Lenka

I discovered Lenka quite a while ago, 2006, early 2007 . She had a few demos on her MySpace that I liked but along the way I forgot about her. Wasn´t it that I got warned today by a message in my inbox, telling that Lenka got signed to Epic Records, and will have a record out this September!
There once was a little girl. She was born in the bush. Her parents called her Lenka. Her first friends were trees. Her father played the trumpet, she sang with him when she was 6. She grew up a bit. They moved to the big city (Sydney). She went to school. She danced a bit. She acted a bit. She went to art college. She started to sing a bit more… She joined a band called Decoder Ring. They created an album called Somersault, which was the soundtrack to a feature film called Somersault. It won lots of awards. She got called things like an “ethereal songstress” a “pocket rocket” and “breathy, strangely haunting.” (Rolling Stone ’04) She flew on a plane and landed in Los Angeles. She hid away in studios and emerged with new songs. And recently got signed to Epic Records where her first album will be released September 9th.

@ Los Angeles, USA
♫ Alternative, Acoustic, Electronic, Pop
♥ The Show (mp3)
♥ Trouble is a Friend (mp3) over 5800 downloads!!
♥ Force of Nature (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Agnes Kain

I've been listening to Agnes Kain for over a year now, and still I forgot to mention them here. Almost unforgivable, since the duo creates some very nice poppy folk songs.

Agnes Kain (Chanelle Afford and Stefan Simunic) have been creating and playing music together for the past couple of years. Having grown up on the same street in a small town on the outskirts of Sydney, there is an intimacy and comfort to their music that comes from the closeness of being long time friends. They released their debut album "Keep walking or I’ll kill you", which despite the wicked title was born of love back in 2007. Both self-taught musicians, Stefan and Chanelle played most of the instruments on the album, including guitar, piano, mandolin, bass, melodica, glockenspiel, and percussion. Their friends, Ben Ellingworth (drums) and Anne Samuels (viola) also lent their talents on several songs.

@ Sydney, Australia
♫ Folk, Indie, Pop
♥ Puddles & Mud (mp3)
♥ All Time High (mp3)
▸ Myspace

Joey Ryan

"Delicate, honest vocals make this a singer-songwriter to look out for "

One of the readers of this blog, Lisa, pointed my at this wonderful singer-songwriter. Thanks!

Joey Ryan grew up with listening to Bob Dylan and thought he certainly would never play music for a living. He went to class and after that college attended a college. But instead of pursuing a career in psychology he started singing and released his first full length record called "Good Enough" back in 2005 his "The California EP" followed in 2007. He just finished his new album set for release this summer, entitled "...With Its Roots Above and Its Branches Below". Two tracks of that album 'Loving You' and As It Must Be, have been featured in One Tree Hill. And last March the song 'California' was used by UNICEF for use in their television commercials for their TAP Project which provided drinking water to the world's poorest children.

@ Los Angeles, USA
♫ Acoustic, Indie, Folk
♥ As It Must Be (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Ghost Bees

While randomly browsing MySpace I discovered the wonderful Ghost Bees and soon after I was surprised by Ghost Bees' debut album that was in the mail! Despite my plans of sharing it with you immediately it got lost in all the wonderfull other releases in the last few months.
Ghost Bees started in 2005 as large group but in 2007 was pared down to just Romy and Sari Lightman, twin sisters from Halifax. Romy plays guitar, Sari plays mandolin, and both sing. On their 2008 debut album, Tasseomancy, their friend Amber Phelps-Bonderoff joins them on viola. Ghost Bees is a must for lovers of (alternative) folk, and lovely harmonies!

@ Halifax, Canada
♫ Indie, Folk, Alternative
♥ Vampires of the West Coast (mp3)
♥ Sinai (mp3)
▸ Myspace

Benjamin Winter

Benjamin Winter was introduced to me by my girlfriend; since he will be playing on the festival my girlfriend (and the rest of her school) are working on.
For 2 decades, Benjamin Winter thought athletics would be his career. When injuries changed the college football players plans in 1999, Benjamin went back to school for music and all his efforts went into his band Sisera Fell. the band seperated and San Francisco native Benjamin left for his first solo tour through 38 US states and 9 European countries. This tour was providing much of the material that was to be Benjamin’s first solo release "Amber Alley And After" that released in 2005. With his latest release "Memory and Forever EP" in 2006 it's more than Fortunate to know that he started recording new material for his next album in april this year.

