16 Things to do to find new music that will make your ears all kinds of happy

1 Go through your music collection

Is there anything in there you've forgotten about? Did you get a [insert band name here] Album but then [insert name of band you go koo-koo bananas for] had a new album out and you kinda forgot about the other cd? 

2 Go through you parents/siblings/cousins/friends music collection

You obviously like (at least some of) these people, who's to say you wouldn't like the music they listen to? your parents may have even influenced your music tastes. My mom was always playing stuff like: Dave Matthews, Van Morrison, Stevie Ray Vaughn, U2, when I was little, so now I listen to lots of music typically classified as 'rock' or 'alternative.' 

3 Know what you don't like

On the other hand, if your parent's music makes you want to gag at least you know what you don't like in your music. It's important to figure out why you don't like certain things about music. Don't tell some one their taste in music is stupid (even if it is).  Maybe you just don't like music that doesn't have words, or sounds whiney, or goes too slow, or you can't dance to, or that has screaming. If you figure out what you don't like, it makes it easier to block that stuff out and zero in on stuff you do like.

4 Find out who influenced/inspires the bands/artists you like

Think about it. In a way it's like having this artist you adore come up to you and say "OMG I absolutely LOOOOOVE this band, you should check them out!" or like going through their ipod, without having to deal with sneaking onto their tour bus , going through their stuff, and being chased by security guards. And chances are something about band A's music will be similar to Band B's music since Band A was inspired by Band B. I kinda experience this when I was listening to some of The Smiths, I swear parts of it sound like some of today's punk/pop/rock bands' music, I got chills. Sometimes bands might thank influences in the liner notes of their CDs, so it doesn't hurt to check there.

5 Email bands and ask them about music they like

Now, obviously Mick Jagger and P. Diddy aren't going to respond to you, but lesser know artists or some indie bands (like The Spill Canvas!) might respond. If most of the bands you like seems to busy to deal with fan email you can always look for interviews where they might have talked about their influences, or do a little googling.

6 Who are your faves top friends?

Myspace has really taken over the band website. Who are in some your favorite bands' top 8? These are artists you favorite bands like enough to put them in their top 8, they must be pretty good.

7 Check record labels

Small Record labels will often sing artists that fit a certain "something" Basically, artists with the same label may be similar.

8 Who have your faves toured with?

Bands tour with bands that have similar sound, think of it as your favorite bands giving other bands their seal of approval.

9 Yay music festivals!

Music festivals generally cater to a specific genre (Ex. Bamboozled typically aimed at teens & young adult into rock/punk kind of music). Even if you can't go to one, check out who played/is playing. This is a great way to discover up and coming bands. Or sometimes it can help you discover new bands even if they're thousands of miles away. For example, I stumble across a flyer for the " Come Together" Festival in Australia on the site of an Australian rock band I like, I looked up some of the other bands playing and probably ended up adding a couple hundred new songs to my music collection.

10 Scour music stores

Walk around the artsy part of a nearby city, you'll probably find a music store that has stuff you haven't heard of. Don't be afraid to ask the people who work there for help, they're there because they love music, they can probably help you in your search.

11 Check the Movies

Want to add some 80s music to your collection? Try renting some classic 80s movies, this way you  get to 1) See a movie 2) Pick up on some new tunes and 3) Gain a greater understanding of the music you're liking. Music can play such a huge role in movies! Imagine Dirty Dancing without (I've Had) The Time of My Life or The Breakfast Club without Don't you Forget About Me or Juno without Anyone Else but You. They wouldn't be the same.

12 Random google searches

I can't really vouch for the accuracy of this one, but hey if you're bored and you've got time to kill,  it couldn't hurt.

13 Lists

VH1 makes lots of tv specials of the "100 greatest metal bands" or "top 50 songs of the 80s" almost all of the lists are available online. Other websites put out lists too.

14 Find some Press

There's a magazine out there for every kind of music try looking in a big bookstore (Barnes &Noble, Boarders ect.) or googling example: 'alternative rock magazines' or check out music stores.

15 "Listeners Also Bought"

That category on the artist's page on itunes can be pretty handy sometimes, it's not always effective for more popular music though.

16 Keep an Open mind

Tis is probably the most important, it's ok to not be into certain sounds, personally I'm not into rap, but I try to keep the philosophy that I'll listen to any song once. I don't promise to like it, I don't promise to hate it. Now obviously, if someone sits me down and tells me to listen to the latest single by [insert name of rapper here] I'm going to have some preconceived notions about it, (I'm human, I judge stuff, I know I shouldn't but I do anyway) but I'll listen to it once. If I don't like it I can say "Eh, it's not really my thing." As hard as it is sometimes I really think we shouldn't criticize music as crappy as it may come. Your music kinda represents you in a way, it grows with you, you have songs that remind you of certain events in your life, no matter what happens you've got your music. It shows all of your sides. It's your story. A little bit of your soul.