50 Modern Blues Rock Soul Artists You Must Hear 2019, images

By Martine Ehrenclou

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 musicians, the greats who created their own styles and sounds.

There is an overwhelming number of truly outstanding artists and bands out there now—current recording and performing musicians who are authentic, highly talented, and who release great music.

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 great music. It doesn’t include all of my favorites because the list would be too long.

Since the writing of the this article, many of you suggested artists and bands that you thought should be included. Here is the newer additional article with many of your contributions. Click hereYOUR Additions to 50 Modern Blues Rock Soul Artists You Must Hear 2019. Between the two articles, you will find 50 additional artists and bands to sample and enjoy. That makes 100 artists and bands in total.

I purposely tried not to include all of the well known musicians. You’ll come across familiar and celebrated names here, I’m sure.

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

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

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
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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

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

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

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

Paul Nelson (blues, blues-rock, guitarist, singer-songwriter) Band
Info-video

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

Kirk Fletcher (blues, blues-rock, contemporary R&B, funk)
Info and 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

Gary Hoey (blues, blues-rock) Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Info-video

Robert Randolph & The Family Band (blues, rock, soul, funk) Band
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

Anthony Gomes (blues, blues-rock) Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Info-video 

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 

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

Coco Montoya (blues, blues-rock) Guitarist, singer-wongwriter
Info-Video

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

Rock & Southern Rock

Rival Sons photo

Rival Sons (rock) Band
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 (rock band)
Info-video 

Blackberry Smoke (Southern rock) Band
Info-video

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

Bad Touch (rock band)
Info-video 

Southern Soul/R&B/Blues

 

Southern Avenue, photo

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

Marcus King Band (Southern soul, psychedelia, blues)
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, photo

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 favorite artists and bands in the comment section below.