This 19 year old girl has a very bright future indeed. Natalie Holmes is originally from Bristol, but currently studies in Leeds. Her recent EP The Simplest Things went Top 10 in the iTunes singer/songwriter chart (without much more than a few Tweets/Facebook posts) and she has already built up a strong online following.
Only just come across this today and I am very much into it. Winston Yellen (a.k.a. Night Beds) is vocally comparable to Ryan Adams and Fyfe Dangerfield and this track "Ramona" is instantly likeable.
And just in time for this post, Dog Is Dead are giving away a free download of them covering "74-75" by The Connells which I am sure was on NOW 29. Epic.
If I could have, the two acts (apart from Frank) I would have loved to have signed last year (for album releases in 2013) would have been The 1975 and Context. Both very different, but both very relevant...
The 1975, in all honesty, haven't changed that much since I first saw them as The Big Sleep a few years ago at XOYO supporting The Little Comets. They have developed a larger fan base, have changed their name and now have supporters across the industry but the music they are making is the same as it was then, more or less. "Sex" for starters is a massive tune as is "The City", but "Chocolate" for me is the one I have been waiting for. Have a listen below:
A slightly different one for me to get behind, but Context is one of the best things I have heard in recent years. Yes, The Streets comparison is there (but why that should be a negative thing is beyond me?! How many records did Mike Skinner sell?!). In his own right he is ace. It is something that I know all my pals would love and something that every lad across the land would relate to. He also won the MTV Unsigned Award 2012 which is a top effort. If you are unsure of the track below, I can assure you there are 6 or 7 bigger tracks coming from this lad.
So, Frank Hamilton has been releasing ONE SONG A WEEK for the whole of 2012. It's a ridiculous yet ambitious project that has seen him collaborate with Lauren Aquilina, Ryan Keen, Dion Dubion (ex-Premier League and England footballer), Mark Grist (of student v teacher rap battle fame) and a whole host of other UK musicians. Week 47 of the project was released today a long with the usual weekly blog ( http://frankhamiltonband.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/week-47-wet-shoes/ ), and a video which you can see below. It's a tune called "Wet Shoes" which Hamilton co-wrote with Ed Sheeran who he cites as his inspiration and the "kick up the arse" he needed to prove "anything's possible". It's a truly brilliant song and having followed the project very closely all year, can only say how sad it will be to have the constant stream of new content cease once we get into the new year. 2012 has been a special year for many reasons and this is certainly one of them.
I heard this track a month ago or so and quite liked it. Went back today and I haven't been able to stop listening to it all morning... David McCaffrey is a young singer/songwriter from York and this is a beautiful track. Certainly one to watch.
Formerly The Big Sleep, The 1975 have re-released this track from their previous guise.They have always been ones on my radar and previous single "The City" was a banger so this lot could finally be onto something.
KwikFiks - "I Love You"
This is a big tune. Can't remember where I first heard it, but I am very much into it.
Kimberly Anne - "Bury It There"
This is amazing and has to be one of the catchiest songs I have heard all year. Is there room for another amazing female? Surely.
