Palma Violets are an English band from London, formed in 2011, based on the musical partnership of frontmen Sam Fryer and Chilli Jesson. The lineup is composed of Sam Fryer (vocals, guitar), Chilli Jesson (vocals, bass), Pete Mayhew (keyboards) and Will Doyle (drums).

The band’s musical output is primarily based around the rock genre, with some Garage rock and psychedelic influences. Their first single ‘Best of Friends’ was voted NME’s song of the year for 2012. Palma Violets second single ‘Step Up For The Cool Cats’ was announced and released on 9th February. Palma Violets’ debut album 180 is currently scheduled for release on the 25 February 2013.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Palma+Violets)

Hooky, upbeat, tequila inspired, beach party singalongs. Think The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, The Drums.(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Griswolds)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra first dropped into the world in late 2010 as a bandcamp account carrying a single called ‘Ffunny Ffrends’.

‘Ffunny Ffrends’ was everything you imagined it might be – alien beatnik pop music that echoed 60s psychedelia and krautrock minimalism with just a hint of gentle weirdness that suggested its roots might equally lie in the verdant indie of the equally distant New Zealand scene.

Ruban Nielson is a New Zealand native who had transplanted to Portland, Oregon, USA with his band The Mint Chicks. UMO was a project conceived as Ruban’s escape hatch to a new musical dimension where his vision of junkshop record collector pop could be realized in a sound that recalled Captain Beefheart, Sly Stone and RZA jamming on some kids TV theme too dark to ever be broadcast.

The eponymous UMO debut album is released June 21 on Fat Possum Records. It’s probably something you should listen to.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Unknown+Mortal+Orchestra)

De Gin Gin wordt gehost door Ben Penn en is een clubavond met boogie jump, 60's soul, latin, afrofunk, souljazz, disco en beat. De Gin Gin vindt zijn oorsprong in Tilburg, maar is ondertussen goed op weg de randstad kennis te laten maken met de mix van genres die menigeen laten dansen zoals ze niet wisten dat te kunnen. Afgelopen Koninginnedag mochten we al stiekem kennis maken met wat ons deze avond te wachten staat. Met op de vooravond de 10e editie van Rockabilly Dazzle zorgen DJ's Ben Penn en onze eigen Ari Deelder en Catheleijne Beijn ervoor dat er nog tot in de kleine uurtjes gedanst kan worden.

Art Brut is an indie rock band which formed in London, England in 2003. The current line-up consists of Eddie Argos (vocals), Ian Catskilkin (guitar), Friederike “Freddy” Feedback (bass), Jasper Future (guitar) and Mikey Breyer (drums).

Vocalist Eddie Argos (an ex-goth obsessed with Jonathan Richman and Vincent Van Gogh) had previously been in a band, The Art Goblins, in his hometown of Bournemouth. Their stage show would see him “playing a vacuum cleaner” and escaping from a sack. They sounded not unlike cult Glaswegians The Yummy Fur and had songs such as I Wanna Be Johnny Dean and Disco.

Another ‘project’ was The Welsh Elephant, who penned the should-be-classic Fuck The MSP (which contains the catchy refrain “Nicky Wire can suck my cock!”). Having moved to London, UK and determined to be in another band, Argos found himself at a party in Mornington Crescent and set about hassling everyone there to join him. A webzine-editor and guitarist called Chris Chinchilla (a ska fanatic) thought this sounded like a good idea – after all, it was a good way to impress girls. Argos was more concerned about getting on ‘Top Of The Pops’. Chinchilla talked his German flatmate Freiderike Feedback (grunge fan) into playing bass, and thus they got a bass guitar for her off eBay. Argos had a friend from Bournemouth who’d also just moved to London. Ian Catskilkin (thinks he’s in Led Zeppelin, but with better hair) used to be in a heavy rock band called Orco and he agreed to join the new band. Another friend then overheard a German man (who NME would later say looks like “he should be in Interpol”) on a bus telling someone how he played drums and worked in Merc, the shop on Carnaby Street selling cut-price mod clothing. Determined to hunt him down, Argos and Chinchilla went to the shop. He wasn’t working that day, so they left him a note. Mikey Breyer (listens to nothing but Weezer) would then join the band, and that was it – May 2003, Art Brut was born.

