Is it just me or has pop music really been sucking lately?

[Mental]

And by that I mean all popular music, not just the stuff that's obviously really musically deficient like Miley or the Jonas Brothers or that whole Mall of America culture. The biggest song on Napster is Flo Rida's "Right Round", which is only even sort of good because the chorus is a ghetto-ass remake of some old 1980s song that eludes me at present. Everything else - I turn on the radio and start thinking "this sounds like I bought a random CD out of a bargain bin at a used record store somewhere".

I was watching BET awhile back and there were like three good songs in a row on 106 & Park (at least Keyshia's still making real music), but I haven't heard any of them on the radio since and I'm starting to give up hope. I'm listening to "Kyrie" from the 1980s right now and never thought I would be longing for the era that produced the deep and soulful musical stylings of Mr. Mister. (Though, "Kyrie" and "Broken Wings" are really pretty awesome.)

I mean, is it just me? Have I suddenly turned into Indie Rock Pete or something? I feel like my choice is between becoming one of those bitter dudes insisting music was better "back in the day" or else listening to things that scratch and claw at my eardrums.

[Mental]

As a slightly less bitchy adjunct to this, there IS good music right now, probably more of it out there than ever. But I have no idea how to find it. I get the occasional recommendation from Questionable Content's comments section (it turns out Jeph Jacques actually knows a lot about good indie bands) but that's about it.

My favorite new singer that I've been able to find lately is Ladyhawke, this Austrailan chick who took her name from that Rutger Hauer/Michelle Pfeiffer movie where she turns into a hawk or whatever, who does music styled from around the same time period and it is AWESOME.

If anyone misses 80-style music, her whole first self-titled album is spectacular and the singles "Back of the Van" and "Paris is Burning" are effing great. (Plus, she happens to be smoking hot, though that's completely tangential and unimportant really to her music.)

Anyone got some good music blogs that concentrate on great music no one's ever heard of because the performers aren't out whoring themselves to Clear Channel?

[Zeus]

If by "lately" you mean "the last 10-15 years", I would agree. They've completely removed the talent from music nowadays. Pretty sad.

[Julius Seeker]

I remember back when the Jonas Brothers were called Hanson.

Seriously though, there's been a decline for years; and it became very sharp starting during 2007 sometime after Rihanna..

[Zeus]

Change "2007" to "1997" and you'll be a little closer to the mark

[Kupek]

Get off my lawn.

Damn kids.

[Zeus]

Get off my lawn.

Damn kids.

Yes, I do have a heart of gold. But no, I did not have a 60's muscle car :-)

Nor did I even write that.....IMPING!!

[RentCavalier]

I'm on a BOAT! I'm on a BOAT MUTHAFUCKAS!

[Shrinweck]

I think part of pop being bad is more the fact that it's gotten a bad reputation lately to be popular in that style so people who have talent tend to want to get behind some other kind of genre name.