Featured Artists

THOMAS AZIER

Fresh from an impressive live show at Eurosonic and early global radio support on the influential syndicated radio show Passport Approved – Thomas Azier delivers a stunning sound – fans of Depeche Mode and Hurts will be impressed! Azier grew up in a small town in the Netherlands, where he focused most of his free time on making music because, frankly, there wasn't too much else to do. At the age of 19, he left the Netherlands and moved to Berlin, Germany on an ambitious whim. He was mesmerized by the city and immediately inspired by the pulse and atmosphere. During this time, he started to perfect his electro-pop sound. After four years of tirelessly honing his music, he emerged with his debut EP, Hylas 001, released on his own label, Hylas Records/BMG Rights Management. Bridging the analog and digital worlds with symphonic precision, Azier's music is an anthem for the present, pulling from the past and looking to the future and a perfect example from the EP is the epic and haunting “Red Eyes.” Thomas is available for booking and licensing in various territories – contact info@anrworldwide.com for more information.

MIDNIGHT YOUTH

Midnight Youth, a quintet formed in 2006, had their first two singles achieve Top 40 airplay on New Zealand radio and TV and the group was deemed one of the top unsigned bands on MySpace in 2008. Their self–funded efforts were more than enough to get them noticed, with Warners NZ/Australia signing Midnight Youth in September 2008 and subsequently releasing “The Letter,” which became the No.1 most played song on New Zealand radio and remained in the Top 10 most played for more than 15 weeks. Their next single release, “All on Our Own,” upped the ante, spending 11 weeks as the most played song on New Zealand radio. The debut album The Brave Don’t Run was released in spring 2009 and bowed at No.1 on the iTunes album chart and No. 2 on the New Zealand album chart and reached Platinum status. Midnight Youth closed out 2009 by being nominated for eight New Zealand Music Awards, bringing home the hardware for Best Rock Act, Best Group and Best Engineered Recording. The band spent much of 2011 on the road playing alongside Birds of Tokyo, Opshop, Brooke Fraser, Jimmy Barnes and even supported Crowded House at the opening of the Rugby World Cup waterfront stadium. Midnight Youth also unleashed their sophomore album, World Comes Calling, which debuted at No. 4 on the national RIANZ chart, No. 1 on iTunes and is quickly approaching Gold status. Their latest release, “Who Said You’re Free,” was recently named the No.1 Rock track in New Zealand and has drawn comparisons to Jet and U2.

ALFRED HALL

Give a couple of part time farmhands some guitars and synths, and they’ll make sweet, sweet sophisticated pop; sometimes things really are that simple. Alfred Hall is the band that has managed to find the perfect pop formula on their first attempt; something other bands spend years trying to figure out. What this duo, consisting of Hans Thomas Kiær and Bjørn Tveit, has to offer is pure star spangled pop heaven. “So Bright” has been a hit on Norwegian radio and big favorite on the int’l syndicated radio program Passport Approved, and the debut album is on its way. The band has been working with the production company that originally developed pre-signing Ting Tings and Ida Maria. After the band’s second gig ever, the rave reviews started coming in, and the band quickly became Norway’s “The band to watch” in 2012. After their gig supporting Wolf Gang in Oslo, Scandinavian music mag GAFFA's Øyvind Rones stated “... The most refreshing performance I have seen and heard from a Norwegian band in ages... Such beautiful pop music is hard to come by."

ECHOTAPE

Formed in mid-2010 in a small town south of England, five men in their early twenty's came together with a passion for creating music. As they began writing together about their life experiences and convictions, they teamed up with a series of left-field producers to record their first demos. Some of their early recording found their way to the original bass player from UK’s post-punk band Killing Joke, legendary producer Martin "Youth" Glover. Aside from Killing Joke, Youth is best known for his production efforts with Missy Higgins, Dido, The Verve, Beth Orton, James, Crowded House and many others. Youth was impressed with what he heard in the demos and could see the potential in Echotape. He called them in for a writing session and after just a few short meetings, decided he wanted to record the band's debut album based on his believe in the band the creativity that they had formed. The result will be heard in March next year with the release of Sky Above Quarley Hill, along with an extensive tour across the UK and dates in the U.S. and Europe. One of the early fan favorites from the release is “Riding For A Fall,” which appeals to the fans of Smashing Pumpkins, Arcade Fire and The Stone Roses, can be heard HERE.

DAUGHTER

Twenty-One year old Elena Tonra hails from North London and started to make noise with her six-minute single, “Love.” Under the moniker Daughter, the support grew naturally, even slowly at first. But that changed as her music began climbing the Most Popular Song Chart on The Hype Machine music blog. Within a month, her music was at No.3 and she was featured on The Independent, noting her “beautifully-sung, literary folk” and her “ethereal melancholy” as they tipped her as One To Watch. After releasing her debut EP, His Young Heart, she was soon being supported by BBC 6 and invited to perform sessions for Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music and Rob Da Bank on BBC Radio 1. Word began to spread about the EP and in August, iTunes (U.S.) offered Daughter the weeklong free Spotlight Feature for the tune “Landfill,” resulting in over 150,000 free downloads of the track, which triggered the full EP itself to climb the upper reaches of the iTunes singer/songwriter charts on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the tracks that have stood out from the EP is “Youth.” This track showcases the innocence of Daughter’s vocal ability and appeals to both radio programmers and synch supervisors.

AURA DIONE

Danish chanteuse Aura Dione is truly a citizen of the world as the first seven years of her life were spent sailing the high seas on her parents’ boat! Originally born in New York City but raised in the rocky Danish island of Bornholm, trapped in the waters between southern Sweden, Germany and the Baltic countries. Aura writes all her own music and lyrics, with influences ranging from Dolly Parton and Tracy Chapman to Antony & the Johnsons and Jeff Buckley. At 26 years of age, she’s already drawn comparisons to Feist, Shania Twain and Gwen Stefani, all while tackling darker subject matter than the average pop singer. “I write about subjects like incest, suicide, prostitution, homosexuality, and what it must be like to have a dick,” she reveals. “But also simple love songs and poems--I want to bring it all, no censorship. I’ll camouflage it in simple pop melodies and hope that it will reach the masses. I write with humor and irony and with a wish to make a positive difference with my music and my voice, my life, while I’m here.” The critics seem to appreciate this approach: Berlingske, the Danish equivalent of the Herald Tribune, raved, “One of the best Danish debuts ever... already the world star she deserves to be.” Universal Music released her sophomore effort, Before the Dinosaurs, with the lead single, “Geronimo,” in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. The song reached No. 1 in both Denmark and Germany; making her the first Danish artist to debut at No, 1 in Germany.

SHADOWCLUB

South Africa’s Shadowclub is comprised of Jacques Moolman (vox/guitar), Louis Roux (bass) and Isaac Klawanksy (drums). Their debut album, Guns & Money, is an appealing mix of blues, punk, soul and old fashioned rock and roll, completed in just nine days. Their sound was born from the members playing eclectic styles and musical influences; Shadowclub's music hints at rock legends from the 60s and 70s, but its frontman Moolman’s vocals that makes this group truly a unique act. Their live show is a ferocious, untainted and uninhibited rock and roll experience. The trio’s debut was produced by Matthew Fink and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Jane’s Addiction at Magic Garden Studios). Shadowclub’s desire to make stripped down songs stems partly from the bands they were listening to when they formed at the end of 2007. “We were big White Stripes fans,” says drummer drummer Klawansky. “We liked Kings Of Leon who, back then, were still quite tough and bluesy and a bit underground. Wolfmother had just come out and we adored The Black Keys. Throw in the old blues that Jacques grew up with – Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson – and that combination became the basis of our sound.” Shadowclub is currently touring South Africa now until the end of 2011 with gigs in Johannesburg, Cape Town and more. They are currently available for signing, licensing, publishing and booking (ex-South Africa).

BLONDE ON BLONDE

Blonde On Blonde are an established Australian five-piece consisting of friends drawn together by a love of music, Jack Daniels and the burning desire to quit their day jobs. After uploading demos onto their MySpace page and garnering worldwide attention for their debut track “Oh My Oh My,” they decided to temporarily withdraw from the debauchery of the Brisbane Valley, save their money and make a record. Ably assisted by Brisbane legend Dave Atkins (Resin Dogs, Wolfmother), the group entered the studio to record their debut EP. Many months of mixing and mastering later, Blonde on Blonde unleashed the eagerly anticipated EP, Tease, upon the world. The Tease EP received rave reviews from street press and online blogs including whothehell.net, and Time Off magazine, beating out other artists such as Weezer and Jay-Z to take out the “Single of the week” spot. The EP was added to high rotation on local Brisbane radio station 4ZZZ, and reached the number one spot in the Top 20 charts, two weeks in a row. Momentum continued to build for the band as they played alongside Wolfmother, Sugar Army, The Art, and an east coast tour with Dead Letter Circus. The band also graced the cover of “Brisbane News” labeled as one of the cities “next big things.” Their latest material, in the form of the No Lust EP, was produced by Aidan Nemeth of Wolfmother and shines with the single, “Oh My Oh My.

THE DOMINO STATE

The Domino State is a five-member ensemble from London, which developed from the romantic indie-wave Band At the Lake. Lead singer Matt Forder and the two guitarists Jim Machin and Tim Buckland formed the band, and added a new rhythm section by integrating the bass player Will Padley as well as drummer Richard Simic in their music project. The Domino State has created an epic and effect loaded sound that has a lot in common with the energy of the post-punk of the British Shoegaze scene but also a whole lot of pop potential. Additionally, the dynamic intensity of their live shows brought them a support slot for Coldplay in the O2 arena London before an audience of 20,000 in addition to gigs with M83,Longview and The Boxer Rebellion. The Domino State has also extended its reach to Germany, where they won over audiences in Berlin and Hamburg. They've also performed at major UK festivals, namely Glastonbury, Beautiful Days and Summer Sunday Weekender. Musically, they've had success with their single releases, getting support from UK and Germany radio outlets such as BBC, Xfm, NME, Kerrang!, FluxFM, RBB, Radio Fritz, You FM, Delta, NDR and stations in the U.S., Peru, Italy and more. The first single “Firefly,” had been released on iTunes UK, as well in Germany, and the promotion work for this single has aroused first interests at the media. The band is currently available for licensing, publishing, signing and booking in various markets.

DZHAM

Russia’s capital might not be the ideal place to discover a rising hip-hop star but truth is stranger than fiction. The dynamic, twenty-something Dzham is determined to become Moscow’s first international hip-hop success story. He’s off to a good start, having released four full-length albums in his homeland along with a bevy of videos featured on MTV Russia, all the while collaborating with the most famous Russian DJs and artists--all without being signed to any music label. However, Dzham isn’t one to give up without a fight. After moving to Moscow from his birthplace of Smolensk as a child, he noticed both the good and bad sides of the Russian way of life: dark suburbs and luxury clubs, family problems and a pervasive criminal atmosphere in his town. All that influenced him to become a rap artist; his self-written lyrics are based on the things that surround him every day.

Dzham’s arrival on the Russian and European rap scene has marked the beginning of a new era in rap music, with Dzham himself proclaiming that he is about peace, not war. His light, soft sound and tunes and distinctive voice, coupled with hints of ’90s old school, have all put Dzham in the running as one of the most outstanding and potentially successful new names in rap. Critics have expressed that Dzham is blessed with universal and commercial appeal and have compared him to the likes of Pitbull and Ludacris. A perfect example of this crossover sound can be found in “I Like It,” an electro-feel good tune that sounds as if it could’ve been produced by David Guetta or LMFAO.

REDCOATS

As with most musical undertakings, Redcoats started in a suburban living room four years ago. Rhys and Andrew, who went to grade and high school together, were joined by vocalist Emilio. They gradually worked their way from the living room into the thriving live scene around Melbourne. In 2009, Neil moved from the country town of Bendigo and landed in the middle of this jamming trio. Redcoat’s new musical direction soon started to take shape. A few months later, Redcoats worked with Rob Long at Birdland Studios to record their first collection of songs. The following year, the quartet made the decision to drop everything and focus solely on their band. After deciding the best place to create music was tucked away in isolation, Redcoats headed off on a series of writing trips in Victoria (AUS). Following some great gig experiences including Bass In The Grass (Darwin), Redcoats returned to Birdland Studios in July 2010 with some new tunes under their belt.With growing industry awareness, Redcoats were invited to showcase at International Music Conference One Movement MUSEXPO Asia Pacific in Perth in October 2010. Later that month they signed with their Management company, Blue Max Music. This year Redcoats returned to Birdland Studios to begin mixing their debut EP with Lindsay Gravina. In March, Redcoats released their debut single, “Dreamshaker,” which was added to the Triple J (AUS) playlist. The week after the release of their debut single, Redcoats headed out to tour nationally with legend rockers Stone Temple Pilots. In June, Redcoats signed with Island Records/Universal and released their debut EP the following month. 

RYAN SY

Philippines born artist, Ryan Sy, originally started performing at local cafes and bars in Edinburgh, Scotland before moving to Atlanta for college. From Atlanta he migrated west to Los Angeles to further his career as a performer and songwriter. His music is inspired by his life experiences; stories consisting of relationships, battling his own addictions and the gaps between social and economic classes. His style is an appealing blend of folk, pop, soul and country. Sy wears his personality on his sleeve and lets his emotions out in every song he sings. Sy recently completed a three-song release titled, The EP, which features the soulful and inspirational track, “Danny.” Another track from the EP, “California Dreamcatcher,” could easily be heard in a scene from any movie or TV program. Last but not least, is the haunting, “Symbiote,” which channels Sy’s inner-spirit and best showcases his writing ability. Since the EP's release, Sy has received airplay on www.indie1031.com, “The Current” KCMP (Minneapolis / Saint Paul, MN), KNRK (Portland, OR), WEQX (Albany, NY/Manchester, VT), WCNR (Charlottesville, VA), WXPN Philadelphia and Moheak Radio (www.moheak.com), as well as internationally in Germany on the tastemaker station FluxFM.

THOMAS KING

Hailing from Vienna, Austria, Thomas King was born to be a performer. He took up the drums at age four, then soon after expanding to piano. He first took to the professional stage as a child actor, starring in many stage plays and on television. At 16, he discovered his voice and subsequently joined a cover band, where he adopted the vivacious stage presence he brings to every live performance. Constrained by the lack of options in his native Austria, Thomas decided to take the plunge and relocate to the land of limitless opportunities: Los Angeles. He formed a band, and started performing at clubs on the Sunset Strip, in Hollywood and in Beverly Hills. In order to further hone his vocal chops, he called upon noted voice coach Ron Anderson, who has previously worked with such luminaries as Lenny Kravitz, Usher and Alicia Keys. Thomas recorded his first EP, High on Life, with producer Justin Jagoda in 2010 and was named one of the “Hot 100 Unsigned Artists” by Music Connection magazine. He just finished recording his second EP with Grammy-nominated, Juno Award-winning producer Brandon Friesen (Finger Eleven, Sum 41, Stone Sour) and engineer Bryan Carlstrom (Billy Idol, Alice in Chains, The Offspring) in Los Angeles. Some of King’s role models who are known for their enigmatic stage presence are Michael Jackson and Prince (mixed in with the theatrics of David Bowie). However, when it comes to songwriting and vocal styling, he draws influence from both Robbie Williams and Billy Idol.

FRIENDS OF EMMET

Dublin, Ireland's Friends of Emmet is comprised of Mark Leddy (vocals), Brian Lynam (Guitar), Keith Geraghty (Bass), Paul Dempsey (Keyboards) and Gary Sullivan (Drums). Similar to Ireland natives U2, known for their support for charities and organizations, Friends of Emmet are also championing a cause close to their hearts, Suicide Prevention. After hearing about the Kevin Hines story from HBO’s “The Bridge,” Friends of Emmet found themselves inspired by the turn of events and wrote "Coming Apart" in his honor. For those not familiar with the story, Kevin Hines attempted to take his own life at the age of 19 and survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Hines is one of the few people to ever survive the 245-foot plunge and is now an advocate for several suicide prevention organizations. The video for “Coming Apart” was filmed in Los Angeles and features Kevin Hines, who was honored to be involved. The video will be featured on CBS next month as part of a Suicide Prevention segment featuring Hines and “S.A.V.E.” (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education). The single was just released in both the U.S. and Canada, with proceeds going to Suicide Prevention/S.A.V.E. & Collateral Damages. Friends of Emmet are musically inspired by U2, Kings of Leon and The Fray and plan to release their new album, State of Mind, in the beginning of next year. Until then, the band continues to tour to coincide the release.

