How Do You Discover New Music?

I don't think this one has been discussed before, but I'm interested in how people initially discovered the artists they like.

I do most of the things in the poll, but one of my favourite bands I discovered entirely by accident, owing to a printing error! According to the newspaper radio guide a gig by one band I quite liked was going to be broadcast on Radio One one night. Actually, they had the dates mixed up, and it was a gig by a completely different band. I tuned in expecting one band, and ended up falling in love with another one.

EDIT: Sorry, I meant to have a poll with this, but forgot to add one, because I'm rubbish. Is there any way of adding one now?

I find most of my music completely randomly. I get some from friends, but most I find when I use my stumble toolbar (where one of interests is set as music). Sometimes I will swing by last.fm, not because I am a member but just to sort of browse through the tags.

The funniest way choose music is purely based on how I feel about the band name. If it amuses me I will listen to it and then decide whether or not I like it :p

Movie soundtracks, friends, or myspace. Usually I browse myspace for new bands.

I mainly get new music from friends who recommend an album or link me a youtube video of a song. I also use last.fm religiously. It's shows you the music your "neighbours" (people who have similar musical taste) like. I'll often find music through soundtracks as well.

Myspace, Friends, youtube or spotify and ofcourse,
movie soundtracks.

I find out about artists when:

- friends recommend them
- I read about them in the music press
- artists I already like cite them as influences or collaborators, or I read somewhere that someone thinks they are similar to artists I like
- they crop up in my Amazon recommendations
- I hear them on radio stations/shows devoted to specific genres I like

I then check out these artists' work:

- on MySpace
- on Spotify (thanks, kittling!)
- on YouTube
- borrowing friends' CDs

Music, I can't live without it. And I find my music in many ways. Sometimes my friends make me listen some bands they like and sometimes I end up falling in love with the same bands. This was the case with Hammerfall and Sabaton. Sometimes I find the band names online, mostly on discussion forums and then I decide to check them up, mostly in youtube. This was the case with Abney Park, Emilie Autumn and Despair's Ray. Sometimes I listen to radio and they play awesome music. This is the way I found out that Green Day actually sounds good. Their song Peacemaker is a very, very good song. Tennessee Ernie Ford also sound very good.
Sometimes I borrow cd's from frinds or from libraries. And sometimes I just surf on youtube ;)

Usually come across stuff on the internet, but my new favourite source is this guy who works at this amazing local used cd/record store, every time I buy something he goes "oh! this is so great- have you heard of ______" and I say "no" and I go home and look it up on the internet, and then go "oh! this is so awesome!" This guy has never been wrong about guessing what I'd like yet. :rockon:

I subscribe to some podcasts that give you a new song every day or week and if I like the song I'll try to find some more stuff by that band/artist.
I also used to go to a lot of concerts and a few times I've fallen in love with the opening act (I found 2 of my all time favorite bands that way.)

I usually find new music on lastfm or youtube. Lastfm will give me recommendations based on what I've already listened to on there and youtube what with all the fan-videos I watch with music set to them. I also find new music from a few shows I watch and also, Voldemorts8thHorcrux is basically my music adviser on here. :rolleyes: :p

Um, I usually discover music thru the radio, vh1 channel on TV, or just thru word of mouth from other people.

I forgot lastfm!

Sometimes I borrow cd's from frinds or from libraries.

I'd forgotten the library, but yes, I borrow CDs from there, too. A big advantage, IMO, that borrowing from the library has over discovering music on the internet is that, because I have to pay a £1 fee to borrow a library CD and I know I only have 3 weeks to listen to it in, I tend to really listen to it, in order to get my money's worth. I can think of a couple of albums that I thought were just white noise when I first listened to them, but because I didn't want to waste my £1 fee, I made myself give them a 2nd, 3rd, 4th chance and they grew on me so much I ended up buying the CD.

By contrast, on the internet, because there's so much other music to choose from on sites like Spotify and YouTube and I can access it all for free, if I don't like something immediately the first time I listen to it, the temptation is to abandon it (sometimes only about halfway through the first track) and never give it another try.

I'd forgotten the library, but yes, I borrow CDs from there, too. A big advantage, IMO, that borrowing from the library has over discovering music on the internet is that, because I have to pay a £1 fee to borrow a library CD and I know I only have 3 weeks to listen to it in, I tend to really listen to it, in order to get my money's worth. I can think of a couple of albums that I thought were just white noise when I first listened to them, but because I didn't want to waste my £1 fee, I made myself give them a 2nd, 3rd, 4th chance and they grew on me so much I ended up buying the CD.

By contrast, on the internet, because there's so much other music to choose from on sites like Spotify and YouTube and I can access it all for free, if I don't like something immediately the first time I listen to it, the temptation is to abandon it (sometimes only about halfway through the first track) and never give it another try.

In Finland all the things you borrow from library is free. You only pay, if you return the material late. So I cannot completely agree with the really listening part. But I still listen the music more when I play it on cd. When the music cmes from the internet, it's more like a background noise for me.

And I agree, that internet makes the listening part s easy that if something don't stick to you with the first listening...you'll abandon it. And never give it another go.

I don't know anymore. I used to hear stuff on the radio but I never hear my kind of music anymore... then it was by word of mouth but none of my friends like my music anymore :lol: Recently I looked up Nuclear Blast Records on YouTube and found some new bands signed to the same label as some others I like- I'd recommend that method but now I'm out of ideas again :rolleyes:

Usually on the radio, from browsing iTunes (the Genius feature is really awesome, it recommends artists you might like by your previous purchases), and from friends with similar musical tastes.

Usually just by listening to the radio. I have Sirius Radio in my car, and whenever I have to go to school or something, I'll like to flip through the radio stations and see if anything catches my attention.

