Chaim Dovid, Yosef Karduner, Soulfarm, C. Lanzbom & Noah Solomon, Neshama Carlebach, a shtikle Simply Tsfat and recently liking Diaspora Yeshiva Band (from my parents generation). Also, Eitan and Shlomo Katz as well, they add freshness to the genre.
For the uninitiated, these are Carlebach-style musicians. Lanzbom and Solomon are really worth checking out. They are MASTER musicians with great talent and excellent guitar work. Most of their CD’s (that they produce together) are Carlebach inspired guitar pieces. The music just hits your heart and soul in just the right places. It’s real chizuk… Hearing them live is just heavenly!
The “ay, ya, yay” music on today’s Jewish music scene just doesn’t reach me. It honestly sounds more like electronica than music, and I have a hard time listening to it. I take my Jewish music seriously and for some reason just can’t connect to modern Jewish pop. The one exception is some of Yaakov Shwekey’s music.