I read that at one of Pink's recent concerts she showed footage of the civil rights, anti-Vietnam War movement(s) during a pro-60s song.
Don't know if there's any trend afoot like Punk or Grunge, but Wilco's pretty big: http://www.newyorker.com/critics/music/?020610crmu_music BTW, the early 90s also saw "alt-country" which was very nihilistic and punk. Imagine a blending of the Eagels and Black Flag (or Motorhead. I recall Dave Grohl saying Motorhead were the kind of guys who if they moved next door, your lawn would die.) Download some Uncle Tupelo tunes to hear.
Lately, I've been listening to the Strokes, the Hives, and the White Stripes who all are sort of garage band sounding. The Strokes have a catchy song that sounds like a Stereolab/Pavement combo to this very amateur critic. They have a late 70s/early 80s NYC look.
Also, there's this band that's sorta Sonic Youth/emo and puts on powerful shows. They've been around for awhile but their name, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead..., is topical (i.e., al Qaeda (or America depending on your bias)) And they're getting bigger.
Peter