who personally influences your musical tastes?
 

sonicl brought up an interesting point about things being "waived under noses" when it comes to learning about new music

outside of finding it yourself, who do you know personally who greatly influences what you listen too?

Jenn obviously, and if for nothing pretty much the complete depths of hip hop, before that i was a casual listener who liked only a handfull of artists, since that time we have seen aesop rock, dizzie rascal, wu-tang clan, and krs one live

the other person who seems to have a biggest influence based on suggestion is Toilet & Bowels, who was the one who hipped me to Sunn O))), Boris, and especially Keiji Haino

I am the one among my many friends and acquaintances that ussually springs new music on the others.

they hate me for it.

A mixture of people or situations. I have a tendency to absorb as much as I can from anyone who gravitates around me and has more than a passing interest in music. My boyfriends have sometimes introduced me to certain musics, but so did I for them. I'm rather obsessed with music, therefore I read anything about it, even if I sense that the article itself might not be interesting or the artist might be rubbish. My brothers used to play me all those bands and artists that you may call classic since I was little, so that's why I am now a little bored of listening to them and I need constant new blood. I love music. I do.

sometimes it comes from reading about what bands i like listen to and other times it just comes from being curious and checking random artists out. i don't like to rely much on 'hyped' reviews and stuff like that.

i used to be that guy, but they stopped being friends with me :-(

A few friends recommend me things, though not many.
Others I'll just look up about on lastFM.
Others I'll take a gamble and download.
Some I'll read up on The Wire beforehand.
Miscellaneous places, really.

same here:(

Friends are overrated.

I haven't been turned on to a band I like by a person I know firsthand in years. Maybe it's because I have way better taste than my friends.

I only have one friend whose musical suggestions I really take seriously. I'm usually the one recommending music to my "indie skater" friends.

On this board, I think Hayden probably influenced me the most. He got me into Xiu Xiu, Cat Power, and Parenthetical Girls.

Other than that, I usually just check out bands that I've heard a lot about, but never heard. That is how I got into The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth when I was 12 or 13.

Strangely, there's a handful (a very small handed handful) of people here who have pushed me towards some things. But generally it's friends and reading. I'm lucky that I have a pretty good circle of people around me who all listen to different areas of different things.

i am not sure there is anyone person or group of people. i suppose when i lived in leeds i was around some of the improv/noise/whatever music and it opened doors for me. otherwise i dont really care about it.

I am trying to wean myself from it! I cannot! No one can keep up.

I can't think of any one person who influences my musical taste these days, but I subscribe to a few record shops' email newsletters and investigate interesting-sounding stuff from those, or if a review or article in a magazine makes something sound interesting I might follow that up.

no one, i decided what i listen to, if i let other people dictate what music to listen to i would have never discovered Todd Rundgren.

At least they try and keep up. Folks i know dont even try. They're content with only listening to tool an dick rock.

I forgot to mention that i follow the wire closely and ive never been let down by their recommendations.

true

I tend not to listen to other people, but every now and then my friend katie will email me with her new favorite band. I used to take notice, but she doesn't listen to any bands I offer her so fuck that. I'll get around to things when I want to.

You said it. Someone who offers their new bands but will not take the time to check out bands offered to them will really annoy me!

Lots of people here have got me into bands I might not have otherwise heard. I tend to get off on people's enthusiasm for stuff and will always listen to a record that brings out that kind of passion.

Not very original but I'm influenced by my best friends and by my favourite musicians (I got into a lot of good music through the name-dropping of musicians, so name-dropping is not necessarily a bad thing).