Much like Bloc Party, Art Brut’s first gig was an independently promoted show at the Kentish Town Verge. Chinchilla had booked it before the band was ready, at which there was much complaining by his fellow bandmates. Mike’s drumkit had yet to be imported, so he played sitting down (he usually stands up to play). After a number of other gigs round London they recorded a demo named Brutlegs, containing early versions of Formed A Band, Modern Art and Moving To LA, and made it available on their website. Formed A Band first saw the light of day on the debut Angular Records compilation album. After a journalist came across this recording, he sent an MP3 to the label Rough Trade. Within an hour of getting it, the label’s A&R man was in touch offering to release Formed A Band as a single.

Suddenly the band were all over the music press, picking up fans and haters with ease. Many people expected it to be nothing more than a one-off novelty single. They played a triumphant Swedish festival where a guy interviewed them and got confused, thought they were from Manchester (and had all his questions based around the city), and compared them to The Sultans Of Ping. They were also offered the main tour support for Razorlight but had to turn it down due to lack of funds.

Formed A Band was released as a single at the end of March 2004. A gleeful call to arms of sorts, Argos shouts “formed a band! We formed a band! Look at us, we formed a band!” before going on to proclaim how he’s going to “write a song as universal as Happy Birthday” and “play it eight weeks in a row on ‘Top Of The Pops’”. It reached No. 52, selling 5,000 copies, and cropped up in many end-of-year polls as the one of the best singles of the year, including ‘Blender’ – the USA’s second biggest music mag after ‘Rolling Stone’ - who proclaimed them the best unsigned band in the UK.

The rest of 2004 saw them playing numerous gigs from Brighton to Manchester, as well as a first anniversary show at the Tate Modern where they were joined by a couple of a Argos’ heroes – The Vessel (David Devant and His Spirit Wife) and Les ‘Fruitbat’ Carter (Carter USM). As a stop-gap between singles, they offered the new, shaky Brutlegs 2004, this time containing versions of Good Weekend (the one that goes “got myself a brand new girlfriend… I’ve seen her naked TWICE!”), Bang Bang Rock And Roll and an acoustic version of Moving To LA.

The frenzied Top Of The Pops (not a Rezillos cover) was recorded with a number of bands guesting on vocals (including Ciccone, The Boyfriends, The Long Blondes, Abdoujaparov, Prozak, Rhesus and Luxembourg) for inclusion on the Angular Records compilation Rip Off Your Labels, while Moving To LA saw yet another recorded appearance, this time in live form from the Bath Moles on the compilation Bring Your Own Poison: The Rhythm Factory Sessions.

In December ’04, their second single finally saw the light. A double A-side of Modern Art and My Little Brother (with B-side These Animal Menswe@r), it was released on the Fierce Panda label and reached No. 49 – scoring the band a bigger hit than before and, perhaps surprisingly, the highest chart position Fierce Panda has ever had. All the sleeves of the 7” were hand-designed by the band and fans, including one messy session at a Queens Of Noize night at Camden Barfly which ended with the stage (and crowd) being covered in fluorescent pink paint.

The start of 2005 sees them having completed their debut album, pencilled in for release in March, and having picked up even more fans including Graham Coxon, British Sea Power, The Libertines, Hope Of The States and genius boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe. Even the Happy Mondays’ Bez has tried to get onstage at one point with them at the Barfly but was so wasted at the time he didn’t manage it, despite Catskilkin’s attempts at pulling him by his arm.

Sadly, they’ve yet to appear on ‘Top Of The Pops’. Perhaps ‘CD:UK’ will be more accommodating. It’s better, anyway.

In Late August 2005 Chris Chinchilla decided to leave the band for personal reasons and was replaced by former Art Goblin, Jasper Future,

Art Brut performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, on April 30, 2006, at Pitchfork Music Festival in June 2006, and at the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim and the Dour Festival in Belgium, in July 2006 and are due to headline the Two Thousand Trees Festival in July 2008. Art Brut also released a split 7” with We Are Scientists, which was only released in America. We Are Scientists returned the idea and covered Art Brut’s song ‘Bang Bang Rock & Roll’ on the single. Their version of “Bang Bang Rock & Roll” is also available on their b-sides album Crap Attack.

