This is the kind of thread that will provoke a lot of different responses. But I know what you mean. I do believe there are a lot of good bands and artists playing "todays" music, but for the most part I just don't like it. Half the singers sound like they're twirling and warbling around an octive too high like a bird and other singers have been processed to sound like a kazoo. But when I look back on the 70s there were a lot of crappy singers back then as well, they just had the mojo I liked more than the singers of today.
BTW, my neighbor came home the other day with a LRB cd blaring away. I had an immediate rush of college memories. I walked across the street, borrowed the cd and played it for days. It was great, but now I can't listen to LRB for another 3 decades
-Rich