Ghostpoet

I first heard his song "Cash and Carry Me Home" and was intrigued to hear more.

Obaro Ejimiwe, commonly known as Ghostpoet is a singer and producer from the UK. Although Ghostpoet is relatively new to the music scene you should check him out. He has caught the attention of many already including Mike Skinner of "The streets" (a popular British rapper) http://www.myspace.com/thestreets.

In 2012 Ghostpoet was featured in The Guardian's "New Band Of The Day" and was described as "Dizzee on mogadon, or a half asleep Streets." Since then Ghostpoet has been on tour with Metronomy and Jamie Woon and was nominated for the 2011 Mercury Prize.

For their live performances, Ghostpoet has received some terrific reviews. Confident, self assured and great live, this singer is someone you should go and see. After listening to his debut album "Peanut Butter Blues & Malancholy Jam" I found Ejimiwe reminded me a lot of Maxi Jazz from faithless.

Tour dates:
19th Feb.  Mojo - Liverpool, UK
20th Feb. Rubix - Guildford, UK
21st Feb. Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK
23rd Feb. Dq - Sheffield, UK
24th Feb. SWG3 - Glasgow, UK
25th Feb. Lancaster Library - Lancaster, UK
27th Feb. The Cluny - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
28th Feb. Central Station - Wrexham, UK
29th March. Coalition - Brighton, UK

For more details regarding his European Tour and tickets check out: http://www.songkick.com

Ryan Adams

Ryan  Adams is one of my all time favorite artists. 

Ryan Adams, a country rock singer from North Carolina first hit the music scene in 1991. In 2009 Adams left the cardinals and announced he was taking a break from music. However in 2010 Adams returned with his thirteenth album "Ashes & Fire." His previous albums include "Hheartbreaker," "Gold," "Demolition," "Rock n Roll," "Love Is Hell," "Cold Roses," "Jacksonville City Nights," "29," "Easy Tiger," "Cardinology," "Onion," and "111/1V." 

Songs that I would definitely suggest checking out are Cry on Demand, How Do You Keep Love Alive, Oh My Sweet Carolina and the superb cover of Wonderwall.

When seeing Ryan Adams live expect both sell out crowds and odd requests like 'no cell phones' or 'bars closed by 9pm.' Despite these odd requests there is no question about it, this is MUST see gig. A charismatic individual with a great deal of talent, Adams will astound you with performances of all hits popular hits from over the years. 

Tour dates:
20th April. Waterfront Hall - Belfast, UK
22nd April. The Sage Hall 1 - Gateshead, UK
23rd April. London Palladium - London, UK
26th April. Nottingham Royal Centre - Nottingham, UK
27th April. Sheffield City Hall - Sheffield, UK
30th April. London Palladium - London, UK

For more information about tickets and his European tour check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/332590-ryan-adams/calendar?page=1

Bombay Bicycle Club

This is a great band.

A popular alternative rock band from the UK, Bombay Bicycle Club are someone you should definitely check out.

Since winning Channel 4's "Road to V" competition in 2006, Bombay Bicycle Club has continued to find success and achieve great things. To date, they have three albums "I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose" (2009), "Flaws" (2010) and the recently released third album "A Different Kind Of Fix."

Some songs to check out by this band are "Ivy & Gold," "Sixteen" and "Dust on the Ground." This is definitely a gig not to miss! For a complete review of their gig check out  Bombay Bicycle Club

Tour dates:
Sun 15th  April. Cambridge Corn Exchange - Cambridge, UK
Mon 16th April. Brighton Centre - Brighton, UK
Tue 17th April. Civic Hall - Wolverhampton, UK
Thu 19th April. York Barbican - York, UK
Fri 20th April. Corn Exchange - Edinburgh
Sat 21st April. Liverpool University Guild of Students - Liverpool, UK
Mon 23rd April. Plymouth Pavilions - Plymouth, UK
Tues 24th April. Portsmouth Guildhall - Portsmouth, UK
Wed 25th April. De Montfort Hall - Leicester, UK
Fri 27th April. Empress Ballroom - Blackpool, UK
Sat 28th April. Alexandra Palace - London, UK


For information regarding tickets check out: Bombay Bicycle Club tickets

The Pierces

The Pierces are a New York based band made up of two sisters, Catherine and Alison Pierce from Alabama.

This alternative folk band have struggled to grow over the years, with their three albums "The Pierces," "Light Of The Moon" and "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge" failing to grasp the attention of media and potential fans.

The girls have however recently had a number of their songs played in hit US shows Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Charmed and Dexter. This seems to have really helped the girls to get their music across to a wider audience.

If you like bands and artists Lenka, The Pretty Reckless, Alice Gold and Clare Maguire than this is a band you should check out.

Despite a lack of success in the US, these two sisters are proving pretty popular in the UK. Having recently signed with a UK music label, the girls have been hitting the festival scene and gaining some positive press.

Tour dates:
29th March. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC

For information regarding tickets check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/400791-pierces

The Fray

I have been fortunate to see this indie rock band from Colorado, US twice.

The Fray became a success back in 2005 when their debut album "How to Save a Life" became platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. Singles that helped to build the bands initial success were "Over My Head," "How To Save a Life," and "You Found Me."

Since the release of their debut album, the Fray have released the self titled album "The Fray" in 2009 and are due to release their third album "Scars & Stories" on February 7th, 2012.

I would definitely recommend seeing this band live. When I saw this band live I was surprised with how good  Isaac Slade was as lead singer. His distinct raspy voice was just as good live as it is on cd. Although I was impressed with The Frays performance, I will say that something seemed to be missing - it all just seemed far to safe. Yes they have great songs, but in terms of excitement this gig would score low. Don't be put off though, if you are looking for a quiet, chilled night out listening to live music than this would be just the gig for you.

Tour Dates:
12th  April. Radio City Music Hall - NYC

For information regarding tickets and their N. American tour dates check out: http://www.ticketmaster.com/The-Fray-tickets/artist/1004082#artist_table_focus