@ Amsterdam, NL
♫ Indie, Folk, Acoustic
♥ The Doctor and the Dancer (mp3)
♥ Collide (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Cloetta Paris

Last year I really enjoyed discopop princess Sally Shapiro from Sweden. Just a few months after Shapiro wrapped her wintry voice around our hearts with debut album; singer Cloetta Paris springs out of Stockholm to give us another icy slab of Italo-tinged synth-pop. "Take me back home/ To Paris and Rome," Paris-- if that is her real name-- whispers on an oohing, ah-ing chorus of "I Miss You Someone". Roger Gunnarsson of now-defunt Swedish twee-poppers Nixon plays the role of Shapiro producer Johan Agebjörn here, surrounding Paris with sparse dance beats and chopping up her vocals. Their debut album "Secret Eyes" is now out on Skywriting Records.

@ Stockholm, Sweden
♫ Disco, Electro, Pop
♥ Young Girls in Town (mp3)
♥ Secret Eyes (mp3)
▸ Myspace

Chelsea Lee

Chelsea Lee was on the same management roster as Luke Brindley, and there was a quote that got me interested "Rarely do I receive a CD from a new artist that is this well written, produced, and sung. For it to come from someone still in high school, and this mature a work, is nothing short of amazing."

Chelsea Lee is 16. Born in 1991 in Northern Virginia. She mixes her professionalism with youthful enthusiasm because singing is fun. It’s what she does. And she writes the songs that she sings, which may be why she sings them to perfection. The songs are soulful folk with a modern pop sheen that showcase those beyond-her-years vocals. Not content to rely simply on a voice that has captured a growing audience in and around her home of Northern Virginia, Chelsea Lee studies voice and guitar as well as attends high school. But while her friends are enjoying extracuriculars, Chelsea Lee can be found at one of the DC area’s top venues opening for, or sharing the stage with, Marc Cohn, Stephen Stills, Alexa Ray Joel, Mary Ann Redmond and others. Her first; selftitled EP is on iTunes now!

@ Northern Virginia, USA
♫ Pop, Soul, Alternative
♥ So Far (mp3)
♥ Fly Me Home (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

HoneyHoney

HoneyHoney is Suzanne (Ohio) and Ben (New York), two strangers with very alike musical backgrounds. They met through a recording engineer and decided to start songwriting together.They describe their music as "Freeky Deeky" and "energetic and eclectic while still focusing on the lyrics" and got their inspiration from down-home bluegrass and jazz and people they've met in life. The purpose of their songs is that of telling a good story. After a couple weeks in the studio, live with a band, they finished their first EP called "Loose Boots" out on Ironworks right now.

@ Venice, USA

♫ Alternative, Folk Rock
♥ Bouncing Ball (mp3)
♥ Little Toy Gun (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Priscilla Ahn

Another great singer-songwrite I unintentionally kept away from your ears. I liked this girl ever since her first EP came out back in 2006, and because her first album "A Good Day" has been recently released, I couldn't keep her away from you longer!

Priscilla picked up the guitar at age 14, urged to do so by her classic rock loving dad, but truly inspired once she heard a guy in her high school play. After a lot of open-mic evenings she decided to give the musicscene a go and packed her belongings in a car and left her Pennsylvania home for L.A. She soon found steady gigs as well as a supportive circle of fellow artists and a record deal with Bluenote Records. She released her self-titled EP indepently; two tracks, “Dream” and “I Don’t Think So,” were revamped for "A Good Day" that saw it's release not long ago.

@ Los Angeles, USA
♫ Indie, Folk, Pop
♥ Dream (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Crooked Fingers

I found Crooked Fingers when I was browsing the artist roster at Merge Records (label of i.e. Camera Obscura) and fell immediately in love with their rocky blend of male and female vocals.
Crooked Fingers was formed by Eric Bachmann (former member of Archers of Loaf) The first release of the band was a the selftitled album, soon followed by "Bring On The Snakes", which brought him some attention. Not much later Crooked Fingers signed to Merge Records, who released his "Reservoir Songs EP" (filled with covers) "Red Devil Dawn" followed in 2003, first full-length on Merge. "Dignity and Shame" was released in 2005, a concept album based around the lives of bullfighter Manolete and Lope Sino, a Spanish actress.

@ Denver, USA

♫ Folk Rock
♥ Call to Love (mp3)
♥ Sleep All Summer (mp3)
▸Myspace
▸ Official Website

Luke Brindley

It's bizarre what an albumcover can do, because that's how I discovered Luke Brindley. Another talented singer-songwriter for fans of Tom Mcrae and Greg Laswell.
New Jersey raised DC-based Luke Brindley married to his high school sweetheart, compassion and the challenge of keeping love alive in a modern an dangerous world are recurring themes in Luke's music and life. His life-long pursuit of music has led him to travels in West Africa, Brazil and Eastern Europe and consistent touring across the country.affirms his relevance among leading young singer/songwriters. Luke is not your typical rock star. His music draws from another time - it is reminiscent of artists some decades ago who focused on the timeless art of songwriting. He formerly was in the band "Brindley Brothers" with his brother, but released his first selftitled solo album last year and the "5 Song EP" followed this year.

