Musicians Needing Notice

On the train back from my family home in Oxfordshire to Bournemouth Uni I had my headphones on the whole way as I was so hooked by the music. The problem though, I thought as the cramped train carriage trundled along, was that these songs creating a concert inside my head weren't nearly as popular as some of the trite at the top of the charts. So, as an act of, (if not to a very small extent), repairing some of the damage commercialism has inflicted on the music industry, I've listed the top ten modern acts that need recognition, counting down:

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.

Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin'

Having never seen or read a biography of the greatest guitarist history has known, I sprung at the opportunity when spotting a documentary by Imagine currently on BBC i player.
Immediately there is the sense of a young, shy boy who confronted his social anxieties by playing guitar. He brought the instrument everywhere, even to the movies.
Inspired by his Dad's blues record collection, he set about, when his Dad bought him an acoustic guitar, he spent all his free time practicing and playing in the eccentric style of artists like Robert Johnson. And so it wasn't long before his Dad purchased Jimi his first electric guitar, which he carried on him throughout military service and his early musical career in New York.
But these early career days were spent playing background guitar for shows which certainly didn't let him express his own, unique personal touch, so it was only when he met the girlfriend of a Rolling Stones band member and traveled to the vibrant music scene in London where he truly took off.
His ability to make a completely unique performance out of simple melodies and chord progressions like the kind seen in 'Hey Joe' is what I believe rocketed his fame in Britain, which was only about to get bigger on his return to America. Setting fire to his guitar onstage in Monteray was only the beginning of a flamboyant image Jimi would convey as a musical act.
This considered, he had a dual-personality, and performing on stage was his chance to escape from his deep social insecurities and be free:
"When I bite the strings with my teeth on stage I do it because I feel like it." 
A musician who wasn't afraid to do what he felt.

Taken to Musical Heights by Jake Bugg's Performance at Bournemouth International Centre

Standing in the huge hall of the Bournemouth International Centre, the music began with a folk band from Ohio and their first performance in the UK. They were skilled, they could pluck really fast, but I knew everyone was waiting for the main act, not the build up- and I think they knew it too.
When the man himself, Jake Bugg entered the stage, he entered modestly, wearing a modest black T-Shirt, Jeans and not afraid to casually tune his guitar in front of the anticipating crowd. But when the show started, the true range of his musical style and roller coaster ride of emotions from both his old and new album burst into action with the upbeat Trouble Town. No bullshit. This guy meant business from the off.
After sifting smoothly through life-affirming songs like Simple as This and the famous Two Fingers and showing off his signature strumming across the neck style with his accompanying drum and bass, he switched to solo acoustic on his humble guitar. To really hit home the range of his musical style, everyone in the audience sung along to his sweet, mellow Country Song, and stood enthralled by other new ones as images of walking through countryside and pine tree forests glided into mind.
As the show drew to a close, his penultimate song; a truly original cover of folk rock legend Neil Young's Hey Hey My My, preceded what can only be described as the perfect choice for a final song- the first song on the album that everyone knows and drew attention to this individual artist in the first place; Lighting Bolt. One which struck every audience member at the Bournemouth International Centre that night.