Under the Radar

 Blues, Rock, and Southern Soul Music You Must Hear 2019

By Martine Ehrenclou

Since I started Rock and Blues Muse in December of 2016, I’ve discovered so much outstanding music (blues, blues-rock, rock music, Southern rock, roots music, and southern soul) and it keeps coming. Every day my inbox overflows with music. I’ve had the sincere pleasure of listening to artists and bands I’ve never heard of who are so good I could hardly believe my ears.

I’m talking about under the radar musicians who are just as good, just as innovative and talented as bands we all listened to before pop, hip-hop/rap/R&B, and country overtook the air waves. Similar genres too from decades past but with a modern take.

Not music crafted by technology but real music by real musicians.

I’ve been hearing people complain about current pop music because of the lack of soulfulness, a lack of authenticity, manufactured drum beats, compressed auto-tuned vocals and more. They say there aren’t bands or artists today like Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Allman Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Three Kings, and more. And I get that. People miss the real-deal musicians, the greats who innovated their own styles and sounds. They were artists of firsts.

But what I’ve learned from my work at Rock and Blues Muse is that there is an overwhelming number of truly outstanding artists and bands out there now—current recording and performing musicians who are authentic, unbelievably talented, and who produce winning music.

Unless you have your ear to the ground  for current blues, blues-rock, rock, and southern soul music, you might not have heard of these artists. I simply want to open a window to some great music that you won’t find on FM radio, American Idol, The Voice, or if you’re using streaming services (who isn’t) and you haven’t been steered to these great artists by algorithms based on your musical choices.

Here’s the antidote to today’s popular music. These 50 modern blues, rock, and Southern soul artists are some of my personal favorites. This isn’t a top list of the best or worst. This isn't a year-end list of the best albums or songs. This is just my desire to share superb music. It doesn't encompass all of my favorites because the list would be too long. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few. I'm positive there are many I have yet to learn about.

Some of these blues, rock and soul artists are from other countries or some haven’t become well known enough yet, but none fit into the most popular genres of music today based on online streaming stats—pop, hip-hop/rap/R&B, and country. There are strands of R&B or country in the music. But the best part for many of us, is that these musicians play actual instruments and sing using their natural voices. Not to say that some aren’t enhanced or modified by technology but they sound just as good live (if not better) than their recordings.

That says a lot. And that means a lot to me. There’s nothing like seeing a band live. You cannot replicate that energy or the up-close-and-personal experience with a live-streamed concert on your TV or computer. And I support going to see live music because it helps keep blues and rock alive.

I am certain that there are plenty more great artists and bands out there who I haven’t heard of yet. Please comment with your favorites that you don’t see here. I welcome your contributions and will write another article that include your choices.

I purposely tried not to include big names/well recognized musicians because you know about them already. If you’re tuned into these genres, you’ll come across familiar names, I’m sure. And if people aren’t really exposed to this kind of music, then there are a few I had to include that you might consider big names for these specific genres.

Each name has a link to a review with video and info about the artist, or a link to a video, artist’s website or Facebook page.

I welcome your comments below in the comment section. I’ll publish them with your first name only in another article.

I hope you enjoy.

Blues & Blues-rock

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (blues, blues-rock) Singer-songwriter, guitarist.
Info-video

Sena Ehrhardt (blues, blues-rock) Singer-songwriter
Video
Website

Eric Steckel (blues-rock, rock, blues, “blues metal”) Guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist.
Video
Website

King King (blues-rock, rock) Band
Info-video 

Eric Gales (blues-rock, rock, blues, funk) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Philip Sayce (blues-rock, rock, blues, psychedelia) Guitarist-singer-songwriter
Info-video 

Joanne Shaw Taylor (blues, blues-rock, rock) Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Info-video

Mindi Abair & the Boneshakers (blues, blues-rock, R&B, funk, jazz) Saxophonist, singer-songwriter
Video
Website

Josh Smith (blues, blues-rock, rock, funk, jazz) Guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer.
Thanks to missmoke007 for the video
Video
Website

Blue Poets (blues-rock, rock band) Led by Marcus Deml.
Info-video

Henrik Freischlader (blues, blues-rock, rock, with serious groove) Guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer.
Info-video