@ Washington, USA
♫ Indie, Acoustic, Folk Rock
♥ On Your Side (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Dash & Will

Another fortunate discovery by accident.. A treat for all Tegan and Sara fans, but everyone should try the catchy songs of this duo!
Dash and Will, in real life Charlie Thorpe and Josie De Sousa-Reay (Dash and Will would be their names if they were born boys) have been friends for as long as they remember. Whilest being bored in highschool music classes they started writing songs and when they started performing together at school concerts things started happening quickly and soon they found themselves runners up in a songwriters contest. As soon as school was over for both they decided to threw themselves into their music, found a band and starting to work on their debut album, tentatively called "Up In Something" and will be out sometime this year on Mercury Records. "Pick You Up" the first single will be out the 5th of July.

@ Melbourne, Australia
♫ Indie, Pop, Alternative
♥ Pick You Up (mp3)
♥ Stranger (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Sea Wolf

When I found Sea Wolf a year ago, I really loved their sound; but they hadn't release any material yet, so added them on MySpace and, unfortunately, forgot about it. Three days ago I found them again in my friendlist, and realised they ha an album out since last year. And fell in love with the songs again!
Alex Church, alias (lead singer of) Sea Wolf was born in the small gold rush town of Columbia, Calif., Church’s musical memories were shaped by ad hoc bluegrass outfits playing for tourists on sidewalks of his hometown and platters of Beatles and Willie Nelson on his mom’s turntable. His first EP "Get to the River Before it Runs Too Low" got it's release on Dangerbird Records early last year, and was soon followed by first LP "Leaves in the River". Although, sea wolves probably do not exist, I would love to have one; only if it was half as nice as how this "sea wolf" sounds..

@ Los Angeles, USA
♫ Indie, Alternative, Pop
♥ You're A Wolf (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Baby Grand

Sacramento's Baby Grand has existed in one incarnation or another for many years, formed from the ashes of a pop trio whose songs regularly featured serial killers, car accidents and murderous robots. The band's debut album "Spectrum" was released in 2002 "Coming True," the long overdue follow-up (released last year) has seen the band undergo several line-up and instrumentation changes. Baby Grand's sound is that of smart, sophisticated pop, with a soft edge to it. It immediately reminded me of Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura. Baby Grand is perfect for summer, soon to start!

@ Sacramento, USA
♫ Indie, Pop
♥ Everything You Say (mp3)
▸ Myspace

Karima Francis

"Her unique vocals and raw talent make her a singer-songwriter to look out for"

Karima Francis is new talented young singer-songwriter from the UK. Originally a drummer, she had only recently became a singer, and also plays the guitar. This change of direction has revealed a singer of enormous range and power who has been likened by some to a young Joan Armatrading, but who has a unique style of her own. She supported James Morrison during January and February and performed at showcase events at the SXSW festival in Austin Texas. Last year Karima Francis was signed to Kitchenware Records, and she is working on her debut album right now.

@ Manchester, UK
♫ Acoustic, Alternative
♥ The Author (mp3)
♥ Oh Laura (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Room for Two

Married couple Adam and Nikki Anders form the new duo "Room For Two" and will release their first album "Roots Before Branches" on Curb Records this summer. Room for Two, and the successes of Adam and Nikki Anders as songwriters, wasn't built overnight. In fact, Adam and Nikki have written several top 5 hits for the other artists and composed some TV show themes. With Room for Two they combine both their songwriting skills, basslines from Adam and the beautiful vocals of Nikki into some nice acoustic pop songs.

@ New York, USA

♫ Pop, Acoustic
♥ Roots Before Branches (mp3)
♥ Change (snippet)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Amy Kuney

Unintentionally kept this talented singer-songwriter away from you. Since I already discovered her about a year ago. Definitely take your chance now!

Amy Kuney grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She began playing piano when she was 4 years old. She began writing her own versions of pop songs at the age of 12 but they all turned out not so great. In 1998 she moved with her family to Honduras. She started playing in a salsa band over there, but soon decided to go solo. In 2004, she moved back to California to attend college. Would've been a senior by now, but she refound her love for music, released her first selftitled EP in 2006 and is now working on her debut album "Bird's Eye View" that will be released this August on Spin Move Records. "All Downhill From Here" is the first single of that album, and appeared on the last season finale of One Tree Hill.

@ California, USA
♫ Acoustic, Indie, Pop
♥ All Downhill From Here (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website