Thanks for the tips everyone, although it turns out this is not a python problem at all. After several tests with mpg123 both direct on the cli, and wrapped in an os.system() call, I see it is _always_ returning 0 exit status whether I interrupt it or not. I went to the mpg123 website to see if I could find a reason for this behavior, and the site tells me the package is unmaintained, and has security flaws which will not be fixed.
So I guess I will find a new mp3 decoder... -- darren kirby :: Part of the problem since 1976 :: http://badcomputer.org "...the number of UNIX installations has grown to 10, with more expected..." - Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson, June 1972
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