Best American music of the last 25 years?

Houston, Texas based 3 piece band, ‘Khruangbin’ is a real treat for anyone who is feeling adventurous. Their most recent album is great, but then again, so are their previous releases. They started out leaning more toward being a jam band with few scant vocals, and with each album release they’ve incorporated well placed vocals in a gradual and natural progression while staying true to their character. Saw them perform at The Greek Theatre in November and boy did they give a mind blowing performance.

Highly recommend giving them a listen. 
🤘

@bdp24 - I don't know how old you are, but I can assure you that back in the late 60's and early 70's, 'singer/songwriter' was a VERY popular style of music among people my age, who were teenagers. Elton John, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Don McLean, Johnny Winter, and I could go on and on.

Today, all you have to do is look at the pop charts and I think you might see more individual names than band names. Guitar-based rock bands have not been the most popular genre among younger folks for quite some time now. Hip-hop, pop, and electronica rule the roost. Doesn't bother me either way. 

John Mellencamp is the best song writer in music today.

John Adams, Jennifer Higdon, Lowell Liebermann, Nicholas Urie.
All of these have composed some excellent pieces.

Best/most respected heavy music since 1997:

Neurosis

Converge

Tool (not my thing really but they are good at what they do and it is audiophile quality stuff)