CRYSTAL KID

For Frank and Charles Torrealba the answer was crystal clear. After spending their lives on the move and witnessing the ability of music to make people feel good, the brothers formed Crystal Kid, along with drummer Dustin Corkran. Ever since then, they’ve been content to let their audiences do the moving for them; that was seven years ago. Although influenced by musical juggernauts such as U2, The Killers and Oasis, it’s still that personal experience that drives the vibrant, up-tempo rhythms that define Crystal Kid. Rhythms that the Canadian music scene is beginning to take notice of and have given Calgary's Crystal Kid the opportunity to play with great artists like Three Days Grace, Seether, My Darkest Days, as well as performances at Calgary’s Sled Island Music Festival, Boonstock 2011 and Canadian Music Week in Toronto. Crystal Kid recently won a $25,000 performance grant at Calgary’s AMP 90.3 FM Rock Star Finale for a second year in a row (2010 and 2011). Winning that grant represented the end of one chapter of their story, and the beginning of another. Next on the agenda was the recording of The End of the Beginning, the follow up to their critically acclaimed self-titled EP. This debut album can be described as a rush of energy, love, and rebellion. Produced by Rick Mizzoni, Daron Schofield and Crystal Kid, the first single, “Come Dance,” has made it to stations stateside including WBTZ Burlington, WTFX Louisville, RIFF2 Detroit as well as online platforms such as Y! Music Station, LastFM, Slacker, AOL Radio and Indie1031.com.

AUTOZAMM

Renowned for being invigorating entertainers, Autozamm has been part of the backbone and forefront of rock music in New Zealand for the past six years. Formed by Mike Carpinter (guitar/vox) and Nick Major (lead vox/guitar) in Wellington in 2003, Autozamm relocated to Auckland and recruited the current rhythm section of Richard Orr (drums), Ollie Gordon (bass) and Stephen Small (keyboards). In addition to exhaustive touring of New Zealand, Autozamm has had the opportunity to support distinguished international acts such as the Black Crowes, INXS and Silverchair. Appearances at events such as the Big Day Out, Homegrown and Southern Amp have cemented the quintet as powerful large-stage festival performers, underpinned by a string of radio and music TV hits. Autozamm’s third and latest release, 5th Degree, offers an electrifying growth of finesse and bravura. Produced by Krish Sharma, (Serj Tankian, System Of A Down, The Rolling Stones, The Cult, Amos Lee, Counting Crows), the album was the No.1 iTunes Rock record in New Zealand. The song “Breathe” was used by TVNZ as the backing track for all of the TV promos in August and has reached Top 10 on the iTunes Rock Charts (NZ). “Breathe” is starting to grab the attention of tastemaker stations here in the US, with early plays at KNRK Portland, KCMP Minneapolis, WBTZ Burlington and WEQX Albany.

EVOLVER ONE

Evolver One is one of South Africa’s premium rock acts, having completed 20 national tours, performed over 500 shows and played just about every one of South Africa’s major music festivals and events, from charity gigs to audiences of 27,000. The group has shared the stage with many international greats such as 3 Doors Down, Staind, Hoobastank, Snow Patrol and Oasis. Evolver One’s debut album, Get Up (2006), produced a number of hit singles and music videos with songs such as “Get Up,” “Closer to You” and “Keep on Moving” doing especially well. In 2008 the four-piece released their second album What’s The Story? and the songs “Go All The Way,” “Pretty Thing” and “Why We Lonely” did well on the SA charts. The recently released self-titled album became a conversation piece in the South African music industry with the success of the single “Criminal.” The track reached No.1 on 94.5 Kfm/Highveld’s Homebrew and many songs from the album appeared in the South African movie soundtrack to The Race-ist. The members of Evolver One have come together internally to take their philosophy of “One” to the world through their music and actions. The group’s sound has been compared to the mass-appeal sounds of The Killers, Depeche Mode and Maroon 5.

THE TRIP

The Trip is an Australian trio which is best known for their amazing live performances and quirky personalities. The members include Wes Roy (drums/vox), Chad Kendrick (guitar/vox) and Marco Yellin (guitar/vox), who have recently started to bring the game of frisbee back to the forefront of people’s minds. Their video for “On The First Time” shows fantastic frisbee skills that will make you want to try yourself. The video has been so popular that it has been played on Australian video outlets such as Rage, Channel V and Music Max. The Trip won the Rock Artist of the Year award at MusicOz 2010 and their single was fifth most added to commercial radio in Australia. “On The First Time” can be found on the EP - Volume 1 release, through MGM distribution. The EP contains two additional songs, “Still Water” and “Sweet Surrender,” plus the Dead Sexy Remix Paris and Beat Live Project Remix versions of “On The First Time.”

KIDDA

Kidda is a Brighton, England-based electro and video producer signed to Skint Records, home of Fatboy Slim. His first album, Going Up, was released in 2008 and he also has a handful of single releases dating back to 2004. The first single off the album, “Smile,” was used as the theme song for the BBC sports show “Ski Sunday,” while the tune “Under The Sun” was used in a Bacardi worldwide TV advertising campaign. Remixes for the song by British producer Herve resulted in the it being supported by the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Kissy Sellout and licensed to a number of compilations including Ministry of Sound’s The Annual 2009 among others. Pulling double duty as a video producer and animator, Kidda also worked with the Lo-Fidelity Allstars and X-Press 2 as well as doing animation for the stage shows for Rihanna and Kanye West. Kidda is focused on music now, putting the finishing touches on the next album, Hotel Radio. One selection from the release is laid-back 80s-infused number “The Whistler,” which delivers an infectious electronic-pop melody which is already emanating across the US radio tastemaker airwaves.

GOODLUCK

When your band's name is Goodluck, one would initially think they are from Las Vegas or have had a streak of good luck to get to where they are. Ironically, neither is the case with Capetown, South Africa’s Goodluck--a trio of music lovers who are lighting up the night skies with their jazz-infused beats. They have been described as a mix of serious talent; plenty of soul and an overload of passion and their goal is to take over the dance floors of the world. With a sound that blends electro beats with the distinctive sounds of sax, drums and keyboard, their music just makes you feel great. Influences like Morcheeba and Faithless can be heard as they bring forth their live instrumentation in their electronic dance-styled music. A dash of jazzy keyboards and funky sax adds just the right amount of spice to this hot combo. Formed in 2008, they have already taken their sound to the dance floors of St. Ives, FTV, Taboo and Club INC, have jammed alongside Paul Oakenfold, DJ Fresh, Just Jinjer and toured as the opening act for South Africa's Goldfish. Last month they toured in Holland and the UK as US fans eagerly hope for their arrival stateside.

TEDDYBEARS

Teddybears formed almost two decades ago in Sweden and are still putting out quality music today. After releasing five albums of their own music, including successful collaborations with Caesars, Kleerup and Robyn, they return with their sixth studio album, Devil's Music. Originally distributed overseas last year, a revamped version is set to be released July 5 in the United States. One of the songs that’s been altered for the US version is “Get Mama A House,” which now features Atlanta rapper B.o.B, best known for his hits “Nothin’ On You” and “Airplanes.” The track continues to showcase the Teddybears’ unique and distinct style of production, mixing pop, rock, electro and hip-hop, reminiscent of the grooves of “Cobrastyle” and “Jerk It Out.” Many Swedes are familiar with the track for some time now since the original song was used as part of the advertising campaign for a Swedish real estate company two years ago. Devil's Music will also feature collaborations with Cee-Lo Green, The B-52's, Robyn, Eve and The Flaming Lips. Devil’s Music is sure to score huge syncs worldwide and substantial radio airplay.

LIAM BAILEY

Liam Bailey, who was featured over a year ago in the A&R Worldwide newsletter, is a singer-songwriter born in Nottinghamshire, England. He is an accomplished soul musician with references spanning musical legends such as Sam Cooke and Otis Redding through to contemporary influences like Oasis and Lauryn Hill. Liam has worked with hip-hop producer Salaam Remi, renowned for his work with Nas, Amy Winehouse and The Roots drummer ?uestlove. Early in his career, Bailey has already shared the stage with fellow-UK artists and Critics' Choice BRIT Award winners Ellie Goulding and Jessie J. In November he supported Chase & Status on their UK tour, where he also provided vocals on their hit single, “Blind Faith.” The single was released in January and was a successful introduction to his work as it debuted at No.5 in the UK. Now focused on releasing his debut album, Out of the Shadows, Bailey has released a promotional single for “You Better Love Me” and the video has quickly reached over 100,000 views. Another track that has recently surfaced, “Heartbeat,” is starting to gain momentum from Internet bloggers, appearing on various podcasts and radio playlists on both sides of the Atlantic. Bailey was signed and A&R’d by Polydor’s Nick Shymansky (Amy Winehouse, La Roux, Jamie Woon). Leading up to the album release (tentatively scheduled for September), Bailey will be performing at a variety of summer festivals, including Glastonbury, the Wireless Festival, Lounge on The Farm, the Big Chill Festival, Bestival and more.

PAPER CROWS

Emma Panas and Duncan McDougall are an alternative/electronica duo from London known to their fans as Paper Crows. A&R Worldwide received their demo single last summer from UK plugger Sean Denny and it impressed us right away. The duo first met at college and instantly connected through music. Emma is the lead vocalist, while Duncan produces the music and the result is a mixed batch of pop, alternative and indie rock. The duo released their first single last year, “Stand Alone,” which helped them raise their profile in the UK and giarnered them a little airplay on BBC Radio 1 via Nick Grimshaw and features in various blogs. Other songs have been added to their websites since their debut and they recently signed a deal with the production team Future Cut, best known for their production, mixing and co-writing of “Smile” by Lily Allen. Future Cut is composed of drum ’n’ bass producers Darren Lewis and Tunde Babalota who have also worked with Shakira, Professor Green, Natasha Bedingfield, Kate Nash, Dizzee Rascal and a host of many others. They are collectively putting together material for the Paper Crows’ debut album, which will be released on the newly re-launched independent dance label FFRR via Warner Music UK.

THE MANEKEN

The Maneken is an outstanding artist working in one of the most trendy music directions--electronic rock. Using musical styles as an outfit for creation of his ideas, he made several unique collections which have found their fans not only in former CIS countries, but also in Europe and United States. When The Maneken first burst on the scene just three short years ago, DJs from Ukrainian radio stations called him the “Ukrainian Jamiroquai.” Today his compositions are a wonderful combination of modern dance music and the broad pop-rock cultural heritage of the last decades, ranging from Air, Coldplay and Keane to The XX and Empire of the Sun. The Maneken's debut album, First Look, was released in 2009 by French label Somekind Records--and thanks to Virgin Megastore distribution, the record was sold in leading European countries and Japan. When Yevgeniy Filatov, lead singer of The Maneken, met up with German songwriter and movie director Charley Stadler, a turning point was made. The two built a friendship that resulted in Stadler writing most of the lyrics for The Maneken's second album, Soulmate Sublime, which was released last month. The four-piece recently performed at a packed SIR Studios in Hollywood as part of MUSEXPO Los Angeles and has drummed up interest from labels and music supervisors as a result.

MOI CAPRICE

Hailing from Denmark is the indie outfit known as Moi Caprice. The band formed back in 1993 was previously known as Concrete Puppet Frog, and rose to fame four years later as the first unsigned act to top the Danish alternative music charts in 1997, despite the fact that they never released a studio album. Although young in age, the four-piece lead by frontman Michael Møller, are already veterans in the Danish music scene. In the last seven years, they have released four acclaimed studio albums and are one of the most productive and beloved acts in their homeland. They consistently please their fans as well as the critics, while increasing their fan base year after year. Moi Capice recently released a singles collection, All We Fear Is Love, which displays their romantic indie-pop, which is clever, sophisticated and ambitious, but also catchy and addictive. The release is a double album, which also contains the bonus record, The Past Is A Foreign Country, with alternative versions of some of their earlier songs--a perfect collection for fans both new and old.

MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY

Their name carries an instant intrigue. The band themselves, a Cardiff, Wales-based trio all in their early twenties, have said that it derives from “a sense of not belonging.” Since forming in 2007, and evolving into a wildly different beast--glacial guitar ripples spliced with electronic ambience and synth-pop pulse, yet with the ability to morph into a capital-A Anthem when you least expect it--in the last two years or so, they’ve turned that sense to their advantage. Man Without Country name-checks some of the standard-bearers for this kind of stately, FX-heavy swirl: Radiohead, The National, Sigur Ros, M83. The band were recent winners of the BBC Radio 1 Introducing Int’l which debuted last week in Los Angeles and has seen the band garnering early support on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, KNRK Portland, MotorFM Germany and many others. Man Without Country’s 10-song debut album Foe was produced entirely in the band’s bedroom. Man Without Country is currently available for signing, licensing and publishing. They are managed by the same management team that’s represented Moby, Robyn and others in the UK/Europe.

OCEANICS

Queensland is a state of Australia that is known for the outdoor lifestyle with world-class beaches, rain forests, national parks and waterways. Queensland is also a hotbed for musicians and is responsible for the likes of Dead Letter Circus, Hungry Kids of Hungary, The Boat People and many others. Hoping to join that list is the talented four-piece outfit Oceanics. Their love for similar music brought them together in 2005 and they've been able to turn many into bona fide fans. With Elliot (guitar, vocals), Jackson (guitar, vocals), Andy (drums) and Matt (bass, vocals), Oceanics has been gigging relentlessly in Australia, increasing their fan base one show at a time. They have performed at Big Sound, Caloundra Music Festival and played in front of 27,000 in the audience at a Gold Coast Titan’s rugby semi-final. The Queensland quartet are getting ready to release their debut EP this year after working with Govinda Doyle (Lady of The Sunshine, The Fumes) and their latest single is “Funs Over.” Sample the song here and if you'd like additional information on the available opportunities, contact manager Dan Ceh at who_agencies@live.com.au.

CAPRA

Melding vintage rock & roll with soulful funk, the Southern California quintet known as Capra has utilized an arsenal of swaggering rock tunes and funkadelic grooves to quickly build a name for themselves on the fiercely competitive Los Angeles club scene. Recently signed to Hollywood Records, the group is enjoying some early success even without a completed album in the marketplace. Capra has already secured three key synch opportunities, including the worldwide Expedia advertisement for their single “Low Day,” which was heard by over 106 million people when it was aired numerous times during last year’s Super Bowl. The tune has also made its way on to the Guitar Hero 5 video game and as one of the theme songs for the movie Sky Runners, which stars Capra lead singer Kelly Blatz (who also played the title role in the Disney XD series “Aaron Stone” and is currently in TBS's “Glory Daze”). Capra recently completed work on their forthcoming debut album for Hollywood Records with Matt Harris, A&R Director for the Burbank, CA-based label, which is due out this summer. The album is produced by Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Sheryl Crow, Faith No More). The first single from the album is “If I Was...” which is a perfect fit for multi-format radio worldwide today that includes addicting hooks and a catchy chorus. Capra is confirmed to perform at the Worldwide Radio Summit Saturday, April 30 at 10pm in Hollywood. For available opportunities, contact manager Andrew Recke at andrerecke@mac.com.

