Craft Roast Soul

One of the great things about the internet is that through platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and others you can have access to artists you might not otherwise know about.  Whether it's a new artist or an established one still making great music, you can keep up with just about any artist anywhere in the world. One such established artist that has come across my radar recently is Ireland's 'Aslan'.  I was introduced to them via a cover of one of their big hits by fellow Irish band U2.  When I heard the song I had to check out this band 'Aslan'.  I was not disappointed!  They have been making music since the mid 80's and still perform today and put on incredible live shows.  Here is a video of Aslan performing their original version of 'This Is': Christy Dignam is one of the great rock n' roll front men of our time.  He has a great voice and is a phenomenal performer.  He's very animated and emotive onstage, remind...

One of my favorite new bands is a Dublin group named 'Inhaler'.  The band's singer is the son of U2's Bono, but they aren't leaning on that connection to make a name for themselves. They've become an accomplished band on their own, securing a record deal and touring on the strength of their first batch of songs. While singer Eli Hewson sounds very much like a twenty-year old Bono, the band have their own distinct sound.  It's reminiscent of early U2 and other 80's post-punk rock, but skillfully updated for the modern age.  Perhaps the best example of this is the band's latest single "My Honest Face". The B-side for this single is not to be missed either. It's a slow, crawling piece with a cool bass part best experienced with headphones or good speaker.  It kind of reminds me of Massive Attack or perhaps even Radiohead.  Titled "There's No Other Place", it can be found on  Spotify  or you can check it out on YouTube ...

Luxury are a great band with an incredible story. I first heard of them a couple of years ago, but it wasn't until just a few months ago that I listened to their newest album and their earlier work. A recently released documentary about the band provides an in-depth look at their journey, and is well worth checking out even if you aren't into the music. Check out the trailer below: A couple of my favorite tracks from the latest album are "Don't Feel Bad If You Don't Feel Better Right Away" and "You Must Change Your Life". Check out those and much more from Luxury on Spotify. Don't Feel Bad If You Don't Feel Better Right Away You Must Change Your Life NPR did a superb interview with the band in a feature they ran in July 2019. Check that out here: NPR Feature on Luxury - July 2019

Michael McDermott is a relatively recent discovery for me, but he's been making music for nearly 30 years. His debut album, 620 W. Surf came out in 1991.  It's always a great feeling when you discover an incredible artist and find that there are many years worth of albums to explore.  Author Stephen King was an early fan, and even wrote the liner notes for McDermott's 1996 self-titled album. (See links below)  More recently, King said of him, "Michael McDermott is one of the best songwriters in the world and possibly the greatest undiscovered rock n roll talent of the last 20 years." I couldn't agree more. McDermott's 2016 album "Willow Springs" was my introduction to him, and it is incredible. Some critics say it's one of the best albums of his career. The entire album is incredible. I quickly realized that this was one of the most gifted singer-songwriters I'd come across in quite some time.  If you like Bob Dylan, Bruce Sprin...