Youtube is a good way to check out random artists and Last.Fm has encouraged a couple of bands into my collection...and radio back in the day, and video channels are a good place too

Well...sometimes I will be sitting there...bored and then I'll remember a t-shirt, or something a friend was wearing, and look it up. (Which, by the way, is how I found Tokio Hotel. I LOVE YOU VIVI!).

But usually, on youtube, i will click on a video in the "Related Videos" box...just last night, I found this awesome band/person "the Rocket Summer"...he's amazing!!

Almost exclusively through friends. My friend all have excellent tastes :D And also last.fm radio, before they shut it down for poorer countries. That was how I found how great Amy Winehouse was.

Ooh yes, despite all the things she has done, Amy's music is awesome.

And also last.fm radio, before they shut it down for poorer countries.

That must be so frustrating. Can you get Spotify in Bulgaria?

Hmm... generally from the radio, sometimes on Youtube... movie soundtracks, friends. Those are mainly the avenues where I tend to find new music every now and then.

Not so much lately though :sigh:. Since a lot of today's music isn't that good...

I started out listening to the music that my parents liked, which included a lot of classic rock. Once I got into 6th grade I picked up saxophone, and pure curiosity helped me discover a ton of new artist's. My friends and I are all musicians to some extent so needless to say we always enjoy listening and finding new music of all different types.

Pandora also helps ;) lol

Well I have found much music in my brothers cd collection but now I usually find new music at lastfm. I also find a lot when i for example read about a band or artist and the text mention something about another band that often has something to do with the band im reading about. Then I check it up and it's often good.

I am constantly on the prowl for new music. I look for bands I don't know yet in many different places: music blogs, magazines (mostly NME), last.fm, forums, friends, the Hype Machine, ... There's loads of way of tracking down new or old previously unknown music.

One Tree Hill
That TV series has some of the best music I've heard on it!

Mostly I just browse on iTunes and on the web

I always seem to have a difficult time finding music but when I do its by random. Usually its by trying out new songs on youtube, and I might see another song title that catches my interest on the side and click on it.

Usually I hear about it from friends.. my best friend, who I'm with 80% of the time, tends to have wonderful taste in music and when I go over to her house she'll put on her Itunes.

I used to get alot of my music from Myspace, also, but then I stopped logging on.

Occasionally, I'll pop on over to Pandora.com, which is probably the most effecient way (in my opinion) to find new artists. I love how you can just type in an artist's name that you enjoy, and they'll give you a bunch of stuff that you may enjoy based on that genre of music.

Then there are times where I'll watch the music stations late at night, when they actually play music. I'll also check the Music Choice channels, and they often give me things to put on my iPOD.

But I think the most popular way I discover new music is just by going to local shows. I end up seeing a bunch of bands who I previously had never heard of, or never bothered to listening to, and based on their live performance I decide whether or not to check them out. It also helps to do this, because you discover which bands you should go and see again, and which bands just are not very good live. That's how I found out about A Day To Remember and The Sleeping, among many others. :)

Friends & music blogs mainly.. And then there're times when i'm just sniffing around, reading music books and checking out whatever is mentioned there. :)

Anyone actually listening to the radio??
I'm not. :P

Anyone actually listening to the radio??
I'm not. :P

Not mainstream network radio, no, but I occasionally listen to streamed radio shows dedicated to niche genres I quite like (e.g. folk, bhangra) on the internet.

Last.fm and friends recommendations mostly.

Usually on the radio, youtube, last.fm, and friend recommendations.

Not mainstream network radio, no, but I occasionally listen to streamed radio shows dedicated to niche genres I quite like (e.g. folk, bhangra) on the internet.


Right.

-hear about them from friends
-hear one of their songs on the radio, in a tv show, or in a movie and look them up
-recently I've been going to wikipedia and just pulling up lists of bands, scrolling through and trying stuff out. That's how I found We Are Scientists and Darkest of the Hillside Thickets.

Music presses, artists I like said something great about them, my parents, friends, they're in the same label an artist I like is in and WFMU radio. :)

I usually just listen to the radio.

Usually I listen to music on YouTube and they always have a list of videos that are "Recommended for You." Occasionally I click on them and I'm pleasantly surprised... sometimes. Also, I watch a lot of fan videos for Harry Potter and Disney Channel shows on YouTube, and those people use music and if I like it, I search it on YouTube to see if I like it enough to buy it. YouTube is such a good source! =P

I usually just listen to the radio.

I feel sorry for you.


I usually use youtube or itunes or look on Google for mixtapes. I like rap.

I get into alot of new artists through my dance studio, actually. My lyrical/jazz teacher has a very good taste in music, in my opinion, so whenever we perform to different artists and I happen to like the song, I go on websites like Grooveshark and look them up to see if I like anymore of their songs. That's how I got into Muse and A Fine Frenzy many years ago! :D

My friends recommended me differents artists too, and my mom tells me about a bunch of the oldies artists I listen to. She's the one who told me about Nirvana!

Listening to the radio and fanmade videos on You Tube
Well, when You Tube allows music in fanmade videos :no:

I use Last.fm (http://www.last.fm), which I would recommend to anyone interested in finding new music, as well as finding like-minded people. Last.fm is a website that tracks what you listen to on your computer and mp3 player, then gives you suggestions for new bands and other users with similar taste. It's really fantastic.

I usually listen to music I like on youtube. Then on the related videos I will click them and check the band out.

Or, I just type into goole "Black metal bands" or whatever type of genre band I am trying to find. I get the name and check them out.

....rarely is it by word of mouth.

Last.fm can be pretty useful if you look in the 'similar artists' part, though sometime they're totally off.

All the bands I've discovered recently have been side/old bands from musicians I like. I'm a big fan of all of Jeordie White's music (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, A Perfect Circle) and because I follow what he's doing, a few months ago I realised he had a sideband (Goon Moon) which I'm now quite in love with. Seems most musicians I like have some kind of second band these days.

