Now more than ever, I feel out of touch with modern music. My wife says I'm old and that's normal, but she doesn't understand that I'm someone who used to follow the Top 40 religiously, seeks out and memorizes music trivia when I can, still reads music magazines and websites, and until recently could have decent conversations about current music with my teenage niece and nephews. Not anymore! Shoot, it's getting to where I can barely keep up with the same old musicians I've followed for years. I picked up Sting's new CD last week and still haven't cracked it open yet. (A cover album of 400 year old lute songs... hmm, no wonder I'm hesitant!)

It was different 10 years ago. I'd have to say 1996 was one of the best years personally for me in discovering cool new music. Specific albums I remember include Cake's Fashion Nugget, that first great album by Fountains of Wayne (many years before "Stacy's Mom"!), Shawn Colvin's A Few More Repairs, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers' Hot album, plus we were on the verge of discovering Ben Folds Five and, to complete the circle, it was the year of the great underperforming album Mercury Falling from perennial favourite Sting.