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Belinda O'Hooley & Heidi Tidow

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

There's always a danger with live recordings, particularly the artist is being true to themselves and not dubbing later, that it won't really capture the spirit of the gig, merely freeze the chosen songs in time, just like any other recording. Belinda O'Hooley & Heidi Tidow get around that problem by including the between song banter. The result is an EP that really captures the spirit of the gig, as well as the sound. Part of the joy of seeing Belinda and Heidi live is the raconteur nature of the gig and that's been well and truly captured here, it's not just a recording, it's the experience.

Album:Big Town Playboy

Website: http://www.omarandthehowlers.com

Omar Kent Dukes is one of those larger than life blues guys, bearded, over weight and happy to be so, give life the max types, with a voice that many a hard rockin' blues singer would probably kill for. Add the guitar of Jimmie Vaughan and gob iron of James Cotton and you're looking at one heck of a club band. "Big Town Playboy" is a big recording, it's the sort of thing that happens when you get a group of top notch recording artists together and lock them away in a room for a while, they pick up on each others natural strengths and give them the space to flourish.

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

Hailing from Canada, you get the feeling that Headwater were one of those bands put together to get invited to parties and more importantly laid. I hope that aspect of the band worked out as well as their recording because this is a seriously good album. A sound that drifts across blues, bluegrass, folk, country and americana, featuring some sublime three part harmony and string work. Sex, drugs and transport are amongst the themes covered, sometimes in the same song. Canada has a habit of producing bands with this quality at their core. Introduce yourself to it, it's the polite thing to do.

One Day International

Label:Independent Records

Website: http://www.onedayinternational.com

One day International have been together for about two years and having heard their debut album, "Blackbird" it's easy to come to the conclusuion that they've not wasted a day. It's an album that's packed full of well crafted songs, arranged to bring the best out of word, tune and instrumentation. It comes as no surprise to discover that most of the band haved studied music. They obviously paid attention at lectures as they've applied the techniques well, whilst developing their own style. Songs are passionate and profound, lyrical and filmatic, the album over too soon.

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

As the title suggests this is an album that looks at life, love, past and future. How it's everyone's world and yet comes with an individual perspective and if all that sounds a bit pretentious, don't worry it's not, that's my view looking in rather than that of the creator looking out. Mirrored Shower have put together an album that draws on, rock and acoustic and at times, almost a night club sleaze. It layers a vocal on the top of that for an album of well written and, it has to be said, well produced songs. Some you can almost feel yourself in as part of a shared experience because you've been there to

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

It's great to welcome back Eoghan(Owen) Colgan who, despite being courted by majors following his win of the 02 Bursary in 07 has decided to persue an independent trail. Eoghan poses a great voice and a superb understanding of prose and how to deliver it through song. The sound is a bit poppier than his previous releases, a bit more radio friendly, but still manages to capture the passion that he's got for music. "Dream Satallite" is one of those tracks that makes you want to turn the volume dial to the right and have a real blast. This is one heck of a taster for the album

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

My first thought on hearing "Double Wide" was it's similarity to the early recordings of a certain Steve Earle. Tornado Magnet features past and present members of a number of americana and alt. country rockers and combines them to good effect. The quality of the musicianship right across the album is of the highest quality. The songs take us down the well work dirt roads of small southern towns, drinkin', cheatin', drinkin', rednecks and drinkin'. Mixing in a bit of swamp pop and rockabilly along the way for variety, the whole adds up to a rip roaring time.

Album:Replaced By These Colours

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

Halliday's previous cut, 'Run For The Woods' was full of verve and energy, for 'Replaced By These Colours' he appears to have added panache and feeling. It's a more mature album. Halliday is a multi instrumentalist of some ability and arguably showcased that ability on the previous cut at the expense of the songs. This time around he uses his instrumentation to better effect and the result is an album that encompasses his songwriting and gives it more strength. Similarly it's an album that wears it's influences on it's sleeve more, draws on life's great canvass to great effect.

Album:From The Water

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

"From The Water" is dedicated to former member of Janis Joplin's band and The Band keyboard player Richard Bell. At the time of his death, Bell was the pianist in Colin Linden's as well as an occasional contributor of songs. He co-wrote "Trouble Only Comes In Threes" with fellow Canadian Linden. He may also be the reason why this is a far more spiritual album than some of Linden's previous cuts. It's got a bit more of a gospel tinge to the blues this time around. There's a sense that Linden is more aware of his mortality and wants to add something deeply heartfelt to his legacy.

Louisiana Red & Little Victor's Juke Joint

Album:Back To The Black Bayou

Website: http://www.louisiana-red.com

Louisiana Red is a bluesman of the old school having played with the likes of Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins. "Back To The Black Bayou" was recorded the old way with a band in an analogue recording studio. The result is an old style blues album, a little loose around the edges, rockin' blues at the core. Red and the boys really know how to make a racket, guitar, gob iron and keyboards all take their turn as lead instrument depending on what the song needs to shine, Red happy to let his band take their turn in the spotlight. The result is a rockin' scorcher.

Single:Temptation Dice

Website: http://www.theviewonfire.co.uk

Taken from their critically and commercially successful sophomore album "Which Bitch", "Temptation Dice" is essentially asking the question, do you feel lucky? It changes the weapon of choice from the 'the most powerful hand gun in the world' to something far more subtle, temptation, but essentially the story is the same, your life is governed byh how lucky you are with your decision making are yopu going to get away with it? Ok it's a theme that's been done before, sometimes better and too more depth, but The View have crafted into a neat little indie pop song and why not?

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

Sometimes I get the feeling that the whole of the Longman team and their roster spend their winters in hotter climes whiling away their evenings in jazz cafes and caberet clubs. There's something bright and sunny about "Colorama!" The Hofners give it a bit of that old latin style and mix it into a daiquiri with a splash of 1930s radio hall in a glass sugared with jazz. It's warm and welcoming, contemporary but with a nostelgia drive. It rich, almost luxurious, miles away from the working day. It's an album that indulges and welcomes us all into summer time and balmy evenings.