So let me start by saying that I'm probably not the best to be asking about Blues Rock, as it's not a genre I spend too much time in, but I've found some bands over the years that I've liked. I'm also gonna assume you're asking for more modern stuff cause everyone knows artists like Steppenwolf, The Animals, George Thorogood, etc. so I'm just gonna shotgun some various stuff your way and see what sticks with you. Also, as an aside, I'm just copying and pasting Youtube vids to this as I go along. If any of these have anything questionable or NSFW in them, I didn't know and I'm sorry if they do. Mississippi John Hurt - Now hold on. Before you say “rd95, bro, this isn't blues rock!” I ask that you hear me out. This man is the man to get me into blues music. I have a 2 CD album of him performing for The Library of Congress at the Coolidge Auditorium in 1963. Listening to this man sing is like listening to your grandfather tell you a bedtime story. Listening to him sing is like feeling no matter how low you are in the world, life can still be beautiful. I usually scoff when people use terms like “therapeutic” and “inspiring” when they describe music, but in this mans case, I think such words are more than fitting. J Roddy Walston and the Business - Technically they're Southern Rock which is technically not Blues Rock but it's influence by the blues so it kind of counts and I technically don't give one damn one way or another. My wife describes them as Jerry Lee Lewis meets Lynyrd Skynyrd. I describe them as the musical equivalent of drinking cheap whiskey and washing it down with knock off coke, in a good way. Their 2010 self titled album is a treat. If you were to get any, I'd recommend that one. Black Pistol Fire - I'm gonna post these guys one more time. People seem to really like The Black Keys, for me personally, I think their last good album was Magic Potion. They're definitely two different bands, but I feel like everything that The Black Keys has let go of, Black Pistol Fire has embraced, mainly a dirty sound and nice raw energy. They have two live performances on KEXP. They're both well worth a listen. The Killtones - Who are they? I dunno. Are they still around and do they still play shows? I dunno. Do I care? Not really. My bud played a cd he had of theirs during a short road trip one time and for a small time band, they've really been burned into my head ever since. Every now and again, I'll pull up one of their songs on Youtube and give it a good listen. The Grizzled Mighty - Same story as The Killtones. I have no idea who they are, but I love the way they sound. Like Black Pistol Fire, they have a set on KEXP that's worth a listen. The Raconteurs - Is it popular to hate on Jack White? Yes. Is it warranted? Maybe. I dunno. Do the Raconteurs really count as Blues Rock? I dunno. Wikipedia says they do so I'm gonna include them. Their two albums aren't really all rock your face off and leave you amazed, but with that aside, they're very solid and well worth a listen. I think enough time has passed to say that it's okay to listen to them without worrying about whether or not people will judge you. The Eagles of Death Metal - Like The Raconteurs, you've probably heard of them. Similarly, people probably poo on them. Don't listen to those guys. The Eagles of Death Metal can actually be a hell of a ton of fun. The Sheepdogs - I'm not gonna lie to you. I kind of want to hate these guys. For some reason, their style strikes me as a pandering throw back. I'll be damned if I don't think they hit the right notes though. If you love '70s style Blues Rock, you might really like these guys. Okay. bfv is probably gonna get mad at me for hijacking this thread, so I'll just leave these here for now.
Well shit. Between your commend and bfv saying he doesn't mind a hijack, I might as well make another list for you and lm, but with classic artists involved. Obviously, you should share with your friends. I'll note first that with a lot of older artists, it's hard to find legit songs posted from the rights holders on YouTube (for example I can't find any for either Steppenwolf or The Animals), so what I post will not necessarily be the best of the best, but what I can find . . . Muddy Waters - I figure if I started the last list with Mississippi John Hurt, I should start this list with an equally great artist. Muddy Waters. People would probably argue that he's closer to blues than he is to blues rock and they're probably right. But to be fair, this man is not only influential, he's pretty much a legend and almost everyone has heard of him for good reason. Jimi Hendrix - He needs no introduction. Just open ears. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Once again, “southern rock” and “blues rock” are blurry to me. These guys are absolute classics though and while I've met people who say CCR aren't their thing, I don't think I've ever met anyone who's actually said they suck. Their songs tend to be a little more relaxed, a little slower paced, while still feeling peppy and energetic. I recommend everyone gives them a listen at least once. ZZ Top - When people think of that classic blues rock sound, ZZ Top probably comes to mind for a lot of them. They've had a long career that lasted well into a weird period in the '80s where they experimented with synths (hey, it was the '80s, everyone was doing it). George Thorogood - Another classic, classic artist. Like ZZ Top, when you think blues rock, you probably think of this guy's music whether you know his name or not. Blues Traveler The '90s were like 20 years ago. There's a good chance your friends missed out on Blues Traveler. If so, they owe it to themselves to give these guys a listen or two. They fit the decade rather well. ARTISTS I CAN'T FIND YOUTUBE CHANNELS FOR BUT YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO The Yardbirds – Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck started here. 'Nuff said. The Allman Brothers Band – People say The Allman Brothers Band is responsible for Southern Rock. People say a lot of things. Is it true? I don't know. When I listen to songs like “Ramblin' Man” and “Eat a Peach” I can see where people might get that idea. Listening to them is like heading to the lake on a lazy summer day for an afternoon of fishing, swimming, and bullshitting with friends. Canned Heat – At this point, shit's getting blurry in my head, but I'd say that unlike some of the artists I've mentioned Canned Heat is pretty pure to the idea of Blues Rock. Great band, great music, I'm kind of surprised I don't have any of their albums. There's a lot more that I could share, but dinner's waiting and I don't know if I'm really doing the genre justice with this list. So, uh, check stuff out and have a great 4th of July everyone!