10. Howard Elliott Payne
An English Singer-Songwriter from Liverpool, Howard's lyrics and guitar picking are almost enough to call this artist a contemporary Bob Dylan. One to look out for if you're into tunes which are emotionally and spiritually uplifting.
9. The Duke and The King
This band's style is rooted strongly in American Folk. The lead singer's piercing bluesy lyrics and distinct vocal style are what distinguish this group for me.
8. Young the Giant
Their singles 'My Body' and 'Cough Syrup' are like none other in contemporary music, carrying like all their other songs a uniquely artistic value. Despite having a comparatively decent level of recognition, I'm sure more would make give them the incentive to produce their second album quicker than they are now...
7. John Fullbright
John takes the spiritual and lyrical nature of Tennessee folk music and makes it his own, with each song in his album From the Ground Up seeming to evoke unique reflections of personal human experience. For example, whilst his song 'I Only Pray at Night' is wistful and poignant, 'Fat Man' seems to portray a message about greed.
6. Valerie June
A mixture of folk, bluegrass and soul, Valerie's voice also resonates with a strong Tennessee sound. You can't help but tap to the beat in her single; 'Pushin' Against a Stone.'
5. Dolomite Minor
These are an unsigned duo from Southampton who I saw at Reading. They describe their style as 'Fuzz Blues' possibly due to the effect of the electric guitar and gritty vocal style. Either way, this ensemble deserve to be signed at some point.
4. James Vincent McMorrow
The inspiration for all James' songs on his album Early in the Morning were inspired by living in a small isolated house away from the hustle and bustle of civilization. This solitude allowed him to produce songs of incomparable artistic quality which he has recently toured around the country to modest crowds such the O2 academy Oxford where I saw him play. I fear though that without more recognition he could fade away from the industry altogether.
3. Natalie Duncan
An English soul/blues singer from Nottingham, Natalie's EP released in 2009 is far from having reached the credit it deserved. Throughout the album, she manages to compose a haunting almost Jeff Buckleyesque mixture of musical styles; fusing classical piano with an expressionistic, chromatic soul, blues and rock, 'The Sky is Falling' being a particularly iconic masterpiece of this style. Yet, it's been depressingly long since I've heard anything new from this artist.
2. Scoundrels
This blues/rock band from London produced they're best, catchiest and downright sexiest songs in their latest album Sexy Weekend. With their deeply human and comic undertones formed formed in unison with their jazzy, doo-woop style, this band should be well on their way to fame in the UK and beyond. A shame they're not as famous as they should be.
1. Scott Matthews
And finally, at the top list is this humble musical genius from Wolverhampton. Having had the pleasure of seeing him in concert twice, it's difficult to even describe this artist because of how unique his style is, but I'll try; the haunting, mystical tone of his songs is a feature I most enjoy, but the distinct picking techniques of each keep me hooked as well. Beyond this, his voice, which is incredibly powerful manages, along with his guitar or piano to evoke his personality, and not in any way be swayed by the crowd as so many artists have fallen victim to in this industry. The closest he's come to fame is Lianne La Havas performing a cover of his song Elusive, but that's not enough. Spread the Word.
