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 ...

I can't say enough good things about The Alarm's latest album "Sigma" . The Welsh band has been very busy lately, and is smack in the middle of one of the most prolific periods of their career. For the last few years it has seemed like every couple of months I read about a new project or tour they're embarking on. Their latest album "Sigma" comes hot on the heels of last year's (2018) "Equals" . From top to bottom the album is loaded with standout tracks. Both lyrically and musically these songs shine bright. Everything is polished to perfection. The raw emotion and passion singer Mike Peters and co. bring to each song is inspiring. The music is uplifting and joyous in the way that the best of U2, Bruce Springsteen, or Coldplay are. And like those artists there is an edge and rawness to the songs. They don't shy away from the dark, but there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I've been following their 2019 to...