"You call that music? Will you turn that crap off?" Surely you've heard this from a parent or grandparent. Maybe it's fair for them to say that. I don't mean judge your music taste, I mean for them to think music made by producers instead of musicians is inferior. Think about the quality of music they grew up with. Not to say the quality of music has subsided as a whole in today's music, it just seems harder to find. I've always theorized it was because we have more access to it.
One day I will have t,o say (out loud) that I grew up in a music era ruled by corporate rap and plastic pop stars. Now, I'm holding onto the possibility of my grandchildren not remembering the likes of Kanye West or Taylor Swift. Maybe our grandparents felt the same about some of the music back then, despite the downfall of modern mainstream media and music, there are a few musicians that preserving early influences.
Leon Bridges
Regarded as the second coming of Sam Cooke, Leon Bridges burst onto the musical scene with his much-anticipated debut solo album "Coming Home" on June 23, 2015. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Leon grew up listening to '50s-'60s blues and soul music. Bridges is the spark for the recent resurgence in blues-inspired music in the mainstream.
Janelle Monae
She has a little "Ow! I feel good," in her. Bringing James Brown and Tina Turner to the 2010's, the Kansas City, KS native is known for showcasing the style and class of 1950's soul music to the pop scene. One may even describe her style as "soul pop." Of course, the comparisons are easier to make when she sports the fabric of the soul era. Monae is a perfect example of originality artists owned in previous decades—check out the hair!
Jake Bugg
Perhaps the theme so far is artists that give a small kidney jab to our grandparent's nostalgia. The theme continues here with the heavily Bob Dylan-influenced singer-songwriter Jake Bugg. Bugg presents the same mix of rock and folk and even sounds a bit like Dylan melodically. Dylan was perhaps a bit more of a counter-culturist than a musician, and Bugg is probably more of a vocal talent, but the comparison between the two is uncanny.
Tame Impala
Sending the international music scene on fire, Tame Impala shocked the world with their 2012 hit "Elephant." People everywhere asked themselves: "Is this an unreleased track from The Beatles?" If John Lennon was thrown into a psychedelic rock band, the result would be Tame Impala. Many fans of The Beatles have since boarded the Australian foursome's train for the sake of hearing a twist on the backing music of a very John Lennon-esque voice. Despite the many comparisons, Kevin Parker, the lead singer, has noted he is sick of the comparisons.
Gary Clark Jr.
Smashing blues, rock 'n' roll, and guitars, Gary Clark Jr. is a modern blues preservationist. Like Leon Bridges, Clark is from Texas (Austin), both growing up heavily influenced by soul, jazz, blues, and rock music. Although Clark has channeled a little more of George Thorogood than Sam Cooke, Clark and Bridges are key focal points in bringing blues back to the mainstream.
The Head and the Heart
Drawing immediate comparisons to the '60s trio Peter, Paul, and Mary for their harmonization, The Head and the Heart's single "Lost In My Mind" hit #1 on the alternative charts in 2011. Assembled in 2009 in Seattle, Washington, by lead singer Josiah Johnson by recruiting talent at local open mic nights, The Head and the Heart was listed as "Seattle's Best New Band" by Seattle's City Arts magazine in March of 2011.
Maybe—just maybe, my grandchildren will remember these modern gems instead. One can only hope they also dig into my grandparent's wealth of music as well, after all, quality music is timeless, but that doesn't mean it can't be buried with our loved ones.
Do me a favor Landon Lacey III, be an explorer, of lands, music, literature, and art, they will all take you to different times, and maybe we'll cross paths.
