Matchbox 20 is good, but I don't care for their recent stuff. If you like real singer-songwriters check out
Cake. They have a unique sound with smart quirky lyrics which are infinitely listenable. (they do have 1 or 2 songs with bad language, out of 4 albums)
I also have a lot of hope for Vanessa Carlton. Her lyrics are a little lame, but her "A Thousand Miles" is an excellent music piece. The piano and orchestra music is beautifully written. I crank it.
I liked that song. Maybe I'll like it again when people stop playing it all the time.
Aimee Mann (the Magnolia soundtrack) has done some nice work too.
Steve Earle is good if you like rockabilly/country rock (but not that over-produced garbage that goes by the same name.)
I really enjoy orchestrated video game music. John Williams turned Legend of Zelda into an awesome score. The Final Fantasy and Chrono Cross soundtracks are good too.
You are right about Matchbox 20's most recent album... I haven't heard anything on that that I have wanted to buy. I bought the first two... and the Santana duet.
I wish the lyrics weren't so lame on Thousand Miles. I haven't bought it because of that.
I have heard some Cake that is good. Good tip on the others... will keep an ear out.
My listening to popular music comes and goes in waves... Because I only listen in the car. Any popular music I buy usually lives in the truck. For awhile I will listen to talk radio, and then that will get old and I will tune in music again. At home I listen to Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon (with or without Garfunkel) or the FoTR soundtrack ;~D