> Actually, I didn't mean to imply that tastes calcify with age, which I
thought I kinda made clear by saying "both broaden and narrow."

No worries, Chris -- my comments were not exclusively aimed at you.

But I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with likeminded (and
aged) friends who have repeatedly told me they find little or nothing of
value in current music. It's the standard line, "Well, they don't make
records like they used to in ...(insert favored decade here)."

I just can't help but feel bad for those people. If you're willing to look a
little bit, there's an entire universe of music out there.

And that's one place where the Internet has made things better -- by
allowing smaller labels such as Not Lame or Parasol or Karmic Hit or Paisley
Pop to, if not exactly prosper, but to make a decent living from selling
music to people.

John.