It is after a release, and therefore it is time to break stuff:
As promised, emms-streams.el has been re-written. The new implementation is drastically simplified and straightforward. One might even call it "streamlined". The rewrite removes the original Yet Another Specialized Mode, and replaces it with a simple Emms playlist. The next step will be to make the proper stream names display as the track names, instead of simply the url of the playlist. After that, re-visiting getting real-time info on the track being played on the stream (a moving target, to be sure.) As for the built-in list of stations, streams that didn't play with mplayer, vlc, or mpv where removed, as well as one stream which played a commercial every time I loaded it. The manual has been updated as well. -- "Cut your own wood and it will warm you twice"
