Wow...I don't know where to start...Basically I agree with everything you said here,except for that Godsmack is a crap:) and I thought The Strokes are from the States, so there will be no problem for them to get to American radio. Anyway I can't tell for sure but it's also about promotion, if they have money for making videos and giving them for example to MTV, or the commercial of your new cd is everywhere, you give interviews to magazines,etc.,so people notice you. Those bands you're mentioned and like you said went underground, so only a person who search for music can find them, searching or just looking for something new,different. And that's another problem most of the people (no offense to anyone,although I get the feeling it looks like little different out there) - back to my point a lot of people listen to the older cds like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, King Crimson or Slayer. And there's nothing wrong with it and I totally respect all those bands, but maybe I will give you an example. My brother is 16, he loves Ozzy and Black Sabbath. He disses Creed and almost everything of today's music, he says it's crap and Ozzy rules. But has he ever tried to find something in the new scene? No. Well, he likes Tool. His friends are like that too. In my opinion it's not good. Or someone thinks nu-metal is crap, ok, but why? Because of the rap out there. But isn't it another step to make a music innovative?

I noticed in the States a lot of people are supportive when it comes to new bands and I think it's very good. And also, what I said here several times - I am happy to see some changes in Creed's music. A lot of people don't like changes in music in general. Marc, you gave an example of Radiohead. I don't know how your friends reacted,but when "OK Computer" came out mine were listening, listening and said "it's brilliant", when they released "Kid A" it was more "what IS THAT?????", a lot of them hated it, because it was so different. Now they got used to it, understood some things, now they're proud of Radiohead, the most progressive band, the best band of our times - they say. Even though I don't know the whole Radiohead discography- I can't deny it. I will check some of the bands you mentioned. I know Afghan Whigs the most, although it's only soem mp3:(, few songs by SFA, Sonic Youth, Malkmus and Yo La Tengo. Btw. have you heard The Twilight As Played By The Twilight Singers????I love it!!! I couldn't buy the cd anywhere here, so I burned it:( Could you believe I heard it all on the RADIO:)?