In the mix

CARSON DALY

NBC talk show host

There was never a better time to be a music fan than in 2005. With iTunes and iPods, making playlists, burning CDs ... having a friend tell you about a song and instantly you can get it. Ironically, all the things that made it so great for fans are the same reasons that the music industry is in trouble.

The record I can’t get off my iPod is by Amos Lee ... just a great artist. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley -- this kid is the youngest son of Bob Marley, so it’s all in there. He has more hip-hop influences than the others, it’s not just reggae. I think the breakout band right now is the British band Hard-Fi. They sound like Franz Ferdinand meets Daft Punk. There’s this big hole in the rock scene and I think in 2006 there will be more of a metal sound.

As for the worst trend of 2005: There are just too many people trying to rap. Rap is a cultural thing -- if you get up to the mike, you better have something to say. Too many people are saying the same things over and over .... And there’s too many cover songs. Find something new.