wo other genres of American music have had a strong hold for the past decade. They are rap and hip hop. Born of inner-city poverty, rap replaces sung melodies, with rhythmically punchy recitation set to an African-American roots. However, they were quickly embraced by white performers. Today rappers appear in TV commercials, movies and various shows.A look around the pop scene will turn up the presence of "techno" music in nightclubs and new "garage bands". The Vines and The Strokes are among today’s examples of "garage bands" in the USA. Mainstream pop provides its typical lion’s share of entertainment. Along with female vocalists (Sheryl Crowe, Lucinda Williams, Jennifer Paige, etc.), "boy bands" (Backstreet Boys, Boys II Men and others) have performed their music since the 1990s.