What does it take for you to "feel good about where the music is at right now"?

For example, at one point I was feeling down about Belgian jazz because I got a string of duds. Then I got maybe 3-4 very good albums in a row and my mood turned around.

Negatively, this week I've been working my way through Charles Mingus "Presents Charles Mingus" (I haven't had time to listen to it all the way through in one sitting, as I'm on a strict nightly diet of Alias Season 3 at the moment) which in its awesomeness made me a bit depressed about current jazz.

Concerts probably have an at least equal impact.

What's your critical mass, if you have one.