Why Soul?

It is no secret that rock music's deepest roots lay in soul and blues, therefore it is easy to see why modern Indie artists pull many influences from old soul. Look no further than past Stage 4 artist, the Heavy, to see how thoroughly soul has re-introduced itself in modern indie rock music:

As more and more artists look back to the 50s and 60s for these influences, it is easy to see that indie music fans are doing the same. Just in my life in San Francisco, I know of three different, and very popular, soul nights throughout the city. Edinburgh Castle boasts the most famous night for soulsters, 1964 each Wednesday), and although the argument can be made that "decade" events are often popular among many, I believe that what makes soul night so popular amongst us young'ns here in the city is that deep rooted feeling you get when you listen to soul music. I myself have a deep love for soul music, my favorite artist being Otis Redding, and my favorite song being right here:

Even my most avid electro DJ friends boast amazing soul record collections, and there is no doubt that soul, especially Motown soul, has a certain magic and elusiveness that can touch many different generations.

But like Rhythm and Blues, Rock, and many other genres, modern soul, although deeply rooted in the same intention and emotion, is a far hike from the genre's defining generation. So as we feature artists such as Andreya Triana, whose soft vocals carry the listener easily through her songs, and whose 'soul' is very much open for the world to see, it is interesting to see the different ways in which soul has expanded music, and where exactly the genre leads to.

So I ask you, as Stage 4 fans and avid music listeners, to give me the answer to this... Does this new era of soul music, which is much softer but just as deep as its predecessor, have a place in the record collections of young people? Or will we carry on with rock, leaving soul only a small influence in the life of music?