Where/how do you find new music?

[Ray 6701]

It's always nice when the dude at the record shop says 'These all for you? Not a bad one there, good choice', so thx folks

Any chance you can do a list of the albums please & also let us know how you get on with them 

[Deano]

The bottom one (Mogwai's Government Commissions, a selection of their various BBC sessions) has reminded me to book tickets for their show at the Sage in Gateshead in February.

The Pingus probably already know, but the tour includes a date in Aberdeen

[DrMekon]

If you aren't getting enough from last.fm searching for artists, use tags, neighbours, the station of the person who listens to the band you like the most, recommendations, etc. There is lots more to last.fm than just searching for an artists.

I used to use pitchfork, etc and still look through the boomkat weekly release list now and then.

[Mrs Pingu]

It's always nice when the dude at the record shop says 'These all for you? Not a bad one there, good choice', so thx folks

Any chance you can do a list of the albums please & also let us know how you get on with them  

Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise (really like this one after just 1 listen, it seems to have been used a lot on Five USA and for other background music)
The Antlers - Hospice
Neil Young - Le Noise (we already have an extensive NY collection. I'm not convinced by this one yet, despite being produced by Danial Lanois. It may be a 'grower' though.)
The National - High Violet
Them Crooked Vultures (bought cos we already have QOTSA)
The XX - xx
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Explosions In The Sky - How Strange, Innocence
British Sea Power - Open Season
Prefab Sprout - Music (I already have some PS)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Mogwai as Deano said

Anyway, only listened to the first one and the NY one so far. I shall report back in due course.....

[LindaG]

Thanks for the heads-up re: Tom Robinson.  I've downloaded the podcast.  Fabulous.  I was walking to the shop this morning with a big smile on my face, i-Pod attached, no doubt looking like a complete mentalist   

[Mrs Pingu]

The bottom one (Mogwai's Government Commissions, a selection of their various BBC sessions) has reminded me to book tickets for their show at the Sage in Gateshead in February.

The Pingus probably already know, but the tour includes a date in Aberdeen

I had already booked tickets on the back of what I heard on Amazon, for  a new experience if nothing else. I hadn't told Pingu who we were going to see, but he's worked it out now

[domesticated ape]

Hmm, Mrs P's music taste seems remarkably similar to mine (down to the old Goldfrapp but not new Goldfrapp).

To answer the original question, I find new music on radio (R&M, Radio 1 in the evenings), Spotify 'related artists' page, Metacritic.com (website that combines loads of album reviews into one score), and recommendations from friends.

My suggestions for new bands (not that they're really needed at the moment!) would be Band of Horses, The Shins, Band of Skulls, Guided by Voices, Built to Spill, Broken Bells, and Sparklehorse. Also if the Flaming Lips album you've heard wasn't Soft Bulletin then you should probably check that out, one of the best albums ever IMHO.

Now I'm off to find out about the Explosions In The Sky and Modest Mouse albums mentioned in this thread, as I hadn't heard about them before:)

Edit: just remembered that Glasvegas aren't on the list of bands I recommended, and should be!

[Pingu]

To return the favour: a band that hasn't been mentioned, Motorpsycho. I was introduced to them by Randy & MacBady during HBKH on my German holiday.

[nicknack]

Oh yes. Excellent band.

[Mrs Pingu]

Any chance you can do a list of the albums please & also let us know how you get on with them 

UPDATE

Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise. Still think this is excellent. 
The Antlers - Hospice. This is a bit of a weird subject matter, but I like it a lot. 
Neil Young - Le Noise. Only had 1 listen, too early to tell yet (see prev post)
The National - High Violet. Fantastic, I like this a lot 
Them Crooked Vultures. Way, way better than the last QOTSA album (which was crap IMO).
The XX - xx.  Still growing on me this one, but in a positive way. 
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown. Standard Kings' fare. Nothing new to see here.
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest. Really like this one too, it's also a bit different. 
Explosions In The Sky - How Strange, Innocence. Not listened to this yet for some reason.
British Sea Power - Open Season. Sorry, wasn't impressed by this at all, a bit 'meh' 
Prefab Sprout - Music (I already have some PS). I thought this was ghastly. Turned it off 3/4 of the way through, shame.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven. Good, if quiet. 
Mogwai as Deano said. Yes, I liked this one too. 

Next I'd like to investigate more Sufjan Stevens, Mogwai and (when our BB connection is less borked) find some Arcade Fire samples.

Other things I have enjoyed recently, enough to download even are:
Motorpsycho
Wild Swim (a bit electronica and a bloke with a very distintive voice, I suspect it's a love/loathe thing)
Bright Spark Destroyer &
Heliopause, all 3 from TR. 

[Deano]

I must say, I've never warmed to British Sea Power, for whatever reason.   And Prefab Sprout have always sounded over-produced and under-whelming to me, despite them being a local band.

If you're not blitzed out by new music yet, I had meant to recommend Wilco - as you mentioned a liking for earlier REM, they seem the sort of band you'd like.  IMO, they're the best American band currently working.

For anyone else looking for new music, the Rough Trade compilations are usually pretty good - with plenty of gems amongst the obviously hipster-ish selections.  I've yet to hear a duff Rough Trade compilation (they also do themed selections, such as Indie Pop, Electronic, Post Punk, Singer-Songwriter...).

http://www.roughtrade.com/site/shop_detail.lasso?search_type=sku&sku=335390

...actually, their albums of the year don;t look half bad either.

[microphonie]

Currently on 6Music - a rerun of the 6Mix show featuring tracks selected by The National & Arcade Fire. Might be worth a listen for more suggestions.

Also see The Quietus for their Best of 2010. Described as 'Angst Music For Sex People' it contains a mix of doom/psychedelic rock and electronic stuff.

[domesticated ape]

Currently on 6Music - a rerun of the 6Mix show featuring tracks selected by The National & Arcade Fire. Might be worth a listen for more suggestions.

I listened to a lot of that (yay for my new digital radio!), and came to the conclusion that Arcade Fire and The National listen to some weird shit! A few tracks they introduced as 'noise' music, and I think that must be what Sufjan Stevens is doing a quite a few tracks from Illinoise, Michigan and The Avalanche - just meandering noises hat don't seem to go anywhere. Personally I can never be bothered to listen to these and usually skip straight onto the next 'proper song', seems like there's a whole genre of it out there though!