Also a lot of the bands I like are signed to Nuclear Blast (record label) and I've discovered a few new bands by looking at their YouTube account. Not sure that'd work for most labels (Interscope etc) because they're a bit too broad, but for some it certainly would.

Last.fm can be pretty useful if you look in the 'similar artists' part, though sometime they're totally off.

:agree: Spotify also suggests "similar artists" and Amazon sometimes makes useful recommendations based on what you've already bought/browsed. It can be great if you like stuff popular enough to generate enough useful data or have taste which fits comfortably within typical generic boundaries.

The problem with all of these, though, is that if you like an obscure band that only about 3 other people like (e.g. Furniture), the "similar artists" will just be a list of what those 3 people like, even if it's nothing like the one band you have in common.

All the bands I've discovered recently have been side/old bands from musicians I like. I'm a big fan of all of Jeordie White's music (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, A Perfect Circle) and because I follow what he's doing, a few months ago I realised he had a sideband (Goon Moon) which I'm now quite in love with. Seems most musicians I like have some kind of second band these days.

Yes, I increasingly find myself playing that kind of musical treasure hunt these days. Or they guest on/produce another band/artist's work, and I check that out.

I often find that the same artist's name eerily keeps cropping up in connection with different artists I like, even if they're very different genres (e.g. I decided it might be a good idea to check out Joan As Police Woman when, within the space of a few days, I read that David Sylvian, who I really like, had guested on her last album and Rachel Unthank , who I also really like, and Joan are big mutual fans. Inevitably, I really liked her stuff)

:agree: Spotify also suggests "similar artists" and Amazon sometimes makes useful recommendations based on what you've already bought/browsed. It can be great if you like stuff popular enough to generate enough useful data or have taste which fits comfortably within typical generic boundaries.
Yep, I have that problem. I don't know what genre a lot of my music fits into so I can't just search a genre, and even still, I like a couple of alternative rock bands but find a large majority to be quite dull and wouldn't listen to them. Of course, that could just be me being picky.

The problem with all of these, though, is that if you like an obscure band that only about 3 other people like (e.g. Furniture), the "similar artists" will just be a list of what those 3 people like, even if it's nothing like the one band you have in common.

I find this on Last.fm even with more popular bands. I just clicked on my 'top 6 most listened to bands' to look at 'similar artists' and every so often I found one that fit but then most I just thought 'what the?' like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails (they sound nothing alike but share many common fans), A Perfect Circle and Tool (both bands have the same singer but I wouldn't say they sound the same at all), Deathstars and Dope Stars Inc (both 'gothic' bands but their music isn't similar at all)... seems a bit lazy to me, and very unhelpful. I think this has a lot to do with the difficulty in defining many bands, however.


I can't even remember how I came across most of the more obscure bands I like :shrug: Probably just more sidebands.

MTV or radio. ;)

I generally find new music through recs from people I actually know. If someone thinks I'll like something, I'll give it a try, and occasionally if I'm reading a fic and there is a recommended song to go with it I might give it a try. I've actually found several songs I like that way.

AOL Radio, Youtube, and forums.

AOL Radio has great stations that play a vast variety of artists. I hear something new everyday.

I search through the related videos on youtube vids I like to see if there's something I haven't heard yet.

Yep, I have that problem. I don't know what genre a lot of my music fits into so I can't just search a genre, and even still, I like a couple of alternative rock bands but find a large majority to be quite dull and wouldn't listen to them. Of course, that could just be me being picky.

No, I don't think so! (Or, at least, if you are picky, it's in a good sense). I also find that the artists I really like have a special something I can't describe and that most of the other artists working in the same genre just do nothing for me.

Another thing I find is that the more people are into a genre, the more discriminating they are and the more specific their requirements. I've got a friend who, like me, is very into New Folk (in fact, she was the one who converted me) and we have more arguments about folk artists than we do about genres we like less - she can't see what I see in Eliza Carthy, I can't see what she sees in Seth Lakeman, and yet to someone who doesn't know the genre, their music probably sounds pretty much the same.

I find this on Last.fm even with more popular bands. I just clicked on my 'top 6 most listened to bands' to look at 'similar artists' and every so often I found one that fit but then most I just thought 'what the?' like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails (they sound nothing alike but share many common fans), A Perfect Circle and Tool (both bands have the same singer but I wouldn't say they sound the same at all), Deathstars and Dope Stars Inc (both 'gothic' bands but their music isn't similar at all)... seems a bit lazy to me, and very unhelpful. I think this has a lot to do with the difficulty in defining many bands, however.

Most of my Last.fm recommendations seem to fall into one of two categories: the Bleeding Obvious or the Utterly Bizarre!

I don't know that it's necessarily a problem of bands being difficult to define. I don't imagine there is a real human being thinking up these recommendations - I imagine they are computer-generated, based on the number of common fans.

Yeah, the last.fm methods of finding recommendations doesn't work all that well. For example Depeche Mode are very diverse - very. They've covered pretty much every popular genre. But almost all the artists last.fm lists as similar to them are the ones belonging to their eraliest niche - New Romantic and synthpop, and I'm not all that keen on those.

Also, I listen to a lot of jazz, but I'm kind of picky when it comes to that. Last.fm has no idea though and keeps recommending Frank Sinatra, who is nothing like Ella Fitzgerald or Chet Baker. :sigh:

Yeah, the last.fm methods of finding recommendations doesn't work all that well. For example Depeche Mode are very diverse - very. They've covered pretty much every popular genre. But almost all the artists last.fm lists as similar to them are the ones belonging to their eraliest niche - New Romantic and synthpop, and I'm not all that keen on those.

:agree: I've found that a lot of bands that emerged in the 80s and happened to use synths to some extent or another seem to get lumped together, even if they have little else in common.

And, yes, the fact that a band's style evolved over the years is rarely acknowledged in the recommendations.

