New Rock is there, it’s just not on the radio. But really at this point all the good rock music has already been made and everything now is a derivative.
I think nickelback is probably the last real prolific talent. Train is pretty good too for softish rock. Both pretty original and not simplistic like Black Crows although “She talks to angels” was good.
Here’s something I stumbled across on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEmdOemsr_A
ELO live in 2001 for their come back tour though I had no idea they(Jeff Lynn really) made a comeback. He could still hit all the octaves/notes at his age, 54 at the time. The entire band has impeccable timing and they do a real good job considering the size of the band and how orchestrated his music was. It made me look him up on wikipedia. I didn’t realize he was a producer too. He produced solo albums for Paul, George and Ringo and was involved with the Traveling Wilburies. Also produced for Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bryan Adams.
I’m afraid that I must agree with you. Also, the money is in touring now, not record sales, and touring means “performance”, not singing or playing an instrument live. The record labels now aren’t looking for fresh talent, they’re looking for pretty young people who can be molded to fit the “formula”. They would certainly never take on the groups like Little Feat or Steely Dan these days, and allow them one or two not-so-well-selling records, and nurture them along, like they used to. As The Who sing, “Rock is dead they say, long live rock”, and I think they mean that ironically.