When folks say "new country sucks" it's like thinking all rock music sounds like Korn. If all you'd ever heard was the rock music on your local x-station, you'd probably think rock sucks too.
But if you want to get away from "Clear Channel Country" and try something a little more thoughtful (and with fewer lasers), look for
Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown
Uncle Tupelo
Steve Earle
The Jayhawks
Neko Case
etc. etc. etc.
Check out:
http://www.altcountrytab.com/
Those folks know _way_ too much about new country.