THE MANEKEN

The Maneken is an outstanding artist working in one of the most trendy music directions – electronic rock. Using musical styles as an outfit for creation, he made several unique collections which have found their fans not only in former CIS countries, but also in Europe and the United States. When he first showed up in 2008, DJs from Ukrainian radio stations called him “The Ukrainian Jamiroquai.” Today his compositions are a wonderful combination of modern dance music and the broad pop-rock cultural heritage of the last decades from Air, Coldplay and Keane to The XX and Empire of the Sun. The debut album First Look (2009) was released by French label Somekind Records and thanks to Virgin Megastore distribution, it was sold in leading European countries and Japan. The Maneken’s music videos are being rotated on European music channels and in the Middle East: Music Box Italy, MTV Baltic, MTV Arabia, Mad TV (Greece), Sola TV (Spain), QTOM (Germany) and thrice were in World Chart Express on MTV European. The turning point of The Maneken’s career was meeting German songwriter and movie director Charley Stadler, known for his Dead Fish movie with Gary Oldman playing the main character. As a result Charley wrote most of the lyrics for The Maneken’s second album Soulmate Sublime. The album is scheduled to be released next month and one of the first offerings from the sophomore effort can be heard in “Hope.” That song, paired up with another called “Shine,” was recently sent to radio stations in the US with hopes to expand their audience leading into their confirmed performance at MUSEXPO Los Angeles on Monday, May 2nd at 8.00PM at S.I.R. Studios in Hollywood. The Maneken is available for signing, licensing, publishing and booking in multiple territories. Contact Marko Markovic at coledzzo@gmail.com for more details.

REDCOATS

Melbourne’s Redcoats is a four-piece ensemble that exudes a big desert rock sound fused with vintage blues and ethereal vocals. The group consists of Emilio Mercuri (vocals), Rhys Kelly (bass), Andrew Braidner (drums) and Neil Wilkinson (guitars), who received high praise and early support from their home country. They just released their debut single, “DreamShaker,” and have a busy March calendar filled with five gigs supporting the Stone Temple Pilots. The track was recorded by Rob Long and mixed by Lindsay Gravina at Birdland Studios, which is the first official single from the forthcoming EP that has already been added to Triple J radio (Australia). The tune was secured last year to launch the new Australian “Iron Man” series on Australia’s leading Sport channel, One HD, and has just been added to iTunes Australia. The song delivers the mesmerizing guitar melodies of Led Zeppelin blended with the modern rock nuances of Wolfmother but melded with Redcoats’ own unique rock personality. The band is currently available for signing, licensing, booking and publishing in multiple territories worldwide.

ANITA MAJ

Singer/songwriter Anita Maj has a distinct edge to her music--it’s feisty, with elements of rock and soul. An accomplished songwriter since her early teen years, she was initially inspired by the likes of legends Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and fearless female front-women like PJ Harvey and Debbie Harry, as well as modern artists including Kings of Leon, The Killers and 30 Seconds to Mars. Her as yet to-be-released debut album was produced by Dan Swift (Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro and Kasabian) along with Junk Scientist, who is known for his work with The Rakes and Larrikin Love. Anita recently rocked many venues in LA, including The Viper Room on the infamous Sunset Strip and other gigs in New York City, Philadelphia and London. Her first EP release, The Masquerade, has garnered nearly 250 spins at US tastemaker and Alternative radio including plays on KTCV Tri Cities, WCNR Charlottesville, WWUH Hartford and WEDJ Buffalo. Now Anita is set to release her second EP, Out of Control, and continue to gig the US and UK.

STRANGERS

In the 21st century, it’s nearly impossible for bands to go under the radar with the available technologies and various web outlets. With that being said, it’s very impressive that Strangers from North London has done just that--stayed undetected on the interweb. What has been confirmed is that the band is recording an album and studio wizard Glen Nicholls (remixer of Prodigy, UNKLE, White Lies, Mylo and Yaz) is heading up production. Strangers seem to be very mysterious to date, as you can see on their official website, http://strangersofficial.com, which is limited to the logo and a teaser track that sounds similar to what you would hear in a movie score. If you check their Facebook page, there is a picture of what looks to be nine tracks listed as an album. One of those tracks, “In Chaos,” can be sampled here. This dark pop track is epic, to say the least; the way the song builds and leads to a magnificent chorus that is mesmerizing. Strangers are currently looking for publishing and label opportunities. with all inquiries going through james@remanagement.com.

ONE NIGHT ONLY

Understanding where One Night Only is with their second album cannot be done without referencing how far they’ve come since the first. Two years ago, when they emerged into the spotlight with the Started a Fire debut, the Helmsley five-piece had everything in front of them. They were very young--singer George Craig was just 17--chasing the kind of dreams of pop stardom most young men fantasize about but never realize. But then it actually happened: “Just for Tonight” and Started a Fire both crashed into the Top 10 and One Night Only were stars. Since those heady days of breaking through, they have had a taste of the kind of lives and lifestyles pop stardom is meant to be all about. George has become the face of Burberry, almost as regularly glimpsed in fashion shoots and magazines as walking the streets of the band’s leafy North Yorkshire village hometown. One Night Only has played on the top of a skyscraper in New York, opened shops in Beirut and been around the world, and yet they’ve haven’t changed from the kind of down-to-earth, unfussy Yorkshire lads who laugh about it all with their old mates in the local pub. The band has enjoyed strong sales in the UK as well as multiple chart positions and is poised to be one of England’s breakthrough international guitar bands for 2011. They will be performing their very first West Coast show in the US at MUSEXPO Los Angeles in early May of this year.

STARS GO DIM

Complete with incredible songs, passion and hard work Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Stars Go Dim has been able to reach the masses around the globe. In late 2009, SGD independently released their debut album, Love Gone Mad, which is available as a free download www.starsgodim.com/free. This release resulted in abundant press, both national and international. The music has been licensed as well, becoming familiar to audiences of film, TV, radio, airlines, movie theatres, retail stores, gyms, restaurants and other businesses across the globe. Stars Go Dim was picked as the Subway Fresh Artist contest winner that also had involvement with Ourstage and Clear Channel. The band gained Clear Channel support nationwide and won the opportunity to open for the Goo Goo Dolls in San Francisco and write a song with Evan Bogart (Britney Spears, Beyonce, Rihanna). SGD have gone on to support many others, including Justin Bieber, Billy Joel, Elton John and more. The Midwest trio just released a captivating new single called “Like I Mean It,” which has already saw support from Alternative KMYZ Tulsa and Classic Hits KTGX Tulsa.

LUKE FENLON

Liverpool has always been known as the city that gave us The Beatles in the 1960s, Echo & The Bunnymen in the ’80s as well as many other great acts including Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Farm, etc. Soon the city may be known for another talent, Luke Fenlon. This young and very gifted individual has already began to make an impression on the industry as he has headlined the Liverpool Soundcity Festival along with the Wombats in 2008, played the Red Bull stage at the 2009 Camden Crawl and performed on the rooftop of the London West Hollywood Hotel on Sunset Blvd. during MUSEXPO 2010. Fenlon also won the Yamaha Songwriter Competition with NME’s Chris Martin as a judge. Fenlon is currently writing and recording new material with hopes to have something for his fans soon. His latest song, “Summer,” sounds like an epic summer anthem that pays a 2011 musical homage to Beck – delivering a strong radio and synch-friendly sound.

OPERATOR PLEASE

Operator Please is a young mixed-gender quintet from Queensland, Australia that is building a buzz well beyond their tender years. Formed by vocalist/guitarist Amandah Wilkinson in order to enter a band competition--“I picked people at random who I knew played an instrument, and they just said ‘yes’”--Operator Please not only won the competition, but shortly thereafter self-released an EP and performed some showcases in New York City, after which they were quickly snapped up by Virgin/EMI for Australia and New Zealand and the independent Brille label for the UK. In 2008, they played the infamous Big Day Out Tour, with a trip to Europe and the UK, where BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe had deemed their song, “Get What You Want,” as the “Hottest Record in the World”. In 2009, Operator Please spent most of their time putting together their second album, titled Gloves, which was released at the end of April last year in Australia and the end of May in the UK. The new record has more of an electronic feel than Yes Yes Vindictive, their 2007 debut and was influenced by music from the 1980s. One of the standout tracks from the album is “Jealous,” which was written by lead singer Wilkinson and drummer Tim Commandeur.

BRITISH INDIA

British India emerged from the fertile underbelly of Melbourne’s independent music scene to take Australia by storm in July 2007 with their acclaimed debut album, Guillotine. Performing their arm-raising, air-punching anthems at venues and festivals across the country, British India developed a hard-earned reputation for their explosive live shows and relentless touring and was rewarded with the AIR Award for Best New Independent Artist. In July 2008 they released their second album, Thieves, which demonstrated the group’s growth, in both popularity and as songwriters. Thieves debuted at No.5 in the ARIA Top 10 and earned British India their first ARIA Award nomination. British India is one of Australia’s hardest-working bands, having played over 300 headline shows and every major festival Australia has to offer and has sold 65,000 albums independently. Their third album, Avalanche, released in June 2010, produced their second Top 10 debut in 18 months and features one of the band’s most popular tracks, “Vanilla.” Released exclusively to Triple J, the song gave the boys their third entry into the Triple J Hottest 100. “Vanilla” has already started to get stateside radio support from tastemakers KNRK Portland, WAQX Syracuse and WBSX Wilkes Barre. In addition, the band is currently being courted by a number of labels.

ROYSEVEN

RoySeven isa six-piece outfit from Dublin, Ireland consisting of Paul Walsh (vocals), Paul O’Hara (keyboards), Sam Garland (guitar), Eamonn Barrett (guitar), Darragh Oglesby (drums) and Bernard O’Neill (bass). Their influences range from The Doors, Muse and Led Zeppelin to Jeff Buckley, Keane and The Beatles. Coming together via mutual friends, they formed in 2003 and released their debut album on Universal, The Art of Insincerity, three years later. The album was critically acclaimed and reached No.17 on the Irish Album Chart, producing four singles. During the tour for the album, RoySeven shared stages with the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, The Fratellis and more throughout Ireland and Germany. On Feb. 1, 2007, the group was awarded the “Hope for 2007” honor at the 7th annual Meteor Music Awards, which is Ireland’s equivalent to the Brits and the Canadian Juno awards. Five years after their debut, the sextet is getting ready to release their sophomore effort, You Say, We Say through Roadrunner in February of next year. RoySeven has just released two singles from the album, “Killer” and “We Should Be Lovers.”

FRANKMUSIK

Electro-pop producer/songwriter Vincent Frank aka Frankmusik always wanted to create unique music and put his own twist on pop culture. Originally known for his beat-boxing around his hometown of Croydon, England, Frank started out under the stage name Mr. Mouth, later changing it to Frankmusik. He decided to put things in motion in 2007 with retro synths, Commodore 64 samples, spicy lyrics and raging drum riffs, leading him to a deal with Island/Universal in December of that same year. First enjoying success creating remixes for the likes of Pet Shop Boys, Lady Gaga, Alphabeat, Mika and CSS, he also started to tour, having the privilege to secure the opening slot for Sam Sparro during his O2 Wireless Festival Tour 2008. In early 2009, he continued to tour and this time was the support act for Keane on their Perfect Symmetry tour in the UK; he also opened for the Pet Shop Boys in June of that same year in Manchester and London. His debut album, Complete Me, reached No.13 in the UK with the breakout singles “Better Off As Two,” “Confusion Girl” and “3 Little Words.” Since his debut, Frank has been busy producing material for other artists, such as Tinchy Stryder, Catch 22, Ellie Goulding and even teamed up with Joe Jonas for his next solo album. Frank recently recorded with the Far East Movement, who recently had a U.S. No.1 hit with “Like A G6,” on the track “Fighting For Air,” which can be found on their album, Free Wired. Frank has been recording new material of his own for the last year and a half and the first taste from his sophomore album, Follow The Leader, is a track he wrote with Martin Kierszenbaum, Chairman of Cherrytree Records, President of A&R, Pop & Rock, Interscope Records & President of International Operations for Interscope Geffen A&M, titled “The Fear Inside.” The song has a larger-than-life chorus, outstanding production and helps Frankmusik take another step towards superstardom.

ZEBRA & GIRAFFE

Zebra & Giraffe is an alternative rock outfit from South Africa. The cleverly named act began as the 12-lettered pseudonym of Johannesburg music genius Greg Carlin, but has now evolved into a five-piece live band that has toured across South Africa. Since its release in May 2008, debut album Collected Memories has produced six hit singles – including “Oxymoron,” which reached No.1 on College Radio, Top 5 on 5FM and No.1 on MK in South Africa. The band played at the 2008 Coke Zero Festival, a music festival that took place in Johannesburg and Cape Town with headliners Snow Patrol, Oasis and Panic at the Disco. In 2009 they supported The Killers on the South African leg of their tour in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The group was also nominated for four SA Music Awards (SAMAs) in the categories “Best Newcomer,” “Best Rock,” “Best Album Packaging” and “MTN Record of the Year” for “The Knife.” Collected Memories took home the award for “Best Rock Album.” Their sophomore album, The Inside, was recently released in South Africa with three different versions of the album released on the same date. The album is produced by the talented Cenzo Townshend (U2, Snow Patrol, The Kaiser Chiefs). “The End of the Road” is one of the standout songs on the album and has received positive feedback from radio programmers in a variety of territories.

STERIOGRAM

Formed in 1999, Auckland’s Steriogram first achieved success in 2004 when their release of their Schmack! album, featuring the song “Walkie Talkie Man.” The song was used for the Apple iPod commercials as well as featured in the movies Agent Cody Banks 2, Kicking & Screaming, Robots and Man of the House. That song also was featured in the EA Sports’ MVP Baseball 2004 and MLB 2005 video games and even appeared in the ABC television show, Alias. After a handful of singles and another album, the five-piece released their third studio album, Taping The Radio in late September on iTunes and made available in New Zealand stores on November 2nd. One thing that the band is best known for, is their creativity in their videos and once again don’t disappoint with their latest clip for “Moving On.” The track is sure to please Alternative and Specialty radio programmers and the video is a must-see, which shows the sporty personalities each member possesses. You may view the music video here www.myspace.com/steriogram and order the music here http://steriogram.bandcamp.com.

POLARKREIS 18

Though the five members of Dresden, Germany-based band Polarkreis 18 are each only 25 years of age, they have a wealth of experience that belies their youthful stature, having played together for a decade since first forming the group whilst still schoolboys of 13. They’ve utilized that time well, honing a singular sound that combines driving drums, melodic guitars, electronic elements and an otherworldly male voice, courtesy of vocalist/guitarist Felix. (The lads apparently disdain the use of surnames, with the rest of the band including drummer Christian, guitarist Phil, bassist Uwe and keyboardist/sampler Bernd). The released their eponymous debut through Germany’s Motor Music in February 2007 and quickly won over a slew of fans, thanks to soundscapes that have drawn comparisons to such luminaries as Sigur Ros, Radiohead and Snow Patrol. The group went on a pan-European tour in support of the release, playing shows not only all across their native Germany but also in France, Holland and the UK. Their sophomore effort, The Colour of Snow, spawned the single “Allein, Allein (Alone Alone),” which reached No.1 on the German Media Control Top 100 Singles chart from October 31, 2008 – December 4, 2008. Polarkreis 18 are getting ready to release their third album, Frei, which is scheduled to be released in Germany on November 26, 2010.

SUDDYN

Suddyn is an exciting new three-piece comprised of two brothers from Montauk, NY and an Irishman. While that may sound like the start of a joke, Suddyn is deadly serious: one of the hottest rock acts in Ireland, the trio has already racked up three Top 30 singles on the Irish charts as an indie act and performed over 200 show-stopping gigs around the world. In addition, they’ve also received more than 150 plays on US radio from their debut EP, Dark Lights, from new music-supporting stations as WFNX Boston, Q101 Chicago and KUPD Phoenix. Influenced by the likes of Radiohead, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, U2, Muse and Remy Zero, Suddyn’s piano-driven anthems have rapidly attracted attention: Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers described their sound as “epic,” while influential UK music magazine NME listed Suddyn as one of “20 Breaking Bands to Watch,” stating, “Think Killers meets Foos (Foo Fighters)…definitely worthy of the hype.” Suddyn is currently gearing up for the release of their new offering Before the City, which was produced by Grammy Award-winner David Kahne (Paul McCartney, The Strokes, Sublime) and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (Muse, Fall Out Boy). This new collection from the hard-working, talented trio should help further spread the word about Suddyn beyond the bounds of the UK. The trio will be performing at the legendary House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood on November 3 and at the 10th Annual International Pop Overthrow Festival in NYC on November 11.

