to KCRW's novel music mix for almost a decade (going back to the days of trying to listen to the stream on a dial-up connection), but the problem I always had was trying to tune into a show I wanted to hear at the time it was streaming. 

KCRW has a number of different programs covering a wide range of musical styles, from alternative rock to R&B, house, electronica, and urban, and catching a particular show at the time it was broadcast from the West Coast was a problem. KCRW Eclectic 24 solves that dilemma by putting into one continuous stream a selection of music from the entire range of its music programs. 

You can listen to Eclectic 24 online at www.kcrw.com/music/eclectic24. The station has a number of features users have come to expect from streaming music sites, including:

* the ability to listen right on the home page or choose a pop-out player that runs independently

* the choice of listening through iTunes and other podcast players

* brief biographical information on the artists and links to their Web sites

* links to online stores where you can purchase the songs being played

* links to other KCRW programming, including live sessions recorded at the station

* at-a-glance details on recently played songs

 As the station's explanation aptly puts it, 

"KCRW's all-new, all-music channel blending the collected talents and tastes of all KCRW's DJs into a single voice streaming 24 hours a day. Always on, no time slots – just the best of KCRW whenever and wherever you want it."

In one hour yesterday I heard rock songs from Julian Plenti (a solo project by the singer/guitarist of Interpol) and the early-1990s FM radio favorite "Better Than Nothing" by Jennifer Trynin; Peter Tosh's reggae classic "Stepping Razor"; and French outfit Nouvelle Vague applying its folky treatment to The Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen."

Eclectic 24 is a great choice for music fans who like to hear a wide range of styles and forms of music, chosen by some of of the best DJs in the business.