Listen and Learn

The Kooks are a British rock band coming out of the U.K. and have been making waves over there for a year or two. It looks like they have their sites on conquering America as well, but I don’t think that will happen until they have covered Europe. But, they are well on their way!

They are a mix of British rock with a bit of American classic rock. Add in a little funk and some acoustic guitar and you have got yourself a nice little sound there. The lead singer, Luke Pritchard, is only nineteen years old, and rocks some crazy curly hair. The lead guitarist, Hugh Harris, is probably one of the youngest in the music biz being just shy of seventeen years old.

The Kooks broke out into the scene in 2005 with their single “Eddies Gun”, and then followed that with their critically acclaimed debut album, Inside In/Inside Out. The album features the ever so popular songs, “Naive” and “Oh La”, and many other rocking melodic tracks.

Definately check these guys out and I know you will not hesitate to buy their album. Inside In/Inside Out is available on iTunes and you can also check out some of their live performances out on YouTube.com.

This soulful Scottish has already made his way to the United States. Although Paolo Nutini is only 19 years of age, he has the talent of a music veteran. His sound is soulful acoustic and is inspired by many artists such as Ray Charles and Van Morrison. Paolo’s debut album, These Streets, is out and you can buy it on iTunes.

Listen to Paolo Nutini tunes on MySpace!: http://www.myspace.com/paolonutini

If you are a fan of the kookiness of Bjork, Imogen Heap is the artist for you. Even if you aren’t, you have to check this girl out!

Although electronic music is not really my thing, Imogen does it for me. She really knows how to keep her songs sounding different from each other, unlike most electronic artists. Her voice is truly captivating and I can’t think of another artist who sounds like her.

She comes out of London and is with the indie label Megaphonics. She is starting to gain a real audience in the United States. Her song “Hide and Seek” was on the finale of the television show “The O.C.”, which proved to give a major boost in the charts.

Like me, most people believe the electronic music scene is void of true musical talent. My views have changed drastically. If you are skeptical, you really need to give Imogen a listen.

Check out Imogen Heap’s tunes on MySpace!: www.myspace.com/imogenheap

This artist should be taking the United States by storm very soon. Jose Gonzalez is an Argentinean Swede singer and songwriter who is critically acclaimed all over Europe. The UK absolutely loves him and there are good reasons why.

Though having a very distinct sound, it is very reminiscent of Elliot Smith, which is someone he is influenced by. His Argentinean father was very eclectic in his music choices enjoying American and UK pop classics as well as Latin American music. This soon rubbed off on his son, who has dabbled into everything from hardcore to indie rock.

Jose came back to his six-string and mellow voice. In 2004, Jose signed with London-based label Peacefrog, releasing his UK debut, the EP Crosses. When his album Veneer dropped that April, he had already started a buzz around town.

Veneer is one of those albums that you can listen to over and over again and never get sick. It’s mellow, enchanting and goes through a variety of emotions. The track, ‘Heartbeats’, was originally by a Swedish band The Knife and a Vaneer highlight. Critics alike have called Jose’s version something “timeless”. The tracks ‘Heartbeats’ and ‘Crosses’ have more than likely been adopted into listener’s all time favorite song lists.
Give him a listen and you are sure to become a fan!

Visit Jose Gonzalez on MySpace! : www.myspace.com/josegonzalez