If certain people have decided that "the soul scene" is their preferred social life, then that's fine and dandy. It's just the same as any other club / pastime / social scene. But to try and make out that it is still a cool, underground and cutting edge music scene is just nonsense.
Most of the people who throughout the years have been at the cutting edge, or who have really lived for the music, have long since realised there isn't any fresh material, and have moved on.
There's nothing wrong with loving "the scene" and wanting to keep it going.
But for "upfront" we should probably be using that other well used description, "underplayed / lesser known" but even this can be very contentious.