I don’t about you but in the right hands the sound and vibe that comes from a well strummed banjo is truly quite delectable.

Courtney Marie Andrews not only has the ability to sing rather beautifully with great strength and subtlety but as well as being able to tinkle the ivories I believe that this Phoenix born heavenly voiced darling can really play the banjo suitably well to the wonderful, sunshine-daydream style of music that is performed.

This is a lovely folk musician who appears to come across as quite a performer and I’d prefer to watch her perform rather than just to listen. Courtney is enchanting and I feel myself melting to her words, her music and it wouldn’t surprise me but if I was in the crowd close enough and we happen to cross paths with her eyes then I would no doubt be a slither of a man on the grassy verge where I was once perched.

The songs she has created are well structured and flow marvellously carrying you through a short journey of usually 5 minutes o so which is nice to hear rather than a quick buck storyteller like what we are now currently listening to. It’s refreshing to see and hear.

To shortly describe I’d say Courtney Marie Andrews is sweeter than fresh peaches. Really nice indeed. However, this is a girl whom I feel could really raise a roof similar to Alanis Morrisette or Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries there was only a microphone to perform with.

This girl may sound sweet like chocolate but if it was perhaps “one of those days” then I swear there is the power here to destroy hearts and souls.

This is special. Available here on iTunes if you care.

You wouldn’t expect heavy, distorted guitars being supported by the sound of trombones, trumpets and a sax would actually work.

The Hostiles are indivually talented musicians and being the collective, modern day ska/reggae/punk band that they, they are truly a fresh introduction to something which to some people thought had perhaps died many blue moons ago.

The work that they’ve done would be a true, wonderful marvel on stage and a pleasure to witness as barrage of styles scream out towards your hammer and anvil along with great, melodic harmonies. My only gripe being that I feel the guitars are just that tiny, wee bit too much on the heavy side. And I do mean such a tiny wee bit.

It’s really quite interesting to hear, fun to listen to and you don’t get that a great deal nowadays. A great balance of sound, structure and amusing lyrics.

Always Looking Forward is there debut album recently available just down there!.

Every now and then, a song comes on the radio by a band or artist that you’ve never heard of, it stops you in your tracks, you’re captured by this sound, it has a hold on you and you just need to hear it again.

Death by White Lies sounds just brilliant.

The first track on their To Lose A Life album is something which is beautifully warm, soothing and will manage the crowd listening to it live, belt out any stress, worry or just simple negtivity that inhibits their lives. It is a true and theraputic record. The rest of the album isn’t too bad either you know.

There is a powerful essence of Morrissey except it doesn’t bore me to the point where I wish to take myself out to the nearest, sharp implement and introduce it to my jugula.

Fairwell To The Fairground is another lovely yet moody but still an upbeat number. After all of the festivals they attended last year, it’s a surprise to me if you’ve not yet heard of them.

The White Lies are a band I am looking forward to hearing again.

For an outstanding Tune Of The Moment insert we’ve got an outstanding mix freshly released from Funkatech Records. Bound together by Pyramid we’ve got some of Breakbeats’ crème de la crème which includes tracks from Pyramid of course as well as NAPT, Specimen A and Far Too Loud. They’ve been dropping some blinding tunes throughout 2009 and here are those which individually and collectively are an amazing, eclectic assortment. This is a must have for any appreciators..

For the additional artwork and information you can download it here from the Funktech Records January 2010 Newsletter.

Funkatech Records – Time You Realised – A Retrospective of 2009 mixed by PYRAMID by Funkatech Records

The Daddy Tune of Breaks. In my World, Fact.

No matter what mood you are you’ll always be smiling after the few few bars of ANY record by Dreadzone. Their album Once Upon A Time has been played in full everyday this week and you must have it in your collection. Not all the tracks are everybody’s taste but there is something that everyone will adore and love. Fact.

To be perfectly honest, I do not like The Prodigy individual work but when someone deconstructs it and rebuilds it into something similar then they have to be hailed for nurturing others. Fast fidget house. Brilliant.

Being as this is a Quadrat Beat Remix and is a block within the set built by Far Too Loud, then OF COURSE it’s going to be a bangin’ track! Duh!

Quite a delightful humming resonating through the speakers with a dance-hall vibe. Wicked man.

