I like a few of the 'emo' bands that are being played on the radio right now, because I like that sort of music, as far as pop music goes. With the new-hip-hop-hardcore-metal music, a couple of things put me off - power ballads and the rapping. Hate, hate, hate power ballads, and the power ballad is the bread-and-butter of bands like Staind (POISON 2000).
The rappers in bands like Linkin Park are pretty terrible. Kid Rock's probably the worst offender out of all of them, though. They all seem content to stick with the same type of flow-less, even, aabbccdd pitter-patter that would've considered mediocre back way back in 1985.
While we're talking about 1985, they're also all way, way, way too into Run-DMC, too. I can't even imagine how many copies of King of Rock these new-metal rapper-singers must've collectively gone through.
Ground effects rule, man, shut up.
New DE LA SOUL album soon, which is exciting.
I wish nice things weren't so damned expensive.
Stone