THE JEZABELS

The Jezabels are a four-piece group from Sydney, Australia. They formed after meeting at the University of Sydney and their music has been difficult to label as it mixes multiple genres such as indie pop, indie rock, rock and disco pop. Hayley Mary (vocals) and Heather Shannon (piano/keyboards) first began playing together in Byron Bay before moving to Sydney to attend school, where they met Nik Kaloper (drums) and Sam Lockwood (rhythm guitar) and formed the band. They have already released three EPs since their 2007 inception. They have received a substantial amount of airplay, including FBi Radio and Triple J in Australia. Their live show is reminiscent of a blending of Kate Bush on a soundclash with The Cranberries and Björk. The quartet has played a number of festivals around the country including Big Day Out, Pyramid Rock, Festival of the Sun, Playground Weekender, Come Together, Peats Ridge Festival and Soundwave. They also supported Tegan & Sara, Bluejuice, Sparkadia, Casette Kids and more on the road. Their latest EP, Dark Storm, was released in October and contains five brilliant tracks including the single “A Little Piece.” The Jezabels are currently available for signing, licensing and publishing.

MELODICS

Melodics are a five-piece live revivalist hip-hop act, with synth-heavy rock grooves and new wave rap flavors. Think David Bowie meets Kanye West or Joy Division meets Santigold, but without the eye-patch, ego, depression and gold leggings. Their influences range from Gary Numan to Elliott Smith, from De La Soul to Gnarles Barkley and from Outkast to The Bangles. Following up the release of their debut album, 4D, last year, The Melodics return with Paint Me Gold. Bringing together a creative, energetic and original mix of electro-rock and indie hip-hop, the new offering see’s the Melbourne bunch team up with renowned producers Jan Skubiszewski (Jackson Jackson, Phrase), Russell Fawcus (Temper Trap, The Kooks) and Forrester Savell (Karnivool, The Butterfly Effect). The result – imagine if INXS replaced Michael Hutchence with Busta Rhymes instead of Rockstar INXS’s JD Fortune. The Melodics consider 4D a best-of record; even though they didn’t release any of the records they took the songs from, but feel it’s the best of the batch for their fans.

LIAM BAILEY

Hailing from Nottingham, emerging UK talent Liam Bailey is one of the most soulful artists to be compared to the old time greats. Sonically, he’ll take you back to the old-fashioned days and helps prove that true talent still exists in this producer-driven musical landscape of 2010. Polydor Records was victorious in the bidding war to sign Bailey, the same label that his heroes Jimi Hendrix and Ian Brown were signed to. Bailey was signed by the young and talented A&R executive Nick Shymansky, who originally signed LaRoux and Amy Winehouse. Before Bailey performed solo, he was part of the hip-hop outfit First Blood, where he collaborated with Nottingham rapper Peter Piper. Growing up on his mother’s musical LP collection, as well as a healthy dose of The Beatles and Oasis, Bailey constructed a musical style that can be described as a great mix of rock and soul. Bailey is no stranger to performing live, either; as a matter of fact, that’s how he’s earned most of his fan base, on the road. He has performed at T in The Park (UK) and supported Ellie Goulding, Chase & Status and Graffiti 6.

PIPPA MARIAS

Pippa Marias is a London-based quartet that mixes electro with indie-pop. The outfit consists of Bernhard, Robert, Figaro and Tobias, all of whom have roots in the Scandinavian market. Their music represents a touch of the past, present and future as their first EP was recorded with producer Paul Tipler (Idelwild, The Charlatans, Placebo). Gill Mills from Best of MySpace has included them in her recent podcasts and describes their music by saying “Pippa Marias sounds like Zdar/Cassius/Phoenix style, French dance pop, but with more of an edge. Then you realize it’s because they’re Swedish, and as we all know, the Swedes OWN good dance-inflected pop music”

THE PIERCES

The Pierce sisters were born two years apart in Birmingham, Alabama. They traveled frequently and received home-schooling from their self-described hippie parents. Their father played the guitar in various bands, while their mother was a painter. Exposed to music and arts at an early age, the Pierce sisters grew up listening to Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkel. While attending Auburn University, a close friend sent a tape to a record company in Nashville. This eventually resulted in their debut self-titled album in 2000. Unfortunately for the sisters, the record got lost and shuffled between other artists and major releases. Five years later, their sophomore effort, Light of the Moon, was released through Universal. The album was produced by Brian Sperber (3 Doors Down, Everclear, Blues Traveler) and featured 11 tracks the sisters either wrote or co-wrote. Just two short years later, their third album, Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge, was released and this time produced by Roger Greenawalt (Ben Kweller). The album opened some doors for the girls as they performed two songs on the CW television show “Gossip Girl” and their song “Secret” appeared in a promo for the Showtime series “Dexter.” The duo also appeared in The All-American Rejects’ latest album, on the track “Another Heart Calls.” The Pierces are returning to the spotlight with the new single “Love You More” and plan on releasing an EP of the same name at the end of October on Polydor in the UK. They’ve picked up representation with veteran manager Peter Leak (Lissie).

CHURCHILL

Churchill began as singer/songwriter Tim Bruns and musician friend Michael Morter teaming up with a passion to create relevant music rooted in acoustic instruments, redemptive lyrics and refreshingly good melodies. This five piece indie-folk outfit was fully formed after the addition of cello, piano, bass and drums, fleshing out the already listenable guitar-mandolin duo. Since their debut performance in May of last year, Churchill has been gaining momentum and turning heads in Denver and the surrounding regions. With compelling and emotive lead vocals, a noticeable creative energy on stage, powerful harmonies and satisfyingly distinct instrumentation the band has won praise from fans and critics alike. “With a powerful drum/bass foundation underneath them, Churchill adds acoustic guitar, keyboard, mandolin and cello to create a sound with elements of rock, folk, alternative and ‘new-grass,’ in a combination you have likely never heard, but will not likely forget once you do,” states Jeff McQuilkin, The Examiner. By December 2009, the band placed third in KTCL Denver’s Hometown for the Holidays radio contest as voted by Colorado listeners. A universally appealing sound, continued radio play and sold-out shows are fueling immense success for the Denver act locally and beyond. The band recently performed at Nelarusky: a pre-Lollapalooza event benefiting Special Olympics of Chicago last month. They have also caught the ears of tastemaker radio, with their single “I Still Remember” getting support from such stations as KNRK Portland, KBCO Denver, WBTZ Burlington, WEQX Albany and more.

THE BLUE VAN

Growing up in the northern region of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula, there aren’t a lot of distractions. So, one quickly tends to entertain themselves. That was the rationale of the four members of The Blue Van, who in sixth grade began jamming in the basement of a fortunately hard-of-hearing grandmother. After adopting the name The Blue Van (Danish slang for the ambulance that transports patients to mental institutions), they relocated to Copenhagen and self-financed their first EP, A Session with The Blue Van, and backed it up with an acclaimed performance at the Roskilde Festival. They recorded their debut full-length, The Art of Rolling, in Hamburg, opting to record live in the studio, only adding in vocals later, in order to capitalize on the band’s live strengths. The album landed them an American deal with TVT Records and the group started splitting time between Denmark and the Bed/Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn while recording their second album, Dear Independence. Now with indie Iceberg Records, The Blue Van returned to Hamburg to record their third album, Man Up, which spawned a hit last year with the song “Silly Boy.” To start 2010, they were all over the international airwaves with “There Goes My Love,” which was utilized in Apple’s TV campaign for the iPad. The Danish act has returned to radio with their new single, “Love Shot,” the same title as their new 2011 album. The track was already the “Single of the Week” on national Danish radio DR P3 in May and three months later is still in high rotation on the station.

MIYA-B

New UK pop/urban female artist Miya-B, born in Morocco and raised in the south of England, has just completed her debut solo album, Past and Present. This beautiful 22-year-old has spent the past year writing and recording an honest and intense biographical account of her life, which has been surrounded by drama, tragedy and regret--but also inspiration. Originally in pop duo Boo2 with her sister, Amelle Berrabah, who is now in the chart topping band The Sugababes, Miya-B is very much in the driving seat of her own career now. Her focus on pop melodies mixed with meaningful lyrics matches perfectly with today’s pop climate. Having teamed up with UK producer and Ivor Novello Award-winning writer Pete Kirtley in late 2009 after working together on the Boo2 project, Pete decided to drop all other priorities and concentrate purely on this album. “I’m a big fan of pop music but what interested me most about Miya-B was her depth. We both wanted her album to be pop but doing a non-generic club record really interested me and was a breath of fresh air. For a young artist she’s been through a lot and she’s not scared to write about it. We tried blending really intense stories from her life and framing it with a pop sound, which totally worked. On the surface it’s a very accessible contemporary pop record, but if you scratch beneath the surface and listen to the subject matter you’ll see a real ‘from the heart’ adaptation of events that have affected her life.  But it’s also a fun record too.” Miya-B is one of the most dynamic energetic new female artists to come out of the UK in recent years--the new Neneh Cherry for a new generation; raw, honest and real.

RUBY FROST

Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, Ruby Frost sounds like pop music short-circuiting on an ’80s drum machine. From her sequins to her heart-quenching tunes, Frost is a talent who’s been influenced by the likes of Björk and Kate Bush and has been compared to the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and La Roux. The petite singer, born Jane de Jong, had always written poetry, short stories and lyrics since her early teens. Now 23, armed with a guitar and a knack for programming her own beats, she uses songs as her way to express her take on the world. As she’s explained, “writing is where I untangle the mess in my mind.” A childhood in the gospel music scene gave Frost the opportunity to travel the world, sparking a nomadic itch that today only touring can cure. Renowned producer Chris Zane (Passion Pit, Mumford & Sons) agrees. He’s signed on to produce Frost’s debut album and the pair have already worked together on recordings of “Hazy,” “Smoke and Mirrors” and “Young.” Frost released an acoustic EP, How Long, in 2007 and has gigged around New Zealand with various artists, including Dear Time's Waste, Glass Owls, Black Jagger, Ghost Wave, Lisa Crawley and Lydia Cole. In the last year, she’s ditched her day job, worked with the likes of songwriter Phil Buckle (John Farnham), producer Paul Mac (Silverchair) and Evermore’s Dann Hume, and spent hours scouring op shops for inspiration and stitching costumes for her shows. When she’s not producing or touring, Frost can be seen as the Music Reporter on TV2’s The Erin Simpson Show in Australia, interviewing bands. Just last year, she won the MTV 42Unheard Competition, signing her to Universal Music in New Zealand, paving a very bright future for this young talent.

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS

Formed in 2005, London’s own Scouting For Girls consists of Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. The band based their name off of the Scouting for Boys handbook written in 1908 stating the principles of scouting and giving instructions to younger men on good citizenship. In 2007 Scouting For Girls signed with Epic (UK) President Nick Raphael and released their first EP, It’s Not About You. The first single, “She’s So Lovely,” spent six weeks in the Top 10 UK charts as well as the UK Download Charts and is the highest charting limited edition EP in chart history. The debut album from Scouting For Girls has sold over 850,000 copies and reached No. 1 for two weeks in the UK. The band started writing their next album and before it was recorded, it was trashed and started over again from scratch. Roy Stride stated, “I just wanted to write the perfect pop song. We are perfectionists!” Well the hard work has paid off and Scouting For Girls just finished recording their second album, Everybody Wants to Be on TV. The lead single, “This Ain’t A Love Song” quickly became a No. 1 hit in the UK and has crossed over to the US with early support from Indie 103.com, KNRK Portland, WEQX Manchester VT & Albany NY, WCNR Charlottesville and Sirius Satellite Radio’s Hits-1 station, which has logged over 500 spins to date. The same track has also become a Top 20 hit in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Europe.

RONIT

A passionate and captivating musician, Ronit has developed a devoted following around Australia that grows with each performance: audiences are drawn to her strong vocals and emotive, honest lyricism, while being floored by her fiery guitar playing. Her compelling blend of musical influences sets Ronit apart from her Australian female singer/songwriter contemporaries. Ronit is accompanied by a six-piece band, which features some of Melbourne’s finest musicians, who perfectly complement and embellish Ronit’s catchy songwriting. Her music has been used in a successful short film, The Wake, directed by Gemma Lee. It screened at Palm Springs Short Fest in June 2009 to critical acclaim and was recently chosen for the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Ronit released her debut EP Heavy through MGM in June 2009 and played a series of solo shows in LA and New York. She also recently secured worldwide management after her performance at MUSEXPO Europe in London last month as well as strong publisher and label interest after showcasing at MUSXPO Europe. She’ll soon head back to New York to co-write songs with a number of US-based writers.

THE DUKE & THE KING

The Duke & The King is a soul-folk-glam ensemble from the Catskill Mountains of New York founded, produced, and created by Simone Felice (The Duke) and former George Clinton collaborator Robert Burke (The King), featuring the sensational Simi Stone and Reverend Loveday--and like any traveling theatre troupe there’s bound to be a growing cast of bewitching characters. Named for the traveling Shakespeare hustlers in ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,’ this curious band of rebels/rabble have found an unexpected home together, a floating raft adrift on a river of chance, an itinerant church of harmony and sin where its okay to French kiss your cousin and all strays are welcome to come out of the cold and sing along to these songs of love, loss, pathos, and hope. In just a short time since the release of their debut album The Duke & The King have garnered a barrage of international acclaim, earning comparisons to some of pop history’s most hallowed acts, from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to Smokey Robinson, Fleetwood Mac, Sly & the Family Stone, Simon & Garfunkel and newcomers Mumford & Sons. The quartet released their debut Nothing Gold Can Stay last August, receiving rave reviews and helping them build a fan base in both the US and the UK. After extensive touring and continued recording, they are ready to return to the spotlight with a new album, Long Live The Duke & The King on September 27. The first taste of the sophomore effort is “Shaky,” an organic blend of sleek keyboards, drums and beautiful vocals.

MADS LANGER

A&R Worldwide has been a big fan of Denmark’s Mads Langer for many years and assisted him and Copenhagen Records with development a few years back. He also garnered rave reviews from the global music industry after showcasing at MUSEXPO in West Hollywood. Two weeks ago Mads secured a worldwide deal with Sony Music Entertainment and he’s finally on the verge of global success thanks to his relentless efforts. Mads was signed to respected Scandinavian indie Copenhagen Records, for which he released his debut album, Attention Please, and 2009’s eponymous follow-up. Langer has already been receiving raves for his commanding stage presence, multi-instrumental ability and keen songwriting sense. BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Davies referred to Langer as “a chilled-out version of Radiohead and Muse,” while Martin Ashplant of www.inthenews.co.uk states, “There is every chance this young man can go much farther than Scandinavia. Soulful and wistful with Muse-like vocals that can tug, Langer…has a chance to take the world by storm.” The first single from Attention Please, “Breaking News,” was immediately given “Hit of the Week” status at influential Danish radio station P3 while also receiving a bevy of American airplay on such tastemaker outlets as the late KDLD “Indie 103.1” Los Angeles, as well as WKQX “Q101” Chicago, KTCL Denver and KATT Oklahoma City, among others. A fan-favorite track that always receives praise at his live shows is the cover of the 1997 hit by Olive, “You’re Not Alone.” The way that Langer reconstructs the song is reminiscent of the original; but this version births new life and gives it a completely different twist, which would be perfect for any radio outlet today. With a voice that at once evokes Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke and something unique, Langer is a bright new artist who creates songs that are alternately raw and intimately elegant.

