Visit small, neighborhood bars or coffee houses in artsy neighborhoods. Employees often play their iPod playlists, full of new music.
Ask someone the names of any tunes you like and enter them into a music-discovery search engine that will give you access to the track, artist and the option to buy the song immediately from iTunes.
Create an online radio station account to stream and share music. The system tracks every song you play and will recommend new artists based on your choices.
Go to a show at a small, local venue that attracts new, young bands. The headliner may not appeal to you, but indie bands typically have one or two opening acts, exposing you to more new music.
Investigate online music magazines. These websites review and rank releases and list new music, helping you find your way through new releases (100,000 albums in 2009 alone in the U.S.).
Research the music you hear on television. You'll hear indie staples such as The Postal Service, Phoenix ,The xx and Modest Mouse on television shows. Search online to identify the band you hear on a certain advertisement, drama or HBO episode, then go through the rest of the band's work.
Understand the classics. You can trace into music back to the 1960s, when the Velvet Underground emerged, followed by '70s bands the Clash and the Sex Pistols. Also check out The Smiths, Flaming Lips and the Talking Heads.