As an aside, I would never have called Depeche Mode "New Romantic", even in their early days. There have been many arguments about what exactly that term means or whether "New Romantic music" existed at all, other than in the minds of marketing people, but to me, "New Romantic" bands were those who mixed the new synth technology with traditional guitar-based pop and tended to wear scarves, frilly shirts, pirate costumes and that kind of flamboyant, theatrical stuff. People like early Depeche Mode, who relied almost entirely on synths, and who dressed in black, were "futurists".

As an aside, I would never have called Depeche Mode "New Romantic", even in their early days. There have been many arguments about what exactly that term means or whether "New Romantic music" existed at all, other than in the minds of marketing people, but to me, "New Romantic" bands were those who mixed the new synth technology with traditional guitar-based pop and tended to wear scarves, frilly shirts, pirate costumes and that kind of flamboyant, theatrical stuff. People like early Depeche Mode, who relied almost entirely on synths, and who dressed in black, were "futurists".

I must admit I know little about this genre. I have just read about DM referred to as New Romantic when they first emerged. I know the band itself disagreed.

Am I weird and/or should just get out more, or does anyone else ever get a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer volume of music that is out there?

Some days I get really excited about discovering new music, but then there are days when there just don't seem enough hours in the day to properly listen to the artists I already know I love. And then there are days when I worry I could like absolutely anything if I listened to it enough times and with an open enough mind, and then i get scared, as I just don't have enough time/money to like everything!

For many years I got into the bad habit that I think a lot of over-25s get into, of stopping listening to any new music apart from new releases by a handful of bands I've liked since I was about 18. For the last 3 or so years, I've been really trying to get out of this habit, but sometimes I hardly know where to start with discovering new music or what to prioritise.

Should I concentrate on a couple of genres I like, or is that too narrow?

Should I prioritise playing catch-up with huge, seminal bands of the 90s and 00s, that everyone has heard of, where it's really embarrassing admitting I've never heard any of their songs, even though they might be bands I wouldn't particularly like?

If I do find a band I like, is it the best use of my time and resources to devour everything that band has done, their members' previous and/or side bands, and bands that are generally considered similar to that band, or would I be better off holding back, just listening to a bit of their stuff, and moving on to other stuff, in case there are a dozen bands out there I might like even more once I discovered them?

How many times do I have to listen to an album/song before I can definitely decide it's not for me (given that some things are very slow growers, and you can throw out a lot of good music if you listen to it once online and immediately reject it)?

Does anyone else wrestle with these questions, or do I just think too much?

Am I weird and/or should just get out more, or does anyone else ever get a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer volume of music that is out there?
Oh I feel like that sometimes too. Recently I went on a hunt to find some new music and must have listened to dozens of different bands in only a couple of days. What worried me the most is that Last.fm told me I'd love them all and my ears bled at all but two :shrug:

Some days I get really excited about discovering new music, but then there are days when there just don't seem enough hours in the day to properly listen to the artists I already know I love. And then there are days when I worry I could like absolutely anything if I listened to it enough times and with an open enough mind, and then i get scared, as I just don't have enough time/money to like everything!
:lol: You make it sound so dramatic! I know what you mean though.I've often thought that if I tried, I could expand my musical horizons, but quite frankly I don't want to or feel the need to.

For many years I got into the bad habit that I think a lot of over-25s get into, of stopping listening to any new music apart from new releases by a handful of bands I've liked since I was about 18. For the last 3 or so years, I've been really trying to get out of this habit, but sometimes I hardly know where to start with discovering new music or what to prioritise.
My (50 year old) mother is like that. The only way she'll listen to new music is if it's by a band she's always liked or if I force her to. But for her it's not so much that she doesn't want to listen to new music, it's that she doesn't know where to look which I think is true of, not so much over 25s but probably many over 40s.

Should I concentrate on a couple of genres I like, or is that too narrow?
Should I prioritise playing catch-up with huge, seminal bands of the 90s and 00s, that everyone has heard of, where it's really embarrassing admitting I've never heard any of their songs, even though they might be bands I wouldn't particularly like?
I don't think that's narrow, and I'm not familiar with any popular songs from the 00s unless they're ones you just couldn't escape (eg. JT's Sexy Back). I went clubbing with some friends on Halloween and I didn't recognise any of the songs until they played some terrible boybands from the 90s which I of course knew, having grown up in the 90s. I coudn't name a single top 40 hit from the past year though and would struggle with many at all from the '00s :shrug: I don't think it's a bad thing just listening to a few of your favourite genres. I think most people do it to an extent. You know what you like, why waste your time elsewhere unless someone has suggested you might like it?

If I do find a band I like, is it the best use of my time and resources to devour everything that band has done, their members' previous and/or side bands, and bands that are generally considered similar to that band, or would I be better off holding back, just listening to a bit of their stuff, and moving on to other stuff, in case there are a dozen bands out there I might like even more once I discovered them?
Well... that's what I do! Of say, my top three favourite bands, most of the members have side bands or have been in other bands so I checked out all of those and discovered almost a dozen new bands I liked. I think that's a very effective way of finding new music. I haven't had much success with finding bands 'similar' to artists I like, probably because I'm so fussy :lol: but that'd make sense as a reasonable place to start (for most people).
I'd definently recommend listening to old albums by bands you like though. I didn't start doing this until a couple of years ago and wow was I missing out!

How many times do I have to listen to an album/song before I can definitely decide it's not for me (given that some things are very slow growers, and you can throw out a lot of good music if you listen to it once online and immediately reject it)?
I think this depends on how much you want to like it, to an extent. For example, when one of my favourite bands releases an album I'll go out and buy it. Often I'll dislike it on the first few listens but after a while it grows on me. If it's a song from an artist/genre I generaly dislike I can usually tell within one or two listens if it's not going to mesh. Of course everyone is different but I think it really does come down to how much you want to like it.