The band released their second album, It’s a Bit Complicated, on Mute Records produced by Dan Swift , who has also worked with artists such as Help She Can’t Swim, Victorian English Gentlemens Club, Kasabian and Snow Patrol. The first single to be taken from the album, “Nag Nag Nag Nag”, was released on 20 November 2006, featuring the b-side “I Found This Song in the Road” and 5 live tracks from the Eurockéennes de Belfort Festival 2006. The song made Single of the Week in The Guardian’s “The Guide” section. In 2007 they played on the American NME Rock and Roll Riot tour with The Hold Steady. In the United States, the album reached #14 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and #32 on the Independent Albums chart.

On 1 March 2008 Argos revealed on his blog that Art Brut have amicably left EMI. In August 2008 Eddie Argos announced on his blog that the band have been recording songs for the third album. Art Brut are also lined up to play various festivals over the summer.

In late 2008 Art Brut returned to the studio to record their third LP Art Brut vs. Satan which was released on April 20th 2009. The album was produced by Frank Black formerly of the Pixies.

(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Art+Brut/+wiki)

Rotown College is een initiatief ontstaan uit de samenwerking tussen Codarts Pop, Zadkine, Albeda College, Roots & Routes Agency, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam en poppodium Rotown. Bij deze twee-maandelijkse avonden nodigen we elke editie 2 van de meest belovende acts uit, welke zich vooralsnog op de scholen en campus verscholen hielden. De organisatie biedt hiermee een avond waar studenten niet alleen kunnen komen kijken en luisteren, maar elkaar ook motiveren om die vergeten gitaar eens af te stoffen of gewoon een avond praten over muziek. Kom dus langs om gratis te genieten van een avondvullend programma en support your local artists! Presentatie deze avond is in handen van opkomend schrijftalent Elfie Tromp.

Nataly Dawn started off in L.A., moved to France at the age of ten, spent a few years in Belgium and then scurried on back to California to pursue an education in art and French literature.

She makes music as often as possible, to keep herself sane and happy. She dabbles around with piano, guitar and bass (her favorite instrument), but does not consider herself an expert at any of them. Mostly she enjoys singing and inventing odd harmonies.

Recently she has gotten into the YouTube music movement thanks to her boyfriend, Jack Conte, and together they have started a collaboration called Pomplamoose. Their music can be heard at either their official Myspace or official YouTube. Nataly is still in denial about wanting to be a full-time musician, but deep down inside she knows that there is nothing that makes her happier than making art and sharing it with lovely listeners such as yourself.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Nataly+Dawn)

Michiel is al meer dan 10 jaar resident-DJ bij Rotown en verzorgt naast zijn solo avonden ook de maandelijkse indie-avond Weekender! Michiel komt uit de indie/alternatieve hoek, maar wisselt dit af met alles van 60's Rock & Roll tot Dubstep. Altijd eigenzinnig, altijd veelzijdig, altijd gezellig!

In aanloop naar het concert van Meschiya Lake op 12 juni vertoont Eye Tunes vanavond een fraaie documentaire over deze kleurrijke dame. Het verhaal van een vrijgevochten vrouw met een enorme stem, wiens carrière begon als ‘glas-eter’ in een alternatief reizend circus. Na een uitputtende periode van drugs en omzwervingen keert ze terug naar het geliefde New Orleans, de bakermat van de Amerikaanse jazz, wat nog altijd herstellende is van de Katrina-tragedie. Samen met haar ‘nieuwe familie’, een gemeenschap van “jazz loving swing dancing musicians”, blaast ze nieuw leven in een stad die door velen allang is verlaten. Van de ontelbare clubs tot de straathoeken van de French Quarter weerklinken hartverwarmende klanken van hoop, passie en doorzettingsvermogen. Deze vertoning is geheel gratis toegankelijk en een must voor de ware muziekliefhebber! LET OP! Deze vertoning is in De Unie (Mauritsweg 34-35).

Tropical guitar band from Bristol.

The members of Current Swell no longer live together under a single roof — as they did years ago, when the group first came together as a unit — but the bond between the four friends is stronger than ever.

Touring the world for the better part of five years, from Brazil to Australia, often has that effect.

Current Swell’s years of experience on the road can be heard — and felt — in the nooks and crannies of Long Time Ago, the new full-length from this rootsy Victoria, B.C. quartet. The record shifts between upbeat folk (the title track, Long Time Ago) and singalong-ready roots rock (the first single, Too Cold) with a fluidity and ease that could only come from continual touring.

