I’m going to hop on the rateyourmusic bandwagon. I’ve been using it for many years and documenting the music you’ve heard by virtue of rating them is incredibly helpful to understanding your own taste and finding bands in a similar sub genre as your favorite music. The chart function is incredible.

Another way I discover new music is simply jotting down albums discussed in forums like this one that I haven’t heard before. The trick is not be too picky and just jump into anything and everything. Not everything will be a winner but I’ve discovered some of my favorite music ever by simply checking out projects that other users mention.