MONTÉE

Montée is a progressive pop band from Oslo, Norway founded in 2006 by Anders Tjore, Erlend Mokkelbost and Maya Vik. The quartet made their musical mark for the very first time outside of Norway with their stunning debut performance at The Borderline club in London, England last week during MUSEXPO Europe. Having worked with the Waterfall camp (best known for their initial production development with acts such as Ting Tings and Ida Maria), it was easy to see why Montée would be such a crowd-pleaser. With musical backgrounds varying from orchestral pop to hardcore punk and alternative rock, Montée drew a flashback to a retro-new wave twist with a modern musical feel. After a series of popular concerts in Norway and Sweden, the group began recording their debut album, Isle of Now, in 2007. Recorded in their rehearsal space in Oslo, with only a few borrowed microphones, it proved that good ideas are more important than expensive equipment. On its release in early 2009, the album received great feedback from both press and the public and Montée was subsequently awarded the Norwegian Grammy for Best Pop Group for their efforts. With the addition of drummer Marius Simonsen and keyboardist Haakon-Marius Pettersen to the lineup, they are now a live entity with a dedicated following. Montée proved last week that their live shows are a mix of their focused songs and spur of the moment jamming--an unusual, entertaining and energetic experience!

THE SHOOS

The Shoos are a four piece from Dublin, Ireland and the most unlikely set of musicians to be thrown together in any room. They consist of a sportswear designer, a suit, an insomniac and a grown up, which sounds more like a reality TV show than a music outfit ready to take on the world. Last September they released their debut single, “Yeah,” which received a lot of national and regional airplay in Ireland, such as FM104’s “Strawberry Pick of the Week,” Spin 103.8, 98FM, 2FM and Newstalk 106FM. At the start of 2010 they were invited to New York to showcase the music from their forthcoming album. The lads were initially skeptical about venturing stateside, but these fears quickly evaporated when they first took to the stage in the East Village. By the end of the trip they had not only gained a fan base in a New York minute, but were asked to join OneRepublic on their tour of Ireland. The Shoos continued to move forward by releasing the single “Distance” last month, picking up a lot of support from previous radio champions, resulting in a rare invitation to perform on the Pat Kenny Radio Show for an audience of over 425,000 listeners. Even though the single was released independently, that didn’t stop it from reaching the top of the charts in Ireland. To help matters, the video features Joane King of “The Tudors” and “Casualty & Shameless” fame and is directed by Simon Eustace with cinematography by Sundance Film Festival winner Michael Lavelle. The Shoos have July 14 circled on their calendars as they are opening for Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighers at The Academy in Dublin.

RUBYLUX

In a parallel universe, on a dying alien planet, the four members of the band Rubylux decided to escape and preserve their cultural and musical traditions by travelling to the rest of the known universe...and beyond. Armed with only their instruments, the quartet was ceremoniously inserted into the launch unit…and unceremoniously thrown out in Brighton, England, whereupon a travelling psychedelic producer called James Sanger (Dido, Keane) offered them shelter for six months in his wonderful studio, where they could prepare for world domination. The music was spread worldwide on “Heroes,” “Neighbors,” Channel 5 and other advertisements across the globe. They now have a song in the running for a major synch with a new movie (Chalet Girl) currently in production and starring Bill Nighy. The album was mixed by Ash Howes and mastered by Dick Beetham at 360 Mastering...the rest, as they say, is history. Or at least it will be at some time in the future. The album, Fake Control, is scheduled to be released June 6 and features the smash “The Boy Could Fly” and is available for international licensing and signing.

PINT SHOT RIOT

Pint Shot Riot are rapidly building a name for themselves that is starting to extend beyond the bounds of their hometown of Coventry, England. Melding the jagged rhythms and cutting lyrics of The Clash, the blue-collar rock attitude of Oasis and the melodious, harmonic sound of the Kinks, Pint Shot Riot’s songs favor hope over despair and so appealed to audiences that, six months after the current lineup formed, they were playing on the Glastonbury Introduces stage at the famed festival of that name and were praised by BBC Radio One’s Huw Stephens as “one of the best new bands in the UK” that year. They’ve since shared stages with the likes of We Are Scientists, Dirty Pretty Things, The View, Athlete and fellow Coventry natives The Enemy. The band’s first single, the ominously titled “Punches Kicks Trenches Swords,” earned significant airplay throughout the UK. During a segment of BBC DJ Steve Lamacq’s “Music Roundtable” show, members of the Kaiser Chiefs described “Punches…” as “an awesome track, different to what’s going on--we would love to see them live and hear it louder!” In 2009, PSR’s full, yet unfinished, release leaked online, titled The Album with standout tracks “Come Back To Me” and “Not Thinking Straight,” which were released as singles jointly the same day in October. Their momentum continued as their songs were used in a variety of EA Games’ top sellers, including FIFA 10, Need For Speed: Nitro, Fight Night 4 and Sims 3. Their songs were also featured on Soccer AM, the British Saturday-morning football show, which is predominantly based around the Premier League and has a very large audience. “Nothing from You” is the next single, scheduled to be released at the end of May. The Album in its finished form will someday legally see the light of day, but as of now there isn’t a definitive release date.

THIRTEEN SENSES

Thirteen Senses is a four-piece from Penzance, Cornwall (UK) which formed in 2001 and is the only Cornish band to have a Top 20 single to date. In the early stages of their career they were originally called Soul Magician, releasing an EP titled Inside A Healing Mind. In 2003, they released an independent demo album which was a preview to their major label debut on Mercury Records, The Invitation. Their official debut reached No.14 in the UK Album Chart and spawned three singles, including “Into The Fire,” which broke the group into the UK Top 20 and was used in such TV shows as Rescue Me, Grey’s Anatomy, The 4400, Tru Calling, ER, WWE SummerSlam and more. In 2005 they toured throughout the UK and Europe and played such elite festivals as Glastonbury, T in the Park and the V Festival. After releasing their second album, Contact, in 2007, Thirteen Senses announced that they were already working on their third album. Between 2008 and 2009 they released samples and demos before releasing the name of the work as Crystal Sounds, which was finally released independently in March. “The Answer” is just a glimpse of the nine-song album, which shows how the group has grown with their songwriting. This song is a truly a treat for music supervisors and radio programmers worldwide.

MP3: "The Answer"
LINK: www.myspace.com/thirteensenses

LINKE

German born Christian Linke (known as Linke) was raised on a healthy dose of Buddy Holly, Chubby Checker and Simon and Garfunkel thanks to his parents. Growing up, his influences morphed into the modern rock scene and any other genre that featured a guitar. At the tender age of six he picked up his first guitar but didn’t really start taking it seriously until he was 15. “I never took a lesson; I just started practicing a few hours every day. I used to put on a CD and try to play along. Later on I started playing the bass guitar and soon realized that both instruments had their sex appeal. The most deciding part was that the ladies love the deep warm tones [laughs].” When Linke is on stage, he’s comfortable with his beloved Tobias Classic five-string bass and a Yorkville Bass Amp that gives out unbelievable energy and beautiful tones.

LINK: www.myspace.com/dertollelinke

SKYBOMBERS

Skybombers are a quartet from Australia, filled with youth, energy and good old rock n roll. Their first release, the Sirens EPin 2007, consisted of five tracks, including the single “It Goes Off.” The song was licensed by EA Games and added into rotation on the influential tastemaker radio station KDLD Indie 103.1 Los Angeles, where it was played over several hundred times. The guys then released their debut album, Take Me to Town, in May of 2008, which was recorded in LA with producer Rick Parker, best known for his work with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies and Dandy Warhols. Skybombers took to the road to promote the album and even landed an opening spot for the Foo Fighters. The lads are currently putting the finishing touches on their sophomore album and have returned with “Love Me like You Used to Do.” This glimpse into their latest work showcases their Beatles influence, as they return with a powerful tune that should find its way to radio in no time.

MP3: "Love Me Like You Used To Do"
LINK: www.myspace.com/skybombers

GRAFFITI 6

Graffiti6 is the project name for the duo of TommyD and British singer-songwriter Jamie Scott. Scott also goes under the name J.S. Baylin and has released music with his band, Jamie Scott and the Town, even appearing in the movie Step Up, where he performed a song as a solo artist and it was included on the soundtrack. TommyD is an established writer, producer, DJ and arranger who’s worked with everyone from Jay-Z and Kanye West to Kylie Minogue and Janet Jackson. He also produced Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy,” the international smash that topped the charts in 20 countries. Graffiti6 has been described as “Psychedelic Northern Soul” and has already started to see success with the single “Stare into the Sun.” This feel-good song has become the duo’s trademark. Last summer it was used by The Sun newspaper advertising campaign, where James Murdoch himself insisted on using the audio--the first time the paper ever worked with an unsigned band. This exposure encouraged the pair to buckle down in the studio and focus on finishing new tracks. The result of the hard work can be found on their first EP, Stone in My Heart, which is a simple introduction to the sound and look of the band. “It’s four tracks that will give people an idea of what we’re about,” exclaims Scott.

MP3: "Staring Into The Sun"
LINK: www.myspace.com/graffiti6

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS

Formed in 2005, London’s own Scouting For Girls consists of Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. The band based their name off of the Scouting for Boys handbook written in 1908 stating the principles of scouting and giving instructions to younger men on good citizenship. In 2007 Scouting For Girls signed with Epic UK President Nick Raphael and released their first EP, It’s Not About You. The first single, “She’s So Lovely,” spent six weeks in the Top 10 of the UK charts as well as the UK Download charts and is the highest charting limited edition EP in chart history. The debut album from Scouting For Girls has sold over 850,000 copies and reached No.1 for two weeks in the UK. In addition, the band has garnered over 1,200 plays on US commercial Alternative radio with no US label support, based purely on artistic merit. The band started writing their next album but before it was recorded, it was trashed and started over again from scratch. Roy Stride stated, “I just wanted to write the perfect pop song. We are perfectionists!” Well, the hard work has paid off and Scouting For Girls just finished recording their second album, Everybody Wants to Be on TV, which was produced by Andy Green, who’s known for his work with Keane, KT Tunstall and Scouting For Girls’ Triple Platinum debut album. The first single, “This Ain’t A Love Song,” was recently released and is already being embraced by press and radio programmers.

MP3: "This Ain't A Love Song"
LINK: www.scoutingforgirls.com

LAZEE

Lazee was born in 1985 in Malmo, Sweden. At the age of 13, his mother decided that she wasn’t providing the best environment for her son, so she sent him to London to “become something.” After hearing The Notorious B.I.G., Lazee was motivated to create his own music and moved back to Sweden with the ambition of finishing his first hip-hop album. During his return, Lazee passionately spent most of his time in the studio recording. While distributing his mixtapes, Lazee was introduced to producer Ishi and both of them created a new sound, “house meets hip-hop and rock.” Lazee moved to Stockholm at the end of summer 2007 and started to collaborate with Ishi and House DJ Sebastian Ingrosso. At the first session they created the single, “Rock Away,” which was an instant success and even grabbed the attention of Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), who requested to do a remix with Lazee. For the next collaboration, Lazee teamed up with Jacob Widen of the Swedish band Neverstore for “Hold On.” The song is reminiscent to the Jay-Z & Linkin Park collaborations, with radio appeal and great crossover potential. The video was shot in Hong Kong and was a smash hit all across Sweden, Germany and in Europe. The song is finally ready to be unleashed to the US with Ultra Records distributing the record. In the meantime, Lazee continues to stay busy in Sweden with the success of his latest track, “Calling Out.” This collaboration continues where “Hold On” left off and has already been No.1 on iTunes Sweden. He’s also collaborated with S. African duo Locknville on their hit single, “Sun in My Pocket.” The song features Swedish rock band Apollo Drive, which is also currently making a name for themselves in the US with their hit “Papercut” getting support from radio, including Sirius/XM.

MP3: "Hold On feat. Neverstore"
LINK: www.myspace.com/mrlazee

HARGO

Appearances can be deceiving, but sometimes appearances can reveal a story. Hargo is a man with an array of pasts, countless possible futures, but one destination. Hargo was born an only child in Eugene, Oregon in 1985. He grew up in a very musical family, with most of his early memories set to a soundtrack of his father playing Bowie, Tom Petty and Beatles songs on his guitar. His mother also sang and played the violin, harmonium and some guitar. Hargo first picked up a guitar at age seven and one year later wrote his first song. His second song, entitled “Giving,” was a simple message of humanity and cherishing both our differences and similarities. It struck a chord and the song became the theme song of the 1999 South African Peace Conference. At 13 he performed an original song for the first time. His teacher and mentor, Yogi Bhajan, heard it and was very pleased, asking him to perform it again later than night at his class: “In front of the whole crowd he told me to start making up a new song, out loud, on the spot. After being a bit shocked, I started playing my guitar and making up lyrics and melody in a stream-of-consciousness manner, which evolved into a very interesting song. After a few minutes my teacher told me that I should write songs in this way, that it’s better to be direct with people and not dilute the message of a song with too much symbolism and hyperbole.” A very young Hargo released a few albums of music recorded on a simple Yamaha AW4416, bought in India during his sophomore year of high school. While in India he underwent a discipline that involved wrestling lions. Hargo is preparing to release The Faint Glow EP in the spring, with the first single being the very powerful “Soul Survivor,” which is already being played on KNRK Portland, WEQX Albany and MotorFM Geramny.

MP3: "Soul Survivor"
LINK: www.myspace.com/hargogroup

LOCKNVILLE

Locnville consists of twin brothers Andrew and Brian Chaplin, who are related to the late Charlie Chaplin. Although they were born in America, the Chaplins father is South African and they have lived there for the majority of their lives. The duo started generating a buzz internationally back in January when their music reached the hands of numerous executives in Cannes, France (including ours). Since then, Sun In My Pocket has sold almost 13,000 copies in South Africa alone and is expected to go Gold (20,000 copies sold) by the end of April. The duo’s previous work with South African producer Gabi Le Roux and a band called III saw them releasing an album on MXIT, a social messaging platform, which went on to achieve Double Platinum download sales status and made them the first group in South African music history to release an album in this format. “Sun in My Pocket” has been named Song of The Year and Jam of The Summer by their fans. The twins’ South African label Just Music has already been offered a number of licensing deals worldwide.

MP3: "Sun In My Pocket"
LINK: www.myspace.com/locnville

SKETCH WILLIAMS

Canadian-born Sketch Williams combines classical, soulful sounds with hip-hop beats, delivering consistent hooks with a lyrical story-telling flow. His first album, Moonlit Tunnel, was released in 2006 and was a successful debut in Canada, receiving praise from the press. His sophomore effort, City In the Clouds, released last year contained the Canadian hit “Girl With A Pretty Name,” which received radio support and helped increase his fan base, crossing over to parts of the US. In his early twenties, Sketch has already accomplished many things to be proud of: he was accepted at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, his music was featured in the movie Hybrid for the Syfy Channel and he even had a brief acting career with his role in Falcon Beach, the Canadian television teen drama, similar in style to The O.C. He believes in the importance of putting out a performance and sound that are enjoyable to a wide range of audiences, which is demonstrated through his versatility. Sketch has recently returned to the studio full-time and is now putting the finishing touches on a brand-new EP. The first offering from the release is “Wendy’s Song.” This eerie song shows the vulnerability of Sketch and musically could be compared to OneRepublic’s “Apologize.

MP3: "Wendys Song"
LINK: www.myspace.com/sketchwilliams

ZEBRA & GIRAFFE

Zebra & Giraffe is an alternative rock band from South Africa. The cleverly named act began as the 12-lettered pseudonym of Johannesburg music genius Greg Carlin, but has now evolved into a five-piece live band that has toured across South Africa. Since its release in May 2008, the debut album, Collected Memories, has produced six hit singles – including “Oxymoron,” which reached No. 1 on College Radio, Top 5 on 5FM and No. 1 on MK in South Africa. The band played at the 2008 Coke Zero Festival, a music festival that took place in Johannesburg and Cape Town with headliners Snow Patrol, Oasis and Panic at the Disco. In 2009 they supported The Killers on the South African leg of their tour in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The band was also nominated for four SA Music Awards (SAMAs) in the categories “Best Newcomer,” “Best Rock,” “Best Album Packaging” and “MTN Record of the Year” for “The Knife.” Collected Memories took home the award for “Best Rock Album.