The band originally wanted to call its fourth record People Not Places, as if to signify its new lyrical direction. “We used to write about traveling, because that’s all we did for a while,” says singer- guitarist Scott Stanton. “But on this record, we wrote mostly about people in our lives.”

Friends, acquaintances — even strangers — have been an integral aspect of Current Swell’s personal and professional development. Decidedly grass-roots, the band has developed a strong online following over the years, dating back to the independent release and promotion of its previous recordings, So I Say (2005), Trust Us Now (2007), and Protect Your Own (2009).

Fans have remained steadfast in their support, something the members of Current Swell do not take for granted. When the band earned first place at Vancouver’s Peak Performance Project (a 2011 radio contest which awarded the group $100,500 for top prize), the first people on Current Swell’s thank- you list were their fans.

“The online community has always backed us,” said singer-guitarist Dave Lang, addressing the group’s considerable presence through iTunes and YouTube. “That is a big reason for our success.”

Steady momentum at the grass-roots level (the group’s video for its campfire-friendly single, Young and Able, became a word-of-mouth YouTube success in 2010) has now translated to the stage, where Current Swell shines. Their ability to capture a crowd was honed the old-fashioned way — through constant practice. Current Swell has always tweaked things as needed, careful not to move in a direction that feels inauthentic.

The band, which also features drummer Chris Petersen and bassist Ghosty Boy, started its career with the most modest of expectations, playing shows in settings that ranged from backyards to beaches. “When we first got together, we just started writing music for fun,” Stanton says. “Then we got an opportunity to perform, and then we got an opportunity to tour. It wasn’t something we ever chased too passionately at first. A lot of things just fell into place for us.”

The quartet struck upon a rhythm soon after, the size of its concerts increasing in tandem with its rapidly progressing talent. Momentum kept Current Swell moving forward in the years that followed, culminating last summer with a Canada Day concert before 45,000 people at the B.C. Legislature, one of the largest concerts of its kind ever in Victoria. That level of accomplishment (when coupled with sets in support of everyone from the Tragically Hip and Xavier Rudd to K‘Naan, K-OS, The Beach Boys and more) suggests a band long-removed from its learning-on-the-fly early days. That didn’t happen by accident.

“We’re all much more educated and knowledgeable about our career nowadays,” Stanton says. “We feel like we know how to do this for a living.”

Despite years of careful planning and intuitive, thoughtful decisions, some things remain beyond Current Swell’s control. Case in point: Brazil.

Through a mixture of circumstance and happenstance, the members of Current Swell are now the beneficiaries of a large and loyal following in Brazil, the largest country in South America. The group has just returned from a tour of the country, a trek which saw Current Swell headline two large festivals in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, among the largest cities in the world.

“We’d get an e-mail here and there, ‘Please come to Brazil, I’m a huge fan,’ which was hilarious to read,” Stanton says of the group’s throng of Brazilian fans. “But then we’d go on YouTube and there was a bunch of people covering our songs. Someone even covered one of our music videos, lip- syncing all our lyrics.”

Current Swell plans to return to Brazil at its earliest convenience — not for money, or fame, or opportunity. If anything, they want to do it for their fans.

That has become Current Swell’s trademark, in a sense. And with the release of Long Time Ago, the group has a new reason to get back out on the road again.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Current+Swell/+wiki)

This year, Andy looks set to enjoy yet another highlight in his ongoing musical journey and, with the blessing of his band-mates (bassist Michael McKeegan and drummer Neil Cooper), is about to embark on his first ever solo acoustic tour. Planning to scour every inch of his back catalogue in preparation for the jaunt, Andy also aims to debut some new Therapy? cuts too (we repeat, Therapy? aren’t splitting up).

“I fancied a challenge,” commented Cairns on the upcoming trek. “I’m hoping to take around two to four new songs with me on tour and I’m also going to go through all of the Therapy? albums and see what works in that format. I’m really looking forward to the shows.”

Andy Bean and Fuller Condon are The Two Man Gentlemen Band, delivering Uptempo, Old-Time, Two-Man, Good-time music at a reasonable volume, for all ages. (Source: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Two+Man+Gentlemen+Band)

Maison du Malheur is a nine-piece, Dutch “old jazz and rockin’ rhythm ‘n blues” group, fronted by Amsterdam-based singer and songwriter, J.P. Mesker.

With their pre-World War II drum beats, honky-tonk pianos and heavy horns this swinging troupe creates traditional, universal music to dance to.