Does anyone else wrestle with these questions, or do I just think too much?If you do, looks like I do too!

Oh I feel like that sometimes too. Recently I went on a hunt to find some new music and must have listened to dozens of different bands in only a couple of days. What worried me the most is that Last.fm told me I'd love them all and my ears bled at all but two :shrug:

:lol: You should see some of the stuff it tries to palm me off with.

My (50 year old) mother is like that. The only way she'll listen to new music is if it's by a band she's always liked or if I force her to. But for her it's not so much that she doesn't want to listen to new music, it's that she doesn't know where to look which I think is true of, not so much over 25s but probably many over 40s.

The internet has been fantastic for that. It's hard to comprehend how people found about about new music in the days when all we had to go on was network radio and word of mouth.

I don't think that's narrow, and I'm not familiar with any popular songs from the 00s unless they're ones you just couldn't escape (eg. JT's Sexy Back). I went clubbing with some friends on Halloween and I didn't recognise any of the songs until they played some terrible boybands from the 90s which I of course knew, having grown up in the 90s. I coudn't name a single top 40 hit from the past year though and would struggle with many at all from the '00s

:lol: Well, I was thinking more Oasis and Franz Ferdinand than NSync and the Pussycat Dolls, but I think they can wait.

Part of me has a kamikaze urge to bone up on every genre under the sun, even the ones I hate, just so I can wipe the supercilious smirk off the face of those muso bores who always annoy me at parties by treating me like I can't possibly know anything about music because I'm a girl. But, essentially, life's too short.

Well... that's what I do! Of say, my top three favourite bands, most of the members have side bands or have been in other bands so I checked out all of those and discovered almost a dozen new bands I liked.

I do that a lot, too, and it's great, but I'm a bit paranoid these guys will see my last.fm profile and think I'm an obsessive stalker!

I think this depends on how much you want to like it, to an extent. For example, when one of my favourite bands releases an album I'll go out and buy it. Often I'll dislike it on the first few listens but after a while it grows on me.

Yes, that's the same with me. It doesn't always work - sometimes I still don't like it - but I'm usually prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt and listen to it 10-20 times before I admit defeat. Whereas if I'm listening to a band I don't know on the internet, I tend to reject it after one or two listens if it's not doing it for me. It's not just wanting to like albums by people I like, it's a question of trust - if I know someone is a brilliant musician whose taste usually matches mine, if I don't get it immediately, I'll assume there's something I must have missed, because I know they're not talentless and I trust their taste more than my own.

If it's a song from an artist/genre I generaly dislike I can usually tell within one or two listens if it's not going to mesh

For me, it depends on the genre/type of arrangements. Very melody-dependent music, like a lot of mainstream pop, rock and traditional folk, I either like it or I don't. Stuff that's more dependent on rhythm and/or texture than melody can take me a lot longer, but if it grows on me, it really grows on me.

:lol: You should see some of the stuff it tries to palm me off with.
I've seriously beein insulted by some of Last.fm's suggestions :lol: If it were a person I'd have a few words...

The internet has been fantastic for that. It's hard to comprehend how people found about about new music in the days when all we had to go on was network radio and word of mouth.

Oh yes we're very fortunate. My (51 year old) father cannot understand how I can know so many bands :rolleyes: the only ones he listens to broke up well before I was born, or my music which he often has no choice to listen to lol. It wouldn't even occur to people like my parents to use something like Last.fm or YouTube to find new music. But also I think it's not as high on their priority list as it probably is for younger people.


:lol: Well, I was thinking more Oasis and Franz Ferdinand than NSync and the Pussycat Dolls, but I think they can wait.
Haha well, I'm a bit ashamed to say I'd probably recognise more of the latter, but not by choice.

I do that a lot, too, and it's great, but I'm a bit paranoid these guys will see my last.fm profile and think I'm an obsessive stalker!
:lol: Well, whenever I list my top 4 bands online, ANYWHERE they're always the same. All four bands had, at one point, one common musician. If he ever happens to stumble on my Last.fm, Facebook, DeviantART (I draw those bands quite a lot) etc he'll take out a restraining order.
It makes sense to look into side/old bands though. I mean, if they have common musicians chances are you wont mind them (or in my case become way too obsessive :rolleyes).


Yes, that's the same with me. It doesn't always work - sometimes I still don't like it - but I'm usually prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt and listen to it 10-20 times before I admit defeat.
Yeah same. If it's one of my favourite artists I will really try and like it and 99% of the time it pays off and I end up loving it. Although, one of my favourite bands used to be Muse, but afther their past two releases I can no longer listen to them. I tried so hard to like them, but no. Cant always win I guess.

Whereas if I'm listening to a band I don't know on the internet, I tend to reject it after one or two listens if it's not doing it for me. It's not just wanting to like albums by people I like, it's a question of trust - if I know someone is a brilliant musician whose taste usually matches mine, if I don't get it immediately, I'll assume there's something I must have missed, because I know they're not talentless and I trust their taste more than my own.
Very well said and I agree. You're more generous than I am, if I'm listening to a new band I'll generally listen to the first 30 seconds of half a dozen songs and if that doesn't catch me, I don't go back

It wouldn't even occur to people like my parents to use something like Last.fm or YouTube to find new music.

Yes, the day I realised I was probably having a mid-life crisis was when my 16-year-old niece asked my advice about how to get a Spotify account, instead of vice versa!

But also I think it's not as high on their priority list as it probably is for younger people.

:agree: I've really only got back into music since I moved out of London and started working from home, so have had more time at my disposal. For people with busy jobs, families etc, music inevitably slides further down the list.

:lol: Well, whenever I list my top 4 bands online, ANYWHERE they're always the same. All four bands had, at one point, one common musician. If he ever happens to stumble on my Last.fm, Facebook, DeviantART (I draw those bands quite a lot) etc he'll take out a restraining order.