MP3: "Oxymoron"
LINK: www.myspace.com/zebraandgiraffe

MONARCHY

The ultra-talented French duo Monarchy first caught A&R Worldwide’s attention last October when the band’s manager “G” contacted us with their haunting, atmospheric and song-driven electronic anthems. Monarchy has since inspired tastemakers worldwide, with support from BBC Radio 1 DJs Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw, the syndicated int’l music show Passport Approved, MotorFM Germany, Popjustice, NME, The Times and many others. Monarchy’s latest recordings take the French electronic revolution to new heights with the very song-driven aspects of their album worth of material, including the unforgettable “Black, The Colour of My Heart,” which is sure to be snapped up by music supervisors and ad agencies looking to combine evocative, suave electronic melodies and haunting lyrics with their next visual media campaign. The song is one of many brilliantly crafted numbers that are sure to make Monarchy’s debut album one of the most anticipated of 2010. Monarchy is currently available for signing, licensing and booking in multiple territories worldwide.

MP3: "Black The Colour Of My Heart"
LINK: www.myspace.com/monarchysound

ELLIE GOULDING

Ellie Goulding is the latest sensation hailing from England. Born in Hereford, approximately 16 miles from Wales, this 23-year-old singer-songwriter is signed to Polydor Records and already has a smash with her debut single, “Under the Sheets.” Goulding attended the University of Kent to study drama and while there was exposed to electronic music for the first time. After a few e-mails back and forth with Frankmusik via MySpace, the two began to work on her craft, resulting in her leaving school and moving to West London. When it was time to release her first song it was under the independent label Neon Gold Records instead of Polydor, so that she wouldn’t be under too much pressure to succeed. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1 on September 30--the same month she was signed, and the single reacted positively and received heavy airplay. In October Goulding supported Little Boots on tour and even performed a couple of songs on Later… with Jools Holland (UK). Her debut album, Lights, is scheduled for a March 1 release and includes the new single, “Starry Eyed.” It was primarily produced by Starsmith, who has also worked with Katy Perry, Passion Pit and Lady Gaga. Ellie is managed by Crown Music in London, England (Jessie J, Sugababes).

MP3: "Under The Sheets"
LINK: www.elliegoulding.co.uk

LEROY LEE

An acoustic-based singer/songwriter in the tradition of Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Tom Waits, Ron Sexsmith and Jack Johnson, Sydney, Australia’s Leroy Lee has steadily been building both a buzz and momentum Down Under. He’s been an “Unearthed” selection at Triple J Radio, Australia’s national Alternative station, where he won a contest to support a former “Unearthed” artist who’s since moved on to bigger and better things: singer/songwriter Missy Higgins, who made Australia’s best-selling albums of 2005 and 2007 and personally chose Lee to open the NSW dates on her tour, stating, “The laid-back vocals show tasteful restraint and the instrumentation--especially the rhythm section--is rich and interesting. [I] like the change of feel into the chorus, too, it feels Elliott Smith-inspired…I really like your stuff and look forward to hearing more!” Missy should soon get her wish realized: Leroy was recently in the studio with producer Melvin Tree, working on his first full-length album after releasing a well-received EP in spring 2007. In March 2008 his song, “Drawing Smoke,” was chosen as iTunes Australia’s “Single of the Week,” and that same month Leroy toured the country opening for fellow Australian artist Lior. Leroy recently released his debut album that he has been crafting for a couple of years now on his own label, Paper Sleeve Music, which is distributed by MGM. The first single, “Mountain Song” has already received support from Triple J and a variety of tastemaker radio stations in Australia, the UK and the US.

MP3: "Drawing Smoke"
LINK: www.myspace.com/leroyleemusic

ISAAC’S AIRCRAFT

Isaac’s Aircraft is a four-piece indie Rock band from the university town of Cambridge, UK. Originally started as a trio in 2006 consisting of Zak Thomas (vocals, rhythm guitar), Martin Seidel (keys) and James Lane (drums, percussion), the threesome wrote and recorded songs which were released on their first EP in 2007, Holding Up The Line. Shortly after the release, the band welcomed Calum Fall (lead guitar), adding a new dimension to their sound. During this period they started to acquire a large following in Cambridge through extensive live performances. The following year Isaac’s Aircaft was signed to Crash Records, which released their first single, “Friends and Foes.” The song reached the Top 30 of the UK Indie Singles chart and provided them with their biggest success to date. Written by Zak, the song ponders what could have happened if things had taken a turn for the worse and what it felt like to be back from traveling for an extended period of time. Now Isaac’s Aircraft is looking forward to releasing a new EP in early 2010, which they have already recorded with producer Paul Tipler (Placebo, Idlewild and the Charlatans). The latest track, “Head to the Feet,” along with “Friends and Foes” have both started to receive airplay support from US stations including KNRK Portland, KTCL Denver, KUPD Phoenix, WEND Charlotte, WRZX Indianapolis and more.

MP3: "Head To The Feet"
LINK: www.myspace.com/isaacsaircraft

GIN WIGMORE

The beautiful 23-year-old songstress Gin Wigmore from Auckland, New Zealand has been quite busy as of late. In 2008 her Extended Play EP had tastemaker radio buzzing about every track, claiming that she is the next artist of our time. She has been performing everywhere from Australia to America and in her spare time even made a fan out of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who was quoted saying, “This blonde from New Zealand reminds us of a few of our favorite artists - like Skybox, Joel Plaskett Emergency and Macy Gray.” First discovered when she was just 17 years old and won the International Songwriting Competition, Gin has a voice that you will never forget. Her delivery has been described by a critic as “whiskey and dry” and her self-penned songs provide a refreshing new look on life as a 20-something and yet relate across the generations. Her sound has drawn comparisons to Feist and Fiona Apple while vocally there are similarities to Macy Gray and Blondie. She recently released her debut album, Holy Smoke, produced by Mike Elizondo (Nelly Furtado, Regina Spektor, Eminem) and recorded with The Cardinals--the very same Cardinals from Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Recorded in Hollywood’s famed Capitol studios, the album debuted at No.1 in New Zealand. Gin was signed to Universal New Zealand by President Adam Holt and Mike Taylor, General Manager/Head of A&R for Island Records Australia; she recently signed a US deal with Sylvia Rhone, President Motown Universal.

MP3: "Hey Ho"
LINK: www.ginwigmore.com

SHAPESHIFTER

Shapeshifter has been described as a musical phenomenon for their ground-breaking live shows and unique blend of heavy soul and drum & bass. They released their debut LP Realtime in 2001, with highlights including a collaboration with sublime vocalist Ladi6 on the track “Move With Me.” Realtime was deemed Best Electronic Release at the 2002 NZ music award, while the tune “Tapestry” became the No.1 most played track on the Alternative Radio Airplay charts for 2001. Shapeshifter’s second release Riddim Wise LP gained Gold sales status and features some of New Zealand’s top soul vocalists, Joe Dukie (Fat Freddy’s Drop) and Ladi6. The album spent many weeks at the top spot on the independent album sales charts and they won ”Best Electronic Video” for “Long White Cloud” at the 2005 Juice TV Music Awards. Their third studio album, Soulstice, was released in August 2006 and entered the NZ national charts at No.4 and spent over two months in the New Zealand Top 20 while also reaching No.1 on the independent charts. In 2006 they earned three nods at the New Zealand bnet music awards for Best Live Act, Song of the Year for “Bring Change” and Album of the Year for Soulstice. Soulstice obtained Gold sales status in New Zealand in three weeks and has since achieved Platinum sales. They headlined the Hothouse Stage at the 2007 Big Day Out Australian tour and were handpicked by Tool to support them in Melbourne to a sold out audience of 15,000. In 2007 they were a headline act at Australia’s prestigious nationwide Parklife Festival. Shapeshifter has spent the past year in the lab creating their long awaited studio album The System is a Vampire. This 11-track album is sure to please any lifelong Shapeshifter fan and bound to pick up new supporters of NZ’s premier electronic act along the way.

MP3: "Dutchies"
LINK: www.myspace.com/shapeshifterlive

SALMONELLA DUB

Salmonella Dub is a Dub/Drum n Bass/Reggae/Roots outfit from Kaikoura, New Zealand. They were formed in 1992 by Andrew Penman (guitar, keyboards), David Deakins (vocals, drums) and Mark Tyler (bass) with Peter Woods (trumpet, trombone). They’ve toured extensively in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Ireland. Though their long-time frontman, Tiki Taane, split from the band and started his solo career in 2007, the band continued to move forward and released an EP, Freak Local, on Virgin Records in June. The EP is a selection of mixes previewing their seventh album, Freak Controller, scheduled for release this month. The EP features vocal contributions from the amazing Tuhoe diva Whirimako Black and MC Madness. Freak Local is an anthem to New Zealand’s individuals who refuse to conform; every village, town and city has them and, as Andrew Penman from the band will attest, they can often be found at the bar after the band has left the stage. Salmonella Dub are known for their live shows as most performances are often accompanied with live video, provided by Tim Budgen of WarpTV. The group hopes to tour through the end of 2009 and during most of 2010 to promote the upcoming album throughout New Zealand. Plans to bring in the New Year have already been established as they’ll join Ladi 6, Cornerstone Roots, DLT and many others for a New Year’s Eve show at the Matakana Mountain Music Festival (New Zealand).

MP3: "Freak Local"
LINK: www.salmonelladub.com

LE CORPES MINCE DE FRANÇOISE

Hailing from Helsinki, Finland are Le Corps Mince de Françoise, known as LCMDF for short. The meaning behind the name is French for “The Skinny Body of Francoise,” which they thought was funny enough to be the band’s name. The trio consists of sisters Emma and Mia Kemppainen and Malin Nyqvist. The outfit formed two years ago and immediately started to gig live around their hometown, where fans like to compare them as Robyn with a little bit of Lily Allen and CSS. Their energetic and highly stylized live performances quickly became a Finnish sensation and they are currently taking their musical styles to Europe and the rest of the world. Thanks to support from social networking websites Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, LCMDF quickly earned their share of internet fame. Their upbeat electro pop was picked up and posted on a number of blogs, which for a day earned them the top spot on Hype Machine, even higher than Kanye West--which is a remarkable feat in itself. The girls first had success with the single “Bitch of the Bitches” (featured here earlier this year) and are back with their latest, “Something Golden.” The latest electro track is a synth-blazing alternative pop gem that is addicting, spellbinding and will be released as part of the Maison Kitsune 8 compilation in Finland. LCMDF is currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album, Love & Nature, which is scheduled to be released in December 2009.

MP3: "Something Golden"
LINK: www.myspace.com/lecorpsmincedefrancoise

KOPEK

Kopek is a three-piece band hailing from Dublin, Ireland whose members utilize just first names: Dan (vocals/guitar), Shane (drums) and Brad (bass). Kopek have played all over the world to stadium crowds and won the Global Battle of the Bands competition in the London Astoria, where one of the judges was Steve Lilywhite, renowned U2 and Smiths producer. The trio signed to Religion Music and is currently recording their debut album in Dublin, set for release sometime before the end of the year. There are three songs to listen to on the group’s MySpace page, including “White Collar Lies,” “Love Is Dead” and the song that you can check out below, titled "Fever".

MP3: "Fever"
LINK: www.myspace.com/kopek

THOMAS DYBDAHL

We featured Thomas Dybdahl in the A&R Worldwide newsletter back in 2003 and a lot has happened since. Born in Norway, Thomas Dybdahl is a singer-songwriter who has been compared to the likes of Nick Cave, Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley. He released his debut album, ...That Great October Sound, in 2002, receiving international praise for his unique work. The release of his next two albums, Stray Dogs and One Day You’ll Dance for Me, New York City helped increase his profile as a respected solo artist. In just under a decade Dybdahl has released four albums and is considered at the top of the list of singer-songwriters in the Norwegian music scene. He was recently signed to Last Suppa based in the UK and is already hard at work on his fifth album, which is due sometime in 2010. He’s also currently in the studio with Melanie Laurent, star of the Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds, and Damien Rice on an album of duets. Dybdahl has released a self-titled compilation, a greatest hits if you will, composed of the singles from his previous four albums. It’s a perfect introduction to his musical musings and features the song “From Grace,” which you can preview below.

MP3: "From Grace"
LINK: www.myspace.com/tdybdahl

PINT SHOT RIOT

Pint Shot Riot are rapidly building a name for themselves that is starting to extend beyond the bounds of their hometown of Coventry, England. Melding the jagged rhythms and cutting lyrics of the Clash, the blue-collar rock attitude of Oasis and the melodious, harmonic sound of the Kinks, Pint Shot Riot’s songs favor hope over despair and so appealed to audiences that, six months after the current lineup formed, they were playing on the Glastonbury Introduces stage at the famed festival of that name and were praised by BBC Radio One’s Huw Stephens as “one of the best new bands in the UK” that year. They’ve since shared stages with the likes of We Are Scientists, Dirty Pretty Things, The View, Athlete and fellow Coventry natives The Enemy. The band’s first single, the ominously titled, “Punches Kicks Trenches Swords,” earned significant airplay throughout the UK. During a segment of BBC DJ Steve Lamacq’s “Music Roundtable” show, members of the Kaiser Chiefs described “Punches…” as “an awesome track, different to what’s going on--we would love to see them live and hear it louder!” Last year, EA Games asked for a track for the new SIMS 3 game and the band provided the same song, “Punches…” as this hadn’t really had any international exposure. The company liked the song so much that they also found room in their game Fight Night 4 for the track. The very next month they signed a publishing deal with EA Games joint venture company Artwerk Music administered worldwide by Nettwerk One Music. The band recently had another song, “Not Thinking Straight,” on EA Sports’ FIFA 10 which is scheduled to be released on October 20. Their latest single, “Come Back to Me,” is taken off a new two-song EP and is already getting support from BBC Radio 1 influencer DJ Zane Lowe.

MP3: "Come Back To Me"
LINK: www.myspace.com/pintshotriot

FYFE DANGERFIELD

Before recording a solo album Birmingham, UK native Fyfe Dangerfield had his hands in other bands. These included Senseless Prayer, who recorded a session for John Peel’s Radio 1 show in 1999, and Fyfe Dangerfield and the Accident. While he was with “The Accident” he was featured alongside Misty’s Big Adventure, Mike in Mono, Dreams of Tall Buildings and X Is Greater Than Y on a promotional disc that was offered free with The Birmingham Post in 2004, called Broader Than Broad Street. Dangerfield later moved to Bromsgrove and more recently London, where he became a maverick music teacher for Cranbrook College. During this move he also found the lineup for his next band, Guillemots. The name “Guillemots” caused some confusion for those unaware of its meaning, which referenced a group of seabirds and was pronounced “gilly-mot.” Guillemots had a very successful 2005 opening for Rufus Wainwright’s sold-out UK tour and began the following year by being awarded fifth place in the BBC Sound of 2006 Survey. Later the band signed to Fantastic Plastic and released their debut album in 2006, resulting in a nomination for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize. They are currently working on their third album, but in the meantime Dangerfield wanted to record a solo effort, Fly Yellow Moon. It was produced by Adam Noble who previously worked with Dangerfield on the Guillemots albums.

MP3: "She Needs Me"
LINK: www.myspace.com/guillemotsmusic

THE RUBICON

Born and raised amongst strangers, The Rubicon first gathered momentum in a garage with pictures of icons on walls and handed-down guitars armed with their own stories and sound. Jake Bezzina (vocals), Barrie Hardman (lead guitar/vocals), Jack Greenfield (drums/vocals), Jimmy Prew (rhythm guitar) and Billy Rimmer (bass) are from Portsmouth, UK and have a raw rock sound that reflects their upbringing. Their music has been compared to the likes of Arctic Monkeys, INXS, Oasis and Stereophonics and they’ve played numerous venues in their local area to sell-out crowds. They continue to spread their stories of happiness and heartbreak across the world and put it to music. The Rubicon encapsulates the original meaning of the word, “a line once exceeded brings irrevocable commitment.” Their debut single, “On The Left Side,” has already started to garner early U.S. radio support from such tastemaker stations as WKQX Chicago, WEND Charlotte, KPNT St. Louis and KNRK Portland.

