You've got some pretty great taste in music, Eric :) And always seem to have had it. I guess I've got the glasses, too, as I tend towards older music, but isn't it all the more wonderful when you do get to discover that this generation has got amazing music, too? Whichever gen we're talking about. It's the best of two worlds, I feel.
Right now, I've got this stuck in my head. I love these guys.
As of contemporaries, all these three dudes are extraordinary, in my book:
As is Ren, if you don't know him.
Thanks. : ) I tell you, when you get over the Rosy Retro bias it feels like the world opens up. Who knows, maybe I've delayed turning into a crotchety old man by a decade or more.
All three songs you posted links for are amazing but Ren stands out for me. I'm learning acoustic guitar atm and his guitar playing skills are out of this world. Thanks for sharing these!
I don't think you could ever be that :)
Time will tell, each year that goes by the world seems more "peopley". Lol.