I am in the very fortunate position that despite living way out in the boonies, I have a proper, brick-and-mortar record store of the High Fidelity kind within an hour's travel from home. Both the guys running it have an encyclopedic knowledge of a number of genres, and there's always a few customers browsing the shelves which will merrily question you about your preferences, before veering off on a tangent, getting into a heated argument with the other patrons and the owner as to what record will be the right one for me, we'll put the winning selection on, eager, anticipating eyes on me as the first chords fill the store, awaiting my reaction...
I love that place.
Point is - while Spotify's algorithms are brilliant at determining what music I might like based on similar music I've listened to in the past, I find there's no substitute for enthusiastic, knowledgeable fans.
I remember in my early twenties there was a drug store with a music part in the town I lived in. The guy running that division was a DJ for different genres. And an wide ranging knowledge and thirst for new stuff. The more he got to know me the better his recommendations got. They were all on the edge and sometimes slightly over the edge.
lots of the stuff I got to know back then I still like to listen to.
I didn't have that much money to spare. Non the less he brought CD after CD to listen to on the players there. sometimes I stayed for 3 to 4 hours just enjoying the music. whenever I had some money to spare I took home a knew jewel of music.
I love that place.
Point is - while Spotify's algorithms are brilliant at determining what music I might like based on similar music I've listened to in the past, I find there's no substitute for enthusiastic, knowledgeable fans.