I say this a lot on a number of threads, but it's because it's true......If you think there aren't any original bands, then you're not looking hard enough.
There's an incredible amount of original music that is interesting, passionate and isn't trying to copy the past, you just have to invest in some time to search it out amongst all the other noise. We're not in the 70s or 80s anymore, cool bands don't just appear on TV and the mainstream radio every day, but they're still out there touring and working ridiculously hard.
Also remember that melody is restrictive, there's only so many notes, but it's the context in which it sits that makes it unique, one melody over one set of chords will sound completely different over a different set of chords. So maybe you're right, melodies over G, C, D do sound derivative nowadays, maybe it's your brain crying out for something more harmonically complex, who knows.
Maybe we should make some suggestions.
I would say go and listen to Bent Knee, perhaps the song Land Animal.....and genuinely listen to the whole track:
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocn0gkJ2sMY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=ocn0gkJ2sMY[/url]
Si
p.s.
I play covers and originals, I too don't really make a distinction, but I'm lucky to play in a covers band that has that outlook. We do our own thing and have fun with it.