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Steve Skaith Band

Album:Imaginary Friend

Website: http:myspace.com/steveskaithband

Whilst there is something of the feel of a world music party outfit at the heart of The Steve Skaith Band, it's so much more than that. "Imaginary Friends" has been out a while, but with Steve back in the UK and putting together a new combo, it's a good time to remind ourselves what a good arranger of music and words Steve is. "Imaginary Friends" pulls together African and Latin music with just a touch of folk. He then spices the songs with a well considered narrative. It allows you to be carried away by the rhythms or into contemplation. It's your choice depending on your mood.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/mattandersenmusic

Larger than life New Brunswick resident, Matt Andersen, looks set to take the UK Blues Circuit by storm if his "Bold & Beaten EP is anything to go by. Matt is not only a great guitarist, but he has that soulful touch to his voice that gives his blues a very spiritual, almost gospel feel. It also manages to sound very contemporary at the same time as sounding pre-fifties, not a bad trick if you can pull it off. When it's just him and the guitar it's one of the most moving sounds you'll hear. Before you get the chance to mope, it's infused with an electric backing and it's r'n'b as it used to be.

Paul & The Harper Woods Heroes

Album:Hangin' On For Dear Life

Website: http://www.myspace.com/paullamb

There are times when only some hard rocking blues will do. Loud with a raw edge, blistering solos, strong riffs and get down dirty vocals. Paul & The Harper Woods Heroes are axing themselves out a niche in that area. From the moment "Hangin' On For Dear Life" opens up with "You Pulled The Trigger" you know you're in for a heck of a ride. At times, Paul uses The Lambchops, his backing singers, almost like a horn section, taking the hard rockin' blues off in two directions. An innovative and powerful album that's capable of giving the genre a shake or two.

Album:Nothing Is Lost

Website: http://www.myspace.com/thingsinherds

As instruments go, the harmonica is a much underated bit of kit, often used to blast out blues and rock riffs, but that is to deny it of it's ethereal, timeless qualities, qualities used to the full by Things In Herds on their most recent album, "Nothing Is Lost". In today's counterfit world, there are few things that have inner beauty. When it comes to aural stimulation, here is an album that has it in abundance. It's an album with a sense of movement, life, an almost fleeting sense of being. It gets under your skin and makes it's self feel at home. It's like a cup of tea in music.

Single:Someone Sometimes

Website: http://www.myspace.com/krismorrismusic

We're hoping that Kris Morris gets to release a full album soon, because with "Someone Sometimes" and it's predecessor, "Little Light", he's shown that he knows how to put an ep together. His Antipodean beginnings contrast the Americana tinged acoustic blues pop/rock that he's built his sound around. Kris' voice can slide along the soft and gentle to the powerful and dominating with ease. It gives his material power and passion. It allows him to rage without losing control, drop from anger to self berevement. You can feel why he's angry and himself and what it's cost him.

Album:Wishing For The Moon

Website: http:www.helenandrewshq.com

Having cut her recording teeth as part of Pompey duo, Almathea, Helen Andrews strikes outon her own with new album, "Wishing For The Moon". The album splits between band orientated songs and songs that just feature Helen and guitar or piano. For me it's those solo tracks that really stand out, particularly when she accompanies herself on piano. It's as though she knows there's no where to hide, she's in the spotlight and has to deliver. It gives the songs a bit more intensity and a counterpoint to the more relaxed feel of the band songs. An album of song and sentiment.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/stornoway

Previous EP "Letters From Lewis" was short listed for best EP 2007, it look like there's no reason why "On The Rocks" shouldn't join it or go one better. Stornoway have always written good songs, but somehow not quite managed to infuse themselves into the public consciousness. Their innovative brand of folk rock meets cowpunk gives them a highly dynamic edge. Stornoway write about people and issues, blending them into engimatic songs. "The Good Fish Guide" is one of the most unusual issue songs you'll come across and will be out as a seperate download single.

Rachel Taylor-Beales

Website: http://www.myspace.com/racheltaylorbeales

"Red Tree" is the second part of Rachel's self proclaimed colour trilogy, following "Brilliant Blue". It also seems to be a continuation of the journey that was embarked upon with that first album. "Red Tree" invites you into places that are more representations of life than location. It's also an album that questions it's self more, as though it's challenging what it's been told in an effort to illuminate the lies. It's less certain and because of that finds more depth, more layers to peel. Taylor-Beales externalises her questions into quite a collection of songs and sort of expects you to fill in the blanks.

Label:Chocolate Factory

Website: http://www.gillespie.de/v2/

Stockport-born Gillespie is better known in his adopted home of Germany where he now lives and works. ‘Unplugged’ brings together a selection of self-penned songs that blend in perfectly well alongside soulful versions of pop classics by the likes of Bob Marley (“Waiting in Vain”), Sting (“Probably Me”), Seal (“Crazy”) and Snow Patrol (“Chasing Cars”). There is nothing forced on ‘Unplugged’, the mood is consistently relaxed throughout, bringing together some of Gillespie’s ‘street performance’ repertoire, that is, the most popular songs used in his busking days.

Album:Who Needs A Man

Website: http://www.myspace.com/sarahmenage

There is a very lyrical and lilting quality to Sarah Menage's "Who Needs A Man". The backing seeminmg to follow the free flowing vocal that happily switches between English and French as it meanders through the album. It also enhances the continental filmaic feel of the album. This could be the soundtrack to an arthouse movie B&W, of course, as a young girl wanders through the boulevards and vistas in the late evening sun before taking a glass of red and watching other people and their lovers go by. "Who Needs A Man" is an album of lighting and ambience.

Album:Green Rocky Road

Label:Megaphone Music

Website: http://www.megaphone-music.com

During her lifetime, Karen Dalton only released two albums. You only haved to listen to these basic two-track recordings to realise what a tragedy that was. Like last year's Loop Tapes, of which these are a continuation, they catch Karen at the very beginning of her career as a fresh and vibrant singer/songwriter. These recordings were made some six years before her debut album, by which time drug and personal problems were already taking hold. "Green Rocky Road" is as beautiful a record as it is simple. It stands tribute to what might have been made of all that potential.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/dbgsongs

The West Country must be such a vibrant place to be a musician at the moment. There seems to be such a wealth of talent coming from there at the moment. DBG, aka Dan Goddard, have followed up the well received eponymous debut with a concept ep, "Earthling". Taking four tracks, both genders and two ages, "Man", "Woman", "Boy", "Girl" to deliver an EP reminiscent of an English Simon And Garfunkle. It's a cheap comparison, but one that gets to the heart of this acoustic pop. Stong both on lyric and melody, it's contemporary folk that takes a nod to it's sixties roots, great fun.