:rotfl: You're probably all right - I'm assuming that all four bands are vaguely similar genres, right? So liking them all is pretty natural.

Whereas one of my favourite musicians has, in the course of a varied career, fronted a punk band, played slightly Johnny Marresque guitar in an 80s indie band, played keyboards and done mixing and programming for a band that plays electronically-programmed dance music, and has also accidentally picked up a Heavy Metal Grammy and a BBC Folk Award somewhere along the line for contributions he's made to albums by his friends. Having more than 2 of his bands in my top 6 does, inescapably, suggest that I just have a really weird fixation with him.

Another potentially fruitful (but in actuality somewhat hit-and-miss) source of bands that are new to me is exploring my favourite artists' influences. I'm often surprised by how many of the artists I like, even though they are very different from each other, cite the same people as influences (I often feel quite relieved at this - it makes my choices of favourites seem far less random and arbitrary. There is obviously a common link in there somewhere that draws me to these people). The two names that keep cropping up again and again when the bands I like discuss their own idols are Scott Walker and Can. I haven't explored Can yet, but can't say I've been that excited by Scott Walker. Maybe I just haven't heard enough yet, or maybe you had to live through that era to get it.

:agree: I've really only got back into music since I moved out of London and started working from home, so have had more time at my disposal. For people with busy jobs, families etc, music inevitably slides further down the list.
I hadn't thought of that. Younger people have more opportunity to listen to music. I usually listen to music in the car, constantly when I'm at home, when I'm at uni (obviously not in lectures :p)... pretty much any time I'm not talking to someone. Once I start working 9-5 this will, of course, change.

:rotfl: You're probably all right - I'm assuming that all four bands are vaguely similar genres, right? So liking them all is pretty natural.
Well kinda. They're all rock but one's industrial, one kinda traditional heavy rock, one gothic/punk and one alternative so they do vary somewhat.
I think something else about checking out a musician's side/old bands is hearing a different side of them. Recently I checked out the new sideband of a musician I like who used to be in one of my favourite band. He was the guitarist and as a solo artist he plays guitar. No singing or even bass I Think. Just guitar and drums. But before I listened to his solo project I had no idea what an astoundingly talented guitarist he was! I knew he was good, but not that good. Also I think a lot of musicians use sidebands to try out new things including differnet genres so it can give you a different perspective on genres in that sense.

Whereas one of my favourite musicians has, in the course of a varied career, fronted a punk band, played slightly Johnny Marresque guitar in an 80s indie band, played keyboards and done mixing and programming for a band that plays electronically-programmed dance music, and has also accidentally picked up a Heavy Metal Grammy and a BBC Folk Award somewhere along the line for contributions he's made to albums by his friends. Having more than 2 of his bands in my top 6 does, inescapably, suggest that I just have a really weird fixation with him.
No, I don't think so. Like I said above, my favourite musician is in all of my top four bands and each of them sound completely different. I think it's just that we see that a musician we like is in X-band and then we check them out when we may not have if that person wasn't part of it. My second favourite musician is/has been in 3 of my top 6 favourites. There's no chance I would have checked out his solo project if I didn't already like his work in other bands. I think it's just clever music-scouting :)

Another potentially fruitful (but in actuality somewhat hit-and-miss) source of bands that are new to me is exploring my favourite artists' influences.
I agree this is very much hit and miss. I haven't had much success with it but can see why it could potentially be a good place to start. I think, though, that most bands don't actually sound like their inspiration, they just get ideas from them. But that's just speculation.

I hadn't thought of that. Younger people have more opportunity to listen to music. I usually listen to music in the car, constantly when I'm at home, when I'm at uni (obviously not in lectures :p)... pretty much any time I'm not talking to someone. Once I start working 9-5 this will, of course, change.

Well, not necessarily - some people who are really passionate about music still seem to find time for it, whatever their age and responsibilities, which is fantastic. It has really shocked me, though, that my sister, who used to be completely obsessed with classic and prog rock and was a talented and enthusiastic guitarist, just seems to have let music go completely since she got married. Hasn't picked up a guitar in years and hardly ever listens to any music except classical.

I think something else about checking out a musician's side/old bands is hearing a different side of them. Recently I checked out the new sideband of a musician I like who used to be in one of my favourite band. He was the guitarist and as a solo artist he plays guitar. No singing or even bass I Think. Just guitar and drums. But before I listened to his solo project I had no idea what an astoundingly talented guitarist he was! I knew he was good, but not that good.

Yes - and I think changes in power balance in sidebands can often make a big difference e.g. if the band member who has had most of the creative control over the main band takes more of a back seat and lets one of the others take more of the decisions/do more of the writing, it can make for a whole different sound.

Also I think a lot of musicians use sidebands to try out new things including differnet genres so it can give you a different perspective on genres in that sense.

Definitely - it's led me into genres I wouldn't previously have touched with a bargepole and really blown my mind wide open.

No, I don't think so. Like I said above, my favourite musician is in all of my top four bands and each of them sound completely different. I think it's just that we see that a musician we like is in X-band and then we check them out when we may not have if that person wasn't part of it. My second favourite musician is/has been in 3 of my top 6 favourites. There's no chance I would have checked out his solo project if I didn't already like his work in other bands. I think it's just clever music-scouting :)

Thanks - you're making me feel much less like a creepy stalker!

I think, though, that most bands don't actually sound like their inspiration, they just get ideas from them.

True. And if they do actually sound a lot like their inspiration, it's usually a bad thing (e.g. I used to like Simply Red until I heard some of the soul and funk bands that inspired them and realised SR were just a watered down, pale imitation of their idols).

Thinking about it, I think the Scott Walker influence is probably there more in vocal style than songwriting or musical content. It's only very recently that it struck me that many of my favourite male vocalists sing in a very natural-sounding, deep, chocolatey baritone, like Walker, and that it is much more common in rock and pop for male singers to force themselves into the tenor or falsetto range, regardless of their natural pitch. I had honestly never noticed that before.

