Mariday are an Alternative/Progressive female duo from New York. Their music fuses catchy melodies, heartfelt lyrics and dreamy instrumentations with a great vocal delivery, which shows a likeness to artists such as K.T Tunstall and Beth Gibbons (of Portishead). I was hooked instantly to these girls, and I think they have a great deal of potential!

The Age of Rockets are a great Indie / Rock / Classical trio from New York, and they have one of the most unique sounds I have heard for a while. They fuse intriguing vocal harmonies with bright string parts and powerful drums. They are reminiscent in many ways of The Postal Service, however they still maintain their own strong musical ideas, creating a sound which will blow you away. I’m still in shock at how good these guys are, and they are not a band to be overlooked!

The music of Bess Rogers is a carnival of sound, filled with thought, information, adventure. It is clear that this Brooklyn resident has done her homework and clearly made the right decisions. Even though her debut album took two years to complete, you quickly get the feeling that is only the begin for Bess Rogers!

Tristan Seume is one of the UK’s finest young fingerstyle guitarists. Delighting audiences up and down the UK with his blend of folk, country, Celtic and neo-classical styles, and with his cheerful stage presence, he has been likened to players such as John Renbourn and Gordon Giltrap. His debut CD, Friday Street is available from www.guitarcds.net. Go and check him out!

Olly Hite is a great Folk / Acoustic artist from the Brighton area of the UK. He incorporates brilliant string arrangements and soothing piano to create something pretty special. Olly says ‘I didn’t follow a trend or style. We weren’t interested in following suit. We just wanted to strip the music back and create a true honest sound. I think we succeeded in doing that.’ I completely agree with those words, and I think Olly Hite has an amazing talent. Everyone should listen to this guy. You wont regret it.

Stickboy classes himself a ‘Melodramatic Popular Song / Folk / Indie’ artist. Hailing from Manchester, with its already well established music scene, Stickboy seems to be getting a name for himself on the circuit. His music is reminiscent of artists such as The Shins, and is something you could easily listen to on a summers day. He has a new limited CD album coming soon called ‘Under The Sleepy Moon,’ and can also be found on iTunes. He’s definitely worth listening to, and as summer approaches, I know for certain he’ll be on my playlists!