Your choices (4): Marcus King, H.E.R., Janelle Monáe, Tedeschi-Trucks Band

 

For a country sometimes stereotyped as lacking "culture", America gave the world a heck of a lot of music, from blues, jazz, bluegrass and gospel to country, rock, funk, and most recently, hip-hop.  While hip-hop is the only one whose American audience is growing today, all of these forms of music retain dedicated followings here.  Even in rock and jazz, where the innovation and dynamism have largely migrated to other parts of the world, there are American artists keeping the flame alive today.  Here are some of the best things you all recommended: 

Marcus King:  “The Well”  (Eric A., Edward D.)

Marcus grew up in a musical family, gigged with his father as a kid, and formed a band while in high school.  He released his first album in 2019.  His playing style is a throwback to early southern rock, but with more flair and heavy dose of blues.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_xHMKkzPc4

H.E.R.:  “Losing” (Robert A.)

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson has exploded onto the scene.  At age 24, she has already released multiple records, appeared in films and written parts of film scores.  She is classified as R&B, but in her early work you can hear a strong jazz influence.  Her success (she is a Grammy and Oscar winner) has pulled her into the corporate music machine, and I find her recent stuff less interesting, so here is something from when she was just breaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1-i53r-yVQ

 

 

Janelle Monáe:  “Tightrope” (Robert F.)

Monáe is a polymath who writes music, sings, acts, choreographs, dances and produces her own records.  She scrambles genres and styles, has a science fiction alter-ego, and, like Grace Jones a generation earlier, wields a pointedly androgynous persona.  She is one of my candidates for “coolest person alive”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc

Tedeschi-Trucks Band:  “Layla” (cover) (Lewis L.)

Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks formed their band in 2010, after having established themselves individually as practitioners of roots rock and blues.  (Trucks is also the nephew of the late Butch Trucks, drummer for the Allman Brothers.)  They are among a small circle of musicians keeping blues and roots-rock alive today. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCL4o6i5934