Maison du Malheur’s second album, Wicked Transmissions, is set for a March 2013 release on esteemed Dutch indie label, Excelsior Recordings.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Maison+du+Malheur)

Inspired by a vast variety of artists, from Brian Wilson to Stevie Wonder, singer/songwriter/pianist Matt Simons pushes himself to grow beyond those influences to find his own voice and create his own sound. Often compared to Jamie Cullum, John Mayer and Adam Levine, Simons also infuses his piano based pop-rock with hints of jazz and R&B.

Much of 2011 was spent on tour. In addition to visiting most of the US, he ventured to the UK, Netherlands and Germany in support of his 2010 release, the EP Living Proof. 2012 sees the release of his follow up album, Pieces, dropping 6/19.

Pieces is a collection of melancholic yet uplifting songs mixed with the modern, yet timeless production of Nashville engineer/producer Stephen Gause. From the first chord struck on the keys of opener “Emotionally Involved,” the listeners are drawn into Simons’ world, led by his melodic turns and the driving intensity of the drums. Next, the lead single “Gone” lets his soulful side shine as Simons paints a picture of a man in a failing relationship, struggling to hold on as he’s realizing he needs to let go. “I’m so tired of being wrong, I’m gone.” The net is abuzz with praise for the song, which was released on March 20th and is currently streaming on mattsimonsmusic.com.

The album continues to demonstrate Simons’ abilities as a musician and a writer as he seamlessly shifts gears between songs. With the sweet “Miss You More,” his vocals soar into a lighter, higher range reminiscent of a ballad by artists such as Ben Folds or The Beatles. The one non-original on the album is a cover and re-working of Death Cab For Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.” Simons’ piano replaces the original’s acoustic guitar, as various mellotron parts creep in to flesh out the sound, resulting in a hauntingly beautiful interpretation.

With its catchy melodies and relatable themes, Pieces maintains an inventive sound while appealing to a wide range of audiences. It’s sure to become one of summer’s hottest releases.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Matt+Simons/+wiki)

Alternately explosive and restrained, the aptly titled The Bloom and the Blight is a meditation on past and present - melodic fury matched with the eloquent, confessional lyricism that has made Two Gallants an enduring favorite of both fans and critics.

Capturing the sound of a new beginning, The Bloom and the Blight celebrates the band’s much anticipated reunion following a multi-year break. It is the work of Two Gallants, fully matured, the band fearlessly exploring new ground in search of a sound that defines a very personal catharsis.

“We’ve both gone through some hard stuff personally, so this album has that element of the cathartic, of a release of tension,” explains Adam Stephens (guitar/vocals), “We had taken time off, and we did different things, played in different bands. And in doing those things, being apart and redefining ourselves in that way, we were able to come together with a fresh approach.”

That approach includes everything from the distorted ferocity of “Halcyon Days” to the heart-wrenching acoustic ballad, “Sunday Souvenirs”. Songs like “Ride Away” boast all the prowling, anthemic strut of classic metal; while tracks like “Winter’s Youth” start sweet and sad, than shatter into huge and heavy choruses.

The album’s first single, “Broken Eyes,” has already become a crowd favorite with its raw, aching harmonies and weeping harmonica.

“Our past albums have been a lot more folk and blues-based, and I tried to move away from that to some extent,” Stephens says of the band’s fresh direction, “I wanted to find a rawness in the music and take us back where we’d come from, from punk rock and grunge in particular, to our childhood, in some ways.”

Friends since they were five, the band grew up playing music together, from early teen-age house parties in their hometown of San Francisco, to multiple world tours. Throughout their extensive travels over the past 8 years – including recent tours through China and South Korea – Two Gallants have continued to evolve, both musically and personally.

The bands’ very first single, “Nothing to You” (from their 2004 debut The Throes), started off a string of cult classics that helped define their signature sound. The success of the sophomore album, What the Toll Tells (2006), delivered a few more singles, including “Steady Rollin’” and “Las Cruces Jail”. The wistful “Seems Like Home to Me” from The Scenery of Farewell EP (2007) and “Despite What You’ve Been Told” from 2007’s self-titled album, provide the framework of the bands development into The Bloom and the Blight.

“This record is important for us - as a next step,” explains Tyson Vogel (drums/vocals), “It’s a passage into adulthood in a lot of ways. We had a hiatus of a few years, and each of us went through things that we had to go through. This record breaks the silence.”

