EMI launch their Last FM type site

PaidContent seem a little surprised by the launch of the new EMI.com site, although since Terra Firma had been talking about it months ago it's hard to see why.

This is the replacement of the old corporate site with a new corporate site that at least tries to sell music and offers a rudimentary 'if you like this, you'll like that' search engine, which really is a bit of a hoot.

Try telling it you like the Dead Kennedys, and it suggests you check out Ivar Ruste, HM Royal Marines and, erm, Johnny Cash before going "oh, and maybe some punks."

Like the Field Mice? EMI know who they are, but can't think of anyone quite like them.

Tell the system you're fond of Nanci Griffith, and it figures you're going to dig Dion and The Belmonts and, surprising, Racey.

Still, it's early days. The basic idea of the site - which promotes and sells music direct - isn't a bad one, and had EMI launched this ten years ago they might not be desperately scrabbling round trying to refinance eye-watering debt. But viewed from 2008, it's puzzling to watch a company pouring cash into trying to create a walled garden which apes social networking sites without any genuine attempt to create links with the web off EMI 2.0. Other sites do this sort of thing better, without the constraints of only featuring employees of one company. It's too little, too late.