My son, 15, spends a lot of time searching for and listening to a variety of bands online (myspace, itunes, etc) he gets a particular thrill out of finding a band he digs and then turning his friends onto them . . . and then following them as some make the "big time" . . . he can listen to their music, get to know the band's background which adds context and connection to the band and find out if and when they play locally so he can see them live . . . the internet has became a partial replacement to that local coffehouse/dive bar exposure . . . and far more egalitarian . . . it just takes a little work/effort on our part to seek out the good from the dreadful . . . or in my case i can look to my DBIS brethren to do some of that footwork for me :)