Well like Archie i don't watch much TV, so I wouldn't hear new bands that way. Radio is MOR crap most of the time anyway.
Even this site, well the message board anyway, sometimes doesn't give me any insight into a new band or DJ or whatever, some people in the forum are sitting-on-the-fence muthas who change their opinion depending on whatever else was said - but thats another point, I'm rambling.
Reviews: An opionion formed by a single reviewer and then published in a magazine, website or whatever. That is only 1 opionion of 1 dude, and then something like Q magazine take that as gospel, Example: Gruff Rhys' Album got 2 **'s which is not a good review and the album is absolutley top class, not just my opinion BTW but of many a person I have talked to and a Whelans room full of people, so I think mags should have various reviews, kinda like Cluas does sometimes and form different opinions :
So the short and tall, you can't really go by what other people said, even if it's a "cool" thing, think for yerselves for godsake!! - And I don't mean everyone on this site
