The New Blues Sound - Modern Blues, Blues Rock, Soul & Roots Rock - August 2026
Raw guitars, soulful voices, and the timeless spirit of the Blues, reimagined for today.
Featuring Cinema Stereo, The Zac Schulze Gang, Ben Poole, Bywater Call, The Revivalists, The Commoners, Spencer Mackenzie, Eliza Neals, Laurent Moitrot, and Tom Davies & The Bluebirds.
I always loved the Blues for the raw emotion that came with it. Modern Blues is far from standing still, with a new generation of artists bringing fresh energy, powerful guitar work, soulful vocals, and their own unique perspectives to the genre. This month’s selection takes us through Modern Blues, Blues Rock, Soul Blues, and Roots Rock, blending the timeless spirit of the Blues with contemporary sounds and songwriting.
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The New Blues Sound - Modern Blues • Blues Rock • Soul • Roots Rock
Cinema Stereo - EXPECTATIONS
This track has many influences, mainly blending Rock with Blues. The opening guitar riff has a heavy/bluesy tone to it, filled with overdrive and distortion. The drummer plays an off-beat hi-hat pattern to solidify the groove. The singer has an amazing voice with a lot of grit and excels in the higher register. There is a cool breakdown in the middle of the song with synth keyboards. Wait until the end of the song for the phaser effect on the drum beat. Very cool!
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The Zac Schulze Gang - Hellhounds on My Trail
Photo by Ryan Hildrew
I always loved the way Zac Schulze brought soulful vocals to Blues/Rock. This is a great track filled with frenetic energy. It is the type of song that would be played in a fight scene in a Quentin Tarantino movie. There is a blistering guitar solo at the 2 minute 20 second mark. The bass player and drummer play a powerful, thundering implied shuffle groove through the whole song, which brings the Rock to the Blues.
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Ben Poole - Empty
Ben Poole is one of the rare talents who can do multiple things to a high degree. His guitar playing, composing, and vocals are all incredible. This laid-back Blues/Soul track has emotion pouring out of it. The instrumentation is stripped back with super clean production. The most impressive thing to me is the guitar solo at 3 minutes, twenty three seconds. His note choice and vibrato on the guitar convey so much feel without having to shred and play a million notes. This is a great tune!
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Bywater Call - Way To Go
Photo by Denis Carpentier
This is a super interesting track. It starts with a slide/finger picking guitar underneath the vocals. It sounds like it is run through a ‘tape isolator’ effect to give it that old-school sound. It quickly becomes a celebratory song when the band comes in.
The drummer plays a cool off-beat hi-hat part that makes the groove feel like it is in 2/4 timing. There are exceptional, soulful vocal harmonies throughout the whole song. A cool track with incredibly talented musicians.
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The Revivalists - Heart Stop
Photo Credit: Tommy Moore
I was blown away by the vocals on this song. Soulful and raw with emotion. It almost sounds like they were recorded at a live gig. This slow, laid-back Blues/Pop track is led by an acoustic guitar. It sounds like a steel-string or slide guitar is played in the bridge. The other instrumentation is sparse, which really allows the song to breathe. A very unique song.
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The Commoners - Runnin' Blind
Photo by Paul Wright
This is a feel-good Rock/Roots track. The double guitars give it a full sound while letting the melody connect with the listener. The drummer plays a double-time beat similar to Motown drummers. While the piano player gets in some classic Blues licks. The gospel-type backing vocals make this song sound like a celebration of music.
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Spencer Mackenzie - Empty Chairs
This song starts acapella with a hypnotic melody. There is no mistaking the sound of a Gibson Les Paul, which has a thick, bluesy tone perfect for this style of music. I like the singer's raw vocals mixed with emotional lyrics. The production lets the drums and bass be felt in the mix while the guitar melody takes precedence. A cool track.
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Eliza Neals - Thunder in the House
This song features hauntingly beautiful vocals that ooze emotion. This makes it easy for the song's lyrics to connect with the audience. The slow tempo creates a hypnotic feel, with the drummer playing a tom-tom beat that comes in and out. The doubled guitar parts create a thick soundscape and create images of Mississippi back roads. It is a classic 12-bar blues progression played over a very modern song.
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Laurent Moitrot - The High Life
This track has a great Modern Blues feel. The beat during the intro sounds programmed, which is a nice twist. The guitar tone is gritty, which gives the song a lot of bite. The vocals remind me of the singer of the Cars, Rick Ocasek. The drummer lays down a solid straight 8th beat with a funky open hi-hat. There is also some percussion on top, which creates a kind of New Orleans feel. An interesting track.
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Tom Davies & The Bluebirds - Angel On The Mississippi
This track runs for almost 9 minutes! It is well structured and shows the skills of a great songwriter. The main guitar tone has a lot of bottom end, with the perfect amount of overdrive creating the perfect Blues tone. The vocalist tells a story and emotes beautifully. The rhythm section is tight, playing through multiple complex changes. A great example of Modern Blues music.
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About Magesh Magesh
Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour.
He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk
Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com
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