In many ways, The Bloom and the Blight reflects the separate journeys of the duo during these past years apart. We hear Vogel finding his own distinct musical voice on the guitar-driven track he penned for the record, “Decay”. “It’s about a fissure of self,” he says of the song, “how things you can’t control, can wound your heart.”

And everywhere on The Bloom and the Blight is an urgent, emotional poignancy, a visceral undercurrent that stems, in part, from Stephens’ experience recovering from his injuries after a serious van accident.


“I wasn’t able to play guitar or piano for about four months,” he remembers, “but I started writing songs for the record as soon as I was healthy enough.”

Recorded by John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Modest Mouse, St. Vincent) at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and Tiny Telephone in San Francisco, the sound of The Bloom and the Blight is nothing less than epic. The duo roars and sweeps, guitar and drums fusing into something larger than life.

“He’s an artist in his own right,” Vogel says of Congleton, “he put his own emotional investment into the songs. And as a result, he took us to another level.”

Indeed. The Bloom and the Blight is Two Gallants not only pushing themselves to that next level, but also exploring a multitude of new directions along the way.

“We went on different paths these past years,” explains Vogel, “but I think we share a common feeling, a commitment to try to transcend what we’ve gone through…and build something stronger out of it.”
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Two+Gallants/+wiki)

Suuns have no doubt ingested a lot of art rock, the Montreal group’s minimalist rhythms are equally informed by Joy Division, Suicide and Can, often wrapped in a noisy squall of droning guitars and pulsing synths. Add to this Ben Shemie’s breathy, paranoid sing/speak, and there are times that it seems like Suuns are about to drive over a sonic cliff. But there’s actually a great sense of restraint at play. We were enveloped in Suuns’ dark and thrilling post-punk from the first listen, never to return. (Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Suuns)

We Were Promised Jetpacks are an indie rock band which formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2003. The band consists of Adam Thompson (vocals, guitar), Michael Palmer (guitar), Sean Smith (bass) and Darren Lackie (drums). The band is signed to Fat Cat Records and they have released two albums: “These Four Walls” (2009) and “In the Pit of the Stomach” (2011)(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/We+Were+Promised+Jetpacks)

Emily, Jessica, and Camilla Staveley-Taylorhave been making music together since they were children, growing up in Watford, England. Brought up in a house that echoed to the sounds of Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Beatles, singing in perfect 3-part harmony came naturally to these three sisters.Having started gigging in local pubs and cafes, The Staves are now captivating audiences on much bigger stages - earning rapturous encores with their exquisite songs of love & longing. Guaranteed to give you goosebumps, their extraordinary intertwining voices melt the most cynical of hearts.The Staves’ Mexico EP will be released later this year via Atlantic Records. (Source: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Staves)

Daniel Norgren is a swedish singer-songwriter from Borås. His music noted for its originality, which is rough and soulful with ways in the expressions that could be traced back to the pre-war blues and gospel, early garagerock and jazz.

As a live artist he often performs all on his own, with his one man band on electric guitar, drums, kazoo and harmonica, but he also performs with a full band. In reviews he has been compared with artists like RL Burnside, Tom Waits, White Stripes and Son House etc with one thing underlined: He’s a quite unique artist with an untouched feeling in his music and expression.

So far Norgren has released three studio albums: Kerosene dreams (Superpuma Records, 2007), Outskirt (Superpuma Records, 2008), Horrifying Deatheating Bloodspider (Superpuma Records, 2010).
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Daniel+Norgren)

…Sean Rowe was excellent; beautiful, folksy Americana-infused guitar songs don’t come much better than from a man with a growly voice. — Holly Arrowsmith www.thelineofbestfit.com

Having clocked up 100,000 miles on the road, Rue Royale are temporarily putting down roots to record their eagerly anticipated third album.

The driven duo have ushered numerous tour vehicles into retirement since beginning their global adventure.

Three years after they married, in 2006 Ruth and Brookln Dekker started making music together in their then home city of Chicago, inspired by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, Grandaddy, John Martyn, Jose Gonzalez and Elbow.

The Anglo-American outfit earned their stripes on the Chicago music scene before selling most of their belongings and boarding a plane for Europe, armed with their instruments and self-titled 2008 debut LP, for their first out-of-town tour. The road quickly became Rue Royale’s way of life – with chips and dents in their tour vans’ bodywork testament to over 600 shows in 15 countries.