MP3: "On The Left Side"
LINK: www.myspace.com/therubiconuk

FABIENNE HOLLOWAY

One of the brightest new unsigned and unpublished contenders in the international music scene, Fabienne Holloway has delivered the sound which many have been awaiting. Now, at the tender age of 18 she strikes a refreshing new chord, especially to impressionable young ears rediscovering the joys of Sixties-style soul and R&B. Fabienne’s voice and new sound is updating those classic sounds for her own generation. Fabienne’s influences reflect a deep collection of classic soul and R&B icons, ranging from Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Ray Charles and Sarah Vaughn to more modern purveyors like Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton and the Roots. When she was just 14, Fabienne was signed to Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam and played some gigs in New York City, but she’s now a free agent again--one with valuable experience and stints in Miami and Los Angeles, working with some of the top names in the business and finally turning her dreams into reality. She has recorded a song for the latest The Sims video game (EA Games) and despite being an unsigned artist had the rare opportunity this year to meet and discuss working with Dianne Warren, one of the best songwriters of our time. Fabienne has been in the studio writing and recording songs with Southern California platinum hit makers Fingazz and Flossy from Streetlight Music www.streetlightmusic.net (Snoop Dogg, The Game, Twista, Xzibit, Too Short, Ray J, Ciara, Kurupt, Fat Joe, Baby Bash and Donnie Wahlberg).

MP3: "Electric Lady"
LINK: www.myspace.com/fabienneuk

Mr. Hudson

Mr. Hudson is an act based in London, England which is signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. The band is led by front man Ben Hudson (guitar and vocals), who is a singer, songwriter and record producer. Their influences range from David Bowie and The Police to Andre 3000 (OutKast) and Dizzee Rascal. The group released their first album,A Tale of Two Cities, under the moniker Mr. Hudson & The Library in 2007 to strong reviews and airplay from Jo Whalley and Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 shows. They also supported Amy Winehouse, Paulo Nutini, Mika and Groove Armada in addition to appearing at several UK festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the Park, The Big Chill, Godiva Festival and Bestival. Mr. Hudson also supported Kanye West on the European leg of his Glow in the Dark Tour. Mr. Hudson was featured on the single “Paranoid” from Kanye West’s fourth album,808s & Heartbreak, upon which Kanye stated, “I believe Mr. Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me, to be one of the most important artists of his generation.” Recently Mr. Hudson released “Supernova,” featuring Kanye West from the upcoming album,Straight No Chaser, due in early October. “White Lies” is a song that Kanye West released recently on his blog as a teaser for the future release and is reminiscent of a sound clash between Robbie Williams and Coldplay’s Chris Martin (vocally speaking). If you can’t wait until October for new music from Mr. Hudson, you can also catch the collaboration with Jay-Z onThe Blueprint 3 album called “Young Forever,” scheduled to be released on Friday, September 11.

MP3: "White Lies"
LINK: www.mrhudson.com

REMI NICOLE

Singer-songwriter Remi Nicole is set to release her amazing new album next week. Cupid Shoot Me takes in everything from doo-wop to rockabilly, girl-group to soulful rock and is full of hugely catchy melodies, sparkling arrangements and irresistible vocals. Initially created in a front room in north London, it was finessed in a Surrey studio by Grammy-winning producer Mark Taylor (Diana Ross, Kylie, Tina Turner) and evokes comparisons with the music that came out of Phil Spector’s Gold Star Studios and Motown’s Studio A. Remi Nicole is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, musician, singer and songwriter who plays guitar, keyboards and drum parts on the album. “I call it ‘Grease 3,’” explains Remi, “because every song could be played at a [rom. It’s like a fairy tale. There’s something quite enchanted about it.” Remi is no stranger to the international market. She earned a lot of fans from her previous body of work, which included the song “Rock & Roll,” which somehow didn’t achieve the worldwide success it deserved. However, Remi’s latest effort is sure to strike a chord with global music fans and is destined to give her the success to which she’s aspired. Remi’s debut single, “Standing Tears Apart,” comes out this week and the album Cupid Shoot Me is released September 7.

MP3: "Broken Hearted People"
LINK: www.reminicole.com

IMOGEN HEAP

Born Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap in Essex, England, she released her debut album in 1998 on Almo Sounds. I Megaphone featured influences ranging from Kate Bush to Annie Lennox to Björk and gave her the opportunity to work with David Kahne, Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics) and Guy Sigsworth (Acacia). In 2001 Heap teamed up with Sigsworth again to form the collaborative project Frou Frou, who focused on electronics to create an atmospheric, dreamy and fresh sound. Frou Frou enjoyed success with the album Details, but opened up their audience when the song “Let Go” was used in the award-winning Garden State soundtrack. Although Frou Frou built a cult following, the group disbanded and Heap returned to her solo career. In 2005 she released Speak For Yourself, which featured the songs “Hide & Seek” and “Goodnight and Go.” “Hide & Seek” was featured in The O.C., So You Think You Can Dance, The L Word, The Real World, CSI: Miami, Heroes and the movie The Last Kiss, while “Goodnight and Go” was featured in the Mac OS X Leopard advertisements. Heap’s third album, Ellipse, is scheduled to be released on August 25--but a promotional copy of the album was up for bid on eBay in early July and, although Heap placed a bid of £10,000,000 to try to reclaim the album, she was outbid. If you’d like to follow Imogen Heap on MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Bebo, log on to www.imogenheap.com. Heap and her manager Mark Wood are constantly finding new ways to interact music with media and technology and seem to always be one step ahead of the curve.

MP3: "First Train Home"
LINK: www.imogenheap.com

FRANCIS

Francis is a four-piece from Sweden whose musical style has been described as everything from folk to blues to Americana…though some refer to their sound as folk mixed with blues mixed with some liquor in the backwoods. Either way, Francis has great music that is creative and entertaining to any listener. The Swedish outfit released their first album, Bad to the Bone, in 2008 and that helped build their fan base. In April of this year they released their first EP, the Francis EP which contains such tunes as the alcohol-fueled “Drunk Stranger” and the mellow but intriguing “Take It Easy.” The recent release has received positive reviews from bloggers and media outlets worldwide. Francis is currently available for signing, licensing, publishing and booking in multiple territories.

MP3: "Drunk Stranger"
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/francisishere

thecocknbullkid

The artist known as thecocknbullkid--no spaces, apostrophes or capital letters allowed, thank you very much--is the stage name adopted by Anita Blay, who was born in London to Ghanaian parents. After spending a few years absorbing a diverse collection of musical influences, ranging from Morrissey and Madonna to M.I.A. and Little Richard, she began forging her own distinctive sound, one that resides on the dark edge of pop and boasts elements of sex, death, ugliness, wit and depravity. “I’ve always thought pop should never just be saccharine,” Blay notes. “It should be black and tortured, too. There’s no point otherwise.” The critics seem to be in agreement: the NME called thecocknbullkid “Probably the most interesting thing to come out of London since Klaxons,” and praised her songcraft as “Freudian kitchen-sink stories set to Timbaland-lite beats.” theocknbullkid is managed by Empire Management’s Neale Easterby (Estelle, Natasha Bedingfield, The Feeling) and has a US release forthcoming on the ultra-cool I Am Sound indie. For further details on this artist, feel free to log on to http://www.myspace.com/cocknubullkid.

MP3: "Boys and Girls"
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/cocknbullkid

Conil

London's very own singer-songwriter Conil, started creating a buzz with his debut album, Strange Part of the Country. But before the awareness of the album, Conil originally posted material on his MySpace page and received messages from two-time GRAMMY winner Tchad Blake and Danny Thompson wanting to work with him. Blake is best known for his work, producing for such artists as Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam and Sheryl Crow, while Thompson is best known for the work he has done as a double bass player with Roy Orbison, Donavan, Kate Bush and Nick Drake. The album was finished and released on his own label, Great Hare Records and through Proper Music Distribution. The debut received glowing reviews from XFM, Xtreme AM, CMU Snap of the Day and BBC Radio, where Conil was also invited to play various live sessions on BBC stations. Q Magazine was quoted saying 'Pray they live long enough to record a second album.' Conil and his band supported Joseph Arthur on his UK summer tour last year at venues including London's Union Chapel, Glasgow's King Tut's and Birmingham's Glee Club. This year, Conil is scheduled to play SXSW and NXNE and plans to re-release the debut album under a new license. For updates, tour dates and other music from Conil, venture over to www.myspace.com/conilmusic

MP3: "Years Between"
LINK: www.myspace.com/conilmusic

Yves Klein Blue

Australian act Yves Klein Blue takes their moniker from the famed artist Yves Klein, whose "Yves Klein Blue" is a blue shade that doesn't fade over time, forever appearing wet and freshly applied...and thus serving as a metaphor for the group's goal of creating music that is timeless and won't fade with age. The group began in high school, brought together by a common passion for Led Zeppelin. Vocalist/guitarist Michael Tomlinson and lead guitarist Charles Sale would frequently spend their lunch periods (and occasional physical education periods) ensconced in a dusty storeroom and jamming out the basics of what would become their initial songs. Joined by bassist Sean Cook and drummer Chris Banham, they released a five-song EP in April 2008, Yves Klein Blue Draw Attention to Themselves. A joyous melding of classic pop, old-school punk, gypsy-tinted jazz and indie rock, it swiftly received positive response. "Yves Klein Blue...are a bunch of 19-and-20-year-olds from Brisbane who are grabbing the chance of playing the Big Day Out by the neck," stated Robert Forster in The Monthly. "It is pop with fierce rhythms--and they have the songs." February will see Yves Klein Blue sharing stages with The Fratellis, The Music and Ben Lee on "The Big O" tour of Australia.

MP3: "Polka"
LINK: http://www.yveskleinblue.com

All Mankind

Australian act All Mankind has become a fan favorite both at home and abroad, having performed over 500 times in the last three years to more than 100,000 ecstatic fans. The quartet, comprised of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Rich Beeston, brother Dave Beeston on drums and backing vocals, bassist Gavin Perkins and lead guitarist Domy, has parleyed that live success into album sales into the thousands, as well as award nominations for songwriting and performance in both Australia and America. The group's debut album, Regenerate (2004), gained a Top 10 spot in the Australian charts along with a top 10 spot in the independent album sales for 2005. The band's follow up album, Infant Logic (2006), was equally as successful; its release saw nominations for Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Contemporary Artist of the Year. The single "I Give in to You" earned a No.1 spot on the independent chart and received nationwide airplay in Australia and regional airplay in the US. In February 2008 the group adopted the new name All Mankind and went into the studio with noted ARIA-winning producer David Nicholas (Elton John, Sting), who called the resulting effort, Puzzles, "a great album from a great young Australian band."

MP3: "Can You Hear Me?"
LINK: puzzles.allmankind.net

Bang Bang Eche

This quintet of young New Zealanders has been making quite a name for themselves, both domestically and abroad. Friends since high school, vocalist Zach Doney, guitarist Charlie Ryder, bassist T'Nealle Worsley, drummer James Sullivan and synth player Josh Burgess got their start by winning a contest on local radio station RDU, which allowed them to record and press their first EP for free. Soon thereafter the group were awarded third place at Rockquest 2007; encouraged, they released their debut, self-titled EP in May 2008 and subsequently earned a pair of No.1 singles on bnet, the New Zealand college radio network, with "4 to the Floor" and "Nikee," while third single "Time Mismanagement" also went Top 5 on bnet and No.2 on the mainstream Radioscope chart. In October 2008 they played the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, followed by a month of shows in Europe. In November "4 to the Floor" topped the Mediaguide Alternative Specialty Song chart in the U.S. "If there's any life left in the UK dance-punk scene, it's probably in New Zealand," said CMJ. "Skinny-limbed Kiwi quintet Bang! Bang! Eche! approaches the Brit cliches from a new angle, as the band combines aggressive, distorted vocals with a dissonant musical edge to create something impressively vulgar."

MP3: "4 To The Floor"
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/bangbangeche

Salem

Salem is the stage name of Salem Al Fakir, a Stockholm, Sweden native born of a Syrian father and Swedish mother whose wistful soul/pop confections are proving increasingly popular in his native land and beyond. Salem began his musical training at age four on the violin; by age 14 he was accomplished enough to perform on a solo tour of Russia, but he opted to instead start studying jazz piano upon completion of the jaunt. He then went on to perform with such Swedish artists as electro-dance diva Robyn and Snook before releasing his debut full-length, This Is Who I Am, in January 2007 to great critical acclaim: the Obscure Sound music blog stated, "Salem Al Fakir has to be one of the most individually talented artists I have come across, playing literally every instrument on the album...whether it is classic 70s pop, soul, blues, or folk, Salem Al Fakir has the sort of musical grasp that is both easy to envy and adore." In October 2007 he was named "Best Newcomer" by Swedish music publishers, and in January 2008 he also won four Swedish Grammis (Grammys) out of seven nominations, emerging victorious for Best Male Artist, Best Newcomer, Best Composer and Best Producer--more awards than any other act garnered that year.

MP3: "It's Only You (Part II)"
LINK: www.myspace.com/salem

The Rags

It was with their debut release in 2005 that many sensed the beginning of something quite special in Dublin six-piece The Rags. Intended to serve merely as an introduction to the band, the 4 tracks contained on the Me and the Moon EP revealed a band with a natural songwriting ability far outreaching their years. Hotpress magazine awarded 'Me and the Moon' Single of the Fortnight, asserting that "Few new Irish bands arrive as seemingly perfect as The Rags...on this showing we might have a real little wonder on our hands".

The hook-laden 'Monsters and I' followed in 2006 and instantly became 'Song of the Week' on Ian Dempsey's influential Breakfast Show on Today FM. The song continues to garner widespread airplay via both the advertising campaign and Irish daytime radio, making it one of the most successful independent Irish releases of recent times.

The Rags proved themselves capable of evoking a stunningly dynamic range of emotions; with lyrics and instrumentation both reaching rare levels of complexity, depth and meaning. Addressing the 'Old Women at the Weekend' with a vivid illustration of the troubles that lay under a town in decay, Razors and Ropes became one of the most strikingly potent singles released in 2007. "Easily digestible, yet utterly memorable, this compelling slice of Smiths-esque guitar-pop stands out as their finest recording to date." Single of the Fortnight - Hotpress.

In 2008 The Rags took a break form the live circuit to begin working on their long awaited debut album. It is due for release in late 2009.

MP3: "Owner Of A Loveless Life"
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/therags

Floor Thirteen

In recent years the music scene in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada has been producing some exciting new artists, but few with as much potential as Floor Thirteen. Consisting of singer Jeremy Koz, guitarist/vocalist Marc Jaworski, bassist/vocalist Aaron Vandall and drummer Billy Kiely, Floor Thirteen really started to take off after Koz joined the band in 2003. He has quite a set of pipes: he reached the Top 20 during the 2006 "Canadian Idol" competition and landed in the Top 30 (out of thousands of aspirants) on the "Rock Star: INXS" program later that year. Not that the rest of the guys in the band are slouches; their hard-rockin' sound has drawn comparisons to such luminaries as AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, along with newcomers like Wolfmother and Jet, helping them land a slot on Mazda's online "Campus Joyride" game with their song "Night Train." They also had their song "Bright Lights Rockin' City" included in the soundtrack of the Sci-Fi Channel movie "Grizzly Rage." Floor Thirteen has toured extensively throughout their native land, sharing the stages with the likes of Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman (the Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive), along with such bands as Buckcherry, Default and Our Lady Peace.

MP3: "Blame It On Me"
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/floor13

Kidda

Skint Records met Kidda almost 10 years ago when he moved down from the north to make videos for their roster. His first for them was Midfield General's 'Midfielding' featuring Noel Fielding (the video of which The General is most proud- "he's one of the most gifted and creative people I've had the good fortune to meet..."), Lo Fidelity All Stars 'Sleeping Faster', and X Press 2 'Give it'. With video work for Kanye West also to his name, he is the visual power house of Skint Records. Indeed it was working on the video for X-Press 2 that the computer representation of Ste / Kidda was born. The result is a character made out of boxes with which Ste's imagination can run wild. On the video for 'Smile', which is based on Napolean Dynamite, Kidda can do lots of things that Ste could never do - "I've got it break-dancing. I can't breakdance!", with the Kidda website being based around the video for 'Billie Jean'.

