Sometimes I'll listen to an indie station like WFUV ( - plug! - ) via web, and peruse their playlist while a song plays... selecting the song track and selecting SEARCH IN GOOGLE, watch said video, and google the artist name by itself to find out simple stats (which comes up as a wiki blurb w photos)...
Then i'll go further if interested by logging into Allmusic.com - the amazing site that tells you everything under the sun about the band, their members, their albums, etc. - and see what their origins and trajectories have been.
And sometimes I'll go to a lyrics site like MetroLyrics (or whatever comes up). This is basically akin to the old-school system, where we'd yes sit down on the couch with the liner notes! -- except that now its more A.D.D.-driven, and web-surfing-based. But its still happening while the music plays, just as it did years ago.