I hope you enjoy going through the stack of Mid May 2026 New Blues & Blues Rock albums that are listed below. I am impressed by the number of new releases over the last couple of weeks and I know there are more out there that I just couldn’t find to add to the list. Who says the blues is dying?!!
There are a variety of styles among the new releases, some recognizable names, and a large group of emerging contemporary blues artists that are all “paying their dues”. It is summertime and a perfect chance to get to see some of them at a club or festival near you. Go see the artists, have a good time, and help the blues to thrive in 2026.
Among the upcoming releases are new recordings from Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joanna Connor, Gina Coleman, Bywater Call, Kelli Baker, Grainne Duffy and Secondhand Dreamcar. The contemporary blues are blessed with a whole bunch of talented female singers and musicians. I can’t wait to get my hands on the albums as they are released!
And as always, you should be hearing tracks from all of these recordings as the weeks and months go by on Blue Music Fan Radio. I hope you enjoy. When available, I provide links to Spotify or Youtube so you can listen to some of the new releases right now!
Recordings Out Now – Albums
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Ledbetter Heights (30th Anniversary Edition) [Ram Records]
Jennifer Lynn & the Groove Revival – Electric Eden [J and R Collective]
Carmen Ratti Band – Come to Me [Indie]
The Milk Men – The Milky Way [Indie]
Emanuel Casablanca – It’s Getting Strange [Indie]
Mudgravel Blues – Tiohtiake [Indie]
Galia Volt – Burn the House Down [Ruf Records]
Peter Frampton – Carry the Light [UMG Recordings]
Reckoners – Where the Hell Am I [Gitcha Records]
Ripoff Raskolnikov – Budapest Days [XLNT Records]
Dave Thomas – Bridge Street Blues [Blonde On Blonde]
Anita Nordheim Blues N’ Groove Company – Turn the Page [PHS Music]
Chris Bergson – East River Blues [Two Shirts Records]
Brother Wallace – Electric Love [ATO Records]
Diving Ducks – Blue [Indie]
The Damned and Dirty – Fading Sun [Indie]
Steve Louw – Traces of the Flood [Indie]
Zed Charles – Jed Josh & Jerry [Rowdyland Records]
Emma Donavon – Take Me to the River [Civilians]
Ronnie Beaton – Mr. Jinx [557017 Records]
Jeff Hoagland Blues Band – 9111 East Jefferson Ave [Indie]
Tori Sparks – Cabinet of Curiosities Vol. 2 (EP) [Glass Mountain Records]
JB’s Blues Breakers – JB’s Blues Breakers [Indie]
Lightnin’ Malcolm – One Man Village, Vol. 1 [Headband Music]
Mississippi Shakedown – Time to Kill [Laneway Music]
Alex Kilroy – Break My Chains [Kilroy Records]
Muddy What? – Neon Soul [Howlin’ Who Records]
Earl “Guitar” Williams – The Soul King of Bessemer, AL [Music Maker Records]
Ryan Bingam and the Texas Gentlemen – They Call Us the Lucky Ones [Thirty Tigers Records]
Bjorn Berge – Morphine [Apollon Records]
Robert Jon & the Wreck – Wreckage, Vol. 3 [Journeyman Records]
May 2026 Blues Album Releases
Grainne Duffy – What Am I Supposed to Do? (May 22nd)
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar – A Beautiful Buzz (Live) (May 22nd)
Will Clayton – Evolution (May 22nd)
Leeann Atherton – Good God (May 22nd)
*J Scott Hynson – The Blues Room Volume 1 (May 22nd)
*Lena & the Slide Brothers – Lighthouse Blues (May 22nd)
When Rivers Meet – Rhythm Rust & Static (May 29th)
J.P. Soars – Gypsy Blue Revue (May 29th)
Russ Green – Stone Cold (May 29th)
Amani Burnham – Roots & Wings (May 29th)
Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind – 13 Hours (May 29th)
Ben Hemming – Dark Days (May 29th)
Troy Mercy – Let the Night Begin (May 29th)
*Gina Coleman – Uncrowned: A Tribute to Ida Cox (May 29th)
June 2026 Album Releases
Anni Piper – Men Are Like Potato Chips (June 1st)
*John Primer & Friends – Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge (June 5th)
Jared James Nichols – Louder Than Fate (June 5th)
Denise La Grassa – Crossroads Communion (June 5th)
The Claudettes – Garage Glamour (June 5th)
*The Lindells – Mixed in Mancos 25 (June 5th)
*Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport – Young Rell (June 5th)
Sherri Harding – Storyland (June 5th)
*Hollie Smith – Hollie Smith EP (June 5th)
Slim Butler – Under the Influence (June 5th)
The Name Droppers – Let’s Live Together (June 12th)
Samantha Fish – Paper Doll Live (June 12th)
Duane Betts – Isle of Hope (June 12th)
Beth Hart – You Still Got Me (Deluxe Edition) (June 19th)
Joe Bonamassa – The Spirit of Rory Live from Cork (June 19th)
Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado – Live at Hotel Cecil (June 19th)
Greg Piccolo – Who Knows What the Future Holds (June 19th)
Snowy White and the White Flames – The Finishing Touch (June 26th)
Jasper Lindell – Royal (June 26th)
July/August 2026 Album Releases
Will Johns – On Top of the World (July 5th)
Chris O’Leary – Blue Collar (July 10th)
The Rolling Stones – Foreign Tongues (July 10th)
Parker Barrow – Hold the Mash (July 17th)
*Bywater Call – Broken Souvenirs (July 29th)
Albert Castiglia – Grits and Glory (July 31st)
GA-20 – Blues Now ((July 31st)
Citizen – Halcyon Blues (August 7th)
Eric Jerardi – The Game (August 21st)
*Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour – Watching the Tide (August 28th)
*Danielle Nicole – Fireflies (August 28th)
Sept/Oct/Nov/December 2026 Album Releases
Blues Porter – Signs of Love (September 11th)
*Joanne Shaw Taylor – The Trouble with Love (Oct 23rd)
The Sharpeez – Automatic Mode (October 2026)
Planned Release With No Set Date Yet
Eric Steckel – Sandstorm (Spring 2026)
Mike Wheeler – Chicago Blues (Spring 2026)
Kelli Baker – Mother (June 2026)
Kevin Burt – This Trip (August 2026)
*Joanna Connor – Live (Summer 2026)
Secondhand Dreamcar – Get Ready (Fall 2026)
Anthony Geraci – Where You Are (Fall 2026)
Larry McCray – Blue Mary (Winter 2026)
Jamiah Rogers – Blues Superman (2026)
Electric Soul Company – Electric Soul Company (2026)
Warren Haynes – Dreams & Songs (2026)
Alan Arena – Demise (early 2027)
*new to the list of upcoming releases
If you or your band have an upcoming album release in 2026/2027 and would like to be considered for inclusion on this list, please send info to ben@benveeblues.com
Other Websites with Contemporary Blues/Blues Rock News
Rock & Blues Muse https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/
Blues Rock Review https://bluesrockreview.com/
Blues Chronicles https://blueschronicles.com/
Ben Vee Blues Blog https://benveeblues.com/
Quite a comprehensive list Ben
Plenty of great tracks to select over the coming months!
Thanks Brad. Definitely a labor of love. It takes several hours a week to update it and publish it every two weeks or so. But it seems to be catching on from the clicks we are getting. Anything that spreads the word about all the new badass blues out there is a good thing right? And if it brings us some new listeners…all the better!