Kenny Wayne Shepherd (blues, blues-rock, southern rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter.
Info-video

Sean Chambers (blues-rock, rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video 

Jonathon Long (blues, blues-rock, southern rock) Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Info-video

Joey Landreth (blues, indie, soul-ish) Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Video
Website 

Tony Spinner (Blues, blues-rock, with funky grooves) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Aleks Sever (rock, jazz, funk) Guitarist, singer, composer
Video
Website

Davy Knowles (blues, blues-rock, rock) Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Info-video

Larkin Poe (blues, roots-rock)
Info-video 

Nick Schnebelen (Blues, blues-rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video 

Kirk Fletcher (blues, blues-rock, contemporary R&B, funk)
Thanks to 1AnitrasDance for the video
Video
Website 

Mike Zito (blues, blues-rock, rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer
Info-video

Ana Popovic (blues, blues-rock, rock, funk, R&B and jazz) Singer-songwriter guitarist
Thanks to BluesBroad for the video.
Video
Website 

Artur Menezes (blues, blues-rock, funky grooves too) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video 

JD Simo (blues, blues-rock, rock, psychedelia) Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Info-video 

Matt Anderson (soul-blues, contemporary R&B, soul, country) Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Info-video

Walter Trout (blues, blues rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Eric Schenkman (rocking blues, funk, soul) Guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer
Info-video 

Tinsley Ellis (blues, blues-rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video 

Too Slim & The Taildraggers (blues-rock, blues, rock) Band led by Tim Langford, singer-songwriter, guitarist)
Info-video 

Tab Benoit (blues, Delta blues, blues-rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Beth Hart (Blues, blues-rock, R&B, soul, jazz) Singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist.
Info-video

Albert Castiglia (blues, blues-rock, rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Sari Schorr (blues-rock) Singer-songwriter
Video
Website 

Jonny Lang (blues, blues-rock, rock, contemporary gospel) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video 

Tommy Castro & the Painkillers (blues, blues-rock, soul) Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Info-video

Selwyn Birchwood (blues, blues-rock, funky grooves, roots music) Guitarist, lap steel, singer-songwriter.
Video
Website

Celso Salim Band (blues, roots music, boogie funk) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Video
Facebook

Samantha Fish (blues, soul, R&B, country) Singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer.
Info-video

Joe Bonamassa (Blues, blues-rock, rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Alastair Greene (Blues-rock, rock and blues) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video

Shaw Davis & The Black Ties (Rock side of blues, blues-rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Thanks to datflys for the video
Video
Website

Carolyn Wonderland (blues, blues-rock, country) Guitarist, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
Thanks to Music Fog for the video
Video
Website

Danielle Nicole (blues, blues-rock, rock, soul) Singer-songwriter, bassist
Info-video 

Bernard Allison (blues, blues-rock, funk, some jazz)
Thanks to BluesBroad for the video.
Video
Website

Rock & Southern Rock

Rival Sons (rock) Band
Info-video

Bishop Gunn (Southern rock, southern soul too) Band led by Travis McCready
Info-video

Gov’t Mule (southern rock, rock, jam band) Band lead by Warren Haynes
Video
Website 

Black Stone Cherry (Southern rock, southern blues) Band
Info-video

Black Country Communion
Info-video 

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown (rock band)
Info-video 

Bad Touch (rock band)
Info-video 

Southern Soul/R&B/Blues

Southern Avenue (southern soul, blues) Band
Info-video

Marcus King Band (Southern soul, psychedelia, blues)
Info-video

Sarah Potenza (Soul, blues, R&B) Singer-songwriter
Info-video

Shemekia Copeland (Blues, Soul-R&B) Singer-songwriter
Video
Website

Big Daddy Wilson (old-school blues, soul) Singer-songwriter
Info-video

Acoustic Blues

Harry Manx and Steve Marriner (acoustic blues) Singer-songwriters, harmonica, guitar, multi-instrumentalists.
Info-video

Jontavious Willis (Acoustic blues, roots music) Singer, songwriter, guitarist, harmonica
Info-song

Please share your under-the-radar favorite artists and bands in the comment section below.

The post 50 Modern Blues Rock Soul Artists You Must Hear 2019 appeared first on Rock and Blues Muse.