It’s tough keeping up with pop music these days. Okay, I said it. There are so many websites and so many blogs and so many forums that you just wonder how you’ll ever fully be “in the know”. On top of that, you read a lot of stuff online where you wonder what their “angle” is, because sometimes it’s pretty obvious that you’re reading a PR release instead of a genuine review of someone.

Having said all of that, there are ways of finding out what “real” folks are grooving to, and my favorite is Last.fm. (“Pop Music Notes is not in any way receiving any compensation or recognition for this endorsement”) They’ve come a long way in the past two years, and I consider them to be a top-notch service that allows me to keep up with friends and their tunes, check out new stuff through recommendations, engage in dialogue on artists and their music, and even blog. Prior to this blog’s inception, all of my American Idol posts were listed there, and the discussions would get a bit heated at times. Sad, yes, but still interesting.

I’m probably preaching to the choir with many of you, and some of you are already friends with me on there. If you’re not, feel free to add me. It would be great to keep up with what everyone else is digging. And in case you’re wondering, here’s what I’m listening to today: