Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder took a swipe at the pop music scene and the MTV Video Music Awards in his new interview with Rolling Stone, saying that the current crop of pop hits is "crap that people seem to like." After admitting that he watched the VMAs -- saying, "I was able to fast-forward through them, yes" -- Vedder remarked, "These pop songs almost feel like tabloid journalism, in a way. It's crap that people seem to like. And I don't know if it has meaning. I don't know if one of the pop songs of the summer has any fiber in it. People are consuming it, and is it healthy? I don't know."

The singer added, "Maybe it's some kind of way of taking themselves away from their problems. Maybe there's some healthy property or some restorative property that I'm not receiving. It seems like it has a really high fructose content."

Questioned about the lack of rock bands on the charts, Vedder said, "Bono talked a lot about, you know, 'We can't let rock & roll become a niche.' I thought, 'Well, that's kind of crazy. I have more faith in it than that.' But I can definitely see his point."

Pearl Jam's 10th studio album, Lightning Bolt, comes out on October 15th. Asked about many of the lyrics dealing with mortality and aging, Vedder said, "They say to write what you know. I think that's maybe one thing that we all know (laughs). It's living while you're alive, and living to the day you die, and being cognizant of the end, and you might lead a more appreciative life, if that's part of your approach."

Pearl Jam kicks off a North American tour on October 11th in Pittsburgh, with the first leg ending the weekend of November 1st at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans. The second half of the trek starts on November 15th in Dallas, wrapping on December 6th in Pearl Jam's hometown of Seattle.

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