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Calling all old-school and neo-Jazz, soul and Blues fans: these genres aren’t styles of the past. Those trending artists on your playlist: Hozier, Adele, The Black Keys – they’re all modern sounds of a century-long genre that will never lose charm. Even if these voices of today’s entertainment world are considered “pop,” true fans know their chord progressions, rhythm and culture, which are unmistakably blues. Listen to these five contemporary blues artists for some dulcet, cleansing, heart-wrenching, earth-moving tunes for the soul.
La Havas‘ album “Blood” was Grammy nominated for best Urban Contemporary album. The creation of the album was inspired by La Havas’s trip through Jamaica to reconnect with her roots. Her well known single from the album, “Unstoppable,” showcases the singer’s velvet voice hitting raspy lows and high belts.
Paying homage to his southern, Texan roots, Gary Clark Jr. has influences of country, rock and even hip hop in his music, classifying him as a blues rock and soul musician. His music’s style is earthy and smooth and he’s known for his distorted sound. His most well-known single, “Bright Lights,” has frequently appeared in trending shows like “Suits” and “House of Lies.”
The members of Lake Street Dive met while studying at New England Conservatory of Music and named their band after a street lined up and down with dive bars. They’re known for their soft, bluesy rendition of “I Want You Back” by Jackson 5 and their soulful cover of “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates. Start off by listening to these songs then explore the rest of their album, “Fun Machine.” You’ll fall in love with Rachael Price’s husky, yet silky voice.
Lead singer of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard, rips into every single song she performs. The inspirational woman is an absolute powerhouse when she performs and her soul-rock style is so gritty and fantastic that critics admit that she’s in a league of her own. The band is originally from Alabama and likes to keep their rock-southern style. Their single “Don’t Wanna Fight” won Grammy for Best Rock Song of the year, but don’t stop listening there – check out their entire album “Sound and Color.”
Bridges’ song “Lisa Sawyer” narrates a young man’s seemingly unrequited love for a beautiful young girl named Lisa Sawyer. Leon Bridges‘ voice and style is reminiscent of the old ’60s slow rhythm and blues singers, so for any old-school listeners, check out Leon Bridges.
