Blues, is there anyone doing anything new?

shaunm

I love blues, the old guys, the really old guys and some of the new guys but it does feel as though we've heard it all before. Credit to John Mayer, Gary Clarke Jr, The Black Keys and The White Stripes as they are modern acts producing credible blues that isn't a paint by numbers copy of what's gone before. 

It seems that most blues artists are guitar players only without being song writers as to me that's all that sets the above apart, good songs. 

Am I missing anyone? Are there others people can steer me towards? I love good guitar playing (Matt Schofield, Roben Ford, Dan Patlansky, Simon McBride and of course Joe Bonamassa) but are there any that are producing great songs and not just sticking to a shuffle and using it to play brilliantly over?

Chuffola

Quick! Ban him!

He said the JB words!

monquixote

No

not_the_dj

Young hotshot Laurance Jones. I saw him open for Kenny Wayne Sheppard earlier this year and he was excellent.

shaunm

Chuffola said:

Quick! Ban him!

He said the JB words!

Haha, people do seem to dislike him around here and I'm not too sure why? Ok, his songs aren't the best but he really is living th dream and he has worked hard to get there. He is also a great guitarist and if he wasn't famous he'd be ok this forum because he is a massive guitar geek

bingefeller

White men playing the blues using expensive gear reminds me of TGP. .... Carry on!

shaunm

TGP?

not_the_dj

Zodiac51

Not a young guy at all, but Jimmy Herring has been floating my boat a lot recently, he is a quite "left field" blues player

Oh yeh, edited to add JB - "Keepin the Blues Alive"™

http://youtu.be/tS-M3HHdo4M

http://youtu.be/n2W5JnUGyKg

bingefeller

shaunm;446920" said:

TGP?

The Gear Page. Elitist American centric gear forum.

EricTheWeary

With artists like Eric Bibb there's more emphasis on the songwriting but not so much the guitar widdling. What about Teceschi Trucks or their respective solo careers? I love ( possibly literally... "> ) a bit of Joanne Shaw Taylor and she rarely goes down the 12 bar route, much more emphasis on new songs. Otis Taylor is experimental with the blues dabbling in electronica and banjos. Alvin Youngblood Hart has a wide range - mixing up country blues with garage rock. Joe Louis Walker can be a bit hit and miss, his early career was pretty much as Robert Cray Junior but he had a gap ( fighting alcohol problems IIRC) and came back more interesting.

shaunm

Brilliant, I will get those people listened to

CHRISB50

I think Monquixote hit the nail on the head.

shaunm

I thought Paulo Nutini's Iron Sky was the best blues song I've heard in an age

Col_Decker

The Spin Docters last album 'if the river was whiskey' is great, well worth a punt. Yes spin doctors as in two princes.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kuDyJQ_MP0

telestratjazz

This man is great

Alnico

I'm saying 'Seasick Steve'.

Ok, not brand new but definitely original and unique.

shaunm

telestratjazz said:

This man is great

He really is a brilliant player, makes me want to quit.

JAYJO

I will be looking for some Walter Trout stuff as i havent heard any. Cant give an opinion but may be of interest.Hes been around a while and not in the best of health but may still be recording. So not exactly new stuff but new to me,

EricTheWeary

Mr Trout is very guilty of the whole range of white blues sins and he had a detour into AOR rock which is worth avoiding. Having said that I think the OP and Jayjo would enjoy Blues for the Modern Daze from a couple of years ago were he focused in on the songs. I don't listen to so much blues these days but that's one of my favourite albums of the last few years

Octahedron

Hmmm I have to say I don't know that they're particularly original as such but I think their songwriting sets them apart from a lot of the bunch... 

Oli Brown, been around for 3 albums. Personal favourites include this (incidentally I actually ran a blog for a short time and reviewed Oli's 3rd album on it, and then I got contacted by either the label or management or someone thanking me for giving it a sparkling review! How lovely):

Scott McKeon, sorta made two records and then buggered off somewhere into the atmosphere? 

Owen Campbell, Aussie bloke, made quite a name for himself on a little-known talent show on 'the idiot box', 'cept we can forgive him cos he's bloody good even if he came across as a bit of an ass here: 

Aynsley Lister drops on and off the radar: 

And this chick is pretty good... 

Samantha Fish is pretty up there too...