Well, not necessarily - some people who are really passionate about music still seem to find time for it, whatever their age and responsibilities, which is fantastic.
I guess it varies. I'm on my Summer holidays at the moment so have msot of the day to listen to music but then people like my parents are working 9-5 5 days a week so they have less opportunities (having said that my mum is going to see the B52s tomorrow :lol:). I think it's great that people stay in touch with music as they get older, I know I'll certainly try to.

Yes - and I think changes in power balance in sidebands can often make a big difference e.g. if the band member who has had most of the creative control over the main band takes more of a back seat and lets one of the others take more of the decisions/do more of the writing, it can make for a whole different sound.
Oh absolutely. My favourite musician, Jeordie White, started out as the bassist for Marilyn Manson and since then has played with Nine Inch Nails (whre nobody has creative control except Trent Reznor :lol:), A Perfect Circle and formed his own sideband (and then rejoined MM). While he was always the main musical force behind MM, in his sideband (Goon Moon) he writes all the music and lyrics and it couldn't be any more different from MM. It's really given him a chance to show what he can do, especially on guitar and singing (as he's known as a bassist) in a completely new genre, surrounded by different people.
My other favourite musician is also ex-Marilyn Manson, John 5 who played guitar. He's played with other bands since including Meat Loaf and Rob Zombie but in his sideband (strangely enough it's called John 5), he really shows what he's capable of- something that isn't/wasn't possible in the bands he's played in/is in.
These are just two examples I'm more than familiar with, I'm sure there are dozens across all genres.

Thanks - you're making me feel much less like a creepy stalker!

:lol: By turning the focus on me! Uh oh.

True. And if they do actually sound a lot like their inspiration, it's usually a bad thing (e.g. I used to like Simply Red until I heard some of the soul and funk bands that inspired them and realised SR were just a watered down, pale imitation of their idols).
I've been turned off bands for the same reason. Back when MySpace was big I'd instantly delete bands who messaged me saying "add us. We sound like x, y, z". If I wanted to listen to music sounding like x, y, z, I'd listen to THEM not an imitation.

Thinking about it, I think the Scott Walker influence is probably there more in vocal style than songwriting or musical content. It's only very recently that it struck me that many of my favourite male vocalists sing in a very natural-sounding, deep, chocolatey baritone, like Walker, and that it is much more common in rock and pop for male singers to force themselves into the tenor or falsetto range, regardless of their natural pitch. I had honestly never noticed that before.
Hmm I'll have to think about this. It's interesting you never noticed until now becaue I'm thinking about it now and don';t see any connection between the vocals I like (not to say there aren't any or ther have to be some) however, all the bands I like have very charasmatic frontmen which is what drew me to them in the first place.

I discover music by hearing it in movies or on the radio, and then I go to look it up on YouTube to find out who sings it.

I discover new music on Youtube or on the radio, but mostley its my sister who discovers new music and I just happen to like it...

me & my brother have quite similar tastes in music (although I'd never admit that to him :lol: ) and he buys the albums of bands that he likes so i end up "stealing" them, listening to them and if i like it, i put it on my iTunes. Only this week I've taken his 2 The Killers albums and his OneRepublic one :p

I tend to watch the music channels if i've got nothing else to do so i can find some new artists on them and I keep up-to date with the Charts, but they're usually full of RnB and i don't particularly like that genre.

I think TV and Movie soundtracks are good for finding some relatively unknown (to me at least) bands. Supporting acts at concerts are good as well because they tend to have similar music to who you're paying to see, although i haven't been to a concert in years, some of my friends have found good bands that way

Very rarely.. I hate the radio, it's such a wasteland of recycled garbage.
Some bands I've discovered through soundtracks, such as Evanescence or Killswitch Engage. Other bands I've discovered by way of comparison to those bands, like Lacuna Coil. Or just randomly, like Type O Negative; I sampled some songs via Usenet, loved them, so I bought the CDs.

Youtube, and the guy who works at the CD store in my favourite mall is a pretty good source as well.

Supporting acts at concerts are good as well because they tend to have similar music to who you're paying to see, although i haven't been to a concert in years, some of my friends have found good bands that way

I hope this is true elsewhere because it's not where I live. Whenever international acts tour here they'll pick an Australian support band to play for 20 minutes before the real bands and 99% of the time they're the wrong genre and completely awful (and get booed off stage).

For the kinds of music I like I've found radio is more or less useless (except one programme a week very late at night on one radio station). Radio really only seems to be relevant (for music) if you like very mainstream music, thesedays.

I hope this is true elsewhere because it's not where I live. Whenever international acts tour here they'll pick an Australian support band to play for 20 minutes before the real bands and 99% of the time they're the wrong genre and completely awful (and get booed off stage).

It's been a very long time since I saw a live show with a support act - probably because I don't like many popular artists, so they tend to do small venue, unsupported gigs.

I'm not particularly committed to any given genres, so it wouldn't bother me if the support act were a different genre to the act I'd come to see. I think it's interesting (and very brave!) when artists pick a band they are passionate about to support them, even if it is a wildly different genre, because it gives you a real insight into the main artist's taste (although I concede it's often not very nice for the support act, who tend to get bottled a lot). But I do think it's cheap and unfair on everyone concerned if the support act is just picked randomly or because the promoter is trying to skimp on the budget and can't be bothered to find a quality act.

For the kinds of music I like I've found radio is more or less useless (except one programme a week very late at night on one radio station). Radio really only seems to be relevant (for music) if you like very mainstream music, these days.

I totally agree with you re mainstream network radio.

However, as in so many other respects, the internet has been a great development - as you can listen to stations from anywhere in the world, not just the ones which are within a certain radius of where you live, and can often listen to them at a time that suits you, not when the show is actually broadcast, it's easy to find minority niche radio stations and programmes for just about any genre under the sun online. I've found that incredibly helpful.

