I like a lot of today's music but have a very difficult time with auto tune. Still, there's enough fun stuff that isn't killed by auto tune that I can find: Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Fun., Phillip Phillips, Sara baralles (or however you spell her name), Pernice Bros, Avett Bros, Bruno Mars, Mumford and sons, Miguel, etc.

It's funny because I have never listened to (current) top 40 in my life - with the exception of when MJ was all ove the charts (and grunge; I was "current" with grunge at the time). I've aways been a decade or more behind on everyone else (in the 1980s I mostly listened to hippy 60's/70s music and Motown), in the 90's, grunge and a lot of late 70's (so was listening to a lot of disco and Cobain). I completely and utterly missed the boy bands thing (NKoTB, etc) and couldn't tell you one song of theirs.

I didn't really start listening to 80's music (Duran Duran, the Cure, etc) until mid-1990s. And so forth. It's fascinating to me how different our relationship with music is when we come to it later in life and not in our "formative" years. I love Duran Duran but I don't have memories of making out to it the way my cohort does. And it's not "stuck" in nostalgia for me I think for that same reason.

I've been thinking about this a lot - that we tend to set our lifetime musical taste on what we liked/listened to in the teen and early adult years - and how some people never want to hear new music (or are constantly comparing it to what they grew up with) after the age of 35 or so. I've seen so much evidence of this among friends and family and it's led to interesting discussions.

Did any of you guys become infatuated with certain music after the age of 30 (a different music than what you already loved by age 25)? I would love to hear your experiences.

It's nice hearing that Emmett is trying on all sorts of music, too. He's lucky to have a dad who likes a whole bunch of things, too, and cam share enthusiasm for a thousand different genres.

Did any of you guys become infatuated with certain music after the age of 30 (a different music than what you already loved by age 25)? I would love to hear your experiences.

I'm 45 and I just started listening to The Clash in the past couple of years. I blame/thank fanfic and the silver fox hotness of Rupert Graves.

I MUST HAVE THOSE SHEETS.

I'm 45 and I just started listening to The Clash in the past couple of years. I blame/thank fanfic and the silver fox hotness of Rupert Graves.

What got your attention that started you listening?

It's nice hearing that Emmett is trying on all sorts of music, too. He's lucky to have a dad who likes a whole bunch of things, too, and cam share enthusiasm for a thousand different genres.

Just because I'm going to play my own mixes in the car fairly often, he's exposed to the range of my tastes. But generally I like to let him discover things on his own. When he gets interested in something I try to guide him to the good stuff.

Since we spend so much time in the car commuting and going to games, music is just a big part of that. One of the great pleasures of my parenthood is just singing along with him in the car, whether it's "Jolene" or "What Would Brian Boitano Do" or "Lose Yourself" or "1952 Black Lightning" or Alice in Chains' "Would?" or some obscure soul cut like "As Long As I Have You" by Garnett Mimms, or Bettye Swan's "Make Me Yours." (All songs we've sung along with multiple times.)

Also, I made him a lullaby mix so he goes to bed every night listening to Miles Davis and Can and Kirsten Hersh and Duke Ellington and Mark Kozelek.

I love the way little kids love music, completely without prejudice. When Jake was about two, he thought the best song ever in the whole world was "Beyond the Sea."

Ben especially is into a lot of classic rock right now, but he's also explored some hip hop and country on his own. I've been introducing Sara to Joni Mitchell and Carole King, but otherwise I figure they'll figure out their taste on their own. They hear our music in the house or the car, but I'm okay with mine not strictly being theirs.

Emmett's Lullaby Mix (which he plays on shuffle)

So What - Miles Davis
River Man - Nick Drake
Whole Heap Of Little Horses - Kristin Hersh
All I Have To Do Is Dream - The Everly Brothers
I Only Have Eyes For You - The Flamingos
Blue Moon - Elvis Presley
Bedtime Lullaby - Mark Kozelek
She Brings The Rain - Can
Riders On The Storm - The Doors
Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues
I'm Not In Love - 10cc
All I Wanna Do - The Beach Boys
Queen Matilda - Michael Head And The Strands
Scarborough Fair Canticle - Simon And Garfunkel
My One And Only Love - John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Satin Doll - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
In My Room - Danny Gatton (guitar instrumental)
Albatross - Fleetwood Mac (guitar instrumental)
Sweet Dreams - Roy Buchanan (guitar instrumental)
Pink Moon - Nick Drake
Hunting Song - Pentangle
Valley Winter Song - Fountains Of Wayne
'Til I Die - The Beach Boys
Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith
California Dreamin' - Bobby Womack
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak

I wasn't really exposed to Irish folk music until my 30s, and for a while there I was down at the pub nearly every night, sing along and drinking Guinness. Infatuation is a good word for it. Also never really listened to Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen or shoegazer music until that decade, and they are amongst my favorites now. Though the only music I listen to now is while I'm running and that is more dictated by tempo than fondness.

Did any of you guys become infatuated with certain music after the age of 30 (a different music than what you already loved by age 25)?

Didn't really start listening to country until I moved to Seattle and started dancing it every week. When I was 30. But given how poppy country is these days, I'm not even sure that entirely counts!

Big fat flurries!

Towson University has a public radio station, WTMD [link] that plays a lot of up&coming artists before they're widely known, as well as stuff I remember first hearing in my teens. Hell, I think they were the first place I heard Lady Gaga, though I don't expect they play her much anymore. Sorta indie-rock-blues-mix. But I used to find a lot of new stuff through them. Used to because it was largely commute listening, and I don't have that much of a commute anymore! I don't tend to listen to just straight music when I'm in the house.