Having previousy released records on Catskills and Puma Strut, recent Kidda remixes include one Pepe Deluxe (to be released on Catskills's forthcoming remix album), Parker, and a promo Kidda/ Fatboy mash-up that Norm liked so much he put it on his remix long player. Kidda has also released two albums of soul-slapped Beastie Boys remixes (On The Bus To N.Y.C., Fake Boogie Tapes) that have become the stuff of legend. Alongside his residency at Digital Brighton, Kidda's festival dates this summer take in Loop, Glastonbury and Beach Down.

MP3: "Waiting For Light"
LINK: www.myspace.com/kiddauk

Benjamin Diamond

Benjamin Diamond started life as a punk rocker in the band Chicken Pox, but taking inspiration from artists such as New Order, Michael Jackson, and Roxy Music, he veered towards electro-pop and joined The Party. However, he is best known for his collaboration in Stardust with Alan Braxe and Thomas Bangalter (of Daft Punk). He sang the lyrics in their 1998 single "Music Sounds better with you", which was an international success. In 2001, Benjamin released his first album Strange Attitude, which included his earlier singles "Little Scare" and "In Your Arms (We Gonna Make It)". Also in 2001, he released the EP Solitaire, which included a number of tracks he had produced especially for the Dior Autumn-Winter '01 fashion parade. Benjamin Diamond says that he found it "very difficult to go back to my own style of music after Stardust".

However, in mid 2005, he released his second album, Out of Myself, which was much more pop-oriented than his first album. Let's get high and There is a girl were released as singles. Benjamin has continually been performing throughout France European Union and the UK. On July 9th of this year Benjamin Diamond released his heavily anticipated album Cruise Control.

MP3: "Same All things."
LINK: Diamondtraxx.com

The Temper Trap

On the heels of a successful self-titled EP released in 2006, Melbourne, Australia quartet The Temper Trap garnered rotation airplay on Triple J (the national Alternative radio station) with the single "My Sun" and drew favorable comparisons to such iconic acts as Radiohead, Sonic Youth and TV on the Radio. Their intense, energetic live shows only added to the buzz, earning them support slots with such international artists as Modest Mouse, Kasabian, Cold War Kids, Omar Rodriguez and The Dears, complemented by placement on many festival stages, including the V Festival, the Great Escape and the Laneway Festival. In May of this year the foursome hooked up with producer Jim Abbiss (Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, Arctic Monkeys, U.N.K.L.E., Bjork, Placebo, ) at Melbourne's famed Sing Sing Studios to commence work on their debut album. The resulting effort, which will be released in early 2009 through indie Liberation Records, showcases an evolution in The Temper Trap's sound, including songs embellished with waves of keys, strings and choirs. "Think snappier drum rhythms, driving bass-lines and fluid guitar melodies peppered with delay," stated Fasterlouder.com of the new material. "The sound is delicate, but without hesitancy, crafted for an audience that is ready to move."

MP3: "Sweet Disposition"
LINK: www.myspace.com/thetempertrap

Meaghan Smith

Meaghan Smith's first full-length recording sizzles with an ingenuous and passionate blend of 1930's nostalgia and the freshness of 21st century innovation and perspective. From saucy to soulful, Take Me Dancing showcases Meaghan's seemingly effortless vocal style, whether she is ripping it like Benny Goodman or baring her soul a la Edith Piaf.

Meaghan's new songs dazzle with vocal stylings reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday and the lush arrangements crafted by producer Les Cooper brilliantly support the simple elegance of her lyrics. The sound combines the instrumentation of old jazz - complete with horns, strings and a big-band-swing-groove - with injections of modern sonic treats by the guest appearance of fabulously funky DJ Kid Koala. As you listen to Meaghan's music, you sense that this is an artist just beginning to discover the talent that lies within her.

In the brief time that Meaghan has been pursuing her musical ambitions, she has already been recognized with nominations in her native Canada for two Nova Scotia Music Awards ("Best New Artist" and "Best Female Artist") and a win for "Galaxie Rising Star" in 2005. She was a featured artist at the Atlantic Film Festival in 2007 and also collaborated with Rose Cousins and Jill Barber on a holiday cd (A New Kind of Light) with a noble purpose - support for the Maritime Food Banks.

MP3: "I Know"
LINK: www.myspace.com/meaghansmithmusic

The King Blues

One of the UK punk underground's most beloved bands is The King Blues, a London-based sextet whose reggae-tinged songs of political protest have won a fervent following in their native land. Carrying on with the proud punk tradition of such similarly minded acts as the Clash and featuring two acoustic guitars, a ukulele and a Melodeon, The King Blues' sound is a marvelous mixture of ska elements, street poetry, working-class protest folk, dub bass lines and doowop melodies, all delivered with a snarling punk attitude that's attracted the attention of some influential tastemakers. BBC Radio One's Mike Davies stated that their initial full-length, Under the Fog, was his "favorite album of the year," while fellow BBC Radio One jock Zane Lowe enthused, "A bit of summer ska for you, big with our chatroom, sounds great!" They even earned a fan in novelist/historian/political activist Tariq Ali, who raved, "This is rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians is challenging warmonger politicians and their courtiers (Bono, Geldof, et al). I hope these songs prosper." Now signed to Field Recordings/Island, The King Blues are looking to spread their message beyond the UK to the entire world.

MP3: "My Boulder"
LINK: www.kingblues.net

Dúné

The Danish group Dúné (pronounced "dew-nay") are true students of rock & roll history, incorporating into their sound the high-energy rock of the '60s, the punk explosion of the '70s, the synth-based pop of the '80s and the indie aesthetic of the '90s, all coming together to form a glorious mishmash that they've dubbed "Indielectrock." Though some of the members started playing together as early as 2001, it wasn't until 2006 that Dúné began to attract attention outside of Denmark. A gig at the local SPOT Festival garnered a rave review from Gaffa, Denmark's most influential music magazine, while a slot on the famed Roskilde Festival later in the year sparked international interest and subsequently lead to three showcases in London in the fall of that year. They started the year 2007 in the studio, taking time out only for acclaimed performances at the Eurosonic Festival in Holland, where they won over many of the international tastemakers in attendance. After those appearances they released their debut album, We Are In There, You Are Out Here, through indie Iceberg Records, which subsequently signed a licensing agreement with SonyBMG for a release in the Germany/Austria/Switzerland territories.

MP3: "No Speed"
LINK: www.myspace.com/dunesite

Emiliana Torrini

Following Emilian Torrini critically acclaimed albums Love In The Time Of Science and her Rough Trade debut Fisherman's Woman, Me And Armini sees her working once again with her longtime producer/collaborator Dan Carey, resulting in what we feel is destined to be one of the loveliest albums of 2008.

Me And Armini is a hugely ambitious and aspirational pop record with Emilíana's soaring voice center stage, bolstered by a rich gamut of musical styles. From the summery skank of the title track to the surging, breathless "Jungle Drum", the yearning "Big Jumps",and much more in between, Me And Armini is a truly fantastic album.

Emilíana cheerfully describes sitting with a friend in a cemetery in Nice, staring at the gravestones and huge epitaphs; "these beautiful angels and tombstones, how silly - that's all life comes to. People really want to believe there is something more, it makes them lazy about the moment." "Big Jumps" is about taking those chances - chiming guitar and delicate synth swooshes, combine with Emilíana's yearning voice to unforgettable effect.

The pedigree paring of Emilíana's song writing and Carey's sonic alchemy previously combined to world-beating effect when they co-wrote/produced "Slow" for Kylie Minogue, and individually when Emilíana sang "Gollum's Song" on the soundtrack for The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, Dan has also handled production work on the new Franz Ferdinand and recent Hot Chip records.

Emilíana beams with joy talking about working with Carey; "Dan will play something and I will see a panoramic view of what I want to sing about. We're always laughing, coming up with mad ideas, I'll say 'lets do a Chinese acid version of "Hey Joe" and he instantly will play something that sounds exactly like that. 'Thank God we are working together' he said 'otherwise no one would understand you!' People search for their musical partner all their life and I've found mine".

Carey explains; "we wanted it to sound like what would happen if you left a couple of kids in a studio with all the guitars, microphones and instruments in the studio plugged in and ready to record. We tried not to demo the songs at all, just doing things in one take to try and preserve the immediacy, and just generally have fun!"

This easy rapport meant the record was written in just two and a half weeks, with long breaks in between, a change in the songwriting process for Emilíana - "It's taken me a while to realize that songs just want to be born, it has very little to do with you. It's like a room full of balloons and you're pulling one down by its string..."

Songwriting took place in Oxford and Emilíana's native Iceland (where she holds the record for the most weeks at the number one album spot); "Iceland is a big influence for me - the landscape, the people, my family...my Aunt and I decided to go for a little drive and six hours later we were on top of Snaefells glacier in the middle of the bright night, we were walking through these caves that people used to live in-called the singing caves - you could really feel the weird energy in some of the places. We spent most of the night spotting animal shapes in the ice and frightening ourselves in the silence above the clouds."

Me And Armini will be released This Tuesday September 9, 2008 by Rough Trade Records.

MP3: "Me and Armini"
LINK: www.myspace.com/emilianatorrini

Andrew Paul Woodworth

Solidly anchored in the 90's L.A. scene, Andrew Paul Woodworth founded the post-Grunge band Elephant Ride. Their first album was produced by John Paul Jones, the legendary bass player from Led Zeppelin, who hailed him the best lyricist he had ever worked with. Though the feedback was decidedly positive, the album didn't fulfill Sony's commercial expectations. The result: no second album with a major label. In addition, internal problems within the band led to a split-up. In 2002, Woodworth brought the band Virgil to life, equally clearly Rock-oriented, and certainly an above-average Indie success: Movie theatres across the US presented Virgil in their audio programmes and screened the videos on Top 50 markets. The band played at SXSW, and at the LA Music Awards 2005 the Virgil album "My Paradise" received the award for the "Independent Rock Album of the Year".

Nearly simultaneously, Andrew began recording his first songs of his own together with producer Christian James-Hand. While working, it was more of a mood that led to the creation of Fight For Your Right, but the feedback came right away - for example from the producers of "One Tree Hill", who immediately featured the track in their TV series.

At this point it became clear to Andrew that he was already in the midst of kicking off a solo career. He began writing songs like a man obsessed. Together with James-Hand he completed the EP I Hate Music, which promptly became a small Indie hit in a very limited edition. The next logical step: a full-scale album.

Produced by Evan Frankfort (The Wallflowers, The Jayhawks, Rancid), Eddy Ate Dynamite displays the diversity Andrew Paul Woodworth has to offer on 12 songs and 3 interludes; not to mention his love of both melody and painstakingly arranged instrumentation. So it's no surprise that real strings can be heard on the album, two violins and one cello. Besides that, there's a horn player, a banjo, a harmonica and all kinds of little sound gimmicks that turn the album into an ear-catching trip.

APW's voice is emotional and entranced by melody, but never soft or powerless. Eddy Ate Dynamite reveals Woodworth as a man addicted to harmony through and through. It presents a kaleidoscope of different styles of playing within Pop and Songwriting. From light-on-its-feet and radio-worthy to introverted and melancholy and on to playfully complex harmony lines enhanced by suggestive horn arrangements, Woodworth pulls out all the stops time and again in order to find new approaches for his songs. Remarkably, a certain lightness weaves its way through all the tracks that enables listeners to lean back and enjoy.

MP3: "Ropemaker's Daughter"
LINK: www.myspace.com/andrewpaulwoodworth

The Wolfmen

The Wolfmen are made up of UK rock legends Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou who began collaborating in 2004. Marco was a lynchpin of the original UK punk scene, whose first gig was as guitarist in Siouxsie and The Banshees as a 17 year old in 1976. As lead guitarist and co-songwriter in Adam And The Ants, he penned five number one singles and a further four top ten hits between 1979 and 1982, when the Ants disbanded. Marco remained Adam Ant's co-writer and musical director until 1995, starting straight off with a number one single ('Goody Two Shoes') and album ('Friend Or Foe'), followed by a further nine more top 40 hits. In the 90's Marco begin to work with other artists, not least Sinead O'Conner, with whom he scored a global number one album, 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got', and a string of worldwide hit singles. The 00's have seen Marco increasingly cited as an authority on the punk movement, both on record and in print. He consulted on two major compilations - 'Punk' and 'Dread Meets The Punk Rockers Uptown', and compiled and produced the acclaimed 'SEX: Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die' and 'Biba: Champagne and Novocaine' compilations on his own label, Only Lover Left Alive. He has also acted as contributing editor to some key books about the punk scene, including 'Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs', 'Vacant', Vivienne Westwood: An Unfashionable Life', 'Punk' and Jon Savage's 'England's Dreaming', which The Times deemed "A monumental survey...the definitive work on the subject."

Chris first emerged in 1977 as co-writer and bassist in the critically acclaimed rock band Drill, who signed to RCA Records and released several singles produced by Chas Chandler (The Animals, Jimi Hendrix) and toured extensively with Slade before imploding. In 1982 he joined the Adam Ant band as bass guitarist and backing vocalist, and alongside Marco, Chris was part of every Adam Ant TV appearance, video and tour (including Live Aid in 1985) until 1986. Under the pseudonym Chris De Niro, he became an integral part of the mid-80s Ants line up, vinyl highlights including the top 20 single 'Apollo 9' and the 'Vive Le Rock' album, both of which were produced by Tony Visconti. He later joined forces with ex-Bow Wow Wow singer Annabella Lwin and their band scored several hits, not least 'Do What You Do' in 1994, and then began a songwriting partnership with Guy Chambers, now well known for his work with Robbie Williams. In the late nineties he took centre stage as lead singer, bassist and songwriter, in post-punk outfit Jackie Onassid, who released two albums - 2001's '4Play' and 2002's 'Zip Me Up' and toured Europe three times. In 2003, they recorded the soundtrack for Brit filmmaker Paul Hills' movie 'The Poet' and then toured extensively supported Iggy Pop.

Since the formation of the band in 2004 The Wolfmen have released 2 full albums and 3 singles.

MP3: "If You Talk Like That"
LINK: www.thewolfmen.net

Noah and The Whale (UK)

The band is from Twickenham, London, England and consists of Charlie (vocals, guitar), Doug (drums), Tom (fiddle), and Urby (bass), and after a handful of singles, have released their first album, Peaceful The World Lays Me Down in August 2008. Laura Marling and Emmy The Great were members of the band before going solo, although they both continue to perform with the band occasionally. They have been compared to The Magic Numbers, The Little Ones, The Postal Service, and Belle & Sebastian.

Their name is a marriage of the title of one of the band's favorite films, "The Squid and the Whale," and the name of the director (Noah Baumbach). They are avid fans of the film director Wes Anderson, who helped produce "The Squid and the Whale" alongside Noah Baumbach. Their e-mails, and many of their MySpace blog posts, are signed "Sic Transit Gloria".

The band performed on Jeremy Warmsley's internet television show, Welcome to our TV show, and have made several appearances at festivals including Leeds, Latitude, SXSW, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza.

MP3: "5 Years Time"
LINK: www.Noahandthewhale.com

Pistol Youth (New Zealand)

The four-piece known as Pistol Youth is something of an international supergroup, comprised of New Zealanders Bradley Carter from Steriogram on vocals/guitar and drummer Gavin Kerr from Wash, along with Australian guitarist Michael Guy Chislett from The Academy Is and Swedish bassist Anders Borgh from The First Class Hitmen. Of course, as you can imagine, trying to schedule sessions around the recording and touring priorities of four separate acts proved well-nigh impossible...but undaunted (and helped in good part by 21st century technology), after talking about putting together an EP for over a year, the quartet pieced it all together without all four ever meeting in the same room.

Though they facetiously describe the resulting sound as "four trainwrecks all intertwined," the self-released Smiling Can Backfire EP proved to be such a success that the foursome got together for the first time in a studio this past January in Los Angeles, with the goal of completing a full-length album. Their single, "When I Go Out," is reminis