Finding New Music

I came into music in the late 90s. That means I heard Vanilla Ice before I heard David Bowie, and I was very confused as to why one would rip off the other. Through the magic of Nick at Night, I also heard The Monkees before I heard The Beatles. My radio consumption was limited to Top 40, so I grew up with a lot of strange ideas about what makes good music. Later in life I came to rely on friends far cooler than me to help me in finding new bands, riding their mixed CDs and eventually iPod playlists to decent music. Those friends have dispersed, and I'm found with no reliable means to discover talent. I don't think I even own a radio. I know that several online places exist where I can listen to and share music, but it's far too daunting to get involved. Instead I've just been wearing the grooves in my few Stones and Beatles albums deeper. It's like music stopped happening in the 1970s for me.