Quite possibly the shortest band review yet because for me, their music speaks for itself. I envisage this band to be bigger than Kasabian and I would hope so too. I’m very much hooked into their sound after seeing them live as a support band. I ended up preferring them to the main act. Just listen to the passionate, psychedelic warmth that wraps around you. Brilliant!

I really don’t think my speakers can handle this track! HAHA! Can yours? I’m warning you! This tune is a delight! Rude and raunchy breaks that just flips the off switch in your head and turns on another. This ain’t no normal floor filler.

“I’m breaking my own rules here by putting this track up again because I truly think this is really something special”

“I’d actually create an extra speaker to display to you what I think of this track. The only 6 Star Rating”

“A template for others to follow, yet another great track from Zimmerman”

Power, empathy and grace. This is Depeche Mode

This is just a snippet, a teaser of what will be pure magnificence gaurenteed and is released October 2009 on Funkatech Records

Pearl Jam, have managed to stand the test of time. Although it appears to some as if they have gone off the radar a little over the latter years of their career, these boys have managed to stir us all up with their release of their latest release Backspacer, which is now out today.

I remember listening to them when Ten and VS came out in the early 90’s. I felt then that they could rock a record, and that a lovely story could always be told, not just singing or playing songs about self-emotions. Stories being told are always going to sell records. See the Followell’s band for instance. I’m listening to Backspacer as an album in itself, not as another Pearl Jam studio release. Which you can here by clicking this link here.

The songs are short and explosive as is the whole record. The Fixer is their single released and doesn’t even touch 3 minutes. It is a simple track lyrically, it has a feel good vibe to it and it will rock out the venues where ever they play. The drumming is quite the hook of the song for me. It makes it fast and furious. But it’s just dead short. Supersonic is a headstomper of a tune bordering on a punk anthem similar to that of Green Day’s tracks.

Fans I don’t think will be disappointed. As for me, I like it but I’m not overwhelmed by it. The album has great tracks falling it into a cracking rock record. I sense a touch of bleakness. They have a pace, short and punchy tunes and but the explosiveness is not quite there for me. But that’s me comparing it to Even Flow , but that was then and this is now.

It’s good to hear them back even though they haven’t really gone away.

My favourite track heard in 2009 and it’s not that new either. Twist The Knife is a raunchy, high octane, sexy, drum-fuelled, bass laden, arrhythmic, rock track with seductive, alpha-lady excellence that excites and melts. BRILLIANT! Emily Breeze is an unsigned artist worth looking out for in 2010.

Be prepared to be moved.

We have sublime, delectable offerings this Autumn/Fall with The First days Of Spring from Noah & The Whale.

The first track off their latest release being the single of the album title is nothing short of a 6 minute 39 second symphony. Orchestrated wonderfully, sung divinely and so, so warm it is as sweet and an apricot dipped in gomme syrup.

The entire album is intelectual acoustic folk surrounded by strings, supported by the occassional choir and on a couple of tracks, no lyrics, just fantastic warming piano keys being tinkered for a short while. Nevertheless, they are lovely little numbers. For me, the track Blue Skies is exceptional, it is really, really good.

For a second album release this is quite an accomplishment and this is definately a global record that will certainly hit platinum status. It is easy listening, easy going and so easy to love.

But that is not all though. The group have even developed a short film too with the release of the music material. A glimpse of that is below and there is no doubt I’ll seeing that soon.

How fantastic it is to listen to something which is sooo cool.

From NZ, Fat Freddy’s Drop are from the other side of the world to where I am. This second studio album titled Dr Boondigga & The Big BW is a delightful ensemble of instruments from trumpets to harmonicas, digital effects and vocals, bass and some lovely deep dub sounds which have influenced the band from across the globe. It doesn’t sound messy, cluttered but refined and clean. The engineering work is truly a masterful piece of production.

Soulful to the max, a reggae feel yet with a more blues tint to it withoutcoming across as bluesy. the dance tunes hum and bounce brilliantly and the more lyrical tracks are soft, sweet and harmonious to the point where I feel I’m still experiencing summer.

The Camel featuring Alice Russel (which is a shame not to hear on their MySpace player but it is the track below) is a perfect example of the entire bands talents all working superbly well as the comprehensive collective. The track sounds simple and light but the bass is absolute quality with such a dreamy and airy ambience to it.

This is fat, funky, soul food for the brain in the form of some warm vibrations. Totally non-offensive, soothing and healing. A great record and I am happy it has managed to get to these shores too.