Valerie

Chloe Blackwell: Emerging

Soulful with a touch of pop, Chloe Blackwell wins the heart of her listeners thanks to her strong and commanding voice. This 21 year old singer is currently based in London although she was originally from Midlands. Emerging serves as her debut EP. This four track compilation comes with a collection of jazzy tracks that combine beautifully with an R&B/soul vibe. The record was released over at BandCamp last December 2011 and is available at a pay-what-you-want option.

Kami Armstrong: Certain Little Thing

Kami Armstrong is described as a young singer and songwriter from Austin, Texas "with dirty fingernails and a heart on her sleeve." Her songs are typical of the teenage dilemma; heartaches, admiration, and quiet musings about life. Certain Little Thing is a simple album that collects the young artist's various recorded demos. Her other releases includes two Christmas singles which were released prior to this one. If you check out Kami's Youtube site, you'll find live performances of some of the songs on here plus other videos showing a snippet of the singers life.

Matthew Solberg: I Am a Fool

Influenced by singers like, Paul Simon, Nick Drake and Elliot Smith, it's no surprise that Matthew Solberg creates music like he does. He weaves together gorgeous acoustic guitar playing, a serene atmosphere and thoughtful lyrics in his debut album, I Am a Fool. Composed of 7 tracks, each of the song was written and recorded by the artist. Floating between acoustic folk to melodic pop, this debut EP will prove great company if you're feeling a little pensive. The Nashville, Tenessee native has released a couple of albums so far. Apart from this debut EP, his latest release is a self-titled compilation that's as lush and filled with beautiful songs just like this one.

The Notorious Newman Brothers

Sometimes it's the no-budget films that are more funny and striking compared to the blockbusters that Hollywood has to offer. The Notorious Newman Brothers is one of these films. It's a dark comedy/mocumentary that departs from typical mobster films. The film was created by Substance Production, the same group behind the "anti-romantic comedy," Confusions of an Unmarried Couple. It follows the story of an aspiring filmmaker named Max, who ends up working with two 'mobsters' as the subject of his documentary.

Thin White Lines: The Silent Voices EP

Fancy some alternative punk rock music? You can get your dose with Thin White Lines' latest release, The Silent Voices. The album came about after these Aussie natives got a little bit weary of the music they were making. They wanted something louder and edgier with a more punk rock feel, hence, they came up with this brand new explosive sound. This record is the band's debut EP. It comes hooked with 5 original singles which were all recorded in a matter of 2 days, mastered by the band members and then released back in February 2011.

Jermaine Riley: Hello Earth

Jermaine Riley might not be a household name just yet but he's certainly worth keeping an eye on. Hello Earth is Jermaine's latest release following his previous records; Goodbye Krypton (which was his debut record) and Nine Ten Eleven - The Refixes (which was composed of remakes.) Both of which along with a couple of his singles are all available for free download, just like this latest one. Mixing soulful R&B with a cool hip hop dance rhythm, Hello Earth makes for a great club album or something to hold on to if you simply need some smoothing tracks for evening company.

Martin Parks: Thankful for Sound

Martin Parks isn't the name of a single artist. It's actually a duo made up of Roman Lee & Jacque Hammond. The merger of these two amazing artists equates a great sound revolution, much like their namesake being borrowed from two of the most well-known civil rights activists there ever was: Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Thankful for Sound is the duo's latest record. It's an album that creatively mixes hip hop, soul, jazz, R&B and even a bit of electronic dance. Thanks to this lush combination the album is exciting, upbeat and worth grabbing at first chance.

Corinna Rose: Corinna Rose

Folk songs always make me smile. There's something about that slight honky tonk banjo sound that makes me think of life as a piece of cake. This self-titled debut from Corinna Rose is no exception. It comes with that feel-good sound that you can play over and over again without getting tired. This is the first compilation for the singer, although she's released several singles before this one. This time around, she's armed with an acoustic guitar, a banjo along with her beautiful voice; ready to showcase a short EP that is both enjoyable and worthy of a listen.

Nick Rivera: Happy Song is a Happy Song

Have a sweet spot for folk electronica music? Happy Song is a Happy Song by Nick Rivera is a compilation you should check out. The man behind this musical project is Michele Sarti, an Italian singer/songwriter who has a gift for transforming various instruments and sounds into a whole menagerie of quiet beauty. His sound captures elusive and fleeting moments so perfectly that it's hard not to fall for it. After years spent playing drums for a number of rock bands, Michele eventually sought more experimental and free form sounds. This led to rediscovering instruments like the French horn and exploring a more meditative, free-folk form of sound.