Meanwhile, without the backing of a manager and (until recently) a label, between tours the couple rustled up a cottage industry at their new home in Nottingham. Together they printed, snipped, sewed and stuffed over 9,000 Rue Royale CDs, including 500 pre-orders for their second album ‘Guide To An Escape’ which they issued independently in 2011. Fans also warmed to the hand-made Rue Royale knitted goods (hot water bottle cover anyone?), bags and clothes that graced their merch stalls.

‘Guide To An Escape’ was picked up by Sinnbus who officially released it in March 2012. It retained the acoustic duo’s hushed, evocative melodies but was richer in sound and wider in scope, recorded at home following experimental sessions with producer Paul Pilot (who mixed the record) in London. The album featured the single “Halfway Blind” which got repeat plays on BBC 6Music by the likes of Gideon Coe when released as a limited edition seven inch.

Always on the move, the outfit collaborated again last year with Paul Pilot in pan-European project Guidebooks, stitching together organic electronica and classic free-spirited songwriting. In November 2012, Rue Royale fans were treated to a very limited edition split cassette single, “Try As They Might”, with Dutch songwriter and friend Kim Janssen.

And now to album number three – which is set to see the pair press pause on home recording and enter a bigger studio set-up for the first time.

“We’ve written a lot over the past year and it’s exciting!” Brookln enthuses. “The new songs feel fresh and lively. We’ve been working much more intuitively and have a lot of confidence in this batch of tunes. Our releases so far have been home recordings which have been great fun. But we want to step up the quality and do real justice to our new material.”

To realize their ambitions, Rue Royale are encouraging fans to help fund the new record through the successful Kickstarter model, with a number of pre-order options.

“We want to make the best album we can but are relying on the support of our loyal fans. It feels like a risk but it’s also exciting, and humbling, that people who like our music can play a big part in helping us create it,” says Brookln.

Whichever new direction the album takes, you can count on the fact that the journey will continue for Rue Royale, who are fitting in a UK tour in January/February before hitting the studio. That’s 101,946 miles and counting….
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Rue+Royale/+wiki)

Eefje de Visser (Gouda, 8 February 1986) is a Dutch singer/songwriter. She won the Grote Prijs van Nederland, a national competition for musicians, in 2009. She released her first album, De Koek, in 2011, a breakthrough year in which she performed (accompanied by a four-man band called Most Unpleasant Men) at three major Dutch festivals: the Oerol Festival, Lowlands and the Uitmarkt. (Source: http://www.last.fm/music/Eefje+de+Visser)

The Opposites are a Dutch rap duo consisting of rappers Willem and twan. Early on, The Opposites was an English-language outfit, but they soon abandoned English for their native Dutch. They have been popular in the underground rap scene for quite some time, but started reaching broader audiences with their first single, “Fok Jou,” (“Fuck You”) from the album “De Fik Er In” (“Fire It Up”). They continued gaining popularity with their next single, “Oew Oew,” and a collaboration with other artists on a number for a film soundtrack (“Broodje Bakpao”). Their next single, “Slaap” (“Sleep”), also from “De Fik Er In,” reached number 1 on the Dutch pop charts. It was made in the classic Opposites style, but reached a huge audience. They are now a popular and well-known Dutch hip-hop group.

“De Fik Er In” was thought of as an album with an aggressive tone. Their newest release is “Begin Twintig” (Early Twenties) and is a combination of mellow flows and tempo-beats. Lyrics have more feeling.

The Opposites also gave a shot at competing for the new National Anthem. This competition, created by the Government TV Stations, gave upcoming artists the opportunity of writing a new Anthem.
(Source: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Opposites)

Anneke van Giersbergen (born March 8, 1973) was the singer in the Dutch band The Gathering from 1995 to 2007 when she announced her departure, summer 2007. She has since formed Agua de Annique with whom she released new songs in the fall of 2007. She has also worked with Devin Townsend Project, Danny Cavanagh & Anathema, Lawn, The Farmer Boys , Ayreon, Napalm Death, Globus, Moonspell, Giant Squid, Novembers Doom, Wetton/Downes, Maiden United and she has also done a live guest performance for Within Temptation.
(source: http://www.last.fm/music/Anneke+van+Giersbergen)