Kaleo means “sound” or “voice” in Hawaiian and is also the name of an Islandic rock group that lives in Houston, TX. If you like rock influenced by folk and blues then this group may be worth listen to.
Downloaded The Bones of J.R. Jones from iTunes last week, and it has been spinning (electronically) on my player ever since. A singer/songwriter favoring guitar and mandolin based blues rock that sometimes sounds to come from another age. I like 🙂
The Top 10 artists I’ve listened most to during 2016:
#10 The Black Keys (blues/rock) – discovered by roaming around Apple Music a couple of weeks ago. Listen to “The Moan” EP to get as sense of their early rough/dirty sound and to “Turn Blue” album to get a sense of the latest sound. Note: most likely would be higher up if discovered earlier in the year 🙂
#9 Rihanna (pop) – discovered when her “Stay” was playing on the radio a few years back. This year her “Love on My Brain” performance at the Grammy’s has stayed with me.
#8 Alabama Shakes (alternative) – discovered through an Apple commercial. Alabama Shakes may not be to the choice of most people but their “Sound & Color” album is a favorite of mine.
#7 Børns (alternative) – discovered on the way to a beach in Kauai (playing on the radio). His “Electric Love” song captured my attention from the first moment, throughout the vacation and beyon.
#6 Imperiet/Ebba Grön (punk/rock) – discovered a long time ago at an age when you knew all you needed to know 😉 Swedish punk/rock at its best. I tend to gravitate towards Imperiet’s “Höghus, LÃ¥ghus, DÃ¥rhus” (Towers, Low-Rise Buildings, Madhouses) and “Kriget med Mig Själv” (The War with Myself) or Ebba Grön’s “Tittar pÃ¥ TV” (Watching TV) as of lately.
#5 Pat MacDonald (rock) – discovered a long way back when he was in Timbuktu 3 with his then wife. His music may not be for everyone but I recommend “Purgatory Hill” for an electric guitar based bluesy album, “Sleeps with His Guitar” if you prefer acoustic guitar, or “Strange Love – PM does DM” if you’re up for an unusual take on Depeche Mode.
#4 Hozier (singer/songwriter) – discovered when he was performing “Take Me to Church” at the Late, Late Show. His soulful, somewhat bluesy voice is cotton to my ears.
#3 Peter LeMarc (singer/songwriter) – discovered a long time ago, probably through Swedish radio or something. I would recommend “Kärlek i Tystnadens Tid” (Love in the Time of Silence), which is a warm sounding album and one of his best in since his comeback in 2003. “Den Tunna TrÃ¥den” (The Thin Thread), the first album after recovering from cancer is also a good choice.
#2 Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin (rock) – discovered a looong time ago. Though I’ve been listening to Robert Plan and Led Zeppelin for I don’t know how long they are still one of the artist I listen most to year after year.
#1 The Rival Sons (rock) – discovered a year ago by my brother who gave me their latest CD as a Christmas gift. The Rival Sons are rock when it is at its best, with influences from past heroes like Led Zeppelin and Free.