I'm not particularly committed to any given genres, so it wouldn't bother me if the support act were a different genre to the act I'd come to see. I think it's interesting (and very brave!) when artists pick a band they are passionate about to support them, even if it is a wildly different genre, because it gives you a real insight into the main artist's taste (although I concede it's often not very nice for the support act, who tend to get bottled a lot).
I would agree for most genres, but generally not the kind of music I go and see. A few examples:
Marilyn Manson '07- the support band were an Aussie pop rock girl group called The Spazzys. They are widely considered to be one of the biggest jokes (not in a good way) in Australian music. In every state they got booed off stage, in one state the audience turned their backs on them. You don't give a girl pop group to a bunch of hardcore Manson fans. It has zero chance of ending well (we later found out it was a joke). Yes the audiences were rude the but band were ruder back. They insulted us and said some really horrible things thinking it'd be recieved with respect. Ugh they were horrible.

Deathstars '09- Familia are an Australian kinda... rockabilly act. Deathstars are Swedish goth rock. It was so wrong. They didn't get booed off stage, but nobody cared at all and basically ignored them.

Those are just two I remember off the top of my head. I think sometimes for the sake of it (here) promoters or touring acts try and find an Australian band just because a) they think they have to and it's cheap, b) the venue makes them. 9/10 nobody cares. It's sad but true and in the examples I gave above, someone stuffed up BIG time. Those are two occasions where the audience and the headliners deserved artists who fit their genre IMO.

Having said that, I went to see Slipknot in '08 and their Australian support act were outstanding and now I go to all their shows in my state :shrug: I really think that you can't stray too much out of the genre most of the time. You have to know what's appropriate.

^In both those examples, it does sound like very lazy promoters doing a bad job and the band not just being out-of-genre but also pants.

Yes, I accept that with very defined subcultures, it probably is wisest to play safe and pick an in-genre support act, or just not have a support band at all (I may be wrong, but my impression is that having a support act is getting less and less common these days. And sometimes bands only have support acts to try to disguise the fact that their own set is embarrassingly short.)

I do think, though, that sometimes the bands themselves aren't as confined by their genre as their fans are (I won't bore you with the details, but the example I'm thinking of was Transglobal Underground supporting Page and Plant on tour, at the invitation of Robert Plant, who's apparently about as big a TGU fan as I am. Predictably it did NOT go down at all well with the fans. And I promise I will talk about some other bands one day!).

Having said that, I can appreciate that part of the function of the support act is setting the right mood. I suppose if I went to a folk concert or a classical piano recital, I'm not sure I'd want to sit through a thrash metal act first :lol: Not necessarily because I don't like thrash metal, but because it wouldn't get you in the right frame of mind. So I very much see your point.

Anyway, I've wondered meanderingly off the topic....

My dad was a huge fan of the Beatles and introduced me to them. The other artists I like are ones I discovered in a variety of ways -- some I first heard on the radio or on TV and fell in love with, some I discovered when I heard them at fairs, stores, or other places, a couple were recommended to me by friends or teachers, and there are a few times when friends post music videos for artists they like on Facebook and get me hooked that way. :D

I dunno, I hear songs in a variety of ways. Sometimes through what people say online on forums, blogs, etc. A lot of the times, I hear new songs through television shows because, more often than not, the shows I watch play the kind of songs I like.

As of late, I've been listening to Pandora, a free app for the iPhone. I really like it because it's introduced me to loads of songs I like based on my music taste. True, a lot of the songs played I already know and like, but me liking them shows just how accurate the results are most of the time. This is something that, unfortunately, last.fm hasn't really succeeded with.

A few bands I've gotten into recently I've discovered as they've been support acts for bands I went to see. Also (can't remember if I've already suggested this in this thread) checking out the past bands of members of current bands you like, or their sideprojects. Lots of bands/artists work together to so chances are they'll be working with another band/artist who are similar to them. Works for me :D

I learn new music either from the radio or music channels. MOstly from the radio.

Radio!! It's the best way. :) I love radio. And I'm not a pop fan--radio has introduced me to Alternative rock and Metallica and classic rock...tons of things. I'd say about 60% of music I know is because of radio. The other 40% is from youtube and random exposures and growing up listening to certain things.

Youtube. I can confidently say, that all of my favorite bands/singers through the past and now I have discovered through Youtube. Besides Youtube, I use to watch a countdown program. Each week they would come out with a new one and I always listened to the rock countdown. There's also the radio.

Well I have 3 kids aged 18-21 so they are the main way that I discover new (well new to me) music.

The other main ways also apply - radio ( though I am a committed Radio5Live girl so not much chance when I control the dial), music channels and youtube. I've found some lovely music accompanying Harry Potter vids on youtube..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_u44Rf2cTk&feature=BFa&list=FLgHp-CbwdfHXue26eYly8fw&lf=mh_lolz

This is a good example of the above point!

I am browsing YouTube in search of new music clips and this way discover many amazing bands that are not that popular or known, including underground music, as I am not a big fan of mainstream.

I absolutely hate mainstream music- it makes me feel like Harry did when he thought Voldikins was possessing him. I discover new music by listening to Pandora-I listen to Owl City radio constantly, and now I listen to Panic! At The Disco, NeverShoutNever, All Time Lows, and Fall Out Boy.

lets see....i just go b y what is on the radio. if i like it, i like it, if i don't...well, i dont. my friend listens to country metal (Hank 3) and i got into that. sometimes i go on message boards and see what people listen to, and try them out.

The most regular methods of discovery for me would be via YouTube or specific threads on forums.

For the longest time it was the radio. Now it's usually through Youtube or by watching tv and checking out the songs used in the episode if I've never heard it before.

The radio and friends mostly. But youtube has been a good source too.