Why does most new music suck?

Actusreus I have been searching for some great new popular music (rock, pop) and as I stated in my earlier post I am wating for the list....last 5 or 10 years anyone? Thanks for your posts!

I did check out Radio Paradise for some different music and sampled the playlist via Amazon. I didn't really find an artist that could hold together an entire CD except for Ben Howard who I thought was exceptional....so still searching.

A lot of good comments here! I don't think I totally alone in my opinion. For those that can recommend well recorded, well written and performed releases, I'm all ears. It can't be just one song but an entire cd. A couple of the recordings that aren't that new but I enjoy are:

Neil Finn - One All
Rooster - Circles & Satellites
Greg Brown - Dream City
Rusty Truck - Broken Promises
Amos Lee - Mission Bell
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
Buddy Miller - Best of the Hightone Years
Gov't Mule Dose

A lot of interesting comments. I sample as much new music as I can or stand via Amazon or Pandora. I will need to check out Paradise radio as another source. I would never cough up the big bucks for a "classic" rock tour as mentioned above which gets me to another point of the really poor sound at large rock venues. I would rather stay home and listen to better sound on my two channel system. I do try and find smaller venues such as theaters with great sound and have seen some really good performances by Greg Brown, The Cowboy Junkies, Bonney Raitt, Little Big Town and the Wailin Jennys.

I do play music and spend a fair amout of time in the recording studio so I'm really critical of the MP3 earbud "standard". I will say that most "kids" don't know what good sound is. Whenever they hear a good two channel system they are amazed at what is possible and perhaps a new audiophile is born. Cheers!

After reading the posts a couple of thoughts come to mind. During my youth there was also Rock/Pop music that I didn't like but I would always have my go to groups. It seems like there was lot more "go to" groups.

I also think that I am less tolarant of mediocre talent and production as mentioned above. I also have a hypothesis that when individuals actually had to play an instrument to make music, there was a greater possibility of something good being produced.

Frogman,

Hmmm....compressed sound, poor lyrics and electronic drivel = pop music that sucks. Thanks for the Smithonian post.

Mapman, love the Muse tune...all the "classic" rock elements. Toddnkaya, I have also gone down the alt country, folk path for some really good finds. Ben Howard is also on my "doesn't suck" list. Very talented!

I think I have read every post on this thread and I must say that the conversation has been very interesting. Yes I am what many consider an old foggy (60) and I started playing music at 8 years old (fiddle), then guitars, then I found girls and cars and now I am back to the guitar. I have been an "audiophile" since 1976 but never let the equipment get in the way of the music. Someone suggested that I get out of my comfort zone and listen to some new music via Radio Paradise for example. I listened, searched the play list and the reviews and I found that the highest rated music isn't new but older stuff. I really do like new music when it's good....it's just really hard to find from all the noise. So my challenge is for anyone to post new music from the last 10 years that just knocks your socks off from a performance and sound perspective and the collective community will be the judge.

Actusreus I made a comment in the original post about the poor recordings being put out today. As an example I was listening to the new Pink CD and the cymbals just about sawed off my ears with a compressed, distorted sound. The engineer and producer should be fired. I'm still waiting for anyone's list of new, well recorded, written and played music...not just one song but an entire CD of good music. I have been listening to Radio Paradise and there is a lot of new stuff, but usually the groups are only good for a song or two.

There is a basic formula for excellent music....good songwriting + talent + engineering / production. If you miss any one of the elements, the music suffers.

Toddnkaya I did check out your suggestions and didn't find anything that did it for me. Hey that's OK, so I will just continue to listen.